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
Live Total Wellness
Friday, April 23, 2010
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!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs
Shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs
Household cleaning products are creating a bacterial timebomb in our drains and rivers
- The Observer, Sunday 29 March 2009
- Article history
Fabric softeners, disinfectants, shampoos and other household products are spreading drug-resistant bacteria around Britain, scientists have warned. Detergents used in factories and mills are also increasing the odds that some medicines will no longer be able to combat dangerous diseases.
The warning has been made by Birmingham and Warwick university scientists, who say disinfectants and other products washed into sewers and rivers are triggering the growth of drug-resistant microbes. Soil samples from many areas have been found to contain high levels of bacteria with antibiotic-resistant genes, the scientists have discovered - raising fears that these may have already been picked up by humans.
"Every year, the nation produces 1.5m tonnes of sewage sludge and most of that is spread on farmland," said Dr William Gaze of Warwick University. That sludge contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria whose growth is triggered by chemicals in detergents, he explained. "In addition, we pump 11bn litres of water from houses and factories into our rivers and estuaries every day, and these are also spreading resistance."
The study is important because it suggests that the problem of drug resistance is not merely the result of the over-prescription of antibiotics or poor hygiene standards in hospitals. However, the team stressed the emergence of the most deadly superbugs - such as MRSA that has caused thousands of deaths in hospitals - is not linked to the use of disinfectants.
"Our research shows drug resistance is not confined to hospitals, but is out in the community. It is spreading and all the time it is eroding our ability to control infections. It is extremely worrying," said Professor Liz Wellington, also of Warwick University.
In their study, the scientists looked at quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) that are used in many household cleaning goods. Every day, huge volumes of these chemicals are flushed from homes and factories into sewers and rivers. In high concentrations, QACs kill bacteria. However, in sewage, these chemicals become diluted and bacteria have evolved resistance to them.
"That is a natural evolutionary process," said Gaze. "If other bacteria are killed, those that are resistant to QACs will survive and, without competition, will multiply in vast numbers. However, it turns out that the piece of DNA that confers that resistance also contains genes that confer resistance to antibiotics. In this way, we have created an ideal environment for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our drains and sewers. These microbes are now being spread round the country in river water and in sewage sludge used on farms."
As part of its study, the team - which also includes Professor Peter Hawkey of Birmingham University - looked at soil contaminated with QACs and sewage sludge in the Midlands, the Cotswolds, Hertfordshire and other areas. Using techniques similar to those involved in DNA fingerprinting, they then looked for the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes - and found these in high concentrations.
"The inference is clear," added Gaze. "We are producing sewage and river water that have more and more drug-resistant bacteria in them and that these are now poised to enter the food chain."
Wellington added: "Once they are in the land, these bacteria will get into the bodies of agricultural workers or people who use the land recreationally and will form reservoirs of drug-resistant microbes that could pose all sorts of problems. This is going to need a great deal of monitoring."
In addition, the team found that antibiotics used to treat farm animals - in particular pigs - are also helping to spread drug resistance in the soil. In their tests, the team found samples of pig slurry that possessed high levels of antibiotic-resistant genes, raising fears that strains of resistant bacteria were contaminating the land by another route and could enter the food chain.
"We might think of special measures that will help us control or localise drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals, but the problem is much more widespread than that," added Wellington. "It is now out there in the environment."
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
Spread the Word
Sound the Alert! Sound the Alert!
Coming on March 17th:
the beautifully updated Perfection Pants pattern!
See a few more of the lovely photos from the pattern over here: Perfection Pants on my Flickr!
The new pants pattern will be available in the wooly wonder shop (http://www.woolywonder.com/store) and also in my ravelry pattern store (http://www.ravelry.com/stores/pamela-grossman---wooly-wonder). On Tuesday! The new pattern will be selling at the recession-adjusted price of $12. Additionally, there are some deals...
Deal #1: Current pattern holders will find a coupon code in the Wooly Wonder Perfection Pants Pattern Support forum to purchase the pattern at a discounted price. ($4 off) Thank you for your continued support!
Deal #2: Social Networking Discount Experiment: Place the information shared in this blog post onto your blog (cut and paste the whole thing, including the picture), facebook ("share on fb"), twitter (just place a link to pamelamama's blog entry) or other social networking location, forum, etc (be creative!) and email me a link or screen shot... (my contact-us page) I will email you a coupon code of your very own to use in my shop. (And they told two friends, and they told two friends,and so on...) ($2 off)
The pattern won't be available for download until Tuesday, so thank you for your patience and for helping me spread the word! Knit your own darn perfect-fitting baby pants -- now with an updated, beautified, clarified, but still chatty and loads o'fun pattern.
Top 12 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Buy Organic
(Click on the title of this post to see the video)
Here is a list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables you should always purchase Organic. Why? You can't wash off the pesticides and chemicals because it is inside the fruits and veggies. As the plants are sprayed, the fruits and vegetables grow with the actual pesticides and chemicals within the harvest. You always want to wash your fruit and vegetables before eating because of any dirt, debris, wax and any antidessicants. But you can't wash off the harmful chemicals and negative effects of pesticides.
According to Discovery Health's "Why Organic Food" video you should ALWAYS purchase the following ORGANIC fruits and vegetables. Otherwise, you risk feeding your family high levels of pesticide and chemicals. They are -
1. Peaches
2. Strawberries
3. Apples
4. Spinach
5. Nectarines
6. Celery
7. Pears
8. Cherries
9. Potatoes
10. Bell Peppers
11. Raspberries
12. Grapes
Other interesting facts on the video include correlations between chemicals and the rise in ADD and ADHD, and other childhood maladies. There are many new nutritional items that can help with ADD and ADHD. You can always find more information about safer healthier products at www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
Here is a list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables you should always purchase Organic. Why? You can't wash off the pesticides and chemicals because it is inside the fruits and veggies. As the plants are sprayed, the fruits and vegetables grow with the actual pesticides and chemicals within the harvest. You always want to wash your fruit and vegetables before eating because of any dirt, debris, wax and any antidessicants. But you can't wash off the harmful chemicals and negative effects of pesticides.
According to Discovery Health's "Why Organic Food" video you should ALWAYS purchase the following ORGANIC fruits and vegetables. Otherwise, you risk feeding your family high levels of pesticide and chemicals. They are -
1. Peaches
2. Strawberries
3. Apples
4. Spinach
5. Nectarines
6. Celery
7. Pears
8. Cherries
9. Potatoes
10. Bell Peppers
11. Raspberries
12. Grapes
Other interesting facts on the video include correlations between chemicals and the rise in ADD and ADHD, and other childhood maladies. There are many new nutritional items that can help with ADD and ADHD. You can always find more information about safer healthier products at www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Hazardous Chemicals in Children's Products and more
Chemicals Not Listed on Product Labels Due to Weak Regulatory Standards
This is the reason why I will only purchase safe, healthier products. For more information about where to purchase these products go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
You can have safer products delivered right to your door while paying less per use than name brands purchased at your regular store. Let me show you how.
For Immediate Release: March 12th, 2009
Contact: Stacy Malkan, 202-321-6963, stacy@safecosmetics.org; Jovana Ruzicic, 202-667-6982, jovana@ewg.org; Stephenie Hendricks, 415-258-9151, stephdh@earthlink.net
For a list of the products tested, and the findings, click http://safecosmetics.live.radicaldesigns.org/search.php
Washington − Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to product test results released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The chemicals were not disclosed on product labels because contaminants are exempt from labeling laws.
This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children. Many products tested for this study contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, including the top-selling Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath.
Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known to cause cancer in animals and are listed as probable human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children.
“Given the recent data showing that formaldehyde and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15, are significant sensitizers and causal agents of contact dermatitis in children, it would be prudent to have these removed from children’s products,” said Sharon Jacob, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and contact dermatitis specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that “the presence of 1,4-dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern.”
Contrary to industry statements, there are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States. Other nations have stricter standards. Formaldehyde is banned from personal care products in Japan and Sweden. The European Union bans 1,4-dioxane from personal care products and has recalled products found to contain the chemical.
But there are signs the U.S. is gearing to catch up. Key Congressional leaders point to the findings of this report as further evidence of the need for action. “When products for babies are labeled ‘gentle’ and ‘pure,’ parents expect that they are just that,” said Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.). “To think that cancer-causing chemicals are contaminating baby shampoos and lotions is horrifying. I intend to soon introduce legislation requiring greater oversight of our cosmetics industry. We need to ensure that the chemicals that are used in our everyday products are safe.”
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said, “The fact that we are bathing our kids in products contaminated with carcinogens shows how woefully out of date our cosmetics laws are and how urgently they need to be updated. The science has moved forward, now the FDA needs to catch up and be given the authority to protect the health of Americans.” Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) commented that “Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are better suited for the chem lab, not a child's bathtub. This important report shows that 'No More Tears' can trigger toxic fears, and it provides another reason why these and other cosmetic products must be further regulated. ”
For the study, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 top-selling children’s products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:
* 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane; these included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.
* 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm). Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels of formaldehyde.
* 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane.
“There is absolutely no reason why manufacturers can’t remove hazardous chemicals in products being applied to babies’ bodies every day,” said Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund. “Children are exposed to toxic chemicals from many sources. We need to protect them from these kinds of repeated, unnecessary exposures.”
“Products made in the U.S. and marketed for children should not contain chemicals linked to cancer or any other health problem,” said Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at Environmental Working Group and creator of the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com). “Congress urgently needs to reform federal policy to protect the most vulnerable members of our society by ensuring that the personal care products we use every day are free from harmful chemicals.”
Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said that the usual regulatory approach of assessing risk one chemical at a time does not account for the combined effects of very low levels of hidden contaminants in personal care products and from other sources. “Rather than waiting for definitive proof of human harm, we must lower exposures to controllable agents that we know or suspect cause cancer," Davis said.
The full results of the study can be found in the report, “No More Toxic Tub” at http://www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub.
# # #
Founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women's Voices for the Earth. www.SafeCosmetics.org
Partner organizations in the following states assisted in the release of this report and may be available for interviews and local angles. Please contact Shannon Coughlin, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org or 415-336-2246, for more information.
This is the reason why I will only purchase safe, healthier products. For more information about where to purchase these products go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
You can have safer products delivered right to your door while paying less per use than name brands purchased at your regular store. Let me show you how.
For Immediate Release: March 12th, 2009
Contact: Stacy Malkan, 202-321-6963, stacy@safecosmetics.org; Jovana Ruzicic, 202-667-6982, jovana@ewg.org; Stephenie Hendricks, 415-258-9151, stephdh@earthlink.net
For a list of the products tested, and the findings, click http://safecosmetics.live.radicaldesigns.org/search.php
Washington − Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to product test results released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The chemicals were not disclosed on product labels because contaminants are exempt from labeling laws.
This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children. Many products tested for this study contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, including the top-selling Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath.
Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known to cause cancer in animals and are listed as probable human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children.
“Given the recent data showing that formaldehyde and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15, are significant sensitizers and causal agents of contact dermatitis in children, it would be prudent to have these removed from children’s products,” said Sharon Jacob, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and contact dermatitis specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that “the presence of 1,4-dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern.”
Contrary to industry statements, there are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States. Other nations have stricter standards. Formaldehyde is banned from personal care products in Japan and Sweden. The European Union bans 1,4-dioxane from personal care products and has recalled products found to contain the chemical.
But there are signs the U.S. is gearing to catch up. Key Congressional leaders point to the findings of this report as further evidence of the need for action. “When products for babies are labeled ‘gentle’ and ‘pure,’ parents expect that they are just that,” said Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.). “To think that cancer-causing chemicals are contaminating baby shampoos and lotions is horrifying. I intend to soon introduce legislation requiring greater oversight of our cosmetics industry. We need to ensure that the chemicals that are used in our everyday products are safe.”
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said, “The fact that we are bathing our kids in products contaminated with carcinogens shows how woefully out of date our cosmetics laws are and how urgently they need to be updated. The science has moved forward, now the FDA needs to catch up and be given the authority to protect the health of Americans.” Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) commented that “Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are better suited for the chem lab, not a child's bathtub. This important report shows that 'No More Tears' can trigger toxic fears, and it provides another reason why these and other cosmetic products must be further regulated. ”
For the study, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 top-selling children’s products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:
* 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane; these included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.
* 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm). Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels of formaldehyde.
* 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane.
“There is absolutely no reason why manufacturers can’t remove hazardous chemicals in products being applied to babies’ bodies every day,” said Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund. “Children are exposed to toxic chemicals from many sources. We need to protect them from these kinds of repeated, unnecessary exposures.”
“Products made in the U.S. and marketed for children should not contain chemicals linked to cancer or any other health problem,” said Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at Environmental Working Group and creator of the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com). “Congress urgently needs to reform federal policy to protect the most vulnerable members of our society by ensuring that the personal care products we use every day are free from harmful chemicals.”
Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said that the usual regulatory approach of assessing risk one chemical at a time does not account for the combined effects of very low levels of hidden contaminants in personal care products and from other sources. “Rather than waiting for definitive proof of human harm, we must lower exposures to controllable agents that we know or suspect cause cancer," Davis said.
The full results of the study can be found in the report, “No More Toxic Tub” at http://www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub.
# # #
Founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women's Voices for the Earth. www.SafeCosmetics.org
Partner organizations in the following states assisted in the release of this report and may be available for interviews and local angles. Please contact Shannon Coughlin, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org or 415-336-2246, for more information.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Health Alert
This a an urgent communication to our opt-in Action eAlert system.
Please open this link for the full eblast:
http://www.healthfreedomusa.
From the eAlert -
Action Item: Protect your right to refuse medical experimentation
http://salsa.
______________________________
The General's Communiqué
Maj. Gen. Albert N. Stubblebine III
(US Army, Ret.)
Big Pharma Company "Accidentally"
Contaminates Vaccines With LIVE
AVIAN FLU VIRUS in 18 Countries
Dr. Rima and I are still in Germany where the talk of health freedom advocates is this horrifying late-breaking story, though you may already be aware of it. Although it is being widely reported around the world, the US MMD (media of mass deception) appears to have a blackout placed on this story.
World media are reporting that Baxter Pharmaceuticals has admitted that it "accidentally" contaminated various vaccine batches with Avian Flu viruses. These batches were shipped to 18 countries. Clearly, either 1. stupidity and incompetence or 2. intentional contamianation of flu vaccine lots was at work...
[This ebalst continues on www.HealthFreedomUSA.org - we have been trying to send this eblast out for two days, but it continues to be blocked, so we are sending this "no html" version with the full ebast posted on our Health Freedom Blog.]
To read this very important eblast please click here:
http://www.healthfreedomusa.
General Stubblebine
Dr. Laibow
Counsel Fucetola
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Look UP!!!
In honor of Paul Harvey who passed away at the ripe old age of 90 yesterday I thought I'd send out one of my favorite stories of his. It's a great reminder in life. I hope you all continue to "Look Up"!
LOOK UP!
Newscaster Paul Harvey once related a story about a woman from Michigan who vacationed in Florida. She found a secluded spot on the roof of her hotel to soak up a few rays of sunshine, and in order to get a "total" tan, she removed all her clothing. Within a half-hour, the hotel manager was beside her insisting that she cover up. She argued that nobody was in sight. He agreed. Problem was -- she was stretched out over the hotel skylight!
It occurs to me that the hotel's problems began because somebody was looking up! Which normally is an excellent thing to do. At least in attitude. And what a surprise lay in store that day for those who were looking up!
You see, some folks spend their lives looking down. Downcast in spirit, they hang their heads and lead negative and joyless lives. Others are constantly looking out. They live in fear and watch vigilantly for problems, real or imaginary, that threaten their happiness.
Still others seem always to be looking around. Forever searching for a better partner, a better job or a better deal, they keep a watchful eye out and seldom experience a lasting commitment.
But a few vibrant folks can usually be found looking up! These resilient individuals have learned how to look beyond problems to solutions; beyond discouragement to hope. And quite often, the pay-off is joy.
No matter if your habit is to look down, look out, look around, or look up, the only important question is, in which direction will you look today?
LOOK UP!
Newscaster Paul Harvey once related a story about a woman from Michigan who vacationed in Florida. She found a secluded spot on the roof of her hotel to soak up a few rays of sunshine, and in order to get a "total" tan, she removed all her clothing. Within a half-hour, the hotel manager was beside her insisting that she cover up. She argued that nobody was in sight. He agreed. Problem was -- she was stretched out over the hotel skylight!
It occurs to me that the hotel's problems began because somebody was looking up! Which normally is an excellent thing to do. At least in attitude. And what a surprise lay in store that day for those who were looking up!
You see, some folks spend their lives looking down. Downcast in spirit, they hang their heads and lead negative and joyless lives. Others are constantly looking out. They live in fear and watch vigilantly for problems, real or imaginary, that threaten their happiness.
Still others seem always to be looking around. Forever searching for a better partner, a better job or a better deal, they keep a watchful eye out and seldom experience a lasting commitment.
But a few vibrant folks can usually be found looking up! These resilient individuals have learned how to look beyond problems to solutions; beyond discouragement to hope. And quite often, the pay-off is joy.
No matter if your habit is to look down, look out, look around, or look up, the only important question is, in which direction will you look today?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners
You don't have to purchase products that are hazardous to you and your family's health. Go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann and find out how you can be safer and healthier.
New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners
Contributed by Seventh Generation
Call it another nail in the coffin of conventional cleaning products: A new study has found that literally dozens of popular household cleaners contain undisclosed toxins that have been linked to asthma, fertility and other problems. The research points out something most consumers still don't realize. Namely, that the household products they think are safe really aren't.
New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners
Contributed by Seventh Generation
Call it another nail in the coffin of conventional cleaning products: A new study has found that literally dozens of popular household cleaners contain undisclosed toxins that have been linked to asthma, fertility and other problems. The research points out something most consumers still don't realize. Namely, that the household products they think are safe really aren't.
The new report, from Montana-based non-profit Women's Voices for the Earth, examined Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for dozens of top-selling conventional cleaning products and found that most of formulas they studied contain one or more chemicals linked to any number of negative health effects.
MSDS are chemical information summary sheets whose use in manufacturing and commercial settings is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These standardized forms provide varying degrees of additional data about the chemicals, products, or formulas used by a specific facility or in a specific product. They must be prepared for the employees of any company that handles the chemicals or products in question so that everyone can better understand the hazards associated with the materials with which they're working. Since federal regulations do not require cleaning product manufacturers to fully disclose all the ingredients their formulas contain on product labels, an MSDS for a particular product is usually the best and often only way to figure out what hazards it contains.
Even so, MSDS do not necessarily list all the ingredients a cleaner contains. The law requires that only those hazardous ingredients present in levels above one percent (or one tenth of one percent for carcinogens, neurotoxins, and teratogens (chemicals capable of affecting fetuses) need be disclosed even though many chemicals pose a clear and present danger in lesser amounts. In addition, MSDS' need only list materials that meet the agency's official definition of hazardous. If a chemical has not yet been formally placed on OSHA's lists of known hazardous materials, it doesn't need to appear on an MSDS.
In studying cleaning product MSDS, Women's Voices for the Earth found that a number of chemicals linked to asthma and reproductive disorders kept appearing, including:
• Monoethanolamine (MEA), a solvent that appeared in laundry detergents, and all-purpose and floor cleaners.
• Ammonium quaternary compounds, disinfectants used in disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners.
• Glycol ethers, like 2-butoxyethanol, solvents added to glass cleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners.
• Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs), surfactants used in laundry detergents, stain removers, and all-purpose cleaner.
• Phthalates, fragrance carriers that were discovered in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents, and fabric softeners.
Scientific studies have linked EGBE to reproductive problems like testicular damage, reduced fertility, death of embryos, and birth defects. People exposed to high levels of EGBE for a few hours experience nose and eye irritation, headaches, vomiting and a metallic taste in their mouths. A 2006 California Air Resources Board study on indoor air quality and cleaning products found that people using common products that contained EGBE could be exposed to amounts up to 12 times higher than that state's one-hour safe-exposure standard.
Because manufacturers rarely offer complete ingredient disclosure on their cleaning products' labels, there's really only one thing consumers can do to protect themselves and their families from any hidden hazards those products contain: Only buy products whose labels tell you everything they contain. Don't rely on promises of safety or environmental benefits. Even products marketed as earth-friendly can contain toxic ingredients. Where cleaners are concerned, ingredients labels speak louder than claims. Knowing what ingredients are in the products you use, and keeping your family away from any that keep secrets is the healthiest advice a person can receive.
To find out more about conventional cleaning products, obtain a free on-line copy of the new study, and learn about the Women's Voices for the Earth Safe Cleaning Products initiative visit http://www.womenandenvironment.org/.
[To find cleaning products on OTA's searchable directory, click here]
To find products that are safe for you, your family and the environment that are made without the toxic chemicals go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
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Friday, February 20, 2009
What Does Mercury Have To Do With It?
Sweetness and Blight
Why is the FDA unwilling to study evidence of mercury in high-fructose corn syrup?
Why is the FDA unwilling to study evidence of mercury in high-fructose corn syrup?
Last month, two new studies reported traces of mercury in products made from high-fructose corn syrup, the food industry's favorite sweetener. Rather than act to correct the situation, the FDA has hewn closely to the corn industry's party line: 1) no mercury shows up in HFCS (although we haven't tested it); 2) and besides, detected levels are so low that they could cause no harm. Really?, asks Tom Philpott. He shines a hard light on the FDA's claims, asking why the agency won't ban the mercury-associated industrial chemical used to make high-fructose corn syrup -- and he explains what Erin Brockovich has to do with it all.
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