Wasteful energy consumption can cost homeowners thousands of dollars per year. Fortunately, there are many high-scale and budget-friendly approaches to amending this issue and making your home more energy efficient.

The tips below may seem surprisingly simple, at least in terms of how much you can save each year. It’s amazing how far some new light bulbs or a filter change can go toward reducing the cost of your energy bill — especially during particularly hot or cold months.

Here are seven ways to save money on energy costs:

Make Nighttime “Lights Off” Time

A device left on overnight here and there won’t make much of a dent in your electric bill, but consistently leaving your computer on standby or your TV blaring throughout the night can add up significantly. Make a list of devices in your home that consume energy and identify whether they are on during the night. In the instance of a computer, check for energy-saving settings that automatically shut your computer off if it idles for a certain period of time.

Change All Filters

From your air conditioning to your furnace, ensure all systems that use a filter are cleaned regularly. A blocked filter for any of these machines can result in it working harder, consequently using more energy. This is a very simple action, but it can save you money and help your system work much more efficiently.

Landscape With Energy in Mind

During the summer, homeowners can increase energy efficiency by planting trees and plants to serve as shading. If you place them in close proximity to your home’s windows, they can help keep out the heat, so you won’t have to spend nearly as much on air conditiong.

Use Energy-Minded Products

Fluorescent light bulbs use about one-third the energy of standard bulbs. Replacing all your home’s bulbs with energy-saving ones could result in substantial savings.

Update Old Electrical Appliances

Although your budget may not allow for an immediate upgrade, the tips above can help save on electrical costs. Those savings could be used to update old electrical appliances, replacing them with energy efficient upgrades. The impact of a new appliance can be massive. For example, 2001’s top-rated refrigerator uses 40% more energy than today’s top-tier refrigerators.

Insulate Wherever Possible

One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to save on energy consumption is to ensure windows and other locations in your house are correctly insulated. If any unnecessary heat or cold is seeping through cracks or gaps, it’s wasting your AC or heat.

Also, be sure to caulk any doors, windows, holes, and cracks that may be letting cold or hot air seep through. This includes electrical outlets, which are prone to holes since they may lead to outside walls.

Also, if you have a fireplace, it’s advised to install glass doors. That way, chilly gusts don’t enter your living space through the chimney.

Use Ceiling Fans Wisely

Ceiling fans have more power than you may imagine. They spread hot or cold air around considerably, aiding heating or cooling systems to the point where significantly less energy is used.

Run ceiling fans counterclockwise to help circulate cold air back into a room and clockwise for warm air. This is a simple yet effective trick that can significantly increase a heating or cooling system’s energy efficiency.

These seven tips can help you make your residence a more energy-efficient one, in both the cold winter and hot summer months. You’ll start saving money, and you’ll be helping conserve important resources, too.

Sources:

• Incandescent, LED, Fluorescent, Compact Fluorescent and Halogen Bulbs – Consumer Energy Center
• Making Your Home Energy Efficient – House of Home

If you enjoy salmon, eat your fill now. The Food and Drug Administration has announced approval for the first genetically modified animal for consumption, and it’s the Atlantic salmon…and the Pacific-Chinook salmon…and the ocean pout, a creature also known for inspiring a synthetic contribution to less-fattening ice cream, all rolled up into one sentient creation.

The possibility of a genetically engineered salmon is not an unfamiliar one, as biotech company AquaBounty has been attempting to bring the Frankenfish to the public for twenty years. The fish is said to be advantageous because it grows at twice the rate of a regular salmon and requires 75% less food. The company is not planning on letting consumers know that the fish is genetically modified, claiming that as “…the first and only, labeling is a dangerous decision. We’d like to label it as a premium product, but we’ll probably introduce it as Atlantic salmon.” It’s ironic that they use the word dangers in conjunction with actual labeling, as the health and environmental dangers of this fish don;t seem to concern  AquaBounty or the FDA.

Safety Concerns Over the Next Step in GMOs

The debate over the GM salmon from AquaBounty (officially referred to as the AquaAdvantage) has been going on for quite some time, although the approval from the FDA has shifted abstract concepts into something very real and potentially scary. Food and Water Watch and the Consumer’s Union have both expressed concerns about the fish and its impact on health and the environmental threat of a possible escape. Like all GMOs, the salmon has been labeled safe to eat by the FDA. That alone is suspect when you consider the amount of countries worldwide who are banning GMOs, but there are also concerns regarding allergies and how the mix of different fish genetics combined into one fish will affect people. Consumer’s Union has been claiming that the research used to make the decision to approve the salmon suffers from inadequate analysis and a sample size that is too small.

But What if Gets Loose?

Meanwhile, Food and Water Watch is viewing the AquaAvantage from a different angle, and seeing a different problem – escape. The salmon are grown in land-based, contained tanks in Canada and Panama that are sealed completely off and all fish grown for food, as opposed to breeding, are sterile. Or at least they are sterile by FDA standards, which require 95% sterility. Setting aside the questions of what and where exactly the fish for breeding are kept (or if there is even a need for breeding fish when they’re potentially raised in a lab), the FDA maintains that even if the fish were to escape, they would be unable to thrive and establish themselves. Even if the fish aren’t able to sustain a population out in the natural environment, isn’t it naive to assume there won’t be other consequences? Wild salmon that come in contact with farmed salmon have registered a population drop of more than half due to parasites and disease. At what point does the desire for cheap salmon outweigh the increasing delicate needs of the actual wild salmon providing the genes for the Frankenfish? Despite claims that the potential of escape is highly unlikely, Food and Water Watch remains committed to making sure that GMO salmon does not reach the marketplace.

More Care is Needed in Introducing GM Meats

The marketplace at the moment has a slightly different view from the FDA. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have been critical of the AquaAdvantage and have publicly pledged not to sell the salmon. Other retailers like Safeway and Kroger also have no plans to stock the product. The criticism from consumer and environmental groups, as well as the lack of support from stores, have the potential to stop the forward march (swim, really) of the GMO salmon. Anything can happen within the two-year period from approval to market. If you oppose GM salmon, now is the time for your voice to be heard.

Extensive research occurs when new varieties of conventional foods like fruits and vegetables are introduced. A newly developed type of apple, for instance, takes an average of 15 years. A salmon spliced together from three different fish and altered at the base genetic level is a huge step in the food system and should not have any room for groups to claim inadequate analysis. The consequences of unleashing the Frankenfish could permanently damage the oceanic ecosystem or even play out like a science fiction movie. Do we want to be the at the mercy of our own ill-advised creation because the population is looking for cheaper salmon? At the very least we should be able to know what we’re being sold.

Recommended Reading:

• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• What Vaccines and GMOs Have in Common
• Celebrities Against GMOs
• Grocery Manufacturers Association – Leading opponents of GMO labeling
• Wild Caught? Maybe Not – Salmon sold to you may have been farm-raised

Sources:

• FDA Approves GMO Salmon, A First For Food Supply. Shouldn’t It Be Labeled? – Washington Post
• The FDA Just Approved GMO Salmon For Human Consumption – Grub Street
• Farmed Salmon Decimating Wild Salmon Worldwide – National Geographic

Some foods can speed you to your grave. Rather than promote health and healing, some foods are known to feed cancer more than they feed you.

Soda

Sodas are known to be bad for you, but did you know they can cause cancer? Sodas are loaded with sugar, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and preservatives as well as other chemicals. Caramel coloring agents are added to the drinks to give it that brown color. This process can produce a possible carcinogen called 4-methylimidazole. Surprisingly enough, the FDA has yet to limit the amount of this chemical byproduct allowed in sodas. Researchers have found that just drinking one can of soda a day raises the risk of cancer and this affects between 44% and 58% of all Americans.

Processed Meat

Processed meats that include artificial preservatives, flavorings, and colors include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, salami, beef jerky, ham, canned meats, and meat-based sauces. The WHO found that daily consumption of 50g of processed meat results in an 18% increase in the risk of colorectal cancer. This is roughly equal to eating about 2 pieces of bacon a day. While this is not much, and eating processed meats does not directly translate into getting cancer, frequently eating large amounts of it does increase your risk. In order to lower your risk, it is better to avoid this type of meat. If you choose to eat lunchmeat, choose the brands that do not include nitrates, nitrites, and other chemicals.

Sugar

Sugar is highly processed and stripped of minerals. As a result, it is very acidic. An acidic pH benefits cancer growth. But sugar does more. It impairs the immune system and directly feeds cancer cells and tumors.

GMO’s

There are now many animal studies that show long-term consumption of GMOs to be harmful. A variety of deleterious effects have been documented: kidney damage, liver damage, infertility, reduced birth weight, birth defects, and cancer. GMOs also damage gut health, feed cancer, and lead to other illnesses.

Artificial Flavors, Colors, Sweeteners, Preservatives, and MSG

If you’re thinking of trading in the sugar laden soda for the zero calorie stuff, you may want to reconsider. Food-like products, that aren’t really food at all do more damage to the body and even promote more cancer growth than sugar and other junk food. Anything artificial is bad news for the body’s overall function, and this can be disastrous when battling cancer. For instance, MSG is a neurotoxin; it kills brain cells. In addition, all of these food-like products dramatically disrupt the function of the beneficial bacteria in our gut. If we eat processed foods filled with artificial ingredients, we are giving cancerous cells a chance to prosper.

Many chemicals are known to cause cancer, so it should not surprise us to find chemical laden food causes cancer – in more ways than one. Cancer doesn’t just happen due to some bodily malfunction. In order for cancer to progress to the point that it poses a threat, something is horribly wrong. More often than not, environmental toxins, usually from one’s diet, have caused imbalances in the body that have enabled cancer to grow. If you’re facing cancer or any other serious disease choose food wisely. If it’s not real food, don’t eat it.

For anyone who’s sick, whether it be cancer or almost any other disease, the first steps to eliminating disease are to fix the diet and heal the gut. Check out 80% Raw Food Diet and Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases.

Recommended Reading:

• How to Detoxify From Chemotherapy and Repair the Body
• Cure Cancer Naturally
• Foods, Vitamins, and Herbs That Kill Cancer
• Budwig Cancer Cure
• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe
• Dr. Max Gerson – Persecuted for Curing Cancer Naturally

Sources:

• Common soda ingredient exposes Americans to ‘unnecessary cancer risks’: study – NY Daily News
• Processed meats do cause cancer-WHO – BBC News

The wild caught salmon sold to you in restaurants and grocery stores may have been farm-raised. Unfortunately, the results of a new study suggest that unless you catch it yourself, you can’t be sure it wasn’t farm raised.

Using DNA testing techniques, the non-profit ocean conservation group Oceana examined numerous samples of fish being sold as wild caught salmon both from restaurant menus and grocery stores. Of the restaurant samples, 2/3 of the “wild-caught” salmon was farm raised. Retail salmon fared better, with one out of five incorrectly labeled. The study also revealed instances of chum salmon being sold as king salmon and rainbow trout sold as wild salmon.

A startling 43% of the salmon tested, collected in New York, Washington, Chicago and Virginia from upscale and takeout restaurants and from various neighborhood and chain groceries, was mislabeled. The most common deception was Atlantic salmon being sold as wild salmon.

These Scientists Say We Need to do Something About It

The researchers authoring the study recommend that new policies be implemented to protect both the public and fishermen from mislabeling.

“Our results are consistent and wide enough to know that this is a problem that can occur anyplace, anytime, with any type of seafood,” said Kimberly Warner, a senior scientist at Oceana.

Oceana definitely knows what they are talking about. From 2010 to 2012 they conducted an extensive seafood fraud investigation, collecting more than 1,200 seafood samples from 674 retail outlets in 21 states. The objective was to determine if the seafood was honestly labeled. DNA testing found that a full one 1/3 of the 1,215 samples analyzed were mislabeled.

In that earlier investigation, seafood sold as snapper and tuna had the highest chance of being mislabeled. The majority of the samples identified by DNA analysis were not consistent with the labeling. In fact, only seven of the 120 samples of red snapper purchased nationwide were actually red snapper. The other 113 samples were another fish.

Accuracy in Labeling Also Depends on the Time of Year

The current study revealed that the time of year was a big factor in whether or not a restaurant would sell mislabeled salmon. During the winter months, fresh wild salmon is less available, creating a motive to substitute readily available, farmed salmon. The researchers found that large chain groceries were less likely than small grocers to offer mislabeled salmon to the public.

The authors of the study have a few suggestions for consumers looking to protect themselves from purchasing the wrong types of salmon. They suggest consumers ask their sellers about their seafood’s exact point of origin, its species, and whether or not the merchandise was fresh or previously frozen.

Salmon can travel halfway across the world and back before we get a chance to eat it. For instance in 2013, U.S. fisheries exported roughly 85,000 metric tons of salmon to China while importing 37,000 metric tons of salmon from China. Much of this import was the same fish that was shipped to China for processing.

To cut down on salmon mislabeling, the report’s authors are calling for comprehensive tracking of all seafood sold in this country from catch to point of sale.

What’s Wrong With Farm Raised Fish?

The first and obvious difference between farm raised and wild caught salmon is the cost. You are being overcharged if you are paying the price for wild caught salmon and not getting what you paid for. But there are other issues at stake. First there is taste, and secondly there are health concerns associated with farm raised fish and shrimp. Pathogens, contamination, and GMO feed are serious quality issues with fish and shrimp being raised in an unnatural and crowded environment. The virulent diseases spread through the salmon farms are suspected to have spread to the wild, severely impacting the wild salmon population. Factory farming raises unhealthy animals, and fish farms are nothing more than factory farms for fish. Stick to wild caught fish – if you can find a trusted source.

Sources:

• 9 Things Everyone Should Know About Farmed Fish – Dr. Mercola
• Oceana Study Reveals Seafood Fraud Nationwide
• Though Labeled ‘Wild,’ That Serving of Salmon May Be Farmed or ‘Faux’-NY Times 

Everybody knows that exercise is good for the whole body, and is an integral part of total wellness. Some studies have examined how exercise affects the brain, cognition, and even mental health, though they often focus on cardio. For the first time, scientists are taking a closer look at what happens to the brain when people embark on a weight lifting or resistance training regimen. Though more studies will need to be conducted, the preliminary results suggest more people should be headed to the gym if they want to beef up their brains.

Our Brains are Plastic and Malleable

The human body is absolutely remarkable, and when given the nutrients it needs, it runs efficiently. It fights infections, manages toxins, and even repairs the damage we subject it to. The brain does this, too, and continually sheds and adds connections and neurons throughout the course of our lives. This type of adaptability is why some people recover from strokes or brain injuries particularly well. When one pathway stops working, another will open up, and information continues to flow freely.  Generally speaking, a person who lives a healthy life and provides the brain with healthy nutrients while limiting toxins and avoiding damage, has a higher chance of recovery from a serious incident.

Unfortunately, the Brain’s Ability to Repair Itself Tends to Decline with Age

By late middle age, most people start to notice the effects of age on their bodies. Vision starts to fade, the skin loses some elasticity, and fine lines begin to form. One symptom people can’t see, however, are age-related brain lesions within the white matter. In more youthful years, these lesions or holes would likely repair themselves, but with age, they often widen or multiply. The white matter is responsible for passing messages from one section of the brain to another, so as damage progresses, memory begins to fade. While the presence of lesions does not necessarily mean that cognition has declined, studies have shown that those who have more lesions have less mental dexterity.

Previous Studies Have Shown  Aerobic Exercise Slows Cognitive Loss

Research has shown cognitive loss can often be prevented or at least slowed. Prior studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have fewer lesions, and those who begin an exercise routine can actually slow down the formation of new lesions. Professor Teresa Liu-Ambrose of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver likens the brain to muscles. Both tend to shrink with age, but if a person uses them, they will stay stronger.

People often notice the change in gait that comes with age, which is usually attributed to a loss of muscle mass. After all, it’s difficult to walk smoothly and steadily when muscles begin to shrivel. However, scientists have now discovered that there’s a link between gait and white matter lesions. Whether the loss of steadiness leads to a decline in brain health or both are symptoms of the same cause remains unclear. In any case, both cognitive ability and gait are improved with aerobic exercise.

The New Study Indicates that Resistance Training Helps Maintain Brain Health

Professor Liu-Ambrose hypothesized that if aerobics can help maintain brain health, perhaps weight lifting can, too. She gathered together a group of women between the age of 65 and 75 who already had lesions in their white matter. With the assistance of nursing care, each participant’s speed and gait were measured. A control group was instructed to engage in balance training and stretching. The rest worked both the upper and lower body with light weight training. Half of the weight training group worked out once a week; half worked out twice a week.  After a year, gait and speed were measured again, and another brain scan was performed. The control group experienced an all-around decline and developed more lesions. Weekly weight training participants also declined and developed more lesions. However, those who hit the gym twice each week developed fewer lesions. Their speed and gait was better than those in the other groups, too.

More research still needs to be done to see how much improvement can come from lifting weights. It’s possible that additional time at the gym can produce more dramatic results, though benefits might cap off at two visits per week.

Recommended Reading:

• How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders
• Increase your IQ with the Right Foods, Herbs, Vitamins, and Exercises for Your Brain
• The Glymphatic System – How Insomnia Leads to a Filthy Mind

Ayurveda is the oldest science for healing and improving health using plant fats and essential oils that provide nourishment and rejuvenation to the body, mind, and spirit.

The following benefits of Ayurvedic oils make them an effective skin care regimen.

Ayurvedic Oils Create Good Vibrations in the Body

As per the wisdom of classical Ayurveda, natural plant-based oils have high vibrational frequencies, which are much needed for the skin to thrive. Ayurveda says that the human body is electrical and requires natural fats and oils to work at its optimal vibrational levels.

Everything in the universe works at a specific frequency and even the essential oils vibrate at a high frequency.

For example, therapeutic-grade rose essential oil has an average frequency of 320 MHz, and lavender has an average frequency of 118 MHz, whereas fresh produce vibrates at 15 MHz and fresh herbs between 20-27 MHz.

Human beings also have their own electromagnetic frequencies. If you consider the frequency of a healthy person then you will find it to be between 62 and 78 MHz. Using high-frequency ingredients like essential oils for our skin care helps the body achieve its optimal vibration.

Skin and plants contain high levels of prana and using them together can help to increase the skin’s frequency.

According to Ayurveda, dead or tamasic food such as canned or processed items have zero prana levels, which means they possess no measurable vibrational frequency. Therefore, they aren’t beneficial to our body in any way.

If one understands the way frequency works in the universe, one can easily heal and prevent diseases and using these high energy oils from plant extracts that raise the vibrational frequency of the body and improve our overall health.

Perfect Superfoods for Skin

Our digestive system is capable of preventing chemicals or synthetic additives from mixing with our bloodstream and cells. But when we apply chemicals directly on our skin, they are absorbed into our blood, organs, tissues, and cells without any filtrations. This excess dead waste can get accumulated in the liver and lead to health problems in the future.

If we understand the need of our skin and importance of fatty acids for it, we would never apply chemical-laden products on our skin and use only plant-based oils containing antioxidants, omega-3 fats, vitamins, minerals, and living enzymes.

Feeding your skin with a good amount of fatty acids helps to improve the health of skin cells and makes the skin look radiant, supple, and rejuvenated.

Immunity Booster

Essential oils are laden with natural antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which guard the skin against invading organisms and infections. Essential oils have the power to remove toxins from the body and their aromatic therapeutic properties help to calm the nervous system and help the body to cope up with stress and rejuvenate. Moreover, a relaxed nervous system can help the cells to repair themselves.

Your skin has the capacity to heal itself regardless of whatever it has been exposed to in the past because skin cells regenerate every 40 days. This allows exposed cells to heal.

Nourishing your skin with Ayurvedic oils improves health and helps your body and mind to heal quickly. Plants are full of life and possess natural properties that can help your skin to thrive, glow, and vibrate with health. So, start using them today.

Recommended Reading:

• How to Breathe
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• How I Replaced Medications With Essential Oils
• Five Essential Oils That Help Fight Infections

Sources:

• Why Ayurvedic Oils Are Your Skin’s New Best Friend – Mind Body Green
• Vibrational Frequency and the Subtle Energy Nature of Essential Oils – Biospiritual Energy Healing
• Top 7 Oils to Rejuvenate your Skin
• More Than A Scent: Essential Oils Aid The Immune System – Huffington Post

We’re a world of coffee lovers aren’t we? The coffee culture is strong and for many of us our day hasn’t started unless we’ve grabbed our favourite hot beverage from our local Starbucks. The caffeine kick is one that can’t always be denied and a morning coffee is a solid addition to many a morning routine.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget about the calorie content of a drink. We think of it as a liquid and therefore don’t always associate it with its devilish side effects. A hot chocolate from a coffee chain can have as many as 400 calories in it. Pretty shocking right? You might as well just chomp into a bar of chocolate.

And then there’s the extra cost.  In the long run, you could save yourself around £500 (about 750 American dollars) per year just by cutting your coffee shop habits. So how can you save calories, save cash, and still enjoy a delicious hot drink to start your day?

There are plenty of healthier alternatives that will not only cost you less but also save on calories, increase your health, and battle against the dreaded winter cold. So without further ado, here are the best vegan friendly drinks to give a try this winter:

Simple Ginger Tea

There are some amazing benefits from consuming ginger, including anti-inflammatory properties, nausea reduction, and increased circulation.

Add 2-3cm of fresh root ginger to a mug of warm water for added warmth, and be sure to drop in a stick of cinnamon for an extra kick! It’s a quick and easy festive drink that is low in calories.

Honey Lemon Warmer

This one is especially handy if you’re trying to recover from a sore throat or head off a winter cold. Honey has many amazing health-enhancing benefits. It’s great for soothing a sore throat while giving your immune system a boost. This is particularly handy at this time of the year when colds are spreading like wildfire.

You might be concerned about the sugar levels of honey, but don’t be too worried. These natural sugars won’t harm you in small doses. Add 1-2 teaspoons of organic honey (depending on your sweet tooth) to a mug of warm water, and add a few slices of fresh lemon for an added zing

A Nutty Treat

One of my personal favourites is a gorgeous nutty winter warmer! Simply heat a mug of almond milk and add a drizzle of date syrup for a gorgeous toffee-like taste. This drink comes closest to rivaling drinks from the coffee chains, and it’s low in fat too! If you do want to add a naughty twist (we all deserve a treat now and again after all) grate your favourite vegan chocolate to finish it off. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Okay. So Halloween may be over, but who can resist a pumpkin spice latte over winter time? It’s a definite favourite amongst the coffee lovers of the world. Why should vegans have to miss out? Simply add two tablespoons of pumpkin puree to your morning cup of coffee along with two tablespoons of almond (or coconut) milk, a drizzle of vanilla extract, and any fancy toppings you wish to include! My favourite is cinnamon, but you could also add vegan whipped cream or maple syrup.

Cranberry Cider

Combine cranberry juice (the proper stuff) with apple cider in a saucepan and heat, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar and add flavourings of your choice. Popular flavours include cinnamon or ginger for additional warmth and a slight kick, adjust the amount of flavouring to your taste. To make it even more festive, add some sliced orange and a Christmas themed mug!

Will you be cutting down on the coffee chain purchases this winter in favour of your own, healthier homemade recipes? I’d love to hear about more vegan drink recipes to try!

Recommended Reading:

• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe
• Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts
• Turmeric – Learn More about This Ayurvedic Herb