Question: I read tryptophan is now available as a dietary supplement. Is it helpful and safe for sleep issues? If so what dosage would you suggest?

Answer:(published 3/5/10) L-tryptophan, an amino acid, is the metabolic precursor of serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters used by the brain to carry information from one part of the nervous system to another. Serotonin has general sedative effects. In theory, raising the level of L-tryptophan in the brain will cause increased production of serotonin and natural sedation.

L-tryptophan supplements were once popular as sleep aids, but in 1991 the FDA banned their sale in the United States after a contaminated batch from a Japanese manufacturer was linked to at least 37 deaths from eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, a rare and painful disease. The supplement again became available here in 2002.   Read the rest of this entry »

Dear EarthTalk: I work for an office equipment company selling copiers, fax machines, computers and printers. Each year new models come out making old ones obsolete. As a result, we have loads of trade-ins with nowhere to go. What can we do with this old equipment? – Jeff P., Worcester, MA

Electronic waste, or “e-waste” as it’s called, is a growing problem in the United States and abroad, as obsolete or broken computers and other electronic equipment are taking up increasingly precious amounts of landfill space and potentially leaking hazardous substances into surrounding ecosystems.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition reports that
70 percent of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills are
from discarded electronics. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency reports that
Americans trash two million tons of unwanted
electronics each year -­ six times the amount
they recycle. Pictured, e-waste in Ann Arbor,
Michigan readied for recycling.
George Hotelling, courtesy Flickr

The nonprofit Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition reports that 70 percent of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills are from discarded electronics—even though the e-waste itself accounts for only two percent of the trash by volume. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans trash two million tons of unwanted electronics each year—six times the amount they recycle. To make matters worse, U.S. companies often ship old equipment to poor nations whose landfills and incinerators are ill equipped, subjecting already struggling populations to lead, cadmium, beryllium, and other contaminants.

So what can be done? If your old units still work but have merely been eclipsed by newer models, then by all means donate them to a needy cause that will either put them to good use or resell them to help fund their programs. You’ll earn a tax deduction for a charitable donation and, by keeping the equipment alive, prevent the manufacture of new units and thus, if ever so slightly, reduce the footprint of your operations.   Read the rest of this entry »

Red Sand Beach, Hana, Maui

After Carol and I returned from Maui last week, I wrote about the easygoing nature of native Hawaiians, and how they seem to "naturally" live life in the divine flow. But maybe "naturally" wasn't exactly the right word to use. Perhaps "consciously" would have been more accurate. Because the Hawaiians are constantly reminding themselves to be in the divine flow of life by frequently using the word, "aloha."

Aloha, you see, is much more than a simple greeting that has come to mean both "hello" and "goodbye." You can't be in Hawaii for more than a few hours—or even a few minutes—without hearing about the Spirit of Aloha. The Spirit of Aloha represents a way of life—a way of living focused on love, harmony, and mutual respect.

It is a way of life that has a very admirable code of conduct. And to remember that code, people have created clever acronymic meanings for "ALOHA." What's interesting about these acronymic meanings is that they parallel many of the principles I teach for living life in the divine flow.   Read the rest of this entry »

You might have read my last article, "Finding & Marketing Your Niche Within the Divine Plan," and said, "So what? I'm already doing all that…I'm already following my passion and I'm still not getting anywhere."

You're still not living the promised life of less struggle, more prosperity, and more satisfaction. So what gives? If you believe you're already doing what you're supposed to be doing, then what else is it going to take? …Or are you really following the path of "right livelihood"?

I know some people who say they are "following their passion in life," adamantly stating they don't want to do anything else. But yet they continue to struggle, year after year. One friend of mine has been barely surviving for nine years now, deeply in debt, but never deviating from what he thinks is his path in life.   Read the rest of this entry »

Question: I frequently use a fat-free spray that tastes like butter and has no calories. I spray it on bread, vegetables, popcorn, etc. Is this spray bad for me?

Answer:(published 2/22/10) You raise an interesting question. I did some research to find out about these products and what they actually contain. While the nutritional labels do state that they contain zero fat and zero calories, something more than just air comes out when you spray. A little checking produced some illuminating information about how manufacturers and marketers can legally claim that products have no fat or calories, when the opposite is true.

The FDA permits foods to be labeled "fat-free" if they contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. The labels of some products I checked said that a single serving is one spray providing 0.2 grams (2 tenths of a gram) of the product for cooking and five sprays when you're using it as a topping. I found calculations showing that to get a single 0.2 gram serving you would have to spritz for about one-third of a second, something that is almost impossible to time. If you spritz for five seconds, you'll be adding as many as 35 calories of fat to your food.   Read the rest of this entry »

Dear EarthTalk: When the plug-in Prius is released, how much electricity will it use? Will my electric bill double if my Prius is plugged in each night? Or will the increase be minimal? Also, will all this recharging put a strain on the existing electricity grid? – G.C. Marx, Colorado Springs, CO

It is difficult to pinpoint the answer to this question right now since Toyota has not yet released its much anticipated plug-in hybrid, but most analysts believe the increase in your electric bill from overnight charging will be minimal. According to the blog Futurewheels.com, electric cars and plug-in hybrids (those that have been converted by owners) currently average about two cents per mile to recharge (electric rates vary greatly by region), while gasoline-only cars average about 10 cents per mile to refuel.

Plug In America, a California based network of electric vehicle and (self-converted) plug-in hybrid owners, estimates the cost to charge a typical plug-in hybrid overnight to be less than a dollar. So while your electric bill might go up $30/month due to recharging, your gas bill will decrease by somewhere between 80 and 100 percent depending on your driving habits and what you were driving beforehand.   Read the rest of this entry »

Waimoku Falls, Haleakala Natl. Park,
near Kipahulu, Maui, Hana Rd.

Aloha, Friends!

As you might have gathered from my greeting, Carol and I just returned from Hawaii, where I spoke at the Unity Church on Maui.

Similar to the time we visited the island of Oahu in 2005, I was once again immensely impressed by the easygoing nature of the native Hawaiians. Living life in the divine flow seems to come quite naturally for most of them.

This is in direct contrast to a man I met who moved to Hawaii a number of years ago. He told me about his first five years on the island—a time in which he tried to accomplish his goals by using the same technique he employed on the mainland . . . by bulldozing over everyone and everything standing in his way!  Suffice it to say that the native Hawaiians weren't very impressed with this man's forceful, controlling, and manipulative ways.

Finally, one young native Hawaiian came up this man and said,  "Hey bro' . . . mo' bettah go easy."

At that moment, this man learned what I, too, have been learning over the years: Even though it is sometimes possible to force things to go the way you want them to, it is much better to take it easy.

You will find that when you attune yourself to the flow, and become willing to constantly adjust to the course of the current, things have a way of working out that is not only better for you, but better for all involved . . . and effortlessly, at that!

As the song my book is based on suggests, you should always "row, row, row your boat gently down the stream."  The reason why is simple: "Mo' bettah go easy!"

© 2010 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of, Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Steven's Speaking Schedule

Understanding what is required to holistically thrive in today's rapidly evolving world is vital to the millions of people who are now struggling to make ends meet in our weakened economic environment.

As the U.S. economy barely holds onto a lifeline to stay afloat, and vested businesses and government officials attempt to reclaim the U.S.'s once-admired economic stronghold in the world, in the meantime we are seeing an increasing number of 'victims' of the recession take the entrepreneurial route to find financial stability and, for some, hopefully find a niche and consequential prosperity.

Some of the entrepreneurial paths include direct sales and variations of direct-sales careers, including multi-level marketing and franchises. Many of these new entrepreneurs have become independent contractors (or more specifically, "independent consultants"  or "independent sales representatives"), selling other companies' merchandise or services. Spammers are an egregious example of direct selling. Others simply make money by telling you how to make money.

While for some, this movement away from being just a cog in the corporate machine or having an opportunity to climb out of the trenches of unemployment brings a new level of independence and steady income, but for others it can be a constant struggle to get "noticed" and to promote their products or services amid all the thousands of other competing marketers.   Read the rest of this entry »

Dear EarthTalk: Some time ago there were issues with Native American tribes storing nuclear waste on their land, something that was both unhealthy to the communities and caused considerable controversy among tribal leaders. Where is this issue today?
– M. Spenser, via e-mail

Native tribes across the American West have been and continue to be subjected to significant amounts of radioactive and otherwise hazardous waste as a result of living near nuclear test sites, uranium mines, power plants and toxic waste dumps.

And in some cases tribes are actually hosting hazardous waste on their sovereign reservations—which are not subject to the same environmental and health standards as U.S. land—in order to generate revenues. Native American advocates argue that siting such waste on or near reservations is an "environmental justice" problem, given that twice as many Native families live below the poverty line than other sectors of U.S. society and often have few if any options for generating income.   Read the rest of this entry »

Jeremy Teela in biathlon
men's sprint at 2010 Winter Olympics

With the Winter Olympics in full swing, you have undoubtedly heard newscasters attribute the success of many Olympic athletes to their perseverance, determination, and endurance. You have probably heard how many of these athletes overcame tremendous obstacles to be at the pinnacle of their sport.

I admire these athletes. As they continually expand the boundaries of human accomplishment, underneath it all I see the creative power of their Divine Spirit at work.

Similarly, as you pursue your own goals in life, it pays to remember your unlimited potential as a child of the Divine. But keep in mind that the accomplishment of your goals is not up to you alone. You have the whole Universe working on your behalf. And your main job is to cooperate with the divine flow that is continually guiding you toward the fulfillment of your desires in the most beneficial way possible.

What I am getting to is this: There is a fine line between determination and being driven, and between perseverance and being obsessed. I can't tell you where that line is for you. All I can do is remind you to continually ask yourself this question: "Am I taking the next right step that I am being divinely guided to take, or am I trying to control, manipulate, and force things to go the way I think they should go?"

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, to live life in the divine flow is to have the patience and the persistence to hold onto your dream, but to allow that dream to unfold in a divinely guided way. Otherwise, your achievement will only be the result of your ego's activity. And that kind of achievement is only briefly satisfying, and never in the best interests of all involved.

Here's to having dreams of Olympic proportions, my friends! But more than that, here's to their Divine realization!

© 2010 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of, Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Steven's Speaking Schedule