Modified Benches by Jeppe Hein

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

A new breed of bicycles that claims to help improve balance and allay jitters is changing how kids reach this childhood milestone. The bikes promote a simple strategy: ride without the pedals first.

Balance bikes—also called like-a-bikes and run bikes—are already widespread in Europe and are gaining popularity in the U.S. Bike makers say that children develop balance most effectively by sitting on the bike and walking with their feet flat on the ground and learning to pedal later. The bikes are generally meant for children ages two to five although some parents choose to buy them earlier.

Models cost from $50 to upwards of $200, or more than a regular kid’s bike with pedals. And 4- and 5-year-olds may outgrow them pretty quickly, moving on to a real two-wheeler in less than a year.

Companies that sell these products say they will change the age-old American way of learning to ride by enabling parents to skip a key step: “You won’t see training wheels,” says Frank McDonnell, a partner at TurnStyle Brands LLC, exclusive distributor of Early Rider balance bikes in the U.S. “Children that ride a balance bike tend to not need training wheels and will go straight to a two wheeler.”

by Anjali Athavaley via online.wsj.com

Photos by Strider Bikes, Kazam Balance Bike, Balance Bike Spot, Balance Bikes 4 Tots, Like A Bike

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

For some people, the smell of a new coat of paint ranks up there with fresh cut grass and gasoline. Maybe cosmetic companies could distill that scent, package it and sell it as perfume. What would they call it? Eau de carcinogen? Parfum de respiratory problems?

On second thought, maybe selling it isn’t such a good idea. Typical household paint contains up to 10,000 chemicals, of which 300 are known toxins and 150 have been linked to cancer [source: greenhomeguide.com]. Some of the most harmful chemicals found in paint are volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These chemicals aren’t something you want to spray on your body or potentially even keep inside your house.

VOCs are unstable, carbon-containing compounds that readily vaporize into the air. When they enter the air, they react with other elements to produce ozone, which causes air pollution and a host of health issues including breathing problems, headache, burning, watery eyes and nausea. Some VOCs also have been linked to cancer, as well as kidney and liver damage [source: appropedia.org].

As paint dries, these harmful VOCs are released into the air at high levels. Indoor VOC levels are routinely 10 times higher than outdoor levels, and up to 1,000 times higher immediately after painting [source: greenhomeguide.com]. Although VOC levels are highest during and soon after painting, they continue seeping out for several years. In fact, only 50 percent of the VOCs may be released in the first year [source: Green Seal].

So perhaps it’s not so hard to believe that paint-related products are one of the worst environmental offenders. They’re the second largest source of VOC emissions into the atmosphere after automobiles, responsible for roughly 11 billion pounds every year [source: appropedia.org]. Painters regularly exposed to paint vapors have an increased incidence of several types of cancers, impaired brain function, renal dysfunction and other health problems [source: International Programme on Chemical Safety].

Armed with this information, consumers have begun to demand safer alternatives. Enter low-VOC and no-VOC paints, which are now widely available and sold by most major paint manufacturers. You may be wondering what took them so long. The answer lies in the composition of paint. VOCs were once considered essential to the paint’s performance.  As you apply the second or third coat of paint to your do-it-yourself project, you’re probably thinking more about how tired you are than about what’s in the paint. But the paint’s composition actually has a lot to do with how many coats of it you’ll need.

Paint is typically made of three major components:

• Pigment: gives the paint its color
• Binders: also known as the vehicle or medium, binders help the pigment stick to the applied surface.
• Solvents: sometimes called carrier or thinner, keep the paint in liquid form, making it easier to apply. Of these three components, the solvents contribute the most to the paint’s level of VOCs. That’s because the solvent (a liquid) is designed to evaporate quickly, leaving only the pigment and its binder (the solids) behind on your walls. Paints with a greater percentage of solids typically leave more pigment behind, thus requiring fewer applications.

The VOCs in paint rapidly vaporize and enter the air, contributing to ozone pollution and health problems.

Solvents tend to be either oil-based (high VOC content) or water-based (low or no VOC content). Latex paint, which has lower VOC levels and is generally more environmentally friendly than oil-based paints, uses water-based solvents. Common oil-based solvents include white spirit, formaldehyde and toluene, along with a variety of other alcohols, ketones, acetates and aromatic compounds. Before volatile solvents like these were introduced to painting, oil paints were difficult to apply and rarely used. Now they’re being phased out again as environmental and health concerns trump their convenience.

While a low-VOC label on paint indicates only that it’s lower in VOCs than traditional paints, some paints eliminate the other toxins as well.

Low-VOC Paint, VOC-free Paint and Other Alternatives
By this time, you’re probably wondering what qualifies paint as low-VOC. According to the U.S. EPA, the numbers break down like this:

Most low-VOC paints sold by reputable dealers, though, tend to have levels of 50 g/L or below. Keep in mind that the numbers cited on the paint can are measurements taken before the paint’s pigment or any additives are added, both of which can contribute more VOCs. Pigments, for example, can add roughly 10 g/L [source: Eartheasy].

As you learned on the previous page, just because companies cut back on VOCs doesn’t mean these paints are free of toxins. If you’re worried about those as well, you still have options. Paints that carry the Green Seal, for example, are guaranteed to meet precise environmental standards. Paints with this designation must have VOC contents below 100g/L for a non-flat finish and 50 g/L for a flat finish. The Green Seal VOC limit for primers and floor paints is also 100 g/L, while reflective wall coatings can’t exceed the 50 g/L mark [source: Green Seal].

Paint that carries the Green Seal is guaranteed to meet high environmental standards.
In addition to the lower VOC levels, Green Seal paints are forbidden from using a long list of toxic chemical compounds including carcinogens, reproductive toxins, hazardous air pollutants, heavy metals and formaldehyde-donors to name just a few. As an added draw, paints qualifying for the Green Seal also must meet certain performance requirements such as abrasion resistance, hiding power and washability. Green Seal also offers instruction on how to handle and dispose of paint properly [source: Green Seal].

Beyond low and no-VOC paints, there are also natural paints, which are made primarily of naturally occurring materials like clay, lime, linseed oil and chalk. Since they don’t use any synthetic oil products, natural paints are “naturally” low in the VOCs regulated by the EPA for air quality. However, they may contain significant levels of unregulated VOCs from things like citrus oils and terpenes, which can aggravate chemically sensitive people. So just because a paint is labeled natural doesn’t mean it’s better for your health. Cadmium, for instance, a metal used in some yellow pigments, is highly toxic. Therefore, it’s best to always check the ingredients on the label.

Some people seeking low-VOC and otherwise health friendly paints decide to make their own. Milk-based paint is made from a readily available milk protein and contains few, if any, harmful ingredients [source: Pennock]. If you’re Martha Stewart, you can also make your own healthy paint out of things like eggs, flour, linseed oil or chalk.

While most low-VOC paints and other earth-friendly paint alternatives perform on-par with regular paints, not all of them do. Depending on what they use as solvent, they may not do as good a job at thinning out the paint, thus making them more difficult to apply. Some alternate solvents also take longer to dry (since they’re not so “volatile”), so you’ll have to wait longer between applying coats. Another drawback is that there are fewer color options because many of the darker pigments use VOCs. Finally, while low-VOC paints usually cost the same as other paints, many natural paints may cost 20 to 80 percent more [source: greenhomeguide.com].

Beyond considering levels of VOCs and other toxins when you purchase paint, another good piece of advice is to look for one that contains at least 30 percent solids. That way, maybe you won’t have to apply that third coat after all. This information is usually found on the paint’s label or Technical Data Sheet.

by Jennifer Horton via howstuffworks.com

More useful links:

• VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds, Indoor Air Quality and Respiratory Health
• Paint characteristics 
• Make Safe, Natural Paint

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

If you’ve heard of super foods, you already know that many fruits and vegetables provide you with extensive health benefits. Studies show that many fruits and vegetables contain a variety of cancer-fighting substances.
Super foods are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals that help cleanse the body and prevent serious diseases such as diabetes and rheumatism. Many fruits and vegetables are also high in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that converts fat-soluble toxins to less harmful forms that you can easily excrete.

Top Ten Detox Foods

If you’re thinking about cleansing your body and lowering your weight, eating clean is a great first step, according to detox diet proponents. The following ten fruits and vegetables are known for their cleansing and purifying qualities. In addition, the following foods energize cleansing enzymes in the liver, your body’s own detox agent.

1. Green leafy vegetables. The chlorophyll helps flush out environmental toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, and air pollution. Load up on parsley, spinach, kale, chard, mustard greens, and wheatgrass. Research shows that chlorophyll may also block genetic changes that cause the production of carcinogenic substances in cells.
2. Lemons. High in vitamin C, the detox vitamin, lemons help convert toxins into a water-soluble form that’s easily flushed away.
3. Watercress. These peppery little green leaves are rich in minerals and also have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system.
4. Garlic. Garlic activates liver enzymes that help filter out wastes. Research shows garlic juice may also inhibit the growth of tumors.
5. Green tea. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and tannins, which help reduce the growth of tumors. It also contains catechins, which speed up liver activity and help flush out toxins, and polyphenols, which inhibit the formation of some carcinogens.
6. Broccoli. This cruciferous veggie contains up to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity than any other vegetable.
7. Beets. Beet juice cleanses and nourishes the liver.
8. Psyllium and sesame seeds. High in soluble fiber, psyllium flushes toxins and cholesterol from the system. Stir powdered psyllium into juice to help cleanse your colon. Sesame seeds help protect liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. Include a tablespoon of tahini, a concentrated form of sesame seeds, into vegetable juices.
9. Carrots. Carrots are high in beta-carotene and are also believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. They also help flush out toxins.
10. All fruits. High in vitamin C, fiber, and nutritious fluids, fruits are packed with hundreds of disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants. Tomatoes are good sources of lycopene, which has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer. They are also packed with phytochemicals that block the formation of carcinogenic compounds in the body.

Best Detox Fruits and Vegetables

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Although they seem like a nuisance, the stickers or labels attached to fruit and some vegetables have more of a function than helping scan the price at the checkout stand. The PLU code, or price lookup number printed on the sticker, also tells you how the fruit was grown. By reading the PLU code, you can tell if the fruit was genetically modified, organically grown or produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides.
Here are the basics of what you should know:

1. If there are only four numbers in the PLU, this means that the produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of pesticides. The last four letters of the PLU code are simply what kind of vegetable or fruit. An example is that all bananas are labeled with the code of 4011.
2. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “8″, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable. Genetically modified fruits and vegetables trump being organic. So, it is possible to eat organic produce that are grown from genetically modified seeds. A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011
3. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9″, this tells you that the produce was grown organically and is not genetically modified. An organic banana would be: 94011

Incidentally, the adhesive used to attach the stickers is considered food-grade, but the stickers themselves aren’t edible.
And here is the full list from the Environmental Working Groups of fruits and vegetables with the least to most pesticides. When shopping, the most important produce to buy organic are those at the bottom of this list: foodnews.org

Founder and director of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, Dr Frank Lipman is a pioneer and internationally recognized expert in the fields of Integrative and Functional Medicine. His personal brand of healing has helped thousands of people reclaim their vitality and recover their zest of life. 

___

Editor note: The system is administered by the International Federation for Produce Standards, an affiliate of the Produce Marketing Association.

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

By Michael Lustgarten, PhD

The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for protein intake to remain in positive nitrogen balance (and, to avoid muscle catabolism) is 0.8g/kg body weight/day for sedentary people, while endurance athletes and high intensity athletes have been estimated to require 1.11 and 1.6 g/kg/day, respectively (Tarnopolsky 2004). This translates into 44g, 61g, and 87g for a 120 lb (54.5 kg) female at the three different fitness levels. For a 160 lb. (72.7 kg) man the values are 58g, 81g, and 116g, respectively. Is it possible to craft a raw vegan diet that reaches these protein goals, without having to eat soy at every meal? The answer is yes, but it will take knowledge of which fruits, vegetables and nuts are highest in protein.

Table 1 summarizes the protein content of commonly consumed fruits, each normalized to 100 calories. There, we see that strawberries, watermelon and oranges each contain 2g of protein per 100 calories. On the other end, apples and dates are lowest in protein. To illustrate the these differences, if one consumes 1000 calories from oranges they get 20g of protein, while the same amount of calories from apples yields only 5g.

Table 2 summarizes the protein content of commonly consumed vegetables, each normalized to 100 calories. Although kale is touted as the All-Star of green vegetables, in terms of protein, it’s in the middle of the list. Spinach, swiss chard, soybeans, broccoli, collard greens and romaine lettuce each rank higher than kale. It is important to note that the protein concentration of spinach, with 12.4g of protein per 100 calories rivals that of cooked salmon, which has 14g of protein per 100 calories!

Table 3 summarizes the protein content of commonly consumed nuts and seeds, each normalized to 100 calories. At the top of this list is a surprise, pumpkin seeds, followed by peanuts and almonds.

So, if maintenance and optimization of muscle mass is your goal on a raw vegan diet, I hope these tables help in terms of meeting your daily protein goal, whether it is 0.8, 1.1, or 1.6 g/kg/day!

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Architecture practice Studio Weave: “The Longest Bench” and “Freya and Robin”.

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

WOODwave paneling

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

The AME-LOT – eco-friendly project in Paris.

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Non-Toxic, Safe and Sustainable Baby Feeding Products

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

The media often tells us that dark chocolate is “healthier” than milk chocolate because of its high antioxidant content. Yes, this is true: dark chocolate contains more than four times the amount of antioxidants than found in milk chocolate (~200 Units/gram vs. ~45 Units/gram; Miller et al.2006). However, what they neglect to tell us is that cocoa powder beats both dark and milk chocolate, with ~800 antioxidant Units/gram! That translates into 4-fold more antioxidants than dark chocolate, and approximately 18-fold more antioxidants than milk chocolate! So, make your own chocolate at home, with cocoa powder, right?

Maybe not. To make cocoa powder, cacao beans are first roasted at a high temperature. Roasted cocoa beans are processed to remove its cocoa butter, leaving behind the cocoa solids which are then ground, forming cocoa powder. One could argue that the remaining cocoa powder, when used in chocolate is better for health than using raw (non-roasted), ground cacao beans because cocoa powder has less saturated and total fat. Although this is true, roasting the cocoa bean (or any grain, nut, or seed) produces acrylamide, a compound that has been shown to be both neurotoxic and carcinogenic (Burek et al. 1980; Johnson et al. 1986; Friedman et al. 1995). Raw cacao beans, because they have not been roasted, do not contain acrylamide.
How much acrylamide is in a Hershey’s dark chocolate bar? One 43 gram bar contains approximately 30 grams of cocoa powder (70% cocoa solids). Hershey’s cocoa powder contains 909 µg/kg of acrylamide, and when multiplied by 0.03 kg (30 grams), this yields 27.3 µg total acrylamide. The lowest risk for dietary acrylamide-induced toxicity has been recommended to be less than 1.5µg/kg body weight/day (Shipp et al. 2006). This value translates into 75 µg/day for a 50 kg woman, or 112.5 µg/day for a 75 kg man. So, if you eat one Hershey’s dark chocolate bar, you will have ingested a significant amount towards the 75 or112.5 µg/day or upper limit. It’s important to note that there is indeed difference in acrylamide content when comparing Hershey’s and Ghiradelli cocoa powder: Hershey’s contains 3-fold more acrylamide than Ghiradelli (909 µg/kg vs. 316 µg/kg). So, if you are making your own chocolate at home, the best thing on the list to use would be grinding raw cacao beans. Second would be to use Ghiradelli cocoa powder.

Another food that is thought of as “healthy” are baked potato chips. Not in terms of acrylamide content: Baked! Lay’s Original Naturally Baked Potato Crisps have 31 µg of acrylamide per 1 ounce bag. Listed below are other notable sources of dietary acrylamide, including one unhealthy (Pringles), and others commonly thought to be “healthy”.

• 1 oz. (16 crisps), Pringles Sweet Mesquite BBQ Flavored Potato Crisps: 70 µg of acrylamide
• 1 oz. (6 crackers), Health Valley Original Oat Bran Graham Crackers: 43 µg of acrylamide
• 1 serving (2 oz.): Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Power Breakfast, Flax, Soy, Blueberry: 22 µg of acrylamide
• 1 oz., Blue Diamond Roasted Salted Almonds: 6.7 µg of acrylamide
• 2 slices, Arnold Bakery Light 100% Whole Wheat Bread: 5.7 µg of acrylamide

References:

• Acrylamide list
• Burek JD, Albee RR, Beyer JE, Bell TJ, Carreon RM, Morden DC, Wade CE, Hermann EA, Gorzinski SJ, 1980. Subchronic toxicity of acrylamide administered to rats in the drinking water followed by up to 144 days of recovery. J. Environ. Pathol. Toxicol. 4,157-182.
• Friedman MA, Dulak LH, Stedham MA, 1995. A lifetime oncogenicity study in rats with acrylamide. Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 27, 95-105.
• Johnson KA, Gorzinski SJ, Bodner KM, Campbell RA, Wolf CH, Friedman MA, Mast RW, 1986. Chronic toxicity and oncogenicity study on acrylamide incorporated in the drinking water of Fischer 344 rats. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 85, 154-168.
• Miller KB, Stuart DA, Smith NL, Lee CY, McHale NL, Flanagan JA, Ou B, Hurst WJ, 2006. Antioxidant activity and polyphenol and procyanidin contents of selected commercially available cocoa-containing and chocolate products in the United States. J Agric Food Chem. 31;54(11), 4062-8.
• Shipp A, Lawrence G, Gentry R, McDonald T, Bartow H, Bounds J, Macdonald N, Clewell H, Allen B, Van Landingham C, 2006. Acrylamide: review of toxicity data and dose-response analyses for cancer and noncancer effects. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 36, 481-608.

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Photos by BAUFRITZ

The holistically and individually planned wood-frame eco-friendly houses by Baufritz >>

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

“I see in Dr. Max Gerson one of the most eminent geniuses in the history of medicine.”

In 1928, Dr. Max Gerson, a German-Jewish researcher, stumbled upon a therapy that has cured tens of thousands of people worldwide since then, including patients’s previously thought incurable by their doctors. For the first time, this film chronicles the epic true story of Gerson’s miracle.

‘The Gerson Miracle’ introduces us to the physician who developed The Gerson Therapy more than 75 years ago, a therapy that has proven to cure cancer and most other chronic and degenerative diseases. Through his own painful struggle with migraines, Dr. Max Gerson conceived a treatment based entirely on nutrition and the body’s own ability to heal itself. He cured his migraines and summarily concentrated on other methods that prove to naturally boost the immune system this is the real miracle.

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal

Environmental Art / Willow sculpture by Jaakko Pernu

Organic Remix Conscious Living Journal