Watch what you wear

Here's a little explanation on how wearing high heels ruins your posture and everything else.



While yoga can help you correct this, it's better to be on the side of prevention rather than trying to fix the problem!

The Chariot and the Driver

The Chariot and the Driver

Imagine that you are the driver of a chariot harnessed to five strong horses. What do you need to drive that chariot to your chosen destination? You need control over the horses. If the horses are unruly—if they stand on their hind legs, try to run in different directions, or refuse to obey your instructions—you’ll never reach your destination. What’s more, you run the risk of a serious accident, which could destroy or damage both the chariot and your own body.

The ancient yoga texts compare the body to a valuable chariot of which you are the driver. Your senses—the eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and sense of touch—are the five strong horses harnessed to the chariot. To succeed in life, you must be able to control your senses, just as the chariot driver needs control over the horses. If your senses are unrestrained, if they are like wild horses pulling you this way and that, you’ll never have any meaningful direction in life. You’ll simply get dragged this way and that by the senses. You’ll be the slave of your senses—a hedonist. And your life will surely end in disaster or, at the very least, in frustration and purposelessness.

The aim of yoga is to gain control over your senses, and this can be achieved by controlling the mind. The mind is the tool that directs the senses. It can be compared to the reins that are harnessed to the horses and used to direct them. So in order to control your senses, you must be able to control and direct the mind.

Yoga practice is meant to help you take control of the direction of your life. It does this by helping you develop and maintain control over your body, mind, and senses. You then have a much greater chance of attaining your goals and eventually experiencing the bliss of spiritual realization, the ultimate goal of yoga.

Click here to watch “Five Wild Horses,” my music video that demonstrates the above.

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Lessen Your Baby's Toxic Load

Here's a very useful little article about how to keep you and your baby healthy for longer!

Lessen Your Baby's Toxic Load (Part 3): Skin and Bath Products

Baby care products such as shampoos, lotions and powders fall under cosmetics` regulations and the FDA is not required to test their safety. The only way to be assured a product will not contain harmful compounds is that it be certified organic, and better yet, certified organic to food standards. Infants and children are extremely vulnerable to the harmful effects of these chemicals because their brains and organs are still growing and developing. You need to know how certain ingredients cause harm, how to read labels to avoid toxins and how to find acceptable substitutes.

MAJOR TOXINS
•PHTHLATES: Phthlates are known to disrupt the endocrine and reproductive systems, especially in young boys and it is suspected that the increase in male infertility is directly related to exposure to phthalates.

Phthalates have been in the news a lot lately but did you know that they are present in most baby care products such as lotions and shampoos? Europe and Canada are taking action, but the US is still dawdling and allowing the FDA to try and convince us they are safe. They aren't. Although the California law will ban 6 types of phthalates in bottles and toys, phthalates in other products such as bath and skin care products have not been addressed, As there is no requirement to fully disclose ingredients on the label, there is no way to determine if they are phthlate free UNLESS you buy certified organic products.

A recent study from the University of Washington determined that children weren't just being exposed through bottles, formula and chew toys, but were absorbing phthalates through their skin when products were applied. Researches checked the urine of 163 infants aged 2 to 28 months. More than 80 percent of these children had 7 or more types of phthalates in their urine. The more a baby was bathed, the more lotions used, the more phthalates were detected. Baby shampoo had been used on more than half the infants within 24 hours of the urine tests. Fourteen percent of the babies had had powder applied and over 30% had lotions applied. These babies had FOUR times the level of phthalates in their urine than those babies whose parents had used no products on them.

The industry counters this study by stating the only phthalate used in baby products is DEP which they claim has been proven safe, so how could 7 or more different types be found? Yes, babies and children are exposed via many routes, but the fact remains that all phthalates were dramatically increased in babies whose parents had done nothing differently other than use shampoos, lotions and powders. This strongly indicates the increased phthalates came from these products. Remember, full ingredient disclosure isn't required, so we don't know exactly what the manufacturer is putting in these products.

•CARCINOGENS or cancer causing agents: "Though its review of 23 peer-reviewed studies of cancer incidence from the past 50 years, EPA has determined that infants up to age two are, on average, ten times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and for some cancer-causing agents are up to 65 times more vulnerable. The Agency also found that children from age two to 15 are three times more vulnerable to carcinogens than adults. By incorporating these factors, the new risk assessment methods show that children accumulate up to 50% of their lifetime cancer risk by their second birthday." http://www.ewg.org/node/8683, April 2, 2008. Here are just a few ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer: Alkyl-phenol-ethoxylades, Ammonium laureth sulphate, Benzene, Cocamide (and cocomide)DEA, FDC- (FD&C) Colors, Glycols - Propylene glycol, Diethylene glycol, carbitol, Ethylene glycol.

•FRAGRANCES: "Fragrance" can contain up to 4000 separate ingredients, almost all of them synthetic. Synthetic fragrances cause headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, asthma and allergic skin reactions. They also affect the central nervous system causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes.

•1,4 DIOXANE: Companies use ethylene oxide to make harsh, petroleum based ingredients gentler. A byproduct of this ethylation is the production of 1,4 Dioxane, a known carcinogen and suspected to cause kidney damage. Recently several supposedly "green" companies were exposed because their products contained this chemical which is direct proof of the presence of petroleum based chemicals. Again, you will not find this listed in the ingredients, especially because it is a byproduct and not part of the formula. If you see any of these ingredients listed on the bottle, stay far away from it: myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, any other "eth," or PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol

•MINERAL OIL: Would you put gasoline on your child? According to Environmental Working Group, 40% of all baby lotions and oils contain petroleum, a non-renewable hydrocarbon made from crude oil. This oil coats your baby's skin in a non-breathable toxic film. According to Australia's National Occupational Health and Safety Commissions (NOHSC), "Prolonged contact with mineral oil has the associated risk of developing skin conditions such as oil folliculitis, eczematous dermatitis, melanosis of the face and plantar warts." Petroleum also disrupts hormones and diminishes the skin's ability to detoxify. It is the 2nd most likely cause of premature skin aging following excessive sun exposure. Mineral oil based sunscreens are now being implicated in promoting skin, colon and breast cancer and in fact, are found in most breast cancer tissue. Petroleum is a known carcinogen, known to adversely effect health, yet still approved as safe by the FDA.

•SODIUM LAUREL SULFATES(SLS)/SODIUM LAURETH SULFATES(SLES): These ingredients are used to make shampoos, soaps, toothpaste etc sudsy. According to the Journal of American College of Toxicology (Vol. 2, No. 7, 1983), SLS can damage the immune system; cause separation of skin layers and inflammation of the skin. The American College of Toxicology states that SLS/SLES can cause malformation of a baby's eyes. These chemicals are absorbed easily through the skin and wind up in the heart, liver, lungs and brain.

•PARABENS: Are often used as a preservative in everything from food to shampoo to baby wipes. Even at very low doses, parabens are known to cause reproductive damage and systemic organ toxicity.

•"NATURAL": This term is not regulated and no guarantee of safety. Most products labeled "natural" contain at least one of the above ingredients and have petroleum chemicals in them.

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CHILD`S TOXIC LOAD:
•READ LABELS: Carry a list of the above ingredients with you when you go shopping.
•KEEP IT SIMPLE: Before a baby becomes mobile, warm water and a washcloth is usually all you need.
•CHOOSE CERTIFIED ORGANIC: When you do use products, choose products that are certified organic. You can be assured that these products contain nothing but pure, truly natural, non-toxic ingredients that are safe for your baby, your family and the environment. Miessence Baby is an excellent example of a product line certified organic to food standards. (A review of some of the Miessence Baby products will be forthcoming in another article).

Remember, the skin is the largest organ in the body and readily absorbs almost anything placed on it. The above ingredients are just some of the major toxins. There are many more. Assure your children's future health by protecting them now. If you can't pronounce the ingredients or have no idea what something is, if the label reads like a chemistry textbook instead of a garden, don't buy it. Know what you are putting on your baby's (and your own) skin.

Source

I've noticed that I have a much easier time keeping off weight now. I used to eat desserts after each meal- or at least after lunch and dinner, and I always had an extra roll or two all around. Now that I've hardly been eating sweets, it's great! I don't gain weight either.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I got my mom Wai Lana's "nourish and relax" gift basket this year.

Getting past your cravings

This has been more real to me in the past few weeks since I've stopped eating sugar so much. It's pretty amazing. It's a great way to keep off the extra pounds as well!

What Are Your Cravings?

Like most of us, chances are you’ve probably been on at least one diet before. And you likely gave up on that diet for the same reason everyone else does - cravings. While we may start out with good intentions, often cravings for sugary sweet or fatty foods take over and we give in and give up on our diet. The good news is, you can overcome your cravings; you just need to know what they are and how to beat them.

Often, cravings are actually a sign that you’re missing a nutrient your body needs. While eating certain foods will get those nutrients to your body, they may also come with excess fat and calories you don’t need. This is because, while our body may need a certain nutrient, we still want it to taste good. This is probably why you may not crave the best source of a particular nutrient, and why you don’t have enough in your diet already. The best option is to figure out what nutrient you need and take a supplement or alter your diet accordingly.

While knowing your cravings can often help you figure out what nutrients you’re lacking, it is also a good idea to see a doctor for a routine physical and blood tests. They can recognize what the problem is and how to best add the missing nutrient to your body. They can also screen you for other issues while you’re there.

Often, what you’re lacking is not actually food, but water. Our bodies have a hard time distinguishing hunger from thirst. That may also be why eating food doesn’t necessarily make the cravings go away. Next time you have a craving, drink a large glass of water and see if the hunger sticks around.

Ideally, if you eat a healthy balanced diet, you will reduce many of the cravings you have. But cravings are also based on emotions and other triggers besides the actual need for a certain food.

While getting enough nutrients can help with some cravings, others come from social and psychological triggers. Your cravings could be triggered by a certain person or social setting, or simply by a certain mood. In order to control your cravings, you need to figure out exactly what it is that makes you crave certain foods and change those conditions. If you cut out the cause, then you’ll better be able to stick to healthier choices.

To figure out what your cravings are and what’s causing them, you could start a journal. Just write down any cravings you have, along with your mood, what you’re doing, what you’ve been eating and drinking, and anything else you think might be triggering your hunger. Every so often, look through the journal for patterns. If you find something specific is triggering your cravings, try to avoid that behavior or have yourself prepared ahead of time with a healthy snack instead.

While beating your cravings can be tough, it is possible. Remember that occasionally giving into a craving isn’t terrible, just as long as you don’t do it all the time.

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Stay Fit And Slim During Winter

Time to go for the yoga diet! Wai Lana's got some great recipes to help you make wonderfully delicious dishes and soups that will keep you fit and happy through the winter. She's got some great juices that will help you keep in your best shape.

Remain Fit And Slim During Winter

Are you worried that you might end up becoming fat in winter? Yes, in winter, because of the fact that most of us eat more during winter and there is very less physical activity and due to this you may put on weight. Since there is no calorie burning exercise most probably one may even become obese.

If you are both figure and health conscious then be sure to make this winter regime. Ensure that you are not stuffing so much into your big pot belly. Largely depend on fresh fruits and vegetables. They say they are the corner stone of leading a healthy life. At the same time you must learn that you are not supposed to consume access. You already know the side affects of everything too much.

Eat different varieties to supplement all the required energy, nutritions, minerals and vitamins. They are the catalyst and ingredients of healthy health. If you know the tricks to eat then you can never gain those extra flabs in your stomach. Do regular light exercise this will definitely benefit you.
Another important lesion is to know the limitation of consumption. Though fresh fruits and vegetables are indispensable options for the health but it is also equally important to know how much we should eat. There could be a repercussion lying ahead. Eat proportionate amount and remain healthy.

Your breakfast and lunch idea must be mix of all good fresh food. Eat fruits and nutritious food in the breakfast and lunch. You must not skip the breakfast. Dinner should be with vegetables, fruits apart from your other carbohydrate food.

If you are planning to eat outside, make sure that you are served fresh fruits and light meal. Go for a vegetarian restaurant. Don’t over eat. Be aware of gaining weight.

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Yoga for Children

Yoga for Children
Wholesome is a word we often associate with our children's well-being. We feed our kids wholesome food to nourish their growing bodies. We encourage wholesome activities to help them develop good habits and useful skills.

Yoga is not only wholesome, but holistic as well. In other words, it's an activity that develops the whole child—physically, mentally, and emotionally. What's more, kids of all ages have fun doing yoga and watching their balance, flexibility, and strength improve. They also learn to focus and relax. This positive experience is likely to keep them practicing yoga as adults, reaping yoga's many benefits for years to come.

Many types of exercises help children develop strong muscles, but the strength they gain is rarely balanced with increased flexibility. Yoga postures, however, improve both strength and flexibility, giving kids an ease of movement that helps them improve their performance and prevent injuries. They develop balance, coordination, and the ability to focus. Even kids who aren't athletic enjoy yoga. Because yoga is a gentle, noncompetitive form of exercise, they can practice, do well, and build confidence in a nonthreatening environment.

On a deeper physical level, yoga's focus on good posture helps young spines grow straight and strong. The poses regulate and balance the production of hormones, which is especially important as children approach and pass through puberty. Yoga also improves their digestion, nutrient absorption, and elimination while helping to strengthen the immune system.

In yoga, kids get their bodies and minds working together. They concentrate on positioning and moving in a slow, controlled manner. Sometimes they focus on holding a pose, on their breathing, or on the animal they are imitating. This ability to focus carries over into other aspects of their lives, making it easier for them to concentrate on schoolwork and other important tasks.

Yoga also gives children valuable tools to help them cope with the stress they often face. This stress may be in the form of academic pressure, sports competitions, problems at home, and so on. Yoga postures, breathing, and relaxation techniques teach them how to calm the mind and release excess tension from the body.

Yoga is a wonderful activity for children. It builds strength, stamina, and flexibility and teaches patience, perseverance, and concentration, helping kids become happier and more productive. Whether children are dealing with tight muscles, obesity, divorce, fear, or anxiety, they can use yoga to bring them relief not only throughout their childhood, but also in their adult lives.

Wai Lana's Weekly Message

Beautiful Gifts for the Season

I just got an email from Wailana on the gift baskets she's making available to us this season.

Exposed: 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know

Scary news here!

Exposed: 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know
(NaturalNews) With Breast Cancer Awareness month fully upon us once again, retail stores have been invaded with everything pink, including "pink ribbon" candies and personal care products made with blatantly cancer-causing ingredients. Retail grocery stores like Safeway even hit up customers for donations at the cash register, promising to raise funds to find "the cure for cancer."

Consumers of course, have virtually no idea where the funds they donate actually go, nor do they know the truths about breast cancer they'll never be told by conventional cancer non-profit organizations. In this article, I'll reveal ten important myths about breast cancer, and the truths that can save your life.

Myth #1: Breast Cancer is not preventable

The Truth: Up to 98% of breast cancer cases can be prevented through diet, nutritional supplements, sunshine and exercise

It's true: Breast cancer can be almost entirely prevented through commonsense changes in diet, the addition of anti-cancer nutritional supplements, boosting vitamin D creation from sunlight, avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer products, pursuing regular exercise and eating a live foods diet.

The breast cancer industry -- which depends on the continuation of cancer for its profits and employment -- has so far refused to teach women even basic cancer prevention strategies (such as increasing the intake of vitamin D, which prevents 77% of all cancers). See: http://www.naturalnews.com/021892.html

Myth #2: Pink ribbon products are sold to raise money to support breast cancer victims.

The Truth: Nearly 100% of the funds are used to recruit more breast cancer patients into highly-lucrative treatments that do more harm than good.

You know where all that money goes that you donate to the "search for the cure" and other cancer scams? Virtually none of it goes to actually teach women how to prevent cancer. The World Health Organization says 70% of all cancers are preventable, but the breast cancer industry helps zero percent of women actually prevent it.

Those funds actually go to recruiting breast cancer patients by offering "free" mammograms. This is the clever recruitment strategy of the cancer industry. It's sort of like a greasy garage mechanic offering a "free" checkup on your car's transmission. It's in his financial interest to find something wrong (or to break something), just like it's in the financial interests of the cancer industry to diagnose a women with cancer and scare her into expensive, high-profit treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy or cancer surgery. (Mammogram false positives are commonplace...)

Want proof of where these funds go? Check out this grant list at the Komen for the Cure organization, and you'll see it's almost entirely spent on recruiting more women with mammograms: http://www.komenphoenix.org/site/c.nsKZ...

When you read that list, note that there is not a single grant provided for nutritional education to teach women how to prevent cancer with vitamin D, cruciferous vegetables, anti-cancer herbs, supplements or to avoid dangerous cancer-causing food ingredients like sodium nitrite, MSG and chemical sweeteners.

Myth #3: The only proven treatments for breast cancer are chemotherapy and radiation

The Truth: Chemotherapy doesn't work and radiation causes cancer

Chemotherapy is a fraud, plain and simple. It's as ludicrous as poisoning patients with mercury and calling it medicine (which is something doctors did a hundred years ago, by the way). There is absolutely no reliable scientific evidence showing that chemotherapy has any positive effect whatsoever on breast cancer. Try to find the science yourself: It doesn't exist!

Sure, there's evidence that chemotherapy shrinks tumors. Too bad, however, that tumor size is irrelevant. Artificially reducing the size of a tumor does nothing to reverse the physiology of cancer in a patient's body. It doesn't initiate the healing that needs to take place to reverse cancer and stay cancer free. And this doesn't even take into account the quality of life issues here: Chemotherapy doesn't help people LIVE any longer, but it sure does make them DIE longer!

Myth #4: Chemotherapy is safe and doesn't cause permanent damage to your health

The Truth: Chemotherapy causes vomiting, hair loss, muscle loss, brain damage, heart damage, kidney damage and liver damage. Much of this damage is permanent. Read these stories to learn more:

Cancer Drug Causes Permanent Brain Damage
http://www.naturalnews.com/024475.html

Chemotherapy Causes Brain Shrinkage
http://www.naturalnews.com/021200.html

Chemotherapy Found to Cause Permanent Brain Damage
http://www.naturalnews.com/020665.html

Myth #5: Regular mammograms are the best way to detect cancer

The Truth: Mammograms harm 10 women for every one woman they help

Here's part of a story we published in 2006, called Breast Cancer Screening Harms Ten Women for Every One That it Helps (http://www.naturalnews.com/020829.html)

"A new study by researchers from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Denmark found that mammograms may harm ten times as many women as they help.

The researchers examined the benefits and negative effects of seven breast cancer screening programs on 500,000 women in the United States, Canada, Scotland and Sweden. The study's authors found that for every 2,000 women who received mammograms over a 10-year period, only one would have her life prolonged, but 10 would endure unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments."

Got that? For every 2,000 women receiving mammograms, only ONE would have her life extended at all. TEN women, though, would be harmed with chemotherapy, radiation or mastectomies.

What the study didn't point out, by the way, is that all these treatments are highly profitable for the cancer industry. That's the real reason why mammograms are pushed so aggressively onto women. It's not because mammograms detect cancer; it's because mammograms make them money.

To the breast cancer industry, a woman is nothing more than a piece of meat with a cash reward attached to it. The push for mammography is a marketing ploy designed to keep women scared, misinformed and lined up to be poisoned with chemotherapy while they shell out their life savings for treatments that, for most of them, aren't even medically justified!

That's why I say the breast cancer industry is, by any honest assessment, a crime against women. In America, husbands who beat their wives are considered criminals. They're arrested and locked away. But those very same men, when wearing a doctor's coat, can assault women with chemicals, slice off their breasts with scalpels and even kill those women... all with impunity. There's not a single breast cancer doctor who has ever been arrested for the death of a patient.

The true history of western medicine's violence against women
In time, of course, this will change. Medical violence against women is a crime, regardless of whether the weapon is a fist, a baseball bat or a syringe full of chemicals that will cause permanent damage to her vital organs. In time, chemotherapy will be outlawed and breast cancer doctors will be put out of work or prosecuted for their crimes against women. Perhaps they'll even be castrated as part of a "fitting" punishment.

To all the women reading this, note carefully the history of western medicine and its numerous assaults on women over the years. Do you know where the term "hysterectomy" comes from? It comes from the belief by male doctors that women's emotions were "hysterical," and they believed the best way to "cure" women of their hysteria was to violently cut her reproductive organs out of her body.

The procedure was widely adopted by male surgeons and used for well over a hundred years to treat women who were diagnosed as suffering from virtually every kind of emotional variance you can imagine. Doctors who didn't use scalpels to remove these organs from a woman's body often resorted to so-called "pelvic massages" -- a medicalized raping of the female patient by the male doctor, of course.

Even today, tens of thousands of hysterectomies are performed each year with no medical justification whatsoever. Doctors continue to view women's bodies as diseased and abnormal, surgically removing their breasts and reproductive organs for no justifiable reason whatsoever. It's even being done today as a cancer prevention procedure, against women who have no cancer at all!

Western medicine's treatment of breast cancer patients today is little more than an extension of hundreds of years of medical violence against women by the male-dominated medical establishment.

Want proof? Notice that cancer doctors never advise men to surgically remove their testicles as a way to "prevent" testicular cancer? That's because the male surgeons performing these operations prefer to maim women, not men.

If you have the stomach for it, read the rest of the truth about how conventional doctors and surgeons commit outrageous medical violence against women and children even today: http://www.naturalnews.com/019930.html

Myth #6: BRCA-positive women should consider mastectomies to prevent cancer

The Truth: Cruciferous vegetables target BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, preventing cancer with nutrition

Women who are BRCA positive are being scared into utterly unnecessary double mastectomies -- a procedure that benefits no one except the surgeon. What nobody is telling these women is that cruciferous vegetables contain anti-cancer nutrients that specifically target BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, protecting these women from breast cancer.

All it takes is a single ounce of fresh broccoli juice each day, or fresh sprouts, superfoods or other nutrient-dense foods or juices consumed daily.

Cancer doctors, of course, conveniently forget to tell women about these little facts. It would hurt their business if women knew how to prevent cancer on their own, at home, with everyday groceries and simple herbs.

Here's text from one study that might interest you. It shows that I3C (from broccoli) and genistein (from fermented soy) inhibit estrogen-stimulated receptor activity in a dose-dependent fashion:

"...we showed that I3C induces BRCA1 expression and that both I3C and BRCA1 inhibit oestrogen (E2)-stimulated oestrogen receptor (ER-) activity in human breast cancer cells. We now report that both I3C and genistein induce the expression of both breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) in breast (MCF-7 and T47D) and prostate (DU-145 and LNCaP) cancer cell types, in a time- and dose-dependent fashion.

http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v94/n...

Conventional cancer doctors, of course, refuse to tell women about scientific evidence like this. If women could prevent breast cancer with I3C, why would they need cancer doctors? The answer, of course, is that they wouldn't. You can buy I3C, but the way, right here: http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-I3C-Indole-...

The FDA, of course, won't allow companies selling I3C supplements to tell you the scientifically-validated truth about their anti-cancer benefits. It's all part of the censorship and oppression that characterizes today's cancer industry. The U.S. government, of course, is the co-conspirator in this sad tragedy of misinformation.

It is the job of the FDA and the cancer industry to keep women stupid, uninformed and scared when it comes to breast cancer. The last thing they want is for women to be nutritionally literate.

Myth #7: The cancer non-profits are searching for a cure for cancer

The Truth: Even if one was found, they would never allow a cure to be publicized: It would destroy the cancer treatment industry

It's the great scam of the cancer industry: We're searching for a cure, they claim! Never mind the fact that they've been using this same con since the late 60's, when they claimed to be only a few million dollars away from curing cancer forever.

The search for "the cure" is pure deception. It's a clever con to take money from people for all those silly pink ribbon activities, but the truth is that the cancer industry doesn't believe there's such a thing as cure. Just ask the FDA, the AMA or any state health licensing board: Anyone claiming to have a cancer "cure" is immediately considered a quack. Over the last several decades, countless doctors researching genuine cancer cures have been arrested, imprisoned or run out of the country. Read about Stanislaw Burzynski to learn about just one example: http://www.cancure.org/burzynski_instit...

Finally, even if they actually find a "cure" (which they won't, since that would destroy the profits of the cancer industry), do you think they would give it away for free? Of course not! They'd charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for it, milking the maximum profits out of a terrified population for their newest wonder drug.

Notice, by the way, that not a single conventional breast cancer non-profit group -- nor any drug company -- has announced that its breakthrough cancer drugs will be given away for free. And that leads me to this question: If they're not planning on giving away the cure for free, then why are you giving them money for free to pay for their R&D?

Why should people donate money to the wealthiest corporations in the world (the drug companies) who are going to take their money and use it to develop a new wave of drugs that are sold to cancer victims at outrageous price markups sometimes exceeding 550,000% of the cost of the chemical ingredients?

The truth is, anyone who donates money for any such "search for the cure" is being conned outright. There's a sucker born every minute, P.T. Barnum famously said. What he neglected to add is that most of them are now buying pink products and thinking they're helping find a "cure" for cancer.

Don't be suckered. Keep your money, or invest it in vitamin D supplements or anti-cancer herbs. You want to cure cancer? Cure it in your own body first. It's a lot less expensive, and you get to keep your hair, too.

Myth #8: There is no cure for breast cancer

The Truth: There are MANY natural cures for breast cancer available right now

Just a few hours of research will turn up numerous natural cures for cancer: Vitamin D, cat's claw herbs, the Essiac formula, medicinal mushrooms, spirulina, cruciferous vegetables, green tea, graviola herbs, Chinese medicinal herbs, oxygen therapy, alkalizing water therapies and much more.

All these cures have one thing in common: They are ALL suppressed by the FDA and FTC. Telling the truth about anti-cancer foods, herbs or supplements is now a criminal offense in America.

Myth #9: If my mother had breast cancer, I'll get it too

The Truth: Breast Cancer is not caused by bad genes; it's caused by bad diets

This is another common lie told to woman by cancer doctors to scare them into medically unnecessary cancer "treatments" (which can kill you or harm you). Did you know that radiation treatment for one breast actually causes cancer in the OTHER breast? See: http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000366_...

Your genes don't control your health, but what you put in your mouth and on your skin has near-total control over your health! If your parents had cancer, they were no doubt eating cancer-causing foods (processed meats) and not using anti-cancer foods, superfoods, herbs and supplements. They were also likely deficient in vitamin D, and they probably didn't drink fresh anti-cancer vegetables on a daily basis (www.JuiceFeasting.com). Lastly, they no doubt had regular exposure to cancer-causing chemicals: Cigarette smoke, chemical solvents, perfume chemicals, household cleaners, pesticides, skin care products, conventional cosmetics, etc.

Read the truth about processed meats: http://www.naturalnews.com/022288.html

Myth #10: Sunlight causes cancer

The Truth: Sunlight generates Vitamin D in your skin, which prevents 78% of ALL cancers

The disinformation put out by the cancer industry about sunlight has reached a level of absurdity that's virtually unmatched in the history of medicine. If you believe what the American Cancer Society tells you (still being suckered?), sunlight causes cancer!

Yes, that's right: Sunlight causes cancer, they claim. According to the entire cancer industry (and most dermatologists, too), you'd be much better off hiding in a cave, or living your life under fluorescent lights or smothered in a layer of toxic sunscreen chemicals (which actually DO cause cancer, by the way).

Somehow, the human race has miraculously managed to survived 350,000 years of natural sunlight without be obliterated. This is nothing short of astonishing, given that sunlight is so deadly. It sort of makes me wonder how the human race survived at all, with sunlight striking any given area of the Earth, say, 50% of the time. Did our ancestors live underground?

The ploy here is so obvious that it's child's play to expose their strategy: Cancer industry authorities know that vitamin D prevents 77% of all cancers. Since sunlight exposure causes the skin to generate vitamin D in the human body (for free, no less), the cancer industry has come to the realization that in order for it to continue surviving (and exploiting cancer patients), it has to scare people away from anything that might actually prevent or cure cancer.

This is the whole reason behind the sunlight scare campaigns, of course. It's all just a clever profit strategy to keep people sick and diseased by enforcing widespread vitamin D deficiency across the human population. Note, too, that this deficiency is especially prominent in men and women of darker skin color, which means the cancer industry's whole campaign against sunlight is filled with disturbing racial overtones that smack of genocide. (Ever wonder why breast cancer is FAR more aggressive in black women and white women? It's the vitamin D deficiency caused by the skin color, of course. But cancer docs never tell their black patients anything about it...)

Remember this: Healthy people with abundant vitamin D levels in their blood don't get cancer and they almost never catch colds. They also don't need vaccines, by the way. These are three huge profit centers for conventional medicine: Cancer, vaccines and colds. This is why the industry goes to such great lengths to (hilariously) try to discredit the sun.

It's hilarious because the sun, of course, is the source of ALL life on our planet. Without the sun, there would be no plants, no bacteria, no animals, no fish and certainly no humans. The sun is the single most important source of life on our planet, and without it, we'd all die in a matter of a few hours (from the cold alone). That the cancer industry would declare war on the sun is just a disturbing example of how far removed modern medicine is from the real world.

Why the cancer industry is dangerous to women
The cancer industry people are living in a world of self-reinforced fictions, where sunlight is bad and chemotherapy chemicals are good; where food is useless but pharmaceuticals are essential. Almost everything said to you by a conventional cancer doctor is the opposite of what's real, and yet they believe their own delusions only because those delusions are so widely shared by their colleagues. It is circular logic at its worst, driven by arrogance and greed, and totally lacking any discernable degree of intellectual honesty or compassion for the value of a human life.

The cancer industry is, in a very real way, a danger to the safety of men and women alike. It is a kind of home-grown medical terrorism, through which the application of fear and disinformation results in massive corporate profits that are only exceeded by the body count of our dead women; our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and nieces who fall victim to conventional cancer treatments. They are being lost to a medical regime wielding weapons of mass destruction: Chemical weapons (chemotherapy), radiological weapons (radiation) and weapons of sharp steel (scalpels).

These weapons of medical violence are being directed at our women for one purpose only: To secure profits that go into the hands of a few wealthy men who sit at the top of these organizations, raking in fifty-million-dollar salaries while the cancer treatment centers send women home in body bags.

It is the ultimate act of cruelty to promise a woman "treatment" and then deliver poison.

It is the ultimate act of violence to promise a woman "healing" and then mutilate her body.

The cancer industry, as operated today, is ultimately a criminal organization engaged in acts of medical violence against women.

Why women should revolt against the cancer industry
Even worse, it is being staffed by women, cheered by women and supported by women. In World War II, before the Jews were exterminated, Nazi soldiers pried the gold fillings out of their mouths. The fillings were sold off, and the money went to two places: The pockets of the top Nazi commanders, and the continued funding of the prison camps and extermination chambers. The Jewish prisoners, in other words, paid for their own gas chamber treatments using the gold right out of their own mouths.

Today, women are paying for their own cancer industry chemical assaults using the dollars right out of their own pockets. Those who support the conventional breast cancer non-profits are feeding the very beast that may someday destroy them and send them home poisoned, emaciated, or mutilated beyond repair.

And you know what the pink ribbon non-profits will do to help these women? WIGS. They'll give them wigs to cover their hairless heads.



Chemotherapy victim or concentration camp prisoner? They both produce these same results. Zyklon B gas, by the way, was manufactured by a pharmaceutical company.
It is no coincidence that women who receive chemotherapy visually resemble the women of the Nazi concentration camps. They become emaciated through dangerous losses of muscle mass and bone mass. They lose their hair, vomit their food and suffer the devastating effects of massive nutrient loss.

They are, in effect, both prisoners of the same system of control and violence against women. It is a system that has existed for thousands of years, taking on new names and new faces as it shifts from one corner of the planet to another.

Today, that system of abuse and violence against women has a corporate logo, a cute pink symbol and a clever slogan. It has hundreds of offices all across the country, and thousands of pink products in retail stores. It is a system of violence against women, painted pink and repackaged as something that cares for women; and in that disguise, aided by the purchasing dollars of gullible consumers, it is ensnaring women in a system of such great evil that it can only be accurately compared to historical events like the Holocaust.

May God save our women from the cancer industry, lest we lose four generations to this modern chemical holocaust that has been unleashed against our mothers, daughters, grandmothers and sisters. And if our government will not protect us from this home-grown terrorism that seeks to turn the bodies of women into corporate profit centers, I hope that the People of America will one day wake up and take all justified (non-violent) measures to protect themselves from the cancer industry.

It is odd, I think, that women will protest in front of abortion clinics in order to save the life of an unborn child, and yet that same woman will say nothing when a cancer doctor destroys the life of her own mother or daughter. It is time to start protesting the cancer clinics and cancer non-profits. It is time to end this chemical holocaust and this medical violence against women. The women should be marching against mammograms and chemotherapy, demanding the arrest and prosecution of cancer surgeons who perform unjustified double mastectomies.

Throughout history, women have fought hard for the right to vote, to pursue an education and to be heard. I believe it is time that women exercised those rights to protect their freedoms and their lives from the conventional cancer industry.

Source

Additives in skin, body, bath and hair products

Additives in skin, body, bath and hair products

As I sit here in my warm, cozy home heated by the wood that my family so carefully gathered this summer and fall, I feel we need to discuss additives. Specifically Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate with a little DEA and Propylene Glycol thrown in for good measure.

I have so much competition at craft fairs and yes, the grocery store, health food stores and the specialty soap shops in the mall. I’m not worried - but you should be if you’re not reading labels! Go past the pretty pictures of herbs on beautiful bottles of shampoo that cost many times more than the grocery store brands. Go past the extremely cheap price on warehouse type stores and really READ what’s in your shampoo, toothpaste, body & bath products. “Natural”, “herbal extracts”, etc. do not mean anything!

I will make up a product based on a customer’s wants as long as it does not conflict with my beliefs and limited knowledge of additives. This time it’s bath fizzys/bombs and shampoos. They all seem to list the most dangerous chemical ingredient used (in my opinion) in shampoos, bath and body gels, bubble baths, etc. This chemical Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is used in engine degreasers and garage floor cleaners. It cleans by corrosion. Is used as a skin irritant so they can test healing agents on irritated skin. (Just what I want on my head and body - how ’bout you?).

This chemical detergent has a warning label on it in children’s bubble baths . . . it’s on you a little longer than the wash off product called shampoo. Terrible irritant and can cause lots of problems. It’s so dangerous bubblebath is regulated by the FDA!

The dangers of DEA were noted by Doctor Samuel Epstein, M.D. of the University of Illinois and one of the world’s most foremost toxicologists on CBS This Morning. DEA is “a potential carcinogen” and that even in small doses, repeated use of DEA increases the risk of cancer. (The European government has taken action to phase out its use since the 1980’s).

Propylene Glycol, also known as the main TOXIC ingredient in industrial antifreeze - commonly used in shampoo to give it “glide” and in order to prevent the drying of the product. Known to be an irritant even in low levels of concentration.

My shampoo that I make - Simply Shampoo - may not be thick and gel-like, but it cleans the hair and doesn’t have any of these terrible ingredients in it. My bath fizzys have recognizable, simple ingredients - most of them in your spice pantry. By law I do not need to disclose any ingredients on my soaps unless I make a claim. But we put every single ingredient on each and every bar of soap. Look at the soaps/detergent bars that you are buying . . . do you KNOW what’s in it?

Whether you buy Weber Farms handmade products or not, PLEASE READ YOUR LABELS! It could mean life or death - either from the chemicals that give products “something extra” or from allergens not listed.

Please look “google” Diethanolamine (DEA) - Propylene Glycol - SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and SLES or Sodium Laureth Sulfate and walk in wisdom, she’s a great teacher!

Let’s all get a little healthier together by reading labels and enjoying simpler things . . . like lighting that little 100% beeswax candle and letting the aroma fill the living area while we watch Christmas and Thanksgiving (the turkeys) come down and forage by the oak trees. (You could too - just come visit!).

Source

That's another reason you should take advantage of Wailana's natural health and beauty product line

Cough medicine worries

Kids and Cough -- What You Need to Know About Your Child's Cough Medicine

For the record, I have to state I am not a medical professional and certainly not a doctor. The below information is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. For goodness sake, see your doctor already!

There are many products to help us with the common cough. Currently, some things you might find include:

antihistamines (eg, brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, loratadine, and diphenhydramine) which help you to produce less mucus by blocking histamine. Most of them can cause drowsiness and some (such as diphenhydramine) are also packaged as both antihistamines (Benedryl) and sleeping pills (Unisom & Nytol). Later antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin) are supposed to be non-drowsy, although truthfully it can be said they cause drowsiness in a much smaller group of people.

decongestants (eg, phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine) which help dry you up by constricting blood vessels. Narrower blood vessels in your sinuses reduces inflammation, but narrower blood vessels elsewhere can be bad if you have conditions such as high blood pressure, arrythmia, or history of stroke. Phenylephrine used to be prescription only (as Entex) and it was pulled from the market voluntarily because a study showed it may increase the risk of stroke. But when the restrictions on pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) tightened to try and reduce the presence of meth (of which, Sudafed is a key ingredient), phenylephrine reappeared as a lower dose over-the-counter. Pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attack and arrythmia at higher doses, which is why you no longer can buy "little white crosses" or "pink hearts" through the mail. Those "stay-awake pills" were nothing more than 60mg-120mg doses of pseudoephedrine.

antitussives (eg, codeine, dextromethorphan, and benzonatate) are supposed to reduce the cough reflex.

expectorants (guaifenesin) loosen mucus and help you cough it up.

HOW THE FDA AFFECTS YOU:
A little history is necessary to understand the problem we face with some cough medicines today. The original FDA in 1906 was concerned more with accurate labeling than drug safety, and primarily people were worried about dangerous food additives rather than medications. Food and drug labels had to be accurate, and the presence and amount of eleven dangerous ingredients, including alcohol, heroin, and cocaine, had to be listed. In 1938, a new act expanded the FDA to allow them to perform inspections, control cosmetics, and to make it illegal to make false or misleading claims about medical products. This also brought about the first prescription-only medications. But it wasn't until an amendment in 1962 that the FDA made it necessary to really prove the safety and efficacy of a drug before it went on the market. The problem was what to do about commonly used drugs that had been out long before 1962. Well, those drugs pretty much stayed on the market. That's why we have stuff like aspirin over-the-counter, even though we still aren't 100% sure exactly all that it does to the human body. In the past couple of years, the FDA has begun a program to evaluate and possibly remove drugs from the market that were brought out before 1962.

SAFETY OF COUGH MEDICINE QUESTIONED:
Between 2004 and 2005, the CDC reported more than 1500 emergency room visits in which children under two were given some form of cough medication. About 10 of 90 sudden infant deaths involved children under 12 months being given a cough medication, many of them were NOT under a doctor's supervision at the time. Even worse, various placebo studies over the last twenty years have indicated that cough medications simply don't work in young children, yet some doctors are unaware of these new studies. Children under 2 also don't have the ability to process codeine, making it much more lethal.

IMPORTANT NOTES TO REMEMBER! WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW


* Don't give children medicine labeled for adults. Children process medications differently because their livers, etc. aren't fully developed. It is also more important to base children's medication on an accurate weight as they have less margin for error. Most bathroom scales are not terribly accurate.
* Buy products with child-resistant caps, but also keep medications out of reach of children and pets. Children are sometimes better at figuring out how to open a bottle than their adult counterparts. And I still tell with horror the tale of the woman who gave her new puppy a prescription of hers to play with. "But it was childproof!" she protested as I explained childproof did not mean puppy-proof. Sure enough, the dog ate the bottom of the bottle right off and then ate her pills and had to be rushed to the vet. I sure hope that woman never has children. Can you imagine giving your child a pill bottle as a fun rattle?
* Don't go by the brand name. Always check the ingredients list to make sure you aren't mixing two types of drugs. You can only take one of each category at a time. That means only one type of antihistamine, only one type of decongestant, only one type of pain medication. (Acetaminophen and NSAIDs are pretty much the only type of OTC pain medications which can be taken together on the same day, and that's another topic altogether.)
* I repeat, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. Don't give more medication than is called for, especially not to your kids. More is not always better. In fact, cough medications may not even work on children as the final studies are still out.
* Use the measuring devices provided with the medication. Don't use regular silverware to measure out a spoonful. Even kitchen measuring spoons don't have to be all that accurate.



Medications are not the cure all for every ailment. People get sick, adults catch 2-4 colds a year and kids usually get 3-10 annually. That's NORMAL. And no medicine can cure the common cold, it only lessens the symptoms to make the cold bearable while it runs its natural course. If your child has a common cold, no medicine is required to make your child well. It will take care of itself in a few days. Now if your child exhibits symptoms that may point to something worse than a simple cold, contact their doctor right away. Don't wait! A phone call doesn't hurt anything and nurses on the phone will be able to tell you whether or not your child needs to be seen. Things to be concerned about include high fever (higher than 102), rash with fever, a cough or congestion bad enough to inhibit breathing, or a 'cold' that refuses to get any better after 3-5 days.

Emotional Stress Linked to Premature Aging

So do yoga with Wailana, and age as gracefully as she!

Emotional Stress Linked to Premature Aging

(NaturalNews) Stress is everywhere. Simply living in the modern world is incredibly stressful. We generally work hard and there is so much pressure to keep going until exhaustion. A significant amount of people are also under incredible emotional stress.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that emotional stress is perhaps the single greatest aging factor. We have all seen how quickly presidents age after four years (of fighting unnecessary wars, for example). This is because stress damages the body in many different ways.

One direct link between psychological stress and premature aging has recently been identified by scientists.

The study involved 39 women, aged 20- to 50 years, who had been experiencing extreme stress for years as a result of caring for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 other similar women whose children were healthy.

The researchers examined structures inside cells called telomeres. Telomeres are the caps at the ends of chromosomes that carry genes. Every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. In the natural aging process, the telomeres eventually get so short that the cell can no longer divide and dies.

As more and more cells die, the effects of aging can be noticed. These include skin wrinkles, weakened muscles, fading eyesight and hearing, organ failure, and diminished thinking abilities.

The researchers also measured levels of an enzyme called telomerase, which helps rebuild telomeres to stave off this process. Telomerase levels naturally decline with age.

The scientists discovered that chronic stress appears to accelerate this process. The longer a woman had been caring for a sick child and perceived her situation as stressful, the shorter her telomeres and the lower her levels of telomerase.

There are many studies that reveal that younger telomeres are linked with exercise. This makes sense since exercise is one of the best ways to relax and de-stress.

This study shows how interlinked our minds and bodies really are, and offers scientific proof that emotional stress is highly aging. It further reveals how important stress relievers such as meditation and practicing yoga are for staying young.

Source: Natural News

Two colors, no matter.

Old story, but makes me wonder nonetheless. This is when it's good to know about yoga - and to not judge people by their skin color or body types. :)

Black and white twins
By LUCY LAING, Daily Mail
Last updated at 08:54 02 March 2006

When Kylie Hodgson gave birth to twin daughters by caesarean section, she was just relieved that they had arrived safely.

It was only when the midwife handed them over for her to hold that she noticed the difference between them.

Remee, who weighed 5lb 15oz, was blonde and fair skinned. Her sister Kian, born a minute later weighing 6lb, was black.

'Our two gorgeous little girls'

"It was a shock when I realised that my twins were two different colours," said Kylie, 19. "But it doesn't matter to us - they are just our two gorgeous little girls."

The amazing conception happened after two eggs were fertilised at the same time in the womb.

Both Kylie and her partner Remi Horder, 17, are of mixed race. Their mothers are both white and their fathers are black.

According to the Multiple Births Foundation, baby Kian must have inherited the black genes from both sides of the family, whilst Remee inherited the white ones.

Kylie, from Nottingham, discovered she was pregnant in the summer of 2004 and a scan at the Queen's Medical Centre revealed that twins were on the way.

"It was a shock at first to discover I was expecting as we hadn't been trying for a family," she said I had my 14-week scan and the sonographer ran the scanner over my stomach and announced that I was carrying twins.

"We couldn't believe it. Neither of us could take our eyes off the scanner - you could just see two of everything, even the outline of their little noses. We were both overwhelmed."

The twins were born by caesarean in April last year because one of the girls was lying in an awkward position in the womb.

"I didn't see them at first," added their mother. "They were both whisked away to be checked over and then the midwife came back and placed them both in my arms.

"I noticed that both of them had beautiful blue eyes, but whilst Remee was blonde, Kian's hair was black and she had darker skin.

"It seemed strange, but I was feeling so ill that I didn't really take it in at that stage."

The next day she mentioned the colour difference to her mother, who told her that Remee's skin would darken as she grew older.

But as the weeks passed, Remee became lighter still while Kian went darker. And while Remee's eyes stayed blue, Kian's turned brown.

"There are some similarities between them," said their mother. "They both love apples and grapes, and their favourite television programme is Teletubbies.

"If they haven't seen each other for a few hours, they are so pleased to see each other and will hold out their arms, wanting to hug each other. And their smiles just light up their faces.

"I'll explain it all to them when they get older about why they look so different."

Million to one odds

The odds against of a mixed race couple having twins of dramatically different colour are a million to one.

Skin colour is believed to be determined by up to seven different genes working together.

If a woman is of mixed race, her eggs will usually contain a mixture of genes coding for both black and white skin.

Similarly, a man of mixed race will have a variety of different genes in his sperm. When these eggs and sperm come together, they will create a baby of mixed race.

But, very occasionally, the egg or sperm might contain genes coding for one skin colour. If both the egg and sperm contain all white genes, the baby will be white. And if both contain just the versions necessary for black skin, the baby will be black.

For a mixed-race couple, the odds of either of these scenarios is around 100 to one. But both scenarios can occur at the same time if the woman conceives non-identical twins, another 100 to one chance.

This involves two eggs being fertilised by two sperm at the same time, which also has odds of around 100 to one.

If a sperm containing all-white genes fuses with a similar egg and a sperm coding for purely black skin fuses with a similar egg, two babies of dramatically different colours will be born.

The odds of this happening are 100 x 100 x 100 - a million to one.

Source

Living simply?

The agony of seven days without spending
By Steve Almond

(RealSimple.com) -- I like to think of my attitude toward money as enlightened.
Author finds out how he burns up dollars every day without thinking about it.

Author finds out how he burns up dollars every day without thinking about it.

Last summer, for instance, I received a letter informing me that I had won a small grant from the state of Massachusetts. The next day I was informed that I was being audited -- by the state of Massachusetts. Ah well, I thought. The state giveth and the state taketh away.

My friends and family see my attitude toward money in slightly different terms. "You're a total miser" is how my darling wife, Erin, puts it.

In fact, it's a bit worse than that. I'm one of those irritating guys who try to convert self-deprivation into a virtue. I buy my pants secondhand. I hoard hotel soap and used aluminum foil. I eat the not-too-badly-chewed leftovers off my daughter's plate. And I constantly rail against consumerism.

Which is why I recently subjected myself to a little experiment: Could I go a week without spending a single penny? Here was my big chance to showcase all that adorable righteousness! To stage a tour de force, a morality play in seven daily acts! Real Simple: 20 money-saving secrets

This wasn't how I sold the plan to my wife, though. I assured her the point of the challenge was (at least partly) to help me come to terms with my superior attitude toward money. Confronting my reliance on currency might actually lead me to be less judgmental, I argued.

My wife sighed deeply. "Oh God," she said. "This is going to be so annoying."

Saturday

The day begins with my normal ritual: a squash match against my nemesis, Zach. Before we step onto the court, I inform him, apropos of nothing, that I won't be spending any money for the next week. He looks confused, perhaps because he has never before seen me spend money.

In the third game, I rip an incredibly macho forehand and our ball goes dead.

"I'll buy us another," I say. "Oh, wait a second...."

A miffed Zach marches to the front desk to buy the ball himself.

On the way home, we stop to pick up buns from Erin's favorite Portuguese bakery. I could argue that I'm not buying the buns for myself, but rules are rules, so I beg Zach to pay for them.

"Come on," I say. "I'll pay you back next week."

"Isn't that just a deferred purchase?" Zach asks.

I ponder this question, weighing its logic against the prospect of returning home to my wife bunless.

"Listen," I say. "The lettuce in our garden is going crazy. Buy me these buns and I'll give you a bushel of romaine. Dude, that's a straight-up barter."

Sunday

The day starts well. I do not proceed to the nearest Dunkin' Donuts to purchase hot liquid crack. I do not buy the morning paper. Instead, I meditate on the contents of my soul. (This does not take long.)

My afternoon plan is to watch the finals of the European soccer championships at my friend Karl's, but his wife has just had a baby so supposedly they're "tired." We don't have a TV, so I end up at an Irish pub, where the bartender stares at me for 20 minutes, waiting for my drink order. I slink out at halftime.

Monday

Erin and I are on our way back from running an errand with our two-year-old daughter, Josephine. It's rush hour in Boston, Massachusetts, and traffic is barely moving.

"Hey," Erin says. "Let's go to a restaurant."

"Very funny. No spending means no spending."

"Gnocchi in vodka sauce," she says. "Mmm. Shrimp scampi. Lobster ravioli."

"Please shut up," I say.

We dine on day-old sandwich wraps at home. Real Simple: Save money by entertaining at home

Tuesday

Getting a haircut has become increasingly disconcerting as I've entered my slow but inexorable march toward Captain Picarditude. Still, it has become essential that I visit my stylist, Linda, at least once a month, lest my remaining follicles pouf in a manner recalling Robby Benson during his Ice Castles phase.

Complicating matters is the fact that Josephine will be coming along for her debut haircut.

As I ease into the chair, I explain to Linda that I plan to pay her for both haircuts ... next week. "Two baldies coming up!" she shrieks, brandishing her clippers like a Ginsu knife. She's kidding. I think.

Heading home, I pull up at a stoplight. A 10-year-old kid walks up to my window, holding a bucket with the name of a homeless children's shelter.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I can't spend money this week."

Erin digs a handful of quarters from her purse and reaches across my lap. "Here," she says to the kid. "Take this. I apologize. My husband is an idiot."

At this point, three things occur to me, more or less simultaneously:

1. I am an idiot.

2. I spend a lot more money than I ever realized or would admit.

3. While I enjoy having an excuse not to spend money, I do not enjoy feeling like an idiot.

Wednesday

My friend Billy comes over for dinner. The plan was to make him lasagna, but Billy is deeply suspicious of any foods not prepared by restaurant professionals or his grandmother. We opt for Chinese takeout.

On the way to pick up the food, I launch into my rap about how I won't be able to pick up the check, because, see --

"Not a problem," Billy says. "You never pay."

"I do too pay," I say indignantly.

He waits for me to recall a specific instance. Real Simple: Tip on loaning money

Thursday

I occupy the morning making a short list of things I would buy if I could:

1. The new Ike Reilly album.
2. A box of Raisinets.
3. A full-time masseuse.
4. Solar heating panels.
5. A life coach who also does pedicures. (I feel compelled to add that I would share the full-time masseuse with Erin, but only if she agreed to stop insulting me in front of panhandlers.)

Of course, if I allowed myself to spend money, I wouldn't buy any of these things. I would deprive myself of them, very loudly. I would also harangue myself about unreasonable purchases. "Paper towels!" I would roar, as I strolled the aisles at Target. "Who needs those when you can use an old T-shirt?"

But I can't spend money, so all I think about is spending money. I am beginning to see the appeal of those fancy catalogs Erin gets and thumbs through, sighing all the while. It's way more fun to fantasize about purchases than to make them.

How odd. I miss the unctuous attentions of the retail sector, the vaguely cheeselike scent of crisp new bills. Most of all, I miss the brief but potent fantasy that illuminates every cash transaction in our culture: that you can buy happiness.

Friday

On my last day of mandatory penury, we head down to celebrate my wife's birthday with her family. As we reach the tollbooth off the turnpike, Erin is asleep. The toll collector is waiting for his $1.75.

"Honey," I whisper. No response.

This being the Massachusetts Turnpike, within five seconds a horn sounds behind us. Erin opens her eyes and looks around. "Oh, good grief," she says.

Originally we all planned to go out Saturday night, so I could pick up the tab. But when we arrive, Erin's mother announces that we'll be going out tonight.

Marriage has taught me this: You don't throw down with your mother-in-law. So I now explain to my in-laws that I can't contribute a red cent to my wife's birthday dinner. Then I get to spend an hour after dinner watching Erin open presents. Perfume. Gift cards. Bath gel.

Had I planned more effectively, I would have gifts to offer her, too, bought weeks ago. But part of my new attitude toward money involves refusing to consider the ways in which it might make the people around me unreasonably happy.

I watch the wrapping paper pile up. "Remember those diamond earrings I got you for your birthday last year?" I keep saying. "You know the ones I mean, with the diamonds?"

Later, lying in bed, I take stock of my accomplishments. I've stiffed a homeless child. Nearly gotten my daughter scalped. Cheaped out on my wife's birthday. It's not the kind of résumé that shouts "personal growth."

I nudge Erin. "Sweetie? What do you want for your birthday?"

"Sleep," she murmurs.

"Seriously," I whisper. "I will get you absolutely anything you want."

I assume she's thinking about how best to call my bluff. Does she want a bigger house, one with an actual dining room? A car manufactured in this century? Then I hear a very faint snoring noise.

It's almost midnight. I fantasize about slipping out of bed and dashing to an all-night convenience store to buy up their most expensive Hostess product. Would Erin appreciate this gesture? Possibly.

But I know what she would really like -- for me to climb off my high horse and stop sweating the small purchases. To become more relaxed about money. So I lie there in the dark, relaxing about money. In the morning, my wife will get up and I'll announce my new attitude toward money, carefully avoiding the word "enlightened."

The only question now, really, is, Will she buy it?

Source

Wai Lana's Gem of Wisdom

The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein

Wai lana's Gem of Wisdom

Childhood Obesity

Parents Blame Inactivity for Children’s Obesity
Anna Montage, Health and Wellness Editor

A recent poll found that most parents feel inactivity is the major cause of obesity in children. It makes sense; kids today have far less built-in physical activity in their daily activities. Many children take the bus or are driven to school and they also spend a good amount of time in front of the TV or video games each day. To make matters worse, many schools have cut out recess and physical education classes. Some neighborhoods aren't safe for children to run around and play...

Solution for childhood obesity
The best solution for preventing (and treating) childhood obesity is to try to make exercise a part of kids’ daily routine, even from as young as 1 or 2 years old. This way children learn to enjoy healthy physical activity and it will easily become a life long habit. There are many things you can do to encourage exercise and healthy activity.

Make exercise a fun family activity
Everyone needs to exercise and families need to spend quality time together, so why not exercise together? Some of my happiest childhood memories are of family bike rides, nature walks, hikes and picnics by the lake. So next time you are thinking of taking your kids to a movie, arcade or other some other sedentary activity, why not do something physical instead? Here are some ideas:

• Go for a family bike ride and have a healthy picnic
• Go swimming at the beach, local pool or lake
• Go ice-skating together
• Play a ball game in your local park
• Checkout some hikes or nature walks in your area
• Go for a family walk after dinner
• Do yoga together

Healthy indoor activities
If the weather is not conducive to getting outdoors or if your busy schedule makes it hard for you to walk your children to school or exercise together, there are still things you can do to encourage exercise and healthy activity.

Get your kids into yoga
Yoga is another great way to teach children to be active – even when they’re indoors. Yoga is a fun, noncompetitive sport that kids naturally enjoy, especially when it comes to imitating their favorite animals. Not only is yoga a great way to exercise their growing bodies but it also helps them:

• Develop, co-ordination and balance
• Improve their ability to focus
• Foster creativity
• Deal with stress
• Develop a sense of calm and inner fulfillment
• Build self-esteem and confidence.

Yoga reduces chances of childhood obesity
Yoga increases bodily awareness so your kids will be less likely to overeat and more likely to be attracted to healthier foods and activities. By helping to relieve stress, yoga also helps prevent stress-related overeating.

Make their favorite activity a healthy one
Children love cartoons; they also love to read, dance, sing, play card games and do fun activity books. Wai Lana has taken kids’ favorite activities and turned them into a positive way to nurture a life long attraction to health, yoga and fitness. Her popular Little Yogis line entertains kids and – most importantly – gets them to exercise in a way they love!

Source

Every Parent's Nightmare

I read an article written by parents who lost their kids from inhaling/huffing household products. What a nightmare that would be!

Branchburg, NJ (March 14, 2008) – Education and awareness are the most effective ways to battle all forms of substance abuse and protect our nation’s youth, and that can start right in the home with simple communication. Opening a dialogue with children regarding the dangers of inhalant abuse is the key in battling this devastating practice and saving lives.

“Aerosols are too often abused by children and young adults for a quick and dangerous high,” said Phil Lapin, President and CEO of Falcon Safety Products®. “As a leading aerosol manufacturer, Falcon Safety Products takes this issue very seriously, and proactively works to communicate the dangers of this disturbing practice through an ongoing educational campaign. And like the other reputable agencies across the country that exist to help battle inhalant abuse, including the Alliance for Consumer Education and the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, Falcon is an advocate for education and communication. We strongly believe that it is the most effective way to battle inhalant abuse and all forms of substance abuse moving forward.”

According to the 2001 National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse, children who learn about the risks of alcohol and drug abuse from their parents or caregivers are less likely to use drugs than kids who do not. In fact, 50% are less likely to use inhalants. Furthermore, the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) states that teens who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 54% less likely to try drugs. The power of parental communication regarding substance cannot be overlooked, and as a result, parents, educators, consumers and manufacturers need to join together and face inhalant abuse head on.

“Parents need to take the initiative to become educated on this issue and seek additional resources, but the first step that they should take is reading the labels of all the chemical-based products in their home to become familiar with proper usage and any warnings that manufacturers bring to their attention. As an example, Falcon’s Dust Off® compress-gas dusters are commonly referred to as ‘canned-air,’ an erroneous description that gives consumers, especially children, a false impression of the product. However, if one reads the detailed labeling, they’d find prominent warnings about the dangers of inhalant abuse and the fact that the product contains a compressed-gas called difluoroethane.”

In addition, consumers will find messaging on Dust-Off compressed-gas dusters indicating that the product contains a bitterant to deter inhalant abuse. In an attempt to discourage this dangerous practice, Falcon developed a new formulation for its dusters, incorporating an additive that makes the contents of the can extremely unpalatable to those who attempt to abuse them. The additive was developed to have no adverse effects with normal, recommended use.

Commonly referred to as “huffing,” “bagging,” or “dusting,” inhalant abuse involves over 1,400 different products and is an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal practice. Falcon Safety Products is deeply concerned about the issue and maintains an unwavering commitment to consumer safety. For over 20 years, Falcon has taken numerous, proactive steps in communicating the dangers of inhalant abuse and promoting the proper use of its products.

Falcon’s efforts to combat inhalant abuse have included ongoing public outreach, detailed product labeling and the support of several national agencies, including the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (www.inhalants.org) and the Alliance for Consumer Education (www.inhalant.org). Falcon has always believed that the single, most effective method in battling inhalant abuse is the education of children and their parents, as well as educators and school system administrators.

Founded in 1953, Falcon Safety Products, Inc. is a privately held corporation headquartered in Central New Jersey. A world leader in compressed-gas technology, Falcon manufactures a diverse line of products including the Dust-Off® brand of computer / personal electronics cleaning products and signal horns for the marine, sport and safety markets. For additional information, please contact Falcon Safety Products, Inc. at 908-707-4900 or visit www.falconsafety.com.

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Wash your hands!

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Bathroom Talk: How to Deal with People Who Don't Wash Their Hands
Wednesday, 08/20/2008 at 9:00 AM Comments (17)

washing hands

In my first job after college, I worked with a gal who never, and I mean never, washed her hands after using the restroom. There I'd be, lathering up at the sink, and after she finished her business, she'd just walk out of the stall and shamelessly head for the door. Gross, yes (just think of all the germs she could have been spreading around the office!), but is it ever OK to say something to people like this?

First, says Elayne Savage, Ph.D., an expert on sticky situations like this one, "ask yourself 'does this affect me directly? Or am I being a busy-body?'"

So if you're just annoyed, keep to yourself, she says. After all, according to past research, she's not the only person on earth who doesn't wash up after flushing. A good 10 percent of women seem to have an aversion to soap and water--and men are worse: 25 percent of them skip out on scrubbing up.

Alright, but if a co-worker's (or friend's) lack of hygiene affects you (a few examples: you're sharing food, shaking hands or use communal phones or desks), then by all means, says Savage, speak up!

Here's how to approach her: "I suggest phrasing it this way, 'There is something I'd like to talk to you about. Is it OK with you if I say something to you?' Once they agree, they are giving you permission to respectfully say what you feel you need to say."

From: Yahoo News

Yogi Diet

weekly recipe
yoga diet


Food for the Body That's Good for the Soul
A real yogi eats to live, rather than living to eat. This doesn't mean your food has to be tasteless, though. In fact, cooking has always been one of my favorite hobbies. Over the years, my family and friends have patiently tested my kitchen creations (which, I must admit, sometimes flopped). But after trying out hundreds of dishes, I now have quite a few tried and true recipes to share with you that are healthful, tasty, and easy to prepare. I'll post a new favorite here each week, so check back often for delicious new additions to your diet.

So what do yogis eat? A vegetarian yoga diet, of course, consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and grains, nuts and seeds, and a moderate amount of dairy products. You can prepare countless dishes using various combinations of these nutritious foods. Fry up some spices and turn a plain vegetable dish into a savory Indian curry. Add herbs for a Mediterranean flavor or ginger and coconut milk for a delightful Thai entree. With scrumptious and satisfying dishes, even the die-hard meat-eaters in your family won't miss the meat. And if they think "vegetarian" means bland and boring, they're in for a pleasant surprise.

A Spiritual Diet
You don't have to be a vegetarian to do yoga, but as you become more aware of your body, you'll find that eating meat makes you feel heavy. A vegetarian diet, on the other hand, helps you maintain the light and energized feeling you get from practicing yoga. Just go easy on the fried spring rolls and cheese dishes—they can put on the pounds.

The yoga diet is especially important if we want to elevate our consciousness to the stage where we're feeling love and compassion for all living beings—including animals. Eating them, rather than respecting and caring about them, simply hardens our hearts, moving this goal beyond our reach.


Making the Switch
Switching to a vegetarian diet isn't hard as long as you have tasty alternatives. And you don't have to do it overnight. First cut down on red meat, then gradually eliminate it from your diet. As you find other vegetarian foods you enjoy, you can gradually give up poultry, fish, and eggs. You'll join the ranks of thousands of new vegetarians, many of whom have changed their diets for health reasons now that flesh foods have been linked to cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and so on. Even cutting back on meat a little will benefit you—and I'm hoping my recipes make this transition easy and enjoyable.

Don't worry about getting enough protein. Vegetarians get lots of protein in legumes, grains, and the like. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture places meat second to last in importance, behind grains, fruits, and vegetables. There's now a vegetarian food pyramid and a wealth of scientific evidence proving the health benefits of the yoga diet. I have my own living proof: My three healthy and athletic kids—vegetarians since conception!

So try out this week's recipe or browse the site for something that catches your fancy. And be sure to visit us again for more tasty and healthful "eat to live" recipes. Bon appetit!

From Wailana Yoga

17 Foot Carrots weighing 19 pounds and more interesting facts...

Who'd have known carrots came from Afganistan!!

25 Facts About Carrots
Carrots are a root vegetable that originated in Afghanistan. They were purple, red, white, and yellow, but never orange.

They are a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes celery, parsley, dill, cilantro, caraway, cumin, and the poisonous hemlock.

Both the Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated carrots.

The Ancient Greeks called the carrot a philtron, which translates to "love charm." They believed the carrot made both men and women more amorous.

Hippocrates recommended women eat carrot seeds to prevent pregnancy. Some modern studies indicate there may be some validity to this and that eating carrot seeds after intercourse may in fact prevent the egg implantation process and block progesterone synthesis.

Hippocrates created a broth recipe for good health consisting of carrots, celery, root parsley, and leeks.

As a joke, Caligula fed the entire Roman Senate nothing but dishes made of carrots at a banquet in the hope that their animal natures would overtake them and he could watch them "rut like wild beasts."

China, Japan, and India were cultivating carrots by the 13th century.

In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They did this by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots.

Newly orange, carrots traveled England with Dutch travelers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

The carrot soon caught on in England as both a food and a fashion accessory. Ladies would often use carrot tops to decorate their hats.

The settlers at Jamestown in 1607 introduced carrots to North America.

Thomas Jefferson grew a variety of different carrots in his gardens at Monticello. In 1814 he produced 18 bushels of carrots.

The scene from the movie It Happened One Night in which Clark Gable leans nonchalantly against a fence eating carrots while talking to Claudette Colbert inspired the creators of Bugs Bunny to give him the same nonchalant, carrot-eating demeanor.

China is the world's top carrot producer. The country produced 35 percent of the world's carrots in 2004. Russia is the second top producer and the United States the third.

Carrots ranked as the seventh most valuable crop produced in the United States in 2004.

California is the top fresh carrot producer in the United States, while Washington is the top producer of carrots meant for canning and other processing.

A 2005 poll revealed that carrots are the third most popular vegetable in Britain. (Brussels sprouts are the least popular.)

Carrots are about 87% water.

Orange carrots get their color from beta carotene.

They have more beta carotene than any other vegetable. One cup of carrots has 16,679 IU of beta-carotene.

Eating too many carrots can cause a person's skin to turn yellowish orange, especially on the palms or soles of the feet. This is called carotenemia. It is completely reversible once the consumption of carrots is reduced.

One cup of raw carrots contains about 52 calories.

The longest carrot ever recorded was nearly 17 feet long.

The largest carrot ever recorded weighed 18.985 pounds.

Wai Lana's Gem of Wisdom

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.
Henry Drummond

This week of Wailana's Gem of Wisdom

Yoga Tips for Fending Off Colds and Flus This Fall

Winter is so close by, I'm freezing now! I think this is the perfect time to reread these helpful tips of Wai Lana on keeping well pre-winter, and during winter months.

Five Quick Ways to Detox Your Kitchen
Anna Montage, Health and Wellness Editor

RECIPE: Spicy Ginger Tea

Ginger is especially good during cold and flu season. It helps clear the sinuses, relieves congestion headaches, and reduces fever. It’s also an expectorant that expels mucus from the lungs and throat. The most effective way to take it for colds and flu is ginger tea.

Here's a simple recipe:
Ingredients:

* 2 cups water
* ¼ cup diced fresh ginger
* 2 tsp. honey
* Lemon juice (optional)
* Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil the water, then add the ginger and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Strain into a cup and add 2 teaspoons of honey (or to taste).
3. If you like, you can add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pot to increase the stimulating, heating effect.
4. Let us forewarn you now, though: This tea is fiery! Sip it—don't gulp it down.

Source: Wai Lana Weekly Messages

View more recipes ...

“AH –CHOO!” That sound becomes all too familiar this time of year; as the beauty and crispness of the autumn season arrive, so do colds and flus. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to make this fall and winter healthy. Even if you do catch a cold or flu, the right remedies can help make it as short and painless as possible.
Preventing Sickness

1. Avoid Getting Run Down – Feeling tired and run down is a big risk factor for getting sick. Sometimes family and work responsibilities may seem overwhelming. This is a good time to take stock of what’s truly most important and trim down everything else. Prevention is the best medicine. Getting the proper R & R that your body and mind need should be just as much a priority as everything else. Not only will you be less stressed, but you’ll also be more effective in everything you do.
2. Eat a Yoga Diet – A yoga diet, with the emphasis on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy products, naturally provides your body with both the nutrition and the antioxidants that your immune system needs to function optimally. One of the biggest dietary hazards for cold and flu season is too much sugar and other sweeteners. Fresh fruit and unprocessed honey are the best sweeteners to use. Too much sugar in your diet (whether it’s from white sugar, corn syrup, etc.) literally slows down your immune system, making your white blood cells too tired and sluggish to adequately fight infection.
3. Take a High-Quality Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement – There have been enough studies strongly in favor of supplementation that it just makes sense to give yourself that daily dietary insurance. The best supplement to take is one that is made from natural whole food sources as this helps to ensure that your body will be able to absorb the nutrients. Liquid multivitamin and mineral supplements are also good for absorption. Visit your local health food store for help in finding the best supplements for your needs.
4. Practice Yoga – Yoga not only stretches, strengthens, and tones your muscles, but it also invigorates your immune system and internal organs, helping to keep sickness at bay. Yoga also provides stress relief, which is vital for wellness. If you feel a cold coming on, try doing the Lion pose a few times a day. This pose brings fresh blood to your throat, helping to chase away the germs.
5. Wash Your Hands – You’ve probably heard it a million times before, but it is a fact that regular hand washing really does help prevent sickness.
6. Avoid Sick People When Possible. While a certain amount of exposure to sickness is inevitable in our daily lives, it can help to avoid obviously sick people. For example, if you notice that the cashier at the grocery store is sniffling, coughing or sneezing, just move to another line.

What to Do If You Get Sick

1. Try to Get Plenty of Extra Rest and Sleep – Sometimes it may not be possible to completely stop work, school, or other activities when you feel sickness coming on, but you should make it a top priority to get as much rest as you can. It’s tempting to keep going, but this will just let the virus get a stronger foothold in your body, prolonging your illness.
2. Try a Juice Fast or Eat Minimally – If you feel you are getting sick, this is the perfect time to try a juice fast. Fasting for 1 to 3 days at the first sign of illness is a great way to nip it in the bud. Wai Lana’s Favorite Juices has delicious fresh juice recipes that you can try. Even fasting on vegetable broth and diluted store-bought juice (no corn syrup or other sweeteners) is far better than not fasting at all. Fasting allows your body to concentrate its energy on combating the virus rather than on digesting and assimilating food. However, if you have a health condition or take prescription medications, it’s best to talk to your doctor before beginning a fast.
3. If you don’t quite have the willpower to fast or are unable to for health reasons, try to minimize your food intake and focus on light foods, such as broths or other vegetable soups. This is a good time to avoid dairy products since they can increase mucus production when you’re sick. Also try to avoid refined foods, like sugar and white flour products. These foods sap nutrients from your body and stress your immune system.
4. Try Strong Ginger Tea – This easy home remedy is quite spicy, but it really helps relieve cold and flu symptoms. Try Wai Lana’s own ginger tea recipe for effective cold and flu relief.
5. Supplements Can Help – A trip to the health food store can be a little overwhelming if you’re looking for supplements to help a cold or flu, so here are some suggestions:
* Elderberry Extract – Elderberry is one of the few supplements scientifically proven to have antiviral properties. If you know you were exposed to a sick person or feel you may be coming down with something, try dosing up on elderberry for sickness prevention. If you do become sick, elderberry will help lessen both the length and the severity of the illness.
* Vitamin C – The best variety to use is Ester-C or some other buffered form. For acute sickness, take 1000 mg every 3 hours. If you’re fasting, you may want to take a powdered version that you can mix in juice or water.
* Homeopathic Remedies – If you’re not familiar with homeopathy, it’s best to try a homeopathic cold remedy or flu remedy that has a mixture of different remedies in it. From a homeopathic perspective, there are different remedies for a cold or flu depending on the prominent symptoms, so some homeopathic companies make mixtures of remedies for people who don’t know which specific remedy to take. Homeopathy is very safe and many people have found it helpful for both colds and flus.
* Garlic – Besides being a popular seasoning, garlic is also a powerful medicinal plant. It helps to combat cold and flu viruses and cleanse the body of toxins. Fresh is best, but if you don’t like the smell or taste, there are garlic supplements that minimize the odor.

I’m sure you’ll find these natural remedies both effective and economical for helping ward off those nasty colds and flus!

Wailana Weekly Message