10 tips for companion planting for natural pest control and organic sustainability – Increase vegetable yields and improve flavor

Companion planting for pest control and to encourage plants to grow with more vigor has fascinated men for centuries; however, few backyard gardeners know how to use these natural methods for organic sustainability and how to improve your garden. Plants that work together…

Suggestions To Improve Your Organic Garden Today!

Expanding your personal organic garden can genuinely provide you with a nutritional increase for your diet program, but realizing what it takes may be tough. Organic gardening also involves picking from a large variety of distinct seeds at the same time. The following suggestions will aid you make probably the most of one’s organic garden.A [...]

Beat Parkinson’s disease naturally

(NaturalNews) Parkinson’s disease is the second most common degenerative disorder of the central nervous system after Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that 1% of individuals over the age of 65 are diagnosed with this disorder. Natural lifestyle interventions can prevent and reverse Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s particularly affects a region of the basal ganglia called the substantia nigra. The basal ganglia are a group of brain structures that utilize dopamine as their primary neurotransmitter. Neuronal loss in these regions is associated with brain cell inflammation and the formation of cross-linked proteins called Lewy bodies in the remaining nerve cells. Lewy bodies are protein aggregates that form and block normal cellular activity. The most common symptoms of Parkinson’s include movement related disorders such as shaking, rigidity, difficulty walking and slowness of movement. As the disease progresses, it leads to cognitive and behavioral problems such as dementia, insomnia and irritability. Type II Diabetes Dramatically Increases Parkinson Disease Risk Researchers in Finland have found that individuals with type II diabetes have an 83% greater risk of developing Parkinson’s. Elevated blood sugar is known to link with protein structures in a process called glycation. This reaction of reducing sugars connecting to amino acids creates advanced glycolytic enzymes (AGE’s). AGE’s are especially dangerous and create massive amounts of free radicals. AGE damage in the basal ganglia region is associated with Lewy body formation. These structures are created and aggregate in the basal ganglia due to excessive oxidative stress within the sensitive neuronal tissues. Oxidative stress in the brain is most commonly associated with blood sugar imbalances and environmental toxins (such as heavy metals and organic toxins like pesticides and herbicides). British studies have linked users of conventional herbicide weed killers and pesticide fly killers to be almost twice as likely to form Parkinson’s disease. Many of these products kill weeds and bugs by affecting protein chemistry within the organism. This seems to clearly have deleterious effects on humans as well. The greatest potential sources of exposure include crop spraying, weed killers, pesticides and insecticides used in the garden, and fly sprays and ant powders used in the home. The key to preventing and reversing Parkinson’s disease is to begin with an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. This includes lots of clean water and phytonutrient rich raw and lightly cooked vegetables. Good fats such as avocados, olive oil, nuts/seeds and coconut products should be strongly encouraged. Healthy animal products such as grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, antelope, deer and free-range chicken, turkey and eggs are also good sources. Sugar and food sources that metabolize into sugar such as grains and fruits should be used minimally. Anti-inflammatory herbs such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and rosemary among others should be used at every possible chance. High quality omega-3 fatty acids with astaxanthin are especially important for stabilizing neuronal cell membranes. Astaxanthin has very strong anti-oxidant effects that are especially good at protecting against lipid peroxidation, which damages cell membranes. It is very important for individuals, who are suffering from Parkinson’s or are susceptible to the disease, to boost intracellular glutathione levels. Glutathione (GSH) is a very special peptide molecule that provides the greatest anti-oxidant protection and recharges other anti-oxidants within the body. Non-denatured, grass-fed whey protein is the best natural food source for glutathione precursors such as cysteine and glutamic acid. Glutathione helps the cells eliminate wastes from the intracellular environment and into the bloodstream. In order to prevent retoxification it is essential to use a binding agent such as activated charcoal. Activated charcoal has been shown to be extremely effective at binding and eliminating organic toxins from the system. Sources For This Article Include: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson’s_disease http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18335520 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-392440/Pesticides-dramatically-increase-risk-Parkinsons.html http://www.naturalnews.com/033569_glutathione_antioxidants.html

Sweet potato nutrition – six amazing facts you need to know

(NaturalNews) One of the most nutritious foods on the traditional Thanksgiving menu is the sweet potato. These orange-skinned root vegetables offer a host of health benefits (especially when cooked without the unnecessary sugar and marshmallows). If you want to raise health consciousness around the dinner table this holiday season, try throwing some of these six sweet potato facts into the conversation: 1. High nutritional value A 7-ounce (1 cup) serving of sweet potatoes contains 65% of the minimum necessary daily amount of Vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are also high in calcium, folate, potassium and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant which converts to Vitamin A in the body: one serving of sweet potatoes can provide you with as much as 700% of the US RDA for Vitamin A. The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates sweet potatoes as the number one most nutritious vegetable because they such are so nutritionally rich. 2. Low glycemic index If you are unfamiliar with this term, the glycemic index indicates the impact a food substance has on blood sugar levels. A high glycemic index means blood sugar levels can spike. Diabetes and others who monitor their blood sugar levels seek to avoid foods with a high glycemic index or load. Sweet potatoes have a glycemic load of only 17. (By way of comparison, a white potato has an index of 29.) 3. Accessing sweet potatoes’ nutritional benefits is easy To gain the maximum health benefits from eating sweet potatoes, avoid discarding their skins — much of their healing potential resides in this portion of the tubers. Also, following the common dieters’ fallacy of avoiding all fats reduces your ability to access sweet potatoes’ benefits: beta-carotene absorbs more thoroughly into the body when consumed with a small amount of fat. Recent research seems to indicate that steaming or boiling sweet potatoes rather than roasting them helps preserve their low glycemic index. 4. Good for your skin Their high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene means sweet potatoes are a skin superfood. The substances on many pricey skin-care products like retinol and retinoic acid are actually derived from Vitamin A. Plus beta-carotene combats the free radicals which result skin aging. 5. Sweet potatoes are like yoga Their high potassium content means sweet potatoes can alleviate muscle cramps which are often related to potassium deficiency. During times of stress, the body uses more potassium, so eating sweet potatoes can help protect you from the negative health effects of tension. 6. Easy to grow in your garden Starting a vegetable garden is a great way both to reduce your grocery bill now, and to reduce your dependency on grocery stores for the long-term. Sweet potatoes make a good beginner’s garden crop. Although originally native to South America, this type of tuber only requires 100 frost-free days in order to grow, so you do not have to live in the tropics to harvest some of these nutritionally valuable tubers. Sweet potato plants have fewer diseases than other types of potatoes, and they are relatively undemanding plants, requiring little in the way of water or fertilizer. You can read more about growing sweet potatoes here: http://robbwolf.com/2011/04/20/growing-sweet-potatoes/ and here http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/32-1script_en.asp Sources for this article include: http://www.naturalnews.com/027051_food_sweet_potatoes_foods.html http://www.healingfoodreference.com/sweet_potato.html http://www.naturalnews.com/031543_sweet_potatoes_minerals.html http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64 http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2667/2 http://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/healthybites/2009/09/recipe-roundup-the-sweet-potat.html

Rootworms defy Monsanto and eat away at GMO Corn in U.S. Midwest

(NaturalNews) Farmers in the big corn states watch in dismay as their “bug proofed” corn once again is being eaten by rootworms. As evolution would have it, the Western rootworm beetle, one of the most serious threats to corn, has developed resistance to the bioengineered “Roundup ready” crop, and is picnicking once again on corn roots. Currently, three fourth’s of our nation’s corn crop are genetically modified, but thousands of farmers in the United States are wondering if they should switch back to older methods of pest control, like changing back and forth from corn to soy each year, because these rootworm beetles feed solely on corn. If the worms hatch in soybean fields they quickly die. Farmer’s options, unfortunately, are becoming more limited than in recent years. One major contention for farmers is that they face lawsuits if they try to save and replant genetically modified seed because they don’t “own” the technology, yet most don’t complain when they reap in the profits from the Roundup Ready crops. In the United States, current estimates show that 30 of the 80 million acres of corn are infested with these corn rootworms. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates this infestation can cause a billion dollars in lost revenue each year. The Western corn rootworm was also brought to Europe in the early 1990′s. Most European countries now require labeling of imported GMO foods, but there’s no such labeling in the United States. GMO veggies are sometimes referred to as a Trojan horse, and there’s virtually no way to recall them should they “breed” their own crisis. Over the past 15 years, Monsanto has built up its seed empire by focusing its technology on widely planted crops like corn, soy, and cotton. Large scale farmers of these commodities, operating on very thin profit margins, jumped at the chance to streamline their operations by farming out their pest management to Monsanto, but now the this is wearing thin. Dumping one kind of herbicide onto millions of acres of farmland has also given rise to “super weeds” that are resistant to that herbicide. Farmers are now resorting to highly toxic herbicide and pesticide concoctions, and some are even hand-weeding. In case you’re not in the know, Monsanto corn is a wicked, laboratory created combination of toxic pesticide and seedlings, and the end result is what many organic consumers nicknamed Franken-corn. According to the Journal of Pesticide Reform , Roundup’s active ingredient glyphosate can cause eye and skin irritation, dizziness, heart palpitations, salivary lesions, and stomach lining irritation. A 1998 study on mice concluded that Roundup is able to cause genetic damage. A 2011 report by Earth Open Source asserts that glyphosate has caused birth defects in laboratory animals. So, should humans really be eating fruits and vegetables that genetically contain this pesticide? In addition to unwanted vegetation, glyphosate inhibits growth and development of mycorrhizal fungi, the microbe that fixes nitrogen in the soil and makes it available to plants, so this soil is now tainted for years. Glyphosate has also been linked to genetic damage, cancer, and negative reproductive effects, like miscarriage and reduced sperm count. The latest “solution” is to genetically modify crops to resist the weed killer 2,4-D, which has exponentially more toxicity to mammals than Roundup. Initially formulated for weed control in 1947, 2,4-D is comprised of 50% of the ingredients in Agent Orange, which is infamous for its massive destructiveness in Vietnam. For now, it seems as though nature herself is pulling in the reigns. Just as Roundup-resistant super weeds rapidly bloomed into a major problem over the past ten years, the new super insects may be just getting started. Sources: http://www.grist.org/list/2011-08-29-monsanto-fail-gmo-crops-are-losing-their-pest-control-powers http://www.gmo-safety.eu/science/maize/254.western-corn-rootworm-europe.html http://coto2.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/monsanto-gm-corn-in-peril-beetle-develops-bt-resistance/Ingredients in Roundup Weed Killer | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/112081-ingredients-roundup-weed-killer.html#ixzz1WXbJJiyE http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/08/17/rootworm-larvae-could-be-resistant-to-toxin-in-geneticallymodified-crops/ http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2011/08/monsanto-gm-super-insects http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122498255 http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2011/03/admitting-the-failure-of-roundup-ready-crops-dow-plans-further-genetic-mutation/ http://www.lightparty.com/Health/GeneticFoods.html

Our Vegetable Garden Secrets

Our Vegetable Garden Secrets Absolutely Everything You Will Ever Need To Know About Growing Healthy Superfood Vegetables In Your Own Back Yard. Our Vegetable Garden Secrets

Living Garden -Complete video garden training with bonuses

Living Garden -Complete video garden training with bonuses Living Garden series includes 15 hrs of in-the-garden video training. Garden expert of over 25 years. Includes 6 bonuses incl. 6 hours of Q/a, 88-page ebook, & 44-page ebook. See also www.livinggardenseries.com/lgs. Follow-up email increases conversion Living Garden -Complete video garden training with bonuses [wprebay kw="healthy+living" num="20" [...]

Dangerous levels of lead found in many garden hoses

(NaturalNews) Allowing your kids to play with the garden hose, filling the inflatable kiddie pool, nourishing your garden with hose water — these all seem like harmless activities. However, research is now proving otherwise. Many commercially bought water hoses contain dangerously high levels of lead which leech into the water flowing through them. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, water sitting in a garden hose that has been left in the sun can contain a level of lead that reaches 100 times over what is considered a safe amount. Many garden hoses are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) – a toxic plastic – and lead is often used as a stabilizer in PVC. The dangerous levels of lead in garden hoses could potentially cause lead poisoning, cancer, birth defects and/or reproductive harm. According to a special ABC report on Good Morning America, reporters from ABC’s Phoenix affiliate KNXV-TV randomly purchased 10 garden hoses at places such as Wal-Mart, Target, Ace Hardware, and Home Depot (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=3369894&page=1). These reporters filled sections of the garden hoses with clean water, sealed the ends and put these hoses outside for about a day. The water was then delivered to a lab. Five of the 10 hoses, or 50%, came back showing levels of lead much higher than 15 parts per billion (ppb), which is what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deems safe for drinking water. Four of those hoses came back showing extremely high lead levels. The same report found that some garden variety hoses are leaking up to 20 times the amount considered safe for usage. Consumer Reports also tested 16 of the most popular hoses sold nationwide, finding that many leached up to 100 times the safe amount at the initial flush of standing water. Imagine the water flowing through these hoses contaminated with such high levels of lead – do you want your kids splashing around in it in a kiddie pool, or drinking it in the midst of summer play outdoors? Why exactly is lead exposure so dangerous? Lead is highly toxic and harmful even in very low doses. The Environmental Protection Agency clearly states on their website that exposure to lead in water that is being consumed above the action level, or 15 ppb, can result in delays in physical and mental development in children, anemia, and muscle problems. In adults, it can cause increases in blood pressure and, eventually with heavy exposure, the development of kidney problems or nerve disorders. According to the National Safety Council, young children under the age of six are especially vulnerable to lead’s harmful effects because their brains and central nervous system are still being developed. For these children, even very low levels of exposure can have disastrous effects, from reduced IQ and behavioral problems to stunted growth and kidney damage. At higher levels of exposure, children could become mentally retarded, fall into a coma, and even die from lead poisoning. Within the last decade, children have died from lead poisoning in both New Hampshire and in Alabama. Lead can also enter tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials, which is another important reason to invest in a good water filter. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes; however, new homes are also at risk because even legally “lead-free” plumbing can contain up to 8 % lead. Lead-laden soil and your beloved garden And let’s not forget about the fate of your garden. The same lead-infused water your children may be playing in is most likely also being used to saturate the soil your fresh-grown veggies are growing in. A disheartening New York Times article on lead in garden soil said that lead is “surprisingly prevalent and persistent” in both urban and suburban soil, which is more increasingly being used for the foundation of home gardens. Many health officials, soil scientists and even environmental engineers are concerned that the increasing popularity of urban “backyard” gardening will put more people at risk for lead poisoning and other hazardous health effects especially those that don’t protect themselves. The EPA and Department of Housing and Urban Development suggest — but don’t require — lead levels in soil of lower than 400 parts per million (ppm) in children’s play areas, and 1,200 p.p.m. in all other soil. However, many and cities, states, and entire countries have set much lower limits, such as in the Netherlands, where 40 p.p.m. is considered highly substandard. Most unpolluted soil averages about 10 p.p.m. In the New York Times article mentioned, one random urban resident’s garden had soil containing lead levels of 939 p.p.m. Dangerous amounts of lead have been documented for almost a decade in backyard and community gardens in major cities such as New York, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and many others. Lead-laden soil has been found in both inner city neighborhoods and suburban areas. The reasons for these hazardous levels of soil contamination are many, from lead paint, leaded gasoline, lead arsenate pesticides, lead plumbing, lead batteries and automotive parts, roadways, and so on. While many of these products may have been banned years ago, the remnants of highly toxic lead often remain in the environment. Now, lead-laden garden hoses can be added to the list of dangerous hidden lead. How to avoid lead contamination While environmental engineers and soil experts have said any place is potentially tainted with soil contaminated with lead, there are steps that can be taken in order to protect yourself and your family. First, eliminate the potentially poisonous garden hose and replace it with one you know for certain is safe and lead-free. This will drastically reduce the amount of lead being deposited in your yard and notably eliminate direct exposure when watering by hand or caring for the garden. A lead-free garden hose is also much safer for providing children a much-needed drink or play in the sprinklers, and pets will also be spared of potential lead poisoning from water bowls filled from the hose. Warning labels accompany hoses in some cases, but not all. A lead-free garden hose will clearly be marked as safe for drinking. One idea is to invest in a medical grade hose with nickel-plated fittings. These hoses are often sold as marine or recreational vehicle (RV) hoses and are commonly sold in marine/RV stores. The types of garden hoses that Consumer Reports claim to be safe from lead contamination are as follows: • Teknor Apex Boat and Camper NeverKink • Swan Marine/Camper • Gardener’s Supply Co. 33-469 • Better Homes and Gardens Kink-free Keep in mind that these manufacturers might produce other hoses that are not lead-free, so read packaging closely to ensure you have the right hose. Although it is impossible to eliminate all contaminates from the environment, switching to a lead-free garden hose is a good start as well as an intelligent choice for the health conscious consumer. The widespread presence of lead contamination in soil doesn’t mean you have to give up gardening, but it does suggest the necessity of caution, as well as a possible change in plot design and crop choice. Local public health departments and county extension services often offer free soil testing; at the least, they can recommend companies or schools that do it for a small fee. Individuals generally mail dirt in sealed plastic bags for analysis. If high levels of lead are found in your soil, experts advise covering it with sod. You can also alkalinize the contaminated soil by adding organic matter such as compost and lime, or replace it entirely. Soil with a pH level above 7 binds with lead, which lessens the chance of absorption by both crops and the human body. Fortunately, the body will eliminate low levels of lead naturally, as long as you maintain a healthy daily diet. Home gardens can be planted with fruiting crops such as squash, eggplant, tomatoes, corn and beans because these plants don’t easily absorb lead. Some lead-leaching crops are leafy greens, herbs, and root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. Sources: http://containergardening.about.com/b/2009/05/21/warning-lead-in-garden-hoses.htm http://healthy-family.org/caryn/24/lead-poisoning-and-your-garden-hose http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html?_r=1&hp http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=3369894&page=1 http://containergardening.about.com/od/greencontainergardening/a/Gardenhose.htm http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/index.cfm

Oak Park drops charges against home gardener Julie Bass, but hits her with two other misdemeanor crime charges

(NaturalNews) Shortly after my interview with Julie Bass yesterday on the Alex Jones Show (www.PrisonPlanet.TV), the city of Oak Park, Michigan dropped the current charges against Julie Bass. This is being reported on Julie’s blog: http://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com “Our attorney went into court this morning to file a motion. While he was there, someone told him the charge against the garden was dropped. Wow. Nobody called us. Nobody called our lawyer. This has got to be the strangest case of dropping charges I have ever heard of. so, they wouldn’t let him file his motion, and when they showed him the paperwork, it was signed by another judge, from another place, who we have never even heard of. Weird weird weird.” Of course it’s weird! Because this is all a tactic of the tyrannical bureaucrats to make the public pressure about this story go away while they plot a new way to punish Julie Bass for daring to stand up against them. You can bet the city officials there are already scheming on ways to wait 30 days for all this to die down and then reinstate the same charges against her . One indication of what’s happening here is that the papers dropping the charges were signed by another judge “from another place” as Julie says. That means an order has come down from a higher judge to dismiss this case and try to end the public outcry against the city of Oak Park. What this indicates is that the local officials in Oak Park had to be overridden by a higher court authority because at the local level, they were just too ego-invested in the whole thing to let it go. Meanwhile, the public pressure was mounting. NaturalNews led the charge on this issue, publishing the emails and phone numbers of Oak Park city bureaucrats, resulting in thousands of phone calls and email complaints being lodged against the officials there (thank to YOU and your action!). Then we took the story to the Alex Jones show yesterday and had Julie on the air, reaching a nationwide audience of millions of listeners (in real time), which had another huge impact. Plus, I released a hilarious satire video of Kevin Rulkowski, the city planner from Oak Park, Michigan, who has now been immortalized in a Monty Python-style video satire that’s getting rave reviews. Watch it at: http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=3A4B88066D390F0EA7C2664E371269D3 Or YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNsIdOxzwZg Alex Jones has posted an update commentary on the Julie Bass victory, you can view that at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nVK6-dwklA&feature=player_profilepage As Alex reminds us, when we stand up against tyranny, we WIN! City now enforcing dog licensing violations against Julie It is important to remember that the city can reinstate the charges against Julie at any time . So this is not a permanent victory. This is a tactic used by the city to try to make the public pressure go away. As Julie writes on her blog: “We weren’t actually cleared of any wrongdoing. The charges have not been settled in a way that gives us any assurance at all of them not coming back the second the media spotlight is off of Oak Park.” And even as they were dropping the charges against Julie for her front yard garden, they reinstated charges against her regarding the licensing of her dogs. Julie says she already paid the fine for the licensing of her dogs, but they are now dragging her into court and charging her with two misdemeanors related to her dog licenses. So now she’s facing not just 90 days in jail, but 180+ days in jail for something related to her dog licenses. And she explains on her blog: “On a dumber note, the city has decided to reinstate the case about our dog licenses. When they came over and saw we didn’t move the garden after their warning, they added a ‘no license’ charge for our 2 dogs. We went within the week to pay for licenses and even paid late fees, and when we came to court the prosecutor asked to see the documentation that it had been taken care of. So, he wrote a few notes, it seemed like everything was taken care of, and when I was in front of the judge nothing was mentioned at all about the dogs. In fact, nothing has been mentioned since then about the dog licenses, with the exception of a few blog readers who noticed the dog charges on the ticket and asked me about it. We thought the city just wanted the dogs to be vaccinated against rabies. Our vaccines for the dogs are now and have always been, current and up-to-date. We didn’t protest. We didn’t complain. We paid and we were done. or so we thought… So, the city still wants us to appear in court on the 26th of July. This time it will be for the dog licenses, which we have already taken care of. The dog charges are each a misdemeanor. So now we are up to misdemeanor x 2. This is the way tyrants work. When pressured, they’ll back off one thing, but then they will maliciously try their best to find some other way to make you pay. And if you embarrassed the tyrants, they will try to make you pay even worse. Let it be known that NaturalNews will continue to cover Julie’s story so that Oak Park officials cannot get away with punishing Julie for going public with the truth about what’s really happening there. If necessary, we will repeat our call for public protests against Oak Park city officials, and I’m sure there are tens of thousands of NaturalNews readers who want to stay updated on this story and make sure Julie is left alone by the tyrants of Oak Park, Michigan. So keep reading NaturalNews. We’ll stay in touch with Julie and do our best to make sure she is left alone by the city and allowed to grow her tomatoes in peace!

Together With Learn To Produce Your Own Organic Food

As information becomes more readily available, men and women are more worried and more aware about the food they eat. We are now more mindful of the use of unhealthy pesticides and genetically modified foods. This has triggered a powerful need for organic food and a big boom for the organic food market. Despite the [...]

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