Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the Environmental Working Group and included in their Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce, these 12 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic:

In contrast, these foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion

So if you need to work within a certain budget, use this information to help guide you to the best choices when it comes to lowering your overall pesticide exposure.

11.  DRUG COMPANIES

From a reader--

"Sure wish the US pharmacopia had OUR best interests at heart.  unfortunately, with their track record of late, all they really care about is profit -- as usual.  they have been charged with falsifying drug studies to promote drugs -- meaning that people are taking life-altering drugs that are not appropriate to the condition -- and charged with false advertizing, all kinds of unconscionable things... they have had to pay over 3 billion dollars in judgments against them in the past few years, and they just see that as the 'cost of doing business.'  i have no confidence in the drug companies anymore."

12.  LOST ABILITY TO SLEEP

From a reader--

"I am really speechless as to the lack of the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep in my case of fibro.  When I was at varsity, and a few good years after that (I am in my mid-50's now) I could fall asleep everywhere and anywhere.  To such an extent that I once took a bet that I call sleep on an ironing board the whole night without falling off - and one.  Now, the amount of sleep supplements I take are astounding.  My doctor wont prescribe anything to make me sleep, as both my Mom and my niece were/are addicted to sleep tabs.  My relative spent 2 weeks with me, and I was shocked to find out that she takes up to 15 a time!!!!  Scary stuff, she was taking 4 sleeping tabs at work.  At present I take 11 supplements to enable me to sleep and stay asleep, but I often get up at 2 am to make some Horlicks and add honey to it, then have no problem falling asleep again.  I find that a supplement will last me 3-6 months, then my body gets used to it, and have to add another one.  My latest one I add is 5 drops of Bach Rescue night, and it keeps me in a deep sleep from about 3am to 7am.  Luckily I dont have to work.  But have had visitors for 4 weeks, and even if they are family, just filling the kettle with extra water to make more coffee, becomes a grind!"

13.  WASH NEW CLOTHES BEFORE WEARING

From a reader--

This is from Consumer Reports:  "Buying new clothes can be exciting, and some people can’t be bothered with the seemingly wasteful practice of washing new clothes before wearing them. But one Consumer Reports staffer who recently experienced headaches and a sore throat suspects that his impatience may be the cause. He wore his recent purchase before sending it for a spin in the washer to rid it of the chemicals commonly used to keep new clothes looking, well, new. Substances like formaldehyde and many other allergenic compounds are used in fabrics for a variety of reasons, such as to help them resist wrinkles and shrinkage. Since just one wash can eliminate or reduce levels of a number of these substances (along with any wayward bug that might have come from the person who tried the shirt on before you!), it’s a good idea to wash new clothes that will be worn against the skin before you put them on. The U.S. doesn’t regulate formaldehyde levels in clothing. But certain other countries do, and a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office noted that levels in textile products they tested here in the U.S. met the most rigorous standards established elsewhere—about 75 parts per million for items that are in direct contact with the skin.  But that might not be enough for some people. By some estimates, about 9 percent of the U.S. population is so sensitive to formaldehyde that even low level exposures could be enough to set off an uncomfortable rash, or a severe allergic reaction. And a few items GAO tested did reach as high as 200 ppm. According to the GAO report, allergic contact dermatitis characteristic of formaldehyde exposure includes redness, swelling, blisters and flaky dry skin that can burn or itch.  Fortunately for our staffer, his symptoms were limited. Only a patch test will tell for certain if formaldehyde or other fabric treatments were the cause. Then again, it may just have been a reaction to shelling out cash for new duds. - Consumer Reports"

14.  VIDEO ABOUT M.E./CFS

From a reader--

"Everyone in the following video has been stricken with ME/CFS for many years or decades except for the doctors and the people who turn their heads and walk away:  http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=00BZCjVK_6I&feature=player_embedded."

  15.  CHRISTMAS SONG

From a reader--

"http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=pPViKJRHyZo&vq=medium - Here’s the story behind the song: "Where's the Line to See Jesus?"  While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four year old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, "where's the line to see Jesus"? My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus. My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it. I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios. It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus... with goosebumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville ... still no response. Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD's, iTunes, anything... we had nothin'. After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring... this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs... the real deal.... and here we are today. Getting iTunes set up, a website put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together... remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him. We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you. Merry Christmas everyone."

16.  EARTHING

From a reader--

"I am writing to tell you about a health discovery that I think can make a significant impact on those with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes. Its called "Earthing" and is based on simple scientific principles that make a lot of sense to me intuitively and intellectually.  Here's the theory in a nutshell:  The surface of the Earth is a rich source of healing energy in the form of negatively charged electrons and provides the stable grounding to function well. We have separated ourselves from that energy with by wearing insulating footwear and living, working and sleeping in elevated structures of nonconductive materials. Earthing is the practice of reconnecting with this energy by standing or walking barefoot on the ground or through the use of conductive bed sheets and floor pads linked by a wire to a ground rod outside or plugged into a wall outlet with a ground system. Discovered by a man named Clinton Ober ten years ago, the therapeutic benefits of Earthing have been verified by scientific testing and are starting to get the attention of open minded persons in the field of health and medicine.   Several weeks ago I began  walking around barefoot outside for an hour or so each day and even slept outside in a tent. I noticed the difference. Then I ordered a grounding pad which I put under my feet when I'm using the computer, working at my desk or watching T.V. and a conductive sheet which I sleep on each night. I feel some buzzing or tingling in my feet especially when I first ground myself but that seems to be going away gradually. In just a week I noticed a marked improvement in how much activity I could get away with without my muscles becoming sore afterwards. I had been managing this with low intensity laser therapy twice a week and EMG biofeedback training but the earthing works much better and doesn't require appointments or money to see my chiropractor. I'm also sleeping more deeply although still disturbed. My intuition is that I am going through a process that is providing the "grounding" to totally heal. A couple of my other fibro friends have started earthing as well with good results.  I have listed Earthing as a strategy for healing in the opening post of my blog www.fibrofriends.typepad.com but will wait until I see how I respond over time as well as others I know who are trying this before I write an extensive post on this. In the meantime I wanted to share this information with you. I highly recommend looking into this at www.earthing.com and reading the book "Earthing, the most important health discovery ever?" It will blow your mind. I believe that this is the final and most important piece of the puzzle in my own understanding of and recovery from CFS and FMS. Earthing is helpful for sleep, inflammation, pain and autoimmune conditions. I personally think that it will prove extremely beneficial for those with CFS and FMS who are "electron deficient" and hypersensitive to electromagnetic fields, free radicals and other interferences. The good news is Earthing costs next to nothing compared to other therapies - only a very small personal investment for products that ground you. No appointments, no doctor fees, no supplements, etc. You simply connect to the earth and heal. This may sound too good to be true but its worth a try and is completely safe even for the most sensitive individuals."

FROM DOM:  To learn more about "earthing" reported in my past newsletters, scroll down to use the Google search box at the end of this page.

18.  WALL STREET JOURNAL - XMRV HEALTH BLOG<

From a reader--

"Wall Street Journal health blog. Apparently an Amy Dockser Marcus often covers XMRV news in this blog.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/11/23/abbott-roche-gen-probe-among-those-seeking-xmrv- test/

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/11/17/gearing-up-for-the-big-search-for-xmrv/

WSJ article from 11/23/10:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704243904575630700111729446.html"

19.  CHRISTMAS BLUES?

FROM DOM:  Here are some tips on managing holiday depression: www.fms-help.com/Christmas.htm. 

20.  STATINS, CHOLESTEROL, GRAVE'S DISEASE & CFIDS/M.E.

From a reader--

"I developed CFIDS/ME 7 years ago, in conjunction with “treatment” for Grave’s Disease [hyperthyroidism].  Due to my systemic sensitivities, I know better than to try the latest things being sold to the public, like screening colonoscopies, and statin drugs.  I too have high cholesterol.  Even went vegan for 6 months and it did not budge.  Am horrified by what I read about how statins work and their side effects.  Am intrigued by the Unified Theory of Linus Pauling and Rath regarding the real purpose of cholesterol (as a bandaid for the arteries) and Vitamin C megadosing, along with Lysine.  Too extensive to go into here, but check it out.  I have been able to lower my triglycerides taking 5 Carlson’s Salmon Oil caps daily, and my HDL is good.  My thyroid levels, via exogenous thyroid supplementation after having my thyroid ablated, are as good as they are going to get. (low thyroid has historically been a red flag marker for high cholesterol and vice versa).  It’s a mystery.  My family has bigtime heart attack history, but I refuse to believe that statins will do anything but end my life sooner."

======================================

FROM DOM:  Well, that's all for now.  Here's my best holiday tip for fellow fibromites: Don't overdo it!  Pace yourself and avoid stress as much as possible.  Don't buy into other people's expectations.  I've had to curtail many activities that I would love to have been a part of, but I know where my limits are.  A list of things I use to stay functional and pain free is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm.  I'm thankful to be able to work and to keep up with church and home responsibilities as well. 

Finding things that helped my sleep disorder have been most helpful.  When I sleep well, I feel bulletproof the next day.  When I sleep poorly, I suffer horribly.  My insomnia story is at www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm. 

BTW, my ears ring 24/7 - it is soooo annoying!  I have had tinnitus for decades.  If anyone has found a solution for ringing in the ears, please write dombush@bellsouth.net.  I am about to try Quietus, but it is very expensive.  Still, if it helps to keep my sanity, it will be worth it.  As a piano teacher and church musician, I am around loud sounds every day.  My dear husband says I should try Quietus.  Anyone have experience with this?

Your fibro sister,

Dominie Bush

www.fms-help.com

dombush@bellsouth.net