Chlorine, Cancer, & Heart Disease- OH MY!

We normally associate unfiltered water with bad taste, lead, diseases or illnesses cased by water harboring bacteria but rarely do we look into the affiliation between unfiltered water and cancer or heart disease.

Since 1904, chlorine has been the standard chemical used to treat and disinfect water to make tap water drinkable. So in essence, we're drinking water that has been bleached with chlorine. Yum!

A recent study finally discovered the long term effects of drinking this heavily chlorinated water.

"According to the U.S. Council Of Environmental Quality, “Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.”

Dr. Joseph Price did an extensive study testing long term chlorine exposure in chickens. He monitored two groups one with high exposure to chlorine and one without any exposure to chlorine. The group exposed to chlorine under winter conditions, showed outward signs of poor circulation, shivering, drooped feathers, and a reduced level of activity. The group without chlorine grew faster, larger, and displayed vigorous health. So answer this, if chlorine isn't good for chickens why would we think it's good for us?


When combined with other compounds in water, chlorine forms byproducts (THMs) which trigger the production of free radicals in the body. These free radicals cause extensive cell damage and are highly carcinogenic. “Although concentrations of these carcinogens (THMs) are low, it is precisely these low levels that cancer scientists believe are responsible for the majority of human cancers in the United States“. The Environmental Defense Fund

The U.S. EPA defines chlorine as a pesticide, whose sole purpose is to kill living organisms. When we consume this, we are destroying cells and tissue in our body and ultimately killing some parts of us. Dr. Robert Carlson, a highly respected University of Minnesota researcher who’s work is sponsored by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, sums it up by claiming , “the chlorine problem is similar to that of air pollution”, and adds that “chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times!”

The worst part is that this study found that 2/3 of our toxic exposure to chlorine is due to inhalation of steam and skin absorption while showering! Our pores are opened during warm showers resulting in greater absorption going directly into our blood stream. Does it now make sense why your skin is often dull and dry? This can also explain why high levels of chlorine have been found in the breast tissue of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer, which effects 1 of 8 women in North America, has been linked to the accumulation of chlorine compounds in breast tissue.

Unfortunately, many people have become so immune to the taste and smell of the chlorine in their water they don't even realize how much of it they're consuming. Chlorine has its benefits with initial disinfecting and is probably here to stay. However, it is clear that it poses a great threat to our health and should be removed from consumption in our homes, at the point of use, both from the water we drink and the shower we shower in. The best way to do this is through a quality home water filtration system.


For more information on Carico International's quality water filtration systems, click here





Click here to read the full article from Global Healing Center

Lack of water filtration leads to recent deaths

In today's day and age, many people are taking the more holistic approach when treating various ailments. They've moved away from the antibiotics and moved towards natural herbs and home remedies. One treatment which has become increasingly popular during allergy and flu season is the use of neti pots or squeeze bottles to clear sinus bacteria and pressure. Although it has been proven to be a very effective home remedy, it's not so great if it kills you from incorrect usage. Now that two people have died from infection with brain-eating amoebas after using neti pots, doctors are warning: do not put tap water up your nose.

Two deaths have been linked to this holistic treatment simply because consumers aren't using filtered water. One may think that because they aren't ingesting the water used, there isn't a need to use filtered or boiled water. Unfortunately, unfiltered water can carry various amoeba that can cause numerous infections. In this case, both deaths have been linked to Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba found in many lakes and rivers that was carried in the water used with the neti pot. When the contaminated water was introduced into the nasal passages, so was this amoeba which made its way up the nasal passage into the brain causing life threateneing brain infections.

Making sure our water is filtered shouldn't just stop with our drinking water, it should be a part of our everyday lifestyle. There are many chemicals and bacteria found in water such as chlorine, e coli, asbestos, parasites, and lead, for this reason we should make sure to use filtered water when washing fruits and vegetables, when cooking, making teas and coffee, and even what we offer our pets on a daily basis. Don't cut corners with the health and wellness of those you love!

Carico Internationals unique water filtration system contains a 0.2 Sub Micron Silver Impregnated Ceramic cartridge that is NSF certified. It will STOP particles that are 500 times smaller than a strain of human hair!

http://www.caricowater.com/




Click here to read full NPR article

The Poultry Controversy: Chicken vs Duck

It wasn't very long ago that the FDA informed us that some chicken meat may contain cancer-causing arsenic. Although the FDA stressed that it is contained in very small levels, it is still something that can be found in chicken meat overall as it is an ingredient found in the actual feed given to many chickens which are harvested for consumption.

The FDA conducted a study and found the following:


"In the study of 100 chickens, the FDA found that chickens that had eaten the Roxarsone had higher levels of inorganic arsenic – as opposed to organic arsenic, which is naturally occurring – in their livers than chickens which had not eaten the Roxarsone. Inorganic arsenic is more toxic than the naturally occurring form."


Click here to  read full article


I don't know about you, but any trace of arsenic in the foods I eat are a no-no in my book. Since this study came out, I have steered more towards eating duck. Recently cited in Bon Appétit magazine as one of the "10 Surprising Health Foods" and in Natural Health magazine as one of "10 Foods that Keep You Young." I figured why not give this breed of poultry a try. When compaired to the traditional lean meat choices on the market, it seems that duck does offer some competition in regards to calorie content and unsaturated fats. Not to mention, it offers so much more flavor!

For those of you who haven't yet tried duck, here's a great holiday recipe to start with. Please feel free to share your feedback and thoughts with us.

Seared Duck Breast with Cherries and Port Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 5- to 6-ounce duck breast halves or one 12- to 16-ounce duck breast half
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled butter, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 8 halved pitted sweet red cherries, fresh or frozen, thawed
• 2 tablespoons tawny Port
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey

Preparation

• Place duck breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound lightly to even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Discard plastic wrap. Using sharp knife, score skin in 3/4-inch diamond pattern (do not cut into flesh). DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
  
• Heat your Ultra-Tech II 11 Fry/Saute Pan to high heat just to warm up pan. Season duck breast on skin side with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook until skin is browned and crisp. Make sure to remove the fat that is released into the pan regularly to make sure the duck breasts stay crispy. Turn breasts over, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes longer for small breasts and 5 minutes longer for large breast for medium-rare. Transfer to work surface, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest 10 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add shallot to skillet and stir over medium low heat 30 seconds. Add broth, cherries, Port, and honey. Increase heat to medium and boil until sauce is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Thinly slice duck. Fan slices out on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

For more information on Carico Ultra Tech II Cookware click here

Bring Carico Home for the Holidays

The holidays are the time of year where we look back at the year behind us, reminiscing about the great memories we've shared with our friends and family. It's a time in which we get together with our loved ones over delicious meals to give thanks of all we've been blessed with.


Carico would like to be a part of your holiday celebrations this year and every year. Celebrate the holidays in the best way possible with some of Carico's finest products.

Here's a great turkey recipe with some cooking tips on how to make the perfect turkey in your Carico Ultra Jumbo Roaster. We hope you enjoy!




Porcini Mushroom Turkey with Mushroom Gravy

Mushroom Butter:

* 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
* 1 cup boiling water
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Turkey:

* 1 14- to 16-pound turkey, rinsed, patted dry inside and out; neck, heart, and gizzard reserved for Shortcut Turkey Stock

* 10 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
* 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
* 6 fresh thyme sprigs
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cups turkey stock or water

Gravy:

* 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups turkey stock
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tablespoons water
* 5 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

For mushroom butter:
Place porcini in small bowl; add 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until softened, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms. Transfer half of chopped mushrooms (about 1/3 cup) to small bowl; reserve for gravy.

Chop garlic finely in processor. Add butter and next 6 ingredients, then remaining porcini. Blend to coarse paste.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill mushroom butter, reserved chopped porcini, and mushroom liquid separately. TRUE GRIT: When using the porcini soaking liquid, pour it off slowly so that any grit or sediment at the bottom remains in the bowl.

*Dried porcini are at supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and Italian markets.



For turkey:
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Sprinkle main turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Spread with 2 tablespoons mushroom butter. Starting at neck end of turkey, carefully slide hand between skin and meat of breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin. Spread mushroom butter over thighs and drumsticks, then over breast meat under skin. Fill main cavity with herb sprigs. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under.

Place turkey on rack set in your Ultra Large Carico Roasting pan. Rub outside of turkey all over with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups stock into pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 3 hours. Tilt turkey so juices from main cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent very loosely with foil; let rest at least 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan.



For gravy:
Scrape juices and browned bits from reserved roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 3 tablespoons.

Heat reserved 3 tablespoons fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mushrooms, garlic, and shallot. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl and set aside. Add wine to skillet. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes. Add reserved 1/3 cup chopped porcini mushrooms, reserved mushroom soaking liquid (leaving any sediment behind), 2 cups stock, and degreased pan juices. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to reduce slightly, about 10 minutes.

Add cream and crimini mushrooms to skillet. Mix 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Whisk into gravy. Continue to simmer until reduced to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley and mint. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.

Can you trust the EPA with the air you breathe?

Maybe not as much as before considering they recently proposed modifications on smog regulations throughout the nation. If passed, The Associated Press reports that at least 10 states including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and Arkansas will be allowed to emit more smog-causing pollution into the air we breathe. How do you feel about that?

It's clear that we can't control the air we breathe outdoors but we definitely can filter what we breathe on a daily basis in our homes and work environment. Carico's Nutri-Tech™ high efficiency Air Purification systems can help you get cleaner, fresher, healthier air.

For more information click here


Click here to read full article

Sooty air pollution is linked to genetic mutations

In an article by Lauran Neergaard from Associated Press you can read about how air filters protected mice in a study done by Canadian researchers. Here is an excerpt:

"WASHINGTON — Sooty air pollution can cause genetic damage that can be passed along to offspring, Canadian researchers reported Thursday in a study on mice.

Follow-up work is needed to learn if people can inherit pollution-damaged DNA that harms their health. In the meantime, the discovery is sure to increase scientists' worry about particulates, the microscopic soot particles emitted by factories, power plants and diesel-burning vehicles.

The good news: Air filters protected the mice.
Click here to read full article

Carico's Nutri-Tech™ high efficiency Air Purification systems can help you get cleaner, fresher, healthier air.

For more information click here

Can your sleeping patters affect your cardiovascular health?

Recent studies have now linked the lack of proper sleep with hypertension. So what constitutes as "proper sleep"? Studies have shown that in order for our bodies to reach a restorative physical and mental sleep state, we should be reaching the slow-wave stage of sleep regularly. This "slow-wave" phase of sleep is also essential for metabolic and good heart health. The more time one spends in this phase of sleep, the more their body is able to restore itself from daily physical and mental stresses.

"Compared to men who spent at least 17% of their sleep time in the slow-wave phase, those who spent less than 4% in this restful state had 83% higher odds of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) years later, the study found."

This is not the first time sleep disorders have been linked to heart health. Sleep problems have been linked to high blood pressure before. Sleep apnea, a chronic disorder in which a person wakes up struggling for breath several times during the night, is strongly linked to hypertension, although it’s not clear whether the disorder causes high blood pressure or vice versa—or whether the two conditions feed each other.

Untangling the relationship has been tricky in part because obesity increases the risk of both high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Obesity could play a role in the link between slow-wave sleep and hypertension as well; in a previous analysis, the authors of the current research found that insufficient slow-wave sleep was related to obesity.

In the new study, published today in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, researchers at the University of California–San Diego and Harvard University assessed the sleep quality of the participants using polysomnography, a technique in which electrodes are used to track brain activity.

All of the men had normal blood pressure when they underwent the test, which was performed on a single night in their own beds (as opposed to in a sleep lab). When the researchers followed up with the men an average of 3.5 years later, roughly 31% of the study participants had developed hypertension.

"an important aspect of successful aging is the preservation of good sleep quality,” says Eve Van Cauter, PhD, the director of the Sleep, Metabolism, and Health Center at the University of Chicago.

So how do you make sure you're getting the proper amount of sleep? By practicing proper sleep hygiene: going to bed and waking up at the same time each day while avoiding alcohol and tobacco before bedtime.

But what if you're doing all these things but you're still waking up irritable, tired, & moody? Maybe you should look further....further into your bedroom that is...Is what you're sleeping on supporting a restful nights sleep or are you tossing and turning to gain comfort all night? It's not how long you sleep that matters, it's how deep you sleep!

Carico International recently launched their Ultra Tech Levitan Sleeping System with this problem in mind. A product of extensive studies, this sleeping system is manufactured from the finest materials and is designed to solve each consumers needs individually. Take a look at the link below for more information. A good nights sleep & happy heart is just a click away!



WWW.HEALTH.COM

Have you tried Carico's Ultra Cooker yet?

You may remember last year when Carico International introduced the Ultra Cooker, one of the most amazing products on the market today.

The response to this product has been overwhelming, we want to read your recipes or comments on how you have enjoyed or benefited from this fantastic product. You can post them here or e-mail them to us to pabonc@carico.com.

Chek out the latest video showing Carico's Collection of beautiful products

This special collection is the result of extensive consumer research and one that we bring you with pride. There are no finer products available in the world! They are designed to last a lifetime, give you great value and save you money. For additional information, contact your Certified Carico Consultant or visit us at http://www.carico.com

Bottled water recalled for mold contamination

Many people turn to bottle water as a convenient way to get, what in their minds is, "clean, pure, water" at a reasonable price. They often only take into account the price of a bottle or case of water at a time and don't ever consider the long term costs. In reality, purchasing bottled water can be 2-3 times the price of a gallon of gasoline; inconvenient to carry and store; and may not be fresh because it can be bottled up to 2 years before purchase.

What's even worse is that we don't really know how pure our "pure spring water" in a bottle really is. Do you know how safe your bottled water is? A recent finding in Arkansas resulting in the recall of a batch of Montain Pure bottled drinking water for mold contamination! Read along for the details on this finding...

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) announced Monday that test results on a sample taken from certain lots of Mountain Pure bottled drinking water contained biological contamination. The company voluntarily recalled a batch of its mold-tainted bottled water. of lots marked with a four-digit time code.

The recalled Mountain Pure water bottles are etched with legends bearing a date by which they should be consumed. The Health Department said the batch involved in the recall is labeled "Best By 2-27-2013 MPWA" or "Best By 2-28-2013 MPWA."

The Health Department said the contamination showed up in testing of some bottles shipped to Clinton after that city's water system failed last week.

Dr. William L. Mason, the agency's branch chief for preparedness and emergency response, said it was unlikely that a healthy person would get sick from drinking the water, but people with a weakened immune system might be at higher risk.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42972578/ns/health/


Makes you think twice about grabbing that case of bottled water at the grocery store, doesn't it? Check out Carico International's Nutri Tech Water Filtration system; it's the only choice for guaranteeing cleaner, safer, fresher tasting water!

http://www.caricowater.com/