Healthy Living

It's taken me a while to get here, and I finally made it!

Almost daily, I see things online, in life, in the news, and say to myself, "I should put that in my BLOG.
If I had one.... "

My desire is that this modest contribution will become a forum of like-minded people; sharing knowlege and helping others is really what it's all about, after all.

So again, welcome.

And hop on.

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August 30, 2006 22:55 - CITIZENS FOR HEALTH Calls on FDA to Revoke Its Approval of Sucralose

The FDA made a huge mistake when they approved Aspartame, and it has taken fifteen years for consumers to learn the truth - we can't allow them to make the same mistake again with Sucralose.

[Press Release from Citizens for Health]

Citizens for Health, the national grassroots advocacy organization committed to protecting and expanding
natural health choices, submitted a Citizen Petition to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the agency to revoke its approval of sucralose, better known as the artificial additive, Splenda. Sucralose is a highly processed chemical sweetener manufactured with chlorine in a factory in McIntosh, Alabama, in a process that releases such toxins into the environment as cyclohexane.

There were potential public health concerns regarding sucralose that were dismissed by the FDA when they first
approved this synthetic additive, said Jim Turner, Esq. chairman of the board of Citizens for Health. People should
also know, however, that there has not been a single human clinical study on the finished product, Splenda.

Meanwhile, health concerns and adverse event self-reports are mounting as consumers are currently turning to Web sites and chat rooms to document their experiences with Splenda. Consumers have begun to allege that they have suffered health side effects from use of the artificial sweetener. These grievances about health effects range from skin rashes, to headaches, to severe gastrointestinal problems.

The sheer number of complaints on the Internet warrants an investigation, said Turner. Most of the testing on the safety of sucralose was conducted by the manufacturer, McNeil Nutritionals. If the manufacturer is as sure about the safety of the product as is claimed, it too will join us in the call for an independent investigation into what, if any, side
effects can accompany the use of the product.

Splenda also includes dextrose and maltodextrin. Since pregnant women who have a genetic trait for galactosemia are at risk for having a baby with galactosemia, there should be a warning—similar to the PKU warning required for aspartame that Splenda contains a galactose monosaccharide.

It is important to bring these concerns to the attention of the FDA, added Turner. The FDA has a responsibility to
protect public health. If consumers are indeed experiencing side effects from the use of Splenda, the FDA should call a Public Hearing so that consumers can be heard, which is one of the reasons we are filing the Citizen Petition.

About Citizens for Health
Citizens for Health (www.citizens.org) is an international non-profit consumer advocacy group working to broaden healthcare options, create an integrative health system based on wellness, and advance the freedom to make health choices.

The group promotes the fundamental policies needed to improve health choices and information in the U.S. and internationally.

The group works with grassroots and education organizations and partners in the not-for-profit sector to ensure consumer access to dietary supplements, safe foods, a healthy environment and a wide range of healing therapies. Citizens for Health fosters active citizen leadership and organizes natural health consumers to create political and legislative solutions that support those rights.
[END Press Release]

If you'd like to read more, or sign the CFH petition, go to their website:
(Go check it out)

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August 31, 2006 19:37 - What's for Breakfast?

The science is crystal clear.

Kids who eat a healthy breakfast before school are healthier, more alert, have more energy, exhibit better behavior, and get better grades.

A Breakfast Study commissioned by the State of Minnesota found that students who ate breakfast before starting school had a general increase in math grades and reading scores, increased student attention, reduced nurse visits, and improved student behaviors. (December, 1997)

Researchers at Harvard Medical/Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that hungry children are more likely to have behavioral and academic problems than children who get enough to eat.

At school, hungry children had more problems with irritability, anxiety and aggression, as well as more absences and tardiness. (Pediatrics, January, 1998; Journal of the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, February, 1998)

The Tufts University Statement (1998) on The Link Between Nutrition and Cognitive Development in Children cites new findings: "Recent research provides compelling evidence that under-nutrition impacts the behavior of children, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development".

The importance of a healthy breakfast is paramount to your child's health, behavior, and academic performance.

As the new school year begins, take a stand for your children and make a healthy breakfast, everyday, the rule in your home.

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