June 1, 2008

Contents:

1. 500 People Attended "Endangered Natural Health Products?" Event in Vancouver
2. Is the House You're Eyeing EMF Safe?
3. The Liver System - An Eastern Perspective
4. Canada Farm Income 2007

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500 People Attended "Endangered Natural Health Products?" Event in Vancouver

A big THANK YOU to everyone who attended our "Endangered Natural Health Products?" event in Vancouver featuring keynote speaker Shawn Buckley, LLB and a follow-up panel and audience Q & A.

The 500 guests who sat in the pews at St. Andrews-Wesley Church in Vancouver received a well-researched and compelling speech by Buckley, who, in addition to being a lawyer who specializes in navigating Canada's Food and Drugs Act and representing small natural health product manufacturers in legal matters, is president of the Natural Health Product Protection Association (www.nhppa.org).

We regret that planned members of the panel, James Lunney, MP, and Penny Marrett, president of the Canadian Health Food Association (www.chfa.ca), weren't able to participate. However, another big thank you to panelist Gabriel Yiu for filling in last minute, as well as to Paul LeMay for his impressive MC-ing skills.

Regards, Lorna Hancock
Executive Director of HANS

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Is the House You're Eyeing EMF Safe?

by Jim Waugh

On numerous occasions, I have suggested to people who are planning to rent or purchase a house, townhouse or condominium that they check the property for electromagnetic fields (EMF) prior to signing a lease or purchase agreement. Such prudence would help them avoid committing themselves to living in unhealthy electromagnetic environments. It is well documented that prolonged exposure to high levels of EMF can lead to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia and nausea. It can also lead to illnesses and diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, depression, Alzheimer's disease, allergies, autism and brain tumors.

Recently, a client of mine began looking for a condominium to purchase in Vancouver and she asked me to look at a number of properties with her. One situation we encountered is a condo on the top floor of a four story building cornering on a quiet street and a lane. A power line runs down the lane and it is very close to the condominium my client was interested in. As a direct result of the power line, the comfortable balcony off the master bedroom had a very high magnetic field reading of 35 milligauss (less than 1 mG is considered to be safe for long term exposure). I understand the owners like to sit and read on this balcony. The master bedroom had unsafe levels of EMF in the 10 - 12 mG range. As I moved through the condo and away from the power lines, my meter readings dropped somewhat to 7 - 8 mG in the kitchen and 4 - 5 mG in the living room. I advised my client that I felt the condo was not suitable for her because the high levels of electromagnetic fields presented unnecessary risks to her health.

On a previous visit to the condominium, my client had asked the realtor if there had been anyone living in the unit who had contracted a serious illness. The realtor was hesitant to answer the question directly. After I had completed my walk through, the realtor asked me about my findings and I told him. He then asked me to keep the information to myself and not share it with other people attending the open house. As I was leaving, I heard a gentleman ask about the power lines and the realtor responded that real estate is a compromise and the listed price reflected that situation. No mention of safety issues.

Some other concerning situations I have seen are fluorescent light fixtures mounted on ceilings of parking garages emitting very high EMF (100 mG) through the concrete structure into the master bedrooms and living rooms of the ground level condos above. Another situation is high levels of EMF-contaminating older houses by wiring methods known as knob and tube. Electrical wiring errors have been the causes of high EMF (30 - 50 mG) in living room and master bedroom walls. Some of these situations can be easily corrected; however, dealing with BC Hydro and strata or co-op councils can be extremely difficult if EMFs radiate from sources within their jurisdictions. 

Unfortunately, the situations I have outlined here are not rare, so buyer beware. With cancer, Alzheimer's disease and autism on the rise, it is important for you to be mindful of the consequences to your health of living and working in unsafe electromagnetic environments.

Your chances of finding a home in which you and your family can be as safe as possible from electromagnetic fields will be increased if you follow these suggestions:

Work with a realtor who is familiar with the principles of healthy home and has experience with electromagnetic fields.

Use an instrument such as a gauss meter or magnetic field meter to check for unsafe levels of EMF in all the properties you inspect.

Ask your realtor to investigate if anyone living in the house, townhouse or condominium has contracted a serious illness.

Walk around the surrounding neighbourhood and look for high voltage transmission lines, electrical distribution wires, and cell phone and communication antennae that could impact on your enjoyment of your new home.

Check to ensure the building you are interested in has no rooftop cell phone or communication antennae or antennae attached to the building fascia.

Check the street and lanes around the property for high levels of EMF coming from underground utilities.

Make your lease or purchase agreement subject to a detailed electromagnetic inspection by a professional.

Jim Waugh, EMF Safe Home
phone: (604) 788-0743
Jim specializes in helping people protect themselves from unhealthy exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiation (EMF/EMR). He inspects homes and offices to identify unsafe sources of EMR and recommends remedial action. He councils his clients on the safe use of appliances and wireless technologies and promotes their safety outside the home through coaching, courses and recommended reading.
www.EMFSafeHome.com
JimWaugh@EMFSAfeHome.com

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The Liver System - An Eastern Perspective

by Avery Yackel, B.A.Sc., R.TCMP

Traditional Oriental Medicine always views the physical organs, along with their corresponding energy meridian pathways, as an integrated whole. Because of this, when Eastern medicine talks about an organ, it is referring to the entire system which often includes other associated parts of the body, not just the local area of the physical organ. In the case of the Liver, other related body parts include the tendons and the eyes.

Emotions in general are said to be controlled by the Liver system, but in particular, anger and frustration are closely related to the Liver. In the case of an angry, irritable person, the Liver energy is too active and is described as a Fire that rises up towards the top of the body. The normal direction of Liver energy flow, upwards and outwards, has been taken to an extreme, and this can clearly be seen as their voice becomes loud, their body movements become agitated, their blood pressure rises as blood rushes upwards to their head, their face turns red and the eyes become bloodshot, and veins in the forehead become distended.

At the other extreme of the emotional spectrum would be someone who suffers from depression. Instead of the Liver energy travelling upwards and outwards, it begins to stagnate and turn inwards on itself, causing symptoms such as pent-up emotions, frustration, depression, and an inability to express feelings.

Another aspect is that in Traditional Oriental Medicine, the energy meridian system is described as functioning in pairs. In the case of the Liver, it is directly coupled with the Gallbladder meridian which starts from the temple area, travels down the sides of the head and neck, through the tops of the shoulders, down the ribcage, through the hips, and down the sides of the legs to the feet. Because of this pathway, other common health conditions often related to the Liver include migraine headaches, neck and shoulder tension, and sciatica pain.

Finally, in Traditional Oriental Medicine, the Liver is described as storing and regulating the Blood. Because of this close association with Blood, the Liver system is extremely important when treating women's health issues. Some health problems are related to blood flow (too much or too little), while other problems are more to do with the energy flow (such as menstrual pain or emotional symptoms). In all cases, regulating the Liver system is an important aspect of treatment.

Hopefully, this brief introduction to the Liver system gives a better understanding of how Traditional Oriental Medicine views and interconnects the entire body.

Some conditions often related to the Liver are:
- irritability
- depression
- over-stressed
- migraine headache
- neck tension
- sciatica pain
- PMS
- irregular periods
- endometriosis

Tips for keeping the liver system healthy
Eat your greens - green foods are particularly nourishing for the Liver. Some excellent green foods include broccoli, kale, cabbage, chard, spinach, spirulina, chlorella and barley greens.

Regulate your emotions - The Liver regulates all emotions, so it is important to try and keep them in balance. If you're the type of person who tends to be irritable and easily angry, find ways of easing your stress levels, and deep breathing is an important tool for maintaining composure. On the other hand, if you are the type who tends to hold things in, find ways of better expressing yourself in order to maintain a healthy flow of Liver energy.

Stretch your Liver meridian - the Liver meridian starts from the big toe and travels up through the inside of the leg and thigh before entering the torso. A particularly good stretch is a groin stretch, where you sit on the floor with the soles of your feet touching each other in front of you. Let your knees settle downwards towards the ground and hold this position for one minute, making sure to breathe into the tight areas.

A little bit of alcohol - in small amounts, alcohol actually helps to promote blood circulation so is healthy for the Liver. However, moderation is the key, as too much of a good thing can actually have an opposite effect.

Avery Yackel, B.A.Sc., R.TCMP
Traditional Oriental Medicine
- Acupuncture & Moxibustion
- Shiatsu Massage
Phone: 604-671-4682
www.ayacupuncture.com

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Canada Farm Income 2007

by Statistics Canada

Despite declines in most provinces, realized net income for Canadian farmers rebounded in 2007 after falling sharply the two previous years. The impact of rising grain and oilseed prices more than offset large increases in operating costs and lower receipts for hog and cattle producers.

Realized net income (the difference between a farmer's cash receipts and operating expenses, minus depreciation, plus income in kind) rose from $771 million in 2006 to $1.7 billion in 2007.

The 2007 level was 2.0 percent above the previous five-year average (2002 to 2006), which included the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) period and two years of low grain prices.

Provincially, only farmers in Quebec and the Prairie provinces recorded gains. In British Columbia, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, realized net income dropped to extremely low levels. This diversity was largely due to the wide range of crops and livestock produced across Canada.

More at http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080526/d080526b....

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