August 2008 Vol. 005

EcoNews for August 2008

HEALTHY PEOPLE,  HEALTHY HOMES,
HEALTHY PLANET

Is your family healthy?  We certainly hope so, but most families today have at least one member who is not healthy, and many of the health problems they experience are being shown more and more to have their roots in an excess of toxins in our environment.  These include not only cancer and chemical sensitivity, but also asthma & allergies, diabetes, infertility, obesity and more.  In the United States, somewhere around 80,000 different chemicals are registered for industrial use, and consequently make their way into our homes, our air and our water.  Believe it or not less than 20% of them have actually been tested to make sure they are safe for us and for the environment!

Many of them in fact may not cause immediate, acute symptoms in the amounts they are used in our cleaning products, on our clothes, in our home furnishings, bedding, paints, and more, but over the long run, many researchers believe that the epidemic of cancer and increases in many other diseases like asthma and allergies, is due in no small part to the increase and accumulation in our bodies of all these chemicals.  If your body's detoxification system is working well, it is designed to remove toxins from the body in order to keep us healthy.  However, many of us have detox systems that are overwhelmed and not functioning at a peak.  Many vitamins and especially minerals are necessary for detoxification to take place effectively, including vitamins A, B, C, E and minerals like magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, molybdenum and more.

This is one reason why we recommend taking natural whole food, non-toxic, vitamins and nutritional supplements today.  Our bodies simply use up too many nutrients just trying to get rid of all the chemicals we are exposed to.  However, another important step is to try to reduce the amount of toxins you are exposed to at least in your home where you can, over time, control it!  You will still be exposed to things outside your home, but why not try to start to create an oasis inside your home, where your body can rest and rejuvenate itself, and spend its time getting rid of other toxins you have accumulated, instead of being hit by more chemicals???

Many people have considerable faith that the US government is keeping us safe by ensuring that the products we buy are non-toxic.  However, this is actually far from the truth.  As noted above, less than 20% of chemicals used in our products today have been tested for long term safety.  For example, recently it was discovered that lead was contained in several trusted brands of lipsticks, with some of the highest amounts found in the exclusive Dior brand as well as the very common Cover Girl and L'Oreal brands.  More than ½ of the top brand lipsticks (61) had lead!  One-third of them exceeded the 0.1 ppm FDA lead limit for candy, in spite of the fact that recent studies indicate there is NO safe level of lead.  Often, chemicals are used in various household and other products until enough people get really sick or die, and then slowly some changes occur.  Wouldn't you rather start to protect your family now???

1)  Get Rid of Conventional Cleaners

Household cleaners are major contributors to the toxicity of your home, are may be even more toxic than we think, as manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients.  Many household cleaners contain toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, chlorine, phenols, petroleum distillates, ammonia and hormone disrupters.  Many of these are carcinogenic, and also cause lung, eye & skin irritation, nausea, allergies and more.  Even if you use gloves, you are breathing in these chemicals not only when you clean, but afterwards as well.  Most of us have been conditioned to believe that we must use powerful chemical disinfectants such as bleach, pine and ammonia cleaners to really clean.  The truth is, hazardous disinfectants are not necessary to effectively clean.  Bi-O-Kleen and other natural cleaning product manufacturers offer safe, non-toxic, natural, effective alternatives for all your cleaning tasks.

It's easy to get rid of most conventional cleaners, just start replacing them as you run out.  We love EcoViva’s Bi-O-Kleen brand of natural non-toxic cleaners, especially their all-purpose concentrated cleaner & spray & wipe and their soy toilet scrub, because they have light citrus scents (some come in "free & clear"), are very concentrated and come in money saving bulk sizes.  We also get people who rave about the Bon Ami all natural scouring powder that especially works great for scrubbing sinks and bathtubs.  But you can also do a lot of cleaning in your house with some very simple, cheap and non-toxic ingredients, such as vinegar and baking soda.
 

2)  Get Rid of Conventional Body Care Products

Conventional body care products, like lotions, soaps, shampoos, conditioners and cosmetics, are usually not tested for safety.  In some ways, this is even worse for you than the cleaners, as when you put products on your skin, they are absorbed into your body just as if you had eaten them!  Would you intentionally eat things like phthalates that are contained in fragrances and are known endocrine (hormonal) disrupters and may lead to cancer and exacerbate asthma and allergies?  Well, if you are still using conventional body care products, it is as if you are eating phthalates and other toxic ingredients, like coal tar, DEA and parabens.  Or the lead that was found in lipsticks and other cosmetics.  In fact, some studies show that women who use make-up daily, routinely ingest up to 5 lbs of chemicals each year!  5 lbs!  Instead, why don't you start using all-natural brands like Soignee, Nourishing Planet, Aubrey or Burt's Bees?
 

3)  Avoid All Chemical Air Fresheners, Scented Candles, and Fragrances

We know some people who are addicted to air "fresheners" or the "fresh" scent of their clean laundry that contains synthetic fragrances.  However, studies have shown that they do the opposite of freshen your air, they simply add more chemicals to cover up the other smells, causing more problems.  They contain dangerous ingredients like formaldehyde and naphthalene that are both recognized carcinogens.  Conventional candles are often made of petroleum-based paraffin wax, which releases carcinogenic soot into your homes air and often lead as well from lead-based wicks, when burned.  If you are keeping your home or clothes clean, you should not need to cover up smells with air fresheners or fragrances.  If you like scents, you can find all-natural, essential oil-based candles and air fresheners.  Almost all products with fragrances today are synthetic and problematic for many people.  Even if it doesn't bother you, it's probably building up toxins in your body.
 

4)  Replace your Conventional Mattress with a Non-Toxic One (or at the very least, cover it with layers of natural cotton blankets)

We know that non-toxic mattresses can be expensive compared to conventional ones, however, we also know that this is very important step to take to make you more healthy and prevent cancer and other problems down the road.  We want to especially stress that you should not buy a new conventional mattress in this day and age.  The old flame retardant test was to make sure a burning cigarette would not light the mattress on fire, now the test is using a blow torch!  Just think about how many more chemicals must be used to pass this test!  In addition to the flame-retardant chemicals, including the dangerous polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), many mattresses offgas VOCs, formaldehyde and other chemicals that may cause toxicity, cancer and endocrine disruption.

There are many people who say that they sleep so much better now that they have a non-toxic mattress, they wished they had spent the money, no matter how much, sooner.  We often borrow money to buy a new car or remodel our house with toxic materials, why not think about borrowing some money to make your bedroom a non-toxic oasis?  The people who get the non-toxic mattresses are not only sleeping better, but their bodies are probably now getting rid of toxins at night like they are supposed to, instead of adding to the toxic load.  If it is too expensive for you, you can instead put 6 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and then several layers of all-cotton or wool blankets on your mattress (perhaps found at garage sales?) to help keep the chemicals from being transferred through your skin until you can afford to buy a non-toxic mattress.  You can also cover it with an organic cotton allergy encasement.

We love the Wool Bed by Shepherd's Dream, for the many reasons outlined on this page:  .  However, any non-toxic mattress like an organic cotton spring bed or a natural latex mattress is infinitely better than a conventional one.  Most of them use a layer of naturally flame retardant wool so as to avoid the flame retardant chemicals or a doctor's prescription rule.
 

5)  Get Non-Toxic Bedding

There many not be as many chemicals added to conventional bedding, but much of it is in direct contact with your skin, and bedding today often contains formaldehyde, stain resistant chemicals and more.  At the very least, you need to choose 100% natural fabrics with no chemicals finishes.  Even better are those that are 100% organic or at least made from materials that were not exposed to any chemicals, like safe wool.  Conventional cotton is one of the most highly sprayed crops, so you will also be helping the environment by choosing organic cotton.

We realize that this too can be expensive, but why not start with your pillows and pillowcases, and then the sheets?

Coming Soon, Items 6 Through 10:

6)    Reduce Plastic Use in Your Home

7)    Get Rid of Non-Stick Pots & Pans

8)    Use Non-Toxic Paint

9)    Replace Carpet with Hard Flooring

10)  Replace Conventional Furniture with more Natural Options

HEALTHY PEOPLE,  HEALTHY HOMES,
HEALTHY PLANET