If you go to http://www.catchow.com/pink/and answer 5 questions, Purina will
donate $1.00 to Susan G. Komen for the CureR in your name, or in the name
of a friend or loved one. Thanks.

Use this sections as a new board to submit your yoga questions to each other or me.  Get answers from our graduated teachers, use this as a sound board for your thoughts and experiences you are willing to share.

I wanted to pass along the important news that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported that climate change is impacting our weather. U.S. government scientists conclude that droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace in the United States as we continue to increase global warming pollution in the atmosphere.

If you ever needed a reason to join the movement to solve the climate crisis, this is it. Please join me by signing up for the We Campaign, a powerful nonpartisan movement of concerned citizens, founded by Nobel Prize Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. We're already a million strong -- and growing each day:
http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/s/weathersignup
        
Together, we can solve the climate crisis for the next generation. Visit this site to learn more and add your voice:
http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/s/weathersignup

Thanks!

 
Scrubbing Out Sea Life
Exfoliating plastic beads feel good—unless you live in the ocean.
By Hillary Rosner
________________________________________
A smiling model glides, mermaid like, through a lush underwater garden. Undulating ribbons of something resembling kelp rise from the sea floor, and tiny enchanting pearl-like beads bubble up though the aquamarine water. Polish your troubles away with Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons, the subject of this commercial, and you too might feel as if you're floating through a luxurious Atlantis.
The trouble is, the more you exfoliate, the less Edenic that underwater realm becomes for the creatures who live there. That's because the exfoliating ingredient in Olay's body wash, and in most similar big-brand products (such as Dove Gentle Exfoliating Foaming Facial Cleanser and Clean & Clear Daily Pore Cleanser), is actually made out of plastic: tiny particles of polyethylene that scrub the dirt from your face and then wash straight down the drain and into watersheds and, eventually, oceans.
It's well-known by now that increasing amounts of plastic are clogging the planet's seas, killing millions of sea creatures every year when they swallow it, choke on it, or get tangled in it and drown. Plastic doesn't biodegrade, meaning it doesn't break down into its initial components; every piece of plastic ever made is probably still around somewhere on the planet today. But sunlight disintegrates plastic into smaller pieces of plastic. These can wind up in waterways like rivers and creeks, flowing out to sea.
The thing about plastic exfoliating beads is that they don't need to break down in order to end up in the stomachs of marine life from otters to octopi.
"As this debris occupies the same size range as sand grains and planktonic organisms, it is available to a wide range of invertebrates near the base of the food chain," says Mark Browne, a scientist at the Centre for Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities at the University of Sydney who has studied the consequences of microscopic plastic in marine habitats. And unlike other types of plastic that just happen to end up in the ocean, these beads are almost predestined to reach the sea.
The amount of "micro plastic"—fragments smaller than 1 millimeter—in the oceans has "increased significantly" over the last few decades, according to Browne, who found that 85 percent of the plastic debris in one British estuary was micro. Browne believes that one reason more people haven't heard about the problem is simply that it's difficult to study. "Quantifying tiny plastic fragments in the animal tissues presents a number of methodological challenges," he says.
Still, laboratory experiments have shown that a range of bottom-of-the-food-chain critters—including mussels, barnacles, lugworms, and tiny crustaceans called amphipods—will ingest the particles, which may then remain in their digestive tracts or migrate to other body tissue. New research also suggests that polyethylene is an excellent transporter of phenanthrene, a byproduct of fossil fuel burning that's a dangerous ocean pollutant.
Jay Gooch, associate director of external relations in beauty care at Procter & Gamble, Olay's parent company, says the total volume of the micro beads is too small to have an impact—though he did not respond to an e-mail asking how many Olay products contain them and the number of those products sold annually.
"Our assessment is that they will largely be removed during sewage treatment," says Gooch, who has a Ph.D. in toxicology and did his postdoctoral research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "We're talking about very small amounts, so the overall loading from these things is very small even compared to the main ingredient in a laundry detergent, say."
But sewage treatment systems are not designed to remove micro plastic, meaning the particles are likely to remain in the water. "It would appear that considerable quantities of these materials may be entering aquatic habitats; little is known about their persistence or the potential environmental consequences and more work is needed to establish this," Browne says.
Not all exfoliates contain plastic. Many products are available that use salt, pumice, or ground up seeds to do the same job without the environmental cost—like Burt's Bees Deep Pore Scrub (finely ground peach stones) or St. Ives Apricot Scrub (apricot kernels). So why doesn't Olay? "I'm a firm believer that just because it's natural doesn't mean it's benign," Gooch says. That's undeniably true. It's also true that just because it's advertised using tranquil ocean imagery doesn't mean it's good for marine life.
Hillary Rosner is the co-author, with David Bach, of Go Green, Live Rich.
Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2193693/

FDA has issued a warning to consumers nationwide that an outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella, has been linked to consumption of raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes.

Update on the Outbreak

June 16, 2008: At this time, FDA recommends consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from the following areas that HAVE NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTBREAK:

Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut New!
Delaware
District of Columbia New!
Florida (counties of: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte)*
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana New!
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico New!
New York
Nebraska                                                                     
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Baja California (Norte) ** New!
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico

* Shipments of tomatoes harvested in these counties are acceptable with a certificate issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

** Product lots of tomatoes harvested in this State in Mexico are allowed export into the U.S. with a certificate issued by the Secretaria de Fomento Agropecuario del Gobierno del Estado de Baja California (Agency).

Consumers who are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that they have in their home are encouraged to contact the store or place of  purchase for that information. If consumers are unable to determine the source of the tomatoes, they should not be eaten.

Consumers should also be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are  part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes.

Types of tomatoes not linked to any illnesses are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes with the vine still attached.

Since mid April, there have been 277 reported cases of salmonellosis  nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon form of  Salmonella.  At least 43 hospitalizations have been reported.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html

 Seattleite sues over diet menus

06:15 PM PDT on Saturday, June 7, 2008

SEATTLE - A Seattle woman who claims some major chain restaurants aren't telling the truth about calories on their diet menus has filed a lawsuit.

Anne Paskett claims some well-known restaurants duped her by filling her plate with much more fat than advertised.

For three years, she's been on a strict calorie-counting diet, sometimes with frustrating results.

"I would go in and weigh in and the scale, and the lady behind the counter would say 'you're up 2 1/2 pounds,'" she said. "And I would say, 'but how could I be? I've been eating according to my plan.'"

Paskett, who is on Weight Watchers, believes her plan was derailed by well-known restaurants falsely advertising low-fat meals.

Seattle attorney David Breskin is representing her in a class action lawsuit that alleges misrepresentation and consumer deception.

"It's difficult to put prices on that, but I think what we're looking for is that it's not going to happen in the future," he said.

A national media investigation tested the nutritional contents of diet menu items at places like Chili's and Macaroni Grill. In some cases, the fat and calorie content was several times higher than the restaurants claimed.

Most of the Chili's locations in Western Washington have closed.

Paskett still eats out, and doesn't want the restaurants gone. She just wants to believe in the menus again.

"I'm very careful, I don't necessarily pick what's on the lighter fare menu, I just try to make the best choice that I can," she said.

The parent company of Chili's and Macaroni Grill -- Brinker International, based in Dallas -- hasn't commented on the litigation.
http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_060708WAB_chilis_lawsuit_KS.cb614c9.html

Plastic water bottles are very convenient for carting water around when we are on the go, as they don't break if we drop them. However, it is worth paying attention to the type of plastic your water bottle is made of, to ensure that the chemicals in the plastic do not leach into the water. If you taste plastic, you are drinking it, so get yourself another bottle.

To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.

Unfortunately, those fabulous colourful hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by the #7 recycling symbol, may leach BPA. Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. For more of the science on the effects of BPA on our endocrine system etc. see these studies: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal. Nalgene, the company that manufactures the lexan water bottles also makes #2 HDPE bottles in the same sizes and shapes, so we have a viable alternative.

Unfortunately, most plastic baby bottles and drinking cups are made with plastics containing Bisphenol A. In 2006 Europe banned all products made for children under age 3 containing BPA, and as of Dec. 2006 the city of San Franscisco followed suit. In March 2007 a billion-dollar class action suit was commenced against Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Avent, and Dr. Brown's in Los Angeles superior court for harm done to babies caused by drinking out of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. So, to be certain that your baby is not exposed, use glass bottles.

Check the recycling numbers on all your plastic food containers as well, and gradually move to storing all food in glass or ceramic.

http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles


Store water in glass or brass if possible, and out of direct sunlight.

 
 If you can't buy organic produce, you need to make sure you wash it thoroughly. Use this spray to make sure your fruit and vegetables are squeaky clean.

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. baking soda
• 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract*

Combine all ingredients in a large container. Then, transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce, and rinse thoroughly after 5 to 10 minutes.

*Grapefruit seed extract is available at your local health food store.

The first yoga teacher training program is finishing up, graduation is approaching on Aug 2nd.  I hope that this section of the blog can be used as a sounding board for your thoughts and ideas.  Use this as a tool in your teaching to share advice, experiences and ask questions.