Oh yeah, did I mention….

…I have a new website? AllyssaMarie.com

It’s in your soda, juice, meat, etc. The cancerous side of common preservatives.

It makes me incredibly sad to think that so many people donating to cancer research and participating in money/awareness-raising events like Relay for Life will then sit down to an all-American meal of hot dogs, soda and french fries – all of which may contain preservatives that are known to cause cancer.

Why does our society have such misplaced priorities? Why aren’t we investing more money into prevention and education? Is this yet another case of corporations and governments putting profit over people?

Luckily, it seems as if more and more individuals are looking to lead healthier lifestyles. A first step in the right direction is to avoid processed foods, which contain disease-causing preservatives. Preservatives prevent fungi and bacteria from growing in food and beverages, but there are potential health side effects that may cause you to second-guess your decision to purchase products that contain them. Especially because studies have indicated that many of them, usually when combined with something else, become carcinogenic.

Sodium nitrate is a preservative that prevents the growth of bacteria. It is primarily used to color and flavor processed meats like bacon, lunch meats, and ham. But is the risk of terrible disease really worth it? How tasty is that hot dog, anyway? Christine Gerbstadt, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association said, “Under certain high-temperature cooking conditions such as grilling, [sodium nitrate] transforms into a reactive compound that has been shown to promote cancer.”

Propyl gallate is another preservative used to prevent fats and oils from perishing. But studies show it might also cause cancer. It is used in vegetable oils, french fries, meat products, chicken soup and gum, and is often used with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Both of these chemicals are used similarly to propyl gallate – to keep fats and oils from going bad. These additives are commonly found in cereals, vegetable oil and potato chips, and some studies to have found them to cause cancer in rats.

Sodium benzoate is a third popular preservative found in various food and drink products like juice, soda, flavored coffee syrups, as well as a variety of condiments. Even some packaged “healthy” foods, like hummus, contain the chemical. Sodium benzoate, when combined with vitamin C (usually called ascorbic acid on food labels) forms a chemical known as benzene.

Benzene is a known carcinogen, which is used in various plastics, synthetic rubber and dyes. Our air may contain low levels of benzene from things like tobacco smoke and exhaust from motor vehicles. Along with damaging DNA, benzene is known to cause cancer in humans and animals. You can read more about this dangerous preservative in this article I wrote specifically about sodium benzoate side effects.

I don’t mean to use scare tactics here. While it is true that there are many cancer-causing agents floating around in the air we breathe, isn’t it a good idea to avoid them in the food and beverages we consume throughout our lifetimes?

Below is an excerpt from the article I linked to above giving you some ideas about how to avoid these potentially dangerous chemical preservatives and additives.

• Make your own foods from scratch. Of course it is easier to buy packaged foods – like hummus. But few people realize it’s incredibly easy to make your own hummus! It tastes better too.
• Stop drinking soda! Oftentimes, it’s loaded with sugar and preservatives and has zero nutritional value. Drink water, instead. Add lemon if you would like.
• If you can’t stand water by itself, and need your daily dose of sweetness, add some liquid stevia (add lemon, and you’ve got a tasty, healthy lemonade). It is a zero calorie, natural herbal sweetener with no sugar. If you buy a small bottle ($6-$12), you only need 3-6 drops of stevia to sweeten your entire drink.
• Worried about your food spoiling if you buy food without preservatives? Buy your food fresh by walking to the grocery store every other day. This is easy exercise, which will also help increase your overall health. It’s a win-win!
• Freeze your food. Don’t want bacteria or fungi growth on your fruits, vegetables, fish or meats? Freeze it until you need to use it.

Please feel free to add you own ideas as well =)

Cross-posted at Daily Kos

Yep. I’m Gaga for Gaga.

She.. is.. brilliant. In every sense of the word.

Discover Your Muse Monday

Inspiration from all corners of the internet…

A year in the life & wardrobe of Lady Gaga. Oh, how I adore her.

Discovered a FABULOUS, positive, fashionable blog by the name of iCiNG, penned by Gala Darling. (Kick-ass name, no?)

Living a Poetic Life, by Tamsin Rothschild

Bringing the poetry into your life, is not necessarily about starting an art class, or becoming the next masterchef, or dusting off your old guitar, it is rather about bringing the consciousness of the artist into what it is that you are already doing.

Take steps toward engaging that inner artist: 11 Productivity Tips That Creative Types Already Know

‘Tis the season of many scrumptious desserts, hot cocoa & curling up on the couch. But remember the importance of being healthy and treating your body with kindness. Being healthy allows for greater success in all other areas of your life — I know this for sure. Find fantastic tips here: 101 Healthy Habits Anyone Can Follow

Cheer up a stranger with Operation Beautiful. I’m totally doing it this week!

Check out Binaural Beats. The creators claim that listening can change your mood, behavior and consciousness. If nothing else, I highly recommend it if you want to experience very deep relaxation.

Interesting: Minimalist Posters of Popular TV Shows. I’m diggin’ the Lost, Dexter & True Blood posters the most, but I may be biased.

DELICIOUSLY healthy, and very easy to make. It’s a Middle Eastern recipe called Foole Moudammas! Get your bum in that kitchen!

In the mood for a great, inspiring film? Jinni.com is my fave fave fave place to go to find movies to watch. You can choose movies based on your mood, based on the plotline, the genre, the kind of praise it received, etc etc etc! Great tool for indecisive people like myself!

Whaaat? Uhm, amazing! 45 Breath-taking Examples of Slow Shutter Speed Photography. That reminds me… I need to get myself a better camera…

Like to recycle? Looking for cheap, DIY gifts to give people for the holidays? Look no further! Cut Out + Keep has a few great gift ideas including soda can ashtrays,  a recycled tee circle scarf, and a pretty felt rose ring!

Hope you found something you liked amongst these few web treasures =]

Sending many hugs your way to warm you in this cold weather,

Allyssa Marie

Things I Love

Accidentally Cute Self-Portraits

Accidental Symbolism

Afternoon Light

Animals That Pose For Pictures

Black & White Photos

Brooklyn

Decorative People

Hidden Treasures

Holes With Comfortable Socks

Honeysuckle

Morning Light

Random Architecture

Random Road Signs

Silliness

Stairs With Character

Talking Sidewalks

Unapologetic Storefronts

Vandals With A Message

Woodsy Waterfalls

**In case you were wondering, these were all photographed by me… once I get a professional camera, the quality will be much, much better =]

A Testament to the Greatness of Healthy Living

I read recently that it’s much easier and more sustainable to completely overthrow all of your unhealthy eating and exercise habits than to change one or two at a time. For example, rather than saying you will give up chocolate, or start taking the stairs all the time, it’s much better to start eating totally clean, and commit yourself to exercising at least 30 minutes a day.

I have been doing just that lately, and I gotta tell you… I’ve never felt more fantastic. My body thanks me every day.

It all started Thanksgiving week. I don’t know what it was — the happy, hopeful feeling of the holiday season? The culmination of years of striving to be healthy and ultimately failing (or at least wavering for a while)? Turning 22 and feeling more adult-like and in charge of my own life than ever before? Maybe it was all of those things. Or maybe there was no rhyme or reason to it..

I immediately jumped into taking aerobics classes, I cycle sometimes, and I weight-train 2-3 times per week. I also take a class that incorporates dance and martial arts, and I do yoga once in a while. I hop on the treadmill every day for at least 30 minutes, and I have been increasingly able to jog further and longer. It’s so exciting to watch yourself progress like that!

Of course, when I weight-train, I get really sore. When I do aerobics, sometimes I get tired. But I know that my body is more balanced these days. I feel more energized. I feel stronger, healthier, more confident and my mind is infinitely more clear.

As for my eating habits… I try to stay away from canned and packaged foods as much as possible. Tonight, I made a delicious kale, sweet potato and tomato soup, and I promise it was better than ANYTHING I’ve EVER had from a can. I’m seriously amazed at what I can do in the kitchen. And I can’t wait to share my new-found recipes with friends and family! Haha. I must sound like such a nerd.

There’s something about making my own food, too… I enjoy it so much more. I know exactly what’s in it, I put the time and effort into making sure it’s perfect, and when I taste it, there’s an extra special feeling of accomplishment that comes along with the feeling I get from the yummy foodies.

Uhm… why haven’t I been doing this all along??

Anyway, to whoever reads this — I hope you reexamine your own habits. How do you feel about what you eat? Do you give your body enough exercise? This is the one and only body you will ever have, and you must treat it with love and respect. Whether you’re 20 or 60, whether you used to run or you’ve never exercised a day in your life — you can do this. The first step is believing that you can, and believing that you DESERVE to feel fantastic in your own skin…

Much love,

Allyssa

Questions for the Anti-Choice (More Commonly Known As Pro-Life) Community

*If you don’t read the whole post, at least do yourself a favor and watch the amazing video I posted at the bottom. Totally sums up what I’m about to say in a truly impassioned, beautiful way.

**Also, I realize this is a very hot-button issue for many people. If you disagree with me — that’s fine. Just please have the decency to read through the whole article, consider my points and be respectful in the comments section!

***Warning: A slight snark attack may or may not occur in this post.

Before I start, I just want to say that when I use the word “anti-choice,” I am referencing what is popularly known as the “pro-life” position, which is against a woman’s lawful choice to receive an abortion (many times, even in cases of rape or incest) and believes women should not be able to have them. I believe that the term pro-life should not be co-opted by the anti-abortion and anti-choice movement. I mean, what person alive isn’t pro-life? I sure am.

That said, I have a few things to get off my chest. I have a few questions for the anti-choice community:

Do you consider the fact that a fetus is physically attached to a woman’s body, and therefore, is a part of it? That it is not a separate and full human being until it is actually outside the mother’s womb?

Do you consider the fact that there are millions upon millions of abandoned/hungry/poor/impoverished/abused/raped/orphaned children out there in the world? Have you considered the fact that your time might be better spent advocating on their behalf than trying to convince people what they should do with their body, their pregnancy, and the fetus growing in their body?

Do you ever call your Senator or Representative, asking that the United States taxes be raised to help support all those unwanted/uncared for children? Would you ask that taxes be raised even higher to support all the unwanted children born if abortion was not legal?

Do you advocate for better, more comprehensive sexual education for teenagers, knowing that teaching children about condoms, birth control, and any other form of contraception will prevent pregnancy, and therefore, prevent abortion?

Do you think you could get every single person on earth — or even every single person you encounter — to eat cow tongue? So have you considered the fact that there is NO way you will EVER convince everyone to be monogamous, married and/or abstinent?

Why do you only blame women? Did you ever think to get to the source? Meaning — have you ever protested all male ejaculation? Do you realize that no ejaculation = no fetus = no abortion?

Do you realize that there are some people who hold the spiritual/religious belief that a fetus does not become a baby/human being until is has taken it’s first breath? Wouldn’t that mean you were infringing upon their religious beliefs if you were to say abortion should be illegal/less available? Would you like if people forced you to believe in what they believe in?

Did you know that most fertilized eggs don’t even make it to the uterus? And many women have miscarriages? So if abortion is murder, does that make these natural bodily phenomena negligent homicide?

Did you know women have been having abortions for a long, long time? That before modern medicine, women would take abortifacient herbs which grow naturally in the environment?

If abortion were illegal, do you think all women who got abortions should go to jail for it? No, really — think about it — if you make something illegal, don’t you realize that it’s punishable by jail-time? Wouldn’t our jails be over-flowing with women? How would you feel about that?

Do you realize that it’s usually poor women who suffer the most from your anti-choice work? That rich women can afford to go anywhere and pay any price to get an abortion (and would do so even if it were illegal), while poor women cannot travel as far, and don’t have as much money?

Did you know that — contrary to popular belief — pro-choice people do not think abortion is the new pink, and pro-choice people do not celebrate and cheer about abortion being just fabulous while encouraging everyone to have one? Do you know that pro-choice people and pro-choice women realize that abortion is an excrutiatingly difficult and personal decision to make, but that it is sometimes a better and more responsible choice than bringing a child into the world that you cannot/choose not to care for?

Chances are — your mother, your best friend, you, your co-worker, your aunt, your cousin, your daughter, your banker, the woman you always run into at anti-choice rallies — have had an abortion, will have an abortion, or will at least consider having an abortion at some time in their life.

So please think twice next time politicians — or you — want to make a decision on behalf of someone else’s body, life and choices.

Please contact your representative supporting their decision on the Stupak Amendment if they voted ‘nay,’ and urging them to not support the amendment when it goes to Conference Committee if they voted ‘yea’.

Phew! And now for the best and most empowering Pro-Choice Slam Poetry you will EVER hear!

Cross-posted at Feministing

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Sit-in at Lieberman’s Office Results in 9 Arrests

Update: It has come to my attention that the video has been removed by “the user.” Very possible that Lieberman’s folks demanded the video be taken down. Sigh. Who knows. I’ll try to find another copy…

–

Details can be found at Huffington Post and GroundUpCT.

They refused to leave Lieberman’s Office until he met with them. Needless to say, he didn’t.

Below is a video documenting the event. One of my most kick-ass friends got arrested standing up for Healthcare for All. I’m so proud. Go Brit!

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Tell Facebook: Racism & Rape Jokes are NOT OK!

Important Update: I think Facebook took the group down because the link just goes to the Facebook homepage now, and I couldn’t find it when I searched for it! Victory!!! Thanks to EVERYONE who participated!!! Alas, there are other groups out there that turn rape and racism into a joke. Please comment if you have links to any more and I will definitely report them! Here are some similar groups I found: Again, turning rape and racism into a joke.

Facebook Group: “Become a fan” of “Not Getting Raped By A Huge Black Guy.”

I wish I were kidding.

I would like as many people as possible to report this group. The group is supposed to be funny, but nothing about it is funny. Not only is this page racist by implying that large black men are an instant threat to people, but it also makes a joke out of rape – which is NEVER a laughing matter.

They also use Mark Henry’s photograph to represent the group (most likely without his permission). He is a wrestler in the WWE for those who don’t know, and as far as I know, he is NOT guilty of rape.

Please send the message to all the 40,000 thoughtless followers: this type of group, the pictures, and the disgusting comments in the “Just Fans” section and “Discussion” section is NOT acceptable.

Let’s see if we can actually get Facebook to take this group down. I believe in free speech, but not when it becomes hate speech.

The report button is on the lower left-hand part of the page.

Thanks in advance to anyone who helps out!

Update: Some people are also sending letters to the WWE and Mark Henry to inform them of this terrible misuse of his photograph.

Here is the WWE contact form.

Cross-Posted at Feministing

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Twitter War: Know God vs. No God

It all started this morning when people started re-tweeting “Know God, Know Peace. No God, No Peace.” This, of course, ignited the die-hard Christians, the Atheists of the world, and many skeptics and half-believers in between.

Anywho, this quote led to two trending topics – “Know Peace” and “No God” – the latter being the TT that made it all the way to the top. Then Twitter mysteriously switched out the “No God” TT for “Know God.” They made the two inter-changable. This made a lot of people (including myself) quite angry.

Feel free to ask Twitter to restore “No God” as a TT here –> http://tinyurl.com/twitgods

It’s been fascinating to watch such a display of passion! I try to understand all sides of the God argument, but ultimately, I just can’t believe there’s a guy in the sky who created everything.

It hurts my brain to think about the size of the universe. And considering how big and old the universe is, I think we ended up here by chance. Science tends to agree.

The extent of my religion, if it can even be called that, is that we all came from the same stardust – so in a way, we’re all connected. The end.

Oh, but before I go – a hilarious clip from Religulous =]

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