Why's everyone wearing glasses?

I have thought for a long time that as our worlds become smaller and smaller, our eyesight is getting worse and worse. Now there's a little something to it. Solution: have your kids play outside for 2+ hrs/day! So we can avoid both Nature Deficit Disorder and near-sightedness.

Read the article here.

Organic Foods Priority

From ConsumerReports' Greener Choices: Go for produce first on your organic shopping budget. Then for meats, eggs and dairy. Not surprisingly, Jen and I had come to this conclusion on our own. Nevertheless, it's nice to feel validated! More.

Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World

I stopped drinking diet sodas years ago. It didn't taste as good or seem very natural. Considering NutraSweet and Equal are about as old as I am, I'm left wondering why the public didn't know about these health risks? Further, why are many people "dieting" by drinking these scary substances??? It's the most food product studied in the world!!!

Now this is not a great documentary. It's low-tech. I wish there were a filtered version that included the 30-45 minutes most valuable of the 90 minute total production.

Does anybody know anything about Stevia? Apparently the FDA won't look at it...

If you're still eating foods containing the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, diet drinks, etc.), you need to watch this documentary. Aspartame was approved for widespread use in the U.S. in July of 1983. Within six months, brain tumor rates climbed 10%, diabetes went up 30% and brain lymphoma tumors skyrocketed 60%. Learn how this toxic chemical was scandalously approved by the FDA and is now one of the most widespread food additives in the U.S.
Watch it now: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9978.cfm

Computer vision syndrome

I have thought for years that all our time in front of screens cannot be good for our eyes. Here's a bit more about the potential problem and what you can do for your eyes' health.

Nearly 150 million people in the United States work on a computer every day, and it is estimated that close to 90 percent of them experience computer eyestrain. While mass computer expansion at home and in the office has provided a big boost to global communications, computers have and will continue to take a toll on our eyesight. In fact, occupational health experts agree that the source of today’s top vision complaint in the workplace is the computer monitor.

The following suggestions may help:

1. Greater hertz or frequency of the monitor’s screen will reduce the flicker in the screen. In addition, the higher the pixel count of the monitor’s screen, the better the resolution, resulting in enhanced reliability. Resolutions of at least 110 pixels per inch are recommended.
2. Glare from lights reflecting off the screen will lower the contrast, thus forcing the eyes to work harder. A glare-reduction filter can reduce this potential problem significantly. One bearing an American Optometric Association seal of approval is recommended.
3. Adjustable work stations allowing for appropriate placement of the computer screen at angles 10 degrees to 20 degrees (slightly below eye level) are most comfortable. Also, a monitor on a base that swivels will reduce unnecessary head and eye movements.
4. Ergonomically designed chairs and keyboards, and proper ambient illumination, can provide additional relief. The keyboard, screen and copy should all be as close to equal distances from the eyes as possible. Workstation lighting should be shaded to avoid reflections on the monitor. Typical office lighting was designed for working on paper on a flat desk surface, and is actually twice as bright as the optimal lighting conditions for computer work.

From Highmark. Full article here.

Deet-free insect repellents

Consumer Reports Greener Choices recently reviewed insect repellents, finding the chemical Picaridin to be as effective as DEET. Wish I knew this a week ago before camping for 5 days straight with cousins in Wisconsin!

Picaridin is a chemical repellent that’s considered as effective as deet at the same concentration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When used properly, it’s also considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our tests found that Cutter Advanced Sport with 15 percent picaridin scored better than two repellents with 7 percent deet. It protected against both mosquito species for an average of almost 3 hours and against ticks for 11 to 12 hours.

Whole Article

US Finally Issues Health Warning over Mercury Fllings

Amalgam dental fillings - which contain the highly toxic metal mercury - pose a health risk, the world's top medical regulatory agency has conceded.
After years of insisting the fillings are safe, the US government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a health warning about them. It represents a landmark victory for campaigners, who say the fillings are responsible for a range of ailments, including heart conditions and Alzheimer's disease.
Earlier this month, in an unprecedented U-turn, the FDA dropped much of its reassuring language on the fillings from its website, substituting: "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and foetuses." It adds that when amalgam fillings are "placed in teeth or removed they release mercury vapour", and that the same thing happens when chewing.
The FDA is now reviewing its rules and may end up restricting or banning the use of the metal.

Straight to the Source.