Toys Made in America: Parents and Grandparents shop for safe toys
November 8, 2007
Parents and grandparents are in a state of recall fatigue and looking for safe toys not likely to make a recall list this holiday shopping season. Any trust consumers held that toy manufacturers and the global market priorities somehow matched their own when it came to the safety of children is all but gone. As a result, Made in America toys are experiencing a surge in popularity this Christmas shopping season.
The Daily Green has published a 250+ Lead-Free Toys Made in USA and 500+ Not-Made-in-China Toys list that offer parents and grandparents an alternative to quantity over quality. In addition, The Daily Green suggests four tips for buying toys Made in America, which include:
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Aqua Dots: Children’s craft toy converts to date rape drug
November 8, 2007
The Christmas season of sugar plum fairies and toys dancing is but a month and a half away. Parents are beginning to plan and shop for small children who will be giddy with anticipation of shiny wrapped toys and glistening ribbon under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. It’s a magical time, especially for the wee ones.
However, this Christmas season parents have real cause for worry. We are being notified of dangerous toy recalls more and more these days. The latest recall involves a beaded craft toy coated in a chemical that when ingested converts to the equivalent of a date rape drug causing dizziness, vomiting and coma.
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Totino’s Pizza Recall
November 1, 2007
General Mills has issued a recall for Totino’s and Jeno’s brand frozen pizzas because of a possible E. coli contamination. The E. coli is thought to be in the pepperoni used on the pizzas.
The problem was first found after 21 people had food poisoning as a result of E. coli. The common factor between the people is believed to be the General Mills pizzas.
The products that have been recalled are:
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MRSA: How to prevent superbug infection
October 23, 2007
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a superbug resistant to antibiotic treatment causing renewed concern as it is not confined to a hospital setting but can be transmitted in the general population. Several healthy high school students have contracted community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and at least one high school student has died from MRSA infection.
What exactly is MRSA and how can it be prevented? According to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia,
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Plumpynut: Cheap nutrition food saves children
October 21, 2007
Food is not enough to combat malnutrition. A revolution in nutrition and a product called Plumpynut will.
Nobel Prize-winning relief group Doctors Without Borders want an expanded use of a product called Plumpynut, a nutrient dense ready-to-use food, to help reduce the annual death of five million children under the age of five from malnutrition.
Doctors Without Borders use of Plumpynut is featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes segment reported by CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
According to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), “Current food aid, which focuses on fighting hunger — not on treating malnutrition — is not doing enough to address the needs of young children most at risk.”
What is the nutrient dense ready-to-use food Plumpynut?
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Alzheimer’s: potential new blood test
October 14, 2007
When we were young, our parents were the definition of knowledge and know how, competent and capable as they navigated daily life. We relied on their guidance, we were safe and secure in their care. Now our parents are becoming elderly, and we are beginning to take care of them in ways that are both subtle and obvious.
And sometimes we begin to notice changes in their personality or the ability to recall with accuracy the events of the day or people they have known for decades. While we would like to attribute these changes to the elderly aging process, in the back of our minds we worry — could it be the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Up until now, there has not been a definitive test to determine if someone is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the early symptoms that can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s can actually be the result of other causes, including the simple fact of getting older.
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Tea: good and good for you
October 10, 2007
It’s no secret that enjoying a cup of tea has healthy benefits. Tea is full of antioxidants, has less caffeine than coffee, and is just darn tasty. An article in USA Today reminds us all of just how good it is for us.
The article talks about numerous studies done over the years documenting the health benefits of tea drinking.
One study showed that ingesting tea polyphenols, chemical substances found in plants that have antioxidant characteristics, can protect against cancer. Mice were given tea instead of water and the results were the inhibition of prostate cancer cells. The polyphenols were also able to protect against skin cancer in tested mice.
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Frozen Pot Pie Recall: Illness linked to pot pies
October 10, 2007
A salmonella outbreak that has sickened 139 People in 30 States has been linked to brand name and store-brand name frozen chicken and turkey pot pies. ConAgra Foods has voluntarily stopped production at its Missouri plant where the Banquet pot pies are produced after health officials linked the recent food poisoning illnesses to the frozen pot pies.
According to ConAgra, its frozen pot pies are safe if cooked at the proper temperature and length of time. The cooking instructions are printed on the frozen pot pie box. Salmonella bacteria is killed after the food reaches a hot enough temperature. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is advising consumers to simply throw out the frozen pot pies or return them to the store where they were purchased.
The frozen pot pie recall involve products with P-9 printed on the side of the box.
Fat? Blame it on your friends
October 10, 2007
Suffering from an ever-expanding waistline? Blame it on your friends.
In fact, blame it on your best friend. Aside from a sedentary lifestyle and a high-calorie diet, a new study suggests that a contributing factor to putting on the pounds and becoming overweight might be the result of your social network of friends and family.
Social networking with overweight friends can lead to weight gain and obesity, according to new research results published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The closer the relationship is, the greater the influence of one friend or family member to another, when it comes to gaining weight.
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Lose 21Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox
October 10, 2007
Detox dieting is similar to fasting — although fasting did not begin as a method of dieting to lose weight. The practice of voluntary abstinence from the consumption of solid foods during a specific period of time, known as fasting, began as part of religious ritual thousands of years ago. For spiritual purposes, fasting is believed to purify the body and the soul and is a religious practice that continues among many of the followers of major religions today.
More recently, fasting is reported to be used as either a method of extreme weight loss by those suffering from anorexia or young people attempting to emulate the current celebrity thinspiration lifestyle or as a practice believed by some to contribute to better health.
By eliminating toxins, and giving the digestive system a rest, the benefit of a fast is said to lead to a stronger, more robust immune system.
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