november 2009
With keeping up with the family blog, a new craft blog, this blog has gone untouched for awhile, but I am excited and anxious to spill out more intriguing information, at least to me!
Chemicals are intriguing to me, especially as I go into people's homes, and they have plug-in air fresheners, or at a pool when we see people spraying on sunscreen before swimming, women puting on make-up and especially lip stick, what exactly are we absorbing, breathing, and lathering on?
Well, since I've had health issues for many years, this subject is on my mind all the time. From showering, making sure there's at least no SLS in our haircare products, to using mostly organic make-up that I can get freshly made with no preservatives, and cheaper than the chemical stuff, to the food we eat. It's interesting to me, when people say "organic" is a scam. Is it? I would agree that the way people throw in an organic ingredient so they can post organic on their product is a scam, but how excactly is eating something as close to nature as we can, without harmful toxins and pesticides a scam? Maybe I'm missing something?
I love the Environmental Working Group, or also called EWG. This group is bringing to light some amazing evidence in how our government doesn't regulate the 85,000+ chemicals that companies are free to use as they see fit. They test products people use everyday, and are able to convey how very toxic they can be...did you know that mascara has some really bad chemicals? What about plastics? What plastic have you been drinking from lately, and how much BPA did your body absorb from it? If you want to find out what exactly is in a product you are using, and if it's considered toxic, take a stroll through EWG's site. Very life changing I might add!
Well, because of extensive testing in my life, I found out about some of the metals I'm hosting in my body, but certainly haven't been privy to such extensive testing as this person in the article below. I googled for awhile, found a product that you put in your water, it's tasteless, odorless, and has been proven to effectively remove heavy metals without taking electrolytes your body needs. Through their emails and reports of tests, I was sent this article, that was recently published in Popular Science, and figured, why not share? For anyone else that may possibly care about extending the quality/quantity of life, or at least making better decisions to possibly do so, please read the article. Little everyday decisions can definitely affect how many little chemical buggers and their families you host, and if they will win the battle. Good luck!
My Quest To Analyze Every Man-Made Chemical In My Body
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/personal-chemisty
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
a little arsenic on the side, please...
sept. 2009
Well, you've heard tanning isn't that good for you, from the sun, or from the tanning beds. But what if you were told that tanning in tanning beds was like drinking arsenic? What if it increased your chances of getting cancer by 70%, would you still do it? How about if it's the equivalent of being a smoker or mustard gas? Hmmmmm, that doesn't sound very good.
Well, after hearing about this on the radio, I definitely had to blog it, because I've known tanning isn't good, and I'll catch sun rays here and there, but was totally floored to hear the latest in tanning bed studies.
What's even scarier, in the link below, they state:
The new report, published in the medical journal Lancet Oncology, looked at 20 previous studies and concluded that the risk of skin cancer increased by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before age 30....
It's now the leading cancer diagnosed in British women in their 20s.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32209030/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/
Health News' article is:
http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/tanning-beds-deemed-deadly-cancer-risks-3511.html
Here's a couple of paragraphs from their report taken from the link above:
According to Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, “This new report confirms and extends the prior recommendation of the American Cancer Society that the use of tanning beds is dangerous to your health, and should be avoided.”
Instead of using a tanning bed, the American Cancer Society advises people to use bronzing or self-tanning creams. The organization has reported that in 2008, approximately 62,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States, with about 8,000 people losing their lives to the deadly cancer.
It is also important to note, that the sun is very deadly, for those of us who like to play for hours outside, we should be very careful, and cover up.
Wanna take a closer look? Read for yourself. It may surprise you, dumbfound you, or breeze right through one ear and out the other. You decide.
Well, you've heard tanning isn't that good for you, from the sun, or from the tanning beds. But what if you were told that tanning in tanning beds was like drinking arsenic? What if it increased your chances of getting cancer by 70%, would you still do it? How about if it's the equivalent of being a smoker or mustard gas? Hmmmmm, that doesn't sound very good.
Well, after hearing about this on the radio, I definitely had to blog it, because I've known tanning isn't good, and I'll catch sun rays here and there, but was totally floored to hear the latest in tanning bed studies.
What's even scarier, in the link below, they state:
The new report, published in the medical journal Lancet Oncology, looked at 20 previous studies and concluded that the risk of skin cancer increased by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before age 30....
It's now the leading cancer diagnosed in British women in their 20s.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32209030/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/
Health News' article is:
http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/tanning-beds-deemed-deadly-cancer-risks-3511.html
Here's a couple of paragraphs from their report taken from the link above:
According to Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, “This new report confirms and extends the prior recommendation of the American Cancer Society that the use of tanning beds is dangerous to your health, and should be avoided.”
Instead of using a tanning bed, the American Cancer Society advises people to use bronzing or self-tanning creams. The organization has reported that in 2008, approximately 62,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States, with about 8,000 people losing their lives to the deadly cancer.
It is also important to note, that the sun is very deadly, for those of us who like to play for hours outside, we should be very careful, and cover up.
Wanna take a closer look? Read for yourself. It may surprise you, dumbfound you, or breeze right through one ear and out the other. You decide.
Friday, July 24, 2009
sugar...
july 2009
I keep telling my husband, even though it's tradition, that's it not good to put syrup all over his waffles weekly. The kids and I have long gotten out of the habit, putting fruit on our waffles, pancakes and french toast, sometimes jam(which has sugar but I'm hoping it's not AS bad). It's very intriguing to me, the subject of sugar. In researching the subject, I have found a couple of very interesting articles, including a couple of youtube videos about the history of where sugar comes from, even how it influenced parliament in making decisions about who would keep what countries that were being fought over.
Part 1 and 2:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8046348031279865399
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8139449806431868725&hl=en
The article http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm , I find very informative, especially the part in how sugar greatly effects the immune system, cancer and the spread of cancer in the body, all because of sugar. One might start thinking a little more about what exactly they are eating. Sugar is consumed in almost all forms of food. I was surprised to see however, that honey, is actually just as bad, or worse than refined sugar. Take a gander, and decide for yourself where you fit, and if you care what it really even does to your body!
I keep telling my husband, even though it's tradition, that's it not good to put syrup all over his waffles weekly. The kids and I have long gotten out of the habit, putting fruit on our waffles, pancakes and french toast, sometimes jam(which has sugar but I'm hoping it's not AS bad). It's very intriguing to me, the subject of sugar. In researching the subject, I have found a couple of very interesting articles, including a couple of youtube videos about the history of where sugar comes from, even how it influenced parliament in making decisions about who would keep what countries that were being fought over.
Part 1 and 2:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8046348031279865399
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8139449806431868725&hl=en
The article http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm , I find very informative, especially the part in how sugar greatly effects the immune system, cancer and the spread of cancer in the body, all because of sugar. One might start thinking a little more about what exactly they are eating. Sugar is consumed in almost all forms of food. I was surprised to see however, that honey, is actually just as bad, or worse than refined sugar. Take a gander, and decide for yourself where you fit, and if you care what it really even does to your body!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
is it a good deal to buy a regular baby bottle? what about canned foods and formula?...
May 14. 2006
If you think chemicals in things are hoaky, take a look at this. We have been aware of bottle's since our last child, and have been very cautious. This will make you think twice!
BPA Levels in Adults Up 70 Percent After Drinking From Baby Bottles
Posted: 13 May 2009 06:00 AM PDT
Contact: EWG Public Affairs, (202) 667-6982
OAKLAND, Ca. – Seventy-seven Harvard student volunteers experienced a nearly 70 percent increase in urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a plastics component and synthetic estrogen linked to cancer, reproductive system damage and other serious conditions, after drinking cold beverages from BPA-laden polycarbonate baby bottles for just one week, according to researchers from Harvard University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ground-breaking Harvard/CDC study, led by Karin B. Michels, a Harvard professor of epidemiology, and published May 12 in the online version of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives poses serious implications for the impact of BPA exposure on infants fed with polycarbonate bottles. “These astonishing results should be a clarion call to lawmakers and public health officials that babies are being exposed to BPA, and at levels that could likely have an impact on their development,” said Renee Sharp, Director of Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) California office. “The adults in this study were willing participants who understood the risk of exposure, but babies are unwitting victims of the silent but serious threat this hormone- disrupting chemical poses to their health.” The Harvard/CDC study buttresses a March 2007 study by EWG that documented that BPA-based epoxy can linings had contaminated more than half the canned foods, beverages and canned liquid infant formula randomly purchased at supermarkets around the country. Since many of the foods tested, such as liquid infant formula, canned soup and SpagettiOs, are marketed for babies and toddlers, babies drinking from BPA-plastic bottles and sippy cups and eating canned food could receive significant doses of the chemical, shown in laboratory studies to cause serious damage to brain and reproductive systems of test animals. As well, the chemical has been associated with cardiovascular damage, diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions. In the absence of any U.S. regulation on BPA contamination of food, EWG has published an online guide to baby-safe bottles and formula. The Harvard/CDC study comes on the heels of Minnesota’s statewide prohibition of BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and other food containers for children 3 and under. Suffolk County, New York, has also banned BPA in such items, lawmakers in California and Connecticut are considering similar proposals, and the City Council in Chicago just today voted to ban the sale of any baby bottle or sippy cup containing the chemical. EWG supports State Senator Fran Pavley’s (D) measure to ban BPA in California. At the federal level, U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) have introduced legislation that would restrict the use of BPA in food and beverage containers. “If the legislation to protect California’s youngest from further exposure to BPA is defeated, those elected officials responsible for its demise should be held to account for protecting the profits of the chemical industry instead of children’s health,” added Sharp. In March, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that 6 major companies -- Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow -- had volunteered to stop using BPA-based plastic in baby bottles made for the U.S. market. Several major retailers, including Wal-Mart and Toys R’ Us, have announced they would stop selling baby bottles made with BPA. The water bottle manufacturer Nalgene and several of the nation’s largest baby bottle makers are phasing BPA out of their products. The petro-chemical giant Sunoco has promised that it would no longer allow any of the BPA it makes to be used in items designed for children 3 and under. ### EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC with offices in Oakland, CA. and Des Moines, IA that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment.
go to EWG for more on this article!
If you think chemicals in things are hoaky, take a look at this. We have been aware of bottle's since our last child, and have been very cautious. This will make you think twice!
BPA Levels in Adults Up 70 Percent After Drinking From Baby Bottles
Posted: 13 May 2009 06:00 AM PDT
Contact: EWG Public Affairs, (202) 667-6982
OAKLAND, Ca. – Seventy-seven Harvard student volunteers experienced a nearly 70 percent increase in urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a plastics component and synthetic estrogen linked to cancer, reproductive system damage and other serious conditions, after drinking cold beverages from BPA-laden polycarbonate baby bottles for just one week, according to researchers from Harvard University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ground-breaking Harvard/CDC study, led by Karin B. Michels, a Harvard professor of epidemiology, and published May 12 in the online version of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives poses serious implications for the impact of BPA exposure on infants fed with polycarbonate bottles. “These astonishing results should be a clarion call to lawmakers and public health officials that babies are being exposed to BPA, and at levels that could likely have an impact on their development,” said Renee Sharp, Director of Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) California office. “The adults in this study were willing participants who understood the risk of exposure, but babies are unwitting victims of the silent but serious threat this hormone- disrupting chemical poses to their health.” The Harvard/CDC study buttresses a March 2007 study by EWG that documented that BPA-based epoxy can linings had contaminated more than half the canned foods, beverages and canned liquid infant formula randomly purchased at supermarkets around the country. Since many of the foods tested, such as liquid infant formula, canned soup and SpagettiOs, are marketed for babies and toddlers, babies drinking from BPA-plastic bottles and sippy cups and eating canned food could receive significant doses of the chemical, shown in laboratory studies to cause serious damage to brain and reproductive systems of test animals. As well, the chemical has been associated with cardiovascular damage, diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions. In the absence of any U.S. regulation on BPA contamination of food, EWG has published an online guide to baby-safe bottles and formula. The Harvard/CDC study comes on the heels of Minnesota’s statewide prohibition of BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and other food containers for children 3 and under. Suffolk County, New York, has also banned BPA in such items, lawmakers in California and Connecticut are considering similar proposals, and the City Council in Chicago just today voted to ban the sale of any baby bottle or sippy cup containing the chemical. EWG supports State Senator Fran Pavley’s (D) measure to ban BPA in California. At the federal level, U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) have introduced legislation that would restrict the use of BPA in food and beverage containers. “If the legislation to protect California’s youngest from further exposure to BPA is defeated, those elected officials responsible for its demise should be held to account for protecting the profits of the chemical industry instead of children’s health,” added Sharp. In March, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that 6 major companies -- Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow -- had volunteered to stop using BPA-based plastic in baby bottles made for the U.S. market. Several major retailers, including Wal-Mart and Toys R’ Us, have announced they would stop selling baby bottles made with BPA. The water bottle manufacturer Nalgene and several of the nation’s largest baby bottle makers are phasing BPA out of their products. The petro-chemical giant Sunoco has promised that it would no longer allow any of the BPA it makes to be used in items designed for children 3 and under. ### EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC with offices in Oakland, CA. and Des Moines, IA that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment.
go to EWG for more on this article!
Monday, May 4, 2009
what the heck are antioxidants, and why should I care?...
may 4. 2009
I've missed my blogging on all health issues as they come up and I read them. Time is flying, and as I've been around different family members, it only causes me to turn to my blog to get my health issues off of my chest. It's amazing to me how many people think that there really aren't harmful chemicals in the things we use or eat. It really blows my mind to be honest. I guess a lot of people aren't interested, but after having my health issues, I will be an informed consumer, the best I can. I'm not perfect, we just ate box brownies(something we rarely do!), but most of the time we are very cautious, or try to be.
So an interesting topic I've learned greatly about, since our cruise in February, along with finding out about healthy chocolate, is antioxidants. We've heard this word a lot, it's thrown around here and there, but what does it mean, and is it really important. Well, really the lifeblood of our body... staying in good health, and fighting off diseases, cancers, Parkinsons, you name it, there's a good reason to be eating good food high in antioxidants. Coming into healthy chocolate, I've had my share of criticisms, particularly from my family, and yet, no one takes the time to give it five seconds, to really think, "wow, could something that is kept in it's natural state actually be so good for me, it could lengthen the years of my life and the quality of my life?" No, it's all about harassment and how silly it is. I must say, that until you experience the lack of health, where so many highly potent drugs can't even knock the pain your body is lashing at you, and after twelve hours of sleep, you still can hardly move, you may not be interested in having a good quality of health, because it all seems fine now. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what we feel when we're not paying attention to what we're putting in our body will only last so long, and then we will be called to pay attention when our bodies can't fight the large amount of chemicals being poured into and onto it.
If you for some reason have some spark of interest in what antioxidants do for you, and why you should maybe pay a bit of attention to them, there is a $5.00 book called the Antioxidant miracle. Science is amazing, can be life changing, life altering, and life saving. Some things require faith, some things require work, and some things require patience. Science doesn't answer all questions, but studies on certain things can be a pretty darn close to absolute. Nothing is for certain, it's science. Evidence, theories, results, but it's when you see results for many years on studies that you should start paying attention. Stop being passive, and be someone who actually decides to take control of your life. Stop being ignorant, and start doing research for yourself. Don't take my word for it, google scholar it. It could be the difference that can alter the rest of your life. There are no guarantees in anything you do, but does that mean you just don't do? Of course not. Make a change, and make it now. Make a difference for your life and those around you. Who cares what people think, they can be persuaded by what is streamlined to them by their t.v.'s. Be one of those that thinks for themselves!
I've missed my blogging on all health issues as they come up and I read them. Time is flying, and as I've been around different family members, it only causes me to turn to my blog to get my health issues off of my chest. It's amazing to me how many people think that there really aren't harmful chemicals in the things we use or eat. It really blows my mind to be honest. I guess a lot of people aren't interested, but after having my health issues, I will be an informed consumer, the best I can. I'm not perfect, we just ate box brownies(something we rarely do!), but most of the time we are very cautious, or try to be.
So an interesting topic I've learned greatly about, since our cruise in February, along with finding out about healthy chocolate, is antioxidants. We've heard this word a lot, it's thrown around here and there, but what does it mean, and is it really important. Well, really the lifeblood of our body... staying in good health, and fighting off diseases, cancers, Parkinsons, you name it, there's a good reason to be eating good food high in antioxidants. Coming into healthy chocolate, I've had my share of criticisms, particularly from my family, and yet, no one takes the time to give it five seconds, to really think, "wow, could something that is kept in it's natural state actually be so good for me, it could lengthen the years of my life and the quality of my life?" No, it's all about harassment and how silly it is. I must say, that until you experience the lack of health, where so many highly potent drugs can't even knock the pain your body is lashing at you, and after twelve hours of sleep, you still can hardly move, you may not be interested in having a good quality of health, because it all seems fine now. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what we feel when we're not paying attention to what we're putting in our body will only last so long, and then we will be called to pay attention when our bodies can't fight the large amount of chemicals being poured into and onto it.
If you for some reason have some spark of interest in what antioxidants do for you, and why you should maybe pay a bit of attention to them, there is a $5.00 book called the Antioxidant miracle. Science is amazing, can be life changing, life altering, and life saving. Some things require faith, some things require work, and some things require patience. Science doesn't answer all questions, but studies on certain things can be a pretty darn close to absolute. Nothing is for certain, it's science. Evidence, theories, results, but it's when you see results for many years on studies that you should start paying attention. Stop being passive, and be someone who actually decides to take control of your life. Stop being ignorant, and start doing research for yourself. Don't take my word for it, google scholar it. It could be the difference that can alter the rest of your life. There are no guarantees in anything you do, but does that mean you just don't do? Of course not. Make a change, and make it now. Make a difference for your life and those around you. Who cares what people think, they can be persuaded by what is streamlined to them by their t.v.'s. Be one of those that thinks for themselves!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
natural remedies...
february 11. 2009
If you are like me, I would rather use a natural remedy to heal my family if possible. Check this one out, try it, and let me know if you like it!
This link takes you to the article, where there are 12 natural remedies for winter aches and chills.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/natural-cures-winter-47101305
The Daily Green...
Thyme for a Cough
If the worrying news about over-the-counter cough syrup has you down, try this natural alternative:
Add three tablespoons of dried thyme to one pint of boiling water. Let cool, then add one cup of honey. Take one teaspoon every hour as needed. You can store the mix in the fridge for up to three months.
Another option: vitamin C-rich ziziphus fruit tea.
If you are like me, I would rather use a natural remedy to heal my family if possible. Check this one out, try it, and let me know if you like it!
This link takes you to the article, where there are 12 natural remedies for winter aches and chills.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/natural-cures-winter-47101305
The Daily Green...
Thyme for a Cough
If the worrying news about over-the-counter cough syrup has you down, try this natural alternative:
Add three tablespoons of dried thyme to one pint of boiling water. Let cool, then add one cup of honey. Take one teaspoon every hour as needed. You can store the mix in the fridge for up to three months.
Another option: vitamin C-rich ziziphus fruit tea.
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