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Three Things You Can Do to Clear Your Aura of Negative Thought Forms

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 4, 2011 at 8:30am

Three Things You Can Do to Clear Your Aura of Negative Thought FormsOctober 26th, 2011Even if one has attained a great degree of self-mastery, just living on this plant with all the negativity in the world, anyone can easily pick up negative thought forms or misqualified energies. All it takes is a moment of not being vigilant and watchful.There are a number of things you can do to clear your aura of such negative thought forms. For your enjoyment, here are three quick tips.1. Visualize a huge violet flame. The violet flame is also known as the Violet Transmuting Flame because it has the power to transmute misqualified energies into pure energies. So visualize a huge violet flame and then step into this flame, and see, feel, and visualize how this flame transmutes all negative energies in your aura.2. Ask to be taken to Djwhal Khul’s Synthesis Ashram and ask him to clear your auric field of all negative elementals, energies and thought forms.3. Call on Melchizedek and ask for a Golden Dome of Protection to be placed around you to both protect you and clear you of any unwanted energies.These are three simple tips that the Integrated Ascended Master uses to maintain the purity and clarity of his energy fields. Give it a try and see for yourself.So let it be written, So let it be done.© 2011, Dr Joshua David Stone and Gloria Excelsias, www.IAMUniversity.org

EU bans naked body scanners because of cancer risk, US continues to coerce travelers through them

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 26, 2011 at 1:50pm

EU bans naked body scanners because of cancer risk, US continues to coerce travelers through them

(NaturalNews) The European Commission has issued new guidelines for the use of naked body scanners at European airports. Only scanners that use millimeter wave technology, a type of low-energy radio wave that does not cause radioactive damage, will be permitted for use in the EU -- the backscatter X-ray variety commonly used in the US will be off limits due to safety concerns.

Unlike the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which continues to insist that the backscatter machines are safe, EU regulators have admitted that this is not the case. Not only are these ionizing radiation machines now restricted throughout Europe, but the use of even millimeter wave machines also continues to remain optional for nation states that choose to use them.

"In order not to risk jeopardizing citizens' health and safety, only security scanners which do not use X-ray technology are added to the list of authorised methods for passenger screening at EU airports," says the commission's press release announcement. "All other technologies, such as that used for mobiles (sic) phones and others, can be used provided that they comply with EU security standards."

This approach to public safety is a far cry from the one US regulators are taking. Even though backscatter X-ray machines are not at all necessary, the TSA, under the umbrella of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), continues to bend over backwards in support of the machines, even when this includes openly denying the fact that they can cause cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/030607_n...).

One would think that the US, which is supposed to be the "land of the free," would be more likely than the EU, which is largely socialist, to protect its citizens from cancer-causing radioactive devices. But not only does the EU not force its citizens to go through naked body scanners like the US does, but it has also now taken a proactive approach to protecting citizens' health by banning these radioactive devices from airports.

Most Americans seem to have no problem complying with unconstitutional mandates to walk through radioactive naked body scanners -- in fact, many still think the procedure is done for their own safety.

And as long as the population at large continues to accept this tyranny in the name of safety and security, freedom and liberty will continue to rapidly disappear at the hands of the nation's rogue federal government.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034213_airport_scanners_cancer_risk.html#ixzz1eZ7g0y00

Nothing to fear but fear itself by Adrian Cooper

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 11, 2011 at 3:10pm

Nothing to fear but fear itself by Adrian Cooper

I am sure Roosevelt knew the True Meaning of this iconic quotation. So why do I raise this now?
Well, in recent weeks, as I have shifted the focus of this Newsletter from a “Higher”, Spiritual focus, to an Experiential physical World focus.

As we Quicken towards the Singularity of this Cycle of Human Consciousness, it has become incumbent upon me to switch my focus from Higher Aspects of our Divine Triune Nature and Being, to the physical, Experiential Aspects of Our Triune Being.

As mentioned in recent weeks, if we are to be balanced and prepared for that which is to be Experienced in the context of this Great Transition of Consciousness, we simply cannot neglect any aspect of our Divinity if we are to Evolve and Progress.

Now whilst I much prefer to focus on the Higher, Spiritual aspects of Life, and believe me I would, I cannot and will not selectively disregard my Inner Guidance for fear that some readers might not “like to hear it”. We must remain balanced.

The events “taking place” in the World today are not only shaping our Personal Experience but also shaping the Collective Experience of Humanity as we conclude this current Cycle of Human Consciousness and Transition to the next Cycle.

We Are In This Together, for better or for worse.

Not only therefore must we acknowledge current events, but we must become One with these events. Any conscious effort to “reject” or “distance ourselves” from these events, is a rejection of Our Very Being, for we Are those events and they are Us.

The point is this. I have received messages from readers of this Newsletter for many years who have expressed distress by the recent emphasis, and in particular question why I have “been turned to the dark side of the force” by “propagating fear”.

Well first of all let me say I am Grateful to receive all messages such as these.

Second let me assure Readers that I have not been “turned” to the dark or any side.

I said in the final chapter of my book, Our Ultimate Reality, Life, The Universe and Destiny of Mankind, and have said in many Newsletters:

I know what I write is True, because I know the Source of that which I share in this Newsletter, in the book, on the website etc.

However, never accept anything I say as a fact simply because I wrote it. Always listen to your own Heart and Inner Guidance, and only allow that which you Feel is True and of Value on your own Spiritual Path.

Now let us analyse this emotion called “fear” more closely.

What is “fear”.

Fear is an emotional response invoked by an Experience that we do not understand.

Fear, along with uncertainty and doubt is one of the most powerful weapons that the “global elite” who would wish to control Humanity and the World have in their emotional arsenal against Humanity.

This “fear weapon” is invoked in numerous ways, for example through the control of money and debt, and the conditions of its distribution for basic survival needs.

Another very major and pervasive deployment of fear is through the medium of religions, who portray a vengeful, jealous, capricious “God”, whose “wrath” you will surely incur if you do not obey the rules set out by God’s ambassadors -- the church.

The RC religion for example currently emotionally controls over 1 billion people through fear and guilt. The fear is of being “sent to burn in damnation and brimstone for all eternity”. Guilt is invoked through for example the “seven deadly sins” which, should you fall foul of, requires you to “attend confessional” and pay a “penance”.

Another, much more insidious application of control through fear created in the last couple of decades, particularly in and by the USA, is the so called “war on terror”, which seeks to make people feel fearful and insecure so that the “controllers” can exert all manner of onerous, oppressive and invasive controls over the people.

For example, after “9/11″, aside from invading Afghanistan for selfish reasons, the USA enacted the “Homeland Security Act” as well as many other controls, some by “executive order”, all designed to exert increasing control over their own people.

The “war against terror” is totally and utterly fictitious, but is designed to control the people, and to justify further strategic imperial invasions of countries for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with “terrorists” or “humanitarianism”, and everything to do with regime changes to control countries for military and natural resources.

Also keep in Mind that the “global elite” who would seek to control the World are practicing “satanists” who feed off and draw power from the fear emotion. The more fear they can invoke in as many people as possible, the stronger they become. To put it another way, these people are “vampires” who feed voraciously on fear.

Now we must, if we are to progress, rise beyond not only these false contrivances, but also, most crucially, It Is Absolutely Crucial to Transcend Fear Itself.

Let me assure you Dear Reader that it is virtually impossible to progress Spiritually if fear can be invoked within us. Spiritual Evolution knows no fear.

Fear is not only of a very low Vibratory Frequency, thus pulling down overall Vibratory Frequency -- a major strategic objective of the “global elite” -- fear also implies Spiritual “imbalances” or “disconnects” that can sequester that Crucial Inner Connection and Oneness with Higher Self and With Source.

Why is this?

Well the reason is profound yet beautifully simple.

Every Single Human Being, and All Life, Is Divine, Infinite and Eternal Expression of Source, Fully Inclusive of The Infinite Power of Source, the same Divine, Infinite, Eternal Power that Created the Universe and All That Is.

Each of Us Has The Universe Of All That Is Within Us, As Us.

Do you believe that Source, God, is capable of fear?

Of course not.

Everything that people are fearful of is already part of us, so to be fearful of anything at all is no different to being frightened at the sight of our own shadow. We are the very Experience that we would be fearful of. Are you “scared” of your-Self?

Let me then state this emphatically:

No-thing Can Possibly Harm You Except To The Extent You Believe It Can
One of the most Crucial and Glorious Truths and Meaning Of Life, Is To Return To Our Source Through The Realisation And Expression Of Source. When We, During The Path Of Evolution Become Source Through Our Own Spiritual Experience, Then We Become Source Absolutely And Reunite With Source.

Now of course Earth is but the first step on the ladder, but nevertheless and extremely crucial one, because, just like the child in the sandbox of kindergarten who must learn to control his or her newfound abilities before being “let loose” in the outside World, so too must humans before being let loose in the Glorious and Harmonious Spheres beyond the Earth playground.

Now, as I mentioned previously, we are not only our physical body. We are Body, Mind and Spirit -- Consciousness -- and we cannot, if we wish to progress, selectively neglect any one aspect of our Triune Being, otherwise would be Spiritually unbalanced, and dis-harmony must surely follow -- it is absolutely inevitable.

As Above, So Below, As Within, So Without, said Master Hermes Trismegistus.

If we harbour any Inner turmoil or instability, or react emotionally to that which we see or hear, then those thoughts, feelings and emotion must be reflected and Expressed in to your physical Experience.

Conversely -- if we stand strong and tall, in Full Realisation of Who We Are, Living In the Moment, Pure of Mind, a Mind Like A Polished Mirror, With No Thought, Simply Observing And Allowing All That We See and Hear To Enter And Leave Our Consciousness As A Leaf Drifting By In The Wind, Then We Are “Invincible”. No-Thing Can “Harm” Us, All Things Are Possible.

Ask Yourself This:

Can you stand in the middle of a battlefield, bullets, bombs and missiles flying all around you, without thoughts, feelings or emotions, and In Joy For Who You Are, Knowing That No-Thing That Is Part Of You Can Ever Harm You?

If so -- excellent. If not, ask yourself why.

Ask yourself -- “what is it within me that makes me feel uncomfortable or fearful?”

It matters not what news I bring to you of the “World”, or the TV news, or what you read on the Internet -- it is all part of the Human Experience which collectively is forging the Human Mind and Spirit in preparation for the Great Transition Which All Humanity is Quickening towards Right Now.

I will conclude this subject then with three most Wise and Enlightened quotations from Morihei Ueshiba, who invented “Aikido”.

Aikido is a “Martial Art” and like most Martial Arts is not intended to be about forging a Human Being to be a “deadly weapon” but is rather about forging a Human Being Spiritually and Mentally so that mere weapons become unnecessary and irrelevant.

So Aikido is first and foremost a path of Spiritual and Mind Development, but which also teaches that the best form of defence is no defence, because if you respond to an attack upon your person with force and aggression, the opponent will take the Energy of that force and aggression Energy and turn it against you.

However, just as darkness cannot make a Light room darker, but the Light can make a dark room Lighter, Inner Peace Always Prevails Over Aggression, But Aggression Can Never Prevail Over Inner Peace.

It will be clear therefore that total control over Inner Thoughts, Feelings and Emotions is absolutely central to this, and most other Martial Art Disciplines.

Aikido also teaches that no matter how aggressive or intimidating the “opponent” is, the best and only True Form of Defence is Peace.

Here now are three quotations from Morihei Ueshiba:

Each Day Of A Human Life Contains Joy And Anger, Pain And Pleasure, Darkness And Light, Growth And Decay. Each Moment Is Etched With Nature’s Grand Design -- Do Not Try To Deny Or Oppose The Cosmic Order Of Things.

Do Not Look Upon This World With Fear And Loathing. Bravely Face Whatever The Gods Offer.
Life Itself Is Always A Trial. In Training You Must Test And Polish Yourself In Order To Face The Great Challenges Of Life. Transcend The Realm Of Life And Death, And Then You Will Be Able To Make Your Way Calmly And Safely Through Any Crisis That Confronts You.

These are Wise Words from a Great and Spiritual Person, and I would agree wholeheartedly with everything he said in these quotations.

I would like to also note that the Occupy Wall Street Movement is a Living Expression of these Principles, day after day, week after week, month after month.

They Live in Peace, Harmony and Service, Even In The Face Of Excessive, Unjustified and Provocative Force By The Police. This is how It Should Be. (see video below)
This Dear Reader Is The Power Rising Inexorably Around the World Today, And It is The Power Of Peace, Love And Transformation of Consciousness.

Our Collective Moment is Now.

——————————-

If you wish to receive Adrian’s free newsletter every Sunday, please do join him by adding your name and email address to the form at the top of every page on his Website:
http://www.ourultimatereality.com/

(I’ve been a subscriber to his weekly newsletter for years -- Highly recommended for spiritual truth seekers -- Iain)

Please watch this extremely powerful video that highlights the hypocrisy of ‘the controllers’ …and the courage and determination of the people who stand for us -- the people (…and thank you Adrian for the link)

I AM NOT MOVING -- Short Film -- Occupy Wall Street

…would love to hear your views on the issues raised in this article and video…
I AM NOT MOVING - Short Film - Occupy Wall Streethttp://youtu.be/zjfhOPCPJnE

11 shocking things you now realize to be true (but you never would have believed just three years ago)

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 19, 2011 at 3:16pm

11 shocking things you now realize to be true (but you never would have believed just three years ago)

(NaturalNews) We are living through a time of great awakening. The people of our world are beginning to open their eyes and realize the stunning depth of the scams and collusion taking place all around them. These scams that steal their wealth, poison them with chemicals, enslave them with financial trickery and control their minds with propaganda. These scams are the very fabric of modern government, the mainstream media, universities and so-called "science" institutions.

Here are 11 of those scams that you probably never would have believed just 2-3 years ago; but now you probably realize these are true!

Welcome to the real world, my friends. Now that we recognize the depth of the scams, let's change things for the better. (Occupy America!)

#1 - Most of the honey you buy in the grocery store contains no actual honey whatsoever
It's true, the so-called "honey" isn't even technically honey. Most of it is made of cheap "mystery" sweeteners, illegally imported from China, right under the nose of the FDA.

http://www.naturalnews.com/034123_h...
http://www.naturalnews.com/034102_h...

#2 - The fluoride that's dripped into municipal water supplies is actually a highly toxic industrial chemical byproduct

This scam is exploding in the faces of all the ignorant dentists and doctors who have been pushing this poison for years. Once again, they were wrong; the "conspiracy theorists" were right.

http://www.naturalnews.com/033753_w...
http://www.naturalnews.com/031547_f...
http://www.naturalnews.com/031602_f...

#3 - Flu vaccines often contain live flu viruses and actually cause the flu as a way to worsen the flu season and scare more people into buying vaccines
It's also true with MMR vaccines, which cause the measles. Flu vaccines are the greatest medical hoax that has ever been perpetrated on the world:

http://www.naturalnews.com/033998_i...
http://www.naturalnews.com/033816_s...
http://www.naturalnews.com/029641_v...
http://www.naturalnews.com/031043_f...

#4 - Ron Paul is deliberately stripped out of mainstream news reports, online polls and debate coverage in order to "game the system" against him

The power elite don't really want "fair and open" elections in America, you see. It's all about rigging the system to make sure a globalist puppet gets elected instead of a Man of the People.

http://www.naturalnews.com/033528_R...
http://www.prisonplanet.com/realcle...
http://www.prisonplanet.com/cnbc-ca...

#5 - The United States government openly trafficks illegal guns into Mexico as a way to cause gun violence in the USA

It all seemed so very clever until they got caught, and now it just seems flatly criminal. So why can the federal government run illegal guns and nothing happens to them, but if you or I do it, we go to prison for a long, long time?

http://www.naturalnews.com/032934_A...
http://www.naturalnews.com/033802_F...
http://counterthink.com/Fast_and_Fu...

#6 - Prestigious U.S. hospitals are widely engaged in black market organ trafficking and organ transplants

And why not? It's profitable, and they can claim they're "saving lives!" Make no mistake: the organ transplant industry is steeped in dark, psychopathic criminal activity.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028994_o...
http://www.naturalnews.com/034060_o...

#7 - The child sex slave industry is huge, highly profitable, and found everywhere across America (and the world)

You wouldn't have believed this, probably, until the whole Penn State scandal recently made headline news around the world. As everybody now knows, Penn State sports officials routinely raped young children, even pimping them out to other criminal rapists who paid big money to rape young boys.

This went on for 15 years right inside a prestigious university, right here in America.

Are you shocked? You shouldn't be. Alex Jones has been sounding the alarm about this for a decade. Nobody listened to him. They couldn't believe it was real. People would rather bury their heads in the sand than face reality.

And yet, this Penn State scandal just scratches the surface. The far deeper horrifying truth of all this is that Child Protective Services routinely kidnaps young American children and sells them into sex slavery -- so-called "white slavery." That story has not yet been covered by the mainstream media.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032501_M...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/penn-state...
http://www.prisonplanet.com/archive...
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/justi...
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...

#8 - Commercial chickens are routinely fed arsenic, and commercial cows are routinely fed chicken poop

Oh, you didn't know that? When you eat conventional beef, you're eating meat from cows who created that meat by consuming chicken poop. Yumm! Can I have some more poop on that burger, please?

http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_a...
http://www.naturalnews.com/000987.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/028675_b...

#9 - "Natural" foods and cereals are routinely made with genetically modified ingredients

Oh, you thought "natural" meant better than organic? Non-GMO? Stop getting suckered by the cereal companies and dishonest food conglomerates. Know what you're really eating:

http://www.naturalnews.com/033838_b...
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=15C9C...

#10 - The global banking industry is a criminal racket that steals wealth from working class People and redistributes it to the global wealthy elite

You wouldn't have believed this five years ago, but now, looking at your own bank account, the job you lost, the house you can't sell and the health care you can't afford, it's all sinking in: The global financial system is an engineered con that suckers working-class people into giving up all their wealth, piece by piece, until they die bankrupt. Indentured servitude...

http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000...
http://www.naturalnews.com/025672_m...
http://www.prisonplanet.com/goldman...

#11 - The U.S. government routinely conspires with pharmaceutical giants to conduct criminal, inhumane medical experiments on innocent people

Recent revelations about the U.S. government's secret medical experiments in Guatemala are just the tip of the iceberg here. Dr. Jona Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine, also ran unethical medical experiments on people. In fact, the entire history of modern medicine (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, chemotherapy and more) is something of a "house of horrors" of inhumane medical experiments on innocent victims.

http://www.naturalnews.com/033483_G...
http://www.naturalnews.com/031564_J...
http://www.naturalnews.com/033988_a...
http://www.naturalnews.com/019189.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/019187.html

What else is true?

Ever wonder what else might be true about our world that you never would have believed just a few years ago? Maybe it's time you started reading books by Jim Marrs or even David Icke.

Now is a good time to start listening to the Robert Scott Bell Show on www.NaturalNewsRadio.com where you'll also hear news from Patrick Timpone.

Perhaps it's time we all started questioning history, medicine, corporate science, banking institutions and all governments. Discard your blinders.

Maybe it's time we opened our eyes to reality and stopped lying to ourselves about the depth of corruption and evil in our world. And why would we do that? Because that's the first step to positive revolution where we work together to create a better world... a world where such criminality and suffering is ancient history.

Accept reality, in other words... and then CHANGE it for the better.

Open your eyes at the following websites:

www.NaturalNews.com
www.AlternativeNews.com
www.InfoWars.com
www.LewRockwell.com
www.CCHRint.org
www.ActivistPost.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034126_awakening_beliefs.html#ixzz1davJejkt

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034126_awakening_beliefs.html#ixzz1dav2lC00

A Secret Scrolls #86 to #90

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 9, 2011 at 1:53pm

A Secret Scrolls #86

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

The fastest way to receive is to give, because giving starts the reciprocal action of receiving. We all receive according to how much we give. Give the best of you everywhere you go. Give a smile. Give thanks. Give kindness. Give love.

Your giving should be a giving without expectation of return - a giving for the sheer joy of it.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #87

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Whatever the financial situation you are currently in, it is one that you have brought into reality through your thoughts. If it is not what you want, then you have created it unconsciously, but still you created it. When you can see this you will understand how powerful you are at creating. And now all you have to do is create what you want, consciously!

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #88

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Here is a checklist to make sure you have your receiving channels open:
Do you receive compliments well? Do you receive unexpected gifts easily? Do you accept help when it is offered? Do you accept your meal being paid for by a friend?

These are little things, but they will help you know if you are open to receiving. Remember, the Universe is moving through everyone and every circumstance to give to you.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #89

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

When you find your purpose, it is like your heart has been set alight with passion. You know it absolutely, without any doubt.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #90

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

No person or power in the outside world can compare to the power you have within you. Seek the power within, as it knows the perfect way for you.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

How to teach your children about racism

Posted by Melodie Munro on December 3, 2011 at 2:46pm

How to teach your children about racism

When it comes to teaching your kids about the wrongs of racism, perhaps finding yourselves in a packed tram carriage with a woman making xenophobic comments isn’t such a bad thing.
Because any children that witnessed Emma West’s now infamous diatribe against black and Polish passengers will be under no illusions about the nastiness of her behaviour.

It’s just a shame that the little boy on her lap will most likely grow up to share her views.

What the Croydon tram incident – now viewed by millions on YouTube - will have taught most parents is that, try as you might, you just can’t shelter your kids from reprehensible views.

You might live in a multi-cultural area, have friends and family from all backgrounds and visit far-flung destinations every summer but be it homophobia, sexism or racism, your child will surely encounter prejudice in some form sooner or later.

The key thing is to arm your kids with the knowledge and confidence to be able to suss out what’s right from what’s wrong.

Here are a few tips on how:

Acknowledge differences

From the age of three or four, children begin noticing differences between them and others and may start asking questions about people’s skin colour, for instance.

"Parents sometimes panic when they hear these questions, but children are naturally curious, and they're simply trying to learn," says Alvin Poussaint, professor of psychiatry at Harvard University.
Don’t make a big deal of their questions: simply explain that people come in all different colours, shapes and sizes and, although we may look different, we are all the same on the inside.

Consider your behaviour

Kids pick up on everything but don’t necessarily understand the subtleties in our behaviour. So even if you think you are beyond reproach, make sure you aren’t sending messages that will confuse your child.

Do you laugh when someone tells a culturally insensitive joke? Do you mimic other people’s accents to be funny? You may not intend to be racist but a child can get the wrong impression and copy what we say and do.

Talk about it

There are stereotypes everywhere – from the blonde princesses in the fairytales to the villains with foreign-sounding names. Without going over the top, casually point out negative stereotypes when you notice them and let your kids know they’re wrong.

Your child may even come out with generalisations themselves, such as ‘all the girls in my class are rubbish at football’ or ‘all the Asian kids are good at maths’. Tell them that just because some people behave in a certain way, it doesn’t mean that everybody of their gender or ethnicity is the same:

gently discourage generalisations, whether positive or negative.

Explore your family

Use your own family histories to teach your child about what a melting pot of cultures we all are. Even if there are no tales of exotic immigration and it’s just ‘Daddy’s Grandpa came from Wales’, you can still instil in them a sense that they are made up of lots of different cultures and ethnicities and that it is something to be proud of.

Try on someone else’s shoes…

If you hear your child or one of their friends criticise someone because of the colour of their skin, or any other ethnic difference, ask them how they would feel if people were mean simply because of the way they looked. Keep it simple –get them to empathise with how others might feel to be singled out.

Encourage a strong sense of identity

Children who are valued, respected and happy do not tend to be bigots: those who feel angry or frustrated will be more likely to single out others they deem different.

Similarly, building self-esteem is vital for kids who may be in the minority at school: if they want to know why they don’t look like their friends, teach them to be proud of their difference as something special.

Don’t tolerate any prejudice

Children can trade casual insults even if they have no idea of their meaning – take the recent fads for using ‘gay’ or ‘chav’ as terms of abuse. Never tolerate any prejudiced language: explain it is wrong to use such terms as insults and that everybody deserves equal respect. It is never OK to feel superior to any other group of people.

Similarly, when you overhear anyone else talking disparagingly about other races, make a point of explaining to your child that this is wrong – don’t let casual racism slip by. It’s important that they realise racism exists and have the wherewithal to counter it with their own opinions.

Go out and about

Soak up the cultures in your area by going to local celebrations such as the Diwali festival, Chinese New Year, St Patrick’s Day parade or Bengali Mela. Visit museums that specialise in minority ethnic histories or are staging exhibitions about different cultures.

Explore local communities, too – don’t just stick to your usual shops and routes around town, take a stroll through the Orthodox Jewish quarter, buy your weekly shop in the Turkish grocer’s or have lunch in the Pakistani café down the road.

You don’t need to make a big song and dance about diversity for the kids to soak up the message that a mix of cultures is enriching and exciting.

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/how-to-teach-your-children-about-racism.html

A Secret Scrolls 62 to 67

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 15, 2011 at 5:13pm

A Secret Scrolls 62 to 67

A Secret Scrolls #62

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

You can most certainly help others through your thoughts, and they can help you. Every good thought you send to another is a living force. However, the person you are sending the thought to has to be asking for the same thing you are sending. If the person does not want it, then they are not in harmony with your thought frequency, and it will not penetrate them.
You cannot create in another's life against their will, but if it is something they want, your thoughts are a real force that helps them.
May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne

The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #63

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

When a big change occurs in your life it forces you to change direction. Sometimes the new path may not be easy, but you can be absolutely certain that there is magnificence for you on the new path. You can be absolutely certain that the new path contains things that you could not have experienced otherwise.

When we look back at a negative event that occurred in the past, we often see how in fact it transformed our life. We see how that event directed us toward a life that we would not change for anything.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #64

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

When things change in our life, often we have resistance to the change. But if you understand the structure of the Universe, life, and creation, then you will understand that life is change, and nothing ever stands still. Everything is energy, and energy is in continual motion and change. If energy stood still you would be gone, and there would be no life.

Change is always happening for the good of you and for everyone. It is the evolution of life.
May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne

The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #65

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

If you are complaining about things in your life, you are on the complaining frequency, and you are not in a position to attract what you want.

Get on to the frequency of good with your thoughts and words. Firstly you will feel good, and secondly you will be on the frequency of receiving more good.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #66

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

If there was a particular house you wanted, or a particular relationship or job you wanted, and you didn't get it, the Universe is telling you that it was not good enough and did not match your dream. It is also telling you that it has something BETTER and more worthy of you.

Something better is coming . . . you're allowed to be excited!

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne

The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #67

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power

From The Secret Daily Teachings

The things that come most quickly into your life are the things that you BELIEVE in the most. You can only bring to you what you BELIEVE, so you must BELIEVE to receive what you want.
May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne

The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #102 to #104

Posted by Melodie Munro on December 9, 2011 at 1:44pm

A Secret Scrolls #102
A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne

Creator of The Secret and The Power
From The Secret Daily Teachings

Happiness is a state of being, and comes from the inside of you. By the law of attraction you must become on the inside what you want on the outside.

You are either choosing to be happy now, or you are making up excuses for not choosing to be happy. But there are no excuses for the law!

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #103
A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne

Creator of The Secret and The Power
From The Secret Daily Teachings

To desire something is in proper accordance with the law. You attract what you desire.

To need something is misuse of the law. You cannot attract what you need if you feel you need it urgently or desperately, because that emotion contains fear. That kind of "needing" keeps things away.

Desire everything. Need nothing.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #104
A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne

Creator of The Secret and The Power
From The Secret Daily Teachings

Change in a country begins with one person. Each country reflects the inner peace or turmoil of its mass population, and so as one person changes they affect the rest of the population. One person has the power within them to bring massive change to their country through immense love and peace within themselves. But we cannot bring about peace and well-being to our country unless we have conquered that in our own life. Do you see? You cannot give what you do not have.

Each person's job is to bring utter harmony into their own life, and then they will become the greatest human gift for their country and the world.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes for film role

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 15, 2011 at 5:11pm

Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes for film role
Marzieh Vafamehr also given a year in prison for starring in ‘My Tehran for Sale’

It’s a depressing case of life imitating art.

An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison for starring in a film that shows artistic repression in the country, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested in July and received her sentence at the weekend.

In the 2009 film, ‘My Tehran for Sale’, Vafamehr plays an actress whose work is banned by authorities and is forced to lead a secret life to express herself artistically.

Vafamehr often appears with a shaved head and no headscarf, and there are scenes of drug use in the film, according to Iranian opposition website kalameh.com.

Controversial... Marzieh Vafamehr in 'My Tehran for Sale'

Her lawyer has appealed the sentence, according to reports.

Iranian news agency Fars said the movie, directed by Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi, had not been approved for screening in Iran and was being distributed in the country illegally.

However, Adelaide-based production company Cyan Films said the low-budget, independent movie was never meant to be distributed in Iran.

[See more: Steve Jobs movie planned already]

The movie’s producers Kate Croser and Julie Ryan were stunned by the news. They said in a statement: “We would like to express our deep shock and sadness at the sentence.

"We continue to offer our support to Marzieh and her family by respecting their wishes to let the case and the appeal follow the proper legal channels."

They said that Vafamehr’s role was limited to acting and that she had no input behind the scenes.

Australia’s foreign minister Kevin Rudd also expressed “deep concern” at the reports.

"The Australian government condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and is deeply concerned by reports that Ms Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to one year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in an Australian-produced film," a spokesman for Rudd told AFP.

What to do with that left over Turkey - 3 Tasty Recipes

Posted by Melodie Munro on December 6, 2011 at 3:05am

Turkey risottoUse up any leftover turkey you might have with this simple risotto recipe. Ready in just 30 minutes - this recipe is a must over the busy festive period• Serves: 3-4• Total time: 30 minsIngredients• 500g cooked turkey• 200g broccoli florets, cut into small pieces• 100g carrots, cut into small julienne strips• 100g red pepper, cut into small julienne strips• 2 tbsp oil• 1 onion, chopped• 200g short grain rice• 600ml chicken stock• 1 tsp garlic puree• 100g grated cheddar cheese• SeasoningMethod1. Blanch broccoli florets, carrots and red peppers in boiling water for 2 minutes.Fry onions in oil until soft, then add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until rice is cooked and mixture is creamy.2. Add garlic puree and cheese and stir well. Stir in cooked turkey meat and seasoning. Gently fold in the cooked vegetables and serve.Nutritional information per portion• Calories 491(kcal)By Bernard Matthews FarmsCreamed turkey and mushroom soupUse leftover Christmas turkey to make this delicious, warming creamed turkey and mushroom soup. After all the cooking on Christmas day this soup is so simple to make and it makes a perfect light lunch or dinner on Boxing Day.• Serves: 4• Prep time: 10 mins• Cooking time: 45 mins• Total time: 55 minsIngredientsIf you have made stock from the giblets, add this to the pan for a full-flavoured soup instead of water. Also, any leftover vegetables, such as carrots, can be added.• Turkey carcass• 300ml (½ pint) left-over gravy• 1 onion, peeled and chopped• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mixed herbs• Salt and freshly ground black pepper• 250g (8oz) mushrooms, sliced• 300ml (½ pint) milkMethod1. Put the turkey carcass, with any remaining turkey meat on it, into a large pan. Add the gravy, onion and herbs and pour in 1 litre (1¾ pints) water. Season well.2. Put the lid on the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins. Lift out the turkey carcass, pulling off any turkey meat left on there, if you like.3. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 15 mins. Use a stick blender to half-blend the soup in the pan, or blend about half the soup in a food processor and then pour it back into the pan. Stir in the milk and warm through to serve. Add slivers of cooked turkey, if you like.Nutritional information per portion• Calories 145(kcal)• Fat 16.0g• Saturates 2.0gBy Kate MoseleyTurkey biryaniA fast and easy family meal to enjoy over the Christmas period, using leftover turkey and the trimmings. Great for a snack, supper or lunch for 2 people.• Serves: 2• Prep time: 10 mins• Cooking time: 35 mins• Total time: 45 mins• Spice level- 1 pepperIngredientsThis recipe will also be fine with leftover cooked chicken, lamb or beef.• 1 tbsp sunflower oil• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced• 2 tbsp chicken tikka curry paste• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed• 200g (7oz) cooked turkey, sliced• 100g (3½oz) basmati rice• 300ml (1/2 pint) hot chicken stockMethod1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the red onion and fry for about 7 minutes, until softened and browned. Set aside about a third of the onion.2. Add the curry paste, garlic, turkey, rice and stock to the pan. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Sprinkle reserved onion on top.Nutritional information per portion• Calories 460(kcal)• Fat 16.0g• Saturates 3.0gBy Kate Moseley

A Secret Scrolls #68 to #73

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 18, 2011 at 11:33am

A Secret Scrolls #68 to #73A Secret Scrolls #68A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsMost people can manifest the small things quickly. This is because they do not have any resistance around the small things, and because they don't think thoughts that contradict them. When it comes to the bigger things, however, people often emit thoughts of doubt or worry that contradict those bigger things. This is the only difference in terms of the time it takes for something to manifest.Nothing is big or small for the Universe.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #69A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsThere are two kinds of people:Those who say, "I will believe it when I see it."And those who say, "To see it, I know I must believe it."May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #70A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsWhen you exist in the great state of gratitude, you become a person who only wants to give. You become so grateful that it takes over your life, and you can't find enough opportunities in a day to give. You give joy, you give love, you give money, you give appreciation, you give compliments, and you give kindness. You give the best of yourself in your job, in your relationships, and to strangers.You will know when you have really found true gratitude, because you will become a giver. One who is truly grateful cannot be anything else.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #71A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsStress, worry, and anxiety simply come from projecting your thoughts into the future and imagining something bad. This is focusing on what you don't want! If you find that your mind is projecting into the future in a negative way, focus intensely on NOW. Keep bringing yourself back to the present.Use all of your will, and focus your mind in this very moment, because in this moment of now there is utter peace.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #72A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsHere are four fundamental things to do to manifest money using the law of attraction.1. Think more thoughts in a day of abundance than of lack of money.2. Be happy now, without the money.3. Be truly grateful for everything you have now.4. Give the best of yourself to others.Four easy steps. You can do them if you want it enough.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #73A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsWhatever you want to bring into your life, you must GIVE it. Do you want love? Then give it. Do you want appreciation? Then give it. Do you want understanding? Then give it. Do you want joy and happiness? Then give it to others.You have the ability to give so much love, appreciation, understanding, and happiness to so many people every single day!May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls #74 to #79

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 26, 2011 at 5:12pm

A Secret Scrolls #74A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsYou are receiving thousands of messages from the Universe every single day. Learn to become aware of this communication from the Universe, who is speaking to you and guiding you in every moment. There are no accidents and no coincidences. Every sign you notice, every word you hear spoken, every color, every scent, every sound, every event and situation is the Universe speaking to you, and you are the only one who knows their relevance to you, and what the communication is saying.Use your eyes to see! Use your ears to listen! Use all of your senses, because you are receiving communication through them all!May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #75A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsYou can limit yourself by the story you have created about you. Here are some simple examples of how the story we have created about ourselves can limit us:I am no good at math. I have never been able to dance. I am not a very good writer. I am very stubborn. I don't sleep well. I am very moody. I struggle with my weight. My English is not good. I am always late. I am not a very good driver. I can't see without my glasses. It is hard for me to make friends. Money seems to slip through my fingers.The moment you become aware of what you are saying, you can delete these things and rewrite your story!May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #76A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsThere is no past or future for the law of attraction, only the present, so stop referring to your life in the past as very difficult, or full of hardship and pain, or in any other negative way.Remember that the law only operates in the present, so when you speak of your past life negatively the law is receiving your words and sending those things back to you NOW.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #77A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsThe process of creation is the same for all things, whether you want to bring something to you or remove something negative from your life.If you have a habit you wish to break, or anything negative you wish to remove from your life, you must focus on what you want. That means you visualize and imagine yourself in that negative-free state right now. Imagine yourself in as many scenes as you possibly can where the negative situation is completely absent. Imagine yourself happy and free. Eliminate any picture from your mind of you with the negative situation. Just imagine yourself in the state you want to be in, and feel that you are that, right now.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #78A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsMost people only think to ask for health when they don't have it, but you can intend great health at any time. Use the power of your intention every single day and see yourself healthy and well.Intend health for you and intend health for others.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billionsA Secret Scrolls #79A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda ByrneCreator of The Secret and The PowerFrom The Secret Daily TeachingsTo understand the power and the magic of gratitude, you have to experience it for yourself. So why not begin by deciding to find 100 things a day to be grateful for?If you practice gratitude every day it won't take long before gratitude is your natural state of being, and when that happens you will have unlocked one of the greatest secrets to life.May the joy be with you,Rhonda ByrneThe Secret... bringing joy to billions

A solution to Mexico City's dense population and strict Government building policy

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 18, 2011 at 11:39am

A solution to Mexico City's dense population and strict Government building policy - an inverted pyramid-shaped building 55 storeys below the surface. Proposals for the 'Earthscraper' were recently unveiled by a Mexican architectural firm, BNKR.

You're going to be okay

Posted by Melodie Munro on September 28, 2011 at 5:19pm

You're going to be okayI'm thinking of you this evening,thinking of all of us,and how insecurity can chase usbut God whispers instead--"Stop, rest, come.Let me hold you close.Let me tell you what your heart needs to hear...You're enough because I've promised you all you need.You belong because I've chosen you.You're beautiful because I made you.You've got a purpose because I'm directing your life.You're secure because I've got you--and I'll never let you go."I may not know what waits for you this week but I know the One who will be with you every moment and I'm asking Him to give you all your heart needs most.Elizabeth

Why Was This Ancient Spice Given to Slaves Building the Pyramids?

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 4:22pm

Why Was This Ancient Spice Given to Slaves Building the Pyramids?
Posted By Dr. Mercola | September 28 2011

Garlic has a truly astonishing number of health benefits. Green Med Info has assembled studies that list more than 150 beneficial effects that garlic can have on your health.

The studies show that garlic:• Inhibits cholesterol accumulation

• Reduces risk for heart attack and stroke
• May be effective against drug-resistant bacteria
• Lessens cadmium-induced liver damage
• May have protective effects against cancer

According to one of the studies linked on the site, garlic may also help fight multi-drug resistant tuberculosis:

"Alternate medicine practices with plant extracts including garlic should be considered to decrease the burden of drug resistance and cost in the management of diseases. The use of garlic against MDR-TB [multi-drug resistant tuberculosis] may be of great importance regarding public health."

Saffron is another spice making headlines, as there is increasing evidence to suggest that it may be an effective means of managing Alzheimer's disease. A study found that saffron had an effect similar to the drug donepezil in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's after 22 weeks -- and had fewer side effects.

Another study found that dietary supplementation with vitamin E and folic acid, as well as ALA, DHA, and GPC, could aid in decreasing oxidative stress in mouse brains.
According to FYI Living:

"... [T]his reveals that such dietary supplementation also helps improve cognitive performance in the normal mice. This study is a significant step towards development of newer preventive nutritional therapies in the elderly who are susceptible to cognitive decline and related diseases such as Alzheimer's. It also enables an understanding of the involvement of oxidative stress and other molecular mechanisms that lead to age-related loss of cognitive abilities."

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

If you want a simple way to increase the disease-fighting power of your meals, be generous with your use of high-quality herbs and spices. There is no shortage of research showing that these foods are among the healthiest you can consume, and the best part is they taste wonderful and are relatively inexpensive, so they're a "secret weapon" that just about everyone can take advantage of.

When it comes to using herbs and spices, you really can't go wrong as long as you choose those that appeal to you and "agree" with you. But I want to highlight two in specific that are showing great therapeutic promise, one that you're already familiar with -- garlic -- and one that you may not be -- saffron.

Garlic: One of Nature's Most Impressive Foods

Garlic has been treasured for its medicinal properties for centuries. In ancient times, Greek and Roman soldiers ate garlic before going off to war, and it was reportedly given to the slaves who built the Egyptian pyramids in order to enhance their strength and endurance.

It also happens to be one of the most heavily researched plant foods around. At GreenMedInfo you can find 133 studies involving 153 different conditions that garlic may benefit. Among them:

Atherosclerosis High blood pressure Cancer Gallstones
Ear infections Mercury poisoning Diabetes Low immune function
MRSA High triglycerides Candidiasis Ulcerative colitis
Wound healing Stroke Heart attack Bacterial infections

As you can see from the wide range of conditions it impacts, garlic exerts its benefits on multiple levels, offering anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties. It's thought that much of garlic's therapeutic effect comes from its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, which are also what give it its characteristic smell.

An Infection-Fighting, Heart-Protective, Cancer-Preventive Powerhouse

Researchers have revealed that as allicin digests in your body it produces sulfenic acid, a compound that reacts faster with dangerous free radicals than any other known compound. This is one of the reasons why I named garlic as one of the top seven anti-aging foods you can consume.

Garlic is also a triple threat against infections, offering antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Not only is it effective at killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including MRSA, but it also fights yeast infections, viruses and parasites.

Garlic also helps relax and enlarge the blood vessels in your body, improving blood flow, especially to your heart. This can help prevent conditions like high blood pressure and life-threatening events such as a heart attack or stroke. Garlic also inhibits the formation of plaques in your arteries, and prevents cholesterol from becoming oxidized, a condition that may contribute to heart disease.

This powerhouse food is also known to help increase your protection against at least five forms of cancer: breast, colon, ovarian, prostate and esophageal. In one study, the more often participants ate vegetables from the allium family, particularly garlic and onions, the lower their risk of certain cancers became. Part of this effect may be due to garlic's ability to increase tissue activities of phase II detoxification enzymes, which are necessary to help your body excrete chemicals and other toxins.

Interestingly, the allicin in garlic is so powerful it has even been found to help weight loss in rats fed a fructose-rich diet -- which is virtually guaranteed to make most people gain weight. Animals being fed only the fructose-rich diet gained weight, but those whose diets were supplemented with allicin did not, and some even lost weight. Of course, this does not mean you can eat all the fructose you want and then eat a couple of cloves of garlic and expect to lose weight … but it does give you an idea of just how far-reaching garlic's benefits appear to be.

The Healthiest Way to Eat Garlic

In many cases, eating whole foods is a far better approach to taking a supplement, and in the case of garlic this is especially true. Typically, garlic must be crushed or chopped in order to stimulate the process that converts alliin into the beneficial allicin. Once the garlic is cut, the active compound loses potency rapidly and will all but disappear within about an hour of chopping.

So the best way to eat garlic is to take a whole, fresh clove, chop it, smash it or press it, wait a few minutes for the reaction to occur, and then eat it. If you use jarred, powdered, or dried garlic, you will not get all the benefits that fresh garlic has to offer.

Saffron: An Important Spice for Brain Health?

The other spice that deserves attention, but is far less well known in the United States than garlic, is saffron. Saffron comes from the flower of the crocus plant (it's actually the plant's dried stigma) has a reddish thread-like appearance, and is a rich source of carotenoid antioxidants.

Used since ancient times for a variety of medicinal purposes (saffron is known for its immune-boosting power, among others), in the modern day it is widely used in Persian, European, Indian and Turkish cooking, both for its unique sweet, grassy flavor and its ability to add vibrant yellow-orange color to foods.

There are quite a few studies that reveal saffron's beneficial properties, and one of the most recent showed promise for treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. In a 22-week, double-blind study of patients with Alzheimer's, a saffron supplement worked as well as the drug donepezil (brand name Aricept), but with significantly less vomiting experienced among the saffron group.

The researchers noted:

"This phase II study provides preliminary evidence of a possible therapeutic effect of saffron extract in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease."
It is becoming increasingly clear that supplementing your diet with foods and supplements rich in a variety of compounds, such as vitamin E, folic acid, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-lipoic acid), may help reduce oxidative stress and delay the progression of age-related cognitive decline. And it appears saffron is no exception.

Separate research has shown saffron to help prevent and treat dementia, and inhibit platelet aggregation (which can lead to blood clots) and lipid peroxidation (which causes cell damage). It's also known to have chemopreventive properties against cancer, which are also strongly associated with the common saffron alternative turmeric (which is often referred to as Indian saffron). While in China, Marco Polo in 1280 AD recorded information on turmeric in his diary:

"There is also a vegetable which has all the properties of true saffron, as well the smell and the color, and yet it is not really saffron."

So, turmeric has been used as a substitute for saffron (an old world spice) in Europe for over 700 years, and this spice has been found to have many of the same health advantages, including showing promise for Alzheimer's.

If you've never tried saffron, the reason may be because it's earned the moniker "most expensive spice in the world." There are only three stigmas in each crocus flower, and it reportedly takes 80,000 flowers (about the number of plants on one acre of land) to produce one pound of saffron. Turmeric is much easier to come by and is also much less expensive, while offering many of the same potential health benefits, as well as the same characteristic yellow color. You can learn more about turmeric, or "Indian saffron," here.

There's Good Reason to "Spice" Up Your Life

Herbs and spices have very low calorie content, they're relatively inexpensive, and they're a great way to turbo-boost the natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power of your diet. All these benefits, and the ones noted above, give you ample reasons to be adventurous in adding spices to your meals, and to be generous in the amounts you use. It will be worth it for the flavor enhancement alone, and the boost it will give your health is the icing on the cake.

There's obviously much more to herbs and spices than the garlic, saffron and turmeric mentioned in this article … you can get more information on healing herbs, including how to select spices for their medicinal benefits, here.

Recycling hotel soap to save lives

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 4:20pm

Recycling hotel soap to save lives
By Ebonne Ruffins, CNN
June 16, 2011

Atlanta (CNN) -- That bar of soap you used once or twice during your last hotel stay might now be helping poor children fight disease.

Derreck Kayongo and his Atlanta-based Global Soap Project collect used hotel soap from across the United States. Instead of ending up in landfills, the soaps are cleaned and reprocessed for shipment to impoverished nations such as Haiti, Uganda, Kenya and Swaziland.

"I was shocked just to know how much (soap) at the end of the day was thrown away," Kayongo said. Each year, hundreds of millions of soap bars are discarded in North America alone. "Are we really throwing away that much soap at the expense of other people who don't have anything? It just doesn't sound right."

Kayongo, a Uganda native, thought of the idea in the early 1990s, when he first arrived to the U.S. and stayed at a hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He noticed that his bathroom was replenished with new soap bars every day, even though they were only slightly used.

"I tried to return the new soap to the concierge since I thought they were charging me for it," Kayongo said. "When I was told it was just hotel policy to provide new soap every day, I couldn't believe it."
Kayongo called his father -- a former soap maker in Uganda -- and shared the experience.

Derreck Kayongo, a Uganda native, started the Global Soap Project in 2009.

"My dad said people in America can afford to throw it away. But I just started to think, 'What if we took some of this soap and recycled it, made brand new soap from it and then sent it home to people who couldn't afford soap?' "

For Kayongo, collecting soap is "a first line of defense" mission to combat child-mortality around the world.

Each year, more than 2 million children die from diarrheal illness -- the approximate population of San Antonio, Texas. According to the World Health Organization, these deaths occur almost exclusively among toddlers living in low-income countries.

"The issue is not the availability of soap. The issue is cost," Kayongo said. "Make $1 a day, and soap costs 25 cents. I'm not a good mathematician, but I'm telling you I'm not going to spend that 25 cents on a bar of soap. I'm going to buy sugar. I'm going to buy medicine. I'm going to do all the things I think are keeping me alive.

"When you fall sick because you didn't wash up your hands, it's more expensive to go to the hospital to get treated. And that's where the problem begins and people end up dying."

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2011 CNN Heroes

Kayongo, 41, is familiar with the stress that poverty and displacement can create. Almost 30 years ago, he fled Uganda with his parents because of the mass torture and killings by former Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin, he said.

Witnessing the devastation of his homeland shaped Kayongo's mission and still haunts him today.
Are we really throwing away that much soap at the expense of other people who don't have anything?
--CNN Hero Derreck Kayongo

"It's a long-term grieving process that sort of never ends," he said. "As a child coming from school, passing dead bodies for 10 solid years -- 'It's not cool,' as my son would put it. It's not good. A lot of my friends were orphaned, and I was lucky."

Kayongo and his parents fled to Kenya, where he would visit friends and family in refugee camps and struggle to survive -- sometimes without basic necessities.

"We lost everything," Kayongo said. "We didn't live in the camps, but we sacrificed a lot. The people worse off lived in the camps. Soap was so hard to come by, even completely nonexistent sometimes. People were getting so sick simply because they couldn't wash their hands."

Kayongo transitioned from the tough life of a refugee to become a college graduate, a U.S. citizen and a field coordinator for CARE International, a private humanitarian aid organization. But he has not forgotten his roots -- or the fact that many refugees in Africa continue to lack access to basic sanitation.

"As a new immigrant and a new citizen to this country, I feel very blessed to be here," he said. "But it's important, as Africans living in the Diaspora, that we don't forget what we can do to help people back at home. It's not good enough for us to complain about what other people aren't doing for us. It's important that we all band together, think of an idea and pursue it."

With the support of his wife, local friends and Atlanta-based hotels, Kayongo began his Global Soap Project in 2009.

So far, 300 hotels nationwide have joined the collection effort, generating 100 tons of soap. Some participating hotels even donate high-end soaps such as Bvlgari, which retails up to $27 for a single bar.

Web extra: CNN Hero Derreck Kayongo
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/06/17/cnnheroes.kayongo.extra.cnn

Volunteers across the U.S. collect the hotel soaps and ship them to the group's warehouse in Atlanta. On Saturdays, Atlanta volunteers assemble there to clean, reprocess and package the bars.

"We do not mix the soaps because they come with different pH systems, different characters, smells and colors," Kayongo said. "We sanitize them first, then heat them at very high temperatures, chill them and cut them into final bars. It's a very simple process, but a lot of work."

A batch of soap bars is only released for shipment once one of its samples has been tested for pathogens and deemed safe by a third-party laboratory. The Global Soap Project then works with partner organizations to ship and distribute the soap directly to people who need it -- for free.

To date, the Global Soap Project has provided more than 100,000 bars of soap for communities in nine countries.

Kenya Relief is one organization that has benefited. Last summer, Kayongo personally delivered 5,000 bars of soap to Kenya Relief's Brittney's Home of Grace orphanage.

"When we were distributing the soap, I could sense that there was a lot of excitement, joy, a lot of happiness," said Kayongo, whose work was recently recognized by the Atlanta City Council, which declared May 15 as Global Soap Project Day in Atlanta.

"It's a reminder again of that sense of decency. They have (someone) who knows about their situation, and is willing to come and visit them ... to come and say, 'We are sorry ... We're here to help.' "

Want to get involved? Check out the Global Soap Project website at www.globalsoap.org and see how to help.

Heartburn or heart attack? How to tell the difference

Posted by Melodie Munro on September 28, 2011 at 5:46pm

Heartburn or heart attack? How to tell the differenceMore than 220,000 people suffer from heart attacks in the UK each year, and sadly, about one in three die before even reaching the hospital.Heart attacks need to be dealt with immediately. The odds of surviving a heart attack are significantly improved if you are treated within 90 minutes of experiencing the first symptoms.Despite being a medical emergency, too many people delay calling for an ambulance when symptoms start.Research from the US has found that men waited an average of two and a half hours before contacting the emergency services, and women took even longer.A likely explanation for this is that people know only one of the main symptoms of heart a heart attack - chest pain - but don't know the others. Even then, if the chest pain is mild, heart attack victims often put it down to a bad case of heartburn or indigestion. So how can you tell the difference?Heart Attack Warning SignsThe common or 'classic' symptoms of a heart attack include:• Pain in the centre of the chest• Chest pain which spreads to the arms, neck or jaw• Chest pain and feeling sick or sweaty• Chest pain and shortness of breathThe less commons symptoms of a heart attack include:• A dull pain, ache, or ‘heavy’ feeling in the chest• A mild discomfort in the chest that makes you feel generally unwell• A pain in your chest that can spread to the back or stomach• A chest pain that feels like a bad episode of indigestion• Feeling light-headed or dizzy as well as having chest painHeart attack symptoms differ from person to person. Chest pain can vary from mild discomfort in the centre of the chest to severe pain which is often described as a heavy pressure, crushing or tightness.But, for others, the chest pain may be relatively mild, but accompanied by some of the other symptoms, so recognising a pattern of symptoms is key - 'heartburn' with breathlessness and sweating needs to be checked out.Both men and women can experience common or uncommon symptoms of a heart attack, or even a combination of both. Either way, they need to be dealt with immediately.