Good reasons to skip Soda today:

Effects of Soft Drinks

Since their popularization and nationwide sales by the 1960s, soft drinks, or “soda”, “pop”, “cola”, consumption has become 25% of all sugar consumption and Americans now consume on average 500 bottles or cans per person per year¹. The United States, in fact, ranks first among all other countries for soft drink consumption with a per capita consumption of nearly 15 ounces a day². Shockingly, forty-percent of one to two year olds drink an average of 9 ounces of soft drinks per day¹. There is only company on the planet with its product in every country and that is Coca-Cola. These sugary drinks can literally be found anywhere on the planet. Despite recent commercials touting that high-fructose sugar is healthy and “all-natural” this does not mean that there are no harmful effects of consuming these popular drinks.

While soft drinks provide an enormous amount of sugar, caffeine, and empty calories, there are also other additives that prove harmful to your body. Research has linked soft drink consumption to tooth and bone decay (osteoporosis) as well as obesity and early onset of diabetes.

Obesity and diabetes

The typical 12 oz. serving has over 35 grams of sugar and nearly 150 calories. Do the math and the typical adult would lose around 21 pounds if they were to give up soft drinks. Calculate your own yearly calorie intake by using the following formula.

My Average Number of Soft Drinks Each Day is __________ cans (12 oz.)

Your number multiplied by 150, multiply that number by 365, and divide that by 3,500. The resulting number is the number of pounds (in fat) you’ll lose from quitting soda.

For example, the typical American has 500 cans a year, or 1.4 cans a day.

1.4 x 150 x 365 = 75,000 calories per year

75,000 divided by 3,500 equals over 21 pounds!

A simple switch from soft drinks to water could result in a 20 pound loss in weight!

As for early-onset of diabetes, it can be reasoned that soft drinks, due to their ability to spike one’s blood sugar, can “burn” out insulin receptors as the body flushes the blood stream with insulin after every drink. Chronic consumption of soft drinks will inevitably “burn out” these insulin receptors, producing the same effects of type-II diabetes.

How do soft drinks cause bone loss (or even osteoporosis)?

To Quote: "Soft drink consumption may be a major factor for osteoporosis as they are
high in phosphates but contain virtually no calcium. This leads to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood².” When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of your bones to balance things out. The effects of this are seen with tooth decay and osteoporosis^3,4. In fact, a study from the Harvard School of Public health noted that adolescent girls that consumed soft drinks had a fracture risk of 4.94 times higher than adolescent girls that did not consume soft drinks⁵.

What’s worse than soft drinks? Diet soda!

What?!? You mean that the low-calorie alternative is actually worse for you? Absolutely! In the 1980s, diet sodas began using aspartame, now marketed as NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful, is found in most, if not all, diet sodas. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The excess of any one of these is harmful to the human body and nervous system. Methanol alone breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body and it was during Desert Storm in the early 1990s that formaldehyde poisoning was attributed to diet soft drinks to the soldiers. Even today, aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. In fact, many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

In addition, researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame have reported that the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

Conclusion:

Water is clearly the best choice for a drink. However, if you must, choose regular soft drinks over diet alternative. Moderation is key for any food or drink and educate yourself on your food choices.

References:

1. www.bellybytes.com
2. Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition. Seen on: www.westonprice.org/modernfood/soft.com
3. http://osteoporosis-disease.blogspot.com/2008/07/caffeine-sugar-and-bone-loss.html
4. http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/20/4/271
5. Wyshak G: Teenaged girls, carbonated beverage consumption, and bone fractures. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 154: 610–613, 2000.
6. http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/cocacola021605.cfm
7. http://www.naturalnews.com/bone_loss.html
8. www.mercola.com
9. www.sweetpoison.com

I didn't get the flu shot, now what?

See this article in the Healthy Planet in December!

Congratulations on taking the first step towards boosting your immune system! You already know the basics: drink more water (at least half your weight in ounces), get more sleep, exercise, and wash your hands. But many of us still get sick even with these precautions. Preventing and dealing with the flu or colds is simple and cost-effective. Start by eating natural green food along with your vitamins. Eat foods that are in season like potatoes and root vegetables. When using vitamins make sure that the vitamins are made from whole foods, not chemicals. Multivitamins found in local grocery or drug stores are not usually made from food and are basic chemicals parading as nutrition. The best resource for whole food supplements is your healthcare practitioner, to whom companies sell the best quality supplements to. It is important to supplement your diet because our food has dramatically decreased in nutritional value over the years due to GMO food, chemicals and pesticides, etc.Using elderberry extracts or in food has been found to be preventative and curative as well. The journal of Phytochemistry (2009 Jul;70(10):1255-61) states that “elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro." The Journal of International Medical Research (2004 Mar-Apr;32(2):132-40) found that those who used elderberry syrup had their symptoms relieved an average of four days sooner than those who used a placebo. If you do have a fever, let your fever run its course, it is your body’s natural defense to kill viruses and bacteria. When you take medication to lower your fever you decrease your natural ability to kill off viruses. Another great tool is the chiropractic adjustment! An adjustment boosts the immune system, helps increase blood and lymph flow and helps your nervous system function at its best. When your spine is not moving correctly that puts a stress on your body and decreases how your immune system kills bacteria and viruses. Even at the first signs of feeling ill, visit your chiropractor. Chiropractic is a great way to prevent and heal illness. Learn more at our free Muffins and Mom’s group, every Thursday at 10am for breakfast and open discussion. After the holidays, join us for our purification support group! We will have free public lectures, discounts on the product when you sign up for our group, and surround yourself with a group to support you and your journey towards better health!

Dr. Alison DiBarto is a chiropractor and applied kinesiologist. She focuses on holistic health and healing through chiropractic, nutrition, Reiki, and kinesiology. Visit her website atwww.HealingHandsHealingLives.com for more articles or call 314-647-3399.

Local Farmers

Here is a newsletter from a local farm. Please pass it around. We need to support local farmers to insure our local food security.

They use all natural practices. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Norman & Karin Ladd

6583 Hwy F

Farmington, MO 63640

(573) 747-1889573-330-6862 Winter '09/10

Greetings from the Ladd family! Hope everyone is having a safe, enjoyable holiday season. Brooke our 4 year old daughter helped plant garlic in November. Since then we have been resting and visiting friends.. It is getting close to seed order time. If anyone wants us to start seedlings, please let us know your favorite variety by January 15, so we can make sure we have the seeds. We want to thank everyone for their support and encouragement during the 2009 season. We are looking forward to the opportunity to grow good, clean food for you and your family in 2010!

PASTURED BROILERS/TURKEYS: We are starting to make plans for the 2010 season. We plan to raise a maximum of 900 chickens and 60 turkeys this year. Working a 40 hr./week job, I have a difficult time doing everything I want to do. This year Leonard, Linda Williams, brother, will be assisting by building movable pens and a processing shed. Thank you Leonard! Our broiler chickens will be $2.20/lb. and turkeys will be $2.55/lb. If you are interested, please let us know. And as always, it is first come, first serve. Processing dates are listed below...

RABBIT FRYERS: Brandon age 10, and Brittany age 7 1/2 are now managing the rabbit herd. We plan to have all fryers raised in movable ground pens similar to our movable chicken pens this spring. The prices will stay at $3.50/lb. They will also have Easter bunnies for sale $10/ea. If interested in rabbit manure for your garden, it is $2/ 5 gal. bucket.

FARM FRESH EGGS: Our pullets are starting to lay! We have lights on in the barn, hoping they will continue to lay throughout the winter. We plan to get the laying flock back on grass in April. Last year we used a modified flat bed trailer as our movable chicken house. Eggs will again be $2.00/dozen.

COW & GOAT MILK: We have a small herd of dairy goatsand milk 1 Jersey cow. If you are interested, we sell it from our farm.

STARTED PLANTS/ VEGETABLES: We look forward to starting plants in the greenhouse. It feels good to work in the warmth of the greenhouse in February. We start vegetables for our market garden and raise extra to sell. If you have a favorite variety that you would like us to grow, please let us know by Jan. 15, so we can make sure we get the seeds.

We will be growing vegetables and will market them both at our farm and the Farmington Farmer's Market. The farmer's market starts mid-April on Saturdays from 7-11am, and usually starts in June on Wednesdays from 2-5 pm and continues until late October.

Please bring your family and friends to see our farm sometime during the next year. Although the growing/farming season just ended, we are already getting excited about all the new projects we have planned for 2010! Come be a part of it! Hope to see you soon! Norman, Karin, Brandon, Brittany and Brooke

Processing dates for poultry: Broilers $2.20/lb. Stewing hens $1.60/lb

June 12-13, July 10-11, September 11-12, October 9-10, October 30-31 Broilers weigh about 2 1/2 - 3 lb. each.

Broiler rabbits will be available most of year average weight about 2-3 lb. ea.

Pastured turkeys $2.55/lb Weigh average 15-20 lb. each Processing dates November 13-14, and November 20-21 Please share this w/ family and friends, and please email us if you have any questions! Take care and a Happy, healthy New Year to everyone!

Baby Einstein Scam

The great Baby Einstein scam

by Mira Jacob, Shine staff,

Referenced: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/the-great-baby-einstein-scam-531147/

Of course it was too good to be true.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Disney is offering a refund to buyers of its ubiquitous “Baby Einstein” videos, which did not, as promised, turn babies into wunderkinds. Apparently, all those puppets, bright colors, and songs were what we had feared all along—a mind-numbing way to occupy infants.

This news has rocked the parenting world, which had embraced the videos as a miraculous child-rearing staple. Videos that make your kid smarter while you prepare dinner? Genius!

Or not. According to the article, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under two years old stay away from watching screens. In the letter threatening Disney with a class-action lawsuit for "deceptive advertising," public health lawyers hired by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood cited a study which found a link between early television exposure and later problems with attention span.

For many parents, this was the most unsettling of "duh" moments, and a confirmation that nothing, when it comes to child-rearing, is as ever easy as we'd like to make it. So why were we so quick to seize on Baby Einstein videos as technological tutors?

Still, the idea that a caper this big could be pulled off (according to the Times, in “a 2003 study, a third of all American babies from 6 months to 2 years old had at least one 'Baby Einstein' video") is mind-boggling. Disney’s refund is about as close as we’re going to get to an actual admission that we were sold snake oil, and it casts a pall over the other "educational" toys out there.

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I still believe that children should not be exposed to television due to the increase in attention disorders. Television screens fluctuate and change often causing the brain to focus and switch gears constantly during a show. While it may be a convenient way to occupy our children for short intervals while we take care of our families, we need to limit the exposure and find other ways to help our children stay involved and active. Can your child help cook dinner? Get the pots and pans out for you? Sit at the table and color? Can you keep your child by you as you cook or clean? Try and be creative as you look for solutions instead of television. It is challenging to get work done while they need constant attention, but if you can involve your child in your activities you will develop a trusting and caring relationship that will last a lifetime than a relationship with a television (or elmo)!

A Growing Family

This Article was also featured in The Healthy Planet.

The office of Chiropractic Healthcare has always been an important part of the healing community in St. Louis. Dr. Richard Davis has been practicing chiropractic for the past fourteen years and has taken great care of his patients and has now retired from chiropractic. He is returning to his farm with his wife and pets. He has chosen myself, Dr. Alison DiBarto, to continue on in his office. I am very blessed to become part of his chiropractic family and I look forward to continuing his passion and dedication to the community and profession.

Similar to Dr. Davis, I am certified in applied kinesiology and will continue the same gentle chiropractic techniques. I believe in holistic care through balancing muscle strength, organ function, nervous system function, nutrition, and energy systems throughout the body. I also practice Reiki, a Japanese form of energy healing. Using all these techniques, I look to treat the cause of symptoms to alleviate pain and maintain wellness as opposed to merely treating the symptoms.

Another aspect of our office will be monthly meetings for our holistic parent’s group. This is a free group for parents and family members, to learn about and discuss issues related to our children’s and family’s health. Our next meeting will be held at the office on Tuesday, September 1 at 7pm. This month’s hot topic will be about healthy eating. Many parents have a difficult time knowing which foods are best to feed their children ranging from infants to teenagers and this meeting will give us the opportunity to share ideas and make the most out of our shopping trips. I especially enjoy working with children and expectant mothers. As a mother of one beautiful daughter, I have seen first hand the amazing results chiropractic can create for children who are sick, have fallen, and, most importantly, who need gentle care. My daughter often asks for adjustments and loves to help ‘adjust’ me as well. Chiropractic is a wonderful technique and healthy alternative for people of all ages.

Dr. DiBarto is located at the same office: 5859 S. Kingshighway, St. Louis, 63109. Please call 314-647-3399 for more information or visit us at www.healinghandshealinglives.com for information including the parent’s group and for health related articles.