Week 11

The concept of placebo is an interesting one that is worth further examination.
As was mentioned in class, is it really ethical for doctors to give patients this was without their knowledge and consent. Yet we would be foolish to disregard this powerful form of treatment that everyone seems to know about. We must certainly find a way to use this treatment technique ethically to help calm and alleviate a patients anxiety. If we are ready and able to take personal responsibility perhaps we can learn to calm and control our minds and not leave this matter in the hands of our healthcare practitioners.
It would be interesting to see more research on just how far this idea can be taken and to what extent we can train the mind to heal the body.

Assignments for Week Nine – A Question of Balance

Assignments for Week Nine – A Question of Balance

 Whether or not the Washington Post article agrees with acid/alkaline controversey is irrelevant in my book, I have to give some credence to it. It would be interesting to experiment with litmus testing saliva and urine to actually test my own pH, as this would be the only way to know for sure.

My only hesitation about going too far overboard with acid/alkaline balance is the idea that the pH balance of the body is very tightly controlled by the kidneys/endocrine systems of the body. Even a tiny movement in one direction or the other can cause dramatic changes in the body.

The information about coffee on the same page as pH balance: Acids & Alkalis & Anti-Oxidants, is very interesting and worth contemplating. Though I do love a delicious cup of coffee early in the morning, it would come as no surprise to me that liquid speed is not good for me.

 

 

 Here is what I found under my sink. It is interesting that many products under the sink do not list the ingredients. Surprisingly, the seventh generation spray lists 95.95% as other ingredients. I had to look online to find what it is made of. This does come as somewhat of a surprise to me as I would have thought that chemical labeling would be nearly as transparent as food labeling. According to the environmental working group this spray received the score of D+, though none of the ingredients seem to be particularly harmful. Once again perhaps we must keep in mind that the word "natural" doesn't mean anything anymore.

Clorox- Active ingredients

Sodium Hypochlorice…6.0%

Other Ingredients…94.0%

(Yields 5.7% available chlorine)

Windex-Ingredients not listed

Vinegar –Distilled vinegar with water to 5% acidity

Stain x- Ingredients not listed

Bon ami- Ingredients not listed

Bartenders friend-Ingredients not listed

Wisconsin Hard woods-wood oil-no ingredients listed

Oxysteam carpet cleaner-ingredients not listed

Denatured alcohol

Borax-Sodium tetraborate (a natural mineral)

Seventh generation disinfecting spray- 

                Active ingredients:

                Thymol…0.05

                Other ingredients…99.95%

Aqua (water), thymol (component of thyme oil), sodium lauryl sulfate (palm kernel or coconut-derived cleaning agent), copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone) (mineral derived water mineralizer), citric acid and sodium citrate (cornstarch derived water softeners), essential oils and botanical extracts† (origanum vulgare (oregano) oil, cymbopogon nardus (citronella) oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil
† Citral is a component of these essential oils.

The Mediterranean diet
I have always been curious how much low stress plays a role in this diet. Lifestyle can be a huge component as to how our body processes the foods we eat. People have been speaking out against the low fat/cholesterol myth for quite some time. Still think we must be aware of the quality of fats/carbs etc., is there a balance of Omega 3's and Omega 6's. Was the animal raised on the food it was designed to eat or was it raised on a factory farm, forced to eat cheap subsidized corn.
The growing trend that I keep hearing again and again seems to be "increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pasta and fish, eating products made from vegetable and plant oils, and eating less meat."
Yes, I think it is that simple! Oh and reduce stress!