"The LifeStraw" is a personal handheld water filter

The "Best Invention of 2005" (Time magazine), enables users to drink water safely from contaminated water sources. LifeStraw is ideal for homeowners during emergencies such as local flooding which can contaminate drinking water supplies. LifeStraw is also ideal for campers and hikers who may be drinking from rivers or lakes and are unsure of the water safety. Because LifeStraw is lightweight and compact, it is also great for travelers who do not want to rely on the quality of local water.
LifeStraw is the most advanced personal water filter available today. LifeStraw surpasses EPA guidelines for E. coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium oocysts, rigorous standards for water filtration.
Eartheasy is the official wholesale distributor and retail launch partner for LifeStraw, which as of September 2011 is now available for US and Canadian customers to purchase. Since 2005, LifeStraw has been used in developing countries to assist in achieving the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals for clean drinking water. We’re excited to help launch this useful product in North America.

Features & Benefits

• Filters up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water
• Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (>LOG 6 reduction)
• Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction)
• Reduces turbidity, filtering down to 0.2 microns
• Ultralight: weighs only 2oz!
• Contains no chemicals (and is BPA-free), uses no batteries, has no moving parts
• Very high flow rate
• Easy to clean
• Very durable
• Used worldwide in harsh conditions since 2005
• Award winning & internationally recognized
• 1 year warranty

For every ten LifeStraws sold, Eartheasy will donate one to crisis-affected people in developing countries through the manufacturer’s partnership with Rotary International. We also have a tree planted for every order through partnership with Trees for the Future Foundation. To purchase a LifeStraw, add to cart above, or call 1-888-451-6752.

What LifeStraw removes/filters:

LifeStraw filters down to an incredible, 0.2 microns in size! This removes virtually all the bacteria (99.9999%) and protozoa (99.9%) from contaminated water, and reduces turbidity (muddiness) by filtering out suspended particles.

Bacteria removed include:

• Escherichia coli,
• Campylobacter,
• Vibrio cholerae,
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
• Shigella
• Salmonella

Protozoa removed include:

• Giardia lamblia ("Beaver Fever")
• Cryptosporidium Parvum
• Entamoeba histolytica.

Please note: The LifeStraw currently does not filter heavy metals or viruses, and will not desalinate water.

Specifications:

• Length: 9 inches
• Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 2 ounces
• Construction: durable plastic. Does not require replacement parts or batteries, or any chemicals.
• Capacity: filters up to 264 gallons (1000 liters) of water.
• Shelf Life: 5 years when stored at room temperature. (Product package may state shelf life of 3 years, but this will be corrected on newer packaging. The actual shelf life is 5 years.)
• Included: Comes with a lanyard, and a cap for the mouth piece and end piece

How to use:

The patented LifeStraw is a small tube with specialized filters inside. Place one end in unfiltered water (a glass, water bottle, river, or puddle!), and suck the resulting clean water up through the top. Anyone who can use a drinking straw can easily use a LifeStraw.

LifeStraw for Travel & Backpacking:

Because the LifeStraw is so small and lightweight, it’s great for travel overseas in countries with unreliable drinking water. If you’ve ever been sick while travelling, you know the importance of drinking filtered water! Make sure to drink all water through the LifeStraw.

LifeStraw for Hiking & Camping:

Access to clean water is critical while hiking. LifeStraw accomplishes the same thing as other filters, but does it at just a tenth of the weight. If you’re ultra-light hiking, this is a must. At only 2 oz, it’s the lightest way of filtering water while on the go. If you consume the recommended 3-4 liters of water per day while hiking, LifeStraw will last you for between 250-330 days of hiking. If you’re in a rush, there’s no need to stop and filter water by the lake. Just scoop your water bottle full, and sip from it as you walk. Or, dip the end of the straw right into the lake and drink until you’re hydrated.
As a hiking or camping water filter, the LifeStraw provides great convenience. A purifier or pump filter is great, but it takes a fair amount of time to wait for the purification or filtering to complete. Instead, experience the convenience of drinking directly from the water source using your LifeStraw. Perfect when you are hiking, or relaxing around camp.

LifeStraw for Emergency Preparedness & Survival:

In light of recent natural disasters, many people are realizing they cannot depend on their city water during an emergency. A water filter that’s lightweight, easy-to-use, and portable is important to have in your emergency preparedness kit. Buy a LifeStraw for each member in your household - it's a low-cost investment in security.

Awards and recognition:

LifeStraw has received significant accolades since 2005. Time Magazine named LifeStraw the “Best Invention of 2005.” In 2008, it won the Saatchi and Saatchi Award for “World Changing Ideas”. Esquire called it the “Innovation of the Year.” And Forbes noted that LifeStraw is “one of the ten things that will change the way we live.” Now that LifeStraw has launched in the USA and Canada, we expect continued positive responses.

History:

LifeStraw is manufactured by Vestergaard Frandsen, which is a Switzerland-based company specializing in disease control products for developing countries. Their core business model is centered around corporate social responsibility, and they help countries reach their United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals with products designed to prevent vector- and water-borne diseases. LifeStraws are shipped throughout the world to countries in need including Haiti, Pakistan, and Africa.

Study of Blood Pressure Diet Works

Better adherence to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is associated with significant reductions in blood pressure. However, African-Americans may be less likely than whites to adopt the diet, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

The findings, which appear online September 19 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggest that altering traditional recipes to meet nutritional guidelines rather than eliminating certain foods altogether may result in better adherence among African-Americans.

Figure Blood Pressure Complications
Credit: Wikipedia

The DASH diet is recognized as the diet of choice for preventing and managing high blood pressure. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products, and is low in fats and cholesterol.

"Previous research, including results from our ENCORE study, established the DASH diet as an important approach for lowering blood pressure, and for some individuals, it may be an effective alternative to taking medication for hypertension," said James A. Blumenthal, PhD, professor of behavioral medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Duke University Medical Center. "In this study we were interested in whether dietary adherence was related to blood pressure changes and what factors predicted who would adhere to the diet."

The study was a new analysis of data from the ENCORE trial, led by Duke researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the DASH diet on cardiovascular health. Participants were 144 sedentary, overweight or obese adults, who had high blood pressure and were not taking medication.

Researchers measured a series of clinical and behavioral factors at the start of the study including blood pressure, weight, and physical fitness, as well as dietary habits. Depression, anxiety and social support were also evaluated as potential predictors of adherence to the regimen.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: the DASH diet alone; the DASH diet in combination with weight-loss counseling and aerobic exercise; or no change in diet and exercise habits.

After four months, participants in the group that got the DASH diet plus weight-loss counseling and exercise lost an average of 19 pounds, while weight remained stable in the other two groups.

Participants in both the DASH diet alone and DASH diet plus counseling groups had significant reductions in blood pressure, with greater adherence to the DASH diet resulting in the largest drops in blood pressure. The finding suggests that that following the DASH diet lowers blood pressure, independent of exercise and weight loss.

However, the addition of weight loss and exercise to the DASH diet promoted even greater reductions in blood pressure and improved other measures of cardiovascular health. "For overweight or obese patients with high blood pressure, clinicians should recommend the DASH diet in conjunction with exercise and weight loss for the best results," said Alan Hinderliter, MD, a cardiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an investigator in this study.

The researchers noted that African-American participants were less likely than white participants to eat foods recommended in the DASH diet prior to beginning the study. While both African-American and white participants in the DASH treatment groups increased the amount of DASH foods they ate, African-Americans were less likely to adopt the DASH diet compared to their white counterparts. No other demographic, behavioral, or social variable predicted whether participants would adhere to the DASH diet.

"We need to be aware of cultural differences in dietary preferences in order to help people better adopt a DASH-friendly diet," Blumenthal said. "It is important to take into account traditional food choices and cooking practices when attempting to incorporate more DASH foods into daily meal plans."

Culturally sensitive changes to implementing the DASH diet, such as modifying traditional "soul food" recipes to meet nutritional recommendations rather than eliminating foods altogether, may result in better adherence among African-Americans.

"Given the success of the DASH diet, we know that changing lifestyles can make a significant difference in people's health," Blumenthal said. "And in the long run, if people are able to maintain changes to their diet and exercise habits, it can lead to a lower risk for heart attack and stroke."

Preserving/Jarring Garden Fruits and Veggies thru the winter

When it’s that time of year to preserve your garden bounty, an excellent method of food preservation is ‘canning’. If done properly, it is entirely safe. However care and precaution are in order. Canning low acid food is the only preservation method that can be deadly, so with canning instructions, you must follow the rules closely and not experiment.

These canning instructions are designed to always provide you such a wide margin of safety that poisoning is simply impossible. You follow the directions, and then you can be confident.

Learn and follow these canning rules absolutely!

1. Don’t use jars larger than a quart. Home canning technology cannot guarantee that larger quantities will be sufficiently heated through for enough time. Rather, the food on the outside will overcook, while that on the inside won’t get hot enough. Botulism spores can boil awhile and still be fine.

2. Use water-bath canning only for high acid foods. High-acid varieties of tomatoes, fruits, rhubarb, sauerkraut, pickles, and jams/jellies are the only high acid foods. All others (vegetables, meats, stews) must be canned using a Pressure Canner.

3. Use only modern canning recipes from reliable sources.

4. Never reuse jar lids. Used lids aren’t reliable for sealing correctly. If a screw band is rusty or bent, it won’t work right and should be discarded and replaced.

5. Don’t use antique or ‘French’ -type canning jars. They aren’t as safe as the modern, regular ‘Ball, Kerr’ type.

6. Check the jar rims carefully every year by running your finger over the top of the rim and checking for nicks. Even the tiniest nick makes the jar unusable for canning. A nicked jar rim won’t seal reliably.

7. Raw pack is not safe for certain foods: beets, all kinds of greens (spinach, etc.), white potatoes, squash, okra, a tomato/okra combination, and stewed tomatoes!

8. You must allow the correct amount of space (head-space) between your food, together with the liquid that covers it, and the jar lid.

9. Don’t begin counting the processing time until after the water with the jars in it comes to a good rolling boil if using the water-bath method, or until after steam has vented for 10 minutes from your pressure canner.

10. Process the full recommended time.

11. Lift out each jar individually (not inside the rack) using a jar lifter; keep it upright and not tipped.

12. If a jar didn’t seal, discard the lid, put on a new one, and reprocess. Or put the jar that didn’t seal in the refrigerator and use the contents within a week or so.

Credit: Data gathered from The Encyclopedia of Country Living