Last month I promised you we would address why artificial colors, additives and preservatives .  They are things that make foods look better and last longer, but are they safe?  Do the manufactures of these products care about “our “safety  and “our” Health, or is it all about “the bottom line?” Let’s face it, less spoilage, more sales.  Years ago, you’d can your foods during the summer to feed your family in the winter.  Today, in this era, we expect to find a full range of fruits and vegetables in the grocery store whether they are in season or not, and it can’t happen without preservatives – and of course, long distance ,  energy guzzling shipping.

What about the FDA, isn’t that their job to protect us? You ask.  The answer to that is yes…. Sort of.  The companies are required to provide their research, but the FDA must just take the submitters word for it.

They simply don’t have the staff to monitor food safety.

Here are a few of the food additives I try to avoid:

Butylated Hydroxyanisole ( BHA) , Butylated Hydroxtolunene , ( BHT) Propy lGallate  These are found in many breakfast cereals, rice products, dried soups.  These chemicals accumulate in the body and increase the risk of cancer, as well as playing a role in  ADD & ADHD and other behavioral abnormalities in kids.

Potassium Bromate  : Banned in most countries, but not the US.   It has been shown to cause cancerous tumors and is found in baked goods.  ( look for unbromated flour to be safe)

Nitrates & Nitrites :   Preservatives which add flavor and color.  When heated they make nitrosamines.

Monosodium Glutamate  (MSG)  A flavor enhancer .  But also seems to enhance headaches, digestive disorders, mood swings, depression, convulsions, asthma,

Artificial Sweeteners:  They started with saccharine ( which caused cancer in rats) moved on to Aspartame ( Nutra sweet, Equal) and more recently sucralose ( Splenda).  These are in all sorts of diet products

There is a study on depression and usage of Aspartame, and other found it increased cancers like lymphoma and leukemia in rats.  Sucralose in high doses has been linked to DNA damage in mice.

High Fructose Corn Syrup;  Found in Soft drinks , Fruit juices and array of other products.  It is cheaper than cane sugar, and it also tricks your body into thinking it hasn’t had enough sugar. Probable cause of obesity today.

Hydrogenated Fats and Trans Fats:  This makes them easier to store, but these fats are directly related to heart disease and diabetes.  They are so dangerous, that there are some cities around the US that have banned the usage of them in restaurants.

Olestra:  A fat substitute.  It may cause abdominal cramping as well as inhibit the absorption of vitamins A,D,E and K.  (since they artificially  added these nutrients… the warning has been dropped)

 What can you do to protect yourself and your family?  First and foremost, read the labels!  You need to know all of the things you are putting in your body, not just the calories and fats.  Here are the rules and guidelines I like to follow

                Shop the outer perimeter of the foodmarkets  ( fresh fruit & veggies, meat, dairy and bakery)

                The closer to natural and less processed, the better

                If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, then don’t buy the product

                If an ingredient has more than 4 syllables, don’t buy  the product

                If it has a number in the name, don’t buy  the product

Or in order to make it easier, just buy ORGANIC.  We need to do everything we can to support farmers who are trying to do the right thing.  Next  time I’ll talk about What Organic really is:   In the Mean time, be part of the solution and not part of the pollution. Be well………

www.eco-logicalnews.com     email me at deb@bellawelllifestyles.com  

How Safe is YOUR Clean?  ( Become part of the Solution…. NOT the Pollution)

Cleaning your home or office shouldn’t be a “risky job”, yet unfortunately, the majority of cleaning products available in retail stores are unsafe, harmful, toxic and even deadly.   The American Association of Poison control Centers reported that exposure to many popular household cleaning substances can be serious enough to require treatment in a medical health facility.

Un safe cleaning products can be more dangerous than a loaded gun.  The National Safety Council reported that,“ more children under  four die of accidental poisonings at home than are accidentally killed with a gun at home.”  You wouldn’t keep a loaded gun under your sink or in your bathroom yet millions of households keep extremely dangerous household products where children or pets might accidentally get into them.

Many common cleaning Products that are purchased at grocery stores contain warning labels that the products are dangerous, poisonous, or flammable.  When exposed to heat, aerosols can explode and cause accidents, serious injury or death.  Chlorine, found in bleach is highly corrosive and extremely reactive.  It can cause damage to the skin, eyes, and other permeable membranes.  It was listed as a hazardous pollutant in the 1990 Clean Air Act.  Chlorine bleach can also cause cancer causing chemicals to form in waste water systems.  Knowing this, a vast majority of homes rely on bleach as their primary cleaning agent.

Many disinfectants  contain labels stating that the product “kills germs”.  These products usually contain an ingredient known as triclosan, a suspected immune-toxicant and skin toxicant.  This ingredient is more hazardous than many other chemicals in government ranking systems.  Products with harmful substances may kill germs, but they leave behind chemicals such a hydrocarbons,  chlorine, and volatile organic chemicals.  Chemicals that effect our respiratory systems as well as our brain’s neurotransmitters.

Now that summer is upon us, it is time to get the kids to join in some of the family chores, things like clean windows and mirrors, clean their bathroom,  and doing  the dishes.   If you haven’t allowed them to clean because you don’t want to expose them to the “toxic soup mixture”, then maybe it’s time to change your thinking and most importantly , change your products.   A most recent comment by an 11 year old that was allowed to clean the mirrors with A SAFE, EFFECTIVE NON-TOXIC CLEANER was, ”Mom, this stuff ROCKS ! the mirrors are perfect and my throat isn’t scratchy” Remember, CLEAN DOESN’T HAVE A SMELL.  (Want to know what she was using? email me:  I have a  FREE SAMPLE:  Deb@bellawelllifestyles.com   ) or Deb@eco-logicalnews.com   

Chemicals that kill things

The “easy way” to kill bugs and weeds has been underway since  the early part of the last century.  After WWII petroleum chemical companies realized that a lot of chemicals developed for the war could be used to kill insects and weeds.  That was good for agriculture because the U.S. was moving away from small family farms into “big business” farms.  Thus, expensive labor could be replaced with cheap chemicals.

DDT, one of the pesticides in the Chlorinated hydrocarbon family was banned in 1973, but more than 3 decades later is still being found in humans.  Chemicals in the organophosphates category have  been found to cause nervous system disruption.  Lead, Arsenic, Mercury, & Copper have been used as pesticides for more than a century, and we all know that each are dangerous to human health.

So what is the big deal you say?  The federal government sets limits on the amount of any of the chemicals that can be in the food we eat.  They claim they are safe, yet here is the problem.  Lots of the fruits and veggies on the grocer’s shelves can exceed these levels because there is no system for checking.  Plus the food we get comes from global sources, and let’s just say that some places don’t have the rigorous regulations.  AND, have you noticed the amount of people with Celiac disease, food allergies, and digestive disorders? 

A lot of these chemicals can cause damage to the nervous system, disrupt your hormones, and according to a report by the Nat’l Research Council, 30 percent of commonly used insecticides, 60 percent of herbicides, and 90 percent of fungicides can potentially cause cancer.  It’s unethical to test humans, so we rely on the poor farm workers who have been regularly exposed to these chemicals regularly.

As spring approaches, and you sign those contracts with the lawn companies, think about what you are throwing on the lawn where your children might be playing, and consider a more natural product.

One that takes to heart the impact their product makes on the Planet, the Rivers, Streams and Ponds, in their community as well as the lawn where your children romp and play.  We use Natural Lawn of America.  Email me to know more:   deb@eco-logicalnews.com   

Eco  Logically Yours

Deb Villarese

www.bellawelllifestyles.com

When it comes to the environment- and many others things for that matter- I think most people make choices base on three criteria: Health, Convenience, and Budget.  Then, if their choice happens  to be good for the planet too, that would just be a “ Bonus.”

What if you could make greener choices without sacrificing convenience and budget?  More importantly, what if those choices made a positive impact on your family’s health?  There is just a natural momentum that comes with doing the right thing for yourself and your family and your planet.  You buy one non-toxic cleaning product, you start using one baby bottle made for materials that are safe for your infant, and the next thing you know, you’re recycling and riding a bike to work and using organic bamboo towels.  I think helping the environment is a lot like working out.  It’s sort of like putting on work- out clothes (a step to be proud of in itself) and then stepping out and “starting”

The Plain Truth is this:

·         The pollution inside out homes is worse than outside and we spend nearly 90 % of our time indoors.

·          We as a nation need to rethink what our idea of clean is; in other words, our “idea” of clean could actually be hurting us.

·         The health of “your” family and “our” planet are connected.  If each of us started with our own home we could make an impact on the planet.

·         Knowledge is power.   Not knowing is one thing, Knowing and continuing to use or do the things we know is harmful is another.

It is just the simple act of cleaning the kitchen sink that can become the large act of changing the world.

It just takes the first step to make the difference.

What are a few of the adjustments YOU or your FAMILY can make in this New Year?  Cleaning supplies, cosmetics, deodorants and other personal care products, dry-cleaned clothes, laundry, plastic food containers, paints , varnishes, home and garden supplies. Many of these contain VOC’s (Volatile Organic Chemicals) which escape into the environment, the home and ultimately, into YOU.  

An accumulative ACT of ONE can and will make a huge”WORLD” of difference.

Are you part of the solution? Or part of the Pollution

Submitted by Deb Villarese, Lifestyle expert and coach.

www.eco-logicalnews.com       www.bellawelllifestyles.com  

1. Start by replacing a bunch of your cleaners (your general spray cleaner, glass cleaner, counter top cleaner, floor and bathroom cleaners) with a natural, nontoxic all-purpose cleaner. You will only need one to do that. Really!  Personally, I recommend Shaklee Basic H.  One pint will make 728 window cleaner quarts , 60 all purpose cleaners, 30 floor cleaners and one fine washables bottle.  Yes, all that with just ONE pint

2. Replace your laundry detergent with a natural nontoxic one so the clothes you wear and the sheets you sleep on have no fumes for you to breathe.  Again, Look at the book GREEN GOES WITH EVERYTHING.  A third party study shows the many benefits of using Shaklee Fresh Laundry over any other Laundry product.

3. Go to your bathroom and read the shampoo, makeup and moisturizer labels. Ask yourself, “Do I really need scent in these products?” Take stock of all of your other products and try to replace one a week with a safer, greener choice.

4. Pay attention (without freaking out) to the toys you buy for your kids. Avoid lead paint and soft plastics that contain phthalates.

5. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid processed food. Even better, choose organic and locally grown meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.

6. Try to get the plastic containers out of your kitchen and replace them with glass containers.

7. Avoid using the micro-wave and if you must, use hard surface plates and bowls to put the food on.

8. Make a vow to stop buying bottled water—NOW. Instead, buy a water filter pitcher and keep two in your fridge at all times. Or install a R/O system right at your kitchen sink.  ( We love ours!)

9. For cleaner and healthier air, open your windows once a day when the outside temperature is comfortable.  (Especially if you happen to use the standard, everyday cleaners. Our indoor pollution is far worse than what we are breathing in the out-of-doors)

10. When buying new stuff for your home, focus on green products especially mattresses and carpets

The words, Fabric Softener sounds so soothing, as a matter of fact, it sounds like something that each and every one of us would want next to their skin.  Certainly, we want  nothing scratchy on our babies.  Only soft will do for our precious little ones.  Yet have you noticed the increased of ADD, ADHD, asthma,  and even autism in our wee ones?

 Recently, I was made aware that there are some pediatricians, allergists, and general physicians who are finding it necessary to put signs in their office which read as follows:

ATTENTION: “please refrain from using fragrances, FABRIC SOFTENERS, or smoking before coming to our office, we are finding that chemically sensitive individuals are having difficulty breathing in such an ENVIRONMENT” 

 Let’s just focus on Fabric softeners for the time being as they are certainly the most used and according to the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health  and perhaps the most offensive.  Here is what is in everyday fabric softeners:  toluene, trimehtylbenzene, styrene ( which are neurotoxins  - that means toxic to the brain)) as well as phenols and xylene.  Still sound soothing? Still wondering why so many more Americans are developing diseases which we think are out of “no where”…  ie:no family history

If you use conventional fabric softeners in your wash, this alphabet soup of toxicity is all over your body.  There is a party going on in your pants, and your shirt, and your nightgown, and your baby’s pajamas.

Here is a quick list of other chemicals found in fabric softeners: a-terpineol ( irritates muccous membranes and causes central nervous system damage) benzyl acetate(eye and respiratory irritant);benzyl alcohol ( can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, respiratory irritation, and a drop in blood pressure): camphor ( is on the EPA’s hazardous waste list; ethyl acetate ( eye and lung irritant and a narcotic); limonene ( irritant, sensitizer); linalool ( central nervous system effects); and pentane ( eye and skin irritant and may cause headache, vomiting, dizziness, or loss of consciousness)1

There is another problem with Fabric Softeners.  They are designed to stay in the fabrics… Which means that they are being released into the air you  ( and your child/children) breathe and onto your skin as you wear your own clothes.  The liquid softeners toxicity is one part of the problem, the dryer sheets have their own set  of issues.  They are made from synthetic fabric and/or polyurethane foam, which means they’re biodegradable, so they fill up land fills and they contain the same harmful  ingredients that the liquid softeners contain.  These pollutants are yet one more reason why our indoor environment is far worse than the outdoor air.

You can add ¼ c baking soda to the wash cycle  or ¼ cup of vinegar will soften clothes as well. Dry synthetic and natural fiber clothes separately or go to my eco-logicalnews.com and click on the link to learn what I use

1Allergy and Environmental Health Assoc. ( Canada).  “Health Risks of Fabric Softeners”  aeha.ca/help-with.htm.

I walked into a local restaurant recently and upon entering, decided this was not the place I wanted to be, much less eat anything.  The smell of bleach was over powering, and I just knew that anything I would eat or drink in this place would taste like bleach.  The little skull and crossbones symbol sort of appeared in my imagination, and I turned around and walked out.  The unfortunate parts of the story are this: 

1.       People believe that Clean has a smell and they think that bleach or pine  “smell” makes it clean

2.       The people who work there are exposed to toxic chemicals on a regular basis

3.       When they happen to get the window cleaner with ammonia out to clean the windows, they have just created one of the most toxic brews.  The combination of these two chemicals release a chlorine gas and a close cousin to the stuff they used as Chemical Warfare in WWI

4.       And then we innocently walk in with our chemical sensitive child, or as an asthma sufferer ourselves and it sets off all sort of brain and/or lung malfunctions.

Even the label of all the leading brands state:  DANGER; Corrosive.  May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and skin…..  Avoid breathing vapors and use only in a well ventilated area. 

There are lots of hard decisions to make when you consider potential safety of common household products.  I made a conscious decision NOT to use bleach in my home.  There are many safe, effective alternatives.   I landed on a book called Green Goes With Everything   By Sloan Barnett, an environmental investigative reporter for the San Francisco Bay area.  She refers to a product comparison study done by Sterling Laboratories.

The problem I always had was that those “natural” cleaners  is that they just don’t seem to work as well as those chemicals we’ve grown to depend on.  Pages 73-78 in her 3 week in a row best seller, shows  a 3^rd party comparison and the results are impressive.  You don’t have to compromise effectiveness for safety anymore.    Then if you are interested in getting some, go to my web site under web-links ,  and click on Green cleaners.  Or you may contact me directly for a few samples. deb@eco-logicalnews.com

P.S . They were Oprah’s favorite Green Cleaners  and on her Favorites Show in Dec 2007.

Unfortunately, I learned about the dangerous effects of cleaning products many years ago strictly from personal experience.  I even wonder today, had the effects of the cleaners not been so harmful and not  affected my  family’s lives so much, would I have become” The Drum Major” of “The Green Cleaners Band” of Products.  I am thankful that I figured out the cause of my son’s severe asthma and allergies and I believe all of us are much healthier today because I made a drastic change in our home environment when I switched to safe, green, non-polluting cleaners made from things like corn, coconut and soy.

Green Cleaners are assumed not to work as well as the most popular, advertised chemical counter-parts.  For some odd reason, people think that if they have a complicated chemical name, it must be good.  However, think about this, if these  hard to read cleaners came with warnings, then  How safe are they?  If the product is safe for you to use, then it  won’t harm the environment.  Plus the products that were 3rd party tested were proven to no only work better, but the cost effectiveness is almost unbelievable.  What if I told you a one pint concentrate of cleaner makes bottles of a window cleaner.  Think of the land-fills saved, prescious fuel saved to transport all over the nation, and most of all think of the lungs saved. This is what I use.   Under Web-links on the left side of this blog, click on “Organic, Safe cleaners” and you will be directed to the products I have found to #1 be the most safe, #2, most effective, #3 cost savings.

 Sterling labs proved through  a 3rd party study that organic out performs other products and that organic out performs toxic cleaners and sometimes dramatically out performs them as well,     (who would have thought.)  Better living through chemistry has been the American cleaning mantra for 50+yrs.

 Conventional laundry products have many of the same chemical cleaners as houshold cleaners: they carry the same kinds of dangers like phenols & bleach to name a few.  These products cause long term environmental problems and eventually affect our rivers and streams yet they also enter our bodies in a similar way with contact, using your skin.  Not to mention the fumes and fragrances which over time have overloaded  our sensories that you just don’t smell ANYTHING anymore. 

Those smells that are artificial are not good for us.  Clean has no smell not lemon, not pine fresh, not forest breeze.  Most of the chemicals used to create these smells we have grown to love are considered “neuro-toxins:  Yes they effect the brain and nervous system,

Think about this, You use the towels and wear the underwear that has been washed in ;  a -terpineol, which  irritates mucus membraines and damages the central nervous system, and  Benzyl acetate  which effects the eyes and the respiratory system.

Fabric softener irritates the eyes and respiratory system.  The petroleum based stuff stays in the fabric and can cause irritated mucus membranes and damages  the central nervouse system.  Not to mention the toxic chemicals rubbing on your skin.  So you use dryer sheets you say! Except they are filling up land fills and their smell is also very offensive to some.  I like to refer to the fabric softener on the market as the alphabet soup of toxins all over our body.  The point of fabric softener is that it stays in the fabric, that is what the manufacture works to achieve,  thus the fumes are being released into the air, especially when the person wearing the shirt perspires.  ( in some cases causing people around them to experience tightness in their lungs)

A 3rd Part study found Shaklee dryer sheets to be the best.  The sheets are fragrance free, biodegradable and  they use vegetable derived softening agents, not synthetic petroleum chemicals.  But my biggest point in this whole essay is that I find I don’t need to use softeners.  My laudry soap washes out completely, so my  clothes  are never stiff  ( it’s the fillers in the standard washing powders and liquids that make us think we need softeners) because there are no fillers to hide out inside the fibers causing stiffness, and there are no fillers, I have no static and more importantly  because there are no fillers my clothes don’t wear out.

Don’t be fooled by fragrances.  If you notice your family has more than their fair share of respiratory illnesses,  or skin irritations, re evaluate what cleaners you are using.  Come check out the ones I use and have used for over 30 years.  I promise they won’t disappoint you.  I stake my name on that and they come with a 100% money back guarantee.  Look under my weblinks and click on “organic,safe cleaners”.

What’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Every public facility is required to have the MSDS ( Material Safety Data Sheets) available in order to inform and protect the public, just in case someone was harmed by the products.  However, we as individuals don’t have a clue on the dangerous effects and side effect of these products we are randomly using.

In this article, I am addressing ONLY the SIDE  EFFECTS of everyday DISINFECTANTS

HAZARDOUS CONSTITUENT POSSIBLE EFFECTS of Disinfectants

AMMONIA Fumes irritate eyes and lungs; can cause burns or rashes on skin; can produce deadly chloramine gas if mixed with chlorine containing products

DETERGENTS Toxic and poisonous to ingest, causing nausea and in extreme cases - coma

CRESOL Corrosive to tissue, damages liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and spleen

LYE Caustic product that burns skin, can cause blindness

PHENOL Central nervous system depression; severely affect circulatory system; corrosive to skin; suspected carcinogen

PINE OIL Irritates eyes and mucous membranes

Disinfectants are considered pesticides. They reduce some germs and are a temporary measure at best for making your home “germ free.” Skin contact and vapors can be irritating and corrosive to the respiratory system and skin. Disinfectants are especially hazardous when dispersed from aerosol cans because the disinfectant can be easily ingested through the nose and mouth.

Disinfectants may contain one or more of the following hazardous substances: ammonia, cationic detergents, cresol, lye, phenol, pine oil. Please refer to these compounds for specific health hazards associated with these ingredients.

Use: Avoid aerosol dispensers. Handle disinfectant with gloves to avoid corrosive effects and absorption through skin and wear safety goggles. Make sure ventilation is adequate with plenty of fresh air present. Do not use disinfectants around food, animals, or children.

Storage: Keep away from children. Store in a well ventilated area.

Disposal: Use up as intended. To dispose of unused or unwanted portions take the product to a hazardous household waste collection center. If collection is not available, then flush the product down the drain with plenty of water. If on a septic tank or lagoon, dispose of small quantities over a number of days.

Go here to do some research http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/

The following information is from: http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/town/main.html

Do I know of a great alternative?

www.bellawelllifestyles.com and go to the GREEN Cleaner section for a full array of Safe, Effective, Household Cleaners.

At first thought, a person might think this “stuff” which kills germs is the next best thing to sliced bread.   However, the long term usage has far too many side effects for continual use.

All living things have an internal desire to “thrive and survive”.  Much like city rats that have adapted to their environments, these microscopic “germs” will do what they must in order to  continue to survive.  They will mutate and even become immune to things that once killed them.  We have created a “SUPER BUG: and our children are suffering because of the “germo-fobia” we have “commercially created”.  It is sort of like ” being a Mom that is obsessed with germ free and anti-bacterial stuff makes her a better Mom.  I would like to put that Myth aside.

Wash your hands is all we hear.  Of course that is an important issue, but perhaps we need to take a close look at what we are using to wash them. 

Our skin is much like a sponge.  You rub lotion on yourself and it disappears almost immediatly.  The same thing occurs with soaps.  Anti-bacterial properties are strong, as well as harmful to the skin.  ( just read the caution labels on your disinfectant cleaners)  Manufactures put those same sort of ingredients in the hand soaps we use daily.    ( Have you noticed that your hands need more lotion, or they are cracking like never before?) 

We are exposed to bacteria and viruses constantly-in fact trillions of them live in our bodies.  Our immune system is designed to cope with these germ to dispose of them.  When we  over use the anti-bacterial and anti-microbial soap, the germs get smart and become resistant to the chemicals we use against them.

I know of a Mom who used the “wipes” in her car constantly and every time she wiped the hands of her children, she wiped her steering wheel and dashboard and arm rests as well.  After only 4 years of doing this, her steering wheel and dashboard has cracked and the arm rests have deteriorated.  What sounded like a really great idea really wasn’t.  If those types of wipes with triclosan can do that sort of damage to an auto, what might it be doing to our children?  Their bodies hide the damage internally… not so with ojects.

What is wrong with just some good ole soap and water?  I dare a germ to stay on my hand once I soap up and rinse off.  Think of yourself trying to hang on to anything that is slicked up with a lather… impossible.  Maybe using all this stuff has become a bit of an “over-kill” (no pun intended) .

Look for soaps and wipes that don’t have anti-bacterial properties and see if suddenly your family isn’t as sick as they were a year ago.  I don’t have a published study on this, but I have seen it happen in countless families.  Germs are naturally occuring and we can all ive harmoniously together.  Why not give it a try.   If you want to know of a GREAT hand soap that works well, has a wonderful natural fragrance and the one quart makes 64 bottles of a hand soap, make a comment to this blog and I will put a free sample in the mail to you.