Sunny Health

We all go through great extents to achieve happiness. There are many tips of gaining happiness. But it is difficult to have a formula that works the same for happiness.

Here are a few tips from my personal experience that really turn my frown upside down.

1) Watch a good sitcom, or stand up comedy
With the advancements of technology, we are now able to easily download or watch off the net our favourite shows that will just put a smile on your face

2) Think of solutions
We all worry. In fact, I think it is necessary to worry. When we worry, we are able to be prepared for trouble. However, we should not worry unnecessarily. Hence we should be prepared at all times and think of solutions to our problems rather than just get depressed over issues. There is a solution to everything, if only we are willing to look for it.

3) Exercise
Don’t be a lazy bum! Get off that couch and start moving about. It is a well known fact that exercising helps the human body release endorphins into our bloodstream which will allow us to maintain a positive perspective all day.

4) Eat right
Indulge yourself in a delicious bowl of yoghurt. You could fill it with fruits nuts and even (an added luxury) chocolate! Eat a lot and eat healthy, but remember not to overeat. Knowing that you are treating your stomach, your body right is beneficial. Be adventurous and don’t bore your taste buds. Aim to try a different thing everyday.

5) Aim to make someone’s day.
Whether the motives are altruistic, making someone else’s day right can make really make you feel good about yourself, because you know you’re doing the right thing and playing a part in making the world a better place.


Our attitudes will change when we choose to look at things positively. It is good to be rational and choose to think the right. Even if your day is a sad one, at least you’ll know that you’re treating yourself right. If you don’t treat yourself right, who will?

This humble nut is packed with nutrients; fibre, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. This delicious nut is packed with flavour, a slight woody flavour on the outside, and delicious buttery peanut butter like consistency once chewed.

Almonds have more calcium than any other nut – 75 milligrams (mg) in one serving (about 23 almonds), about one serving of almonds provides half of the body’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin E.

Almonds also help keep you alert, so if you’re feeling tired in the office, facing your computer, you can reach out for a handful of almonds. Almond is even sometimes said to be good for coughs. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine drinking Sweet Pear, honey almond could provide tonic benefits (see recipe below).

Like all nuts, Almonds are a good source of protein. Also, since most of the fats in Almonds are mono saturated fat, they are beneficial for your heart.

Here are ways to include almonds in your daily healthy living.

- Eat almonds as snacks, instead off unhealthy alternatives such as chips or cake. They are both light and easy to store. ( Be careful to choose non sugar or salted almonds, those can pack on much unwanted calories)
- Add almonds into your breakfast cereal or oatmeal for a fulfilling breakfast that will keep you full for hours
- Make your own healthy version of peanut butter by grinding almonds
- Drink almond milk


Here is an easy recipe to follow:
1. Place 1 cup freshly roasted almonds in a glass jar.
2. Cover with 4 cups water.
3. Tightly close the jar.
4. Refrigerate for 1 day or no more than 2 days.
5. Pour into blender and blend until smooth.
6. Strain liquid from pulp through cheesecloth, applying pressure to squeeze out all liquid.
7. Retain the almond paste pulp for other uses.
Tips:
1. Use almond milk in recipes or as a delicious drink by itself or with a little honey and vanilla.
2. The almond paste pulp can be used to top cereal, vegetables, or rice.
3. 1 pound shelled almonds = 3 cups halves or 4 cups slivered.
You will need:
• almonds
• glass jar
• blender

- Also consider including almonds in your drinks

Such as the Chinese Pear and & Honey Tonic Drink

Ingredients:
2 Chinese Pears/Japanese Pears
4-6 Red Dates
1/2 Tablespoon gou qi zi (Wolfberry fruit)
10g Soaked White Fungus
1 Tablespoon of Sweet & Bitter Almond
6 Strips of Sha Shen
1 litre of Water
About 2 Tablespoons of Honey
_________________________________
Instructions:
1. Wash all the herbs.
2. Peel and core pears. Then cut into quarters and put into a double boiler pot.
3. Bring water to boil in another pot and add in all the herbs and white fungus. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour the herbs ingredients into the pot containing the pears and let it double boil in a slower cooker for about 3 hrs.
5. Switch off the heat, allow to cool slightly and add in the honey before drinking the soup.
This recipe serves 3 persons.
________________________________________
The ingredients used in the above recipe are very common and you can easily find them in most Chinese medical halls.
Sweet & Bitter Almonds(南北杏):
Sweet almond tastes sweet and is of neutral nature, whereas bitter almond tastes bitter and is of warm nature. They both heal coughing and expel sputum.
Sha Shen(沙参):
Sweet and slightly cold, it moisturises the lungs, stops coughing, brings down fever and and increases appetite.

Thinner thighs, weaker heart
Posted: 04 September 2009 0808 hrs


PARIS : Women and men with thighs under 60 centimetres (23.5 inches) in circumference face a far higher risk of premature death and heart disease, according to a study released Friday.

The surprising find could provide doctors with an additional barometer of cardiac risk, the authors say in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Berit Heitmann and Peder Frederiksen of Copenhagen University Hospital examined data for 1,436 men and 1,380 women whose body measurements were taken in Denmark in the late 1980s.

Over the next dozen years, more than 400 participants died and another 540 suffered either cardiovascular or heart disorders. Men outnumbered women roughly two to one.

Survivors without heart problems had significantly thicker thighs once other risk factors - obesity, smoking, high cholesterol - were taken into account, the investigators found.

"A 'threshold effect' for thigh circumference was evident, with greatly increased risk of premature death below around 60 cm," the study concludes.

The bad news, for those with ham-like upper legs, is that bigger thighs do not seem to offer any advantage.

"Above the threshold there seemed to be no additional benefit ... for either sex," the study said.

Those with the thinnest thighs were more than three times times likelier to die compared with those with the 60-centimetre (23.5-inch) thighs, and more than twice as likely to have heart problems.

The Danish team suggest small thighs could be a pointer of low cardiac muscle mass, but further research is needed.

Earlier studies have shown a clear link between heart disease and obesity or underweight, but this is the first to look at the implications of thigh size on coronary health.

The authors suggest it could join other measures currently used to assess cardiac risks include body-mass index (BMI), as well as waist and hip circumference.

But at least one independent expert was skeptical that the new findings will become a diagnostic tool.

"It seems unlikely that thigh circumference will be clinically useful," wrote Ian Scott of the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, said in a commentary, also published in the BMJ.

- AFP/il

It seems like the best way is to keep fit, not too much and not too little. The key is to indulge, but never to over indulge.

Keeping fit can be quite a chore especially when it means living in a foodie haven in Singapore. But we can always learn to live with good food and yet live healthily. Never underestimate a good clear bowl of fish soup beehoon, it can really fill you up, but yet is not packed with calories. Ask for more vegetables with your food. I don’t believe in sacrificing flavour so if your dish requires the need to include an unhealthy ingredient such as pork fat, go ahead and include it (unless you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or other diseases, then I would suggest you opt for a healthier alternative), but remember to live healthy for the rest of the week, put in more effort on the thread mill.

If you are constantly on the go, you may want to consider packing light lunches such as sandwiches. If you get bored of sandwiches, consider including salads in your lunchbox. Create a balanced diet by including wholemeal foods, some protein (such as salmon) and remember to put in lots of vegetables!

Its all about finding the right balance, to lead a good lifestyle

http://www.channelnewsaHeartbreak increases heart attack risk
Posted: 15 September 2009 1739 hrs


SYDNEY : People mourning the loss of a loved one are six times more likely to suffer cardiac arrest, potential proof that you can indeed die of a broken heart, Australian researchers said Tuesday.

According to a Heart Foundation study of the physical changes suffered immediately after a profound loss, grieving people were at significantly higher risk of heart problems, said lead researcher Thomas Buckley.

"We found higher blood pressure, increased heart rate and changes to immune system and clotting that would increase the risk of heart attack," Buckley said.

Of the 160 people studied, half were mourning the loss of a partner or child, and their risk of heart attack increased six-fold, he said.

The risk, which was evident in people as young as 30, reduced after six months and levelled out after two years, he added.

A sudden flood of stress hormones is believed to be behind the grief-induced heartache, a condition that earlier studies have found is more likely to affect women.

- AFP/il

sia.com/stories/health/view/1005116/1/.html

We’ve always known that stress can be detrimental for one’s health. Now we can be certain, as the Australian medical research team has shown.

This is probably another important reason to not just keep your body healthy, but your mind as well. Going through grief is part of life, but it is important that we share the burden. Talk to someone if you feel hurt. Or if you don’t trust anyone you know, call a hotline where volunteers are willing to talk to you.

SOS (Samaritans Singapore)
1800 221 4444
The SOS in Singapore is one good source, they can help you maintain your annonymity, at the same they provide a shoulder to lean on

In the news today…
“VIENNE - Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of a baby developing asthma up to sixfold, said a Swedish study published at the European Respiratory Society's annual congress on Monday.

The study by Professeur Anders Bjerg of the Sunderby central hospital in Norrbotten and his specialists showed that smoking leads to babies being born underweight, a fact that has an impact on the development of asthma.

The Swedish doctors studied asthma in about 3,400 children between 1996 and 2008.
The study found that babies of smoking mothers had an average weight of 211 grammes (7.44 ounces) less than those of mothers who do not smoke.

Nearly a quarter (24.3 per cent) of smoking mothers' babies weighed less than 2.5 kilogrammes at birth against 4.1 per cent for those of non-smoking women.

In underweight children of women who smoked throughout their pregnancy the asthma risk was at 23.5 per cent, against 7.7 per cent in children of non-smoking mothers who were born with an average weight. - AFP/ar”

In fact this is not new, in the news earlier this year in January, the cancer institute in New South Wales came up with evidence that smoking during pregnancy can cause low birth weight.

The Cancer Institute linked the records of all births in NSW between 1994 and 2005 with cases of cancer in New South Wales children over the same period. Of the 1.05 million recorded births there were 948 cases of childhood cancer.

Leukamia and cancers of the nerves and central nervous system were found to be more common in babies born prematurely and in those with lower birth rate.

Besides putting yourself at risk, you can be putting yourself at risk too. You could be exposing both you and your baby to the following risks:

1. Sudden Infant Death
2. Stillbirth
3. Low Birth weight of the baby
4. Colic
5. Respiratory Infections
6. Placenta Abruption
7. Miscarraige+

So if you want to protect your baby and yourself, quit smoking today.

Thinking of having a bowl of laksa? Or perhaps a plate of char kway teow? It is still okay to indulge yourself once in awhile. Besides, being in a place like SG, its hard to avoid food. To be on the safe side however, one can take precaution by checking out the nutrition stats per dish.

Singapore's health promotion board presents the recipe analysis. An easy to use calculator where you calculate nutrition stats per dish. Its fairly easy to use and can be quite fun.

http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=1016

Being a cancer patient often means lots of rest. But being a cancer patient should not mean it restricts your quality of life. Cancer patients should continue living life the fullest, day by day. If you want to travel, go ahead and just do it!

1. Get the green light from your doctor
Talking to your doctor will allow you to learn what you can or cannot do. You may want your doctor to write down a certification as well, to assure that you can travel.

2. Take along extra medicine
Always take extra precaution before you leave. When travelling, keep medicine with you and not in the suitcase. You may want to note down the medicines that you will be bringing, as it may come in handy if you need to verify with a pharmacy or hospital.

3. Find doctors that you can consult at your destination.
That way it’ll be easier in case anything happens. You will know where to go and what to do. Ask your doctor for some recommendations

4. Make sure you are covered by Insurance
Call your health insurance company to see if you are covered overseas, or if you need to go a certain hospital or doctor.

5. Ensure the medical equipment you are using is suitable for usage and suited for you. Take note of this especially in airports and foreign travel.

6. Ensure that your medicine is not illegal in the country you are travelling to
If you have medicine that is illegal, ensure you have a doctor’s note explaining why you need a certain drug.

7. Rest
Don’t overstrain yourself. Make sure you give yourself enough time to rest. Take 15-20 minutes of rest every few hours. This can save and build up energy for later. Don’t overdo it. Whenever you feel tired, sit down, lay down so simply just relax.

8. Arrange for assistance to your gate at the airport
Walking to different terminals and gates can be physically exhausting, especially for someone who does not have cancer. When checking your baggage, let the airline know you need assistance to the gate.

9. Be sure to bring snacks and pack light meals
The smell of food to chemotherapy patients can be extremely nauseating. Bring along snacks and a packed lunch whenever you travel. The different aromas can cause terrible nausea and vomiting for some cancer patients.

10. Enjoy yourself
Keeping the mind off cancer can help you cope better. Take your meds on time and avoid being overly stressed.

On Science Nutrition News (.http://www.newhope.com/nutritionsciencenews/NSN_backs/Aug_00/cancer.cfm).

From The August 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News
Nutritional Soup for Cancer
An enormous amount of scientific literature shows beyond a reasonable doubt that many components of fruits, vegetables, herbs and mushrooms have the ability to retard and treat cancer—at least in animals and test tubes.1-5 Similar results in human studies, on the other hand, are few and far between, primarily because human studies have yet to be performed. One exception was the fish-oil study reported in the January 1998 issue of Cancer, in which a large, well-designed, double-blind study showed fish oil more than doubled the survival time of patients with advanced cancers of the breast, colon, lung and pancreas.6 Tragically, these encouraging results did not catch the interest of the medical profession, the media or the public. Nor did the big cancer organizations and institutions put their prestige or money on the line in order to replicate the study. Perhaps their interest will perk up with news of a nutritional broth that may have tripled the survival time of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Non-small cell lung cancer kills more than 400,000 Americans each year. Knowing conventional therapies are only marginally effective in treating this condition,7 researchers at the Connecticut Institute for Aging and Cancer in Milford along with those at the Czech Republic's University of Palacky tested an experimental nutritional treatment on six patients with advanced (Stage III or Stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer compared to 13 comparable lung cancer victims who did not receive the treatment. The design, however, was not double-blind, meaning both patients and doctors knew who had received the therapy and who had not. Regardless of which group patients were in, each continued their standard chemotherapy treatments.
The researchers' experimental cancer treatment was nothing more or less than 30 g a day of soup stock prepared from a broad array of herbs, vegetables and mushrooms, including soybeans, shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes), mung beans, red dates, scallions, garlic (Allium sativum), lentils, leeks, hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pinnatifida), onions, ginseng (Panax spp.), angelica root (Angelica spp.), licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.), dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), senegal root (Polygala senega), ginger (Zingiber officinalis), olives, sesame seeds and parsley. The complex is now a commercially available product produced in Milford, Conn.
Although vegetable soup chemotherapy may sound silly, a 24-month follow-up revealed remarkable results. For example, control patients lost an average of 11.6 percent of their body weight, while those taking the vegetable soup lost only 2.1 percent. Moreover, vegetable soup patients scored much higher on their day-to-day quality of life function tests as measured by the standard Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS). Among control subjects, KPS scores fell from a respectable 78 at the start to a struggling 55 within three months, while the vegetable soup patients' average score actually improved from 75 at the start to a follow-up value of 80.
The most impressive result of this study, however, was the apparent survival advantage of those taking the experimental broth. Excluding three patients who died early, the median survival among the remaining 10 control patients was 4.5 months, with a 95 percent confidence range of four to seven months. In contrast, half the soup patients were still alive at 15.5 months, with a 95 percent confidence range of nine to 18 months. Thus, the broth treatment more than tripled the median survival rate, far surpassing the power of any conventional therapy.
Of course, these wonderful results could be a fluke. Larger, double-blind and better-controlled studies may show that vegetable soup is not, in fact, effective as a cancer treatment. But considering there is a chance that it may be, the question is whether such pivotal research will actually be performed.
Preliminary signs do offer a smidgen of hope, as the research report itself acknowledges several internationally respected leaders of the orthodox cancer elite. Perhaps one or more of these "union" leaders will place their personal prestige on the line in order to vouch for continued research into the role herbs, fruits and vegetables play in cancer prevention and cure. If so, a large double-blind study could start promptly, and, given the deadly nature of lung cancer, the results would follow quickly. The interests of both patients and scientists would be served by determining if a bowl of mere vegetable soup has the power to double as a chemotherapy treatment.
Richard N. Podell, M.D., M.P.H., is director of the Podell Medical Center in New Providence, N.J.
References
1. Hartwell JL. Plants used against cancer: a survey. (Lloydia; 1971. p 30:379-416; 31:71-170, 32: 70-107, 153-205, 247-96—1969. 33:97-194, 288-92—1970. 34:103-60, 204-55, 301-60, 368-438—1971.

2. Evans SM, et al. Protection against metastasis of radiation-induced thymic lymphosarcoma and weight loss in C57BL/6NCrlBR mice by an autoclave resistant factor present in soybeans. Radiat Res 1992;132:259-62.

3. Peterson G. Genistein and biochanin A inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer cells not epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine autophosphorylation. Prostate 1993;22:335-45.

4.Shamsuddkin AM, Ullah A. Suppression of large intestinal cancer in F344 rats by inositol hexaphosphate. Carcinogenesis 1988;9:577-80.

5. Chihara G, et al. Antitumor and metastasis-inhibitory activities of lentinan as an immunomodulator: an overview. Cancer Detect Prev Suppl 1987;1:423-43.

6. Gogos C, et. al. Dietary Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids plus vitamin E restore immunodeficiency and prolong survival for severely ill patients with generalized malignancy: a randomized control trial. Cancer 1998;82:395-402.

7. Sun AS, et al. Phase I/II study of stage II and IV non-small cell lung cancer patients taking a specific dietary supplement. Nutr Cancer 1999;34(1):62-9.

It seems like Soup is indeed more than just for the soul, it is good the vessel that carries your soul too. Here’s a recipe I’d like to share


1/2 fresh chicken, chopped and skin removed (or 2 chicken drumsticks/thighs, or 200g pork ribs)
- 200g watercress (ends trimmed, separate stems & leaves)
- 80g carrots, peeled & cut to pieces (I used peeled baby carrots as a short cut)
- 15 red dates (pitted)
- 1 tbsp wolfberries
- 1200ml water
- 10 short american ginseng (aka ‘Pao Shen, 泡参) [optional]
- a small pinch of salt [optional]
Directions
1. Blanch chicken in boiling water for 5 minutes (so that you are rid of the icky small bits). Set aside.
2. Place water, watercress stems, carrots, red dates and short american ginseng in pot and bring to a boil. Add the previously blanched chicken, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Add watercress leaves and wolfberries. Continue boiling for 10-15 minutes*.
4. Season with salt if needed.
* Watercress leaves are added later so that they stay crunchy. If you prefer them soft or don’t intend to eat the watercress, you can place it together with the other ingredients in step 2. Wolfberries are added later so that they stay firm and will not burst.

Delicious recipes with cancer fighting recipes, collected from

Black Bean Burritos
1 cup cooked black beans
1 red bell pepper [chopped]
1 green bell pepper [chopped]
2 garlic cloves [chopped]
tortillas
Salsa [ try Salsa Dip 1 from this recipe collection]
Combine beans, peppers, garlic and salsa.
Put into a tortilla and microwave until done

Anaheim Shiitake
4 sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 Anaheim pepper sliced into thin rounds
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1\2 cup soy milk
1\2 t tapioca starch[ corn starch will do]
1 t each, dried basil and oregano[ fresh is great but use 3 times the amount].
several parsley sprigs.
1 T olive oil.
Sauté mushrooms, pepper, onions and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes.
Easy to digest version: put lid on and steam for another 5 minutes
Mix starch with just enough soy milk to make it smooth and set aside.
Mix in all remaining ingredients except parsley and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the starch and return to heat until mixture thickens.
Serve over basmati brown rice or pasta and garnish with parsley.

For more recipes, go to:
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/2062/60recipes.html

The Dietary Guidelines are intended for healthy adult Singaporeans between the age of 18 to 65 years and are meant to be applied to the total diet. Here’s how you can follow the guidelines whilst enjoying your delicious bowl of Singaporean food.

1. Eat a Variety of Foods using the Healthy Diet Pyramid as a Guide.
How to do this: There’s so much variety available in our hawker centres and restaurants. Looking for something cheap? Try Fish Ball Soup with Bee Hoon. The deliciously savoury fish broth will warm not just your stomach but your soul. Looking for more variety? How about Poh piah? The light snack can be eaten as a meal if you take two or three rolls. What about a light snack after dinner? Try a yoghurt. These days, yoghurt stalls are scattered all around the nation, almost as easily available as McD’s!

2. Achieve and Maintain Body Weight Within the Normal Range.
How to do this: First, calculate your BMI using Body Mass Index. If you find that you are overweight, you are more prone to disease. Hence, you should work towards achieving a weight in the normal range. Gradually cut back on fatty or unhealthy foods and increase the amount of exercise you do everyday, or start exercising if you have not already.

3. Eat Sufficient Amounts of Grains, especially Whole Grains.
How to do this: Choose rice or bread with more fibre. These include Whole grain, brown rice or rolled oats. There is wide selection of the kind of grains you can get these days. Incorporating this into your daily diet is easy, enjoying it first thing in the morning with a bowl of oats and honey is suffice to keep you full till your next meal a few hours later. Replace white rice and white bread with whole meal grains in your next meals.

4. Eat More Fruit and Vegetables Every Day
How to do this: Include a fruit in all your meals. Replace unhealthy snacks like potato chips and ice cream with a delicious bowl of fruit. Note that fruit drinks do not have the same nutrition value as that of a fruit. It is still better to have a whole slice of fruit. Eating an apple alone does not keep the doctor away, you have to have more, and have a variety, so your taste buds do not get bored.

5. Choose and Prepare Food with Less Fat, especially Saturated Fat
How to do this: In Singapore, it is virtually impossible to ignore food. There is food everywhere. Many are served especially with too much oil, salt and sugar. There are many ways of incorporating more flavour without the use of oils and others. Use what nature has given us. Carrots and fruits can provide much flavour to a dish. Herbs are a good option too, considering that they are free of calories. Olive oil is another great option compared to canola oil or peanut oil.

6. Choose and Prepare Food with Less Salt and Sauces.
How to do this: As mentioned above, the use of many natural ingredients can greatly enhance the flavour of a dish. Try learning to appreciate the natural flavours of a dish. Choose fresh ingredients like fish and vegetables. You can achieve maximum flavour by using simple cooking methods.

7. Choose Beverages and Food with Less Sugar.
How to do this: Water should be your number one choice when it comes to choices for thirst quenchers. You can easily increase the taste of water by drinking tea (without additional sugar), putting lemons into ice water. Should you require a sweet drink, I recommend the use of iced honey drink. It is both healthy and nutrition, although it could help pile on the calories if over consumed.

8. If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation.
How to do this: There is no way around this, one should not over consume alcohol. We know all to well the disadvantages of alcohol. Go for healthier drinks, there are other ways to get the kind of high you can get from alcohol such as doing sports. Drinking alcohol only during social events, and do so in moderation.

Source:
Dietary Guidelines 2003: For Adult Singaporeans (18 - 65 years) - Health Promotion Board, Singapore

As you can see, much of following the guidelines can be easily achieved by tweaking your lifestyle here and there. We should all aim for a healthier lifestyle so that we can carry out daily activities with better ease, and as an insurance against disease and illness.

There are many benefits to both eating organic foods, and to organic gardening. In addition to the mental and emotional benefits of growing and eating organic food, there are also the physical benefits. These physical benefits can be boiled down to nutrients present in organic foods that are not in commercial foods and toxins not in organic foods that are present in commercial foods. A recent article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition gave credence to the notion that organic foods have higher nutrient levels that non-organic food. In this study the mineral content of organic apples, pear, potatoes, wheat, and sweet corn were compared to commercial varieties. Overall the organic foods showed much higher levels of nutrient minerals and much lower levels of heavy metals.

First, lets look into the benefits of organic foods. Some are nutrients are found to be in higher levels in organic foods than in others.

- Chromium’s deficiency is associated with the onset of adult diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Chromium was found to be higher in organic foods by an average of 78%.
- Selenium is one of the antioxidant nutrients that protects us from damage by environmental chemicals. It is protective against cancers and heart disease. It was found to be an average of 390% higher in organic foods.
- Calcium, needed for strong bones, averaged 63% higher in organic foods.
- Boron, which has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis (along with calcium), averaged 70% more.
- Lithium, which is used to treat certain types of depression, was 188% higher.
- Magnesium, which reduces mortality from heart attacks, keeps muscles from spasming, and eases the symptoms of PMS, averaged 138% more.

Now lets look at the disadvantages of having organic food:
- If you look at it from a farmer’s point of view, they do not grow as in large quantities, hence resulting in lower or no profits. Therefore, farmers raise prices, and consumers have to pay more for organic food
- Organic is approximately 40% more expensive than normal food
- There are critics who claim that the soil and water are already contaminated through years of manipulated farming, the organic food grown on these soils is likely to be contaminated as well.
- Ploughing or tilling the farm has more damaging effects than employing herbicides, like glyphosphates
- Organic farming avoids the use of synthetic pesticides, but allows the use of pesticides derived from certain plants which comprises of ‘questionable’ chemicals
- Critics claim that conventional farming makes use of only specific chemicals as fertilizers, while organic farming employs manure and compost, which leads to a wide variety of chemicals being unnecessarily introduced into the soil
- Several ‘organic’ farms use manure derived from animals, raised and fed in a non-organic fashion. Besides, manure is also a rich source of biological contaminants.
- Recent controversies include, using so called ‘organic’ products from cloned animals. The majority of these animals have been derived from animals raised non-organically.

Critics are still put off by the high pricing and feel that there is a lack of evidence to prove that organic food is good, or has substantially higher amounts of benefits that is worth the money they pay.

The arguments from both sides rages on, which side do u stand on?

Wehatecancer.net is a website made up of people who have developed a range of products that show their hate for cancer. They feel that their products are made to empower those who are suffering from cancer and those who surround them.

Portions of their donations will go into cancer patients, organizations and research and on cancer patient awareness.

The website is created by Elise Lindborg and Kelli Henderson who are also co owners of ZippyDogs.com a West Seattle company that sells personalized pens, ate, T-shirts, notepads, coffee mugs and other promotional products. They also operate CiggyButtz.com, an online tobacco prevention website
Elise was born and raised in Missoula, Montana. Elise is a scandihoovian mutt, with equal parts Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pacific Lutheran University and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health, University of Washington.
Elise lost her mother to ovarian cancer and has had several other extended family members die from cancer, while some others are still fighting.
Kelli was born and raised in Indiana. Kelli has a strong graphic design background as well as extensive knowledge in the print industry. She has a Bachelor of Arts inn Industrial Design and a minor in Graphic Design from Purdue University.
Kelli’s aunt is in remission from breast cancer, while another aunt is fighting the disease and her young cousin just completed treatment for Hodgkin’s disease and unfortunately, there are other friends and family who are still fighting the disease.

http://wehatecancer.net/about.php