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News to Use: Health, Food & Environment
Tour Farm & Educational Center Aug. 7
SAN DIEGO ROOTS Sustainable Food Project is collaborating with Suzie’s Farm in the creation of Roots Farm and Education Center at Suzie’s Farm. The farm center “will be a place to grow the next generation of farmers, to introduce San Diegans to their food as it’s grown, and to work toward a sustainable San Diego.”
The first Saturday of every month starting at 2pm they’ll host tours, you’ll have volunteer opportunities to learn from, and a grand potluck dinner followed by a movie under the stars. Come out and join the community at the first event Saturday, August 7. Visit www.sandiegoroots.org for all the details.
Preventing Cancer:
Nine Practical Tips for Consumers
Four of every 10 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, and two of every 10 will die of it. But there are some things you can do to reduce the risk. First, talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes that are known to make a difference – stopping smoking, reducing drinking, losing weight, exercising and eating right.
According to a recent report from the President’s Cancer Panel, environmental toxins also play a significant and under-recognized role in cancer, causing “grievous harm” to untold numbers of people. ewg.org/President%27s_Cancer_Panel_Warns_About_Chemicals
Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) own research has found that children are born “pre-polluted” with up to 200 industrial chemicals, pesticides and contaminants that have been found to cause cancer in lab studies or in people.
Download the FREE Guide and learn some simple things you can do to reduce your exposures! ewg.org/files/EWG_preventing_cancer.pdf
EWG’s guide includes free researched tips on water, foods, chemicals, BPA, labels, and more, as well as the latest safe sunscreens. EWG researchers recommend only 39 sunscreens – 8% – of 500 beach and sport sunscreens for this season! The reason is because a surge in exaggerated SPF claims above 50 and new disclosures about potentially hazardous ingredients, in particular recently developed government data linking vitamin A to accelerated growth of skin tumors and lesions.
Did you know that if you see a “Proposition 65” warning label on a product, the state has identified it contains cancer causing chemicals? Learn more with EWGs free guide.
If you want to do more, sign EWG’s petition demanding Congress reform our nation’s broken toxic chemicals policy. ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/sign-petition-b/
SimpleSteps - advice for green living: Check out the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) website for a wealth of info, downloadable guides, apps, and much more. You’ll find resources for Food, Health, Home & Garden, Community and Tools.
For example, ever wonder about all the claims on labels — “Free Range,” “No Additives,” “Non-Toxic,” “Certified Humane” or “FishWise,” etc.? Visit this website for instructions on how you access and use “Label Lookup” while in a store using your mobile phone, so you can choose the best product for your health and the environment. The Label Lookup has rated 169 claims that may appear on cleaning products, personal care products, produce, fish, poultry and eggs, meat, coffee, chocolate, dairy, paper , wood and paint. All evaluations are based on EPA, USDA, Consumer’s Union and certifier websites.
Avoid the Health Risks of Synthetic Food Dyes
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) latest report entitled “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks” outlines health concerns posed by the nine currently approved dyes used on conventionally produced foods (http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf). Food dyes, synthesized originally from coal tar and now petroleum, have long been controversial. Many dyes have been banned because of their adverse effects on laboratory animals.
According to CSPI, the dyes present “a rainbow of risks,” including allergic reactions, hyperactivity, and even cancer. CSPI has issued a call to ban synthetic dyes to color foods, since they serve only a cosmetic purpose, and call to replace these dyes with safer, natural colorings. What you can do? You can already avoid such dyes in the marketplace by choosing to purchase organic foods.
Magnetic Stimulation Could Be the New Antidepressant
Depressed patients who don’t respond to or tolerate antidepressant medications may benefit from a noninvasive treatment that stimulates the brain with a pulsing electromagnet, a study in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests.
The industry-independent, multisite, randomized, controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) found that it produced significant antidepressant effects in a subgroup of patients.
Since the rTMS treatment did not trigger any seizures or other notable side effects, the researchers propose that higher levels of magnetic stimulation may be used in future studies, as evidence suggests antidepressant effects of such stimulation are dose-dependent. They cautioned that although rTMS treatment may be effective in at least some treatment-resistant patients, it is not yet a replacement for more invasive therapies.