There is increasing concern about how much radiation cell phones emit and the damage that it may cause to those of us who can no longer remember what life was like without them. The research into the effects of that radiation is still ongoing, but recent studies have linked it to brain cancer, salivary gland tumors, migraines, vertigo, and behavioral problems.

The bad news is that some of the most popular smart phone models on the market are also those with the highest radiation emission levels, according to research put together by the Environmental Working Group. Motorola’s Droid, Blackberry Bold 9700, LG Chocolate Touch, and HTC Nexus One by Google, are among the flashy phones to avoid because all four “are pushing the edge of radiofrequency radiation safety limits set by the Federal Communications Commission,” according to EWG. The Blackberry Storm on the other hand (another big seller), has one of the lowest emission rates, as does the Sanyo Katana II and the Samsung Rugby.

Will your Coke-a-day habit really cause pancreatic cancer? Will adding a little more chocolate to your diet help prevent strokes? Two studies have received a great deal of press in the last few weeks but how valid are their findings really?

The problem with soda pop – Most soft drinks are loaded with sweeteners and sugars. Even the new “healthier” versions of soda made with old fashioned real sugar are loaded with the stuff. The human pancreas is there to produce insulin whenever the body needs to process sugars, so the sudden influx of twelve ounces worth of really sweet stuff can send it into instant overdrive.

Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes are two radically different diseases with one common thread: the incidence of both among the general U.S. population is increasing every year, and despite millions of dollars being pumped into research, there is as  yet no cure in sight for either chronic disease.

 According to many natural health experts there are a few simple ways that anyone can decrease her risk of developing both  Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, as well as improving her overall physical and mental health:

All of us at some point in our lives, and in most cases quite often, have looked for ways to live a happier, healthier, and more emotionally balanced existence. According to the Japanese practice of Naikan, those solutions may be gleaned by asking oneself three simple questions.

The work Naikan (pronounced NIE-KON, like the camera) roughly translates into English as “inside looking”, in other words introspection. The practice of the method of Naikan was developed in the 1940s by a devout Buddhist named Yoshimoto Ishin. As a member of the Jodo Shinshu sect in Japan he had long practiced a complicated and time-consuming form of meditation known as mishirabe. He developed his techniques in order to make its principles more readily understandable to the Western world.