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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:38 pm
by skydog
Great !!! Remember the soil you use is the most important element. Start with good dirt. Compost too supplement your soil. Mix in a good fine mineral sand like what you can get from a rock crushing plant. They will probably give you what you need free. It is usually a reject sand and cheep... Funny hunting story. Last year we were having a robin problem. A big male was gorging on our blueberries. After my wife had heard enough of my complaints she decided to take out the robin. I saw her in the garden with the bb gun ready to shoot. I sprang into action. Don't shoot you have never killed anything in your life. You will feel awful. She wont even fish for fear of hurting their lips. So now the great white hunter me shoots the poor bird. My father always had a rule. You shoot it you eat it. Well as we were feasting on fresh robin breast and eggs we looked out to the garden. Robins were coming in from all directions. Apparently the big male now on my plate had been keeping the rest out of the garden. They are very territorial. Now looking for a new guard bird for this season... Peace Mark

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:08 pm
by jimmylegs
omg i had no idea robins were like that LOL! i shot a robin once by accident, it DOES feel awful. i was a kid and had been set to defend the cherry tree. in suburbia. i have a weird family. anyway, that was the end of my shooting live things career.

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:03 am
by Abe
DIM wrote:I read recently a research that says omega-3 from fresh fish are by far more effective than omega-3 from supplements so it's necessary to eat at least 3-4 times/week fish even if you take daily omega-3 caps.
Hi DIM,

I would be very interested to read this paper. Please share it if possible.

Also what is your opinion on flax seed oil? I am undecided if it is a good product. I like the idea of no mercury and I enjoy the taste. However I have been told that it is a less available form of omega 3 for the body.

Also, in the UK flax seed oil is not stored in a refrigerated section of the health food shop. Do you think this may cause oxidation and therefore damage to the product?

Your thoughts please!

Thanks, Abe

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:10 am
by patientx
omg i had no idea robins were like that LOL! i shot a robin once by accident, it DOES feel awful. i was a kid and had been set to defend the cherry tree. in suburbia
JL,

Maybe you should change your user name to Dirty Harry.

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:57 pm
by skydog
Just when you think your doing right someone throws you a curve ball. I stopped supplementing almost a year ago. Since I have never been that much of a fan of taking them anyway most were outdated. I truly believe in getting of your vitamins and minerals from what you eat first. Supplement only when deficiency is a problem. So yesterday I purchased all new plus some that I have not taken before. Thought I might add the ones that I may deficient in. Now today after hearing on the Dr. Mercola site. Watch out for magnesium stearate a flow agent used in production of many supplements. I check the ingredients. He got it right. Over 90% of what I had bought had this on the list of ingredients. I could rant but what good would that do ? So back to educating myself on where and what to purchase. Here is the first site I came to on this matter. http://www.qnlabs.com/warning.php
Check your vitamin labels. Do they contain Magnesium Stearate or Stearic Acid? Studies by the University of Texas Health Science Center and the East Carolina University School of Medicine reveal that these toxic excipients cause a rapid collapse of T-cell membrane function and cell death; therefore suppressing the immune system. (Immunology, 1990, Jul.)
It is estimated that 90% of the vitamin and mineral products consumed today contain stearates. Stearates are used as binders in tablets and in the processing of gelatin capsules. Consumers often take handfuls of capsules and tablets to get vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients from supplements that contain stearates, and instead, in reality, get a powerful immune suppressive treatment.
For more information on this topic and copies of the above-quoted studies as well as other studies and warnings concerning stearates, contact us at

Pasted from <http://www.qnlabs.com/warning.php>


Probably old news to most of you savvy nutritional gurus. Back to the garden for now !!! Just a little frustrated Mark

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:10 pm
by jimmylegs
lol px!

skydog - frustrating.

the binders in pills do suck but i didn't really know anything specific about them. we had a family friend growing up that was allergic to everything including pills with binders so the idea kind of stayed with me. i do fair bit of liquids, or powders in gelcaps.

that said, i haven't tried super hard to find say zinc powder, although i'm sure it's possible.. so my zinc which comes in a solid tablet does have veg mag stearate.

you are right in a perfect world food is the best way, but even that is subject to pollution and depleted soil nutrients.. all we can do is eat and drink well, keep an eye on our levels and try to find the best supplements when the situation warrants.

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:41 pm
by skydog
I have created my almost perfect world. Biodynamic garden, fish from clean north pacific waters, shellfish from one of most pristine estuary's in the world, a beautiful wife and a faithful old hound dog. Its when I go outside this perfect world things seem to go hen house on me. I guess we press on and do the best we can with what were given. I will see which of the sups I can get without the added extras and live with the rest for now. Time to just breath and relax a bit. back to center... Thanks for the support. Mark

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:32 am
by jimmylegs
you hippie. i miss the west coast lol!

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:16 am
by skydog
Part red neck and part hippie. Yep that's me at the end of that gravel road. Loving every minute of it. Here is a link to a cool video that will show what can be done even in the city.
<shortened url>
Let me know what ya think Peace Mark

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:31 am
by cheerleader
Hey Mark...
don't freak out of the stearic acid added to supplements. It's a waxy animal/vegetable fat, used for binding and stabilizing, and the amount found in supplements is minimal. It's not an immune dampening agent....don't know why mercola would say that. In such small doses it's relatively benign. You'd get more eating a chocolate bar.

I'll have to watch your video later...off to the gym, but wanted to tell you not to worry about your new supps. BTW, we'll never get it perfect on this planet, but the northern oregon coast is as close as you're gonna get.

And Jimmy, you are an official westcoast girl....you'd fit right in!
AC

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:46 am
by patientx
skydog:

I think you wrote that you have PPMS. Do you find it difficult to do your gardening? Also, I think you wrote somewhere that you have your own oyster pond. Conceivably, could you do the same thing with shrimp?

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:57 am
by cheerleader
Great youtube vid. on the farm/victory garden movement in Pasadena, Mark. We live about 40 miles from them. I've got a brown thumb, so we belong to a co-op with other neighbor families, we purchase our produce from a local family-owned organic farm. Everything in season...mmmm. lots of great greens, squash and tomatoes now.

I LOVE that Michelle Obama was out planting a garden with local school kids, and that Alice Waters is finally seeing her vision for the White House come to fruition. Times are changin'!

more on stearic acid for you, Mark-
Stearic acid is a naturally occurring fat that is present in all of our bodies. Some nutritional supplement manufacturers, however, would like you to believe that stearic acid (or its salt, magnesium stearate) is a bad thing. They've focused on one small ingredient and created widespread misconceptions about its use and its effects on health. Most formulations—whether in tablet or capsule form—require some added ingredients to assist in manufacture. A manufacturer of high quality nutritional supplements will ensure that excipients, binders, or dilutents are derived from natural sources.

Stearic acid, for example, may be of a vegetable origin. Stearic acid enables providers to manufacture tablets of uniform size, weight, texture, and shape that help to ensure a pure, safe, and effective product. Both the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) recommend the use of stearic acid and magnesium stearate in the production of high quality nutritional and pharmaceutical products. According to Vitkova and Chalabala, "Magnesium stearate is the lubricant of choice in the production, found in up to 80% of all industrially produced tablets."1 It is important to note that the levels of stearic acid found in Metagenics products are very low—much lower than the levels used in human studies surrounding stearic acid.

Your question regarding magnesium stearate and immune dysfunction comes up a lot. While stearic acid is not considered a "beneficial" fat (such as those found in cold-water fish and flaxseed), it has not been shown to contribute to immune dysfunction in humans. In fact, most research documents just the opposite effect:

1. Stearic acid is a normal constituent of the body and immune system, including lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and red blood cells.
"Lecithin of leukemic lymphocytes contained more palmitinic acid and oleic acid and a lower level of stearic acid than the same fraction in normal lymphocytes."

Bleiber R, Kunze D, Reichmann G, et al. Leukocyte lipids in mature cell leukemia. Acta Haematol 1976;55(2):81-88.

"The fatty acid compositions of 1,2-diacylglycerol and polyphosphoinositides have been determined in human erythrocyte membranes [red blood cells]…it appears that these plasma-membrane polyphosphoinositides and their derived diacylglycerols are rich in stearic acid and arachidonic acid."

Allan D, Cockcroft S. The fatty acid composition of 1,2-diacylglycerol and polyphosphoinositides from human erythrocyte membranes. Biochem J 1983;213(2):555-57.

2. Stearic acid seems to activate components of the immune system (i.e., neutrophils) instead of suppress it.

"…the polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid, the triglycerides tricaproin, tricaprylin, and trilaurin as well as the fatty acids lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid all induced oxygen radical production in neutrophils…"

Wanten GJ, Janssen FP, Naber AH. Saturated triglycerides and fatty acids activate neutrophils depending on carbon chain-length. Eur J Clin Invest 2002;32(4):285-89.

Vitkova M, Chalabala M. The use of some hydrophobic substances in tablet technology. Acta Pharm Hung 1998;68(6):336-44.
http://www.metagenics.com/products/gene ... asp?sect=2

AC

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:33 pm
by skydog
Once again thanks !!! You guys are great. I know that I was probably overreacting to Dr. M's talk on magnesium sterate. He does bring up a lot of great info. Pays to be safe with so much stuff out there that just plain is not good. I still prefer to get as much from my food first and sup second. With that in mind I will make it a point to research some great foods that supply much of what we all need and post my findings. The source is key. Know your grower shop local and stay as close to organic as you can.

I am glad you liked the video homegrown revolution. Cool that their so close. That good old California sunshine makes for some awesome gardening. Sorry about your brown thumb Cheer. Mine has always been green. Grew up Gardening. I come from a family of avid gardeners and farmers. Now my wife boarders on the supernatural. She can just about plant furniture and grow trees. I tend to be scientific about gardening and she just goes with the flow. I have watched her take cuttings from just about every kind of plant and have it grow. We make a great team and enjoy sharing the fruits of our labor with friends and neighbors. These days most of my garden time is early in the morning before the heat of the day and fatigue shuts me down. I am fortunate to have built up the garden areas when I was much stronger. My wife jokes that the MS has just brought me down to the pace and ability of normal people. Normal is not so bad just takes some getting used too. Peace and Health Mark PS Yes !!! The times they are a changing. Best part of the down turn in the economy. It is a bright new world out there with endless possibility. Plant a bigger garden