Naturalpath

There is a new zero-emissions vehicle that runs on compressed air called the Air Car. It's made by a French company called MDI and was invested by the CEO and founder of MDI, Guy Negre. It will be introduced in France and India in late 2008. The company plans to offer different models over time, including 2, 4 and 6 cylinder engines at prices ranging from $4,800 to $12,900. The first model, OneCAT holds up to 5 passengers and can go up to 500 miles on the highway with just one fill-up and up to 68 miles per hour. With a 5 passenger capacity this is truly a family friendly vehicle! To fill the engine, you just plug the car in at home and a built-in compressor refills the tank in 4 hours. I know where my next car is coming from!

I just read an alarming blurb in VegNews (June 2007, Page 20) that Unilver, the largest supplier of frozen desserts to the US (and parent company to Ben & Jerry's, Breyer's, Klondike, and Popsicle brands), has started using "ice structuring antifreeze" proteins from genetically modified FISH in some of their products. They synthesize the GMO compound from yeast that comes from the blood of ocean pout to prevent "the crystallization of ice cream when it melts and is refrozen." In April 2006, two professors from the British Institute of Science in Society (ISIS), Prof. Joe Cummins, Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Prof. Malcolm Hooper, wrote a report they submitted to the UK Food Standards Agency, opposing Unilever's application to use these GMO fish genes in their food products. Apparently, there are health risks associated with ingestion of these products, including allergic reactions and inflammation. The scientists strongly recommended extensive testing before allowing these modified fish genes into the food chain. In April 2007, these same authors submitted another article and reported that the UK Independent Science Panel had recommended not allowing the introduction of food products containing these modified fish genes into the UK until long-term studies are conducted.

I just got one of those chain mail things that I usually toss from my inbox, but this one stood out. It was about hydrogen peroxide -- which I used to use to clean cuts and abrasions, but had been told recently by an ER doctor that the new standard was simply soap and water, because hydogen peroxide (though effective at killing germs) was just too harsh on the skin.

This handy chart gives a good idea of the broad range of prepared foods that contain, or may contain, MSG.  You may be surprised that many seemingly inocuous ingredients, like rice syrup, whey protein, malt extract and corn starch, contain MSG.  Even a simple ingredient listing like "seasoning" may be "code" for MSG.

The US Department of Energy reported yesterday that researchers from 18 universities, in collaboration with 7 national laboratories and several corporate partners, will create 3 new research centers on bioenergy.  Each center is to receive $125 million over 5 years to study new technology.  Some of the universities involved are the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Michigan State University, Illinois State University, Iowa State Univeristy and the University of Florida.

For more on the partners involved and the mission, check out the DOE's Bio-Energy Science Center.  Though I find it interesting that, to get details on the partners and who is involved in the project, the DOE's site linked to the New York Times article on the subject rather than have their own release posted on their website... (!)  

A friend recently shared two great websites for finding gluten free foods.

Glutenfreemall.com has a search option where you can pick your diet -- be it gluten, dairy, corn, nut, soy or egg free. You can add in organic and no added sugar as well to your search and come up with a fairly comprehensive list of foods to purchase. Really sophisticated.

Allergygrocery.com has a similar search option. Great site. Food found by a couple sample searches I did was high in sugar content though.... and the products found were not as comprehensive in selection as the Glutenfreemall.com site.

I was reading a blurp by RealAge ("All About You:  Rise With Red Pepper") and thought I'd post their info and add a little more.  I use hot red peppers when I make Plague Tonic (for winter colds and sore throats) and I swear by the medicinal benefits of this hot little ingredient.

Real Age mentions that red pepper, when eaten early in the day, curbs your appetite and decreases food intake later in the day.  I'm assuming they're referring to weight loss opportunities, but there's so much more that red pepper has to offer -- from pain relief for arthritis and other conditions, to relieving headaches and circulatory problems, to helping cure ear infections and heartburn.  (I've noticed myself that when I've had certain types of stomach bug, contrary to my doctor's general recommendation of eating bland foods for relief, hot and spicy foods can make me feel much better.

Somehow after the lovely family BBQ we had on Memorial Day I got terribly sick from what I suspect was food poisoning. The nausea was horrid, but later, in addition to severe intestinal cramping, I developed such severe shoulder pain that I was considering going to the local ER -- baffled by the strange combination of symptoms. 

A friend stopped by and told me first to try large doses of probiotics (acidophilus, etc.) in juice.   Though he's not a doctor, he mentioned this had worked for him before in a case of severe food poisoning.  He said he had learned that the shoulder is on the gut meridian in Chinese medicine and my severe shoulder pain could be caused by a sudden build-up of lactic acid.  So, rather than spend hours in the ER, I thought I'd give his advice a try since it probably would do no harm.  True to his word, two hours and four large doses of probiotics later, I felt near perfect again. Unbelievable. Had to share.

This isn't a "green" tip, unless you figure in the toxins you'd use to refinish good wooden furniture if you didn't know about it -- but I had to share it.  My lovely daughter, while making me a card telling me how much she loved me (ok, I feel really guilty about getting angry with her...), accidentally got sharpie marker all over our wood-finished built-in bookshelves today.  That's it, I told my husband, the marker is here to stay.  But after an internet search, I found a wonderful tip to remove permanent marker of all kinds from good furniture.  It's a product called Magic Erase (there's also a Safeway brand, which is the one I used).  With a small amount of elbow grease ALL of the marker came easily off the wood without harming the finish (like mineral spirits and alcohol do).  And there were no toxic fumes or residues.  Wow.  Had to share.

I just read an alarming blurb in VegNews (June 2007, Page 20) that Unilver, the largest supplier of frozen desserts to the US (and parent company to Ben & Jerry's, Breyer's, Klondike, and Popsicle brands), has started using "ice structuring antifreeze" proteins from genetically modified FISH in some of their products. They synthesize the GMO compound from yeast that comes from the blood of ocean pout to prevent "the crystallization of ice cream when it melts and is refrozen."