Non-Sequiturs: 04.03.15

* Nationwide Layoff Watch: Steptoe & Johnson (no, not that Steptoe, the other one). [ABA Journal] * Personally I prefer my coffee with whole milk, thank you very much. [CBS Minnesota] * And I wouldn't get violent over salsa -- but guacamole is another story. [Lowering the Bar] * Attending CLE while intoxicated: grounds for suspension, or brilliant idea? [Legal Profession Blog] * What's your favorite word of legalese? [Library of Congress]

Another from Mad Mar! Like if you think she sort of looks like Rose Tyler!

Another from Mad Mar! Like if you think she sort of looks like Rose Tyler!


Photos of Geek is a Verb
Happy happy

Mobile-pocalypse: Why Google’s About To Slap You Harder Than 4 Penguins, 3 Pandas, and a flock of Hummingbirds…

The above message appeared on the Google Webmaster official blog.  The whole internet went CRAZY a few months back when Google merely hinted that a secure https connection could play some role in ranking.  Now Google is flat out saying that this other new change will have a significant impact on search results.  The internet is aobut to melt down… So just what is this all about, what does it mean for you, and how do you fix it. What is prompting this preference of Google towards Mobile, anyway? First, let’s begin with some facts. Google is a business. They’re a pretty cool business with a large emphasis on fun tech and making life pretty sweet for most of us, and while they may rule us all some day, they’ll probably be pretty cool overlords. Google makes 95%+ of their revenue from people clicking on ads in search (and on Youtube). Yup, those little ads to the right of (and above) the organic search listings are essentially the modern form of the YellowPages, and businesses pay a lot to get in front of buyer traffic. Google’s customer is you, or me, or anyone who is searching. I mean, in a sense, their customers are also the people who pay them to advertise, but primarily it’s the searchers, because they are the natural resource that drives google.  Lose them, and the advertisers will leave. Google keeps it’s customers happy by returning the best results. The reason I don’t use bing, even though they want you to think that their results are better, is that while Bing was the first to introduce some pretty features, the actual search quality has been better, traditionally, on Google.  The Google Algorithm is just better at returning what I want/need than other search engines, and so “Google” has entered our language as a synonym for “search for, research, or look up an answer”. Google currently has the market share of search – but it’s slipping to some degree. This is pretty big.  Google has commanded as high as 94%+ of the market share for search, but recently, it’s fallen to around 70%, with the rise of Bing, Yahoo, and a few key partnerships among them. At the end of 2014 and into 2015, Mobile Search SURPASSED traditional desktop searches. Mobile devices (Phones, Tablets, etc) are now ubiquitous.  60% of searches are done on a mobile device – and from 8am to 5pm as much as 80% of searches – especially with “local intent” (i.e., those looking for a local stop like a shop or restaurant) are done on a mobile device!) Not all websites play nicely with mobile devices. Those pocket computers are as powerful as the space shuttle that landed on the moon, according to some.  Yet for all their charms, they can’t render flash and their screens are tiny.  Statistically, if a user can’t view your site on their device in about 6 seconds, they’ll bounce. If 60% of users bounced a lot when using Google to […]

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Is It OK to Flush Those Wet Wipes?

By Dr. Mercola

Wet wipes have long been popular with parents of babies and infants, but they’re now in vogue with a new market – adults using them in place of toilet paper. Part of the allure is that some moist wipes claim to be “flushable,” making them convenient for bathroom use.

From 2008 to 2013, sales of moist flushable wipes grew 23 percent to reach $367 million, according to Bloomberg News.¹ But the industry is now in hot water with environmental groups and municipalities across the US, which say the wipes may clear the toilet but cause serious problems down the line.

Many Flushable Wipes Don’t Break Down

Flushable wipes are often deemed to be “flushable” if they pass an industry trial known as the “slosh box test.” This test involves rocking wipes back and forth in water to see how quickly they disintegrate.

However, according to Cynthia Finley, director of regulatory affairs for the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, in the New York Times, “[The test is] a lot more turbulent than the flow that you find in a wastewater pipe.”²

In other words, even after going through the wastewater treatment process, many wipes emerge largely intact and “almost as new.”³ In one Consumer Reports test, a sheet of toilet paper dissolved in swirling water after about eight seconds, but a flushable wipe was still intact after half an hour.⁴

There is no legal requirement for a product to be labeled flushable, and as a result the wipes are clogging up pipes, leading to overflows and sewage backups, and they’re getting caught in pumps and other equipment.

In the last five years alone, New York City has spent more than $18 million to deal with wipe-related equipment problems. According to the New York Times:⁵

“The volume of materials extracted from screening machines at the city’s wastewater treatment plants has more than doubled since 2008, an increase attributed largely to the wipes.”

A City Council bill introduced in February 2015 would prohibit advertising certain wet wipes as flushable, and a public awareness campaign has been started to raise awareness about the proper way to dispose of wipes – in the trash.

The Fatberg That Threatened London

This isn’t only a matter of so-called flushable wipes not breaking down, as only a small percentage are marketed as flushable. The rest of the wipes clogging up wastewater treatment plants are there because people flushed wipes inappropriately. What can happen when masses of these wipes collect in one place?

They can combine with cooking grease and other debris to form massive “fatbergs,” as one 15-ton blob blocking London’s sewers in 2013 was dubbed. The fatberg, which was the size of a city bus, reduced the city’s sewer to just 5 percent of its normal capacity.⁶

Officials said raw sewage may have soon started spurting out of manholes if the problem wasn’t discovered. Repairs took six weeks. As New York Magazine reported:⁷

“‘The wipes break down and collect on joints and then the fat congeals,’ explained a representative from Thames Water to the Guardian. ‘Then more fat builds up. It’s getting worse. More wet wipes are being used and flushed.’”

‘No Wipes Down the Pipes’

In addition to New York, Hawaii, Alaska, California, and Wisconsin have also been plagued by wet wipes. Beloit, Wisconsin, for instance, has launched a “no wipes down the pipes” campaign. Unless it’s toilet paper, the municipality says, it should not be flushed. According to the city:⁸

“Wipes, cloths, and rags are being found in sanitary sewers at an ever increasing rate. Many of these products are labeled as flushable, but while they may clear the toilet, they will most likely cause problems downstream. These products are becoming notorious for blocking private sewer laterals, public sewer mains, and binding up municipal pumps.

Items that specifically list the term flushable (but should NOT be flushed) include diapers and diaper liners, baby wipes, pre-moistened wipes, a wide variety of bathroom cleaning wipes and brushes, feminine hygiene products, toilet seat covers, doggy doo-doo bags, and cat litter.

Other products have been found to clog pipes and pumps after being flushed include Q-tips, dental floss, paper towels, and rags. Instead, please place these items in a trash can.”

Last year, a class-action lawsuit was even filed against flushable wipe makers by a New York resident who claimed the wipes caused major plumbing issues in his home. More than 100 people joined the suit, which is seeking at least $5 million in damages.⁹

Why Toilet Paper Isn’t the Best Solution Either

Toilet paper may be safe for city sewers, but it poses different environmental risks. Americans use close to 8 million tons of toilet paper every year,¹⁰ and forests are being destroyed to keep up with this demand. As reported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):¹¹

“Giant paper producers are forcing the destruction of our continent's most vibrant forests, and devastating the habitat for countless wildlife species in the process.

Instead of making better use of materials such as post-consumer recycled fiber and agricultural residue to meet the escalating demand for toilet paper, paper towels and other disposable tissue products, these companies buy virgin pulp from suppliers that reach deep into North American forests for timber, from northern Canada to the southeastern United States.”

If every US household replaced even one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper with one made from 100% recycled fibers, 423,900 trees would be saved.¹² You can also opt to choose toilet paper sourced from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

However, even toilet paper that comes from specially planted tree plantations is not a sustainable choice in the long run, as these single-species plantations cannot compare with the species-rich forests that have formed a natural habitat for centuries.

Aside from the waste, the process of bleaching toilet paper white leads to the creation of cancer-causing chemicals like dioxins and furans, which not only enter the air but also waterways, soil, and the food chain. Exposure to even low levels of dioxins has been linked to hormone alterations, immune system impairments, reduced fertility, birth defects, and other reproductive problems.

Replace Toilet Paper and Flushable Wipes with a Bidet

If you like the idea of wet wipes but not the idea of causing environmental problems and damage to wastewater treatment facilities, the bidet is an excellent alternative. For those who aren’t familiar with how they work, a bidet looks similar to a toilet but it is designed to help you freshen up after toilet use. Most modern bidets have one or more jets that spray water, allowing you to straddle the device for a cleansing far superior to toilet paper.

In fact, the word “bidet” comes from the French stout pony by the same name. It got its name because sitting astride a bidet is very similar to the position you would take if riding the small horse.

Today, there are also bidet seats (which you can put atop a regular toilet) and bidet toilets, which are like a toilet and a bidet in one (a wand under the seat sprays water).

Bidets are easy to use, hygienic, gentle on your skin and good for the environment… so it’s no wonder that, according to Kohler, which is the largest manufacturer of bidets in the US, they’re growing in popularity.¹³

If you have arthritis or are unsteady on your feet (which means you may have a difficult time showering regularly or even twisting to wipe properly on a toilet), a bidet can provide excellent personal hygiene. There is also a theory that using a bidet may help prevent urinary tract infections due to better cleansing, and this is another reason why they're becoming popular among older populations.

However, most people I know who’ve tried one (of all ages) love it and only wish they’d gotten one sooner.While you can spend upwards of $4,500 on a “luxury” bidet, it likely won’t get you any cleaner than a simple bidet kit that you could install right on your existing toilet (with no need for a plumber) for under $100. That’s what I did in my own home and now that I’ve tried it, I wouldn’t want to be without one.

“SOS: Save Our Soil” Shows Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture

By Dr. Mercola

“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
–Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937

America has not heeded the warning Roosevelt issued nearly 80 years ago. Precious soils are being decimated daily by misguided reliance on industrialized agriculture and synthetic chemicals, which disrupt its delicate ecosystem.

The soils are poisoned with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and allowed to wash away from overfarming, overgrazing, and erosion. Once teeming with life, our prairies and grasslands are being turned into lifeless dust fields.

The PBS documentary “SOS: Save our Soil,” part of its Food Forward series,¹ highlights a few “food rebels” who are finding innovative ways to create a more sustainable food system, including making humus compost out of grass stubble and turning chicken litter into biochar.

The top six inches of soil are the most precious yet least understood ecosystem on Earth. In order to appreciate its importance to our very survival, you first must understand the role carbon plays in maintaining the ecological balance of our entire planet.

Conventional agriculture that relies on tilling and monocrops decimates the top soil and is responsible for massive losses every year. So much so that some predict that most of the topsoil in the US will be lost in the next two generations.

Have We Forgotten We’re Carbon-Based Life Forms?

All life on earth is carbon-based, yet we seem to ignore carbon’s importance. Even soil microbes need carbon to flourish, which is why slow and steady carbon depletion from our soils will inevitably lead to ecological collapse.^2,3 Deprived of carbon and critical microbes, soils become sterile; devoid of the microbial ecosystem.

The problem of carbon depletion in soils is not limited to the US. The world’s cultivated soils have lost 50 to 70 percent of their original carbon, much of which has been oxidized upon exposure to air to become carbon dioxide (CO2).⁴

One of the largest factors driving this carbon depletion problem is the food/agriculture industry, particularly tilling, lack of cover crops, monocropping, genetically engineered (GE) crops, and their massive dependence on synthetic chemicals, which quickly decimate topsoil.

Meanwhile, carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise. In 2012 alone, 35.7 billion tons of this greenhouse gas entered the atmosphere.⁵ Some CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, plants, and soil—healthy soil is a bountiful carbon reservoir.

Scientists have recently discovered how organic carbon is stored in soil—it binds only to certain soil structures. Soil's capacity to absorb CO2 is directly related to its health; therefore, soil preservation and restoration needs to be incorporated into today's climate models.⁶

Why Restoring Carbon to Soils Is So Important

Download Interview Transcript

Much of the focus on reducing greenhouse gases revolves around reducing carbon emissions, but now that we’re armed with rapidly expanding knowledge about carbon storage in soils, greater attention should be paid to carbon sequestration and soil restoration.

Carbon sequestration refers to taking the carbon from the atmosphere and putting it back into the soil, in a stable form of organic matter.

Many scientists say that regenerative agricultural practices can turn back the carbon clock, reducing atmospheric CO2 while also boosting soil productivity and increasing its resilience to floods, pests, and drought. Today, just three percent of North America’s tallgrass prairie remains, resulting in a massive loss of soil carbon into the atmosphere.

According to Yale:⁷

“The importance of soil carbon—how it is leached from the earth and how that process can be reversed—is the subject of intensifying scientific investigation, with important implications for the effort to slow the rapid rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Scientists say that more carbon resides in soil than in the atmosphere and all plant life combined; there are 2,500 billion tons of carbon in soil, compared with 800 billion tons in the atmosphere and 560 billion tons in plant and animal life.

And compared to many proposed geoengineering fixes, storing carbon in soil is simple: It’s a matter of returning carbon where it belongs.”

According to Rattan Lal, director of Ohio State University’s Carbon Management and Sequestration Center:⁸

“The top priorities are restoring degraded and eroded lands, as well as avoiding deforestation and the farming of peatlands, which are a major reservoir of carbon and are easily decomposed upon drainage and cultivation...Bringing carbon back into soils has to be done not only to offset fossil fuels, but also to feed our growing global population. We cannot feed people if soil is degraded.”

Soil’s Favorite Food: Humus

Several game-changing farmers are addressing this problem. California farmer John Wick, who calls himself a “carbon farmer,” is making humus compost. Wick is the co-founder of the Main Carbon Project in Nicasio, California. Carbon-rich organic matter is what gives soil its water-retention capacity, its structure and fertility, so the objective is to add high-quality, sustainable organic matter back into the soil—and humus compost fits the bill. Wick makes humus compost from biomass such as corn stalks, wheat, and oat straw, soybean stubble, manure, and clay, plus three microbial inoculants. This is not ordinary compost, but closer to the naturally occurring humus that forms on forest floors.

Humus and Compost Are Two Different Things

It’s important to realize that compost and humus are different. Compost is organic matter that’s been decomposing to the smallest particles. Finished compost is only halfway to humus, which is a more effective and matured form of carbon. Humus is not a layer of soil but a component in soil—there is no such thing as a “humus layer.” Even though commercial products are sold as humus, the vast majority is really only finished compost, as true humus is only formed in nature.⁹ This is presumably why John Wick calls his product “humus compost,” which is as close as we can get to true humus.

Through photosynthesis, a plant draws carbon out of the air to form carbon compounds. What the plant doesn’t need for growth is exuded through its roots to feed soil organisms. Over time, these organisms (mostly bacteria and fungi) break down organic matter into smaller and smaller molecules until most of the usable chemicals in the organic matter have been extracted by the microorganisms and made available to the plants.

When all of the “good stuff “ is used up, the remaining material is called humus in a process is known as humification. Humus consists mostly of carbon in complex molecules or aggregates, and because microorganisms cannot further decompose it, it’s extremely stable—humus can persist in soil for hundreds and even thousands of years. This is in contrast to "active" topsoil carbon, which is in continual flux between microbial hosts and the atmosphere.

Humus Gives Soil Its Ability to Store Water and Nutrients

Scientists don’t yet fully understand humus, but they’ve been able to identify some of the characteristics that make it so highly beneficial, including the following:

• Like a big sponge, humus can hold up to 90 percent of its weight in water
• Because of its negative charge, many plant nutrients stick to humus (nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and others), preventing them from washing away and acting as nature’s slow release fertilizer
• Humus massively improves soil’s structure, making it loose and friable and helping plants root by providing them better access to nutrients, water, and oxygen
• Humus may help “filter” toxic chemicals out of the soil, much like carbon-based water filtration systems filter toxins out of your water

You can build your soil’s humus content by top coating—not tilling—your soil with organic matter, such as woodchips, manure, and compost. Tilling should be avoided as it destroys soil’s intricate structure. Many innovative farmers and agricultural scientists have found ways to turn animal and human waste into fully finished, healthy compost—you can’t get much more sustainable than that! And it really packs a punch—in one case, a farmer who topped his soil one time only with one-half inch of manure compost got 25 to 50 percent more plant growth for four years.

Turning Chicken Poop into Biochar

Biochar is another way to add stable, long-lasting carbon to your soil. Biochar is created by slowly heating a biomass in a low-oxygen environment, such as a kiln, until everything but the carbon is burned off, and then putting it into the ground. Historically, fire has been the driving force of the earth’s carbon cycle. Natural fires started by lightning burned large swaths of plants and trees, returning the carbon back to the soil in the form of charcoal. Today, most societies take steps to prevent wild fires and greatly restrict burning practices.

Midwest poultry farmer Josh Frye has figured out a way to do what fires do, by transforming chicken poop into biochar using green technology with minimal emissions. Just like the scientists who successfully turned human urine into fertilizer, this is one more example of how waste can be turned into a useful and sustainable product with the potential for improving our food system and reducing environmental impacts.

Increase Your Soil’s Health with Woodchips

A great, cost-effective alternative to compost or biochar that will radically improve the nutrient quality of your foods is mulching with wood chips. I learned about wood chips during my interview with Paul Gautschi. You just lay down uncomposted wood chips on top of your garden—using whatever is available locally, typically a combination of leaves, twigs, and branches. The chips break down gradually and are digested and redigested by a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, and nematodes in the soil, which is exactly what happens in nature.

After a year or so, you’ll develop lush soil underneath the chips that will happily support trees, vegetables, or whatever else you’re trying to grow. The longer you leave the chips on and the deeper you heap them, the thicker your topsoil will be. Wood chips also reduce your weeding by more than 90 percent, because the weeds that do grow are very easy to pull out by their roots. Wood chips drastically reduce the need for watering and eliminate your need for fertilizers, and they provide excellent insulation for your plants and soil, moderating the temperatures in both summer and winter.

Woodchips are a very concentrated form of biomass and can form massive amounts of humus if allowed to compost properly. I have personally put on over a half a million pounds of woodchips on my quarter acre of landscaping and am starting to see excellent results on my four dozen fruit trees, berry shrubs, and vegetables. The chips eliminate the need for irrigation and fertilizers, reduce weeds, and serve as earthworm magnets. The earthworm population on my property has literally exploded.

You Can’t Be Healthy Without Food from Healthy Soil

One of the more insidious aspects of the industrial food system is that, as soil becomes sicker and less able to perform its functions, farmers become increasingly dependent on the chemical technology industry—they become trapped. The use of glyphosate begins a downward spiral, making it necessary for farmers to use more and more herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers that kill soil microbes. Especially if they’re using genetically engineered (GE) seeds. Weeds become resistant to glyphosate, so farmers must use more weed killers.

Crops become nutrient-deprived, so they’re forced to increase their use of synthetic fertilizers. Weeds and bugs become superweeds and superbugs... and on and on in a vicious cycle. The best way to avoid this trap is to refrain from using agrochemicals in the first place. Any organic farmer will tell you that they’re growing SOIL, not food—a properly cared for soil will take care of growing your food. The key is to use regenerative soil techniques instead of factory farming approaches, which are degenerative.

The answer to world hunger is not GE foods or fuels, but rather reverting to ecologically rational and sustainable agricultural practices, with an emphasis on supporting small local farmers. In a comprehensive global report entitled “Agriculture at a Crossroads,” IAAST (International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development) gave high-tech farming a dismal two thumbs-down.^10,11 Resistance to revamping the food system can be expected from a few mega-corporations whose pockets are lined by the chemical technology and pesticide industries, but as a consumer, you have a great deal of power as you vote every day with your wallet.

Lack of Sleep Promotes Alzheimer’s by Preventing Critical Detoxification

By Dr. Mercola

Sleep disturbances are endemic in the US, where nearly 40 percent of adults report unintentionally falling asleep during the day in the past month, and five percent report nodding off while driving.¹

Forty-five percent of teens also don't get enough sleep on school nights and 25 percent report falling asleep in class at least once a week.

Lack of sleep has ramifications that go far beyond not feeling fully awake and refreshed during the day. There's a price to pay in terms of health, both short- and long-term.

A number of studies have linked poor sleep or lack of sleep to an increased risk of Alzheimer's for example, and one of the reasons for this has to do with the fact that your brain's waste removal system only operates during deep sleep.

Your Brain Needs Sleep for Waste Removal

There's no cure for Alzheimer's disease, which makes prevention all the more important, and sleeping well appears to be an important part of prevention. Studies^2,3 published in 2012 and 2013 revealed that your brain actually has a unique method of removing toxic waste.

This waste-removal system has been dubbed the glymphatic system,^4,5,6,7,8 and operates in a way that is similar to your body's lymphatic system, which is responsible for eliminating cellular waste products.

However, the lymphatic system does not include your brain. The reason for this is that your brain is a closed system, protected by the blood-brain barrier, which controls what can go through and what cannot.

The glymphatic system gets into your brain by "piggybacking" on the blood vessels in your brain. (The "g" in glymphatic is a nod to "glial cells"—the brain cells that manage this system.)

By pumping cerebral spinal fluid through your brain's tissues, the glymphatic system flushes the waste from your brain back into your body's circulatory system. From there, the waste eventually reaches your liver, where it's ultimately eliminated.

The clincher is that this system ramps up its activity during sleep, thereby allowing your brain to clear out toxins, including harmful proteins called amyloid-beta, the buildup of which has been linked to Alzheimer's.

During sleep, the glymphatic system becomes 10 times more active than during wakefulness. Simultaneously, your brain cells shrink by about 60 percent, allowing for greater efficiency of waste removal.

During the day, the constant brain activity causes your brain cells to swell in size until they take up just over 85 percent of your brain's volume,⁹ thereby disallowing effective waste removal during wakefulness.

More recently, researchers discovered¹⁰ that the blood-brain barrier naturally tends to become more permeable with age, allowing more toxins to enter.

In conjunction with reduced efficiency of the glymphatic system, damage in both your brain and blood-brain barrier can start to accumulate at an increased pace. This deterioration is thought to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer's.

Sleep Is Not a Luxury, It's an Essential for Good Health

As noted in a recent issue of Time Magazine:¹¹

"Sleep, the experts are recognizing, is the only time the brain has to catch its breath. If it doesn't, it may drown in its own biological debris... [Sleep researcher Dr. Sigrid] Veasey is learning that brain cells that don't get their needed break every night are like overworked employees on consecutive double shifts–eventually, they collapse.

Working with mice, she found that neurons that fire constantly to keep the brain alert spew out toxic free radicals as a by-product of making energy. During sleep, they produce antioxidants that mop up these potential poisons.

But even after short periods of sleep loss, 'the cells are working hard but cannot make enough antioxidants, so they progressively build up free radicals and some of the neurons die off...'

The consequences of deprived sleep, says Dr. Mary Carskadon, professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University, are scary, really scary."

Omega-3 and Vitamin D May Control Brain Serotonin, Research Suggests

Speaking of brain health, recent research^12,13 suggests that animal-based omega-3 and vitamin D can improve cognitive function and behavior associated with certain psychiatric conditions—including ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia—by regulating your brain's serotonin levels. As reported by ProHealth:¹⁴

"Many clinical disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression share as a unifying attribute low brain serotonin.

'In this paper, we explain how serotonin is a critical modulator of executive function, impulse control, sensory gating, and pro-social behavior,' says Dr. Patrick. 'We link serotonin production and function to vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, suggesting one way these important micronutrients help the brain function and affect the way we behave...'

Their paper illuminates the mechanistic links that explain why low vitamin D... and marine omega-3 deficiencies interact with genetic pathways, such as the serotonin pathway, that are important for brain development, social cognition, and decision-making, and how these gene-micronutrient interactions may influence neuropsychiatric outcomes."

The omega-3 fatty acid EPA reduces inflammatory signaling molecules in your brain that inhibit serotonin release from presynaptic neurons, thereby boosting your serotonin levels. DHA also has a beneficial influence on serotonin receptors, by increasing their access to serotonin.

According to the researchers, optimizing your vitamin D along with the animal-based omega-3 fats EPA and DHA can help optimize your brain serotonin concentrations and function, and may help prevent and/or ameliorate psychiatric symptoms without adverse side effects. Serotonin is also an immediate precursor to melatonin, which has many important health benefits, including a reduced cancer risk.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

The latest sleep guidelines, based on 300 studies looking at the health effects of sleep, confirm that most adults need right around eight hours of sleep for optimal health. Forty percent of American adults get only six hours of sleep or less however, and 58 percent of teens—who need anywhere from eight to 10 hours—average only seven hours or less. This kind of sleep debt is a recipe for health problems down the road, and an increased risk of dementia is just one potential side effect.

Individual sleep requirements can vary, of course, based on age, life circumstances, and health status. So how can you be sure you're getting the right amount for you? The following seven signs indicate you need to address your sleep schedule because you're not getting enough sleep:¹⁵

You're moody	Chronic insomnia is associated with a greater risk for depression and anxiety,16 and even one night of insufficient sleep can have a dramatic impact on your mood. According to Lauren Hale,17 editor-in-chief of the journal Sleep Health:"If you're sleep deprived, you're more vulnerable to crankiness, irritability, and challenges coping with stress."
Your work/study performance and productivity is subpar	Basic cognitive functions such as logic reasoning, focus, and even word retrieval can suffer when you're tired. According to Harvard Medical School,18 insomnia costs the American economy more than $63 billion each year in lost productivity. Sleep has also been shown to boost creative functioning and promote problem solving, both of which are valuable attributes in just about any profession.
You're gaining weight and/or developing other signs of insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes	Research19,20 shows that poor sleep and/or lack of sleep can have a significant bearing on metabolic disorders such as weight gain, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Sleep exerts a marked modulatory effect on glucose metabolism, and lack of sleep will increase your risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Shift-work, for example, has been shown to rapidly shift healthy people into a pre-diabetic state.21 Lack of sleep also decreases levels of the fat regulating hormone leptin while increasing the hunger hormone ghrelin. The resulting increase in hunger and appetite can easily lead to overeating and weight gain.22,23
Signs of sleep deprivation are showing on your face	You can usually tell when someone hasn't slept well by how they look. A recent Swedish study24 looked at facial cues showing sleep deprivation, finding that people readily identified hanging eyelids, red swollen eyes, dark under-eye circles, pale skin, more wrinkles, and more droopy corners of the mouth as tell-tale signs of a poor night's sleep.
You're exhibiting poor judgment and/or lack of self-control	As noted in the featured article:25 "Accurately reading social situations and making good decisions both heavily depend on the brain's capacity to process emotions. But when people are sleep deprived, the region of the brain involved with emotional processing, the prefrontal cortex, 'basically goes to sleep...' And there's evidence being sleepy makes people sneaky, too: Sleep-deprived employees are more likely to cut corners and take credit for others work, according to research... Why? 'Presumably,' writes Jex and Britt, not getting enough Zzs results in a reduced amount of self-control."
Your libido is "missing in action"	Intimacy usually falls by the wayside when you're exhausted. One recent study26,27 found that each extra hour of sleep a woman got corresponded to a 14 percent increase in the likelihood of sexual activity the following day. Those who slept more on average also reported greater vaginal lubrication during sex, compared to those who averaged less sleep.
You're drowsy during the day, and/or involuntarily fall asleep	Daytime sleepiness is a clear sign that you didn't get enough sleep the night before. So, if you're constantly yawning, and/or guzzle coffee to keep yourself going, you need to head to bed earlier.

Tips for Better Sleep

Small adjustments to your daily routine and sleeping area can go a long way toward ensuring you uninterrupted, restful sleep—and thereby better health. To get you started, check out the suggestions listed in the table below. For even more helpful guidance on how to improve your sleep, please review my "33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep." If you're even slightly sleep deprived, I encourage you to implement some of these tips tonight, as high-quality sleep is one of the most important factors in your health and quality of life.

Optimize your light exposure	Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night. If you're in darkness all day long, your body can't appreciate the difference and will not optimize melatonin production. Sleep researcher Dan Pardi recommends getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of outdoor light exposure during the daytime in order to "anchor" your master clock rhythm, in the morning if possible. More sunlight exposure is required as you age. Once the sun sets, avoid light as much as possible to assist your body in secreting melatonin, which helps you feel sleepy. It can be helpful to sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. If you need a bit of light to navigate down the hall in the wee hours of the night, install a low-wattage yellow, orange, or red light bulb. Light in these bandwidths does not shut down melatonin production in the way that white and blue light does. Salt lamps are lovely for this purpose. You can also download a free application called F.lux that automatically dims your computer device screens.28
Address mental states that prevent peaceful slumber	A sleep disturbance is always caused by something, be it physical, emotional, or both. Anxiety and anger are two mental states that are incompatible with sleep. Feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities is another common sleep blocker. To identify the cause of your wakefulness, analyze the thoughts that circle in your mind during the time you lie awake, and look for themes. Many who have learned the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) find it is incredibly useful in helping them to sleep. One strategy is to compile a list of your current concerns, and then "tap" on each issue. To learn how to tap, please refer to our free EFT guide.
Keep the temperature in your bedroom below 70 degrees Fahrenheit	Many people keep their homes too warm (particularly their bedrooms). Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime	This raises your core body temperature, and when you get out of the bath it abruptly drops, signaling your body that you're ready for sleep.
Avoid watching TV or using electronics in the evening, at least an hour or so before going to bed	Electronic devices emit blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime. Normally, your brain starts secreting melatonin between 9 pm and 10 pm, and these devices may stifle that process.
Be mindful of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in your bedroom	EMFs can disrupt your pineal gland and its melatonin production, and may have other detrimental biological effects. A gauss meter is required if you want to measure EMF levels in various areas of your home. Ideally, you should turn off any wireless router while you are sleeping—after all, you don't need the Internet when you sleep.
Develop a relaxing pre-sleep routine	Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day helps keep your sleep on track, but having a consistent pre-sleep routine or "sleep ritual" is also important. For instance, if you read before heading to bed, your body knows that reading at night signals it's time for sleep. Sleep specialist Stephanie Silberman, PhD suggests listening to calming music, stretching, or doing relaxation exercises.29 Mindfulness therapies have also been found helpful for insomnia.30
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs, including nicotine	Two of the biggest sleep saboteurs are caffeine and alcohol, both of which also increase anxiety. Caffeine's effects can last four to seven hours. Tea and chocolate also contain caffeine. Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but it makes sleep more fragmented and less restorative. Nicotine in all its forms (cigarettes, e-cigs, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, and smoking cessation patches) is also a stimulant, so lighting up too close to bedtime can worsen insomnia. Many other drugs can also interfere with sleep.
Use a fitness tracker to help you get to bed on time, and track which activities boost or hinder deep sleep	To optimize sleep you need to make sure you're going to bed early enough. If you have to get up at 6:30am, you're just not going to get enough sleep if you go to bed after midnight. Many fitness trackers can now track both daytime body movement and sleep, allowing you to get a better picture of how much sleep you're actually getting. Newer fitness trackers like Jawbone's UP3, which should be released later this year, can even tell you which activities led to your best sleep and what factors resulted in poor sleep.

New Guidelines for Pesticides in Produce

By Dr. Mercola

Eighty-five percent of Americans are concerned about pesticides in produce,¹ and rightly so. The US uses about 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides each year,² and it’s not uncommon for your apple or strawberries to contain two different pesticides… or more.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) insists pesticide residues on food are no cause for concern, even though more than half of all foods tested last year had detectable levels.

While tolerance levels are set that determine upper allowable limits for individual pesticides, there is no legal limit on the number of different pesticides allowed on food. So lurking in your fruit cocktail is probably also a chemical cocktail…

“The effect of these mixtures is untested and unknown,” according to Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., a toxicologist and executive director of the Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center.

Buying Organic Is the Simplest Way to Cut Down on Pesticides in Produce

Ideally, all of the produce you eat would be organic. The largest study of its kind found that people who “often or always” ate organic food had about 65 percent lower levels of pesticide residues compared to those who ate the least amount of organic produce.³

Research also found that organic produce had, on average, 180 times lower pesticide content than conventional produce.⁴ That being said, not everyone has access to a wide variety of organic produce, and it can sometimes be costlier than buying conventional.

One way to save some money while still lowering your risk is by focusing on purchasing certain organic items, while "settling" for others that are conventionally grown.

Animal products, like meat, butter, milk and eggs, are actually the most important to buy organic, since animal products tend to bioaccumulate toxins from their pesticide-laced feed, concentrating them to far higher concentrations than are typically present in vegetables.

Unlike conventional fruits and vegetables, where peeling and washing can sometimes reduce the amounts of these toxins, the pesticides and drugs that these animals get exposed to during their lives can become incorporated into their very tissues, especially their fat. So if you’re on a budget, choose organic animal foods first.

Difference Between Organic and Conventionally Grown

In order to be certified organic, a food must be grown without the use of synthetic pesticides. However, certain natural pesticides, and a few synthetic ones, are allowed, even in organic farming.

Yet, the differences in their use and safety in organic farming versus conventional are vast. According to Michael Sligh, a farmer, founding chairman of the National Organic Standards Board, and Just Foods Program director at Rural Advancement Foundation International:⁵

“Before a pesticide is even approved for use in organic farming, it must be evaluated for potential adverse effects on humans, animals, and the environment, and prove it’s compatible with a system of sustainable agriculture.

And farmers must follow integrated pest-management plans that require that they use any approved organic pesticide as a last resort and develop strategies to avoid repeated use.”

Cheat Sheet: Which Produce Should You Buy Organic?

Beyond animal foods, the pesticide load of different fruits and vegetables can vary greatly. Consumer Reports analyzed 12 years of data from the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program to determine the risk categories (from very low to very high) for different types of produce.

Because children are especially vulnerable to the effects of environmental chemicals, including pesticides, they based the risk assessment on a 3.5-year-old child. They recommended buying organic for any produce that came back in the medium or higher risk categories, which left the following foods as examples of those you should always try to buy organic.

Peaches	Carrots
Strawberries	Green Beans
Sweet Bell Peppers	Hot Peppers
Tangerines	Nectarines
Cranberries	Sweet Potatoes

What Are the Health Risks of Pesticide Exposure?

One commonly used type of pesticide, organophosphates, were first developed as nerve gas during World War II. They work by inhibiting cholinesterase, an enzyme that regulates a key messenger in your brain called acetylcholine.

In effect, these poisons disrupt the signals between neurons, an action that has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's in humans. In children, there is increasing evidence that these pesticides are especially damaging, not only at high exposure levels but also at low, chronic levels to which millions are exposed.

For instance, researcher has revealed 11 pesticides that inhibit the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzyme and increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease.⁶ The effects were seen even with very low-level exposure – levels lower than those currently being used in everyday applications.

When working properly, ALDH changes aldehydes, which are toxic to dopamine cells, into less toxic compounds. When ALDH is blocked, however, this transformation does not occur, contributing to the development of Parkinson’s.

Separate research has further revealed that ambient exposure to organophosphate pesticides also increased the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.⁷ Rotenone and paraquat are two additional pesticides linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, and both are lipophilic, meaning they resist breaking down in water and accumulate in your fat. Both are also known to cross your blood-brain barrier.

Pesticides Are Harming Kids’ Brains

The CHAMACOS Study also showed that very small amounts of pesticides may be harming kids’ brains. It followed hundreds of pregnant women living in Salinas Valley, California, an agricultural mecca that has had up to a half-million pounds of organophosphates sprayed in the region per year.

The children were followed through age 12 to assess what impact the pesticides had on their development.⁸ It turns out the impact was quite dramatic, and mothers' exposure to organophosphates during pregnancy was associated with:⁹

• Shorter duration of pregnancy
• Poorer neonatal reflexes
• Lower IQ and poorer cognitive functioning in children
• Increased risk of attention problems in children

Research published, ironically, the same day as the CHAMACOS study also found that prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos (Dursban, a pesticide once used to control cockroaches in inner cities) was associated with lower IQs and poorer working memory in three-year-olds.¹⁰

A senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, who is now an official at the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the combination of studies come "about as close as I can imagine to absolute proof" of the damaging effects of pesticides on children's brains.¹¹

It is this cumulative effect of numerous chemicals, particularly to developing children, that likely poses the greatest risks of all. Brenda Eskenazi, chief investigator of the CHAMACOS study, noted:¹²

"The other thing we don't know about is the combined effect of exposures… Throughout the course of a day, people may eat several different types of produce, each of which may bear traces of one or more pesticides. They encounter other types of chemicals as well—from antibacterials in soaps, to plasticizers in foodware, to flame retardants in the furniture… By day's end, you've got a combination of chemicals and an unknown level of risk."

The USDA Doesn’t Test for the Most Commonly Used Pesticide

Most people are aware that there might be pesticide residues on conventionally grown produce, but you might not think about the pesticides in processed foods, particularly in ingredients like genetically modified (GM) corn and soy, which are heavily sprayed with the herbicide Roundup. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide and may be at least partially to blame for rising rates of numerous chronic diseases in Westernized societies, according to research published in Entropy.¹³

Authored by Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant, the report argues that glyphosate residues “enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease.” In a study published in 2013, researchers also concluded that glyphosate is a xenoestrogen that is functionally similar to estradiol, the most potent human estrogen, and concentrations in the parts-per-trillion range had carcinogenic effects.¹⁴

In fact, in a study published in The Lancet, scientists convened by the World Health Organization found that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”¹⁵ Among the data cited:¹⁶

• Glyphosate exposure for farm workers causes “increased risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that persisted after adjustment for other pesticides.”
• Glyphosate “induced DNA and chromosomal damage in mammals, and in human and animal cells in vitro”
• “Increases in blood markers of chromosomal damage” were noted in residents of farm communities after spraying glyphosate

How much glyphosate is in your food? No one knows because the USDA does not test for it. As reported by Reuters:¹⁷

"As has been the case with past analyses, the USDA said it did not test this past year for residues of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide and the world's most widely used herbicide. A USDA spokesman who asked not to be quoted said that the test measures required for glyphosate are 'extremely expensive... to do on an regular basis'... Many genetically modified crops can be sprayed directly with glyphosate, and some consumer and health groups fear glyphosate residues in foods are harmful to human health, even though the government says the pesticide is considered safe."

Monsanto, meanwhile, has petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- and received approval! -- to increase the allowable limit of glyphosate residues on crops like GM soy and canola from 20 parts per million (ppm) to 40 ppm.¹⁸ In case you missed it, that’s doubling the amount of pesticide residues allowed in your food.

Pesticides Contributing to Antibiotic-Resistant Disease and Killing Bees

Pesticides are impacting human health on multiple levels. One of the latest studies revealed that exposure to herbicides widely used on GM crops (including glyphosate, dicamba and 2,4-D) alters how susceptible disease-causing bacteria are to antibiotics, in many cases making them more antibiotic-resistant.^19,20 The researchers explained:

“Increasingly common chemicals used in agriculture, domestic gardens, and public places can induce a multiple-antibiotic resistance phenotype in potential pathogens. The effect occurs upon simultaneous exposure to antibiotics and is faster than the lethal effect of antibiotics.

The magnitude of the induced response may undermine antibiotic therapy and substantially increase the probability of spontaneous mutation to higher levels of resistance. The combination of high use of both herbicides and antibiotics in proximity to farm animals and important insects, such as honeybees, might also compromise their therapeutic effects and drive greater use of antibiotics.”

Meanwhile, chemical giant Bayer has been marketing two of its pesticide formulations – Calypso and Lizetan – as “not toxic to bees,” even though they contain a neonicotinoid (Thiacloprid), which has been found to harm bees. Bayer attempted to sue the Friends of the Earth organization for claiming Thiacloprid harms bees, but a judge recently dismissed Bayer’s suit.²¹ As reported by The Ecologist:²²

“A paper published in the journal PLOS ONE confirms that Thiacloprid, along with the neonicotinoids Imidacloprid and Clothianidin, affects bees' navigational ability and behavior, making it harder for them to find their way back to their hives.²³ It also shows that exposure to Thiacloprid can increase the likelihood of honeybees dying if they are already infected with diseases. A further study found that the toxicity of Thiacloprid to honey bees is increased over 1,000 fold when mixed with fungicides.”

How to Minimize Your Dietary Pesticide Exposure

Your best bet for minimizing health risks from pesticide exposure (even those the government claim are “safe”) is to avoid them in the first place by eating organic as much as possible and investing in a good water filtration system for your home or apartment. Alternatively, you can try growing some of your own produce using organic methods right in your own backyard. If you know you have been exposed to pesticides, the lactic acid bacteria formed during the fermentation of kimchi may help your body break down pesticides. So including fermented foods like kimchi in your diet may also be a wise strategy to help detox the pesticides that do enter your body.

One of the benefits of eating organic is that the foods will be free of GM ingredients – and this is key to avoiding exposure to toxic glyphosate. Following are some great resources to obtain wholesome organic food. Eating locally produced organic food will not only support your family's health, it will also protect the environment from harmful chemical pollutants and the inadvertent spread of genetically engineered seeds and chemical-resistant weeds and pests. Finally, if you can’t find organic produce, don’t use that as an excuse to skimp on veggies altogether. As Consumer Reports noted:²⁴

“Though we believe that organic is always the best choice because it promotes sustainable agriculture, getting plenty of fruits and vegetables—even if you can’t obtain organic—takes precedence when it comes to your health.”

Also remember that some local foods are grown using organic standards, even though they might not be certified organic. One of the benefits of getting your food straight from the farm via the resources below is that you can often meet the farmer and ask about pesticides and other chemical usage:

1. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
2. Farmers' Markets -- A national listing of farmers' markets.
3. Local Harvest -- This Web site will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
4. Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals -- The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
5. Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) -- CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms.
6. FoodRoutes -- The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSAs, and markets near you.