Did you know that cosmetics and personal-care products are a huge source of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other diseases. They can contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. According to the Endocrine Society an endocrine-disrupting substance is a compound, either natural or synthetic, which through environmental or inappropriate developmental exposures alters the hormonal and homeostatic systems that enable the organism to communicate with and respond to its environment. In other words, these substances will cause many of the health issues we are dealing with today such as rising rate of cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and so many others. These compounds are found in the food we eat, the products we use and as this entry points out, the cosmetics we use. Our body's largest organ is our skin. We absorb everything through our skin. This is not meant as a scare tactic. This is information that you would not normally know about from the government because they can't regulate EVERYTHING!
You must be thinking, "But if it's on the drugstore shelf, it must be proven to be 100 percent safe — right?" Not necessarily. While the Food and Drug Administration regulates the safety of cosmetics, manufacturers don't have to seek approval before they bring a new product to market. Beyond an established list of prohibited or restricted substances, the FDA doesn't have the authority to regulate individual ingredients. As a result, all kinds of questionable chemicals are in the products that many of us rub into our skin every day. Here are some of the potentially harmful ones I want you to avoid:
Formaldehyde: This preservative may be found in moisturizers, facial cleansers, baby shampoo, baby wash, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, eye shadows, mascaras, toothpaste, and many other products. It's harmful to the immune system and is a known human carcinogen.
Parabens: Found in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, tooth whiteners, toothpastes, facial cleansers, sunscreens, moisturizers, and astringents, these preservatives have estrogenic effects on the body and have been linked to breast and prostate cancer.
Placenta: Used in some hair relaxers, moisturizers, and toners, placenta is also estrogenic and may increase the risk for breast cancer.
Triclosan: This antibacterial agent is found in a variety of products, including moisturizers, hand creams, shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, and toothpastes. It may interfere with the metabolism of thyroid hormone and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Look for products that are made without these ingredients. There are many stores where you can find these safer products. If you would like more information about an online store, where you can shop for safe, green products, less expensive and delivered right to your door, visit my website at http://www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
Live Total Wellness
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Do You Have Any Of These In Your Home?
Do you have any of these in your home? Johnson's Baby Powder, Crest Tartar
Control Toothpaste, Clairol Hair Products, VO5 Hair Conditioners, Ajax
Cleaner, or Lysol Disinfectant???
If you do we need to talk. According to the National Cancer Prevention Coalition... These are the TOP 6 Cancer Causing Products in the average home!!! We walk for the cure. We donate for the cure. We do many things for the cure. Why not rid your home of the stuff causing cancer???
Friday, July 09, 2010
WTFood:McNuggets have a little too much in common with Silly Putty
anti-foaming at the mouth
WTFood: McNuggets have a little too much in common with Silly Putty 3
Photo: fuxoft via FlickrDrooling over those food-like substances!Moms across the nation can breathe a collective sigh of relief every time their toddlers pop Silly Putty in their mouths with the news that that childhood mainstay is not completely unlike another one: McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. As it turns out, these two amorphous items share the yummy-sounding chemical ingredient, dimethylpolysiloxane, which acts as an "anti-foaming agent."Why does your chicken need an anti-foaming agent? To keep all that delicious deep-frying oil from getting too frothy, of course!
"The chemical is a form of silicone also used in cosmetics and Silly Putty. A review of animal studies by The World Health Organization found no adverse health effects associated with dimethylpolysiloxane," reports CNN.
Neither this nor the petroleum-based chemical preservative tBHQ are found in British McNuggets, due to the differences in preparation to account for regional tastes. As a result, U.K. McNuggets are less fattening (but are they more foamy?).
Either way, these things aren't food so much as Michael Pollan's oft-derided "food-like substances." No wonder some kids can't tell the difference between food and Silly Putty.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
50 Healthy Foods for Under $1 a Pound
I loved this list of foods that are healthy and keep the grocery bills low for those of us trying to eat healthy. Each item is followed by the authors little quip but the list is extensive and a great way to plan healthy meals using a lot of variety. If you have any good recipes using any of the items listed, feel free to share them. Here's to your health!
50 Healthy Foods for Under $1 a Pound
These cheap healthy meals prove eating well doesn't have to cost a fortune.
June 3, 2010 at 10:20AM by Jeff Yeager | 6 comments
| 498diggsdigg | |
That's because, as a general rule of thumb, I try to only buy foodstuff that costs under a buck per pound. Under $1 a pound, year-round --- that's my grocery shopping mantra.
It's not just because I'm a world-class penny-pincher and smart shopper; believe it or not, it's also about eating healthier. When you look at the USDA "food pyramid," many of the things we should be eating the most of -- grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables -- happen to cost the least. It's often the stuff that's bad for us (at least in large quantities) -- red meat, fatty dairy products, and processed foods high in trans saturated fats -- that cost the most, on a per pound basis.
To prove my point, I've put together this list of 50 healthy foods that I've purchased at least once in the last six months for under $1 a pound. First, a few disclaimers about my list-o-fifty:
NO, I don't live on another planet or in a part of the country where the cost of living is deflated. In fact, I live and shop in the Washington, DC metro area, which has one of the highest costs of living (and groceries) in the country.
NO, I'm not saying that all of these items are available in every store, at all times. But if you shop carefully, you can always find at least some variety of these foods around which to plan your meals. Many of the items on the list (e.g. most root vegetables, bananas, beans, etc.) can usually be purchased for under $1 pound even when not on sale or in-season. Other items on the list were "store specials," and typically would cost more than $1 a pound, and/or they were in-season so cost less.
NO, none of the items on my under $1 a pound list are organically grown. The pros/cons of that debate aside, for most people with a limited budget, the choice isn't whether or not to buy expensive organic, it's whether or not to eat highly processed crap like fast food or eat inexpensive healthy foods like those on my list.
See the dirty dozen foods with the most pesticides to maximize organic purchases.
NO, I'm not saying that by eating only these foods you'll have a complete, healthy diet. But they certainly can be the backbone around which to plan healthy, inexpensive menus for your family.
NO, I don't burn up a lot of time and gas by running around to a lot of different grocery stores, and I rarely use coupons. I shop only once every week or two, and I usually shop at only one or two stores. I plan my meals around the-best-of-the-best weekly store specials (aka the "loss-leaders"), the sale items that are usually on the front page of the weekly circular most stores publish. If you're not a creative cook like me, try a website like Delish or Epicurious, where you can enter the ingredients you have to work with and get all kinds of recipes.
So rev-up your shopping cart, but be careful: There's a Green Cheapskate loose on aisle five!
* Apples - One a day keeps the cheapskate away.
* Asparagus - HUGE store special at 99 cents a pound during Easter week. I bought 10 pounds, blanched it and then froze it.
* Bananas - Potassium for pennies.
* Barley - A tasty alternative to rice and potatoes.
* Beans - (canned or dried) Kidney, pinto, navy, black, red, and many more.
* Bok Choy - Steam and serve with a little soy sauce.
* Broccoli - Yes, a store special. Usually closer to $2 per pound.
* Bulgar Wheat - Try it in pilaf or a tabouleh salad.
* Cabbage - Green and red -- I like mine fried.
* Cantaloupe - No, sorry, I can't; I'm already married.
* Carrots - Raw or steamed; rich in carotenes, a healthy antioxidant.
* Celery - Stir fry it for a change.
* Chicken - Whole or various parts, on sale.
* Chickpeas - AKA garbanzo beans -- mash 'em up as a healthy sandwich spread.
* Cornmeal - "Polenta" is all the rage these days, but I loved it 40 years ago when Mom called it "cornmeal mush."
* Cucumbers - Try peeling, seeding, and steaming with a little butter and salt.
* Daikon Radish - My new favorite raw veggie.
* Eggs - Don't overdo them, but eggs provide high quality protein and still cost about $1 per pound. (Plus, there are many eggscellent things you can do with the shells.)
* Green Beans - Frozen, but fresh are sometimes on sale for under $1 a pound in-season.
* Greens - Kale, mustard, turnip, and collard greens are rich in vitamins and a good source of fiber. Here's how I cook 'em.
* Grapes - Store special @ .99 a pound.
* Grapefruit - Bake with a little brown sugar on top for a healthy dessert.
* Lentils - Perhaps the perfect food -- healthy, cheap, and versatile (think soups, salads, sandwich spreads -- and those are only some of the "s" possibilities).
* Liver - Chicken livers usually cost under $1 a pound, and sometimes beef and pork liver can be found in the DMZ ("Dollar Maximum Zone").
* Mangoes - High in fiber and vitamins A, B6, and C.
* Milk - Yep, on a per-pound basis, milk still costs well under $1 a pound.
* Napa Cabbage - Delicious steamed or raw in a salad.
* Oatmeal - The good old-fashioned "slow cooking" kind...that takes all of five minutes.
* Onions - Try baking them whole in a cream sauce.
* Oranges - Frequent sale price when in-season.
* Pasta - Store special @ .89 a pound -- I nearly bought them out!
* Peanut Butter - Special sale price, but stock up because it usually has a long shelf life.
* Pork - Inexpensive cuts of pork frequently go on sale for 99 cents per pound or less; sometimes even ham during the holidays.
* Potatoes - White and red - baked, mashed, boiled, broiled, steamed.
* Pumpkin - Yes, you can eat the same ones you buy as holiday decorations, and they usually cost under 50 cents a pound.
* Rice - White for under $1 a pound; brown, a little more expensive but better for you.
* Rutabagas - Hated them as a kid; can't get enough of them now.
* Sour Cream - 99 cents on sale, but long shelf life, so stock up. My cucumber awaits.
* Spinach - Frozen (but Popeye doesn't care).
* Split peas - Add a hambone and make the ultimate comfort soup. Try it in the crock-pot!
* Squash - Try baking acorn squash with a little brown sugar.
* Sweet corn - Canned, or fresh on the cob, in-season. (Try this recipe for summer corn fritters.)
* Tomatoes (canned) - Canned are often better than fresh to use in cooking, and occasionally you can find fresh on sale for under a buck, in-season.
* Turkey - A popular bargain priced loss-leader around the holidays -- buy an extra bird and freeze it for later.
* Turnips - Make me think of my grandparents, who always grew them.
* Watermelon - Whole, in-season melons can sometime cost less than 20 cents a pound if they're on sale and you find a big one.
* Wine - Well, at least the stuff I drink - 5 liter box (approximately 11 pounds) for about ten bucks, on sale. (BTW, the beer I drink is even less expensive per pound.)
* Yams/Sweet Potatoes - One of the healthiest foods you can eat, and usually available year around for under $1 a pound.
* Yogurt - 8-ounce containers on sale two for $1.
* Zucchini - OK, they're a type of squash (above). But I love them so much they deserve their own place on the list. Plus they look great in pantyhose.
See how a slow cooker becomes a mean, green, $30 recession-fighting machine
Now look at all the money you've saved!
Jeff Yeager is the author of The Cheapskate Next Door and The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. His website is www.UltimateCheapskate.com. Connect with Jeff Yeager on Twitter and Facebook.
Friend TDG on Facebook and Follow TDG on Twitter
Photo Credit: Martin Koch / IStock
Friday, June 11, 2010
Skip Styrofoam Cups...for Your Health
Not only is the material no friend of the environment, but it can leach toxic chemicals.
By Brian Clark Howard
Avoid polystyrene (commonly known as the brand Styrofoam) for cups, plates, carry-out containers and anything else that might touch consumables.
Any green worth his or her salt knows that polystyrene is bad for the environment: but also know that it isn't so great for your health either. Plastics marked with the recycling code 6, for polystyrene, can be fashioned into soft or rigid foams, and are in common use. Not only do they require petroleum to make, but they take eons to break down in the environment.
But what you might not know is that polystyrene can also release potentially toxic breakdown products (including styrene), particularly when heated! If you don't want harmful chemicals leaching into your food or drink, even at low concentrations, choose ceramic, glass (recycled), paper or safer plastics like numbers 1, 2 or 5.
Why I Use Safer Products
Why are 100’s of Thousands of Families Switching Stores Every Month around the World?
Are safer products truly THAT important for you and your family?
The answer is YES! We know that the healthiest consumer is an educated one. It is critical to your success that you educate yourself regarding toxins in your home and their health effects. This will help you to first be your own best customer, and create a safer home for your own family. This will enable you to reach out, educate others and have a true impact on other families.
Are safer products truly THAT important for you and your family?
The answer is YES! We know that the healthiest consumer is an educated one. It is critical to your success that you educate yourself regarding toxins in your home and their health effects. This will help you to first be your own best customer, and create a safer home for your own family. This will enable you to reach out, educate others and have a true impact on other families.
I work with an international health and wellness company. We are not just a store for products that work better, although they do. We are not just a store for products that are more cost effective with better value, although they are. We are not just a store that is a more convenient to shop, although we are. We are a store that first and formost makes SAFER, HEALTHIER products that are focused on prevention while also being better quality, more effective, more cost effective and more convenient.
Our goal here is to give you some research that will help you to first eduacte yourself, and then provide you with tools and resources to help you educate others.
Did you know…
The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care. [USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]
Environmental Protection Agency studies have shown that indoor air pollution can be 3 to 70 times higher than outdoors.
Almost 50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality [1989 State of Massachusetts Study]
According to the National Safety Council, more children under the age of 4 die of accidental household poisonings than are accidentally killed by guns at home
The EPA conducted a study that found that toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air pollution.
Of 2,983 chemicals analyzed that are found in personal care products:
· 884 are toxic
· 146 can cause tumors
· 218 can cause reproductive complications
· 778 cause acute toxicity
· 314 can cause biological mutations
· 376 can cause skin and eye irritations
[Source: United States House of Representatives Report through NIOSH, 1989]
Ingestion only accounts for about 10% of household poisonings. 90% of poisoning happens through inhalation and skin absorption.
Women who work in the home have a 54% higher risk of dying from cancer than women who work outside of the home because of their increased exposure to household chemicals. [Toronto Indoor Air Conference of 1990 from a 15+ year study]
150 chemicals found in the home have been connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. [The Consumer Protection Agency)
In an EPA report to the US Congress regarding the Indoor Air Quality Act of 1989, they stated that indoor air quality is one of the nation’s most important environmental health problems.
“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.” [Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University]
Diseases that used to occur later in life are now appearing at younger ages. Diseases that used to be rare are more frequent. For example:
· There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer since the addition of pesticides into household products.
· Cancer is now the #2 killer of children – second only to accidental poisonings. Since 1977 the rate of cancer among American children has been steadily rising at a rate of nearly 1% each year. [National Cancer Institute]
Some products release contaminants into the air right away, others do so gradually over a period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year. These contaminants, found in many household and personal care products can cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, eye/skin/respiratory tract irritations and some cause cancer. [American Lung Association]
In 1901, cancer was rare: 1 out of 8,000. Since the Industrial Revolution, the cancer rate today has risen to 1 in 3 and is not improving. [The American Cancer Society]
In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. [Center for Disease Control]
Just by reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, we could save at least 50,000 lives taken by cancer annually. [Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health]
Even small doses of neurotoxins, which would be harmless to an adult, can alter a child’s nervous system development. [Environmental Health Perspectives 106 Supplement 3:787-794 (June 1998)]
Out of 2,435 pesticide poisonings in a one-year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home. [State of California Study]
Developing cells in children’s bodies are more susceptible to damage than adult cells that have completed development, especially for the central nervous system. During the development of a child, from conception through adolescence, there are particular windows of vulnerability to environmental hazards. Most disturbing – until a child is approximately 13 months of age, they are virtually no ability to fight the biological and neurological effects of toxic chemicals. [Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]
Today, children have chemical exposures from birth that their parents didn’t have until they were adults. Because children are exposed to toxics at an earlier age than adults, they have more time to develop environmentally triggered diseases, with long latency periods, such as cancer. [Environmental Policy and Children’s Health, Future of Children, Summer/Fall 1995; 5(2): 34-52]
Household bleaches which claim to disinfect are classified as pesticides under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Inadvertently mixing bleach with other cleaners that contain ammonia produces a toxic chloramines gas. These toxic gases can cause coughing, loss of voice, a feeling of burning or suffocation, and even death. [Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home, Household Hazardous Waste Project, 1989]
There is an increased risk for leukemia in children where parents have used pesticides in the home or garden before the child’s birth. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute]
Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance and one of the most common indoor air pollutants. It is a highly suspected cancer-causing agent. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause a wide variety of reactions, including skin reactions, ear infections, headaches, depression, joint pain, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, sleep disturbances, and many more. How many of these names would you have recognized as formaldehyde? Manufactures can legally use over 30 different trade names for this chemical. Below are some… (http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/d
· Formalin
· Quaternium-15 (formaldehyde releasing agent)
· Methanal
· Methyl Aldehyde
· Methylene Oxide
· Oxymethylene
· Bfv*
· Fannoform*
· Formol*
· Fyde*
· Karsan*
· Methaldehyde
· Formalith*
· Methylene Glycol
· Ivalon*
· Oxomethane
· Formalin 40
· Formic Aldehyde
· Hoch
· Paraform
· Lysoform*
· Morbocid
· Trioxane
· Polyoxmethylene
* denotes trade name
More Online Research Resources for you and your customers:
Take a virtual home tour with the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/kidshom
Video Clip of “Are you Exposing your Children to a Toxic Brew in your Home?” http://www.rmbarry.com/aud
Children and Household Toxics: http://www.rmbarry.com/res
www.RMBarry.com – Research reports, toxin brochures and educational tools
What makes Melaleuca’s EcoSense line different: www.saferforyourhome.com
National Cancer Institute (NCI). http://www.cancer.gov/
National Cancer Institute SEER site (for stats on cancer) http://seer.cancer.gov/
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997, Facts on Lead, http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/le
Environmental Working Group article “Are We Poisoning Our Kids?” http://www.ewg.org/news/st
Environmental Working Group (EWG) (Chemical Industry Archives Project) http://www.chemicalindustr
American Lung Association http://www.lungusa.org/
American Lung Assoc article Indoor Air Pollution facts http://www.lungusa.org/sit
Chemicals found in fabric softeners, by the EPA http://www.immuneweb.org/a
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US Department of Labor group) http://osha.gov/
Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) article on Formaldehyde
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/M
Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) article on Ammonia
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/M
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
http://www.fda.gov/
FDA authority over cosmetics; Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Cosmetics Fact Sheet, February 3, 1995.
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~d
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/
The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pub
Environmental Protection Agency Chemical Fact Sheets
http://www.epa.gov/chemfac
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/docr
Children’s Health Environmental Coalition http://www.checblog.org/
Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) http://www.chej.org/
Health and Environment Resource Center (HERC) www.herc.org
Household Products Database: The National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine’s extensive database of harmful chemicals in cleaning and health products. http://hpd.nlm/. nih.gov/
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): Article “IARC Classifies Formaldehyde as Carcinogenic to Humans”
http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Pre
Info on Asthma from the American Lung Assoc: http://www.alaw.org/asthma
The National Safety Council definition of warning label terms: http://www.nsc.org/issues/
Mercury in household products: http://www.tacanow.com/con
In Harm’s Way - http://psr.igc.org/ihwrept
Chemical Education Foundation: http://www.chemed.org/
Pesticide facts: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/
News Articles for Review:
ABC News Report: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/
The CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer
CNN on toxins in autos: http://www.cnn.com/2006/AU
ABC News _Toxic Schools: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/
EWG: Body Burden: http://www.ewg.org/reports
NBC: Housework could be making women sick: http://www.nbc5i.com/healt
“Not Under My Roof” - Article with Kelly Preston and Olivia Newton-John: http://www.findarticles.co
Thorax Online : Asthma and the Environment: http://thorax.bmj.com/cgi/
The Consumer Law Pages: http://consumerlawpage.com
Cancer Prevention: http://www.medical-library
Head Lice and Chemicals: http://www.rmbarry.com/res
FREE Materials for you:
The EPA’s online booklet: "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality" http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pub
Free brochure samples from www.RMBarry.com: http://www.rmbarry.com/sam
To obtain a pamphlet containing more household products and their associated risks, or for more information about hazardous household products or about indoor air pollution in general, contact your local American Lung Association. Call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).
Free Poison Prevention Community Action Kit from the National Safety Council: http://www.nsc.org/issues/
Did you know…
The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care. [USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]
Environmental Protection Agency studies have shown that indoor air pollution can be 3 to 70 times higher than outdoors.
Almost 50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality [1989 State of Massachusetts Study]
According to the National Safety Council, more children under the age of 4 die of accidental household poisonings than are accidentally killed by guns at home
The EPA conducted a study that found that toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air pollution.
Of 2,983 chemicals analyzed that are found in personal care products:
· 884 are toxic
· 146 can cause tumors
· 218 can cause reproductive complications
· 778 cause acute toxicity
· 314 can cause biological mutations
· 376 can cause skin and eye irritations
[Source: United States House of Representatives Report through NIOSH, 1989]
Ingestion only accounts for about 10% of household poisonings. 90% of poisoning happens through inhalation and skin absorption.
Women who work in the home have a 54% higher risk of dying from cancer than women who work outside of the home because of their increased exposure to household chemicals. [Toronto Indoor Air Conference of 1990 from a 15+ year study]
150 chemicals found in the home have been connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. [The Consumer Protection Agency)
In an EPA report to the US Congress regarding the Indoor Air Quality Act of 1989, they stated that indoor air quality is one of the nation’s most important environmental health problems.
“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.” [Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University]
Diseases that used to occur later in life are now appearing at younger ages. Diseases that used to be rare are more frequent. For example:
· There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer since the addition of pesticides into household products.
· Cancer is now the #2 killer of children – second only to accidental poisonings. Since 1977 the rate of cancer among American children has been steadily rising at a rate of nearly 1% each year. [National Cancer Institute]
Some products release contaminants into the air right away, others do so gradually over a period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year. These contaminants, found in many household and personal care products can cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, eye/skin/respiratory tract irritations and some cause cancer. [American Lung Association]
In 1901, cancer was rare: 1 out of 8,000. Since the Industrial Revolution, the cancer rate today has risen to 1 in 3 and is not improving. [The American Cancer Society]
In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. [Center for Disease Control]
Just by reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, we could save at least 50,000 lives taken by cancer annually. [Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health]
Even small doses of neurotoxins, which would be harmless to an adult, can alter a child’s nervous system development. [Environmental Health Perspectives 106 Supplement 3:787-794 (June 1998)]
Out of 2,435 pesticide poisonings in a one-year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home. [State of California Study]
Developing cells in children’s bodies are more susceptible to damage than adult cells that have completed development, especially for the central nervous system. During the development of a child, from conception through adolescence, there are particular windows of vulnerability to environmental hazards. Most disturbing – until a child is approximately 13 months of age, they are virtually no ability to fight the biological and neurological effects of toxic chemicals. [Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]
Today, children have chemical exposures from birth that their parents didn’t have until they were adults. Because children are exposed to toxics at an earlier age than adults, they have more time to develop environmentally triggered diseases, with long latency periods, such as cancer. [Environmental Policy and Children’s Health, Future of Children, Summer/Fall 1995; 5(2): 34-52]
Household bleaches which claim to disinfect are classified as pesticides under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Inadvertently mixing bleach with other cleaners that contain ammonia produces a toxic chloramines gas. These toxic gases can cause coughing, loss of voice, a feeling of burning or suffocation, and even death. [Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home, Household Hazardous Waste Project, 1989]
There is an increased risk for leukemia in children where parents have used pesticides in the home or garden before the child’s birth. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute]
Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance and one of the most common indoor air pollutants. It is a highly suspected cancer-causing agent. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause a wide variety of reactions, including skin reactions, ear infections, headaches, depression, joint pain, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, sleep disturbances, and many more. How many of these names would you have recognized as formaldehyde? Manufactures can legally use over 30 different trade names for this chemical. Below are some… (http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/d
· Formalin
· Quaternium-15 (formaldehyde releasing agent)
· Methanal
· Methyl Aldehyde
· Methylene Oxide
· Oxymethylene
· Bfv*
· Fannoform*
· Formol*
· Fyde*
· Karsan*
· Methaldehyde
· Formalith*
· Methylene Glycol
· Ivalon*
· Oxomethane
· Formalin 40
· Formic Aldehyde
· Hoch
· Paraform
· Lysoform*
· Morbocid
· Trioxane
· Polyoxmethylene
* denotes trade name
More Online Research Resources for you and your customers:
Take a virtual home tour with the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/kidshom
Video Clip of “Are you Exposing your Children to a Toxic Brew in your Home?” http://www.rmbarry.com/aud
Children and Household Toxics: http://www.rmbarry.com/res
www.RMBarry.com – Research reports, toxin brochures and educational tools
What makes Melaleuca’s EcoSense line different: www.saferforyourhome.com
National Cancer Institute (NCI). http://www.cancer.gov/
National Cancer Institute SEER site (for stats on cancer) http://seer.cancer.gov/
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997, Facts on Lead, http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/le
Environmental Working Group article “Are We Poisoning Our Kids?” http://www.ewg.org/news/st
Environmental Working Group (EWG) (Chemical Industry Archives Project) http://www.chemicalindustr
American Lung Association http://www.lungusa.org/
American Lung Assoc article Indoor Air Pollution facts http://www.lungusa.org/sit
Chemicals found in fabric softeners, by the EPA http://www.immuneweb.org/a
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US Department of Labor group) http://osha.gov/
Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) article on Formaldehyde
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/M
Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) article on Ammonia
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/M
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
http://www.fda.gov/
FDA authority over cosmetics; Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Cosmetics Fact Sheet, February 3, 1995.
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~d
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/
The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pub
Environmental Protection Agency Chemical Fact Sheets
http://www.epa.gov/chemfac
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/docr
Children’s Health Environmental Coalition http://www.checblog.org/
Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) http://www.chej.org/
Health and Environment Resource Center (HERC) www.herc.org
Household Products Database: The National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine’s extensive database of harmful chemicals in cleaning and health products. http://hpd.nlm/. nih.gov/
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): Article “IARC Classifies Formaldehyde as Carcinogenic to Humans”
http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Pre
Info on Asthma from the American Lung Assoc: http://www.alaw.org/asthma
The National Safety Council definition of warning label terms: http://www.nsc.org/issues/
Mercury in household products: http://www.tacanow.com/con
In Harm’s Way - http://psr.igc.org/ihwrept
Chemical Education Foundation: http://www.chemed.org/
Pesticide facts: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/
News Articles for Review:
ABC News Report: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/
The CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer
CNN on toxins in autos: http://www.cnn.com/2006/AU
ABC News _Toxic Schools: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/
EWG: Body Burden: http://www.ewg.org/reports
NBC: Housework could be making women sick: http://www.nbc5i.com/healt
“Not Under My Roof” - Article with Kelly Preston and Olivia Newton-John: http://www.findarticles.co
Thorax Online : Asthma and the Environment: http://thorax.bmj.com/cgi/
The Consumer Law Pages: http://consumerlawpage.com
Cancer Prevention: http://www.medical-library
Head Lice and Chemicals: http://www.rmbarry.com/res
FREE Materials for you:
The EPA’s online booklet: "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality" http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pub
Free brochure samples from www.RMBarry.com: http://www.rmbarry.com/sam
To obtain a pamphlet containing more household products and their associated risks, or for more information about hazardous household products or about indoor air pollution in general, contact your local American Lung Association. Call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).
Free Poison Prevention Community Action Kit from the National Safety Council: http://www.nsc.org/issues/
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Study Links Pesticides to ADHD
5.17.2010 3:36 PM
Study Links Pesticides to ADHD
By Julie Gerstein
A new study from researchers at University of Montreal and Harvard found a link experts call "persuasive" between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and exposure to common pesticides.
The study examined more than 1,100 children, 150 of which were previously diagnosed as ADHD. The findings, published in Pediatrics, revealed that around 94% of children examined had detectable levels of organophosphate pesticides in their urine. Children with higher levels of residue had increased chances of ADHD.
Said Maryse F. Bouchard of the University of Montreal Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and lead author of the study: "Previous studies have shown that exposure to some organophosphate compounds cause hyperactivity and cognitive deficits in animals. Our study found that exposure to organophosphates in developing children might have effects on neural systems and could contribute to ADHD behaviors, such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity."
Previous studies have linked ADHD and attention deficit disorder to exposure to food additives, lead and phthalates. Which, or which combination, is the real culprit? Dr. Philip Landrigan, a 2010 Heart of Green Award winner, is trying to find the cause of autism, adhd, obesity and other chronic childhood illnesses through the ambitious Children's Health Study.
The most common route of organophosphate pesticide exposure for most children is through eating foods that have a high pesticide residue. Organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. A 2008 study found that when children switched to organic produce, detectable pesticide levels dropped to undetectable levels.
Important to note: Some produce has markedly higher levels of pesticide residue than others. The produce most likely contaminated with pesticides frozen blueberries, strawberries and celery topped the list
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/adhd-children-pesticides?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=nl_dgr_hlt_got_052010_adhd-children-pesticides&kw=ist#ixzz0oVTIQIq7
Monday, May 10, 2010
President's Cancer Panel: Organic foods reduce environmental risks
President’s Cancer Panel: Organic foods reduce environmental risks
GREENFIELD, Mass. (May 6, 2010)—. The President’s Cancer Panel Report released today exhorts consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers , antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer. Organic products avoid the use of these chemicals.
“Exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing, to the extent possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers…Similarly, exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feed lots can be minimized by eating free-range meat raised without these medications,” according to the landmark report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now,” submitted to President Obama by Dr. LaSalle Leffall, Jr., an oncologist and professor of surgery at Howard University, and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke, an immunologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
“Organic production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used on the farm all the way to our dinner tables,” said Christine Bushway, Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA).
Organic production is based on a system of farming without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) and synthetic fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food. In addition, animal confinement in feedlots is prohibited.
“Consumers should know that organic foods have the least chemicals applied in their production and the least residues in the final products. Thus, those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals and follow the recommendations of the President’s Cancer Panel, can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop,” said Bushway.
“The American people—even before they are born—are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures,” the panel wrote in a letter to President Obama. It added. “The Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”
It added, “Many known or suspected carcinogens first identified through studies of industrial and agricultural occupational exposures have since found their way into soil, air, water and numerous consumer products…Some of these chemicals have been found in maternal blood, placental tissue, and breast milk samples from pregnant women and mothers who recently gave birth. Thus, chemical contaminants are being passed on to the next generation, both prenatally and during breastfeeding.”
“OTA is gratified to see a prestigious scientific panel recognize what the organic farmers and the organic community have realized about environmental health and organic agriculture for decades, and we applaud them for taking on this critical issue,” Bushway added.
The full report is available online at http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Mighty Cucumber
This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2.Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminium to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams..
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!
Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems
Cynthia Rowland - Anti Aging Specialist & Beauty Consultant
http://www.cynthiarowland.com
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2.Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminium to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams..
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!
Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems
Cynthia Rowland - Anti Aging Specialist & Beauty Consultant
http://www.cynthiarowland.com
Monday, March 29, 2010
Is Your Microwave Oven Making You Sick?
Is Your Microwave Cooking Making You Sick?
A look at how microwaved food can negatively affect your health
by Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN & Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist
co-authors - The Fat Burning Kitchen
Do you know what (besides a television) is in almost every home in America? It’s a microwave oven. Because microwave ovens are quick and easy and don't take up much space, they are used for meal preparation in the home, at the office, and even restaurants. Even your favorite healthy restaurant may depend on these electrical devices to quickly heat up or cook foods. So, the question here is —
Are microwave ovens safe, and is it ok to eat the food cooked in them?
Before we look at the science of how microwaved food can affect your blood chemistry and negatively affect your health, let's look at a bigger picture, common-sense thought process about this...
If you think about it from this perspective, the human digestive system evolved over tens of thousands of years to digest food that was either raw or cooked in water or by heat. However, food cooked via microwaves is a totally alien and unknown cooking method to the human digestive system.
It's just common sense that such a radically different cooking method will alter the chemistry of the food to negatively impact our health.
Now onto a little more science...
Let’s take a look at how microwaves ovens work
Microwaves are a part of the whole electromagnetic spectrum of energy that includes light waves and radio waves. They travel at the speed of light--which is about 186,282 miles per second. So how does that oven heat up the food so fast?
Inside the microwave oven, there is a “magnetron” which is a tube full of electrons. The electrons in the microwave oven react with magnetic and electronic energy and become micro wavelengths. This is the radiation that interacts with the molecules in food.
Food molecules have a positive and negative end, kind of like the way a magnet has a north and a south polarity. The electrons from the magnetron produce wavelengths that react with the positive and negative parts of the food molecules. The food molecules then start vibrating, up to several million times a second. This molecular “vibration” is what creates the heat in the food.
This agitiation deforms the molecules in food and creates new unnatural radiolytic compounds previously unknown to nature. These strange foreign compounds in microwaved food have been shown to damage the blood, the digestive system, and our immune systems.
Microwave ovens have been actually been around for about 40 or so years, but so far, only a couple of in-depth scientific studies have been done on them.
Research showing negative health impacts of eating microwaved food
Extensive research, though, was conducted in both Switzerland and Russia on microwaved foods and their effects on the human body. Both studies concluded that microwaving foods significantly deteriorated the nutrient value of the food, distorted protein molecules in the food, and created new, radically unnatural compounds. Most alarming, however, was that the subjects' health deteriorated from eating the microwaved foods.
Their findings included:
When food is cooked in a microwave oven, it has:
The grain watered with microwaved (and cooled) water would not not even germinate or grow! It’s pretty obvious that microwaving changed the water chemically and destroyed its ability to nourish a plant.
Ok, so maybe it’s ok to just heat leftovers in the microwave oven once in a while?
NO! Actually, food heated in a microwave is heated unevenly creating super-heated spots and cool spots. Those cool spots may actually harbor bacterial growth such as salmonella, and you end up with food poisoning.
In addition, when you use plastic containers or plastic wrap in contact with your food, you end up getting all sorts of nasty chemicals like di(ethylhexyl)adepate, or DEHA, (a carcinogen), Bisphenol-A or BPA (a cancer-causing agent in plastics) and xenoestrogens (synthetic estrogens) in your food!
In one recent study, it was found that carcinogenic ingredients in plastic wrap were 10,000 times the FDA limit for safety!
Exposure to BPA, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and other plastics, has been shown to cause reproductive problems and erectile dysfunction, and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans.
Xenoestrogens are really nasty synthetic estrogens that seem to show up everywhere. In men, xenoestrogens can cause low sperm counts and feminization (like the dreaded “man boobs”) and breast cancer and reproductive problems in women. Xenoestrogens promote weight gain around the belly and chest in men, and in women, it shows up as fat in the butt, hips, thighs and the back of arms.
So, in addition to being really unhealthy, microwaved foods can make you fat!
Parents should never warm breast milk or formula in the microwave oven—not only can it superheat the milk and burn the baby, but microwaving destroys the very valuable nutrients, enzymes and protein vital to babies' growth!
And here is something really scary: in 1991, a patient received blood that had been warmed in a microwave oven. That patient died of a severe anaphylactic reaction to the blood. The microwaving created something totally unrecognizable by the body!
If you want to be safe, healthy and LEAN, avoid your microwave—totally. Personally, I threw out my microwave about 6 years ago and haven't even missed it!
There are far healthier and better alternatives:
You can actually cook a frozen 15-oz. ribeye is in 20 minutes, and it is delicious; browned, tender and juicy. These little convection ovens will broil, bake, fry, roast, grill or steam your favorite foods, including meat, chicken, and vegetable. It takes 20-30% less time than a regular oven, and uses about 75% less energy.
This is a far healthier option than a cancer-causing, nutrient-robbing, microwave oven!
Please feel free to email the link to this page to your friends and family so they can make the smart decision to throw out their microwaves and protect their family's health!
A look at how microwaved food can negatively affect your health
by Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN & Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist
co-authors - The Fat Burning Kitchen
Do you know what (besides a television) is in almost every home in America? It’s a microwave oven. Because microwave ovens are quick and easy and don't take up much space, they are used for meal preparation in the home, at the office, and even restaurants. Even your favorite healthy restaurant may depend on these electrical devices to quickly heat up or cook foods. So, the question here is —Are microwave ovens safe, and is it ok to eat the food cooked in them?
Before we look at the science of how microwaved food can affect your blood chemistry and negatively affect your health, let's look at a bigger picture, common-sense thought process about this...
If you think about it from this perspective, the human digestive system evolved over tens of thousands of years to digest food that was either raw or cooked in water or by heat. However, food cooked via microwaves is a totally alien and unknown cooking method to the human digestive system.
It's just common sense that such a radically different cooking method will alter the chemistry of the food to negatively impact our health.
Now onto a little more science...
Let’s take a look at how microwaves ovens work
Microwaves are a part of the whole electromagnetic spectrum of energy that includes light waves and radio waves. They travel at the speed of light--which is about 186,282 miles per second. So how does that oven heat up the food so fast?
Inside the microwave oven, there is a “magnetron” which is a tube full of electrons. The electrons in the microwave oven react with magnetic and electronic energy and become micro wavelengths. This is the radiation that interacts with the molecules in food.
Food molecules have a positive and negative end, kind of like the way a magnet has a north and a south polarity. The electrons from the magnetron produce wavelengths that react with the positive and negative parts of the food molecules. The food molecules then start vibrating, up to several million times a second. This molecular “vibration” is what creates the heat in the food.
This agitiation deforms the molecules in food and creates new unnatural radiolytic compounds previously unknown to nature. These strange foreign compounds in microwaved food have been shown to damage the blood, the digestive system, and our immune systems.
Microwave ovens have been actually been around for about 40 or so years, but so far, only a couple of in-depth scientific studies have been done on them.
Research showing negative health impacts of eating microwaved food
Extensive research, though, was conducted in both Switzerland and Russia on microwaved foods and their effects on the human body. Both studies concluded that microwaving foods significantly deteriorated the nutrient value of the food, distorted protein molecules in the food, and created new, radically unnatural compounds. Most alarming, however, was that the subjects' health deteriorated from eating the microwaved foods.
Their findings included:
- Blood hemoglobin (the extremely important oxygen-carrying component of the blood) decreased significantly after eating microwaved foods.
- White blood cell count rose, (as it does in response to an infection).
- LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) increased, and HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) decreased.
- Carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents in foods increased.
- Higher incidence of digestive system cancers.
When food is cooked in a microwave oven, it has:
- Significantly less B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and fats.
- Broken down and de-natured proteins.
- Loss of vital enzymes and phytochemicals.
The grain watered with microwaved (and cooled) water would not not even germinate or grow! It’s pretty obvious that microwaving changed the water chemically and destroyed its ability to nourish a plant.
Ok, so maybe it’s ok to just heat leftovers in the microwave oven once in a while?
NO! Actually, food heated in a microwave is heated unevenly creating super-heated spots and cool spots. Those cool spots may actually harbor bacterial growth such as salmonella, and you end up with food poisoning.
In addition, when you use plastic containers or plastic wrap in contact with your food, you end up getting all sorts of nasty chemicals like di(ethylhexyl)adepate, or DEHA, (a carcinogen), Bisphenol-A or BPA (a cancer-causing agent in plastics) and xenoestrogens (synthetic estrogens) in your food!
In one recent study, it was found that carcinogenic ingredients in plastic wrap were 10,000 times the FDA limit for safety!
Exposure to BPA, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and other plastics, has been shown to cause reproductive problems and erectile dysfunction, and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans.
Xenoestrogens are really nasty synthetic estrogens that seem to show up everywhere. In men, xenoestrogens can cause low sperm counts and feminization (like the dreaded “man boobs”) and breast cancer and reproductive problems in women. Xenoestrogens promote weight gain around the belly and chest in men, and in women, it shows up as fat in the butt, hips, thighs and the back of arms.
So, in addition to being really unhealthy, microwaved foods can make you fat!
Parents should never warm breast milk or formula in the microwave oven—not only can it superheat the milk and burn the baby, but microwaving destroys the very valuable nutrients, enzymes and protein vital to babies' growth!
And here is something really scary: in 1991, a patient received blood that had been warmed in a microwave oven. That patient died of a severe anaphylactic reaction to the blood. The microwaving created something totally unrecognizable by the body!
If you want to be safe, healthy and LEAN, avoid your microwave—totally. Personally, I threw out my microwave about 6 years ago and haven't even missed it!
There are far healthier and better alternatives:
- Eat vegetables and fruit raw preferably, or if cooked, sauté lightly (with a little water and some grass-fed butter) or steam until tender crisp in a pan on the stove.
- Heat water for tea, etc in a pan or tea-kettle instead of the microwave—or, better yet-- is to get a steaming hot water tap—I love these things!
- Plan ahead and defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator.
- Heat up ALL leftovers over low heat in a pan or in a toaster oven in aluminum foil (it still only takes 4-5 minutes to heat leftovers)
- If you must use a microwave (and I don’t know why you would!), use only glass containers instead of plastic.
You can actually cook a frozen 15-oz. ribeye is in 20 minutes, and it is delicious; browned, tender and juicy. These little convection ovens will broil, bake, fry, roast, grill or steam your favorite foods, including meat, chicken, and vegetable. It takes 20-30% less time than a regular oven, and uses about 75% less energy.
This is a far healthier option than a cancer-causing, nutrient-robbing, microwave oven!
Please feel free to email the link to this page to your friends and family so they can make the smart decision to throw out their microwaves and protect their family's health!
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