Organic Change, Organic Life, Eco-Friendly Water

The following is the text of a speech by Lester Greenspoon, M.D. recently delivered to the 2011 NORML conference . In 1967, because of my concern about the rapidly growing use of the dangerous drug marijuana, I began my studies of the scientific and medical literature with the goal of providing a reasonably objective summary of the data which underlay its prohibition.  Much to my surprise, I found no credible scientific basis for the justification of the prohibition.  The assertion that it is a very toxic drug is based on old and new myths.  In fact, one of the many exceptional features of this drug is its remarkably limited toxicity.  Compared to aspirin, which people are free to purchase and use without the advice or prescription of a physician, cannabis is much safer: there are well over 1000 deaths annually from aspirin in this country alone, whereas there has never been a death anywhere from marijuana.  In fact, when cannabis regains its place in the...

Not really. As you can see from the youtube video, organic regulations in this country are very loose... Here also an interesting article, mentioning wikileaks, which found out that the US are pushing the EU to deregulate GMO crops. Of course Monsanto is behind it all and gives tons of money to the current administration (Obama's).... If this occurs, we can say goodbye to Organic foods all over the world. http://www.truth-out.org/obama-deregulates-gmo-crops-despite-supreme-court-injunction/1307023149 In the US, look what's happening:  we now know why the Organic Trade Association (the largest policy and lobbying organization of the entire organic industry) has been mute on the GMO Labeling issue - their board of directors is in the pocket of big Ag and big business.  Check out this amazing expose on the real driving force behind the OTA. (Hint: it's green, but it's not organic.).  Here is the link to the video:  http://www.youtube.com/organicconsumer#p/f/1/FCK0MT...

Anybody that has a composting bin or compost pile at their house knows that old apple cores, banana peels and potato skins can be composted. But many people who compost at home are unaware of the sheer vastness of every day waste that can easily be thrown in their compost bin. For example, did you know that you can compost an old tea bag? Old spices? Pencil shavings? How about sticky notes? Yes, each of those items can be composted! In fact, there are many items that you can compost, and the following list will get you started with the first ninety-nine. And the best news? If everyone began to compost at home on a regular basis, the world’s landfills would be drastically reduced. If you are  composting  for an organic garden use organic starting materials. Some of the items below I would not recommend for  organic gardens . For clarity, I will specify those items below. The Basics: All organic vegetable and fruit matter including rinds, skins, s...

A few months back, the University of Michigan School of Public Health published the  results of research  that suggests that inadequate levels of vitamin D could be a key factor in increased fat accumulation in children, and could be an important weapon in the fight against childhood obesity. According to their findings, there is a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and the rapid build-up of abdominal body fat. This specific type of fat is often associated with an increased risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, as well as numerous other serious medical concerns. In order to better understand the link between these two factors, researchers first measured the vitamin D blood serum levels of 479 children, ages 5 to 12, living in Bogota, Columbia, and then monitored their weight gain for a 30-month period. Due to the inherent shortcomings with relying solely on the body mass index standard of gauging body fat, the researchers opted to use a three-prong approa...

A cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind. Her good news: Among other benefits, the regular use of two languages appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Dr. Bialystok, 62, a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, was awarded a $100,000 Killam Prize last year for her contributions to social science. We spoke for two hours in a Washington hotel room in February and again, more recently, by telephone. An edited version of the two conversations follows. Q. How did you begin studying bilingualism? A.  You know, I didn’t start trying to find out whether bilingualism was bad or good. I did my doctorate in psychology: on how children acquire language. When I finished graduate school, in 1976, there was a job shortage in Canada for Ph.D.’s. The only position I found was with a research project studying second language acquisition in school children....

What's a Protease? A protease (also known as a proteolytic enzyme, peptidase or proteinase) is a type of enzyme that functions mainly to help us digest different kinds of proteins. They break down the bonds by a process known as hydrolysis and convert proteins into smaller chains called peptides or even smaller units called amino acids. Commonly found in plant sources like papaya and pineapple, proteases also play a key role in many physiological processes. Proteins have a complex folded structure requiring these types of enzymes to disassemble the molecule in very specific ways. Without proteases the intestinal lining would not be able to digest proteins, causing serious consequences to your health. The Health Benefits of Protease Proteolytic enzymes are extremely important for the digestion of many foods. But their intestinal duties are not solely limited to digesting food. They also digest unwanted  harmful organisms  in the body. Protease is an example of a type of enz...