A Farm

This past Sunday my girlfriend and I jumped into the truck and drove out to Bridgewater, New Jersey. It was a perfect day, sunny with huge white clouds floating high in the sky, like an upside-down river. I had located a farm online that sells beef, produce, chicken, and fresh eggs at their little farm store. We passed by the big Herefords grazing in the tall green grass. They stood by the road under the shade of a monstrous Sycamore, and I couldn't help thinking this used to be a typical scene all over this country. Dirt roads, farms, fields, and horses pulling carriages through small towns where everyone knew one another. We pulled into the dirt drive near the farm store, a kitten sat near an upturned wheelbarrow. We got out of the truck and the first thing I noticed was the quiet. There were birds chirping and I thought twice before shutting the door and ruining this moment. An older woman ambled toward us from the farm house, the kitten stood and stretched. It began to dawn on us then that this was now the exception to what was normal. The huge expanse of asphalt for grocery store parking was replaced by dirt and grass. The air smelled of clover and damp soil. We watched the woman approach and lean against the opposite side of a battered split rail fence. After explaining to her we had just wanted to locate the farm for future reference, she invited us into the store. The interior was musty smelling, it reminded me of the way our summer cottage smelled when it was first opened after a long winter. I bought two dozen eggs for five dollars and I felt I'd have paid double just for this experience. The cash register was literally a cigar box. The floor was unstable. The planks were wide and dirty; there was some dry straw near the base of the refrigerator. Prices for different cuts of beef were scrolled across cardboard in black marker. I didn't want to leave and I tried to think of ways to stay. There was a certain tonic to this place. I held the eggs as the woman explained what would available in a month or so. Tomatoes, yellow squash, and zucchini were in the ground, corn would be ready in late July or August. We thanked her and stepped out into the bright sun. The kitten was gone and a bee was bothering my girlfriend. I sat in the truck and pulled the door closed. I realized all that was missing. There were no aisles, no music; the eggs were in a paper bag. There was no polished linoleum and air conditioning. On a gut level, everything was as close to magic as it could be. But the most amazing thing was just plain reality, the dirt, the air, the simplicity of a farm, and escape to what used to be. At some point under the guise of progress we ceded all of this. To a certain percentage of the population, this experience might seem surreal. I think also, there is a sentiment evolving concerning health and wellness. A lot of people I talk to understand personal wellbeing has got to be their own responsibility. They read, research, and don't listen to everything they hear on TV or the radio. My girlfriend and I talked about this on the way back home, and it felt good to think about the future. If you get the chance, try to visit a farm sometime this summer and I guarantee you'll fall under the spell of what used to be. To your health. Graham http://www.gillfinn.mionegroup.com

Shouldn't GMO Food Be Labeled

What's a GMO?

A GMO (genetically modified organism), also know as a GE (genetically engineered) or transgenic organism, is created by scientists in a laboratory where they insert genes into an organism to create new traits. In the United States, GMOs are not labeled. They are in over 75% of processed supermarket foods in ingredients like soy lecithin, canola, corn syrup, and cotton seed oil.

• Genetic engineering is completely different from traditional breeding. In traditional breeding it is possible to mate a pig with another pig to get a new variety, but is not possible to mate a pig with a potato or a mouse. Even when species that may seem to be closely related do succeed in breeding, the offspring are usually infertile—a horse, for example, can mate with a donkey, but the offspring (a mule) is sterile.
• With genetic engineering, scientists can breach species barriers set up by nature. For example, they have spliced fish genes into tomatoes.
• Other examples of genetic engineering experiments that have already been done include:
• Spider/Goat – taking a gene from a spider that leads to the production of spider web and putting it into goats so the goats can then be milked for the spider web protein.
• Fish/Strawberries – taking a gene from an Arctic flounder and putting it into a strawberry to try to make it frost-resistant.
• Corn/Human – taking a human gene and putting it into corn so that the corn contains human antibodies that attack sperm. The idea is to develop the corn as a plant-gel contraceptive that kills sperm on contact.

GMOs grown in Hawaii?

Hawaii has more experimental field trials of genetic engineering than any other state in the nation. Just a few of the many examples of permits granted for field trials include:

• Corn engineered with human genes (Dow)
• Sugarcane engineered with human genes (Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center)
• Corn engineered with jellyfish genes (Stanford University)
• Tobacco engineered with lettuce genes (University of Hawai‘i)
• Rice engineered with human genes (Applied Phytologics)
• Corn engineered with hepatitis virus genes (Prodigene)1

What is a gene?

Every plant and animal is made of cells, each of which has a center called a nucleus. Inside every nucleus there are strings of DNA, half of which is normally inherited from the mother and half from the father. Short sequences of DNA are called genes. These genes operate in complex networks that are finely regulated to enable the processes of living organisms to happen in the right place and at the right time.

How is genetic engineering done?

Because living organisms have natural barriers to protect themselves against the introduction of DNA from a different species, genetic engineers have to find ways to force the DNA from one organism into another. These methods include:

• Using viruses or bacteria to "infect" animal or plant cells with the new DNA.
• Using electric shocks to create holes in the membrane covering sperm, and then forcing the new DNA into the sperm through these holes.
• Injecting the new DNA into fertilized eggs with a very fine needle.
• Coating DNA onto tiny metal pellets, and firing it with a special

Is genetic engineering precise?

The technology of genetic engineering is currently very crude. It is not possible to insert a new gene with any accuracy, and the transfer of new genes can disrupt the finely controlled network of DNA in an organism.

Current understanding of the way in which DNA works is extremely limited, and any change to the DNA of an organism at any point can have side effects that are impossible to predict or control. The new gene could, for example, alter chemical reactions within the cell or disturb cell functions. This could lead to instability, the creation of new toxins or allergens, and changes in nutritional value.

For example, when genetically engineered salmon were compared to normal salmon, it was found that the genetic engineering unexpectedly increased the amount of a protein identified as a major food allergen. In another case, Australian researchers reported in November 2005 that after 10 years spent developing a genetically engineered pea they had to abandon project after they found out that the altered peas caused lung inflammation and other adverse effects in mice. "The reaction of the mice…might reflect something that would happen to humans," said deputy chief of CSIRO plant industry T. J. Higgins.

This last paragraph is the most disturbing in my opinion. This entire process of altering the natural order of something as fundamental as food seems borderline deadly.

Why do genetically engineered foods have antibiotic resistant genes in them?

The techniques used to transfer genes have a very low success rate, so the genetic engineers attach "marker genes" that are resistant to antibiotics to help them to find out which cells have taken up the new DNA. These marker genes are resistant to antibiotics that are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. Some scientists believe that eating GE food containing these marker genes could encourage gut bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance.

http://www.gillfinn.mionegroup.com

Silent Spring

When Rachel Carson wrote her groundbreaking book, "Silent Spring," she probably did have a good idea just how prophetic the book would be when it was released in 1962.
She was disturbed by the reckless use of synthetic (man-made) chemical pesticides being used after World War II.
The chemical industry as well as some in government branded her an alarmist. She finally testified before congress and lobbied them to call for new policies to protect human health and the environment.

One of her most important discoveries was what is known today as, bio-magnification. At Clear Lake, California, in order to control the pesky gnat (relative of the mosquito) authorities used an insecticide, DDD, a relative of DDT, in a diluted form of one part, to 70 million parts of water. At first the gnats were brought under control, but then their numbers increased. Again the lake was sprayed, but this time, the ratio was increased to one in 50 million parts of water.
In the winter after the first treatment, hundreds of birds were found dead. Again, the winter after the second treatment, many more birds were found dead.

After examination of the fatty tissues of some of the birds was studied, it was reported they contained alarming levels of DDD. The levels though, were much higher than what was ever put into the water. Researchers realized that the chemical was taken in by the smallest life forms, concentrated, then passed to the next higher form of life. This had gotten to the point until it reached the enormous levels found in the dead birds.

No trace of DDD was found in the water. But because the chemicals do not biodegrade, they are absorbed into the bodies of life that the lake supports. Worse still, the DDD had been passed up the food chain. This is why we still find chemicals in our food today, particularly in root vegetables and fish. After 23 months, the plankton from the lake still had chemicals in it. All birds, fish , and frogs examined showed contamination as well.

DDD was added at very low concentrations 0.02ppm, yet plankton contained 5ppm, a multiplication of 250. Plant eating fish had been found to contain 40-300ppm, and carnivorous species of fish stored a massive, 2,500ppm, a bio-magnification of 125,000!
It has been found that these compounds can bio-magnify through the food chain many millions of times, and we are at the top of that food-chain.

The sad thing about these man-made chemical compounds is that it takes many years for us to discover what will really happen, and non of it is positive. This is a science that uses society for profit and experimentation. Given recent introduction of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) into the agricultural supply chain. Pressure has been brought against the FDA to force companies to label foods that contain GMOs, but so far they have resisted. Their reason? Because so far there is no proof that GMOs have caused any problems, but there is no contrasting proof in the other direction either.
We are the only country in the world that does not require the labeling. The last country to require labeling was in 2000, and I believe it was Russia. I will follow up for sure and let you know.

Árpád Pusztai, considered by many to be the leading expert on GM foods, was silenced with threats of a lawsuit after he unexpectedly discovered that rats fed an experimental GM food developed immune system damage and other serious health problems in just ten days. Pusztai later reviewed an industry-sponsored study and found that seven of forty rats fed a GM crop died within two weeks; others developed stomach lesions. The crop was approved without further tests.

We will take a look at GMO food in another article out next and you'll be surprised at what we find.
Keep your eyes and ears open, but not in front of your TV set.
Graham

http://www.gillfinn.mionegroup.com

The Pros of Probiotics

Historically, until about five years ago, probiotics were considered only within the realm of complementary and alternative medicine. As our understanding of the immune system and how it works has expanded, so has the understanding of the importance of probiotics and probiotic microbes in the gastrointestinal track in regulating the immune system.

Today, the world of probiotics is emerging on the cutting-edge of mainstream medicine.
Antibiotics and probiotics.
We inadvertently kill off the good microbes in our body with antibiotics. Since antibiotics are necessary for killing the bad microbes that cause some diseases, they are important for helping to keep people healthy. However, the side effect to taking antibiotics is the elimination of the good microbes within our body along with the bad ones.

We’re now finding that eliminating all the good microbes from our body results in a weaker immune system, which we believe is leading to problems such as increased incidence of chronic disease, including allergies like asthma. Once you take antibiotics as your physician prescribed, follow it with some form of probiotic supplement to get the microflora in your gut back to where it should be. Your recovery and your health will be much greater.

Since probiotic microbes do not cause disease, there’s no such thing as having too much of them.
New products are coming on the market to specifically support probiotic health. Typically, these are fermented dairy products in which companies have added one or two types of highly concentrated probiotic bacteria.


Many diseases have an immunologic basis, so we want to understand the good communication that goes on between the microbes and the immune system,” he says.

Probiotics and obesity.
Another emerging topic of research examines a possible link between probiotics and obesity, and a number of researchers around the country are starting to look at this connection.

Probiotics and the gut microflora play a role in metabolism – it’s a connection that’s been known in the agriculture industry for years.
Agriculture experts quickly note that sick livestock gained weight when dosed with antibiotics. Which lead to the industry practice of routinely rotating various low-dose antibiotics in livestock feed. The antibiotics actually change the metabolism of the animals, creating something called “enhanced feed efficiency” – an improved ability to retain fat.

We take the antibiotics to recover from a microbial illness, but the trade-off is that fat we eat may be staying with us instead of being metabolized and converted to energy.

Antibiotics are important for fighting disease and should always be taken according to physician recommendations. However, making a point of eating dairy products rich in probiotic microbes and foods that provide nutrition for the probiotics will help these microbes prevent immune system and metabolic problems. To your health!
Graham

http://gillfinn.mionegroup.com

Bronner Organic Lawsuit

A long-simmering dispute over the definition of organic personal care products boiled over into court Monday, when Dr. Bronner’s
Magic Soaps filed a lawsuit charging many of its competitors with deceptively marketing their soaps and lotions. The lawsuit - filed
in San Francisco Superior Court - targeted many widely known cosmetic manufacturers including Estee Lauder, Kiss My Face,
Hain Celestial and Stella McCartney America. It also named smaller firms such as Mill Valley-based Juice Beauty. In the suit,
Dr. Bronner’s accused the firms of false advertising by labelling products “organic” that contain relatively little organic material, that
contain synthetic chemicals, or that use petrochemicals in processing.
“This is the corrosive marketing of the cosmetics industry that hollowed out the meaning of ‘natural’ and now is doing the same
with ‘organic’,” said David Bronner, president of the 60-year-old company.
The lawsuit is evidence of the growing clout of green consumers, particularly in the arena of personal care products. Sales of
natural body care products grew from $499 million in 2004 to $685 million in 2006 - an increase of 37 percent, according to the
consumer products research firm Mintel.
Chasing consumers
Both large and small companies have been wooing eco-minded consumers, with big corporations including Estee Lauder
acquiring brands such as Aveda that market themselves as natural or organic. At the same time, though, there are no federal
regulations governing either natural or organic personal care products.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets strict standards for organic food. But it doesn’t have a similar standard for soaps,
shampoos and cosmetics. Some firms like Dr. Bronner’s have voluntarily adopted the USDA’s organic food standard for their
body care products, which requires that 95 percent of the ingredients be organic if a product is to call itself organic. Some other
firms like Juice Beauty adhere to California’s standard for organic body care products, which is less demanding than the USDA
food standard. And still other firms simply label their body care products organic without trying to meet any external guidelines.
Who decides what’s organic?
Among the issues raised in the suit are whether organic personal care products must contain a certain percentage of organic
ingredients, whether they may contain petrochemicals and whether they may contain synthetic preservatives. An OASIS
spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit because she hadn’t yet seen it, but denied trying to mislead anyone.
Meanwhile, some companies questioned Dr. Bronner’s right to define organic.

http://www.gillfinn.mionegroup.com

In-liven Probiotics

Facts about Lactobacillus bacteria
We are exposed to numerous pollutants in our everyday lives:lead,
mercury,cadmium (plus over 4500 toxic heavy metal by-products),
drugs,vaccines and a host of other dangers are wreaking havoc in
our bodies.
As our toxin levels rise, our immune system and other critical
processes in our body become dangerously compromised and
begin to fail.
“Death begins in the colon”
Ilya Mechnikov – Nobel Laureate
The secret to good health lies in the friendly bacteria in
the intestinal tract.
Lactobacillus bacteria form a significant part of the natural intestinal
flora. Large populations of this, and other lactic acid producing
bacteria, regulate the levels of friendly bacteria and reduce the
levels of toxic pathogens that cause ill health.
Lactic acid producing lactobacilli bacteria alter the pH of the large
intestine, making it inhospitable to undesirable bacteria, moulds,
mould spores and yeast,particularly Candida.Putrefactive bacteria,
which are potentially detrimental to good health and increase foul
wind production,are inhibited by acidic conditions in the colon.
The presence of active bacteria in the gut can aid the digestive
process by helping to break down foods.To attain the health benefits
attributed to Lactobacilli fermented foods, live active bacteria need
to be consumed on a regular basis.It is believed
the life span in the human body of these
cells is 3 to 10 days.Only the active forms
have the ability to tolerate the acidity of
the stomach and the alkalinity of the
intestine to produce health benefits.
Bacteria counts and their credibility
There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace in relation to the
abundance or “count” of bacteria in various probiotic products.
Many companies are claiming that their products have “billions”
more bacteria than other products to gain a marketing edge.This is
very misleading for the consumer and, in reality, is little more than
sales hype.
Bacteria live and work in colonies.In scientific terms these colonies
are called, Colony-Forming Units (CFU’s). Some companies
intentionally shake the colonies apart, separating the CFU’s, to
increase the bacteria count of their products, which is misleading
to consumers.
The reproduction ability of the bacteria in the gut is the
single most important factor in a probiotic product.
The bacteria must be in their natural state and alive so that once
they arrive in the gut they can multiply and produce all the sub-
strains necessary to maintain a healthy intestinal flora.
To ensure that the bacteria are in a natural organic state and have
not been tampered with or altered in any way it should be certified
organic. In-Liven has been certified organic by the ACO (Australian
Certified Organic),Australia’s largest certifying body.
Common warning signs of a bacterial imbalance
• Allergies and food sensitivities
• Difficulty losing weight, sugar/carbohydrate craving
• Frequent fatigue, poor concentration
• Frequent constipation or diarrhoea
• Faulty digestion, acid reflux and other gut disorders
• Sleeping poorly, night sweats
• Painful joint inflammation, stiffness
• Bad breath, gum disease and dental problems
• Frequent colds, flu or infections
• Chronic yeast problems
• Acne, eczema skin and foot fungus
• Extreme menstrual or menopausal symptoms
Research has shown that Lactobacilli bacteria:
• Reduce cholesterol in the blood.
• Increase nutrient assimilation,including calcium.
• Reduce high blood pressure.
• Assist in the elimination of ailments such as colon irritation,
constipation,diarrhoea and acne.
• Retard yeast infections.
• Strengthen the immune system.
• Manufacture and assimilate B complex vitamins (which include
niacin,biotin,folic acid,riboflavin and B12).
• Help digest proteins,carbohydrates and fats.
• Produce natural anti-bacterial agents (antibiotics).
• Produce cancer or tumour suppressing compounds.
• Control the pH or acidity-alkaline levels in the intestines.
• Reduce unhealthy bacteria in the intestinal tract.
• Detoxify poisonous materials in the diet.
• Detoxify hazardous chemicals added to foods,such as nitrates.
Things that kill bacteria in the body
Antibiotics
Birth control pills
Steroidal & hormonal drugs
Fluoride
Chlorine
Coffee/Tea
Carbonated drinks
Synthetic vitamins
Radiation
Stress
Preservatives
Additives
Pesticides
Fertilisers
Stop by the website to read more on this amazing product.
Graham

http://www.gillfinn.mionegroup.com

Mild Revelation

The other day while riding home from NYC on a New Jersey Transit train, I had an epiphany of sorts, maybe a mild revelation, and then I thought- no. It's not a new idea of any kind, nothing ground-breaking, not the next best thing since sliced bread...and then I thought... again, wait a minute, go back to epiphany, and revelation.
This was and is.

I was trying to think of a way I could convince someone to try (who is not already taking it) the probiotic, My-Inliven product. I'm trying not to pitch, it doesn't need pitching, it needs trying, using, experiencing.

As you know, or maybe you don't, I take it. And, I love it. Now, don't roll your eyes, I don't make it, I sell it. But, I would not have made the choice to sell it with all my heart, had this product and company not delivered. It was enough to get me to eventually quit my nine to five rut, but more on that later.

I read the accolades on their capture page one day while researching organic products. For anyone that doesn't know what "capture page", or "landing page" means, it's the web-page you're taken to when you do any searching for a product you are, or might be, interested in buying.
They ask you for your name and email after explaining how a product works, and after explaining its benefits, and their "pitch" they ask for your email, so you can obtain more info on that particular product.

To make a short story not too long, I sent for more info on the product, liked it, it made perfect sense. I bought it.
It was fairly expensive. Sixty-five-dollars for a plastic container filled with enough of this greenish powder to get me through a month or so. A month. OK, I figured that equals about two-dollars a day, I can afford that for the potential claims of the product which I've made in prior posts, so I won't go into it here.

I got it, tried it, it tasted...not very good at all. For me, I was strangely impressed, no sweet "happy" taste, it just tasted of official work.
It works, better than I imagined it would. I've stated before that no one knows you, better than you. Not even your doctor.
I'm not preaching to those of you that are committed to the drugs you feel you need, or worse yet, think are helping you.
I, am committed to helping those who are looking for a different approach, actually, a better shortcut than a pill. People who want to be proactive and attack, rather than be passive and adopt the modern mantra: "They gotta pill for everything".

I'm telling you with all my heart and happy insides, that this product, and everything this non-pubicly held company sells is stellar!
I have never felt better in my life! I said before that no one knows you like you. What I mean is, we all know what little things are cropping up in our own bodies. Do you want to see things turn around for the better? I will not mention specifics, because we are all different, but if you want to see changes in your engine like you've never seen before, than just try and make me a false prophet .

It makes perfect sense to improve things from the inside out. People should read: "The Next Trillion" by Paul Zane Pilzer. It's a great explanation of the alarming health situation in this country. The book was written about seven years-ago, but he was dead-on in his predictions. Here's an excerpt: "As with break throughs in the technology sector, there will be born out of necessity, wellness products, that will turn educated consumers into voracious customers.
When they begin to respond favorably, they will make decisions that will change his or her entire life. The wellness industry will exceed the $1 trillion health care (sickness) in the next ten-years."
Now, keep in mind this book was released seven years ago.


Don't let yourself be a victim in a hospital.
Educate yourselves to the great products available to you. Don't watch TV for "fixes", that's what the drug companies advertise for.

If I can help just one person in a positive direction, all the better. But don't take my word for it. Get smarter, and get healthier. Health can't be bought, you either have it or your dead.

Stay in touch and get in touch! Happy hunting.
Graham