Here’s a topic I didn’t even want to write about, it’s so potentially disturbing. A study done in Denmark, in conjunction with UCLA, has shown that pregnant women who use cell phones only 2 or 3 times a day have a much higher risk of having children with behavioral difficulties. If the young children themselves use cell phones regularly, that risk is compounded.

Skeptics might scoff at this, but when the researchers accounted for other potential factors (smoking or alcohol during pregnancy, history of mental illness in the family, etc), the results pointed even more strongly towards cell phone use as a danger. The researchers aren’t sure why developing fetuses are biologically affected by cell phones, but the numbers are there. Perhaps this is one of the reasons we’ve seen such a high rate of ADHD and autism in the past few decades? If you have information about this, please share it. We’ll keep you posted.

Image: IamSAM.

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World hunger seems like one of those grand unsolvable problems – the perennial favorite wish of beauty pageant queens. The truth is, it’s not unsolvable at all.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that it would only take $30 billion a year to launch the necessary agricultural programs to completely solve global food insecurity. (Severe hunger afflicts 862 million people annually.)

$30 billion sounds like a lot of money, but considering we’ve just bailed out Wall Street to the tune of nearly a trillion, it’s trifling. After I did a little digging, all I could think was…really? $30 billion is all we need to end world hunger? That’s it? I thought such a major goal would require some unreachable, vast sum. Here are six things I learned we’re doing with that money instead.

Global military and arms trade expenditures hit high at about $1 trillion annually. Approximately $540 billion is spent by the United States alone. (I don’t mean to single out defense here, but…wow!)

The United States Department of Energy spends $23.4 billion yearly just to develop and maintain nuclear warheads.

How could we forget the recent $700 (and growing) billion housing bailout bill? In other words, 4% of the Wall Street bailout would end world hunger.

The U.S. Congress has approved $44 billion of U.S. funds for Iraqi construction projects (meanwhile, 39% of bridges in the United States have been deemed structurally deficient – but that’s another story. Am I being partisan?)

$30 billion was spent on Homeland Security in 2008, and they’re requesting $35 billion for 2009.

Lest we pick on ourselves only, residents of the United Kingdom waste about ┚¤20 billion worth of food every year. That translates to about $31.7 billion U.S. dollars.

You’ll notice that the big spenders are on corporations, defense and military organizations, but in my research I didn’t intend to focus on this. It’s just what we spend on! I can’t help but think that if we could channel even a few of those war dollars into peace spending (like helping alleviate world hunger), there might not be much left to fight about in the future. This idealist believes it’s worth a try. What do you think?

Images: skyscraper, food, child

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The Golden Arches: the ultimate American icon. Super Size Me taught us that fast food culture brings obesity, heart disease, hypertension and more. How bad do you really want that Big Mac? Here are 15 reasons you’ll never let anyone you love get near those Golden Arches.

Real food is perishable. With time, it begins to decay. It’s a natural process, it just happens. Beef will rot, bread will mold. But what about a McDonald’s burger? Karen Hanrahan saved a McDonald’s burger from 1996 and, oddly enough, it looks just as “appetizing” and “fresh” as a burger you might buy today. Is this real food?

You would have to walk 7 hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fries and Big Mac. Even indulging in fast food as an occasional treat is a recipe for weight gain…unless you’re planning to hit each treadmill in the treadmill bay afterwards.

Containing less fat, salt and sugar, your pet’s food may be healthier than what they serve at McDonald’s.

In 2007, the employees of an Orlando-area McDonald’s were caught on camera pouring milk into the milkshake machine out of a bucket labeled “Soiled Towels Only.” That particular restaurant had already been cited for 12 different sanitary violations. Though McDonald’s proudly stands by its safety standards, and not every restaurant has such notorious incidents, the setting of a fast food restaurant staffed with low-paid employees at a high turnover rate arguably encourages bending the rules. (McDonald’s isn’t alone in this, of course – Burger King is actually ranked as the dirtiest of all the fast food chains.)

McDonald’s supports the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Much of the soy-based animal feed used to fatten fast-food chickens is grown in the Amazon. Are those chicken nuggets really worth acres of irreplaceable trees? (Especially considering how important carbon sinks like the rainforest are to halt global warming!) Fast food supports a completely unsustainable system of agriculture. It’s cruel to animals, unhealthy for humans, and bad for the planet.

Even Prince Charles, while touring a diabetes center in the United Arab Emirates, commented that banning McDonald’s is key to health and nutrition. Don’t let the salads and chicken breasts fool you. The “chicken” at McDonald’s, by the way, comes with a whole lot more than chicken.

As if feeding children high-fat, high-sodium, low-nutrition “food” weren’t bad enough, some Happy Meals in 2006 contained toy Hummers. It’s as if McDonald’s was encouraging a whole generation of kids not only to guzzle food, but to guzzle gas as well. Would you like a few barrels of petroleum with that?

The processed fat in McDonald’s food (and other fast food) promotes endothelial dysfunction for up to 5 hours after eating the meal. Endothelial tissue is what lines the inside of blood vessels.

For those who enjoy sex, take note: erectile dysfunction is connected to endothelial dysfunction. Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me commented that his normally healthy sexual function deteriorated in just one month when he ate only food from McDonald’s. Even his girlfriend commented on camera that “he’s having a hard time, you know, getting it up.”

Maybe you just pop in for an inexpensive latte. Watch out for the caramel syrup (Sugar, water, fructose, natural (plant source) and artificial flavor, salt, caramel color (with sulfites), potassium sorbate (preservative), citric acid, malic acid) or the chocolate drizzle (Corn syrup, water, hydrogenated coconut oil, high fructose corn syrup, glycerin, nonfat milk, cocoa, cocoa (processed with alkali), food starch-modified, disodium phosphate, potassium sorbate (preservative), xanthan gum, artificial flavor (vanillin), salt, soy lecithin). Please don’t put that stuff into your body. Eat healthy cheap food instead – you can be well and still save cash.

Are you a vegetarian with a French fry craving? You better skip McDonald’s because their fries actually contain milk (and wheat) and though they’re fried in vegetable oil, the oil is flavored with beef extract. (McDonald’s famously misled customers for years.)

Do you want high blood pressure? Hit the drive-through. Eating a McDonald’s chicken sandwich (any of “Ëœem, take your pick) will give you about 2/3 of the recommended daily amount of sodium. And if you actually do have high blood pressure, that’s way more than you really need.

Finally unveiled: the secret of the Big Mac’s “secret sauce.”

Soybean oil, pickle relish [diced pickles, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, vinegar, corn syrup, salt, calcium chloride, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate (preservative), spice extractives, polysorbate 80], distilled vinegar, water, egg yolks, high fructose corn syrup, onion powder, mustard seed, salt, spices, propylene glycol alginate, sodium benzoate (preservative), mustard bran, sugar, garlic powder, vegetable protein (hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat), caramel color, extractives of paprika, soy lecithin, turmeric (color), calcium disodium EDTA (protect flavor).

Image

Cheap oil and cheap syrup. Many people depend upon cheap food such as the sort offered at McDonald’s. So shouldn’t we be examining regulations that subsidize corn syrup but consider fruits and vegetables – the building blocks of a healthy body and green planet – to be “speciality” crops? Shouldn’t we be promoting  urban gardening, community gardens and spreading information about low-cost farmers’ markets and CSAs? And focusing on the abundant choices of cheap food that are tasty and green?

Still not convinced? Maybe this 1970s trip through McDonaldland will give you enough nightmares to keep your loved ones away forever.

Top Image

Note: with the exception of the top image, the hamburger, the chicken sandwich, and Ronald McDonald, images are not actual photographs of McDonald’s property/products.

ALSO CHECK OUT

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The post 15 Reasons to Never Let Anyone You Love Near a McDonalds appeared first on EcoSalon.

ADHD – it’s alarmingly common these days. But what’s the real problem? Are we just diagnosing better, or is there something missing in the environment? A study by the University of Illinois has shown that a simple 20-minute walk in nature greatly improves the ability to concentrate in children diagnosed with ADHD. Those same children taken for 20-minute walks around their neighborhood or through an urban area did not reap the same benefits. A dose of nature is key.

This is not the first time I’ve seen this hypothesis presented. The researchers don’t know exactly why, but a little intuition will tell you that natural, green spaces are calming and soothing to the soul. The researchers at U of Illinois noted that everyone could use time in nature. “The evidence suggests that natural settings can benefit everyone, even children (and adults) who have not been diagnosed with ADHD.” I sincerely hope this inspires more schools to incorporate nature walks and other outdoors activities into their educational programs. It would be a great help to teachers, too.

Image: riot jane

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Are you curious to know if any endangered animals are making a comeback? We were, so we did some digging. Although many ecosystems and animals are suffering from pollution, habitat destruction and climate change, some animals are happily getting the crucial support they need, which is encouraging news indeed. (As they say on the net, animals FTW!)

Bald Eagle

Reduced to 417 breeding pairs in the 1960s by the ravage of DDT, Bald Eagles have made a huge comeback and have been removed from the endangered species list. There are now about 10,000 breeding pairs in the wild. (Image: rjackb)

Regent Honeyeater

Although the total population is still small, Australia’s Regent Honeyeater is making a definite comeback. Some birds had been bred in captivity and released into the wild, and encouragingly enough, most of them survived and adapted quickly. (Image via daylife)

Black Footed Ferret

Black Footed Ferrets were given up for extinct in 1979, but when a small population was discovered, captive breeding and artificial insemination programs have brought the population back up to 4,000, with 1,400 having been released into the wild. (Image via PRWeb)

Giant Panda

When I was growing up, the Giant Panda seemed doomed to extinction, but thanks to extensive captive breeding, the population remains stable at about 1,500 and their habitat has been promised extensive protection by the Chinese government. (Image via Inhabitat)

Humpback Whale

Hunted down to only about 1,500 in the 1940s, the Humpback Whale has made a dramatic comeback after a 1963 ban on hunting. Now there are approximately 40,000 of them inhabiting our oceans. Unfortunately, the Japanese have begun hunting them again even though they are still protected. Humpbacks are still officially considered endangered. (Image: Bethany L King)

Yangtze Alligator

The Yangtze Alligator of China was nearly wiped out in the 1980s as forests were destroyed and turned into farmlands. This 230 million year old species, considered a living fossil, now has about 150 living in the wild. Some alligators been bred in captivity over the years and released into the wild to help the species out. (Image: bildung)

Gray Wolf (pictured, top)

After being nearly wiped out in the 1930’s, the Gray Wolf population is up to 5,000 in the lower 48 states. The Bush administration recently removed the Gray Wolf from the endangered species act after the population had risen, but some argued that 5,000 is not enough, so a Federal Judge overturned that ruling and put the Gray Wolf back on the list. (Image: mad paul)

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Got problems with your family, your boss, or your co-workers? Who doesn’t? Conflict and disagreement are natural parts of life; what really matters is how you choose to deal with them. Tonglen is one incredibly personal tool for dealing for difficult circumstances.

Tonglen meditation has been in practice since at least the 10th century. It’s particularly empowering because it gives you an opportunity to imagine yourself actively changing a situation with the power of your heart. Here’s how it was taught to me.

Close your eyes and breathe; take a moment to get into your space and your body.
Visualize someone or something you have difficulties with (even an aspect of your own self) seated in front of you, facing you.
See the dark clouds of conflict and suffering surrounding the person seated in front of you.
Visualize yourself breathing in those dark clouds and bringing them into your heart.
In your heart, transform the darkness into light and exhale that light onto the difficulty in front of you.
Keep doing this breathing visualization until that which is facing you is surrounded by light.

Tonglen is a great meditation if you are having trouble forgiving someone, or if you know someone who is ill and want to send them energetic healing. The power of this practice is that it takes you out of victim mode by empowering you to choose healing and transform a perceived darkness into light. Let us know how it works for you!

Image: Jakub Hia

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Jiggling, dancing, jumping up and down like a maniac to frenetic music – that’s how we started each Tantra class when I was offered free “lessons” from a couple I worked for on Maui. The whole point of vibrating your body like this was to get all your energy channels open and flowing. All I can say is, oh yeah, it felt good.

Now OSU’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences has found that daily vibrating can help build bone density and aid in weight loss. They placed rats on a vibration platform and those rats ended up weighing less and having less body fat than sedentary rats after 12 weeks of observation. Plus, researchers noticed that whole-body vibration increases energy and metabolism because of increased oxygen intake.

I say skip the vibration platform and jiggle yourself silly at home. You’ll feel healthier, energized and maybe even sexier. I wonder if other aspects of Tantric practice are good for losing weight too?

Source: Physorg

Image: Clearly Ambiguous

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Here’s a case where quality means quantity: people who lack joy and don’t consider life worth living are likely to experience significantly shortened lifespans. These early deaths can come from suicide, but a generally unhappy outlook also increases the chance of death from heart disease and stroke. So says a study in Japan.

As much as studies focus on nutrition and supplements for improving longevity, the old proverb about happiness creating good health appears to be true. Love and joy are where it’s at.

For seven years, over 43,000 men and women were studied and asked if they had joy in their lives. Those who said no were less likely to be married, employed, educated and were in worse health and chronic pain. These folks were more likely to die sooner than later. This begs the question: did the lack of joy cause the poor health and bad social life, or was it the other way around?

One thing is certain: life is better with joy. Exuding happiness attracts great people and opportunities into your life, thereby making life more wonderful. But experiencing a frequent state of joy shouldn’t feel like a chore; the whole point is to increase pleasant thoughts and emotions. So, how to cultivate more joy in your life? Gratitude is a great place to start.

Source: Reuters

Image: daveparker

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I’d always had a gut feeling that those laboratory-cocktail laundry scents were toxic. When I would go for a run and smell dryer sheets or fabric softeners waft by, my cheeks felt as if they were on fire and my nose would run. Now there’s scientific proof that my physical reactions were not in my head. 

The post A Toxic Tumble appeared first on EcoSalon.

No phones, no chatting, no talking, no texting. Can you imagine spending ten days in complete silence? That would be challenging for the best of us, but we’d find a way around it with notes and emails. But imagine ten days in noble silence: no eye contact, no writing, no gesturing or communication with others. You must stay completely in your own space and you just have to live with it. Oh, and the only thing you can do is meditate.

Welcome to the Vipassana retreat, which teaches a meditation technique developed 2,500 years ago and is becoming ever more popular in the western world.

The retreat rules are: no talking, no communication, no yoga, no work, no reading or journaling. For ten days. You get two meals a day and afternoon tea, a teaching in the evening, and hours of seated meditation all day long. The first meditation bells rings before dawn. Here’s my journal – after the fact. Remember, no writing allowed!

Ground Zero: All participants gather at the retreat center for orientation. Men and women are separated at this time and remain so for the duration; we don’t want any distractions here! This is our last chance to talk and it’s interesting to note who among us are naturally the chattiest. We all have our eyes on Juna, easily the most energetic and wordy among us. How will she fare?

    We are given dinner and silence begins. An evening video lecture in the meditation hall introduces us to the theory behind Vipassana meditation and we all settle into our dorms for a quiet, good night’s sleep.

Day One: Our first real Vipassana teaching begins. We are seated in the large meditation hall, men on one side, women on the other. We’re all perky, sitting with our spines straight, ready to begin. The teaching guides us to notice the breath as it moves in and out of our nostrils. And that’s it. For an hour. Every meditation session that day tells us to do the same thing. I become very interested in my nostrils, as there is nothing else to do.

Day Two: Breakfast is a luxury. We eat in silence, but savor every delicious bite. II’m enjoying the silence thus far, and notice how most of what I normally speak out loud is not necessary to say at all. The whole world could function perfectly fine with much less useless chatter. I sink deeply into the silence and enjoy another day of observing the breath in my nostrils. I’d never noticed those tiny sensations before. It feels indulgent and strange to focus on something so trifling as my nose all day. And the evening teachings provide something to look forward to – any stimulation is appreciated.

Day Three: The first bell of the day rings at 4 a.m. and a few troopers rise out of bed for dawn meditation, but since this one is optional, I keep sleeping. I squelch the guilt and wake up a few hours later to yet another day of noticing my nostrils. My nostril sensations are quite exquisite.

Most of the women take advantage of our private walking track outside. We’re not allowed to jog, but can walk around a grassy area. I pay close attention to the springtime buds on the trees, and every blade of grass has a story to tell. “Please,” I  ache, “somebody tell me a story!” In my head I make up songs in snippets of other languages that I know.

Day Four: By now I’m getting a little stir-crazy. My mind is racing with thoughts of what I have to do when I get out of here! I’ve never felt so motivated and active in my life! And yet all this energy has to stay put. I must observe it. I must be a Buddha. Ahhhhhh!
   
I notice that Juna, the very chatty girl, is walking around at breakneck speed. What’s she trying to get away from? She must be going crazy. I’m going crazy!
   
At least the meditation has changed. Now that we’re exquisitely sensitized to our nostrils, we are told to begin observing sensations around our entire body. We’re guided in a very clear course from the tips of the toes to the top of the head. One little body part at a time. The point is to cultivate an equanimous mind. Sensations of pleasure or pain? Don’t hang on to them; observe them and let them go.

Day Five: Mealtime is always a blessing, a break from the boredom. Observing every sensation in my body is great if I can find something erotic to focus on”¦oh yeah, we’re not supposed to let our minds wander. Notice the sensation on your forehead. Notice the sensation on your knees.
   
Back in my dorm at break time I watch the second-hand on my analog clock and practice counting in French, backwards. I notice some of the men are conspicuously absent from their cushions in the meditation hall. They must have run away. So far all the women are still here.

Day Six: This was my worst day. This was the day I contemplated running away. But I carpooled here in another person’s car, so I couldn’t leave if I wanted to. I have to surrender. My mind rushes around like a pack of wild horses, full of ideas for travel, projects, writing, and I’m not allowed to jot a single idea down. The loss! Outside I walk slowly in the grass – inside I am running.
   
I discover a forbidden diversion. I remember that I have my sewing kit with me and use colorful threads to embroider on my underwear. I now have a pair of panties with the word anicca embroidered in pink. Anicca is a common word in the Vipassana teachings; it means “Ëœimpermanence.’ I wonder if the girl in the bed next to me notices what I’m doing? This is, after all, a prohibited activity. What’s she gonna do, tell on me?

Day Seven: Poor Juna. Whatever she’s going through, it seems like it’s worse than me. She looks like she’s about to explode. I’m having a nice time, no traumatic memories or anything like that, and my mind is being trained to become precise and delicate instrument for tracking bodily sensations. That ache in my back from seated meditation – observe it. The itch on my head – that’s a samskara arising and floating away. I’ve never noticed my body so deeply. Still, I’m always thrilled by afternoon tea. I drink Bengal Spice with soy milk. I indulge in sex fantasies to pass the time.

Day Eight: Oh my God, is this still happening? Just for a change of pace, I attend the 4 a.m. meditation, but find myself falling asleep during the process. Still, I’m happy for the diversion from routine. I’m calmer than I was a few days ago. What else can I do? I just have to carry on. I’ve grown accustomed to the silence and rather enjoy it! I do wish, more than anything, that I could pull out a notebook and write.

Day Nine: We’re on the homestretch here. There’s lightness in the air. I’m surviving. The guided meditation is getting very interesting. No longer am I noticing sensations on the surface of my body – I’m being guided to notice sensations deep within. Suddenly my body is no longer bony, fleshy matter, but a vibrant mass of bouncing electrons and squiggly sensations. This is really cool – almost psychedelic! Finally I understand what we came here for.

Day Ten: I know this is the last day and I’m a little sad. By the afternoon we’ll be allowed to talk again and I’m not exactly looking forward to that. The silence tastes good in my mouth. Today we’re taught metta meditation – loving kindness. This is somehow anti-climactic after the buzzing sensations I’ve felt inside my inner space.

Then, the rules are lifted, the retreat is over, and we all have a few hours to relax, unwind, and socialize before packing our bags and heading home. I hold off on talking for as long as I can, but once I begin to speak, the floodgates open. I realize I have nothing interesting to say. It’s just old stories and patterns coming out in verbal form. We listen to Juna, who talks a mile a minute about her family, her job, her boyfriend, how crazy she was during the silence. I feel disoriented. I want to go back to the peace and the quiet. I will never think of talking in the same way again. We had all set out to escape the noise of the world and ended up confronting the noise of our own selves.

Image: riotjane

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The post I Am Woman, Hear Me Shush: My 10 Days of Silence appeared first on EcoSalon.