Anyway, hopefully the news is totally wrong, or hopefully Bill and Melinda have something up their sleeve to take the company down from the inside…

http://techdirt.com/articles/20100830/12233610823.shtml

I just came across this site that sends you seeds on a schedule that allows you to time your seedlings perfectly based on the season or time of year. The only problem is that this site caters only to US folks at this time. I have not been able to locate a Canadian provider who makes things as simple as Sprout Robot does.

If there are any seed sowers and growers out there reading this, please think about creating a service like Sprout Robot. Based on all the people that I know who attempt to grow vegetables every year in their gardens, I’m very very sure that you will make money once word gets out that a service like this is available in Canada.

Check out SproutRobot.com

Is this our future?

Okay, this is just plain creepy, in my opinion.

This American biologist, J. Craig Venter, has just created the world’s first synthetic cell.  According to the article, the cell could be used for creating vaccines and biofuels from scratch.  I may be crazy, but I’m thinking it could also be used for other things that aren’t so friendly like biowarfare, genetic manipulation or “purification” (if you know what I mean), and a slew of other “evil” deeds, if put into the wrong hands.

When I read this article, I immediately thought of the movie Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, where Hauer’s character is actually an android, or “replicant” in the movie.  The next time you’re at the video store, pick up a copy of Blade Runner and watch it for yourself to see what could be possible should a technology like what Venter has created get into the wrong hands.

What are you thoughts on the ability to create cells from scratch?

Read the full article in The New York Times

There there...you'll be alright...

Many new fathers experience post-natal depression, yet most cases go undetected and untreated, experts warn.
One in 10 new fathers may have the baby blues, US researchers believe – based on their trawl of medical literature.

Some very interesting news of late regarding male post-natal depression…

If you know me well, I’m not necessarily the kind of person that is easily persuaded or convinced by the term, “depression”.  Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here – I agree that people can be depressed, but I also believe that it has been over-diagnosed by medical practitioners across North America.  In my opinion, there are so many things that one must do before turning to medications because once you start taking prescription mood altering medications, it’s very hard to get off of them – I’ve seen way too many clients who found this out the hard way.

So, if you originally thought that I was going to agree to male post-natal depression as a condition requiring clinical diagnosis, you’re wrong.  I have a feeling that it’s just a way for pharmaceutical companies to start marketing medications to men.  Heck, if these US researchers are correct, 10% of all new dads could be taking a new drug!  Now THAT”S a lot of money in the pockets of big pharma (and their investors).

Doing it right...

I just found this sweet little gem of a find nestled in the east end of Danforth Avenue…

Armed with a few bags of laundry and a couple twenties (I had a lot of laundry to do…about 80lbs of linens), I decided to check out The Eco Laundry Room located at 2741 Danforth Avenue in Toronto. I stumbled across this place from a local magazine (Snap Magazine) in which they were featured in an article. I was already doing my laundry in a pretty nice and clean laundry room in Scarborough, but after checking out The Eco Laundry Room, I fell in love. Not only was it conveniently located down the street from the clinic, but they also followed certain principles in business and in life which were in line with my own. It was really tough to ask for much more…

Key factors which drew me to this place were:

1. solar panels are used to heat the water
2. their machines use about 1/3 the water of a traditional washing machine
3. they’re located on a convenient place
4. they have parking
5. they use Facebook (I love businesses that take advantage of social media sites)
6. they are Eco-conscious
7. they are established (they have another location in Peterborough)
8. you can hangout in an actual chair and table while waiting fir your laundry
9. they have free WiFi internet connectivity
10. like my business, they are a triple bottom line type (3 pillars – People, Planet, Profit)

Anyway, you really have to check out The Eco Laundry Room for yourself in order to appreciate what they’ve done. When you go there, have a drink and a snack at their snack bar, Guru Coffee, which is situated inside the laundry centre. And remember to say “Hi!” to Adrian who will greet you when you arrive with dirty clothes in tow.

www.TheEcoLaundryRoom.com

A view from the sitting area

Double-load washer sandwiched between two quad-load machines

Eco friendly dryers - 30 minutes and it's done!

Guru Coffee - More than just coffee! Mmmm

Blue Agave Plant

Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index for one reason only: it’s largely made of fructose, which although it has a low-glycemic index, is probably the single most damaging form of sugar when used as a sweetener. With the exception of pure liquid fructose, agave nectar has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener.

I just read this article written by Dr. Jonny Bowden, about agave syrup and how it actually ISN’T the best thing since sliced bread.  I have to admit, this article came as a shock to me as I read it, and I have used agave syrup on occasion in my own house.  Luckily, I don’t have a major sweet tooth and therefore don’t add sweeteners to everything I eat or drink.

Read the article

But this ad in the latest Centre Hi-Fi Boxing Day Sale flyer takes the cake.

WHAT?!??! How about not even getting close to it? How about following to ol’ adage of “If you drink, don’t drive”? In my opinion, this is absolutely irresponsible of the marketing team at Centre Hi-Fi for releasing a really stupid and dangerous advertisement just to make a buck.

See the full page flyer here (courtesy of RedFlagDeals.com).

One in every 100 children in the United States may have some form of autism spectrum disorder, far more than previously believed, and the rate appears to be worsening quickly, especially among boys, new figures from the CDC show.

This is some pretty difficult news to swallow as a health practitioner in Canada. The unfortunate part is that we (i.e. folks in the natural health industry) know how to best prevent this disease and any other life altering diseases from occuring, but many don’t seem to listen. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that I/we can stop people from developing autism – what I am saying though is that I/we can definitely put you and your family in the best possible level of health by following a clean and natural lifestyle. Al it takes is change and effort.

To read the whole story, click here.

When you desperately need some tissue...

U.S. researchers have discovered antiviral proteins in cells that naturally fight off influenza infections, a finding that may lead to better ways to make vaccines and protect people against the flu.

They said a family of genes act as cell sentries that guard cells from an invading influenza virus, the team reported on Thursday in the journal Cell.

“This prevents the virus from even getting into the cell,” said Stephen Elledge of Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Investigator at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

“It is out there fighting the flu all of the time,” Elledge said in a telephone interview.

Interesting find from scientists in the US. I guess at some level or another we knew this was happening, but we just didn’t know the details as to what was really going on.

Nonetheless, knowledge is only knowledge, but APPLIED knowledge is where the real power is at.

So, what do we do now? How about this…follow all the standard practical and natural ways to prevent flu infection in the first place? (Like washing your hands, reducing and/or eliminating your sugar intake, eating lots of vegetables rich in nutrients, drinking lots of clean water, getting appropriate time for sleep and just taking it easy.)

If you’re interested, read the full source article here.

What is the difference between food intolerance, food allergy and food sensitivity?

Pop quiz! What is the difference between food intolerance, food allergy and food sensitivity?  If you don’t know, read on. If you do, then read on as well.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance is simply a bad or negative reaction from the gastrointestinal (“GI”) tract and does not involve the immune system at all.  Usually caused by the body’s inability to digest a certain food (that is, when the body is deficient in one or more enzymes), the GI tract ends up producing symptoms like gas, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea and/ or indigestion.  The reaction may be instant or it could take up to 30 minutes or more to occur depending on the level of the intolerance.

Food Allergies

Unlike food intolerance, a food allergy can be quite severe and DOES involve the body’s immune system.  In order for the immune system to get involved, food particles must somehow enter the bloodstream through any food-exposed surface in the GI tract.  First off, to understand this concept, you must be aware that your GI tract is simply a tube from your mouth to your anus and therefore is an EXTERNAL environment.  If any part of the GI tract is not healthy, food can pass through tiny perforations in the intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream.  When this happens, the immune system immediately notices a foreign substance (food) WITHIN the body and starts sending ‘troops’ to attack, immobilize and destroy the foreign substance.  After the food particles are destroyed, the immune system ‘memorizes’ the food in order for the attack to occur more quickly and with more force every time the specific food object is detected in the bloodstream.  This is why people with serious food allergies tend to have stronger and more severe allergic reactions every subsequent time that they eat the food that they are allergic to.  Though food allergies can be quite severe and potentially fatal in some situations, the reactions are fairly acute and usually are limited to few foods like nuts and seeds (although other food types can also cause allergic reactions).

Food Sensitivities

Last but not least, food sensitivities – the most common of the three.  Food sensitivities are usually chronic conditions with symptoms that include headaches, diarrhea, respiratory congestion (mucus/phlegm), fatigue, brain ‘fog’, body pain as well as several other unpleasant symptoms..  Similar to food intolerances, the immune system is not involved with food sensitivities and food sensitivities may take up to several days or more to present symptoms.  Because of this delay, they are usually unnoticed by the individual, especially since most of the symptoms are mistakenly associated with causes  other than food.  You might think that food sensitivities should be the lesser of the three ‘evils’ listed in this article, however, this is not true.  There is a huge movement which believes that food sensitivities are actually the cause of many chronic conditions like migraines, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis and a host of others.

In all three cases, the best solution is to find out whether or not certain foods could be causing your current health conditions or making the situation worse.  Meridian Stress Assessment (MSA) is one excellent way for you to find out what types of foods are causing imbalance within your organ systems and help you determine an optimal diet plan based on your unique situation.  Give us a call today to book your appointment.

So, did you pass the quiz?  Congratulations if you did, but don’t worry if you didn’t – the important thing to know is that you have got a Team of experts at Inspired Life Health Centre ready to help when you need it.

Copyright © Daniel Chiang