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The 4 Best, and 3 Worst, Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen

I saw this on MSN and thought EVERYONE should read it!


It's all about keeping our families SAFE and HEALTHY!




Some sweeteners aren't good for our bodies or the environment, but there are a few that actually boost vitamin and mineral intake while satisfying your sweet tooth.
By Leah Zerbe
 
At this point, it's common knowledge that high-fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are bad for us. But given all the marketing hype behind different "natural" alternatives, it's hard to know which ones really are the best sweeteners. Complicating matters, new studies, like one just published in the journal Cancer Research, are finding that fructose, a sugar found in high-fructose corn syrup, agave, honey, and, in small amounts, even in fruit, actually feeds some cancers. But don't give up apples and oranges, or even honey, based on a single study. "Natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables—things like berries, green apples, grapefruit, kiwi—are needed to feed beneficial microflora in the gut for a healthy immune system," explains Donna Gates, who led the movement to bring stevia, a natural sweetener, into this country more than a decade ago. "That's why nature put a little bit of sugar in fruits and vegetables. It keeps the ecosystem alive in us," she says, adding that the small amounts of fructose in fruits and vegetables are balanced with minerals, vitamins, and other vital nutrients. "Our body reads it differently," she notes.
 
Fruits and vegetables provide a perfect sugar fix, but when you're in need of a sweetener to add to iced tea, baked goods, or anything else, make sure you know the difference between the good guys and bad guys of the sweetener world. (Some of the not-so-sweet details could leave you gagging.)
 
Bad Guy #1: Aspartame
There's conflicting evidence regarding the safety of aspartame, a common chemical sweetener used in diet soda and other low-cal or low-sugar goods, but some people report headaches or generally feeling unwell after ingesting anything containing the chemical. To make life easier for everyone, this is one instance where you may want to follow the "better safe than sorry" principle. That's because a University of Liverpool test-tube study found that when mixed with a common food color ingredient, aspartame actually became toxic to brain cells. Making matters worse, aspartame is used in many diet sodas, and studies have found drinking diet soda may increase your risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Also of concern with aspartame, researchers have found that one harmful breakdown product is formaldehyde. Sweet? We don't think so.
 
Bad Guy #2: Agave
While your health food store likely stocks agave sweeteners, it may be best to keep them out of your cart. Many agave nectars consist of 70 to 80 percent fructose—that's more than what's found in high-fructose corn syrup! If you don't want to give up agave, look for types that contain no more than 30 to 40 percent fructose, recommends Christine Gerbstadt, MD, PhD, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Agave is also very heavily processed in an extremely energy-intensive manner that's similar to the way corn is converted into high-fructose corn syrup.
 
Bad Guy #3: Sucralose
While sucralose, better known by its brand name, Splenda, may originate with sugar, the end product is anything but natural. It's processed using chlorine, and researchers are finding that the artificial sweetener is passing through our bodies and winding up in wastewater treatment plants, where it can't be broken down. Tests in Norway and Sweden found sucralose in surface water released downstream from treatment discharge sites. Scientists worry it could change organisms' feeding habits and interfere with photosynthesis, putting the entire food chain at risk. The chemically derived artificial sweetener acesulfame K (sold under the brand name Sunett) was also detected in treated wastewater and tap water.
 
Good Guy #1: Stevia
"We need to be off of sugar, but we need good alternatives, and stevia is the safest sweetener there is, period," says Gates, who coauthored The Stevia Cookbook: Cooking with Nature's Calorie-Free Sweetener (Avery Trade, 2004). All types of stevia are extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant, but some forms taste better than others, says Gates. People tend to overuse powders, in which the sweetness is really concentrated, so if you've tried powders in the past and didn't like them, try liquid forms, explains Gates, who helped develop a liquid stevia sweetener product. Stevia contains zero calories, but its one downfall is that it doesn't work well for baking. Expect to see more stevia on store shelves, as Coke and Pepsi got the green light to use Truvia (a sweetener made in part from stevia) starting later this year.
 
Good Guy #2: Sugar alcohols
Popular sugar alcohol sweeteners include xylitol, sorbitol, and erythritol, natural sweeteners made through a fermentation process of corn or sugar cane. They contain fewer calories than sweeteners like pure sugar and honey, but more than stevia. They also leave a cooling sensation in the mouth, and have been found to prevent cavities, explains Dr. Gerbstadt. Just don't overdo it—too much can cause GI distress.
 
Good Guy #3: Organic, raw local honey
While honey does boast higher fructose levels, it also contains a bounty of cancer-defending antioxidants, and local honey has been said to help alleviate allergy symptoms. Don't limit raw honey's use to your tea, either. Use it to speed healing on burns, and as a natural antiseptic on cuts and scrapes. Honey also has a low glycemic index, so adding it to your tea or yogurt won't lead to energy-busting blood sugar drops later in the day.
 
Good Guy #4: Blackstrap molasses
Although heavy on the calorie content, blackstrap is rich in iron, potassium, and calcium, making it a healthier choice than nutritionally defunct artificial sweeteners or even regular refined sugar, despite the fact that blackstrap and refined sugar both come from sugar cane. (Dr. Gerbstadt says calorie-containing sweeteners are not recommended for people with diabetes.) We like the organic, Fair Trade Certified version of blackstrap molasses from Wholesome Sweeteners.
 
 
 
 http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/the-4-best-and-3-worst-sweeteners-to-have-in-your-kitchen?imageindex=1 
 
 
 
Make it a great day!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Top 3 Things People Worry About

What do you think the top 3 things people worry about would be?

Looks, money, love, success, family, politics, death?
In my opinion, the top 3 things people worry about would be (in no particular order):
Money,
Health,
and Family Happiness.


Worry creates stress. Stress can cause our immune system to break down which creates illness. I would suggest that excessive worry can create a life of depression, sadness and sickness.

I also would suggest that most people do NOT do anything about their worries which creates a downward spiral. They worry, yet don’t get a plan in place to move towards alleviating their concerns.
When you have a plan and begin taking steps towards what you can do now, it will lessen your worry and create a feeling of capability. With feeling capable, you can continue moving towards your goals. Each small accomplishment adds to the next creating daily successes.  

Daily successes, will ease your worry and you can enjoy creating a great life!

I’m sure that you would agree that “Money” is definitely in the top 3. Now, I’m not saying money creates happiness, however I would say that NOT having financial peace does create worry in many areas. Here’s a great book recommendation that has and continues to help people to have financial peace. “The Total Money Makeover“.

I am also a big believer in owning your own business in order to be in complete control of your income. If you're interested in what I do visit: www.StartUpYourDreams.com

There will always be some worry in our lives, however, I recommend that when you have a worry, be solution focused. Get a plan and begin taking action immediately.

I would love to hear your thoughts about what you think the top 3 things that people worry about are. Please make a comment below and feel free to share on FaceBook and Twitter using the buttons below..:)
To Your Success,

Bleach...Chlorox...An Education



WHO of us hasn't used Bleach / Clorox to
clean in our home?!?I mean it MUST be SAFE, RIGHT? 
And we HAVE to have it for our WHITES
in the laundry .... don't we??  OR DO WE?   
Naturally Speaking
Speaking About the Dangers of Chlorine Bleach
dMost of us have grown up with the idea that whiter whites (and brighter colors) mean cleaner clothes. We continue to use chlorine products with abandon to whiten and to disinfect. We write on white paper and bathe in and drink chlorinated water.
After all, who wants bacteria-infested water? In our society, chlorine is ubiquitous-and so are its side effects. In fact, the long-term residual effects from chlorine are becoming such a health hazard that the American Public Health Association is urging the American paper industry to stop using chlorine.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found dioxin (a toxic byproduct of chlorine) to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT!

Healthy & Natural speaks with Stephen Ashkin, director of product development and environmental affairs at Seventh Generation, a manufacturer of green, non-toxic cleaning products. Although he has a degree in chemistry, Ashkin gained most of his practical knowledge and experience through direct contact in the chemical industry. He literally grew up in the laboratory of his parent's cleaning products manufacturing company.

Ashkin chaired the American Society for Testing and Materials' task force that wrote the national cleaning standard for commercial and institutional buildings. He has also chaired President Clinton's Green Chemistry Challenge Task Force. Ashkin is acting advisor for a number of EPA programs including the Indoor Environment Division. He has published numerous articles on environmentally preferable products and is a very popular conference speaker.

Q: Does chlorine occur naturally?Typically chlorine does not normally occur in the environment except as a yellow gas on rare occasions. It's a manufactured substance produced through an industrial process. An electrical current is passed through salt water producing chlorine and caustic soda.
Q: Is chlorine very toxic?
This is where this topic gets very interesting. Many people argue that chlorine is basically safe-that it breaks down into harmless salt and water. Well, that's true-in a laboratory test tube under very controlled conditions. The real issue is not just how toxic chlorine itself is but how the unintended byproducts of chlorine (organochlorines and dioxins) remain in the environment. They are persistent in the environment; they do not break down readily and therefore bio-accumulate.
Q: Is there a chlorine pollution problem?
One of the largest uses of chlorine is in the paper industry. Chlorine is first used to break down the lignan that holds the wood fibers together. Then chlorine is used to bleach the paper to make it white. The effluent or wastewater containing dioxins and other organochlorines are then dumped into streams and waterways. These ingredients are highly toxic and carcinogenic. Once in the waste stream, they come into contact with other organic materials and surfactants and combine to form a host of extremely toxic organic chemicals.

A chain of events occurs: The water becomes polluted; the fish become contaminated; animals eat the fish and people eat the contaminated animals and fish. This can create a very serious health problem; the dioxins and other toxic chemicals, when consumed, accumulate in the fatty tissues.


These contaminants are also hormone disrupters because they mimic estrogen. The EPA has observed and documented hormonal imbalance, suppressed immune systems, reproductive infertility and alterations in fetal development of animals. In viewing the big picture, these factors are perhaps the most frightening results from the widespread use of chlorine.

Q: How widespread is chlorine contamination?

It is so widespread that it would be difficult to find any human being who does not have detectable levels of dioxin in his/her blood.
While we know that chlorine is a substantial environmental problem caused by the paper industry, household bleach and cleaners containing chlorine also pose a serious health risk.

For instance, in 1997, 217,989 calls to the Poison Control Center concerned household cleaners. Of those calls, 54,453 were about chlorine bleach and 7,570 were for chlorine disinfectants. So, that means that 28.4 percent of all calls were related to poisonings by chlorine products. What's even more important, most of those calls were about children under 6 years old.


Q: What can happen if these chemicals get into our bodies?

Our bodies are very good at metabolizing many things. Through special enzymes, our bodies are able to rid themselves of many environmental toxic substances that we come into contact with daily. However, dioxins (and other organochlorine compounds) aren't included. Even if we are exposed to very low levels, dioxins remain in the body and accumulate.

The EPA is now saying that this is soon to become a major health risk problem. The cumulative effects of dioxin in humans have been linked to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders and immune system breakdown.


Q: Should chlorine be used in our public water supply?

The alternative question would be, should we drink contaminated water? The answer, of course, would be no. It's very important that our water is sanitized. Years ago, there were very few alternatives. However, today, while chlorine is a very effective (and cheap) sanitizer, many scientists are recognizing some serious side effects from chlorine. Today, our technology is getting to the point where, I hope, we will look into a better means of sanitizing our drinking water. This will not be easy because one of the biggest advantages (and ultimately the biggest disadvantage) of using chlorine is the fact that chlorine doesn't break down. Water can be treated with chlorine at the filtration plant and 10 miles away the chlorine is persistent enough to remain in the water and pipes when it reaches the home. There exist many other ingredients that are good sanitizers, but they break down quickly, and the water would become contaminated by the time it reaches someone's home.
We may have a problem if we need to sanitize via a chemical additive. It becomes a sort of oxymoron: chemicals that are persistent also tend to be toxic. The ultimate solution may be to have home-based water filtration/sanitizing systems. This would eliminate the problem of trying to prevent hundreds of miles of pipes, installed a hundred years ago, from contaminating the water.
Q: Are there safe, effective alternatives to chlorine as a bleaching agent and disinfectant?
Absolutely! Primarily, hydrogen peroxide is available to the paper industry and to the soap industry as a bleaching agent. Another new technology uses ozone. Other non-chlorinated household cleaning products, readily available to the consumer, achieve the same bleaching and disinfecting results as chlorine but are nontoxic.

I don't understand why anyone would want to use chlorine products anyway. Chlorine is a respiratory irritant and when mixed with other common household products, it gives off a toxic gas.
Q: What can we do to make a difference?
We could request and purchase processed chlorine-free paper, not just in writing paper but in paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper. It's a vote for our environment and our health. It may seem to be a small thing, but collectively it really can make a substantial difference.

We need to realize that the technology in the chemical industry has changed as dramatically as in the computer industry. We no longer need to use harmful substances simply because they worked for our grandparents. The technology in the chemical industry is allowing us to replace many of these toxic ingredients with others that are not only nontoxic but have renewable resources and many environmental benefits.

It's a major educational process for consumers to understand that they, through their buying choices, can make a difference. Did you know that only about 20 percent of shoppers buy their household products in natural food stores? What that says to me is that while consumers recognize the importance of buying supplements and organic foods, they don't recognize the same environmental and health benefits associated with buying chlorine-free paper and other non-toxic cleaners.
Chlorine FactsDioxin, a chemical byproduct of the manufacturing of chlorine bleached paper, is believed to be the single most carcinogenic chemical known to science.When you open the door of your dishwasher after washing, toxic volatized chlorine from dish detergent and tap water is released into the air.Thanks to chlorine pollution, Americans ingest a daily amount of dioxin that is already 300 to 600 times greater than the EPA's so-called "safe" dose.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found dioxin to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT.Dioxin has been linked to endometriosis, immune system impairment, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, and reproductive dysfunction in both women and men.Studies show that 40-70 percent of the dioxin in bleached coffee filters can leach into your coffee; dioxin found in paper milk cartons also leaches into the milk you drink.Cancer-causing chemicals like chlorine found in many household products such as coffee filters, disposable diapers, paper towels, and bathroom tissue are readily absorbed through the skin.

SCARY ISN'T IT?    SO....  LET'S LOOK AT AN ACTUAL MSDS ON BLEACH....
Material Safety Data Sheet
Bleach

ACC# 91020

Section 1 - Chemical Product and Company Identification

MSDS Name: Bleach
Catalog Numbers: S72823
Synonyms:
Company Identification:
             Fisher Scientific
              1 Reagent Lane
              Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
For information, call: 201-796-7100
Emergency Number: 201-796-7100
For CHEMTREC assistance, call: 800-424-9300
For International CHEMTREC assistance, call: 703-527-3887
Section 2 - Composition, Information on Ingredients

CAS# Chemical Name Percent EINECS/ELINCS
7681-52-9 Sodium hypochlorite 5.0 231-668-3
497-19-8 Sodium carbonate anhydrous <1.0 207-838-8
7732-18-5 Water Balance 231-791-2


Section 3 - Hazards Identification
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance: clear pale yellow liquid.Danger! Corrosive. Causes eye and skin burns. Causes digestive tract burns. Harmful if inhaled. Causes respiratory tract irritation. May cause methemoglobinemia.
Target Organs: Blood. 

Potential Health Effects 
Eye: May cause irreversible eye injury. Contact with liquid is corrosive to the eyes and causes severe burns.
Skin: Causes skin burns.
Ingestion: May cause methemoglobinemia, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), convulsions, and death. Causes severe digestive tract burns with abdominal pain, vomiting, and possible death. Methemoglobinemia is characterized by dizziness, drowsiness, headache, shortness of breath, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), rapid heart rate and chocolate-brown colored blood.
Inhalation: Harmful if inhaled. Causes severe irritation of upper respiratory tract with coughing, burns, breathing difficulty, and possible coma. May cause pulmonary edema and severe respiratory disturbances.
Chronic: Chronic inhalation and ingestion may cause effects similar to those of acute inhalation and ingestion.
Section 4 - First Aid Measures
Eyes: Flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting the upper and lower eyelids. Get medical aid immediately. Do NOT allow victim to rub eyes or keep eyes closed.
Skin: Get medical aid immediately. Immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Discard contaminated clothing in a manner which limits further exposure.
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. If victim is conscious and alert, give 2-4 cupfuls of milk or water. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Get medical aid immediately.
Inhalation: Remove from exposure and move to fresh air immediately. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Get medical aid. Do NOT use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If breathing has ceased apply artificial respiration using oxygen and a suitable mechanical device such as a bag and a mask.
Notes to Physician: Treat symptomatically and supportively.
Section 5 - Fire Fighting Measures

General Information: As in any fire, wear a self-contained breathing apparatus in pressure-demand, MSHA/NIOSH (approved or equivalent), and full protective gear. Contact with metals may evolve flammable hydrogen gas. Containers may explode when heated.
Extinguishing Media: Do NOT get water inside containers. For small fires, use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, or water spray. For large fires, use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, alcohol-resistant foam, or water spray. Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.
Flash Point: Not available.
Autoignition Temperature: Not available.
Explosion Limits, Lower:Not available.
Upper: Not available.
NFPA Rating: (estimated) Health: 3; Flammability: 0; Instability: 0

Section 6 - Accidental Release Measures

General Information: Use proper personal protective equipment as indicated in Section 8.
Spills/Leaks: Absorb spill using an absorbent, non-combustible material such as earth, sand, or vermiculite. Do not use combustible materials such as sawdust. Provide ventilation.
Section 7 - Handling and Storage

Handling: Wash thoroughly after handling. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. Use with adequate ventilation. Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing. Do not ingest or inhale. Discard contaminated   shoes.
Storage: Store in a tightly closed container. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from incompatible substances.
Section 8 - Exposure Controls, Personal Protection

Engineering Controls: Use adequate ventilation to keep airborne concentrations low.
Exposure Limits Chemical Name ACGIH NIOSH OSHA - Final PELs
Sodium hypochlorite none listed none listed none listed
Sodium carbonate anhydrous none listed none listed none listed
Water none listed none listed none listed

OSHA Vacated PELs: Sodium hypochlorite: No OSHA Vacated PELs are listed for this chemical. Sodium carbonate anhydrous: No OSHA Vacated PELs are listed for this chemical. Water: No OSHA Vacated PELs are listed for this chemical.
Personal Protective Equipment
Eyes: Wear chemical splash goggles.
Skin: Wear appropriate protective gloves to prevent skin exposure.
Clothing: Wear appropriate protective clothing to prevent skin exposure.
Respirators: A respiratory protection program that meets OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.134 and ANSI Z88.2 requirements or European Standard EN 149 must be followed whenever workplace conditions warrant respirator use.
Section 9 - Physical and Chemical Properties
Physical State: Liquid
Appearance: clear pale yellow
Odor: odor of hypochlorites
pH: Not available.
Vapor Pressure: 14 mm Hg
Vapor Density: 2.58
Evaporation Rate:>1.0
Viscosity: Not available.
Boiling Point: 100 deg C
Freezing/Melting Point:0 deg C
Decomposition Temperature:Not available.
Solubility: Soluble.
Specific Gravity/Density:1.07
Molecular Formula:Not available.
Molecular Weight:Not available.
Section 10 - Stability and Reactivity
Chemical Stability: Stable under normal temperatures and pressures.
Conditions to Avoid: Incompatible materials, combustible materials.
Incompatibilities with Other Materials: Sodium hypochlorite is incompatible with amines, ammonia, ammonium acetate, ammonium carbonate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium oxalate, ammonium phosphate, cellulose, and ethyleneimine, strong acids, reducing agents, amines, and ammonia salts.
Hazardous Decomposition Products: Hydrogen chloride, chlorine, sodium oxide.
Hazardous Polymerization: Has not been reported.

Choose to "GO GREEN" and move AWAY from toxic household chemicals like bleach and others listed in these newsletters ...
Ask me how...