Practical Home Office Feng Shui Tips

As more and more businesses adapt to doing business over the internet, more of you have the opportunity to work from home. But having a home office comes with its own set of challenges – separating your workspace from the rest of your living quarters, for example, or keeping your laundry and other household chores from creeping onto your office files.
These 50 simple tips can help you maintain a comfortable, clean, organized office, maximizing your productivity.
Although they include Feng Shui recommendations, such as making sure you have all the elements represented in your space -– fire, water, earth, wood, and air -- you will find that more often than not, these things are usually what “feels right,” in a room, whether you’re purposely practicing Feng Shui or not.

Keep the doorway free and clear of clutter. Stumbling over piles of files or other paraphernalia as you enter the office is sure to set you off on the wrong foot.

Leave some open spaces. Cramming too much furniture or accessories into your workspace can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed and tense. Assess what you need and get rid of everything else.

Make sure you have a window. Natural light keeps you in sync with the progression of day and night, the environment, and the seasons.

Maintain a balance of color in your room. Each color is represented by an element, and too much of one color can lead to feeling either over or under stimulated.

Keep flowers or a potted plant nearby. Not only can it boost your spirits and bring a touch of the outdoors in, they can also help diffuse the harmful electromagnetic fields around your electronic equipment.

Most of it really boils down to using common sense. An organized space is bound to make you more productive and less stressed, and even if you do nothing else, getting rid of clutter can make a huge difference in and of itself.
Being able to beeline out of your office – tennis racket or canoe paddle in hand -- without tripping over laundry, might be an added boon for getting organized.

Four Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Drugs

Up to 90 percent of high blood pressure cases are thought to be caused by lifestyle habits that constrict blood vessels.

When your blood vessels are constricted tightly, your heart must work much harder to keep your blood flowing, hence the higher blood pressure.

Increasing a compound in your blood known as nitric monoxide can help to open constricted blood vessels and lower your blood pressure. Four ways to increase nitric monoxide in your blood are:

Aerobic exercise
Taking a warm bath
Breathing in and out through one nostril (by closing the other nostril and your mouth)
Eating bitter melon, which is rich in amino acids and vitamin C

Gardasil -- New Video Reveals Hidden Dangers

The dangers surrounding Merck’s cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil continue to be revealed. In this video, hear one parent’s heartbreaking story of her 14-year-old daughter’s serious side effects to Gardasil, which are now threatening her physical and mental health.
(Watch this video -- 9 minutes 56 seconds)

Whiten Your Teeth With Strawberries

Tooth whitening is the leading dental procedure requested by people under the age of 20 and between the ages of 30 and 50. In the last 10 years alone, this procedure has exploded by 300 percent, according to The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.Perhaps one reason for the explosion has to do with the vast numbers of people having their teeth whitened, which then sets a new standard for how "normal" teeth are supposed to look. Even if your teeth are a healthy shade, they may look yellow when compared to the pearly whites of celebrities and, now, the average person walking down the street.The problem with most current tooth-whitening products, both over-the-counter versions and those performed in your dentist’s office, is that they use hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth.This is not your best choice because peroxide can cause your teeth to become sensitive. Additionally, hydrogen peroxide forms radical intermediates that can damage and destroy your gums and nerves.What causes your teeth to become discolored in the first place? Tooth discoloration is caused by colored molecules such as tannins and polyphenols -- found in red wine, coffee, and tea -- which become absorbed by your tooth enamel’s surface.Cigarettes, blueberries, and other foods that contain dark pigments can also discolor your tooth enamel, as can certain medications. Some of the staining can be removed by brushing, but over time the compounds can seep into your enamel.If you’re looking for a safer alternative to brighten your teeth, you can try this simple trick:
Crush one ripe strawberry and mix it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
Spread the mixture onto your teeth and leave on for five minutes.
Brush your teeth with a little toothpaste (non-fluoride, of course) and rinse.
This natural mixture works because of the malic acid it contains, which acts as an astringent to remove some of the surface discoloration on your teeth. Though this method is perfectly safe to use on occasion, don’t use it too often (no more than once a week) because the acid could potentially damage your tooth enamel.

http://www.greenglobalhealth.com

Lack of Sunshine Causes One Million Deaths a Year

If vitamin D3 levels among populations worldwide were increased, 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancers could be prevented each year, according to researchers from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).This includes nearly 150,000 cases of cancer that could be prevented in the United States alone.The researchers estimate that 250,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 350,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented worldwide by increasing intake of vitamin D3, particularly in countries north of the equator.The study examines the dose-response relationship between vitamin D and cancer, and is the first to use satellite measurements of sun and cloud cover in countries where blood serum levels of vitamin D3 were also taken.Serum vitamin D levels during the winter from 15 countries were combined, then applied to 177 countries to estimate the average serum level of a vitamin D metabolite among the population.An inverse association between serum vitamin D and the risk of colorectal and breast cancers was found.Protective effects began when 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (the main indicator of vitamin D status) ranged from 24 to 32 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). In the United States, late winter 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels ranged from 15 to 18 ng/ml.Previous research has suggested that raising levels to 55 ng/ml was actually optimal to prevent cancer, the researchers said.To increase your vitamin D3 levels, the researchers recommended a combination of dietary methods, supplements and sunlight exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes a day, with at least 40 percent of your skin exposed.Nutrition Reviews August 2007 Volume 65, Supplement 1, pp. 91-95(5) (Registration Required) http://www.greenglobalhealth.com
The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology March 2007; 103(3-5):708-11Eurekalert August 21, 2007

Green Global Health LLC: From the #1 Natural Nutrition Comapany in the U.S. Weightloss & Cleaning

Green Global Health LLC: From the #1 Natural Nutrition Comapany in the U.S. Weightloss & Cleaning

Is it True The More You Sleep, The Longer You Live?

“Sleep is the most undervalued contributor to optimal health and performance,” says Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. Dr. Humphreys does research in addiction treatment, and national mental health and drug policy. He has written for the New York Times and other publications.
Many people have no idea that getting enough sleep is essential for helping them stick to a diet, making their workouts more productive, or boosting their immune system in general.
When it comes to dieting, leptin and ghrelin are the two hormones that regulate appetite, and are adversely affected by sleep deprivation. Ghrelin, which is produced in the stomach, signals to the brain when it’s time to eat. Leptin, on the other hand, is secreted by fat tissue and has the reverse effect, signaling when you are full.
Chronic lack of sleep increases ghrelin, making you feel hungry when you don’t really need to eat, and decreases leptin, urging you to keep eating although you’ve already gotten all the calories you need.
The deep sleep state is also the time during which your body repairs itself, including your sore biceps, which benefits your workout routine.
Making a habit of sleep deprivation comes with a heavy price tag. A nine-year study of nearly 7,000 Alameda County residents, found that those who routinely slept six or fewer hours a night had a 70 percent higher risk of dying (in the same age groups) than did those who slept seven or eight hours per night.
San Francisco Gate September 2, 2007

Scientists Warn -- Dangerous Chemical Found in Plastic

An estrogen-like compound widely used in plastic products is thought to be causing serious reproductive disorders, according to a statement by several dozen scientists, including four from federal health agencies.The compound, bisphenol A (BPA), is one of the most-produced chemicals in the world, and almost everyone has traces of it -- or more -- in their bodies.After reviewing about 700 studies, the scientists concluded that people are exposed to levels of BPA in excess of those that have harmed lab animals. Among the most vulnerable are infants and fetuses, who are still developing.BPA is used to make hard plastic that’s used in numerous products including:
Polycarbonate plastic baby bottles
Large water-cooler containers and sports bottles
Microwave-oven dishes
Canned-food liners
Some dental sealants for children
The statement appeared alongside five accompanying scientific reviews and a new study by the National Institutes of Health that found newborn animals exposed to BPA suffered from uterine damage. The damage could indicate that the chemical causes reproductive disorders in women ranging from fibroids to endometriosis to cancer.While studies have yet to be conducted to directly examine BPA’s influence on humans, past animal studies have found low doses of the chemical to be associated with early-stage prostate and *** cancers and decreased sperm count.No governmental agency worldwide has restricted the use of BPA, but a U.S. expert panel is meeting to discuss whether the chemical should be declared a human reproductive toxin, which could lead to regulatory action.The chemical industry maintains that BPA is safe, and has called the scientists’ statement “alarmist and biased.”
Reproductive Toxicology July 2007
Seattle Times August 3, 2007

Antibiotics Good or Bad?

Antibiotics Kill Your Body's Good Bacteria, Too, Leading to Serious Health Risks

"It is ironic that this humbled fungus, hailed as a benefactor of mankind, may by its very success prove to be a deciding factor in the decline of the present civilization।"

-Dr. John I. Pitt, The Genus Penicillum, Academic Press, 1979
Simply put, antibiotics are poisons that are used to kill. Only licensed physicians can prescribe them. The drugs are used to kill bacteria. Certainly, many people have benefited from using them. However, if bacteria were the only organisms that antibiotics killed, much of this book would be unnecessary. In fact, I con­tend that poisons that kill small organisms in small doses -- organism-specific varieties notwithstanding -- can also kill big organisms, when they are taken in big doses. You, my friend, are a big organism.
We’ve talked about the link between fungus and human disease. This chapter addresses the possibility that antibiotics may help fungi to proliferate within the human body.
As an adult human, you have three to four pounds of beneficial bacteria and yeast living within your intestines. These microbes compete for nutrients from the food you eat. Usually, the strength in numbers beneficial bacteria enjoy both keeps the ever-present yeasts in check and causes them to produce nutrients such as the B vitamins.
However, every time you swallow antibiotics, you kill the beneficial bacteria within your intestines. When you do so, you upset the delicate balance of your intestinal terrain. Yeasts grow unchecked into large colonies and take over, in a condition called dysbiosis.
Yeasts are opportunistic organisms. This means that, as the intestinal bacteria die, yeasts thrive, especially when their dietary needs are met. They can use their tendrils, or hyphae, to literally poke holes through the lining of your intestinal wall. This results in a syndrome called leaky gut. Yeasts are not the only possible cause of this syndrome. Some scientists have linked non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as naproxen and ibuprofen to the problem. Given their ability to alter intestinal terrain, antibiotics also likely contribute to leaky gut syndrome.
In addition to possibly causing leaky gut syndrome, I believe that parasitic yeasts can also cause you to change what you eat in that they encourage you to binge on carbohydrates including pasta, bread, sugar, potatoes, etc. So, it should come as no surprise that weight gain counts as one of the telltale signs of antibiotic damage and subsequent yeast overgrowth.
By altering the normal terrain of the intestines, antibiotics can also make food allergies more likely. An array of intestinal disorders can ensue, as well. Sadly, most doctors claim ignorance concerning their patients’ intestinal disorders rather than admit that the drugs they themselves prescribed actually caused the disorders to begin with.
Tons of antibiotics are fed to American livestock on a daily basis, purportedly to proof them against bacteria. This practice not only possibly contributes to antibiotic resistance in humans -- many experts feel weight gain, and not disease prevention, is the real reason antibiotics are so widely used. Fat cattle sell for more than thin cattle. That’s all very well, but imagine what the antibiotics thereby possibly present in dairy products could be doing to our children’s health.
Back in the 1950s, two researchers in Albany, New York, worked to develop an antimicrobial drug from a substance produced by a soil-based fungus. Although the nystatin they discovered is technically a mycotoxin, it works wonders an intestinal antifungal. This as yet revolutionary drug stops the yeast overgrowth caused by all other antibiotics and is 100 percent safe to use. In addition, nystatin works with no side effects, though it can cause a pseudo sickness that patients often confuse with side effects.
Also in the 1950s, scientists used mice to grade the relative toxicity of 340 antibiotics (Dr. William S. Spector, The Handbook of Toxicity, 1957). The researchers based their rankings on the amount of a given antibiotic required to kill half of the lab mice injected with it. I relate this story only to ask you, before 1957, how did scientists decide what would serve as prescriptive doses for these very same antibiotics when used in humans?
I’ll assume that the same toxicity scale remains in place today. If it does, and if a given dose of penicillin will kill 50 percent of mice injected, it stands to reason that a much larger dose, or perhaps repetitive doses extended over 40 years, might prove fatal to a human. I don’t know if larger doses are in fact administered to people. And, the 40-year scenario has its problems. But you have to admit, it’s certainly food for thought.
The time span between when patients take rounds of antibiotics and when they die interests me. That’s because I believe that few people really die of heart disease and diabetes. In actuality, antibiotics are responsible for deaths attributed to these diseases, because these drugs are what caused people to develop the diseases to begin with. And yet, incredibly, death certificates usually state the probable cause of death without mentioning whether the deceased had a history of taking antibiotics.
Remember, antibiotics are dangerous mycotoxins -- fungal metabolites. Just as importantly, medical experts have written articles maintaining that these drugs kill people. But, other experts insist on remaining sceptical as to the problem, even though these same experts readily recognize the link between weakened immune systems and death.
According to the 2001 Allergy and Asthma Report, the first immunodeficiency syndrome was identified in 1952. This document tells us that since that time, "more than 95 immune syndromes have been identified, with new conditions coming to light every day." The report goes on to say that research indicates that "increased antibiotic use in human infancy may be associated with increased risk of developing allergies."
Max Planck won the 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics. He once weighed in as to why science is slow to change even in the presence of overwhelming evidence that it should do so.
"A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light," Planck said, "but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with the ideas from the beginning."
That a new generation will grow up knowing of the dangers inherent in taking antibiotics is a good thing. That doctors will continue randomly prescribing fungal toxins should teach us the importance of knowing medical facts before blindly accepting any prescription. Please study the antimicrobial benefits and the immune system stimulants that nature provides. Know also that, in some instances, antibiotics may become necessary.
If you reach the point where no alternatives exist, I recommend that you ask your doctor to prescribe nystatin simultaneously with the antibiotic (see Dr. Holland’s article). Also, keep in mind the post-antibiotic importance of restoring the intestinal terrain with plain yogurt and probiotics. If you experience bloating, belching, gas, constipation, diarrhea, GERD, or other intestinal problems, probiotics can play an important role in restoring your intestinal terrain.