Beth Greer's Blog, page 20

In response to Ken Dychtwald’s Huffington Post column on How to Fix U.S. Health Care

Dr. Ken Dychtwald stated in his June 17th Huffington Post column:

“Make disease prevention and self-care a national priority. Let’s be honest….we’ve become a nation of gluttons. We eat too much, exercise too little and then get angry at the healthcare system when we’re sick. This lack of proper prevention, self-care and disease management winds up being a key factor in many of our eventual struggles with illness.”

I responded this comment:

Hi Ken,
I totally agree that it’s important to make disease

Celebrate the launch of The Super Natural Mom Show

This Wednesday, June 3rd 2-3 p.m. EST, is the launch of The Super Natural Mom Radio show on Progressive Radio Network, a commercial free and listener supported internet radio station. My new weekly show focuses on healthy, green lifestyles for families and shining the light of truth about what goes in us, on us and surrounds us daily.

Each week I will help educate listeners by talking about the latest environmental/health news, and offering tips and practical solutions for making the safest, hea

Great Event this Weekend… in the Spirit of Earth Day

If you’re in the SF Bay area and are looking for a fascinating event this weekend, check out the New Living Expo at the Concourse Exhibition Center at 8th and Brannan St.

Personally, I can’t wait to be inspired by some terrific speakers like Ed Begley, Jr., Jean Houston, Caroline Casey and Susan Miller. Also, there are some wonderful exhibits like the Pachamama Alliance, where I’ll be hanging out. I want to travel to the rainforest in Ecuador soon.

The food is always great at the Expo and I alway

Honey Laundering

I love honey. I love that it is a natural product that has been around forever. So, I found it upsetting to learn that much of the honey sold in stores is contaminated with antibiotics like Chloramphenicol, which is banned by the FDA. US bee keepers aren’t using antibiotics, but two-thirds of the honey Americans eat is imported and almost half of it, regardless of what’s written on the label, comes from China. This was reported in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, which did an investigation.

The cr

Cell Phones and Kids: Not a Safe Combination

Studies from around the world are now being released with some startling news about using cell phones. A Swedish study reports that radio waves from mobile phones penetrate deep into the brain not just around the ear. Researchers found that using your cell phone for 10 years or longer will double the risk of getting an acoustic neuroma – a tumor on a nerve connecting your ear to your brain – and children, because they have thinner skulls than adults and nervous systems that are still developing,

Making Sense of Scents

If you are buying scented air fresheners and household cleaning products, chances are you are exposing yourself to chemicals that are bad for you. For example, The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) recently found that 12 out of 14 popular air freshener brands contained phthalates, chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reports that “95 percent of the ingredients used to create fragrances today are sy

This Halloween: Know Where Your Chocolate Comes From

Sure the costumes are cute, and the house decorations clever, but let’s face it, for kids, Halloween is all about the candy. If you’re like me, and your kids bring home way too many treats, you might want to consider mailing the chocolate ones back to Nestlé, M&M/Mars and Hershey. Why? Because, according to media reports, these and other chocolate makers buy cocoa from plantations that use child slaves in the harvesting of cocoa beans. The reports have unveiled stories about boys, as young as 9

Safe Makeup

By the time you walk out the door in the morning, after slathering, and spritzing yourself with toner, moisturizer, eye cream, foundation, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, gloss and perfume, you may have put enough chemicals onto your body to be hazardous to your health. Many of the chemicals in makeup have been linked to cancer, hormone imbalances and skin irritation.

According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental research organization, which conducted an

Eggs Aren’t All They’re Cracked Up to Be

It’s not so simple to buy eggs anymore. Choices abound, from organic, cage-free, farm-raised, free-range, omega-3, biodynamic, local, pastured, fertilized, vegetarian, and natural, to the other end of the spectrum – irradiated. Then there’s shell color: white, brown, speckled, and if you’re lucky enough to find them, blue. What’s an omelet-eating, soufflé-making, frittata-loving, eggs-over-medium person to choose?

According to the USDA, all eggs are “natural.” The term “cage-free” is a misnomer.

My Farmer

Most of us have our own doctor, dentist, and lawyer - so why not a farmer? Many locally owned farms offer fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, eggs from free roaming chickens and beef that has been raised on a green pasture instead of in a crowded, manure-filled feedlot.

According to Michael Pollan, author of the bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma, most Americans are only dimly aware that their food represents their most profound engagement with the natural world. “Health problems such as obesity