Even gardeners with a green thumb can be foiled by bad soil. If you’re doing everything right but your plants are still dying, it might be time to take a look below the surface. Learning how to test your soil and use natural amendments to restore it to a healthy type will tremendously help your lawn or garden flourish this season.

The Different Types of Soil

When it comes to your soil, you might be thinking, “Why does it matter? Dirt is dirt”. That’s not exactly the case, though. There are several kinds of soil, and each is different. Each soil type drains differently and has varying levels of nutrients that can impact the growth of your lawn and garden. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the soil types:

• Loamy soil. This kind of soil is the best type for gardening. It tends to be slightly acidic (which lots of plants prefer) and drains well to keep plants hydrated but not soggy.
• Clay soil. When you have clay soil, it tends to be thick and feels sticky when it’s wet. While clay is rich in nutrients, it doesn’t drain well.
• Sandy soil. Sandy soil drains well but doesn’t retain any moisture, which makes it difficult for plants to stay properly watered. Sandy soil is also low in nutrients and won’t feed plants well.
• Silty soil. This soil type is rich in nutrients; however, it can get slimy when wet, resulting in poor drainage.
• Chalky soil. When you’re dealing with chalky soil, you’ll find it is very alkaline and free draining. It dries out very quickly and doesn’t have many nutrients to offer besides calcium.
• Peaty soil. Soil that is peaty is damp and spongy. It will retain moisture well, but drainage can be a problem.

Find out What Kind of Soil You Have

Now that you know about the different soil types, it’s time to do a test to find out what kind of soil you have. Use the following steps to get your soil sample:

• Dig down about six inches and take some soil. If you have a large planting area, you’ll want to test soil from multiple places.
• Put soil in a pint-sized jar until it’s about halfway full. Then, add a few drops of liquid dish soap and fill the jar the rest of the way up with water.
• Put the lid on tightly and shake the jar for about three minutes.
• Put the jar aside and allow 24 hours for all the particles to settle. Once it’s settled, you’ll be able to see the individual layers that make up your soil.

Check Your Soil’s pH

Your soil pH is another important factor in how well things will grow and even what you can grow in your soil. Knowing what the pH of your soil is and how to amend it is a big part of having a healthy garden:

• You can pick up a pH test kit from your local garden center, but if you’re more of a DIY person, there are several options for testing pH at home.
• A pH reading of 7 means your soil is neutral. pH readings below 7 are acidic, and readings above 7 are alkaline. An ideal soil reading will be around 6.5. This means your soil is slightly acidic, and nutrients will dissolve well and be readily available.
• To raise your soil pH, you can add limestone to your soil. The lime will break down in the soil and raise the alkalinity over time.
• To lower your soil pH, sulfur should be added. Peat moss can also be used, but this method isn’t sustainable. Additionally, peat moss has been overharvested in some areas, which may make it difficult or expensive to obtain.
• When amending your soil pH, be sure to check your pH levels regularly and add any amendments slowly over time.

What to Do With Difficult Soil

Many gardeners often dump too much time and too many resources into their lawn before realizing it’s just not working as well as they’d hoped, or it’s taking too long. If you find yourself in this situation — with a soil type or pH that will take too much to fix — you can still have a garden.

You might look at planting raised garden beds and using prepackaged soil. This is a perfect solution to yards that are massive works in progress. A few advantages to a raised garden bed include:

• You can quickly and easily put together a raised garden bed.
• Raised beds are more accessible to gardeners with physical limitations such as arthritis.
• You can often plant earlier since the soil stays warmer in a raised bed.

No matter what challenges are put in front of you, there’s always a way to create your own little slice of heaven by growing a garden. With the right testing processes and soil amendments (or raised garden beds), you’ll have your garden on track and ready to grow in no time.

Infographic created by Safer Brand.

Are the leaves of one of your favorite plants turning yellow, but you can’t tell why? There are several possible causes for the discoloring of foliage.

Here’s an infographic created by Safer Brand to help you figure out what might be happening to make your greenery go yellow, and how you can go about fixing it.

The Problem: Not Enough Sunlight

Some plants are happiest in the shade while others like to be in full view of the sun — or even a bit of both. It’s important to know what your plant requires for optimal health.

When you purchase seeds or an established plant, the label should specify its ideal sun conditions. You’ll know your plant craves more sunlight if the leaves are drooping and their color looks faded.

The Solution

This is a simple fix! Find a sunny spot and you’ll have a greener plant.

The Problem: Bugs

There are a variety of pests that can harm your plants, including mites, aphids, mealybugs, thrips, and scale whiteflies. Some of these insects you’ll be able to see, while others are so tiny you’ll only know they’re there from the telltale signs of them.

Bugs are like vampires in that they can suck the sap of the plant — the blood of the plant world, if you will. As a result of the attack on the plant, the overall health of the greenery diminishes and the leaves yellow.

The Solution: Wash Up

To deal with an insect infestation, you can wash the plant — repeatedly if you have to. Use neem oil or horticultural soap to wipe the plant. You can buy the soap or even make it yourself.

The Problem: A Lack of Nutrients

Plants need more than a dozen essential minerals in order to flourish, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and others. If a plant is deficient in one or more of the needed nutrients, you’ll see it in the plant’s appearance. The lack of a specific nutrient shows up differently from one plant to the next.

The Solution: Add Nutrients

Once you figure out what nutrient(s) are lacking in your plant, you can add what it’s missing. There are a variety of products which can help you do this. They’re available at most garden centers and hardware stores.

The Problem: Too Much or Too Little Water

Plants, like humans, need moisture to survive. Humans can feel very unwell if we guzzle gallons of water or if we’ve gone too long without it.

Plants are no different — they are affected by the amount of water they have (or don’t have).

If a plant is in dense or poorly drained soil, it can become waterlogged, making it impossible for the roots to absorb the oxygen they need to properly function. Root damage increases the longer the plant has to deal with reduced oxygen supply.

Ultimately, the roots get damaged when overwatered and some may even die. This makes it impossible for the rest of the plant to get the necessary nutrients and water needed to sustain life.

If your plant is curling up, or its leaves are wilting, you might be under-watering it. The pores on the surface of leaves, called stoma, let air into a plant. If a plant doesn’t have enough water, it closes up the stoma to prevent any evaporation of the precious little moisture it still has. This results in wilting.

The Solution: Rethink Your Plant’s Bedding

If the soil around your plant is dense and doesn’t drain well, add mulch around plants or throughout the entire flowerbed. You can also add organic matter, including compost, to help boost drainage.

Remember: A dry soil surface isn’t always a true sign of a plant needing water. Even if the surface of the soil is dry to the touch, it doesn’t mean the roots are dry, as well. Test the moisture content lower in the plant’s pot or plot to truly gauge if water is needed.

Keeping your plants happy and healthy can be a bit of a process. It can take time and some problem-solving skills to get just the right combination of growing conditions. If you pay attention to the appearance of your florae, including the yellowing of the leaves, you’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments.

Recommended Reading:

• Companion Plants for Organic Gardening
• 5 Cost-Effective Ways To Home Container Gardening – DIY
• 10 Most Profitable Vegetables to Grow

Sources:

• Symptoms of Nutrient Deficiency
• Natural Pest Remedies – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Why are my plants turning yellow? – Safer Brand

The information starts with a history of Monsanto company, which was started in 1901 by John Francis Queeny and gave the company his wife’s maiden name. The company was started to manufacture saccharin then moved to vanilla and caffeine. By 1915 the company had made its first million and it kept on growing. Most people associate Monsanto with disease and bug resistant crops and rBGH for increased milk production, but the company is also linked to the production of the U.S. atomic bomb, agent orange, and Roundup weed killer which could be resulting in the decline of honeybees.
Infographic and written content courtesy of Top masters In Health.
Today Monsanto reports a revenue of nearly $16 billion. 93% of the U.S. soybeans and 80% of U. S. corn grown today are patented products of Monsanto. Also, there are a total of 282 million acres of farmland worldwide that are growing Monsanto crops and 404 facilities worldwide. In the United States, 40% of all crop acreage is using Monsanto products.

What price does someone pay to use Monsanto seed? There is a license agreement printed on every bag which some may find to be overstepping boundaries in the fact that it allows Monsanto to sue farmers for not following Monsanto procedures, or investigate the farmer’s fields anytime it chooses. Monsanto also has a hotline set up for neighbors to call if they suspect Monsanto seed is being used without a license.

Further Reading:

• Scientists Against GMOs
• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• Doctors Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research

Source:

• How Monsanto Took Control of Our Food – Top masters In Health

Imagine This

You bring a beautiful baby girl into this world. You count her fingers and toes. You can’t believe the wonder of this tiny, perfect human being. She trusts you to keep her warm, nourished, and safe from harm.

You and others hold down your baby or when she has grown and is a little girl. Someone uses a scalpel, a knife, a razor blade, a piece of glass, or some other sharp instrument to cut the skin off of her clitoris and remove all or part of it. Perhaps more is done. Perhaps the inner lips of her labia are removed. Perhaps the opening to the vagina is surgically altered. Perhaps the entire labia is sewn together leaving only a small opening, one that is not large enough to deliver a baby, not large enough to allow intercourse unless it is ruptured and torn.

If you live in the United States or Great Britain, you will probably go to the country from which you or your family originated – Africa, Asia, or the Middle East – to have this procedure performed because it is illegal in the United States and Britain. In Britain, you would face a 14-year prison term. In the United States? Probably 30 years, or more.

You love your daughter. Why would you do this?

You do this for social, cultural, or religious reasons. You do this because you have been raised to believe that female circumcision promotes cleanliness and reduction of libido, aiding in chastity before marriage. Your culture tells you your unaltered child is not marriageable. You do it because it was done to you or the mother of your child. You do this because it was done to all the women in your family. You do this because you believe it is the right thing to do.

The list of complications from female circumcision is long. At one end, we find infections, at the other end, sterilization or death. Altered vaginal openings may result in infant death or maternal death during childbirth. Sexuality is forever altered due to the loss of the clitoris and the damage done to other tissues. The circumcision is performed at various ages and can result in significant emotional trauma. This horrific practice continues primarily due to custom and religion.

Now Imagine This

You bring a beautiful, perfect baby boy into this world. In less than 24 hours, a nurse, doctor, or midwife comes to you with a clipboard and a form, asking you to sign permission to cut off the foreskin of your baby’s penis. Skin that nature provided to protect the glans. Skin that is filled with nerve endings that heighten sexual response. Skin that works with the penis during intercourse for normal sexual function, increasing pleasure for both the male and the female.

Why would you do this?

You do this for social, cultural, or religious reasons.

You do this because you have been told that male circumcision promotes cleanliness or prevents disease. You do this because it was done to you or the father of your child. Or you do this because you fell for the lame argument, “You don’t want him to be teased in the locker room for looking different, do you?”

History of Male Circumcision

Looking back at the history of male circumcision in the United States, we find that male circumcision has been the norm in this country for generations. We, as a culture, have been brainwashed into believing that an intact foreskin results in a lack of cleanliness that leads to disease, including cancer and HIV. But that’s not how this medical malpractice started in the United States. It began with the fear of sexuality – specifically, nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) and masturbation. Circumcision was claimed to cure or prevent both of these “horrific acts.” These claims were followed by more claims and “scientific” papers “proving” ridiculous cures through circumcision. These cures and preventions include:

• Prevents syphilis
• Cures epilepsy
• Prevents epilepsy
• Prevents spinal paralysis
• Cures bedwetting
• Prevents curvature of the spine, paralysis, and clubfoot
• Cures abdominal neuralgia
• Cures eye problems
• Prevents crossed eyes
• Cures blindness, deafness, and dumbness
• Prevents blacks from raping white women
• Cures urinary and rectal incontinence
• Prevents tuberculosis
• Prevents penile cancer
• Promotes chastity
• Prevents prostrate cancer
• Prevents venereal disease and cancer of the tongue
• Prevents cervical cancer in women
• Provides immunity to nearly all physical and mental illnesses
• Cures nervousness
• Prevents bladder cancer and cancer of the rectum
• Prevents urinary tract infections
• Prevents AIDS
• Prevents neonatal group B streptococcal disease
• Prevents HIV infection

The information above was included in an interesting slide show presented by the International Coalition for Genital Integrity. Their slides show the rise and fall of circumcision rates in the U.S. and the U.K. along a timeline in association with the misinformation pushed upon the American people through the medicalization of circumcision. (See link below).

The history of circumcision predates recorded history and is a global phenomenon. It is argued that the practice of circumcision came from cultural diffusion, that it was a practice that started with early man in Africa and was retained after humanity dispersed. The argument for this belief is simply that it was unlikely the practice started spontaneously across the globe in various cultures. However, we should bear in mind that many human behaviors started spontaneously and independently across the globe including agriculture, pottery making, tools, and weaponry.

It is also argued that foreskin (especially if it is tight) is a physiological barrier to early sexuality that aided in delaying reproduction, thereby favoring natural selection. Many cultures ritualized circumcision as a rite of passage from childhood to manhood—preparing the young man for a sexual union.

It was not only a tribal rite in many places across the globe. It was performed in ancient Egypt as shown by mummies and by hieroglyphics, it is also believed it was performed on slaves and conquered warriors as a show of dominance and humiliation.

Circumcision and Religion Today

People of the Jewish faith practice circumcision due to their belief that God commanded it of Abraham and his descendants (and those he bought) as “…a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. …And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that should shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.” Genesis 17:714

Cleanliness and hygiene are essential to the Islamic faith. Circumcision is believed to be an important aspect of cleanliness. “Five things are part of the fitrah: shaving the pubic hair, circumcision, trimming the moustache, plucking the armpit hairs, and cutting the nails.” Although they do not believe it to be a covenant between God and mankind, they do believe circumcision is submitting to the will of God. They believe female circumcision to be mutilation; it is strictly forbidden.

The Current Pro-Circumcision Argument

In 1975 and again in 1983 and 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated, “…there is no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision of the newborn.” Today they state the following on their website:

“The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that circumcision has potential medical benefits and advantages, as well as risks. Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks and that the procedure’s benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose it, however, existing scientific evidence is not sufficient to recommend routine circumcision. Therefore, because the procedure is not essential to a child’s current well-being, we recommend that the decision to circumcise is one best made by parents in consultation with their pediatrician, taking into account what is in the best interests of the child, including medical, religious, cultural, and ethnic traditions.”

The arguments for circumcision include:

• Fewer urinary tract infections
• Less risk of penile cancer
• Less risk of transmission of some STDs including HIV

Urinary Tract Infections

Multiple studies have consistently shown fewer urinary tract infections among circumcised infants compared to uncircumcised infants. However, it is important to note that urinary tract infections among all male infants are rare with an annual estimated rate of 0.18% in circumcised male infants verses 0.70% in uncircumcised male infants.

Penile Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, “Risk factors for developing penis cancer include human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, not being circumcised, being age 60 or older, phimosis, poor hygiene, many sexual partners, and tobacco use.”

Penile cancer is rare. In the U.S. the current projected stats for 2015 are 1,820 new cases will be diagnosed and 310 men will die from penile cancer. It accounts for less than 1% of the cancers afflicting men; however, it accounts for up to 10% of cancers in men in some parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. Penile cancer is more common among Hispanic men than non-Hispanic men.

HPV, the human papilloma virus, is believed to be responsible for about 63% of penile cancers, though the CDC states that cancer registries do not collect data on the presence or absence of HPV in cancer tissue at the time of diagnosis.

HIV and Other STDS

When reading scholarly articles about circumcision and STDs, the logic or lack thereof in some of the reports is astounding. For example, in the report, Male circumcision: assessment of health benefits and risks, it states: “There is substantial evidence that circumcision protects males from HIV infection, penile carcinoma, urinary tract infections, and ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases.”

It also says, “Eight (studies) reported a statistically significant association between presence of the foreskin and HIV infection, one reported a trend towards an association, one reported no association, and one reported an increased risk with circumcision. To our knowledge, the latter report is the only one in the literature in which, after controlling for potential confounding factors, male circumcision has been associated with an increased risk for HIV infection.”

In another study, male circumcision and common sexually transmissible diseases in a developed nation setting, its conclusion is as follows: “From the findings of this study, circumcision of men has no significant effect on the incidence of common STDs in this developed nation setting. However, these findings may not necessarily extend to other setting where hygiene is poorer and the spectrum of common STDs is different.”

Circumcision is Painful

We do everything in our power to protect infants from fear and pain, and yet we pretend circumcision is not painful. In reality, it is both painful and traumatic.

Most babies scream frantically when their foreskin is cut off. Some defecate. Some lapse into a coma. The reason some babies don’t cry when they are circumcised is that they can’t cry because they are in a state of shock.” –NOCIRC

Risks of Circumcision

It is rare that a circumcision is completely botched, but it does happen. There are cases where the outcome is the loss of the glans, the shaft of skin, or the entire penis. And there have been cases of sexual reassignment due to the loss of a penis. Babies have died. Other risks include infection, excessive bleeding, and complications from anesthesia (if it was used). We do not know but can only guess at the emotional cost an infant suffers from the initial cut and up to 10 days or more of painful healing. We do not know how this trauma affects bonding during this crucial time.

Circumcised males may suffer from scarring, skin bridges, tearing and bleeding at the circumcision scar site, curvature of the penis, or tight, painful erections.

Not only have they lost the foreskin with all of its many nerve endings, most or all of the sensitivity of the glans has been lost as well. Many circumcised males resent the fact that they are not intact and were not given the choice.

Declaration of the First International Symposium on Circumcision

We recognize the inherent right of all human beings to an intact body. Without religious or racial prejudice, we affirm this basic human right.

We recognize that the foreskin, clitoris, and labia are normal, functional parts of the human body.

Parents and/or guardians do not have the right to consent to the surgical removal or modification of their children’s normal genitalia.

Physicians and other healthcare providers have a responsibility to refuse to remove or mutilate normal parts of the body.

The only persons who may consent to medically unnecessary procedures upon themselves are individuals who have reached the age of consent (adulthood), and then only after being fully informed about the risks and benefits of the procedure.

We categorically state that circumcision has unrecognized victims.

In view of the serious physical and psychological consequences that we have witnessed in victims of circumcision, we hereby oppose the performance of a single additional unnecessary foreskin, clitoral, or labial amputation procedure.

We oppose any further studies that involve the performance of the circumcision procedure upon unconsenting minors. We support any further studies that involve identification of the effects of circumcision.

Physicians and other healthcare providers do have a responsibility to teach hygiene and the care of normal parts of the body and to explain their normal anatomical and physiological development and function throughout life.

We place the medical community on notice that it is being held accountable for misconstruing the scientific database available on human circumcision in the world today.

Physicians who practice routine circumcision are violating the first maxim of medical practice, “Primum Non Nocere” (“First, Do No Harm”), and anyone practicing genital mutilation is violating Article V of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment…”  –  Adopted by the General Assembly, March 3, 1989 Anaheim, California USA

Conclusion

The truth is simple. There was no flaw that surgery can improve upon in the design of our genitals. The foreskin protects the penis. During infancy, the foreskin is adhered to the glans, protecting it from urine, feces, and friction from diapers. In later years, its protective cover keeps the glans moist and the skin soft while protecting it from trauma and injury, whereas unprotected glans become dry, calloused and desensitized. The two other functions of the foreskin are sensory and sexual. An intact penis is four times more sensitive than a circumcised penis. Genital integrity is the right of every human being. It’s time we put an end to this barbaric practice.

Sources:

• Where We Stand – Healthy Children.org
• Female genital mutilation – NHS Choices
• Jewish Practices & Rituals: Circumcision – Brit Milah – Jewish Virtual Library
• Penile Cancer – American Cancer Society
• HPV-Associated Penile Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity – CDC
• Male Circumcision – CDC Fact Sheet
• Personal Hygiene : Cleanliness is Half of Faith – The Religion of Islam
• Male circumcision: assessment of health benefits and risks; Stephen Moses, Robert C Bailey, Allan R Ronald – Departments of Medical Microbiology, Community Health Sciences and Medicine, University
• of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• Male circumcision and common sexually transmissible diseases in a developed nation setting B Donovan, I Bassett, N J Bodsworth, Genitourin Med 1994;70:317-320

Bananas Are Good For…

Bananas are good for constipation, skin problems, heart, nervous system, PMS, anemia, kidneys, bones, stomach ulcers, indigestion, emotional state, blood circulation, hangovers, rheumatic aches and pains, blood pressure, morning sickness, and muscular regeneration.

When you compare a banana to an apple, bananas have four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A, five times the iron, and two times the vitamins and minerals.

And, of course bananas are well known for being rich in potassium. Nutritionally, bananas are one of the best value foods available.

Contents

• Nutrition Composition of Bananas

• Natural Remedies and Prevention with Bananas

• Banana History and Culture

• Banana Agriculture

• Things You Didn’t Know About Bananas

• How to Store Bananas So They Last Longer

• How to Pick Good Bananas

• Things to Consider

Nutrition Composition Of Bananas

Bananas contain lots of manganese, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Bananas also contain health-promoting flavonoids,  polyphenolics, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, beta, and alpha carotenes (acting as free radical-gobbling antioxidants).

Bananas are well known for their potassium. Just one banana contains 422 mg of potassium (depending on its size), which is important for controlling your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as a host of other functions.

Nutrition Facts for One Medium Sized, Raw, Typically Ripe Banana, 120g

Natural Remedies and Prevention With Bananas

Bananas help overcome depression, relieve seasonal effective disorder,  and are great for elevating mood, reducing PMS symptoms, and reducing stress due to high levels of vitamin B6 and tryptophan and its ability to regulate blood sugar levels.

A study conducted by the Imperial College of London found that children who ate a banana every day had  a 34% less chance of developing asthma.

Bananas help protect against muscle cramps during workouts and nighttime leg cramps. The high fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility (constipation relief). But if you have the runs, bananas can soothe and help normalize the digestive tract. Bananas also restore electrolytes that are lost from diarrhea. Green bananas are known to reduce or eliminate diarrhea.

Bananas alleviate heartburn (acid reflux). They are a natural antacid. Some people with stomach ulcers have problems with other raw produce, but bananas are the only raw fruit that can almost always be consumed without distress from ulcers because they coat the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids. Bananas, along with the right diet, can help heal stomach ulcers.

Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protect the eyes against macular degeneration, and increase calcium absorption. Eating bananas between meals helps to stabilize blood sugar and reduces nausea due to morning sickness.

Bananas can help reduce binge eating, as they help stabilize blood sugar.

Banana Peel Uses and Remedies

Banana peels can remove warts. Put a piece of banana peel against the wart (inside of peel against skin) and tape it in place. Rub the inside of a banana peel on bug bite or hives to relieve itching and irritation. With its healing and regenerative properties, banana peel can speed up the healing of bruises, scraps, scratches, and other injuries.

Rub the inside of a banana peel on leather (like shoes or a handbag) to polish; follow with a dry cloth for a quick shine.

Rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth for a couple of minutes every other day for whiter teeth.

While you’re at it, if you suffer from acne, try rubbing a peel over acne every night. The inside of banana peel can soothe the inflammation and irritation of acne and help prevent future outbreaks. You should see results in a  few days.

Other skin issues that benefit from the inside of a banana peel include sunburn, psoriasis, poison ivy rash, and other rashes that are not Candida related. Rubbing the peel ob the forehead, face and cheeks can tighten the skin, shrink pores, and reduce wrinkles

The enzymes in banana peels can help dislodge a splinter. Try taping a piece of the peel (inside to skin) over a splinter for two hours.

Banana peels are great for compost.

Banana History and Culture

Bananas were first referenced in sixth century BCE Buddhist writings in India. They were likely to have originated in Malaysia and transported by early explorers to India. Alexander the Great is said to have, after trying and liking bananas, brought the fruit back from India to the Western world.

Bananas vary in size, color, firmness, and texture. Almost all modern edible seedless bananas come from the two wild species, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana.

In some countries, especially in the Americas and Europe, banana varieties that are generally used for cooking are called plantains. However, in many countries there is no such distinction between the two.  In other regions, such as Southeast Asia, there are many varieties of banana grown and eaten with a variety of textures and sizes with varying degrees of sweetness.

Eating Fully Ripe Bananas

Ripe bananas with brown spots or peels can act as an anti-cancer agent by stimulating the production of white blood cells in the human cell line. On the other hand, when bananas fully ripen and develop dark spots on  the skin, the starch content changes to simple sugars which can raise the blood glucose levels quickly and feed Candida or infection. As bananas ripen, some of the micro-nutrients decrease as well.

Eating Raw Unripe Bananas

Most of the carbohydrates in our diet are starches found in grains, potatoes, and various other foods. But not all of the starch we eat gets digested. There is starch called “resistant starch,” found in raw potatoes and unripe bananas which functions in a similar manner as soluble fiber. This starch has significant health benefits including appetite reduction, improved insulin sensitivity, stabilization of blood sugar levels, and various other benefits that aid indigestion.

Banana Agriculture

Americans buy more bananas than any other fruit. The average American eats 10 pounds of bananas each year.

According to the USDA, in 2012, the U.S. imported 9,589 million pounds of bananas. More than 95 percent of the bananas are grown in five tropical Latin American nations.

Are There Genetically Modified Bananas?

The bananas we eat from the grocery store are hybrid bananas. We have crossbred bananas in order to remove the seeds and to sweeten and soften the  fruit.

GMO bananas may be in our future.  The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and NARO, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and CGIAR, have started trials for genetically modified bananas resistant to black sigatoka and banana weevils.

Organic Vs. Conventional Bananas

The conventional banana industry is pesticide intensive. Bananas are grown in massive monocultures without crop rotation, which causes plants to be vulnerable to insect pests and fungal diseases.

The pesticide procedure is believed to use 35 pounds of pesticide per acre, which is dramatically more than other crops (van Wendel de Joode 2012, citing Wesseling 2001 and Ramírez 2009). Each bunch of bananas on the trees are enclosed inside of a plastic bag where the chemicals are inserted. The good news is that few of the pesticides reach the edible tissue of the fruit, but the risk to workers’ health and the environment, is substantial.

Organic bananas grown without synthetic insecticides and fungicides are a bit more expensive than conventional bananas. Some report that the days of organic bananas may be limited. A highly virulent and incurable strain of a fungus that attacks the Cavendish banana is spreading across plantations around the world.

Peeled bananas are generally tainted with very few pesticide residues, according to USDA analyses, probably because those tested are peeled first. In 2012 USDA scientists found just four fungicides on bananas they analyzed, compared to 10 on plums (USDA 2012b).

Fair Trade Bananas

Certified Fair Trade labeled bananas are a better choice than conventional for a few reasons. Growers have agreed to some restrictions on toxic pesticides and greater protection and pay for their workers.

Banana Human Rights Issues

Though bananas are one of the most widely distributed products in the world, there is very little in way of regulations and laws in regards to the treatment of the plantation workers. Commonplace tactics include child labor, anti-union measures, substandard wages, and severe toxic exposure,

Latin America countries have been plagued by imperialist foreign policies of developed nations for over a century, and the banana industry has been a large source of such turmoil.” – The Tragedy of Trade

The major banana distributors of North America, being Dole Food Company and Chiquita Brand International, continue to exploit the people of Ecuador, ignoring  international treaties and declarations, which both the United States and Ecuador have ratified.

If organic bananas are not available, look for bananas labeled fair trade.

Things You Didn’t Know About Bananas

To quickly ripen a banana, place it in a paper sack with a tomato or an apple.

Bananas are 75% water.

Even though bananas are very sweet when ripe, bananas have a relatively low glycemic index rating.

One banana supplies enough copper to keep the body properly producing red blood cells.

As they ripen, bananas produce an enzyme called “pectinase.” This enzyme helps break down plant materials in our body.

A banana has as much starch as a potato.

The fruit isn’t the only part of the banana you can eat. The flowers, leaves and trunk of the plant are edible as well.

How To Store Bananas So They Last Longer

If you’re one of those people who generally eats bananas quickly enough not to lose them to spoiling, you’ll benefit from a banana hanger (if you don’t already have one). If you need your bananas to last as long as possible, separate them and wrap each individual stem with plastic cling wrap. Lay them on padding such as a towel. Once bananas are at the desired ripeness, you can put them in the refrigerator. The banana skins will brown and eventually turn black in the fridge, but bananas are fine to eat.

Many people also peel bananas once they are ripe, put them in a plastic freezer bag, and then put them in the freezer for smoothies later.

How To Pick Good Bananas

It all depends on how ripe your bananas should be when they are ready to eat. Ripe bananas, unripe bananas, and all varying ripeness of bananas in between have their own unique benefits. So the question is, how soon do you want to eat them? The greener the banana the longer it will take to ripen. The more brown there is the more ripe the banana is.

Always look for organic bananas or fair trade bananas. They typically taste better in our opinion, and there is much less environmental degradation and no human rights abuses with these labels.

Things To Consider

When we are healthy and our body’s digestive system is balanced, bananas are very good for us. On the other hand, when someone is suffering from Candida overgrowth, bananas feed yeast.

Beta-blockers, medications that are most commonly prescribed for heart disease, can cause potassium levels to increase in the blood. High potassium foods such as bananas should be limited if you are taking beta-blockers.

Consuming great amounts of potassium can be harmful for people with poorly functioning kidneys. If your kidneys are unable to remove excess potassium from the blood, too much potassium may be fatal. For anyone dealing with Candida or any other infections would do well to limit or avoid bananas (and check out Make Your Immune System Bulletproof and  Gluten Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases.

Recommended Reading:

• Cayenne and Capsaicin, Natures Miracle Medicine
• Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts
• How To Use Turmeric To Kill Cancer
• Garlic – The Most Amazing Herb On the Planet

Banana Recipes:

•  Cacao Power Smoothie Recipe
• Fruit Salad Recipe
• Mango Orange Bliss Green Smoothie

Sources & Further Reading:

• Banana Cultivation Is Pesticide-Intensive
• The Tragedy of Trade:A Critical Look at the Ecuadoran …
• Full Ripe Banana with Dark Patches Combats Abnormal Cells and Cancer
• Resistant Starch 101 – Everything You Need to Know
• What are the health benefits of bananas?

As more people are seeking to preserve or restore their health through natural means, they are trying to avoid genetically modified organisms. Not everyone can find everything they need with the organic label, and some laboratory testing has shown that even foods that carry the organic label have been contaminated with genetically modified organisms.

I believe that in the not too distant future we will have consumer protection from GMOs with labeling laws, but with Monsanto’s control over our government, this is not right around the corner.

The best way to avoid genetically modified foods is to understand which foods are genetically modified and which foods are not. Understanding the difference between heirlooms, hybrids, and GMOs is imperative to understanding this issue, and there is much confusion here as well.

With heirlooms, you save the seeds of a fruit or vegetable with favorable characteristics. Other than selecting which plant seeds to save, the seeds are not manipulated. The plants are allowed to pollinate and ripen as they would naturally.

People often lump hybrids and GMOs together when arguing in favor of GMOS. And while there is modification to the plant at a genetic level, it’s not the same as when we talk about “GMOs.” Hybridization is the act of cross-pollinating two plants; each with a dominant favorable trait resulting in fruit that will bear both of those traits.

Seedless watermelons are a good example of a hybrid. I’ve heard many people tell me they avoid seedless watermelon in an effort to avoid GMOS, but these watermelons are not a GMO food. The best reasons to avoid seedless watermelons is they don’t taste nearly as good, and likely contain less nutrition than their natural seeded cousins.

Another point of confusion is potatoes. Many consumers have begun to notice that their potatoes don’t sprout anymore. It used to be that if you didn’t eat potatoes fast enough, as it sat in your kitchen, the eyes would begin to turn into vines. The conventional potatoes bought in the grocery store don’t do this anymore, not through some form of genetic modification, but due to very heavy doses of chemicals. This renders potatoes lifeless. They look good to the ignorant consumer and last longer on the shelves of the grocery store, as food generally does when it’s not alive.

Foods that are Genetically Modified

Beets, corn, cotton, Hawaiian papaya, soy, rice, canola, alfalfa, yeast (for making wine) and milk (RGBH) are genetically modified foods that have been deemed “fit for human consumption,” and are being produced and sold to us.

More than half of the cotton grown in the world is genetically modified. Not only used to make clothes, but cottonseed oil is used frequently in food production.

Genetically modified rice has been approved but is not yet in large-scale use.

GMOs were recently banned in Hawaii, but they excluded papaya from the ban.

Genetically modified wheat has been developed but not approved for consumption. Unfortunately, commercial wheat fields have been contaminated with the genetically modified seed. It is not unlikely that we have been consuming GMO wheat.

Other genetically modified foods that have been deemed fit for human consumption, but are not being sold (or are very hard to find ) at this time (due to consumer and/or farmer demand) include summer squash and zucchini, tomatoes, and potatoes.

GMO foods  under consideration for human consumption include rice, salmon, bananas, apples that don’t brown, and a purple tomato. They may be coming to your local neighborhood supermarket in the near future.

Genetically Modified Foods in our Grocery Stores

First and foremost, the easiest way to avoid genetically modified organisms is to eat whole, unprocessed foods that are labeled organic. When organic is not available, know the most likely offenders; these include soy, sweet corn, alfalfa, and Hawaiian papaya.

When buying packaged foods, such as snack foods, know your GMO ingredients. Without a GMO free guarantee, to avoid GMOs, one should avoid corn, dairy, soy, canola oil, sugar (sugar beets), and any conventional meat. Conventional, factory farmed livestock are fed genetically modified grains, including GMO foods that aren’t even trusted for human consumption.

As far as corn is concerned, it should be noted that popcorn comes from corn that is not genetically modified, and sweet corn is, typically, not genetically modified (though as with other genetically modified organisms, they will become more and more common very quickly).

Also, note that even when you buy organic, it is imperative, in order to completely avoid GMO foods, to know and trust the company when it comes to soy, alfalfa, wheat, sugar (from sugar beets) and corn. A reputable producer of food that cares about their customers’ health and freedom of choice will test their products regularly (like Eden Foods and Bob’s Red Mill). GMO contamination is a very serious problem, and it’s getting harder and harder to grow food without genetically modified seeds sneaking into the crops and taking over.

Recommended Supplements (These supplements help detoxify GMOs):

• Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula
• FloraMend Prime Probiotic – Thorne Research
• Fundamental Sulfur Powder (MSM Powder) – Douglas Labs
• Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse Formula
• Shillington’s Intestinal Detox

Further Reading:

• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• GMO Science
• GMO Facts and Arguments
• How to Avoid GMOs
• The Difference Between Heirlooms, Hybrids, and GMOs

Sources Include:

• Mother Jones – 5 Surprising Genetically Modified Foods
• Organic Lifestyle Magazine – Foods that are GMO
• Living Maxwell – The Health Risks of Eating Conventional Potatoes
• Organic Lifestyle Magazine – The Difference Between Heirlooms, Hybrids, and Gmos

Dr. David Heimbach, a well-known advocate of the flame retardant chemical industry, was one of the nation’s top burn surgeons. But now the doctor is facing disciplinary charges and has surrendered his medical license. The charges have been brought on by Washington’s Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

State officials have accused Heimbach of fabricating testimony. A 2012 Tribune investigation titled, “Playing with Fire,” exposed Heimbach as a fraud. The doctor was thought to be an unbiased burn expert who testified to the efficacy of the toxic flame retardant chemicals added to furniture. Not only are these chemicals toxic, but research has shown that despite what Dr. Heimbach’s claimed, they do not work.

The Tribune reported that Heimbach’s testimony about babies dying in fires was part of a campaign of deception paid for by the chemical industry.

In the charges, the commission cited Heimbach’s work for Citizens for Fire Safety. It turns out this organization is merely a front that is founded, funded, and controlled by the three largest manufacturers of flame retardant chemicals.

Due to health concerns, states were looking into banning or at least putting limitations, on flame retardant usage.

Citizens for Fire Safety accomplished their agenda, which was to scare the public in regards to the dangers of fires, while downplaying health risks linked to flame retardant chemicals, including, but not limited to, cancer, developmental disorders, and neurological deficits.

In a written response to the commission, Heimbach said that Citizens for Fire Safety paid him a total of $240,000 for consulting work he did in 2010 and 2011. The problem is, he never disclosed this information at legislative hearings.

“I should have been more circumspect regarding this, but I was an advocate of fire retardants and had read the scientific literature indicating that they were useful and that the benefits exceeded the risks of their use,” he wrote to the commission. “I only learned the true circumstances after the newspaper articles appeared. Mea culpa for this.”

The doctor also said that he believes flame retardants are useful and that his testimony was not meant to mislead anyone.

Related Products:

• Green Lifestyle Market – Home

Related Reading:

• Textile Industry’s Health and Environmental Impacts – What Are You Wearing?
• Corporations, Our Health, and a History of Failed Technologies
• How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders
• Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies
• Charges Brought upon Doctor and Advocate for Toxic Flame Retardant Chemicals
• Sleep More, Sleep Better
• Why Your Couch Is Killing You
• What’s Ailing You? Could it be Your Mattress?