Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

by Anai Rhoads

PBS will air a groundbreaking documentary this month, which explores mental illness while dismantling perceptions of what it is.

It is estimated that one in four American adults and children endure needlessly from a diagnosable mental health illness in any given year. However, most never seek medical intervention due to the fear of judgement, isolation and discrimination. This quickly becomes a detrimental state and hopelessness settles in.

Mental health champion and actor, Glenn Close, will narrate the PBS documentary, “A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness”, which will share stories of every-day people and how they cope with their conditions and what therapies they have tried to conquer it all.

“The toxic stigma around mental illness can be as painful as the illness itself,” said Ms. Close. “It’s crucial that these diverse and powerful stories are told and shared so that everyone realizes that mental illness touches us all. No one need struggle in isolation, silence and shame. Listening and having the courage to join the conversation will save lives.”

Ms. Close founded a national anti-stigma campaign, Bring Change 2 Mind in partnership with The Balanced Mind Foundation, Fountain House, and Garen & Shari Staglin of the International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO). The idea for Bring Change 2 Mind was born when Ms. Close volunteered at Fountain House in order to learn more about mental illness, which both her sister, Jessie Close , and nephew, Calen Pick , suffer from.

The documentary is produced by KVIE, Sacramento’s PBS station, as part of a comprehensive state-wide effort to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. It is also a Prevention and Early Intervention program of California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working together to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities, and funded by the voter-approved California Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63).

The documentary will air on PBS stations across California during primetime on May 30. Regional airtimes are listed below.

To learn more about “A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness” and California’s mental health movement, please visit EachMindMatters.org.

Many are silent about their mental state and thus suffer quietly. Some isolate themselves away from family and friends, assuming no one will understand. This documentary was created to enlighten those who don’t live with it and give hope to those who do.

by Anai Rhoads

Over the last three years or so, I’ve heard many wonderful things about the dairy alternative, Daiya “cheese.” It looks and melts like the real thing, but it’s a product I’ve never purchased for a host of reasons. Mainly, for its ingredients. On the plus side, it is hormone-free and organic. On the downside, the company supports un-vegan practices, which are notorious for harming animals.

A few varieties have surfaced on the market as of late, but after taking a closer look how these are made I was thankful to have never fell into the trap. This may also make you rethink your next purchase. Let’s go through Daiya’s modest list of products first and highlight their no-no ingredients:

Daiya Cheddar Slices: Filtered Water, Tapioca Starch, Palm Fruit Oil, Expeller Pressed non GMO Canola Oil and/or Expeller Pressed non GMO Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Pea Protein Isolate, Natural Vegan Flavors, Vegetable Glycerine, Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid (Vegan, for flavor), Annatto (for color) Carrageenan, Titanium Dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), Vegan Enzyme.

Daiya Swiss Style Slices: Filtered Water, Tapioca Starch, Palm Fruit Oil, Expeller Pressed Non GMO Canola Oil and/or Expeller Pressed Non GMO Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Pea Protein Isolate, Natural Vegan Flavors, Vegetable Glycerine, Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid (Vegan, for flavor), Inactive Yeast, Yeast extract, Carrageenan, Titanium Dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), Vegan Enzyme.

Daiya Provolone Style Slices: Filtered Water, Tapioca Starch, Palm Fruit Oil, Expeller Pressed non GMO Canola Oil and/or Expeller Pressed non GMO Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Pea Protein Isolate, Natural Vegan Flavors, Vegetable Glycerine, Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid (for flavor), Carrageenan, Titanium Dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), Vegan Enzyme.

Daiya Cheeze Lover’s Pizza: Organic Crust (water, organic brown rice flour, organic potato starch, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic cane sugar, organic tapioca flour, organic yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum),Organic Tomato Sauce (organic tomatoes, organic olive oil, organic onions, salt, organic basil, organic garlic, organic spices, xanthan gum), Daiya Mild Mozzarella and Cheddar Style Shreds Blend (filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, inactive yeast, salt, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (derived from sugar), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), yeast extract, citric acid (for flavor), annatto (for color).

Daiya Margherita Pizza: Organic Crust(water, organic brown rice flour, organic potato starch, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic cane sugar, organic tapioca flour, organic yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum),Organic Tomato Sauce (organic tomatoes, organic olive oil, organic onions, salt, organic basil, organic garlic, organic spices, xanthan gum), Daiya Mild Mozzarella Style Shred (filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (derived from sugar), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), yeast extract), Tomato, Basil.

Daiya Fire-Roasted Vegetable Pizza: Organic Crust (water, organic brown rice flour, organic potato starch, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic cane sugar, organic tapioca flour, organic yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum), Organic Tomato Sauce (organic tomatoes, organic olive oil, organic onions, salt, organic basil, organic garlic, organic spices, xanthan gum), Daiya Mild Mozzarella Style Shred (filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (derived from sugar), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), yeast extract), Red Onion, Green Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper, Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Basil.

Daiya Mushroom & Roasted Garlic Pizza: Organic Crust (water, organic brown rice flour, organic potato starch, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic cane sugar, organic tapioca flour, organic yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum), Organic Tomato Sauce (organic tomatoes, organic olive oil, organic onions, salt, organic basil, organic garlic, organic spices, xanthan gum), Daiya Mild Mozzarella and Cheddar Style Shreds Blend (filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, inactive yeast, salt, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (derived from sugar), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), yeast extract, citric acid (for flavor), annatto (for color)), Shiitake and Crimini Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic. May contain sulphites.

Daiya Cheese Wedges: Filtered water, tapioca flour, palm fruit oil, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or pressed safflower oil, pea protein, coconut oil, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, vegan natural flavours, gum arabic, lactic acid (vegan, for flavor), annatto, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), natural smoke flavour, vegan enzyme.

There are six more products, but they basically carry the same ingredients. So, let’s start with the worst offender – palm fruit oil. Animal rights people, vegans and even environmentalists will tell you it’s a raw deal for orangutans and a host of other wildlife species who rely on palms for food and/or shelter. Destroying these habitats is essentially killing these animals and displacing them – all for the sake of a little texture in our food. Not to mention palm is one of unhealthiest things you can ingest. 

Next, we have brown rice syrup. Sounds innocuous and gives one the delusion of being healthy doesn’t it? Fact is, whether it is organic or not – you will ingest arsenic. Here’s how and why rice contains arsenic:

“Rice absorbs arsenic from soil or water much more effectively than most plants. That’s in part because it is one of the only major crops grown in water-flooded conditions, which allow arsenic to be more easily taken up by its roots and stored in the grains. In the U.S. as of 2010, about 15 percent of rice acreage was in California, 49 percent in Arkansas, and the remainder in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. That south-central region of the country has a long history of producing cotton, a crop that was heavily treated with arsenical pesticides for decades in part to combat the boll weevil beetle.” — Consumer Reports.

Daiya lists lactic acid, and while lactic acid can be vegan, one has to wonder why they list it differently for some of their products. Note how one says, “Vegan, for flavor” while another says, “derived from sugar”. Do they have special lactic acids stored up for each variety or  they all the same? With so many of us magnify-glassing ingredient lists at the grocery store, the last thing we need is try to decipher which “kind” of lactic acid they’re talking about.

Which brings up the question – what do they mean by “vegan natural flavors” and “vegan enzymes”. If a company is willing to harm animals to make a vegan-friendly product, use annatto (one of the top allergens, despite the company boasting how they are nearly allergen-free) and use titanium dioxide – a carcinogen with only one purpose – to make things “white”, then how much can we trust what’s in the “natural flavors” and “enzymes”? And – Sulphites, really?

Transitioning between a “common” diet into vegetarianism/veganism stumps a lot of folks. Many miss the foods they loved and companies are marketing look-a-likes to appease the ever-growing community. However, when I see an “awesome” (not my description) vegan-based company sell out and use ingredients which are not only harmful to us, but eliminate habitats to make a profit – then I have to say, “Daiya, I wouldn’t buy ya!”.

by Anai Rhoads

While we place our trust in our beloved dogs, we often forget they are animals – animals which can suddenly nip or bite, often for no reason whatsoever. There are, of course, certain factors which cause a canine to be more susceptible to aggression. These include heredity, lack of obedience training, poor socialisation early on, declining health, and the bite victim’s own treatment and behaviour towards the animal.

A well-known insurance company released its annual dog-bite survey, stressing the importance of child safety – even among our family companion animals.

There are approximately 4.7 million adults and children who have been bitten or have died as a result of dog attacks annually. According to State Farm^®, there were 3,670 dog bite claims and the company paid more than $108 million as a result of dog bites in 2012. This figure shows a slight decrease to the previous year, where 3,750 claims were filed at a cost of  $109 million.

Top 10 States for State Farm Dog Bite Claims in 2012

The National Dog Bite Prevention Week^® (May 19-25, 2013) Coalition offered the following alarming statistics:

• The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates the U.S. dog population was approximately 70 million at the end of 2011, down from approximately 72 million in 2006, yet the number of dog bite incidents hasn’t decreased.
• Prevent the Bite, a nonprofit organization devoted to dog bite prevention through education, reports that from 2001 – 2011, dog bites were the ninth leading cause of nonfatal unintentional injury to children 5-9 (512,638) and tenth for children 10-14 (412,895).
• The Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that in 2012, insurers across the country paid nearly $489 million in dog bite claims.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that more than half of all dog bite victims are children; approximately 400,000 receive medical attention every year.
• The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) reports that there were 27,752 re-constructive procedures performed in 2012 to repair injuries caused by dog bites.
• The United States Postal Service^® (USPS) reports that 5,879 postal carriers were bitten or attacked by dogs in 2012. That is an increase of 274 dog bite incidents compared to 2011.
• The American Humane Association^™ (AHA) reports that unsupervised newborns are 370 times more likely than an adult to be killed by a dog. Interactions between children and dogs should always be monitored to ensure safety for both the dog and the child.

As a member of the National Dog Bite Prevention Week^® Coalition, State Farm urges caution around all dogs, including family pets. Prevent the Bite and DINOS: Dogs in Need of Space provide posters and safety information to teach children how to correctly approach a dog. The American Humane Association offers a free online booklet called Pet Meets Baby that provides families with valuable information on introducing a new child to a home with a dog. Remember, a responsible dog owner should:

• NEVER leave a baby or small child alone with a dog, even if it is a family pet. Children are often bitten by a dog in their own household.
• Make sure your pet is socialized as a young puppy so it feels at ease around people and other animals.
• Never put your dog in a position where it feels threatened or teased.
• Walk and exercise your dog regularly to keep it healthy and provide mental stimulation.
• Use a leash in public to ensure you are able to control your dog.
• Regular veterinary visits are essential to regulating the health of your dog. A sick or injured dog is more likely to bite.
• Be alert. If someone approaches you and your dog while out on a walk, caution them to wait before petting the dog, giving your pet time to be comfortable with the stranger.

We’ve witnessed the best trained German Shepherd Dogs react inappropriately while in the care of police officers. Whether your dog is teacup or a Great Dane, he or she relies on you to make them a Good Citizen. Early socialisation is imperative, but more so for canines on the “restricted” list.  These breeds have a predisposition to warn, bark, threaten and attack non-family members due to their genetics. Despite the original reasons they were bred for, raising your companion animal to be kind nearly erases some, not all, of the instinct to bite others.