29 Shocking Facts That Prove That College Education In America Is A Giant Money Making Scam

29 Shocking Facts That Prove That College Education In America Is A Giant Money Making Scam

Michael Snyder
Activist Post

College education in the United States has become a cruel joke.  We endlessly push our high school kids to invest tens of thousands of dollars and at least four years of their lives to get a college education because they won’t have any sort of a “future” without it.  So they sign up for decades of debt slavery and spend years listening to pompous windbags fill their heads with utter nonsense.  The sad truth is that most college courses are a total joke and they do very little to actually prepare those students for the real world.

I know – I attended public universities in the United States for eight years.  Most college courses are so easy that the family dog could pass them.  When they finally graduate, our young people discover that they were lied to all along.  The promised “good jobs” are not there for most of them, but the huge debts that they committed themselves to will follow them around permanently.  When you are just starting out and you are not making a lot of money, having to make payments on tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt can be absolutely crippling.  This is why I say that college education in America is a giant money making scam.

Our young people are seduced by the idea of college being a five year party that will provide an automatic ticket into the middle class, but the reality is that the only guarantee is that it is a ticket to serfdom unless you have wealthy parents that are willing to foot the bill for you.  And bankruptcy laws have been changed to make it incredibly difficult to get rid of student loan debt, so once you have signed up for student loan debt slavery you are basically faced with two choices: either you are going to pay it or you are going to die with it.

Yes, college graduates do make more money and they do have a lower unemployment rate.  But most of them are also burdened by absolutely suffocating levels of student loan debt that will haunt them for decades.

So who is really better off?

If you can get someone to pay for your college education that is great.  Because otherwise you are probably getting a rotten deal.  The following are 29 shocking facts that prove that college education in America is a giant money making scam…

#1 In 1993, the average student loan debt burden at graduation was $9,320.  Today it is $28,720.

#2 In 1989, only 9 percent of all U.S. households were paying off student loan debt.  Today, 19 percent of all U.S. households are.

#3 Young households are being hit particularly hard by student loan debt.  In America today, 40 percent of all households that are led by someone under the age of 35 are paying off student loan debt.  Back in 1989, that figure was below 20 percent.

#4 According to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, Americans owe more than a trillion dollars on their student loans.

#5 According to the Federal Reserve, the total amount of student loan debt has increased by a whopping 275 percent since 2003.

#6 Approximately 65 percent of all student loan debt is owed by those under the age of 40.

#7 The delinquency rate on student loans is currently 14 percent and it is steadily rising.

#8 The delinquency rate on student loans for students that attended a “for profit” college is an astounding 23 percent.

#9 Today, 34.9 percent of all student loan borrowers under the age of 30 are at least 90 days behind on their student loan payments.

#10 Since 1986, the cost of college tuition has risen by 498 percent.

#11 The cost of college textbooks has tripled over the past decade.

#12 The average cost of a four-year college education is projected to soar to $120,000 by the year 2015.

#13 Back in 1952, a full year of tuition at Harvard was only $600.  Today, it is over $35,000.

#14 According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, approximately 167,000 Americans currently have more than $200,000 of student loan debt.

#15 At most U.S. colleges and universities, the quality of the education that you will receive is very poor.  Just check out some numbers about the quality of college education in the United States from an article that appeared in USA Today….

- After two years in college, 45% of students showed no significant gains in learning; after four years, 36% showed little change.
- Students also spent 50% less time studying compared with students a few decades ago.
- 35% of students report spending five or fewer hours per week studying alone.
- 50% said they never took a class in a typical semester where they wrote more than 20 pages
- 32% never took a course in a typical semester where they read more than 40 pages per week.

#16 One survey found that U.S. college students spend 24% of their time sleeping, 51% of their time socializing and 7% of their time studying.

#17 Federal statistics reveal that only 36 percent of the full-time students who began college in 2001 received a bachelor’s degree within four years.

#18 27 percent of those with student loan debt said that they moved back in with their parents after college.

#19 14 percent of those with student loan debt said that they delayed marriage because of their student loans.

#20 Real earnings for young college graduates have fallen by 15 percent since the year 2000.

#21 If you think that you will be able to “beat the odds” and land the job of your dreams once you graduate from college, perhaps you should consider these numbers….

-In the United States today, approximately 365,000 cashiers have college degrees.
-In the United States today, 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees.
-In the United States today, there are more than 100,000 janitors that have college degrees.

#22 The federal government has begun docking the Social Security payments of elderly Americans that are behind on their student loan payments…
According to government data, compiled by the Treasury Department at the request of SmartMoney.com, the federal government is withholding money from a rapidly growing number of Social Security recipients who have fallen behind on federal student loans. From January through August 6, the government reduced the size of roughly 115,000 retirees’ Social Security checks on those grounds. That’s nearly double the pace of the department’s enforcement in 2011; it’s up from around 60,000 cases in all of 2007 and just 6 cases in 2000.
#23 According to a survey of 4,900 recent college graduates, more than half of them regretted choosing their major or their school.

#24 One poll found that 70% of all college graduates wish that they had spent more time preparing for the “real world” while they were still in school.

#25 48 percent of all recent college graduates have not been able to find a job in their chosen field.

#26 During 2011, 53 percent of all Americans with a bachelor’s degree under the age of 25 were either unemployed or underemployed.

#27 According to the ABA, only 56 percent of all law school graduates in 2012 were able to find a full-time job that requires a law degree.

#28 The median student loan burden for medical school students that graduated in 2012 was $170,000.

#29 Close to half of all recent college graduates are working in jobs that do not even require a college degree.

When you are overwhelmed by nightmarish student loan debt that you can never get away from, it can literally take over your life.  A recent Businessweek article shared some real life examples of this…
If student loans are good debt, how do you account for the reaction of Christina Mills, 30, of Minneapolis, when she found out her payment on college and law school loans would be $1,400 a month? “I just went into the car and started sobbing,” says Mills, who works for a nonprofit. “It was more than my paycheck at the time.” Medical student Thomas Smith, 25, of Hamilton, N.J., is $310,000 in debt and is struggling to make ends meet even before beginning to repay his loans. “I don’t even know what I eat,” he says. “I just go to the supermarket and buy the cheapest thing I can and buy as much of it as I can.” Then there’s Michael DiPietro, 25, of Brooklyn, who accumulated about $100,000 in debt while getting a bachelor’s degree in fashion, sculpture, and performance, and spent the next two years waiting tables. He has since landed a fundraising job in the arts but still has no idea how he will pay back all that money. “I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s an obsolete idea that a college education is like your golden ticket,” DiPietro says.
What about you?

Do you have student loan debt or do you know someone who does?

25 Things That You Should Do To Get Prepared For The Coming Economic Collapse

25 Things That You Should Do To Get Prepared For The Coming Economic Collapse

By Michael, on April 8th, 2013    

Do you think that you know how to prepare for the collapse of the economy?  If so, are you putting that knowledge into action?  In America today, people are more concerned about the possibility of an economic collapse than ever before.  It has been estimated that there are now three million preppers in the United States.  But the truth that nobody really knows the actual number, because a lot of preppers keep their "prepping" to themselves.  So what are all of those people preparing for exactly?  Well, survey after survey has shown that "economic collapse" is the number one potential disaster that preppers are most concerned about.  Of course that shouldn't be surprising because we truly are facing economic problems that are absolutely unprecedented.  We are living in the greatest debt bubble in the history of the world, the global banking system has been transformed into a high-risk pyramid scheme of debt, risk and leverage that could collapse at any time, and wealthy countries such as the United States have been living way above their means for decades.  Meanwhile, the United States is being deindustrialized at a blinding pace and poverty in this country is absolutely exploding.  Anyone that is not concerned about the economy should have their head examined.  Fortunately, I have found that an increasing number of Americans are becoming convinced that we are heading for a horrific economic crisis.  Once they come to that realization, they want to know what they should do.

And the reality is that "getting prepared" is going to look different for each family based on their own unique circumstances.  Some people have a lot of resources, while others have very little.  Some people are very independent of the system and can move wherever they want, while others are totally dependent on their jobs and must stay near the cities at least for now.

In addition, it is important to distinguish between the "short-term" and the "long-term" when talking about economic collapse.  As I have written about previously, our economic collapse is not going to happen all at once.  It is going to unfold over time.  In the "short-term", many are moving money around and are building up "emergency funds" to prepare for the next recession.  For the "long-term", many are storing up food and huge stockpiles of survival supplies in order to be prepared for the total collapse of society.  Both approaches are wise, but it is important to keep in mind that different approaches will be needed at different times.

The strategies posted below are a mix of both short-term and long-term strategies.  Some will be important for our immediate future, while others may not be needed for a number of years.  But in the end, you will be very thankful for the time and the effort that you spent getting prepared while you still could.

The following are 25 things that you should do to get prepared for the coming economic collapse...

#1 An Emergency Fund

Do you remember what happened when the financial system almost collapsed back in 2008?  Millions of Americans suddenly lost their jobs, and because many of them were living paycheck to paycheck, many of them also got behind on their mortgages and lost their homes.  You don't want to lose everything that you have worked for during this next major economic downturn.  It is imperative that you have an emergency fund.  It should be enough to cover all of your expenses for at least six months, but I would encourage you to have an emergency fund that is even larger than that.

#2 Don't Put All Of Your Eggs Into One Basket

If the wealth confiscation in Cyprus has taught us anything, it is that we should not put all of our eggs in one basket.  If all of your money is in one single bank account, it would be easy to wipe out.  But if you have your money scattered around a number of different places it will give you a little bit more security.

#3 Keep Some Cash At Home

This goes along with the previous point.  While it is not wise to keep all of your money at home, you do want to keep some cash on hand.  If there is an extended bank holiday or if a giant burst from the sun causes the ATM machines to go down, you want to be able to have enough cash to buy the things that your family needs.  Just ask the people of Cyprus how crippling a bank holiday can be.  One way to keep your cash secure at home is by storing it in a concealed safe.

#4 Get Out Of Debt

A lot of people seem to assume that an economic collapse would wipe out all debts, but that will probably not be the case.  In fact, if you are in a tremendous amount of debt you will be very vulnerable if the economy collapses and you are not able to find a job.  Just ask the people who were overextended and lost their jobs during the last recession.  So please get out of debt.  Many debt collectors are becoming increasingly ruthless.  In many areas of the country they are now routinely putting debtors into prison.  You do not want to be a slave to debt when the next wave of the economic collapse strikes.

#5 Gold And Silver

In the long-term, the U.S. dollar is going to lose a tremendous amount of value and inflation is going to absolutely skyrocket.  That is one reason why so many people are investing very heavily in gold, silver and other precious metals.  All over the globe, the central banks of the world are recklessly printing money.  Everyone knows that this is going to end very badly.  In fact, there is already a push in more than a dozen U.S. states to allow gold and silver coins to be used as legal tender.  Someday you will be glad that you invested in gold and silver now while their prices were still low.

#6 Reduce Your Expenses

A lot of people claim that they can't put any money toward prepping, but the truth is that we all have room to reduce our expenses.  We all spend money on things that we do not really need.  Those that are "lean and mean" will tend to do much better during the times that are coming.

#7 Start A Side Business

If you do not have much money, a great way to increase your income is by starting a side business.  And it does not take a lot of money - there are many side businesses that you can start for next to nothing.  And starting a side business will allow you to become less dependent on your job.  In this economic environment, a job could disappear at literally any time.

#8 Move Away From The Big Cities If Possible

For many people, this is simply not possible.  Many Americans are still completely and totally dependent on their jobs.  But if you are able, now is a good time to move away from the big cities.  When the next major economic downturn strikes, there will be rioting and a dramatic rise in crime in the major cities.  If you are able to move to a more rural area you will probably be in much better shape.

#9 Store Food

Global food reserves have reached their lowest level in nearly 40 years.  As the economy gets even worse and global weather patterns become even more unstable, the price of food will go much higher and global food supplies will become much tighter.  In the long run, you will be glad for the money that you put into long-term food storage now.

#10 Learn To Grow Your Own Food

This is a skill that most Americans possessed in the past, but that most Americans today have forgotten.  Growing your own food is a way to become more independent of the system, and it is a way to get prepared for what is ahead.

#11 Nobody Can Survive Without Water

Without water, you would not even make it a few days in an emergency situation.  It is imperative that you have a plan to provide clean drinking water for your family when disaster strikes.

#12 Have A Plan For When The Grid Goes Down

What would you do if the grid went down and you suddenly did not have power for an extended period of time?  Anyone that has spent more than a few hours without power knows how frustrating this can be.  You need to have a plan for how you are going to provide power to your home that is independent of the power company.

#13 Have Blankets And Warm Clothing On Hand

This is more for emergency situations or for a complete meltdown of society.  During any major crisis, blankets and warm clothing are in great demand.  They also could potentially make great barter items.

#14 Store Personal Hygiene Supplies

A lot of preppers store up huge amounts of food, but they forget all about personal hygiene supplies.  During a long crisis, these are items that you would greatly miss if you do not have them stored up.  These types of supplies would also be great for barter.

#15 Store Medicine And Medical Supplies

You will also want to store up medical supplies and any medicine that you may need.  In an emergency situation, you definitely would not want to be without bandages and a first-aid kit.  Over the course of a long crisis, you do not want to run out of any medicines that are critical for your health.

#16 Stock Up On Vitamins

A lot of preppers do not think about this either, but it is very important.  These days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get adequate nutrition from the foods that we eat.  That is why it is very important to have an adequate store of vitamins and other supplements.

#17 Make A List Of Other Supplies That You Will Need

During any crisis, there will be a lot of other things that you will need in addition to food and water.  The following are just a few basic things that it would be wise to have on hand...

- an axe

- a can opener

- flashlights

- battery-powered radio

- extra batteries

- lighters or matches

- fire extinguisher

- sewing kit

- tools

This list could be much, much longer, but hopefully this will get you started.

#18 Don't Forget The Special Needs Of Your Babies And Your Pets

Young children and pets have special needs.  As you store supplies, don't forget about the things that they will need as well.

#19 Entertainment

This may sound trivial, but the truth is that our entertainment-addicted society would become very bored and very frustrated if the grid suddenly went down for an extended period of time.  Card games and other basic forms of entertainment can make enduring a crisis much easier.

#20 Self-Defense

In the years ahead, being able to defend your home and your family is going to become increasingly important.  When the economy crashes, people are going to start to become very desperate.  And desperate people do desperate things.

#21 Get Your Ammunition While You Still Can

Your firearms will not do you much good if you do not have ammunition for them.  Already there are widespread reports of huge ammunition shortages.  The following is from a recent CNS News article...

"The run on ammunition has manufacturers scrambling to accommodate demand and reassure customers, as many new and seasoned gun owners stock up over fears of new firearms regulations at both the state and federal levels."

Don't just assume that you will always be able to purchase large amounts of ammunition whenever you want.  Get it now while you still can.

#22 If You Have To Go...

Have a plan for what you and your family will do if you are forced to leave your home.  If you do have to go, the following are some items that you will want to have on hand...

- a map of the area

- a compass

- backpacks for every member of the family

- sleeping bags

- warm clothing

- comfortable shoes or hiking boots

#23 Community

One of the most important assets in any crisis situation is community.  If you have friends or neighbors that you can depend upon, that is invaluable.  The time spent building those bonds now will pay off greatly during a major crisis.

#24 Have A Back-Up Plan And Be Flexible

Mike Tyson once said the following...

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

No plan ever unfolds perfectly.  When your plan is disrupted, what will you do?

It will be imperative for all of us to have a back-up plan and to be flexible during the years ahead.

#25 Keep Your Prepping To Yourself

Do not go around and tell everyone in the area where you live about your prepping.  If you do, then you may find yourself overwhelmed with "visitors" when everything falls apart.

And please do not go on television and brag about your prepping to a national audience.

Prepping is something that you want to keep to yourself, unless you want hordes of desperate people banging on your door in the future.

For much more on prepping, please check out some of my previous articles...

- "Should You Move To Another Country To Escape The Collapse Of America? 10 Questions To Ask Yourself First"

- "14 Questions People Ask About How To Prepare For The Collapse Of The Economy"

- "Rise Of The Preppers: 50 Of The Best Prepper Websites And Blogs On The Internet"

- "120 Powerful Pieces Of Advice For Preppers"

Sadly, most Americans still have blind faith that our "leaders" actually know what they are doing and will be able to fix things.

Most Americans still are convinced that everything is going to be just fine.

And of course the mainstream media does all they can to reinforce faith in the system.  Day after day, we see mindless news headlines such as this: "Californians Champing at the Bit Over Powerball Debut".

But if you are reading this article that means that you are probably much more awake than the average American is.

Please get prepared while you still can.

A great storm is coming, and time is quickly running out.

The Three Phases of Hair Growth

The Hair Growth Phases

Q: I've been trying to grow my hair out for a long, long time. I get it trimmed regularly to keep it healthy and remove split ends, but it seems like I've reached a "dead end" as far as gaining any more length. Am I doing something wrong, or do I just need to keep letting it go (and letting it grow)?

A: The maximum length to which you can grow your hair is basically a matter of genetics. Some people can grow thick, lustrous tresses that tickle their toes (like 70's country music star, Crystal Gayle), while still others find that getting their hair to grow past their shoulders is a Herculean task.

       Human hair cycles through three stages:

       The anagen phase, or growth phase, is when all new hair growth occurs. During the anagen phase, hair grows at its normal rate (an average of one-half inch per month), and 90% of the hairs on your head will be in the anagen phase at any given time. Each specific hair can be in the anagen phase for an average of three to five years, but it can last as long as ten years in some cases.

       The catagen phase, a transitional phase that follows the anagen phase, signaling the end of the growth phase. During the catagen phase, the hair follicle contracts and detaches from the dermal papilla (where it gets its nutrients). The hair bulb disappears and the root end of the hair forms a rounded club. Less than 1% of the hair will be in the catagen phase at any given time, and this phase usually lasts one to two weeks.

       The telogen phase is also known as the resting phase and is the last phase in the hair's growth cycle. The telogen phase lasts until the fully grown hair is shed. Hair that is in the telogen phase is usually shed during this phase, or after the start of the next anagen phase when it gets pushed out of the follicle.

       10% of the hair of your head will be in the telogen phase, which can last from three to six months, usually. Once the telogen phase ends, the anagen phase of that follicle begins again. The whole cycle of hair growth - all three stages - repeat on an average of every four to five years.

       This means that if your hair averages a four-year anagen phase, and you have your hair trimmed one-half inch every three months, you can expect your hair to grow four inches each year, or a total of sixteen inches before it reaches the catagen phase. The hair can appear considerably shorter if it has more than a minimum of wave or curl. Your head size, shape and your height all can make your hair appear shorter by comparison to someone else whose hair length measures identical to your own.

       If you've been trying to grow your hair out for more than five years, you may have to consider that your hair just isn't predisposed to grow as long as you'd hoped. Otherwise, be patient for a while longer, and see if you can't get a few inches more.

The Truth Behind The Food Industry Overall

The Truth and History of Food Labels

WARNING: Be prepared for a completely different outlook on food. Do not read any further unless you are ready to understand the truth about our food industry and a failed effort to protect your nutrition. Consider these questions as you read the article: 1. Is the mainstream food industry concerned at all about your health? 2. Is the FDA effectively protecting our health? 3. Is it simply ironic that the longer you eat poor quality foods, the sicker you get, and the sicker you get, the more prescription drugs are prescribed? The history of food labels is a very important history to understand. American's have been conditioned to read food labels as a way to make better choices in nutrition. While this is somewhat plausible, it is dangerously misleading and often completely false. Let's first look at the incredible world that thrives around us in natural perfection. Is there any other animal in the world required to study its food or count numbers before deciding what to eat? NO. Did we as humans have to study our foods or count calories, fat, or carbs before the 1900's? NO. So what happened? Most of us just assume that our advanced society has perfected the understanding of nutrition and that food labels are simply there to help us follow a nutritional map. Sadly, this assumption is very wrong and very dangerous. Second, let's think about the completely flawed application of Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA). The concept of RDA's is a good thing. Unfortunately, the RDA's found on food labels have little meaning for the consumer. The flaw exists when people believe these RDA's are applicable to themselves. Consider the vastly different nutritional needs between a 4'11", 95 lb., 90 yr old woman versus a 6'4", 240 lb., NFL football player. Are we supposed to believe that both of them would need similar amounts of calories, fat grams, carbohydrates, or any other nutrients? No. In fact, not only do the amounts of nutrients differ greatly from person to person, but so do the types of nutrients. We are all uniquely different, and we all require a diet that only our own body understands. Lastly, why is it that every food in your grocery store is now required to have a food label with nutrition facts and ingredients except fresh fruits and vegetables? Because even the government knows that what nature produced remains perfect. However, if man created it, it is guaranteed to be nutritionally flawed and all too often dangerous. The history of food labels is actually a sad story to understand. Surprisingly, the government's own FDA website clearly explains its own history and failures. The FDA's original intentions were truly good in nature. As processed foods and deceptive labeling began to appear at the turn of the century, the government was smart enough to realize that man was willing to poison for profit. This same scenario was beginning to exist with false and dangerous drugs, or "snake oils", as well. Thus, the FDA was originally created to protect American's from lesser quality foods and dangerous drugs. The very first government bill passed to protect us from inferior foods was called the "U.S. Pure Food and Drugs Act". Notice the well intentioned reference to PURE foods. Over time, these good intentions were forced astray due to the financial greed of an ever growing food and drug industry. It was the food industry that first began to pressure the FDA with every means possible including politics, lengthy court battles, and expensive law suits. After 100 years of continued decline, we are now left with a massive food industry that has perfected the art of producing cheap, artificial foods designed solely for profit with very little protection or oversight to our health and nutrition. The saddest part in this story regards our population itself. We also share the blame, because if we did not eat it, no one would make it. In an ironic twist, it was one of America's favorite foods that dictated much of the industry's demise: The good old Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. This is a very interesting story! Please take the time to come back and read this very important and fascinating research article taken from the FDA's archives. Click Here to read the FDA's article on food regulation. After reading this, you will see where our current food labeling laws are a far cry from the original goal of ensuring "PURE" foods. The current disfunctional standards play on words by stating they follow a "nutritional" food labeling approach that specifies the "competitive components valued by consumers". What? That doesn't sound very health oriented! In other words, we'll just show the typical make-up of Fat, Calories, Sugar, Carbohydrates, etc., and then just make sure all the chemicals, preservatives, and artificial ingredients are listed for the consumer to read. In short, the FDA has washed its hands of ensuring the true quality, or PUREness, of food. Instead, they expect that every consumer will make healthy decisions from the information provided. This approach completely ignores the real quality of food and does very little to protect our nutritional needs. For example, which would be a better choice? 50 sugar calories from a bag of white sugar, or 50 sugar calories from a fresh apple? Food labeling requirements would say these two foods are "nutritionally" equal: 50 sugar calories = 50 sugar calories, Right? Wrong! Here's another example: Only in today's world is it possible to mislead the public by lowering the fat content of a product while also increasing the sugar and carb content and placing a giant label on the package that reads "REDUCED FAT!". This "Reduced Fat" product is now possibly even less healthy and more dangerous than its original formula, but the advertising and labeling leads you to believe it is a healthier choice. Let's revisit those three questions at the first of this article. I would like to provide some food for thought to these questions, but I encourage you to research your own conclusions. 1. Is the mainstream food industry concerned at all about your health? Here is just one of many examples to consider. In the mid 1950's Ocean Spray decided to find a cheaper way to produce their top selling cranberry juice. What was their main goal? To "create" the same taste but with less real juice. Using real cranberry juice was too expensive which in turn ate away at potentially higher profits. What did they create? High Fructose Corn Syrup, perhaps one of the worst food sweeteners ever created. Today, High Fructose Corn Syrup is in tens of thousands of products some of which would surprise you. 2. Is the FDA effectively protecting our health? Did you know that the FDA cannot legally order the recall of any foods except infant formula? They can only request a company to voluntarily remove their potentially dangerous product. Usually, companies will comply, but sometimes they don't! Otherwise, a court battle ensues while the food or food product may continue to be sold. 3. Is it simply ironic that the longer you eat poor quality foods, the sicker you get, and the sicker you get, the more prescription drugs are prescribed? I ask this question simply to invoke thought. I personally find it interesting and maybe a little scary that the same agency responsible for monitoring drugs is also responsible for the quailty of our food, the Food and Drug Agency. FOOD and DRUG Agency...a mighty strange combination of responsibilities when you stop and think about it. On the following page are some recent examples of where the food industry continues to push boundaries in food labeling. Your health is never the true concern of our mainstream food producing industry. Unfortunately, it is only the so called "alternative" food stores and suppliers that maintain a conscience in their products. Click Here for News Articles about Food. The following excerpts are from these articles: "There is no question that one of the reasons why the FDA may be so lax in its enforcement is pressure from the food companies or other special interests," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. "Food manufacturers say their labels are within federal guidelines" "People want to eat better, but the food industry is just delivering a lot of hype, not the real thing," said CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade. "You have to be a lawyer or a scientist," Jacobson says. "You really have to read labels very closely, and the average person has a lot of other things on his or her mind." Just remember that these examples only represent what the FDA catches and acts upon, and that these are violations of standards that have already been manipulated over time to provide little true nutritional oversight. People often ask me, "How do I know what to eat if we can't trust our food labels?". The answer is simple, but some people find it a hard truth to swallow..literally. The answer is WHOLE FOODS. Go back to the foods that God and Nature created for us, and steer away from the foods that man has 'engineered' for profit. So how do you get started? I am always glad to recommend The Wholefood Farmacy: "A Grocery Store with a Conscience". (www.WholeFoodInternet.com)This company offers an increidble gateway for people needing to learn and experience what PURE food was meant to be, and with the added benefit of delicious convenience. Their 13-Day Tri-Decathlon is what changed my life and my understanding of food forever! The Real Truth Behind Processed Foods Decisions that we make when it comes to food and nutrition can often be very emotional.  It’s emotional in the sense that people have strong opinions one way or the other on a given topic when it comes to food choices.  And for good reason – food is literally the fuel that keeps us alive.  In my practice, many tell me that they avoid processed foods, and avoid giving them to their children.  This is one of many topics in nutrition that I challenge you to think more critically about because not all topics are as cut and dry as they seem.  And our emotions can keep us from thinking logically on a subject. I heard Mario Ferruzzi, PhD and food researcher from Purdue University speak about this subject at a food conference recently.   He systematically explained food processing in the United States, and it was so informative.  I wanted to share it with you here. What is food processing? Food processing is a set of methods and techniques used to transform raw commodities and ingredients into finished food products for human consumption.    That definition basically tells us that everything we eat is processed.  Unless you are picking food right out of the field and putting it in your mouth, you are eating processed foods! Why do we process foods? Food Safety.  We want food to be safe from high bacteria levels that would cause us to get sick.  There are many ways that food is processed in order to make it safe for people.  One example is thermal processing like infrared heating, blanching and pasteurization.  Thermal processing can degrade heat sensitive vitamins, but it can also help preserve and aid in the bioavailability in others. Another way is through non-thermal processing like fermentation, freezing or using ultraviolet light  In the formulation of products, they might add antibacterial components to the foods to ensure a safe product. Food Quailty and Shelf-Life. We want our food to look and taste palatable, and we want those foods to hold their nutritional components.  The food industry will add things like flavors, chelators (slows the degradation), buffers (controls the pH) and antioxidants to processed foods to ensure that over time those products will maintain a high quality look, feel and taste. Product Conversion Foods need to be processed into something that most consumers will actually eat.  That means you need to make sure the food looks good and edible.  In the case of produce items, the processing begins at harvest.  The farmers must harvest the crop and transport it to a plant where it can be properly washed, cut and then packaged for transport.   Even organic, free-range meats must be processed for human consumption.  You are getting the idea of product conversion here. The government conducts regular studies on the nutrition status of Americans, and they make nutritional modifications to the food supply in cases where nutrients are chronically low.  An example would be the addition of iodine to salt in the 1920’s to address the issues of goiter.  Another example is the fortification of iron and folate in flour, bread and ready-to-eat cereals.  The addition of nutrients would also be a form of processing.  Salts and sweeteners Salt is added to food for a variety of reason.  One major reason is because salt is a flavor enhancer.  Another reason is that it helps preserve a product by lowering the water activity and keep bacteria growth low.  Salt also helps maintain elasticity in products such as dough. Sugar is also a flavor enhancer.  But sugar is also widely used as a bulking agent, so if you remove sugar from a product, something else must be put in its place.  Sugar also helps control the moisture and structure of a food product. As you can see, salt and sugar provide more than just flavor enhancers.  There are structural and antibacterial functions as well.  But either way, eating too many foods with added salts and sweeteners can negatively impact your health. Fats Many products use added fats to increase not only flavor, but also shelf life.  Partially hydrogenated fats, or trans fats, are often used to processed foods to increase their ability to sit in your pantry without molding.  Trans fats have been shown to increase cholesterol and contribute to heart disease.  We certainly want to minimize foods with added fats, particularly trans fats. There are varying levels to processing of foods.  Here it is broken down:                                               LEVEL ONE/MINIMALLY PROCESSED FOODS Minimally processed foods – like bagged spinach, cut vegetables and roasted nuts -- are often simply pre-prepped for convenience.  LEVEL TWO PROCESSING Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and freshness include canned beans, tomatoes, frozen fruit and vegetables, and canned tuna. LEVEL THREE PROCESSING Foods with ingredients added for flavor and texture (sweeteners, spices, oils, colors and preservatives) include jarred pasta sauce, salad dressing, yogurt and cake mixes. LEVEL FOUR PROCESSING Ready-to-eat foods, like crackers, granola, and deli meats.  LEVEL FIVE PROCESSING/MOST PROCESSED The most heavily processed foods often are frozen or pre-made meals like frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners. The Bottom Line You cannot say that all food processing is bad because everything we eat is “processed” in some form or another.  We do want to encourage the consumption of foods in their most wholesome form when possible.   On the level scheme provided above, eat mostly from the lowered numbered levels and choose foods without added salts and sugars.

African Fashion Dresses Pt. 3

The Truth About Natural and Organic Products

The Truth About Natural and Organic Products

via NaturallyCurly.com by Karen Mcintosh;

The average woman applies up to 200 chemicals to her skin every day through cosmetics, lotions and hair-care products. Yet few question the reality behind the marketing promise on our favorite bottle or jar of cosmetic, hair or skin product. After all, they come from reputable companies, are bought by millions of women around the world, and their ads demonstrate how beautiful we can be if we use them regularly. What’s not to trust?

Standards for Natural and Organic Beauty Products
You can buy cosmetics labeled natural and organic in supermarkets, drugstores, warehouse stores, online and in salons. But cosmetics are among the least-regulated products on the market, and products that are labeled organic or natural might not actually be. Major loopholes in federal law allow companies to use nearly any ingredient in beauty products—even chemicals that are known to harm human health and the environment.

The FDA does not review or regulate what goes into cosmetics before they are marketed to salons and consumers. It bans or restricts only 11 chemicals from cosmetic products compared to the 1,100 chemicals the European Union Cosmetics Directive bans from cosmetics.

But there are companies who care about the interests and safety of consumers, salon professionals and the environment.

Planet, People and Product

Nature is a cycle—of caring, taking and giving back—and producers of natural and organic beauty products share a deep respect for it. They join forces with nature, using its resources while sustaining them. They respect biodiversity, form long-term relationships with the people who actually cultivate the plants. And they follow fair trade practices.

Products with natural ingredients perform better without harmful chemical ingredients that enter the bloodstream by being absorbed through the skin. They also contain fewer irritants and allergens, and are earth friendly causing little to no negative impact on the environment.

Sales of natural and organic beauty products reached $7 billion in 2008 and accounted for $1 billion of growth in the cosmetic market. Sensing a tipping point, smart and responsible companies voluntarily began making safer products and adopted the triple bottom line of not just profit, but also planet and people. The ranks of companies who are adopting these practices are slowly growing with the support of organizations like NATRUE.

NATRUE – True Friends of Natural and Organic Cosmetics

A non-profit organization based in Brussels, NATRUE helps manufacturers maintain standards for natural and organic cosmetics (and their ingredients) by promoting industry-standard, global certifications for the usage of natural and organic beauty products.

Founded in 2007, NATRUE now represents two-thirds of the European natural and cosmetics market. Brands like Weleda, Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, Kneipp, Logona and Lavera are NATRUE certified. Burts Bees is the first U.S. manufacturer to join.

Drawing a Line Between Conventional and Natural Cosmetics

Most cosmetics are full of synthetic ingredients that NATRUE doesn’t think are necessary. Their globally recognized certification label tells you which products you can trust by guaranteeing that a product is as natural as it can be. The NATRUE label means the organic and natural product actually contains certifiable ingredients.

To bear the NATRUE label, a product must have natural and organic ingredients and use soft manufacturing and environmentally friendly practices. NATRUE certified products do not contain synthetic fragrances and colors, petroleum derived products (paraffins, PEG-, propyle-, alkyle-, etc.), silicone oils and derivatives, or genetically modified ingredients. Furthermore, ingredients and products must not have been tested on animals. NATRUE certifies both products and raw materials, and maintains a raw materials database for products that bear their label.

The NATRUE label has three certification levels starting with the Natural Cosmetics certification. It sets a high base standard that must be attained before a product can qualify for the other two levels. The NATRUE certification process is transparent, independently managed and all certification criteria and information is available at their website.

Consumers and Salon Professionals Benefit

The NATRUE label allows consumers to avoid potentially harmful chemicals in the beauty products they use every day. Stylists can provide customers with safe, effective, non-toxic products and protect customers and employees alike from exposure to harmful chemical ingredients. They can also encourage manufacturers of brands they carry to clarify how they define their natural and organic beauty products.