This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains.
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Waterbirth Basics
Birth Story: The Home Birth of Josiah Evan Romero
My sis and I went snorkeling and for a long swim, probably close to half a mile, on Wednesday afternoon, the 14th. It was great exercise, and I think responsible for getting my contrax started at 41 weeks. My sis and I chatted until 2:30 in the morning, while contrax were about 10 minutes apart, and then I was able to rest well until about 8 the next morning. I spent the day in my recliner, chatting, reading, playing games in between contrax, and fading into oblivion during! My sis was astounded that I acted like I was asleep--all of her labors she fought her contrax. Needless to say, she was more than ready to stop after 3 babies! By her own words, she said she could see having 20 babies if it were so easy! Yeah right, easy, I thought. :o) But it did continue that way all the way up to the pushing stage. I was very apprehensive, and really not wanting to be in my skin at all, but as none would trade with me, I prayed all the way and did my best to relax and manage each contrax as it came.
Anyway, my hubby, sis and I retired to my bedroom where the bed & birth pool were set up for labor at about 6pm, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship in there between contrax. I must say the kids were exceptional all day! It did help that we let them sit in front of dvds all day, but they were very quiet and respectful. They even had to brave the pushing stage alone, as Eva, who'd been with them all day, was sitting in the pool with me! They all crowded in shortly after the birth, and were happy to kiss mommy and baby.
I never did have really clear signs of transition like I usually do, other than burping after contrax. I never started shaking, and other than the same apprehension never felt out of control, but my dear husband managed to know exactly what I needed, and insisted I get into the pool at about 8pm. Of course this slowed things a bit, but after about 10-15 minutes they returned in full force. Actually, there were only one or two before pushing began. I felt for baby, and could feel the bag of waters still unbroken against baby's head--what an amazing thing! My sis videoed the birth from that point, and we always laugh at my first "bug-eyed" expression when baby begins to move through the birth canal!
I was squatting against the edge of the pool, and Eva was behind me pushing on my lower back with all her might! I think he was born with one or both hands against his cheeks. The head and what I assumed to be shoulders were quite hard, and I hardly felt the body slip out as I usually do. But when his head was about half way out, there was a lull in the contrax, and he was so fat I couldn't quite tell what was what! Hubby looked with the flashlight and could see the ears, and I do remember his head rotating a bit in my hand. And then he was out--ah, such relief!! The cord was wrapped around him and over his head in such a way that I couldn't pull him up, and in trying to slip the cord over his head he actually slipped out under my leg and went floating and spinning off under water! It was so funny, but I think I was the only one who wasn't alarmed. :o) There was LOTS of vernix all over him, and chunks floating in the water--he was a slippery guy to hold on to! Once I had him again unwound and under my leg, I lifted him and and checked to see exactly who we had. "SHE'S a BOY!" I shouted! Well, that set us to scrambling for a name, between checking his apgar, ha! Though somewhat purple--as nearly all my babies have been--he was absolutely perfect, and cried within 20 seconds of clearing the water--and boy can he cry! :o)
Passing the placenta was a little harder--not the passing, but the cramping! It seems the placenta was in front of the womb, just under my skin, and it really hurt to massage and work it down. I bled ALOT after passing it, and think it was partly due to my prematurely taking some afterbirth tincture, hoping it would help with the cramping. It may have, but I also think it relaxed my womb too much, and perhaps my tummy wasn't able to clamp down like it should have. I'm quite sure the placenta was complete, though it came with a large blood clot--at least I knew I was clotting well! But in the shower after I got out of the pool and in bed I bled alot for the first hour or two. We nearly decided to leave for the hospital, but kept an eye on my blood pressure and how I was feeling looking. Other than normal after-birth weariness I felt fine, and my blood pressure didn't drop below 101/63, and my normal reading is about 105, so we stayed put. We are so thankful to the Lord for His sustaining Hand! The wise counsel of a dear friend and midwife was to keep me in bed for two or three days at least--though I must admit I did insist on getting up to use the restroom, sorry Barbara! :o) Things seem to be normal now, and I'm still leaning heavily on my family as I rest and try to get my bones to knit back together.
I cannot say what a tremendous blessing my husband was, as he has been for every birth, and am so thankful he is so patient as to sit next to me an entire day as I appear to be sleeping! His presence and encouragement are vital. And the presence of my sister was absolutely wonderful. Her first comment after baby's head was out of the water was "You are such a brave woman!" Well, I don't know that I was feeling that brave, but her encouragement was tremendous. She did a great job tracking the contrax, taking video/photos, and marking the apgar scores etc.
So the birth stats are:
Josiah Evan Romero
born March 15, 2007, at 8:25pm (this is, by the way, our only child born on the same date both in Fiji and the U.S! It would've been 1:25am US time March 15)
6.7 lbs, 20 inches long, head 14.25"
We had planned on naming a girl after my hubby's grandmothers and my handmaiden, Eva, so had to think about that. In the end it worked out fine. Evan is for Darren's maternal grandmother, Evelyn, and my handmaiden Eva, and Romero is his Paternal grandmother's maiden name. Josiah means "God saves," and Evan means "God is gracious," and God did both for me, and I trust He will for little Josiah as well!
I thought he would be attached permanently to me the first couple of days he was so hungry! If not sucking he was crying all but about 4-5 hours of the first two days. Now that my milk has come in, he's sleeping loonnngg stretches, and I'm having to wake him! Last night he slept the best yet, and while he woke a few times to eat, he went back to sleep right away and didn't insist on staying attached! He is a beautiful, sweet, content baby, and we could not be more delighted."
Jane, mother of:
Josiah Evan Romero
Born 3/15/2007
Fiji
submitted 3/20/2007
http://www.waterbirth.org/
Learning is Not Something That's Done to You
by Wendy Priesnitz
"You cannot teach a person anything; you can only help him find it within himself." Galileo
Perhaps the most basic assumption our society makes about education is that learning can and should be produced in people. This assumption leads to another one: Learning is the result of treatment by an institution called school.
We assume that people – especially children – do not want to learn and will not learn if left to their own devices. So we force children to gather together in one place for long hours with others of the same age, so that we can "educate" them. Even many people who reject traditional schooling in favor of homeschooling believe that education must be "done to" children. They continue the process of manipulating children to learn, as well as judging and processing them in a variety of ways, then diagnosing them as having a problem or even an illness if they don't learn what the adults have decided they need to learn.
Unfortunately for children, this assumption is no more valid than the one which says wellness results from treatment by a hospital. One may get well in a hospital and there are some situations where a hospital stay may be the only way to get well. But there are also many examples where hospitals have hindered the healing process or where relatively well people have become ill in hospitals, either through mistreatment or by catching other people's diseases. Most people would be healthier if they took responsibility for their own well-being, rather than rushing off to be treated by an institution every time they have a health problem.
Similarly, people do learn in schools. However, most schools are not the only – or for many people, the best – environment for learning. And that is because they focus on teaching rather than on learning. Human beings do not need to be taught in order to learn. We are born interacting with and exploring our surroundings. Babies are active learners, their burning curiosity motivating them to learn how the world works. And if they are given a safe, supportive environment, they will continue to learn hungrily and naturally – in the manner and at the speed that suits them best. In fact, you cannot stop young children learning from everything they experience. They are always experimenting with cause and effect. And they are always soaking up information from their environment – learning to walk, talk and do many other amazing things.
Cognitive psychologist Alison Gopnik, who is co-author of a research study called "The Scientist in the Crib," says babies' brains are smarter, faster, more flexible and busier than adults'. Her research has confirmed that, contrary to traditional beliefs about children, toddlers think in a logical manner, arriving at abstract principles early and quickly. "They think, draw conclusions, make predictions, look for explanations and even do experiments," she writes.
The late Robert White, Harvard developmental psychologist, called this instinct to learn an "urge toward competence." What he meant was that we are born with the need to have an impact on our surroundings, to control the world in which we live. We do not just sit and wait for the world to come to us (unless we've been told to sit down, be quiet and wait). We actively try to interpret the world, to make sense of it. Of course, this drive to discover means we are constantly learning... and experiencing the pride that comes with having learned.
Some psychologists feel that the pleasure we take from this drive to learn is also its motivation. Perhaps this hedonistic aspect of self-directed learning is also its downfall! How can something so important be so much fun? Can learning really be so effortless? Unfortunately, by turning learning into forced drudgery – intentionally or not – schools suffocate the natural desire to discover and master the world.
What results is a kind of self-fulfilling prophesy. Because schools suffocate this hunger to learn, learning appears to be difficult and we assume that children must be motivated to do it. The tools of manipulation and motivation include rewards and a whole array of demeaningly "fun" exercises reproduced from boring workbooks. In reality, people do not need external rewards to learn. We do not learn things because the process is fun, but because what we learn allows us to accomplish something. And that accomplishment is sufficient reward.
Nevertheless, there is more to learning than meets the eye. It is actually a very sophisticated mental process. No matter what the topic is or how motivated we are, people of all ages learn best when there is time for research, for digression, for processing the information, for immersion in the project, for spontaneous activities or even sidetracks. We learn by muddling through problems and discovering the satisfaction of accomplishment. Learning is a process of figuring things out, making connections, getting ideas and testing them, taking risks, making mistakes without fear of ridicule or embarrassment, and trying again. An optimum learning environment provides opportunities to explore, to investigate questions and ideas.
Discovery leads learners to find out about the world. Reading novels sparks an interest in history. Setting up a lemonade stand requires and develops a knowledge of arithmetic. Communicating with grandma hones creative writing skills. A conversation over the back fence can result in the enthusiastic pursuit of a common interest with a like-minded friend – not because two people share the same age but because they share a passion for a certain subject.
A real teacher is a facilitator, collaborator and supporter of this learning process, rather than someone who attempts to create, control or manipulate learning. This type of support requires respecting and trusting the learner; talking with them; providing opportunities for interaction with people and things; sharing and modeling learning; supporting the risk- and mistake-making processes; enriching the environment with books, pens, paper and other materials; celebrating good ideas and satisfying accomplishments; and helping troubleshoot when things go wrong. It also means providing the time for children to investigate their own ideas, and being a flexible and patient observer of a process that does not always appear to be sequential or organized.
Schools are not designed for this sort of active learning. They can't possibly present enough opportunities, time, space or flexibility for self-directed learning to take place, in spite of the fact that many teachers will tell you this is exactly what they are doing.
Active learners can benefit from access to resource people but do not require motivation or coercion by teachers. Active learners do not need the forced guidance of someone else's agenda or curriculum. They do not need formal lessons taught at predetermined hours on days set aside especially for learning.
Nor does active learning require assessment or grading. The concepts of "passing" and "failing" are really only relevant to situations where education is thought of as a series of hurdles to be scaled, and where accountability is the bottom line from an economic efficiency perspective. Nobody needs tests or grades in order to learn.
When we interfere with and try to control or measure the natural learning process, we remove children's pleasure in discovery and inhibit their fearless approach to problem-solving. We have all seen that sort of interference in action. My two-year-old daughter wanted to put her own shoes on. She proudly put the left shoe on the right foot, then determinedly spent ten minutes creating a massive knot in the laces. Her grandmother, not being able to watch any longer, said, "You’re doing it all wrong. Here, let Grandma do it for you!" My daughter burst into tears. Fortunately, I had the courage to intervene because the legacy of that type of "help" left me with a resistance to trying something new for fear of not being able to do it perfectly well the first time.
When people are fearful, confused or bored, or have been convinced that something is too difficult or that they are too dumb, they shut down. The surest way to make someone fearful of risk-taking is to demonstrate their chance of failing; I call what happened to me in school "learned incompetence." It is no wonder our schools are full of bored, frustrated, angry, passive children who have lost their ability – and desire – to question, experience and learn.
Those, however, are the lucky ones. Their less fortunate peers, whose frustration or lowered self-esteem leads them to misbehave, are diagnosed with mysterious learning "diseases" during their "treatment" at school. These diseases are loosely called attentional deficits or learning disabilities. Clinicians and researchers use terms like Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), ADD-combined type, ADD-predominantly inattentive type, Executive Function Disorder (EFD) and opposition defiant disorder (ODD). Parents and teachers sometimes just call it hyperactivity.
A cure is then prescribed, expectations for academic performance are lowered and the learning diseased children are often segregated from their peers. The "cure" is usually a dangerous drug like Ritalin.
Treating most of these children with a drug is unnecessary. Rather than being mentally ill, they are more often than not suffering from what can be called "school disabilities." Lack of ability to concentrate, short attention span, daydreaming, overly disruptive or even destructive behavior and many other perceived problems can often be traced to the influence of the school setting or an inappropriate style of teaching, rather than to the students' inherent lack of ability to learn. What we call hyperactivity can be caused by anxiety, food allergies, boredom or over- stimulation by video games or television.
Labeling children with one of these so-called "disorders" or "disabilities" is really blaming the victim, according to some psychologists. The system that has failed to educate these children then punishes them for not learning. In the past, these kids might have been labeled as "daydreamers" or "bundles of energy." But they were seldom, if ever, thought to have a psychiatric illness just because they didn’t fit into a certain structure. In fact, these children are often quite creative, excelling in music, dance, writing or inventing – when they are allowed to indulge in those activities
Although the institution of schooling may not be the best place for many children to learn, it has other important functions. Requiring children to meet together in dedicated buildings for a certain number of hours each weekday serves parents who need child care, teachers who like to work regular hours at challenging jobs, and everyone else in the industry that services the institution. But it is time to admit to ourselves that the industrial model on which we have based our school systems is not designed for the benefit of learners. Children have become the justification for the school industry – its products. In that way, schools need children more than children need schools!
So now that we have challenged the assumption that education can be done to people, with what do we replace it? We must begin at the beginning – by confronting our own feelings about learning. We must begin by separating what really contributes to learning from what schools say is helpful. And we must begin by trusting in children’s desire and ability to learn.
Then we must observe how our own children learn and provide them with environments where learning can happen. For many families, this will mean unschooling their children. But it also means that we must deschool our communities and perhaps all of society. Everyone – parents, non-parents, grandparents, teachers, politicians, the corporate sector – must take responsibility for creating and maintaining learning environments. This includes modeling the behavior; making the environment safe, stimulating and respectful; providing access to requested resources; consoling when things go wrong; and celebrating when things go right. Then we must get out of the way and not meddle in the learning process unless we are invited. In fact, we need to trust people of all ages – family members, work colleagues, neighbors and employees – to figure things out for themselves unless they ask for our help.
At the same time, we can work together in our communities to create a learning society that will eventually replace schools as we now know them. If we refer to Gardner's model of the eight intelligences, we can begin to see that everyday life can easily provide a full-spectrum learning environment that appreciates individual differences and is suited to each child's learning abilities and needs. We need to demand that our politicians use our tax money to fund libraries, museums, theaters, other community institutions – and yes, even school buildings – so they can afford to provide spaces for people of all ages to explore, interact and learn (on their own initiative, of course).
Institutions should exist to be used, rather than to produce something. If they are effective, people will use them. If they are accessible and stimulating, they will naturally incubate self-organizing, fluid groups of individuals and families who cooperate to use the spaces and resources to provide experiences that nurture learning.
What we should not do is create new schools – be they charter schools, private schools or home schools – which perpetuate the old assumptions of how children learn or who controls children's lives.
Copyright (c) Wendy Priesnitz 2009
http://www.educationrevolution.org/
Image copyrights: http://www.pedineuropsych.com/; http://image.guardian.co.uk/
Natural Sources Of Protein, Carbohydrates And Healthy Fats
Food is any substance, usually comprised primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by animals (including humans) for nutrition and/or pleasure. Here are few natural Sources of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat.
- Protein Egg whites: Egg whites is an excellent source of natural protein , it is usually called a perfect protein, it is also much cheaper than its alternatives – sometimes as low as 20 cents apiece. Over 90% of its calories are from protein, with trace amounts of carbohydrates and fats. This is a favorite among professional bodybuilders, some of whom routinely eat dozens of egg whites in one sitting
- Protein Fish: Fish is living, swimming protein. Look at the nutrition facts to make sure it does not contain too many preservatives. Look out for fish with good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, a crucial nutrient to healthy diets that few people get their daily requirement of.
- Carbohydrates Milk: Fat-free milk is approximately 2/3 carbs and 1/3 protein. Milk also contains vitamin D and calcium, key nutrients for bone growth. Try to drink it first thing in the morning. Since milk is a liquid, your body can absorb the nutrients from it more quickly than if it were a solid.
- Carbohydrates Whole grains: Whole grain products are great for breakfast, and keep you full for a long time. They are crunchy, delicious, and have numerous heart-related benefits. But for every product that claims to be whole grain, check its ingredients and make sure that whole grains is the first item on the list. If it is not, it is not truly whole grain.
- Carbohydrates Fruits: Fruits contain a lot of fast-acting sugars, which are good for when you need energy quickly. Nearly all fruits are great sources of carbohydrates, from apples, peaches, and watermelon to pineapple, cherries and grapes. When possible, eat whole fruits, rather than fruit juices. Most fruit juices contain from 10% to 0% real fruit juice. Surprisingly low, but also surprisingly common.
- Carbohydrates Vegetables: Vegetables have high potassium, calcium and sometimes even protein (did you know broccoli is 40% protein?). They are great for people trying to lose weight, because they contain a lot of fiber.
- Carbohydrates Baked potatoes: Potatoes get a lot of bad press and are often labeled as bad and unhealthy. But, potatoes will only be bad for you if you eat too many of them or you prepare them in non-healthy ways, like frying. Stay away from french fries and potato chips, but do not miss out on nutritious and delicious baked potatoes. Keep in mind that one medium potato is around 150 calories. Potatoes are a great source of fiber and vitamin C.
- Fats Nuts and legumes: Some people avoid peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts and other members of the nut and legume family because they contain a lot of fat. But these foods contain healthy fats that are very different from the bad fats that people want to avoid. Nuts and legumes are great snacks, and are just as crunchy as potato chips, but much better for your heart.
- Fats Oils: Oil is also commonly avoided because of its fat content. But not only do certain oils, like olive oil, contain 75% mono-unsaturated fat (the best kind of fat), but most oils contain good amounts of omega-6, a nutrient that the body needs but cannot make. Do not go overboard with oil, but do not limit yourself to no oil at all – you may be missing out on some health benefits.
http://www.salon.com/
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Q&A - Best sources of quality carbs
Good Carbs, Bad Carbs: Why Carbohydrates Matter to You
The right type of carbohydrates can boost your health!
What's the difference between a sandwich made on white bread and one made with 100% whole grain bread?
Or, the difference between French fries and side salad made with spinach, tomatoes, carrots, and kidney beans?
All the foods above are carbohydrates. But the second option in both questions includes good carbohydrate foods (whole grains and vegetables).
Carbohydrates: Good or Bad?
In the past five years the reputation of carbohydrates has swung wildly. Carbs have been touted as the feared food in fad diets. And some carbs have also been promoted as a healthful nutrient associated with lower risk of chronic disease.
So which is it? Are carbs good or bad? The short answer is that they are both.
Fortunately, it’s easy separate the good from the bad.
- We can reap the health benefits of good carbs by choosing carbohydrates full of fiber. These carbs that get absorbed slowly into our systems, avoiding spikes in blood sugar levels. Examples: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.
- We can minimize the health risk of bad carbs by eating fewer refined and processed carbohydrates that strip away beneficial fiber. Examples: white bread and white rice.
Why Carbohydrates Matter
In September 2002, the National Academies Institute of Medicine recommended that people focus on getting more good carbs with fiber into their diet. The following statements are based on information given in the report:
- To meet the body's daily nutritional needs while minimizing risk for chronic disease, adults should get 45% to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates, 20% to 35% from fat, and 10% to 35% from protein.
- There is only one way to get fiber -- eat plant foods. Plants such as fruits and vegetables are quality carbohydrates that are loaded with fiber. Studies show an increased risk for heart disease with low-fiber diets. There is also some evidence to suggest that fiber in the diet may also help to prevent colon cancer and promote weight control.
The recommendations:
- Men aged 50 or younger should get 38 grams of fiber a day.
- Women aged 50 or younger should get 25 grams of fiber a day.
- Because we need fewer calories and food as we get older, men over aged 50 should get 30 grams of fiber a day.
- Women over aged 50 should get 21 grams of fiber a day.
What Are The Good Carbs?
Most of us know what the good carbs are: plant foods that deliver fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals along with grams of carbohydrate, such as whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. You can’t judge a carb as "good" without considering its fiber content (unless it’s a naturally low-fiber food like skim or low-fat milk).
Why Fiber in Carbohydrates Counts
Fiber is the part in plant foods that humans can’t digest. Even though fiber isn’t absorbed, it does all sorts of great stuff for our bodies.
Fiber slows down the absorption of other nutrients eaten at the same meal, including carbohydrates.
- This slowing down may help prevent peaks and valleys in your blood sugar levels, reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes.
- Certain types of fiber found in oats, beans, and some fruits can also help lower blood cholesterol.
- As an added plus, fiber helps people feel full, adding to satiety.
The problem is that the typical American diet is anything but high in fiber.
"White" grain is the American mode of operation: we eat a muffin or bagel made with white flour in the morning, have our hamburger on a white bun, and then have white rice with our dinner.
In general, the more refined, or "whiter," the grain-based food, the lower the fiber.
To get some fiber into almost every meal takes a little effort. Here are three tips:
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Just eating five servings a day of fruits and vegetables will get you to about 10 or more grams of fiber, depending on your choices.
- Include some beans and bean products in your diet. A half-cup of cooked beans will add from 4 to 8 grams of fiber to your day.
- Switch to whole grains every single possible way (buns, rolls, bread, tortillas, pasta, crackers, etc).
What Are the Bad Carbs?
- Sugars
- "Added" sugars
- Refined "white" grains
There’s no way to sugarcoat the truth: Americans are eating more sugar than ever before. In fact, the average adult takes in about 20 teaspoons of added sugar every day, according to the USDA’s recent nationwide food consumption survey. That’s about 320 calories, which can quickly up to extra pounds. Many adults simply don’t realize how much added sugar is in their diets.
Sugars and refined grains and starches supply quick energy to the body in the form of glucose. That’s a good thing if your body needs quick energy, for example if you’re running a race or competing in sports.
The better carbs for most people are unprocessed or minimally processed whole foods that contain natural sugars, like fructose in fruit or lactose in milk.
Avoid Excess "Added Sugars"
"Added sugars, also known as caloric sweeteners, are sugars and syrups that are added to foods at the table or during processing or preparation (such as high fructose corn syrup in sweetened beverages and baked products)," explains Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokeswoman with the American Dietetic Association.
Added sugars supply calories but few or no nutrients, Gerbstadt says.
"Americans are very aware of low-fat diets and because of that we’ve been eating more fat-free and low-fat products," notes Shanthy Bowman, USDA food scientist and author of a recently published study on sugar in the American diet.
"But what many people don't know is that in many of these products, sugar is being substituted for fat, so we've really been trading fat for sugar," Bowman says.
The USDA recommends that we get no more than 6% to 10% of our total calories from added sugar -- that’s about nine teaspoons a day for most of us.
Use the Nutrition Label to Track Your Carbohydrates
The Nutrition Facts section on food labels can help you sort the good carbs from the bad carbs. Here’s what to look for on the Nutrition Facts label.
Total Carbohydrate. For tracking the total amount of carbohydrate in the food, per serving, look for the line that says "Total Carbohydrate." You’ll find that often the grams of "fiber," grams of "sugars" and grams of "other carbohydrate" will add up to the grams of "total carbohydrate" on the label.
Dietary Fiber. The line that says Dietary Fiber tells you the total amount of fiber in the food, per serving. Dietary fiber is the amount of carbohydrate that is indigestible and will likely pass through the intestinal tract without being absorbed.
Sugars. "Sugars" tells you the total amount of carbohydrate from sugar in the food, from all sources -- natural sources like lactose and fructose as well as added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup. It’s important to distinguish between natural sugars and added sugars. For example, the average 1% low-fat milk label will list 15 grams of "sugar" per cup. Those grams come from the lactose (milk sugars) not from added sweeteners.
To get an idea of how many grams of sugar on the label come from added sugars – such as high fructose corn syrup or white or brown sugar -- check the list of ingredients on the label. See if any of those sweeteners are in the top three or four ingredients. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so the bulk of most food is made up of the first few ingredients.
Other Carbohydrate. The category "other carbohydrate" represents the digestible carbohydrate that is not considered a sugar (natural or otherwise).
Sugar Alcohols. Some product labels also break out "sugar alcohols" under "Total Carbohydrate." In some people, sugar alcohol carbohydrates can cause intestinal problems such as gas, cramping, or diarrhea. If you look on the ingredient label, the sugar alcohols are listed as lactitol, mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and others. Many "sugar free" or "reduced calorie" foods contain some sugar alcohols even when another alternative sweetener like Splenda is in the product.
http://www.webmd.com/
Image Copyrights: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/; http://delvecarahe.files.wordpress.com/
Naural Breast Cancer and Prevention
Learning to Cope Successfully with Organochlorine Pollution
By Jennifer Rodriguez-Allen
What are organochlorines?
Organochlorines are chemicals found in some herbicides and pesticides, in chlorine bleach and most chemical disinfectants, and many plastics, especially PVC (polyvinylchloride).
Organochlorines are implicated in causing and promoting breast cancer because they mutate genes and they cause breast cells to become more receptive to a cancer-promoting chemical called estradiol.
Organochlorines weaken the immune system and lower your body’s resistance to bacteria and viruses. They also act as a negative type of estrogen in the body.
How do they enter our bodies?
Organochlorines enter our bodies through our drinking water, by eating foods grown with certain agricultural chemicals, and through the plastic linings on canned or microwaveable foods.
They enter through our lungs by breathing in the fumes of chlorine bleach disinfectants and by body contact with chlorine bleached paper products such as tampons, toilet paper and paper cups.
How can we reduce our exposure?
Step One - Reduce Your Exposure
The first thing to do is to reduce your plastic consumption, especially of convenience foods. On plastic containers, there is typically a triangle with a number inside of it on the bottom of the container. You can recognize PVC or polyvinylchloride as the type of plastic that has a 3 in the center of the triangle.
As for paper products, use oxygen bleached or unbleached paper products. Companies who sell non-chlorine bleached paper products typically say so on the label and they do not necessarily market their products as "green" products.
Buy the non-chlorine bleach and more environmentally friendly household products. Simple vinegar and water can be used for many household chores. Eating only organically produced meat and dairy products will reduce the amount of organochlorines in your diet by 80%.
Step Two - Help Your Liver
With help, your liver can metabolize organochlorines. Flaxseeds and organic egg yolks contain lecithin, a chemical that speeds up the elimination of fat-soluble chemicals such as organochlorines by making them water-soluble.
Beans, lentils, red clover, soy products and chickweed contain chemicals called saponins. Saponins help to break down organochlorines, prevent cellular mutation and can stop the reproduction of cancer cells. These foods are strongly recommended for anybody who regularly consumes organochlorines.
Members of the cabbage family including broccoli, kale, turnips, radishes, cabbage, bok choy or cauliflower can help you metabolize organochlorines by increasing the production of non-cancerous by-products.
Step Three - Mother Nature’s Help
Woman-positive natural sources of estrogen can block entrance of organochlorines, estradiol and other cancer promoting estrogens when enough of them are in the blood stream.
The reason behind this is that these positive hormones move quickly through our bodies whereas the cancer producing chemicals such as organochlorines move more slowly. If there are enough of these plant hormones in the blood stream, they can easily block organochlorines from attaching themselves to breast cells and from promoting cancer.
These plant hormones can be found in lentils, dried beans, tofu and fermented soy products such as tempeh and miso, parsnips, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, burdock roots, red clover, hops and ginseng. Regular intake of broccoli and cabbage is also helpful.
Post Transformation Tips
Making changes in favor of your survival and that of the environment often puts us in a period of re-adjustment, not only with the society we live in, but also with our family, friends and neighbors.
Natural self-defense does not mean natural aggression, nor does it mean that it will cause you to develop a social disorder triggered by the existence of organochlorines. Foods and herbs that encourage natural self-defense make you lose the taste for products associated with organochlorines.
Allow self-defense foods to empower you to envision and work towards an organochlorine free future without any anger about the present situation. In other words, don’t let the forces that encourage personal and environmental negligence push your buttons.
Chose recycled plastic toys or second-hand plastic toys over new ones for your children.
Send lunches in reusable containers.
Bring a bean or lentil salad to the next barbecue or potluck supper. Invite friends who use a lot of plastic and organochlorine products over to eat.
Explain why you eat certain foods and what you have done to minimize your contribution to its proliferation. Relay the information in such a way that your guests feel comfortable and leave them to lose the taste for organochlorine products in their own way and time.
Use organic foods to show your body what a natural food is and have confidence that your body will use this knowledge to recognize what isn’t natural and respond appropriately to it.
This is a goal that can be started even on a limited budget. The return of your natural body begins with one organic apple, especially a shared one!
http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com/
Dramatically Effective New Natural Way to Starve Cancer and Obesity
Watch: William Li
"Angiogenesis" is the process your body uses to build blood vessels. Your body consists of some 19 billion capillaries (the smallest blood vessels), which are the vessels for both life, and yes, in many cases, death, as Dr. William Li, explains during his fascinating TED lecture.
This is because cancerous cells, like all other cells in your body, cannot thrive without the oxygen and nutrients supplied by your capillaries.
Virtually all of your blood vessels are formed while you're in the womb, but there are still certain circumstances in adulthood when your body will grow new blood vessels.
Blood vessels are created each month to form the lining of a woman's uterus, for example. And during pregnancy, new blood vessels form the placenta, which connects and shuttles nutrients to the growing fetus.
"Your body has the ability to regulate the amount of blood vessels it needs at any given time," Li explains, and it does this through an elaborate system of stimulators and inhibitors.
"But for a number of diseases there are defects in this system," Li says.
In some cases, your body becomes incapable of "pruning back" extra blood vessels, and in others it cannot grow enough new ones.
In these situations, angiogenesis is out of balance, and a myriad of diseases result.
For example, insufficient angiogenesis (too few blood vessels) can lead to:
- Chronic wounds that will not heal
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Neuropathy
- Erectile dysfunction
Excessive angiogenesis (too many blood vessels) promote diseases such as:
- Cancer
- Blindness
- Arthritis
- Endometriosis
- Multiple sclerosis
According to Dr. Li, there are more than 70 major diseases, affecting more than a billion people worldwide -- which on the surface appear completely different from each other -- that all share abnormal angiogenesis as a common denominator.
"This realization allows us to reconceptualize the way we approach these diseases -- by controlling angiogenesis," Li says.
This is exciting, as I believe and have taught for years that your diet is the key to preventing diseases of all kinds, including cancer. Dr. Li's research explains, and scientifically validates what many of us have experienced, and our ancestors intuitively knew.
You are what you eat, and there are vast differences between a historically wholesome, nutritious diet, and the processed, chemical-based foods that pass for sustenance today.
In his TED talk, Dr. Li focuses primarily on cancer, because angiogenesis is a hallmark of the disease. As stated earlier, cancer cells cannot grow into noticeable tumors without sufficient amounts of capillaries feeding them oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood.
As it turns out, the majority of people carry around microscopic cancer cell clusters in their bodies, but not everyone actually develops cancer.
This is because as long as your body has the ability to balance angiogenesis properly, it will prevent blood vessels from forming to feed these microscopic tumors. Trouble will only arise if, and when, the cancer cells manage to get their own blood supply, at which point they can transform from harmless to deadly.
"Anti-angiogenic therapy is the method of cutting off blood supply to the cancer," Li explains. "This can be done because tumor vessels, unlike healthy vessels, are abnormal and poorly constructed, and because of that, they're highly vulnerable to treatments that target them."
There are currently about a dozen different anti-angiogenic cancer drugs that, according to Li's statistics, have significantly increased survival rates.
However, the answer to the cancer epidemic is not just devising better drugs to treat it in its advanced stages. The answer is preventing cancer from occurring in the first place, and that's what's so exciting about Dr. Li's research.
Interestingly, obesity is also largely dependent on angiogenesis.
"Like tumor cells, fat cells grow when blood vessels grow," Li says. So in essence, a cancer-preventive diet is also an obesity-preventive diet.
Dr. Li believes the answer to cancer is to prevent angiogenesis, which can effectively starve any microscopic cancerous growths, preventing them from growing and becoming dangerous.
But how do you prevent angiogenesis, aside from using a drug?
As it turns out, "mother nature has laced a large number of foods, beverages and herbs with naturally occurring inhibitors of angiogenesis," says Li.
So by consuming these anti-angiogenetic foods you can naturally boost your body's defense system and prevent blood vessels from forming and feeding the microscopic tumors that exist in your body at any given time.
As shown on a graph in the video, diet accounts for at least 30-35 percent of all environmentally caused cancers.
So, "eating to starve cancer" could have a dramatic impact on cancer rates across the world.
According to Li, resveratrol from red grapes, for example, have been shown to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis by 60 percent. Even more potent is the ellagic acid found in strawberries.
Logically, different foods contain different potencies of anti-angiogenetic compounds. But interestingly, when researchers evaluated a combination of two of the LEAST potent teas, for example, they discovered that this combination tea had greater potency than any given tea by itself.
"There's synergy," Li states, which should come as no surprise to those of you who are well-versed in holistic nutrition.
Synergy is indeed what makes fresh, whole foods so potently nutritious! The sum is far greater than the individual parts, and this is why it's far more important to focus on eating a diet of whole, organic foods, rather than obsessing about individual nutrients.
In his lecture, Dr. Li shows a graph comparing anti-angiogenetic drugs with foods. It's a beautiful illustration of just how potent foods can be, because, as Li says, "foods hold their own, and in some cases are more potent than the drugs!"
Examples of foods equaling or exceeding the potency of drugs include parsley, garlic, and red grapes.
Dr. Li is now involved with creating the world's first rating system that will score foods according to their anti-angiogenetic, cancer-preventative properties. But there's really no reason to wait for a comprehensive list, because we already know that optimal health hinges on a healthy diet consisting of a wide variety of whole, organic foods.
Just like a single food contains synergistic compounds, and a combination of foods can work together synergistically, a healthy diet overall will help you prevent all manner of disease, including cancer, in more ways than one.
For example, balancing your insulin levels will have a beneficial, protective effect on a number of diseases, including cancer. And eating according to your nutritional type also has potent anti-cancer effects. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic, this is in fact one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.
It's virtually impossible to discuss cancer prevention today without discussing vitamin D, as the scientific evidence of its anti-cancerous benefits is truly impressive.
For example, intake of vitamin D3 and calcium could potentially prevent 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer annually in the United States and Canada, according to a complex computer prediction model.
This model also predicted that 75 percent of deaths from these cancers could be prevented with adequate intake of vitamin D3 and calcium.
Theories linking vitamin D to certain cancers have been tested and confirmed in more than 200 epidemiological studies, and understanding of its physiological basis stems from more than 2,500 laboratory studies, according to epidemiologist Cedric Garland, DrPH, professor of family and preventive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Dr. Garland is widely regarded as the leading epidemiologist on vitamin D and its relation to health. He led one of the latest studies on vitamin D for cancer prevention and proposed a new model of cancer development -- dubbed DINOMIT-- that is centered on a loss of cancer cells' ability to stick together.
The model is a departure from the older model of cancer development, which centers on genetic mutations as the earliest driving forces behind cancer. According to Dr. Garland:
"The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels. In this new model, we propose that this loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over."
So clearly, no cancer prevention plan is complete without this simple lifestyle modification.
Normalizing your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure is one of the most effective, and least expensive, strategies that is available to most people. Ideally, you'll want to monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure your levels stay within a therapeutic range year-round.
Here are several additional strategies you can incorporate to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:
- Control your insulin levels by limiting your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.
- Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
- Exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
- Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
- Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so don't use that as an excuse. If you are a carb nutritional type you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.
- Maintain an ideal body weight.
- Get enough high-quality sleep.
- Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
- Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
http://articles.mercola.com/
Secrets of the Soil - A Guide to Permaculture
Remineralizing The Soil
One of the single most important things we can do for our gardens, ourselves and for the earth itself is to remineralize the soil. Minerals and alkalinity are key, earth saving and consciousness-creating practices. I see the earth as a macro-manifestation of female energy, a beautiful conscious being, and more and more I find ways that compare her needs to ours. Minerals and alkalinity are also key, life saving and consciousness-creating practices for us humans too :) Below I list a few ideas for things we can do to increase the efficacy of our efforts in healing the soil.
Key Elements For Building Good Soil:
Soil PH – test annually - a ph test measures the concentration of hydrogen ions present in the soil. The ph should fall between 6 and 7.5 on the ph scale. If you're having your soil analyzed by a soil testing lab; dig 6 inches deep for the sample ------
Danger! If the PH of your soil falls below 5 research shows that this will increase the amount of, and bioavailability of minerals such as aluminum ( - gasp - !alzheimers!), manganese and iron, in your plants and ultimately put high amounts of them into you... these minerals are extremely harmful in overdose. When your soil ph is neutral microorganisms are capable of balancing the minerals and utilizing them properly – transmuting what is needed or not needed depending- if it's acid, the microorganisms aren't capable of achieving this.
Lime - Limestone is used to raise the alkalinity and mineral content of the soil. According to http://www.limestone.org/ it's not the actual percentage of calcium or magnesium present in the limestone that raises the ph of the soil but the carbonate content within the calcium and magnesium that increases its ability to neutralize the acidity of your soil (i.e. calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate....) So, different types of stones and rock will have various effects. Limestone with a lot of white in it indicates high silica content.
Rock Dust – best sourced locally. Use a mix of 4 or 5 different kinds of stone for full spectrum mineralization. Choose rock dust that is not too fine (can clog your soil) and not too large (can take too long to break down); the goal here is to provide rock porous enough to allow microorganisms to enter it, break it down and turn it into soil. This newly formed mineral rich soil then feeds the plants through its roots creating a more nutrient rich alkaline and mineral rich plant. Rock dust also provides a slow-time release of trace minerals.
Lime, Mineral Mediums and Clay
***Aglime-High Calcium Limestone
***Dolomite – high magnesium limestone – also high in calcium
***Glacial Gravel – a pre-mix of rocks providing a full spectrum of minerals
***Pyrophyllite Clay- high silica clay
Ocean Water Technology or Himalayan Salt Sole – Ocean water has been shown to produce truly amazing results. It's also one of the best ways to get a full spectrum of minerals into your body through the plants. It's also an up and coming commodity – and your plants will be if you use this method. The difference in taste is huge! I've seen studies where plants grown with ocean water quadruple compared to a plant grown without it. Ocean water provides ormus, 85-92 trace minerals, broad spectrum mineral nutrition and improves quality and taste.
The easiest way to include ocean water technology in your garden is to make a "Sole" (pronounced so-lay) out of Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt, or other high quality sea salt – most Whole Foods now have several different colors and varieties available in bulk - Saturate a 5 gallon bucket of water with the salt that you choose and allow the salt to dissolve over night; add more salt to the water the next day, allow that to dissolve, adding more the next day if needed.... Continue this process until the salt no longer dissolves. This is your saturation point. Your water is now saturated with the salt's minerals and can be used as a base, further diluted and either sprayed on or fed through your watering system.
Use only high quality sea salt –It's safe to go with the Himalayan.....although I guess some may disagree with me on this.....some say it has high amounts of nickel due to processing.... Here's where I like to digress back to the LOVE concept...
Fermented Herbs – you might try this: A fermented mixture of several different kinds of herbs. (you can add it to your compost or make a compost tea with it) Choose a mix based on their mineral content and whatever nutrient your soil is needing at the moment to produce a balanced array of nutrients and good bacteria– This is an idea based on Steve Storch's work (and his studies with Rudolf Steiner). He uses Dandelion, Comfrey, Nettle, Yarrow, Horsetail (Equisetum) plus others – Each individual herb is chosen for being high in a specific nutrient or mineral and also its correlatation with a specific planet in the solar system; he teaches that these herbs create a conduit for specific energetic and foundational information that gets drawn into your soil and plants –more on this concept below.
Compost/Compost Tea – microorganisms, nutrients, minerals, homeopathic, energetics- based on the concept of energetics, stirring and vortexing the tea for a long period of time allows for all particles in your tea to mix together and share information. Steve Storch teaches that this also allows time for the etheric bodies present to fully integrate. Here is a basic recipe for compost tea to build on (listed below)
*One small shovel of compost (about 3 big handfulls)
*2 tablespoons of molasses (because molasses contains several different kinds of sugars)
*2 tablespoons of seaweed emulsion
*1 teaspoon of citric acid for the bacteria (or vitamin c or several tablespoons of lemon juice)
Algaes and Seaweeds/High quality Green powders – kelp, spirulina, grass, herbs etc.; These will add full spectrum minerals and trace minerals to your soil.
And Love - :) Remember, if you can do nothing else, love your soil, your garden, your plants, the bugs, the process...... Water is a carrier of information hold a space of love as you water your garden; as shown here, (emoto's work) our thoughts can structure its molecules making it more bioavailable to your plants and infuse them with your good intention. Which leads me too.........
http://instituteofraw.blogspot.com/
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Patterns and Permaculture
Great Potting Soil
Although it may be a bit late in the season to talk about potting soil, it's not too late for repotting, which can come up anytime. A good potting soil will make all the difference in the world, particularly for planters and hanging baskets. And while planters, pots and hanging baskets are a delight to the heart and joy to the soul, they can be a bit of a problem, especially hereabouts where things get rather dry in summer. Watering daily, to keep them fresh, healthy and exuberant, can become a bit of a chore.
But fear not, help is on its way. We can take care of this, and very beautifully. Since plants in planters, balcony pots and hanging baskets are exposed to the drying air on all sides, we need to optimize the soil they are growing in for these conditions. And this can be done quite easily.
Here then is my secret formula for dynamite potting soil which will keep your potted plants fresh, healthy and exuberant under these conditions with a minimum of work and trouble. The secret ingredient is "duff", it makes all the difference. Now, for those who do not know what "duff" is, it is the stuff you find on the forest floor - the surface layer of semi-decayed leaves and needles among the trees.
Start out with good quality potting soil, and add by volume, an equal amount of duff. Then add a handful of sand per gallon, a handful of dolomite lime to balance the pH and for its vital trace elements, and up to a quart of finished compost or composted manure. For good measure, work in a handful of finely shredded seaweed per gallon, and dust the whole thing with a tablespoon of 20-20-20 slow release fertiliser.
The roughness of the duff will allow plenty of air penetration, but will also hold water like a super-sponge. It's the equivalent of a super absorbent sponge with lots of small holes in it. And that is exactly what our potted plants need. A plentiful reservoir of moisture, along with well aerated soil. The handful of sand worked into a gallon of this soil is also necessary to provide ready drainage, particularly later in the season when it gets wet again. It prevents the soil from becoming water logged. And the high nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizer provides plenty of nitrogen for growth and the ongoing decay of the duff, while the phosphorus is needed for the demands of profuse blossoms.
It is best to make this potting soil at least a week in advance, so all its ingredients can become well acquainted with each other. When using this soil in suspended planters and hanging baskets, make sure they are on sturdy supports. For when this soil is nicely saturated with water it weighs a ton. And this is exactly how it should be. Test for watering by lifting the pot or planter a bit. If it doesn't 'weigh a ton' it needs water. Plastic pots help a great deal by preventing evaporation through the sides of these totally exposed containers, and so does a clear plastic liner in wood and porous ceramic pots and planters.
Under normal circumstances, and with evaporation through the sides of the container minimized, you'll find that you need to water your pots only about once a week, and all of your flowers will just love it.
http://www.salescene.com/
5 Sustainability Features For The Homes of the Future
For all of the technological faults we can lay at the feet of the latter half of the 20th Century, at least we have this; we’ve believed that we could ultimately improve the way we live for generations to come with the help of technology and innovation. And in the 21st Century, nothing is more relevant to that vision than sustainability and green building.
One of the things specified in annual competitions like the USGBC Natural Talent Design Competition is that the homes of the future should be about practical applications, and not concerned with way-out concepts for their own sake. We want homes that we can be proud of, visually speaking. We want homes that will support our lifestyles and our senses of comfort. But we want them to be inexpensive to maintain, too. And we want to see our grandchildren, and their grandchildren enjoy them as much as we do.
With this in mind, I scoured the Internet for some visions of the future as expressed in green architectural design, green building, and innovative sustainability. At this point in history, the lines between science fiction and implemented technology are beginning to blur, just as we suspected they would when we were growing up, although perhaps in ways we didn’t expect. And here are 7 examples the kind of technological features that we may see in the homes of the future that help us to envision our future, a necessary thing when making decisions in the present.
1. Natural Fiber Insulation
Ways of retaining warmth, reducing heat and humidity in summer months, and of maximizing environmental control in general without drawing detrimentally on an overtaxed power grid is a growing concern. As sources of new fuels and ways to heat our homes are (quite rightly) sought, they are only as good as the insulation technology that will contain the energy output.
Some up-and-coming to the mainstream insulation technology actually is turning to the technologies of the past by utilizing natural materials like cellulose, recycled fiber, post-industrial wood fibers, wool, and straw insulation. Ironic that we’re looking to the past to inform the future. Yet, this seems to be how technology works best and is most beneficial; when it’s the ideas that drive the tools, and not the other way around.
(Thanks to Sustainabuild.co.uk)
2. Efficient Water Usage
The idea of preserving our resources when building homes and planning cities is best served when thinking about the most basic of needs we have and the most "plentiful" element we can think of; water.
Whether we’re talking residential rain harvesting technology, or low-flow toilets, the home of the future will maximize water use efficiency as a part of the design. No longer will these technologies be curiosities or even selling features. They’ll be standard, especially in the light of inflated water usage that is a problem here in the present day. In the future, perhaps finding ways of conserving water won’t be so theoretical. It will be a necessity.
(Thanks to CircleofBlue.org)
3. Residential Farming, Green Roofs, and Integrated Urban Gardens
With the sourcing of food locally becoming a key green benefit, along with air quality measures, and water conservation, the presence of greenery in suburban residential settings as well as those in urban centers will be a key characteristic of the homes of the future.
Currently, residential vegetable and herb gardens and container gardening is a growing hobby among many apartment and condo dwellers. Yet, in a future where poor air quality may be a reality, or even as an ongoing strategy to keep air quality from becoming poor, the integration of green space within a building itself is certainly a very real possibility, especially in the light of booming urban populations and shrinking farmlands as our century progresses.
(Thanks to The Daily Green)
4. Passive Design Equals Active Energy and Resource Efficiency
Passive design is anything but, in a certain sense. It is defined as a means of factoring in immutable elements – like sun and wind exposure, and climate – into the planning of a structure at the architectural planning stage. In the future, a great deal of thought will be put into home design as far as placement of structures goes, to the betterment of the homes themselves in terms of resistance to natural wear, but also in terms of a lower energy requirement due to using the sun and wind exposure to naturally maintain moderate temperatures.
Passive design also include the idea that residences should be built around the idea that native plants and animals will co-exist, with ponds, and river systems incorporated, or at very least allowed for, at the design stage.
Thanks to Urban RE:Vison.
5. Autonomous Power and Water
There are a number of homes, commonly owned by the affluent and popularized by green celebrities, that exist off the grid. But, in the home of the future, integrated power sources, and even autonomous residential sewage treatment systems may well be more the norm in gearing these systems to specific climates and ecosystems in order to gain net zero status.
The technologies driving these sorts of amenities are already in place today in the homes of the few, may become just another daily reality in the future. Self-contained and eco-conscious residential projects which employ water harvesting, on-site sewage treatment, heating plants, solar and wind power, green roofs, and other features incorporated into the design of the buildings may well become the norm, not the subject of news.
Thanks to Dockside Green.
Do you have any ideas about what the homes of the future will look like?
Cheers!
"Green roof" image courtesy of Mark Hunter. "Brentwood SkyTrain Station" image courtesy of SqueakyMarmot."Passive design floor plan" image courtesy of VizPix.
http://kindomains.archinia.com/
Additional Image Copyrights: http://www.pauliddon.net/
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Passive Solar Home - Sustainable Architecture
Thirteen Principles of Sustainable Architecture
by Kelly Hart
As "consumers" we are frequently confronted with life style decisions that can impact our environment. There are a few choices in this life that can make a big difference in what the quality of life will be for those who follow us. Going with the flow of our culture is hard to avoid, and unfortunately the flow is not in the right direction for evolving a sustainable future.
One of the most momentous choices that any of us will make is the kind of house we live in. I have come up with a list of thirteen principles of sustainable architecture that can guide you in your housing choices.
Small is beautiful. The trend lately has been toward huge mansion-style houses. While these might fit the egos of those who purchase them, they don't fit with a sustainable life style. Large houses generally use a tremendous amount of energy to heat and cool. This energy usually comes from the combustion of fossil fuels, depleting these resources and emitting greenhouse gases and pollutants into the air. Also, the larger the house, the more materials go into its construction; materials which may have their own environmental consequences. A home should be just the right size for its occupants and their activities. My wife and I (and our two dogs) have happily lived in a forty foot bus for the last four years. The key to this is efficient use of space, good organization, and keeping possessions to a manageable level. We do look forward to spreading out some in the passive solar, earthbag home we are building.
Heat with the sun. Nothing can be more comfortable for body and mind than living in a good solar-heated house. I say "good", because proper design is crucial to the comfort of such a house. You may have gone into a solar house and felt stifled by the glaring heat, or perhaps you shivered from the lack of it. Good passive solar design will provide just enough sunlight into the rooms to be absorbed by the surrounding thermal mass (usually masonry materials), so that the heat will be given back into the room when the sun goes down. The thermal mass is a kind of "heat battery" that stores the warmth, absorbing it to keep the room from getting too hot during the day. Equally important to thermal mass is insulation (such as straw bales or crushed volcanic rock) that will keep that heat inside. Thermal mass materials need to be insulated from the outside, or else they will just bleed that warmth right back out. A rock house might have tons of mass, but be uncomfortably cold because of this energy bleed. So a good solar design will utilize materials of the right type in the right places, blending thermal dynamics with utilitarian design. There is much more to be said about solar design, and there are many good books on the topic.
Keep your cool. As I suggested above, a well designed solar house is both warm when you want it, and cool when you want it; that is to say, the temperature tends to stay fairly even. A good way to keep your cool is to dig into the earth. If you dig about six feet into the earth, you will find that the temperature there varies by only a few degrees year round. While this temperature (about 50-55 degrees F.) might be too cool for general living comfort, you can use the stability of the earth's temperature to moderate the thermal fluctuations of the house. If you dig into a south-facing hillside to build, or berm the north part of the house with soil, you can take advantage of this. The part of the house that is under ground needs to be well insulated, or the earth will continually suck warmth out of the house.
Let nature cool your food. In the old days people relied on pantries and root cellars to help keep produce and other provisions fresh. Ice boxes made way for refrigerators, which are obviously much more convenient, but somehow the use of cool pantries and root cellars also fell by the wayside. This is too bad because these spaces have functions that a refrigerator simply can't replace. Root cellars can store large quantities of produce from the time of harvest until the next summer. Cool pantries can store some produce, but also all manner of other foodstuffs and kitchen supplies can be kept there. Cool, dry storage is the best way to preserve most food. The cool of the earth can keep a totally bermed pantry or root cellar cool; the night air can also be used to cool a storage room. The convenience and security of having ample provisions at your finger tips can not be beat.
Be energy efficient. There are many ways to conserve the use of fossil fuel. Using the sun, wind, or water to produce electricity is one. If you choose to do this, you will be forced to be careful in the way you use your electricity because it is limited. Whether you get your electricity from alternative sources or from the grid, it pays to choose energy efficient appliances. Front-loading clothes washers, for instance, use much less electricity, water and soap than the top-loaders. Compact florescent lights use about a third of the electricity of standard bulbs. Many appliances use electricity by just being plugged in (known as phantom load); be sure to avoid this.
Conserve water. The average person in the U. S. uses between 100 and 250 gallons of water a day. I know it is possible to get by just fine on one tenth that amount. The use of low water capacity toilets, flow restrictors at shower heads and faucet aerators are fairly common now. More radical conservation approaches include diverting gray water from bathing, clothes washing and bathroom sinks to watering plants; catching rain water from roofs and paved areas for domestic use and switching to composting toilets. These can be very effective and safe means of water conservation if done carefully to avoid bacterial infestation. Landscaping with drought tolerant, indigenous plants can save an enormous amount of water.
Use local materials. There are several benefits to using local, indigenous materials. For one, they naturally fit into the "feeling" of the place. For another, they don't burn as much fossil fuel to transport them, and they are likely to be less processed by industry. An example of building materials found in our corner of Colorado would be rocks, sand, adobe and scoria (crushed volcanic rock).
Use natural materials. Again, naturally occurring materials often "feel" better to live with. When you step onto an adobe floor, for instance, you feel the resilient mother earth beneath your feet. A major reason for choosing natural materials over industrial ones is that the pollution often associated with their manufacture is minimized. For every ton of portland cement that is manufactured, an equal amount of carbon dioxide is released into the air. And then there is the matter of your health; natural materials are much less likely to adversely affect your health.
Save the forests. Having lived for many years in the Pacific Northwest, I can attest to the appalling degradation of national and private forests. While wood is ostensibly a renewable resource, we have gone way beyond sustainable harvesting and have ruined enormous ecosystems. Use wood as decoration. Cull dead trees for structural supports. Use masonry, straw bales, papercrete, cob, adobe, rocks, bags of volcanic rock, etc., instead of wood. Unfortunately it is difficult to get away from lumber in making a roof, so consider making a dome from materials that can be stacked. Domes are also more energy efficient and use less materials for the same space as a box. A conventional straw bale house only diminishes the amount of wood used by about 15%!
Recycle materials. If the materials already exist, you might as well use them, because by doing so you are not promoting the creation of more of them. You might also be keeping them out of the landfill, or keeping them from being transported for further processing. Wood that is kept dry does not degrade much, nor does glass. All kinds of things can be used in a house. We're using old metal wagon wheels to support the window openings in our earthbag home.
Build to last. There is an attitude in this throw-away society that an old house might as well be replaced by a new one. Unfortunately this is often true, because of shoddy construction or poor choice of materials, or lack of maintenance. A well made house can last for centuries, and it should. Moisture getting into a building can lead to ruin, and it is hard to avoid this, whether from the outside environment or from condensation from within. For this reason I am partial to the use of materials that are not degraded by moisture.
Grow your food. Why not ask your house to help nourish you? With all of that south-facing glass, you might as well devote some of it to a greenhouse. Herbs and salad greens can be grown year round. What a pleasure!
Share Facilities. A basic tenet of sustainability is to share what you have with others. Doing this can diminish the need for unnecessary duplication of facilities. In this way a group of people can not only have fewer tools or appliances or functional areas, but at the same time they can have available a greater variety of these facilities. This benefits both the environment (through less industrial activity) and the individual (by providing more options for living.)
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/
Image Copyrights: http://sustainabilityninja.com/
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