Passage to Indian Carrot Salad

It’s 2:29pm, three days after Christmas. I’m nursing a glass of water at home in Brooklyn, watching Emeril on Food Network, and going over my TO DO list before I go to India.I’m going to India. I have to keep typing this because I don’t quite believe it yet, even though the plane leaves in 52 hours and 29 minutes. I’m not packed (next on the TO DO list), but I think everything else has been accomplished. The rent is paid, my Visa is all set up, and I’ve had more shots in the last month than most firing squad victims. I am immune to EVERYTHING, up to and including polio, rabies, and that weird virus that made everyone zombies in 28 Days Later.I’ll...

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Posted in: Sides,Vegan,Vegetarian

A Fox was in the Chicken Coop: Disgraced Former FDA Official Now Marketing Lilly Drug

One really has to wonder about the ethics at the FDAby Martha RosenbergAs a 33-year-old Wall Street insider known for recommending hot medical stocks, many were surprised when physician Scott Gottlieb was named FDA deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs in 2005.”Gottlieb has an orientation which belies the goal of the FDA,” said Dr. Jerome Kassirer, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.”The appointment comes out of nowhere,” said former FDA Commissioner Donald Kennedy.“Anything but a reassuring signal,” said Time magazine.As critics feared, soon after assuming the number two FDA position, Gottlieb had to recuse himself from resource planning for a possible bird flu epidemic because of financial ties to Roche and Sanofi-Aventis. He also had to bow out of work...

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Allergy to medicines 'is killing thousands'

This article from The Times in London (UK) certainly is just one more reason to be very careful when taking Rx drugs.Make sure your health care provider thoroughly educates you on the risks versus benefit based on fact - not what the drug companies plies the field with - And make sure you are fully educated on the side effects. It's required by law!If you need more information please go to Rxlist.com and read about any drugs you are taking, Go directly to health professional information, skip the patient pages because these items are not beneficial to your knowledge.Also, if taking multiple Rx, always get your pharmacist to do a drug interaction profile.The January issue of herbalYODA Says! will focus on informed consent.by David RoseNearly 3,000 patients have died in the past three years...

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CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the WeekGet Fit SlowlyAnother fine blog by JD of Get Rich Slowly fame. He and his bud Mac are chronicling their efforts to drop a few pounds, and though only a few weeks old, it’s already chock full of solid fitness tips, healthy eating strategies, and up-to-date news reports and analysis. Worth a look and an RSS add.Cookbook of the WeekThe Best 30-Minute RecipeHm. I think my family found out I like to cook. I got six recipe tomes for Christmas this year, including this one by the makers of Cooks Illustrated, America’s Test Kitchen, and Christopher Kimball’s bowtie. A cursory glance reveals a couple hundred tasty-looking, fairly inexpensive...

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Posted in: Links

Why Medical Authorities Cannot be Trusted on Gardasil HPV Vaccine

By Gwen LandoltTORONTO, December 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Medical health authorities have repeatedly assured us that Gardasil, the vaccine injection given to young girls to allegedly prevent cervical cancer, is perfectly safe. For example, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, a group of medical specialists, endorsed the vaccine last February. The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of Canada claims the vaccine is safe, as does Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer. The Canadian Pediatric Society and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada have also endorsed the vaccine.These medical authorities, however, are puzzled and also indignant that the use of this vaccine still remains controversial, ever since it was rolled out in lightening...

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Weight Loss Promise for a new year

The TV ads are already hawking weight loss products and exercise equipment and the Times Square ball hasn't even dropped.You might get a head start if you consider a few sensible ideas to help you be successful with weight loss and exercise plans.One first rule is to avoid all artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (Nutrasweet), acesulfame K and sucralose (Splenda) in foods, beverages or even medications. I'll be posting more on this issue very soon, reflecting information I hope will cause you to reconsider use of these dangerous products.If you believe you need that sweet taste then try Just Like Sugar, it is all natural.Some simple tips that will have you losing weight in a balanced and healthy way. 1. Lose weight with water. Water is essential for everybody - it is also the key to losing...

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Planning ahead

There is new snow on the ground since last night. That means I'll have to bundle up to go fill the bird feeders and sweep or shovel the snow from the decks, sidewalks and the driveway. I could have a snow blower I guess but that is just one more gadget.I looked out my front window this morning and saw what looks like a random act of kindness because the walk in front of my house looks like a mini snow plow has gone and done the work for me. How nice!Shoveling snow is a good exercise. Pacing the work is the key to doing it without tiring or excessive stress from all that food from the previous day. Many people do suffer heart problems if this seasonal work gets too strenuous.Heart health is also a big topic these days, maybe it is just to make sure that the Baby Boomers - and even children...

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Lentil Soup: Friends, Romans, Christmasmen, Lentil Me Your Ear

(Apologies for the title. Punnerific!)Just in time for the holidays, it’s the Christmasiest dish of all: Lentil Soup!Okay, not really. While Lentil Soup doesn’t scream O Come All Ye Faithful, it is most definitely a meal for frigid December nights – a dense, stewy comfort food that may not be fancy enough to serve guests, but does just fine for on a random Wednesday.Like every other food that's not pasta or chicken, I’m kind of new to lentils. They careened into my life during a braising class about a year ago, like some savory, wine-infused comet. Needless to say, Cabernet Sauvignon + veal stock + anything = highly satisfying, so my introduction...

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Posted in: Mains,Soups and Stocks,Vegan,Vegetarian

CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the WeekZen HabitsCalming, level-headed, and chock full of sane, well-appointed advice, ZH is an enormously popular blog that gives pointers on how to achieve a simplified, fulfilling life. Extensive archives hold dozens of lengthy articles, with a particular emphasis on food. Mad kudos for the banner, which is eye-grabbing and relaxing at the same time.Organization Guide of the WeekCharity Navigator: Sharing Your Bounty – Providing Holiday Meals to the Less FortunateA brief, link-heavy article about how to best give/serve food to your community and beyond. Great resource for the season.Quote of the WeekFrom 30 Rock:JACK: Lemon, you're...

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Posted in: Links

Feed the World: Holiday Volunteering and Food Donations

(This’ll be my last Wednesday article for awhile, since next week is the Day After Christmas, and the week after that I’ll be somewhere in Rajasthan, India. [Fuh real!] Rachel, the Cheap Healthy Gourmet will be taking over for a week in my absence. Girl can COOK, so stay tuned!)Once upon a time (1984), in a land far, far away (England), there lived a thin, dyspeptic pop star named Bob Geldof. Now, Bob was a good pop star, but at the time, fairly unknown in world-saving circles. Then, one day, he happened to stumble across a BBC report on the famine in Ethopia, where hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken Africans were dying for lack of food...

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Posted in: Do-Gooding,Health,Links

Apple cider vinegar may be as close as we'll ever come to a universal remedy.

Health TipFolk medicine of many traditions calls for a spoonful each day of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. According to The Vinegar Book by Emily Thacker, "Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought the magic elixir which bubbles from the fabled 'Fountain of Youth.' For most of us, apple cider vinegar may be the closest we'll ever come to such a universal remedy." Thacker reviewed scientific and medical journals and found reports of vinegar's effectiveness in preventing arthritis, osteoporosis, and cancer, killing infections, soothing itches, burns, and sunburns, aiding digestion, controlling weight, and preserving memory. Even Hippocrates, the Greek physician to whose oath every contemporary American doctor must swear, prescribed vinegar as a remedy. This information and more can...

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Amendment is often unnoticed

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.The idea of a Bill of Rights worried some of the founders greatly. They feared that, by listing rights not to be infringed by the government, rights that were not listed might be subject to government interference because such interference was not specifically prohibited. The Ninth Amendment was written in an attempt to preclude such abuse.Originally, the Ninth Amendment was a negative statement. In other words, it prevented the Bill of Rights from increasing government powers by limiting those powers solely to what was listed. In more recent years, however, the amendment has been considered in some court cases to be positive, that it confirmed the existence of rights...

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Food Inflation Rises - 25 Year High

With the price of food rising steadily it places people in a precarious position.My suggestion is to establish food buying clubs. Such groups allow you to buy at almost wholesale and offer you the choice of organic foods and produce.Azure Standard and United offer these services.Plus, this WILL help your heal...

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Tuesday Megalinks

Caustic Musings: Financial and Physical PeaceWith Dave Ramsey as her guide, Maggie draws some parallels between money and fat.Chief Family Officer: Bento Lunches Resources and PracticeBento boxes: they beat the heck out of balogna. Fun ideas for a creative lunch, along with some nifty links.The Digerati Life: Simple Tips for Grocery Shopping That Will Pad Your Pocket GuaranteedThere are a ton of “How to Shop” compilations in the blogosphere, and they can be pretty repetitive after awhile. This one digs deeper and comes out with some nice strategies.ESPN: Mitchell Report - Baseball slow to react to players' steroid useIN: diet and exercise.OUT:...

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Posted in: Links

Holiday Tips to Keep Your Pets Healthy

* Wrap your gifts on an elevated surface, so your pets cannot access (or ingest) string, ribbons, paper or bows, this can cause intestinal blockages. * Encourage your holiday guests to refrain from feeding your household companions human food; this can result in diarrhea, vomiting, and illness. Keep chocolate away from all dogs and cats as it can be poisonous to pets and may have dangerous effects if enough is ingested. * The holidays can be a exciting but stressful time for your household pets. The may drink more water then normal, Be alert and check their water bowls often. * Post your vet's phone number in a prominent location, like your refrigerator. Should a problem arise, this will provide easy access to very important information for anyone visiting your home. * Dogs and cats that...

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Avastin NOT Effective for Breast Cancer

Dr. Ralph Moss has zeroed in on a very hot issue in regard to breast cancer therapy - is it money or health that is the driving motive?I would weigh in for $$$ as this seems so far to be the driving force in cancer care marketing.With the known facts that Gardasil is not useful; about 8 million people succumbed to cancer in the last year and 12 million are predicted to develop this so called disease (known to be a nutritionally deficient state since the government said so back in the 1970s, with the additive environmental factors contributing to the increase) in the coming year, can't you try to figure it out as well?Let us know what you think because we do have a great amount of information we are happy to share. DR. VON ESCHENBACH -- DO NOT OVERRIDE YOUR OWN ADVISORS!Last week, the Oncologic...

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Wacky Cakes and Crazy Ladies

While certain neighborhoods retain (and deserve) their reputation as somewhat less than pleasant, large chunks of Brooklyn have become safer than four out of five Disney World Lands. (Land of Tomorrow harboring dangerous criminals, of course.) Still, no matter where you live in the borough, sometimes you have to be on your guard. Sometimes at the supermarket.The Boyfriend and I decided to bake 14 billion Christmas cookies this weekend, for use as gifts, potluck submissions, and building material. In order to accomplish this, we needed butter. Many, many pounds of butter. So, off to Key Food we sojourned, where we were greeted by The Loon, self-appointed...

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Posted in: Desserts and Snacks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Men's Health and Magic Mushrooms

For quite a few years we have supplied a very high quality Reishi extract to many of our clients, finding excellent results for thier health concerns.Wild mushroom can fight prostate cancer: Israeli researchersIsraeli scientists claim that a wild mushroom, used in traditional Chinese medicine for a century, could treat prostate cancer, the University of Haifa said Friday.Researchers at the university in northern Israel said they found molecules in the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, commonly known as the reishi, which help supress some mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer."We already knew the mushroom could impede the development of cancer by affecting the immune system. The in-vitro trials we have done show that it attacks the cancer cells directly," chief researcher Ben...

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Some Facts on the Gardasil Hype You Might Want to Know

The FDA knew back in 2003 that a HPV is not the actual cause of cervical cancer. The actual cause is a "persistent HPV infection that may act as a tumor promoter in cancer induction [8-11].http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/07p0210/07p-0210-ccp0001-01-vol1.pdfPlease refer to other posts about the risks of Gardasil on this BLOG (via search functi...

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A New Warning for Women with Breast Cancer

Yes, one size does not fit all and it is about time MSM woke up to tell you...The anthracycline drugs -- long a mainstay of breast cancer chemotherapy -- only benefit a minority of women and should be mostly scrapped, a researcher said here.The continued use of the drugs "on a one-size-fits-all approach is just crazy and it's medically dangerous," said Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California at Los Angeles. Read the full article here:...

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Fast Food Done Good: Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

It always strikes me as fishy when famous cooks claim they can whip up a ten-course, gourmet-caliber meal in 30 seconds or less. It seems to go against the whole idea that effort produces a proportional result. I’m all for convenience, especially on a weeknight, but yeah – I wonder if truly great dishes must have truly great amounts of time invested in them.Then, days like Sunday happen and mess me up.See, I was looking for a side dish to go with Cooking Light's Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Garlic Lasagna. The lasagna had taken me approximately 4,000 years to make, and I wasn’t up for another mammoth exertion, so its accompaniment had to be...

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Posted in: 15 Minutes or Less,Sides,Vegan,Vegetarian

ABC Fails Listeners on Health Topics

F is for failure. And this is exactly the grade ABC News and Charles Gibson get for their ridiculous report about yoghurt.Yoghurt is replete with health promoting bacteria and it has been recognized for hundreds of years for this very reason. If you rely on mainstream media to inform you on this topic you really are left out in the cold.Of course now that Kraft Foods and General Mills are in the over priced trendy nutrafood market now of course this becomes the focal point for getting air time on the networks or in print or electronic media.Real yoghurt, the kind I know and have eaten for a bit over half a century isn't in a cute little container containing synthetic ingredients, high fructose corn syrup or aspartame or sucralose. It doesn't even have a marketing campaign to make women...

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More STATIN Risks Uncovered

Well, here is a new view on statins that just might make you look at the work of Uffe Ravnskov MD.Statins May Hike Risk of Hemorrhagic Second StrokeBy Judith Groch, Senior Writer, MedPage TodayDURHAM, N.C., Dec. 12 -- Patients taking statins after a stroke or a TIA were five times more likely than controls to have a second, hemorrhagic stroke if their initial stroke had been hemorrhagic, researchers here reported.These negative findings came from a secondary analysis of the generally positive results in a clinical trial known as Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL).That trial found that atorvastatin (Lipitor) at 80 mg a day produced a 16% reduction in fatal and nonfatal stroke in patients with a recent stroke or TIA and no known coronary heart disease, Larry...

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An A-mazing Discovery

I am always pleased when I read something in the medical reports about the benefits of vitamins, especially when Big Pharma is pushing government so hard to block your access to them in therapeutic doses.Vitamin A is a very critical fat-soluble vitamin that does many good things. It helps the eyes (remember those vitamin A drops in the eye to prevent blindness in children in Africa?) and helps protect the mucous membrane lining throughout your body, as examples.One of its known benefits is that it is protective of your health and can both prevent and treat respiratory problems. Of course you have to know how to go about finding the studies because the FDA really doesn't want you to know about just how good vitamins work. Vitamin A supplements may improve infant survivalBy C. Vidyashankar,...

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Opening the Record on Big Pharma

I worked for many years in psychiatry and always integrated this care in my work in intensive care units as well as in community health. Yes, I have prescribed some of these drugs, but because more and more disenchanted as I learned more and more of what the manufacturers really knew about thier so called 'block busters'.I also know that these drugs were plied on my mother following a closed head injury she suffered. I know that the chemical soup she was prescribed caused serious side effects, even causing her to try to jump out of a window. Additionally I know that the 5 Star corporate care center where my brother (an insurance salesman with NO medical understanding, living on the high road in S. Hero VT) has her (ware)housed with carte blanche to the "doctors". Even the pharmacy supplying...

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More vaccine problems reported

It is clearly important to get very well educated on the subject of vaccines and reactions to their ingredients in order to protect your health and the health of your children.New Jersey's governor should be paying more attention!Alberta Health halts mumps inoculationsThe Canadian PressDecember 12, 2007Edmonton -- Alberta has suspended its campaign to vaccinate young people against mumps because of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine.Learn more about how vaccines are manufactur...

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CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the WeekStop the RideConsistently charming and informative, Stephanie’s blog has been bringing crafty, cookingy goodness to the web since August of last year. Her ideas are nifty, I really like the writing, and the adorable pictures take the cake.Food Comedy of the WeekImprov Everywhere - The MoebiusI.E. is a gang of New York-based improvisational comedians that orchestrates funny twists on everyday situations. (“We create scenes.”) Sometimes, they’ll have 70 guys take off their shirts in Abercrombie and Fitch. Other times, they’ll dress up as U2 and put on a rooftop show for thousands of fans. In The Moebius, they invade a Starbucks...

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Posted in: Links

Total Dis-Satisfaction, almost

While a very large percentage of Americans are unhappy with health care, many Canadians report the same discontent. And this are looming to get worse as more power is handed over by the current administration to pharmaceutical and insurance companies.In case you didn't know, the mega industries of insurance and pharmaceuticals spent billions to keep the status quo in their hands, and many are coming to realize this. Our decades long campign is finally reaching mainstream.On top of patient dissatisfaction, many docotrs claim they would not shode certain of the same treatments they push on patients, most often without offering the required explanations."Indeed, patients in the United States are less trusting of their doctors than they were even five years ago. According to a 2004 poll by the...

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