Going DEET free!

I am a bug magnet, if it bites or stings, it finds me.  Not only am I a magnet, but I'm highly sensitive to bug bites, I get Huge welts.  This pretty much means I have to wear bug spray when I'm outdoors.  I've never been a big fan of DEET

H2O Think before you Drink

Drinking water is "in", everyone is doing it.  But is anyone really thinking about the possible dangers and amount of waste created from drinking bottled water?

I've just recently jumped on water "bandwagon" because honestly I'd rather drink a coke.  I've been trying to drink more water and less soda to help with losing some weight.    At home I always drink from a glass, but when I'm running around town or hiking through the woods, I bring my bottle of water.  Naturally I started looking into the facts about bottled water.

Store-bought bottled water is a rip off. Tap water is often subject to more stringent regulation and testing than bottled water. It costs a fraction of the cost from the tap. It is cleaner, cheaper, and thus healthier. (Natural Resources Defense Council)

So the above statement seems almost obvious.  It's water. Why in the world would anyone actually want to pay for water, when you can get it out of your faucet at home for free.  The kids hate when I say that because they like everyone else are captivated by the water commercials.  So here's what we're not told about drinking bottled water.

• 90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the bottle itself.
• 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled.
• Plastic bottles are among the most prevalent source of pollution found on our beaches.
• 38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water (not including soda)
• U.S. landfills are overflowing with 2 million tons of discarded water bottles alone. Source: idswater.org
• Bottles used to package water take over 1,000 years to bio-degrade and if incinerated, they produce toxic fumes. It is estimated that over 80% of all single-use water bottles used in the U.S. simply become "litter." Source: ValleyWater.org
• 24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles.
• Plastic bottles pose a health risk. Studies have shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and hormones, can leach into bottled water over time.
• Studies have indicated that food and drinks stored in such containers—including those ubiquitous clear Nalgene water bottles hanging from just about every hiker’s backpack—can contain trace amount of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal messaging system.
• The same studies found that repeated re-use of such bottles—which get dinged up through normal wear and tear and while being washed—increases the chance that chemicals will leak out of the tiny cracks and crevices that develop over time.

We can save the earth simply by recycling water bottles.  You can even take it one step father by purchasing a re-usable water bottle.  Stainless steel or glass would be the best options.  Check out Nubius Organics to find echo-friendly water bottles and other products.  I just purchased a stainless steel water bottle several weeks ago and I love it!

Check out these sites for more info: The Water Project  Gaiam Life

~Your Earthy Mom

My Morning Joe

I am one of those people who can't function with out my morning cup of coffee.  My children can even tell the difference between "mom before coffee" and "mom with coffee".  My oldest daughter even buys me a new mug for Yule every year.  As a WAHM I usually brew my own coffee at home.  Some days after the kids are off to school, I'll head out to my local D&D (my favorite) and treat my self to a cup o' joe.


Recently I had a friend point out something very interesting, my coffee comes in a styrofoam cup!  We are both very green gals, but here I am drinking my coffee from styrofoam,while she's using a paper cup.  Very embarrassing moment for me.  Well of course now I bring my own travel mug for a re-fill.  It's better for the environment and less expensive.  But I started to think about not only the environment, but how safe is it to be drinking out of a styrofoam cup?  Time to do some research, and I'm shock at the information I found.


Interesting fact that I don't think many of us know:  Styrofoam cups don't exist.  Styrofoam is a trade mark name for the foam material made by the Dow Chemical company.  They don't make any kind of food packaging.  So what are we drinking out of?  Polystyrene cups, commercially manufactured from petroleum.  Styrene (the basic chemical component) can leak into you food or drink and then into you. 

Studies suggest that styrene mimics estrogen in the body and can therefore disrupt normal hormone functions, possibly contributing to thyroid problems, menstrual irregularities, and other hormone-related problems, as well as breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Foods that are higher in fat and hot drinks can cause Styrene to leak faster.  This means coffee and tea can have more Styrene in them.  Also to-go foods like soups and chowders will have a higher amount of Styrene in them.  Branching out from our morning drinks and lunches on the go, you purchase items at the grocery store in Styrene containers.  Meats and cheese will have higher amounts of Styrene leaked into them.

Here are some safer options to consider.

• Use ceramic cups and mugs.  Or go with paper cups.
• If you work outside the home, share washing duties with your co-workers.  This will save on hot water usage.
• Paper cups do create waste, but they are biodegradable, unlike Styrene cups.
• Consider transferring food items bought at the grocery store into non-plastic containers, until ready to be cooked.
• When getting take-out or "doggie bags" ask to have your food wrapped in foil.

Every where we go we are faced with Styrene containers.  Limiting your exposure and making safer choices is the best way to go.  Next time you head out to your favorite coffee shop, be safer and bring your own mug.

Note to Self: Buy a ceramic to-go coffee mug.

Enjoy you next cup 'o joe!
          

~Trish

Scents of the Season

I love the scents of the Holidays!  Gingerbread, pine trees, pies and cookies baking, cinnamon, cranberry, and vanilla just put me in the holiday spirit.  I buy scented candles so the yummy aromas fill our house and add the light and warmth of the season.  What I don't love are the toxic fumes that candles produce.
Think about what popular candles are made from.

• They are made of paraffin wax, a byproduct of petroleum. When burned, this candle wax can be a respiratory irritant.
• Scented candles typically get their aromas from artificial fragrances made with phthalates, which can affect the hormonal system.  They also release toxic chemicals (such as formaldehyde and benzene – both of which are linked to cancer) into the air. These toxins may trigger or aggravate asthma and allergies, and may cause headaches.
• Some candles have metal core wicks made of lead or lead-containing alloys. When burned, they may emit airborne lead and present a lead poisoning hazard to young children. Lead is toxic to a baby's brain.  These candles are now banned in the United States but may still be found rolling around in drawers, and imported candles may still have wicks with lead.

I now buy soy or beeswax candles.  They burn longer than traditional candles and release less soot from the wick.  Soy candles are also renewable and biodegradable.  And the best part is they don't release any toxic chemicals into the air.  Another way to bring Holiday aromas into your house is to make your own natural scents.  Try boiling cloves and cinnamon sticks in a pot on the stove.  You can also use citrus peels, cranberry juice/extract, nutmeg, or plant or flower petals to create other aromas.  Be sure to keep it out of reach of little hands.  Poking cloves into an orange creates a wonderful holiday scent.

Hope you enjoy these wonderful holiday aromas as much as we do.

Just wanted to share

I stumbled upon this while doing some research.  I had to re-post and share with all of you.


The purpose of this email is to educate, my friends and family, about the toxins in your home. I don’t think that most people are aware of toxins or how much they can affect your health.


Facts:
* The air in your home can be up to 70 times more polluted than the outside air. Most people spend about 90% of their life inside.
* Between 1950 and 1990 lung cancer has increased 364% despite that smoking has declined every year since 1950.
* Turn of the century (1900) cancer rates were 1 in 50. Today about 1 in 3. Within the next several years it is expected to be 1 in 2.
* 2,983 chemicals in personal care products were analyzed. 884 caused cancer, 314 caused biological mutations, 218 caused reproductive complications, 778 caused acute toxicity, 148 caused tumors, 376 caused skin and eye irritations.
* EPA doesn’t require manufactures to put harmful chemicals or their harmful effects on the container. FDA can’t regulate a personal care product or require safety testing until after it is in the marketplace. They also can not recall harmful products from the marketplace.
* Some of the long term effects of using toxic products include allergies, asthma, birth defects, cancer, central nervous system damage ( MS and Alzheimer’s Disease), infertility, learning disorders ( A.D.D. and A.D.H.D.), and miscarriage. All of these are on the rise.
* The three ways chemicals enter our bodies are ingestion, absorption, and inhalation. Even if a product has a lid on it or has never been open we are still inhaling the toxins.

Here are some harmful chemicals found in store brands. Chlorine, Dioxin(Commonly known as Agent Orange. Exposure is a key factor in cancer and fertility issues), Phenols(linked to breast cancer, allergies, asthma, and A.D.H.D.), Lye, Bleach, Ammonia, Formaldehyde, and Phosphates.

Toxins can be found in air fresheners, window cleaner, all purpose cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, dishwashing detergent, carpet shampoo, laundry detergent, fabric softener, shampoo, hair spray, bubble bath, mouthwash, toothpaste, cosmetics, perfume/cologne, and baby wipes just to name a few. All of the ingredients do not have to be listed on the container. The ones that are listed may be disguised by what is called a "trade name".

-Dove Beauty Bar has Quaternium 15 ( this is formaldehyde).
-Johnson’s Baby Shampoo also has Quaternium 15 and FD&C Red 40 (causes cancer).
-Crest Tarter Control Toothpaste has Saccharin which can cause cancer.
-Clorox has sodium hypochlorite (corrosive) and sensitizer this can be fatal if swallowed and is also an respitory irritant ( People with a heart condition or asthma be very careful).
-Cascade is corrosive (Test: Place a quarter size amount of liquid cascade on some tin foil and place over a bowl or sink let it sit for awhile and come back to see what happened.).
-409 & Fantastic ingredients damages central nervous system, kidney, liver, and damages blood and body’s ability to make blood. Listed as a pesticide.
-Lysol has dioxin, also know as agent orange, in it which causes cancer.
-Cheer & Tide are corrosive, cause cancer and can be a respiratory tract irritant. Powder Tide has fiberglass in it.

I have heard too many tragic stories of children and adults dying from toxic products. A three year old suffered and died after ingesting 3 ounces of hair conditioner. A seven month old crawled through a puddle of laundry bleach. It gave the baby 3rd degree burns on half of his body. The fumes burned his lungs. The baby suffered four days before dying.

For more information on toxins visit:
http://www.concernedmoms.com/
www.epa.gov/chemfact/
http://www.scorecard.org/
www.cleaningpro.com/page.cfm
www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/
http://www.checnet.org/

I hope you are all a little more aware of the toxins that are in the products you use everyday. When you use these products you not only effect yourself and family, but wildlife and the environment. Where do you think those toxins go after they go down the drain? What about the toxins we use on our lawns? There are safe natural alternatives available. They cost less and are more effective than what you have now. I set up customer accounts for one of these companies so if you want safe alternatives for you and your family please contact me. I want to help you get rid of the toxins. I encourage all of you to help others become educated on toxins. Please forward this to everyone you know and print it out for those without email.


Resource: http://searchwarp.com/swa1508.htm

Toxic Beauty

Women (and men) everywhere are trying to make themselves look and feel younger and more beautiful.  But the products in use are more harmful than helpful.  Have you ever really looked at the ingredients in your personal care products.

...the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did something amazing. It issued an unprecedented warning to the cosmetics industry that it was time to inform consumers that most personal care products have not been safety tested.

This statement was issued back in 2005.  So why does the FDA still not require pre-market safety testing, review, or approval for cosmetics and personal care products.  The toxic chemicals that go into our shampoos, lotions, and cosmetics are often main ingredients.  What makes this so scary?  Everyone uses some type of personal care product.  In fact many of us use 15 or more personal care products in a single day.  Think about how you start your day off.  You take a shower, using soap (or body wash), shampoo, and probably conditioner.  You shave using shaving cream, put on lotion, and brush your teeth with toothpaste.  Ladies are putting on their make up; foundation, blush, eye shadow, lipstick, etc.  And many of us use some type of hairspray or gel to keep our hair in place for the day.  These are just a few things we do to be ready for the day.  That's Eleven different personal care products!  And many of these products don't just sit on our skin!  They are absorbed into our skin.


What can we do to protect ourselves from these toxins? 

• Shop for products that have the fewest ingredients. 
• Find out what ingredients are in the products you use currently.
• Switch to safer products that don't contain toxins.

Here are some everyday products and the toxins they contain:

DOVE BEAUTY BAR - Quaternium 15; Formaldehyde-Carcinogen. Causes cancer, dermatitis, neurotoxin, and sensitizer - poisonous, irritant to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Butylated Hydroxytoluene, (BHT) Carcinogen.JOHNSON'S BABY SHAMPOO - Quaternium 15; FD&C RED 40: Carcinogen and causes dermatitis.

CREST TARTAR CONTROL TOOTHPASTE - Saccharin: Carcinogen, contains Phenol. If you accidentally swallow more than a pea-sized amount of this, you must contact the Poison Control Center immediately. This warning does not appear on the tube.

OLAY REGENERIST - Ethylparaben, methylparabe and propylparabe; hormone disrupters. polyacrylamide, triethanolamine; carcinogens.

CLAIROL HERBAL ESSENCES SHAMPOO DRY/DAMAGED HAIR - CI 17200, CI 15510, CI 42053, CI 60730; cancer-causing dyes. cocamide MEA can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane; a hormone disrupter associated with breast cancer.

LISTERINE TEETH AND GUM DEFENCE - 21.6 percent alcohol; alcohol dries and changes the pH of the mouth and throat and in long-term use increases the risk of mouth and throat cancers. Fluoride; in quantity is poisonous if swallowed.
Some of the long term effects of using toxic products include allergies, asthma, birth defects, cancer, central nervous system damage ( MS and Alzheimer’s Disease), infertility, learning disorders ( A.D.D. and A.D.H.D.), and miscarriage. All of these are on the rise.

I hope you are all a little more aware of the toxins that are in the products you use everyday. When you use these products you not only effect yourself and family, but wildlife and the environment. Where do you think those toxins go after they go down the drain?  There are safe alternatives out there.  Many of them cost less and are just as (or more) effective than what you are using now.  Please educate your self and your loved ones about the effects of toxins in our health and beauty products.
I set up customer accounts for a company that makes safer products, so if you want safe alternatives for you and your family please contact me. I want to help you get rid of the toxins.

Resources:
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/cosmetics_personal_care.htm
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/whythismatters.php
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/how-toxic-is-your-bathroom-512285.html

Search ANY Product

Did you know you can search ANY product at the following link and it will tell you the level of toxicity and toxins rated 1-10.


http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/

The "Dirty Dozen"

The top 12 cancer-causing products(called the “Dirty Dozen”) in the average home include the following:

• Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder w/Talc
• Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste
• VO5 Hair Conditioner
• Clairol Nice-n-Easy Hair Color
• Ajax Cleanser
• Lysol Disinfectant

[Source: The National Cancer Prevention Coalition]

Liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six (over 2.1 million accidental poisonings per year). Most brands of liquid dish soap contain formaldehyde and ammonia.

The State of California recently passed legislation requiring a 45% reduction in the amount of toxins found in:

• Hairspray aerosols  
• Furniture polish  
• Window cleaners  
• Air fresheners  
• Shaving cream 
• Laundry detergents 
• Nail polish remover 
• Insect repellent  
• Hair styling gel and mousse

[Source: Healthy Homes in a Toxic World]

  

Just by reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, we would save at least 50,000 lives taken by cancer annually.
[Source: Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health]

Most laundry detergent contains a form of NTA. NTA is a substance we may reasonably anticipate to be a carcinogen.
[Source: The Merck Index]

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.
[Source: National Cancer Institute]

Asthma was once a very rare disease. Now the condition is extremely common – the asthma rate has tripled in the last 20 years with nearly 30 million Americans currently afflicted.
[Source: Consumer Federation of America , 1997]

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.
[Source: Center for Disease Control]

Childhood asthma has increased by more than 40% since 1980.
[Source: Environmental Health Perspectives, June 1997; 105 (6)]

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in adults and children is also rising – in 1993, 4.5 million children took the drug Ritalin so they could sit still long enough to learn. By 1998, 11.4 million children were being drugged with this powerful Class-2 narcotic.
[Source: Your Children and Ritalin, The Detroit news (March 8. 1998)]

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.
[Source: Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]

Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance. It is a highly suspected cancer-causing agent. It damages the neurological connectors in the body. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause:

  

• skin reactions  
• ear infections  
• headaches  
• depression  
• asthma  
• joint pain 
• dizziness  
• mental confusion  
• nausea  
• disorientation  
• phlebitis  
• fatigue  
• vomiting  
• sleep disturbances  
• laryngitis

 One in five people are sensitive to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is commonly found in:

• drugs  
• mouthwash  
• hairspray  
• cosmetics 
• cleaning products  
• perfumes  
• waxes  
• hair setting lotions  
• shampoo  
• air fresheners  
• fungicides  
• fingernail polish  
• floor polishes  
• dry cleaning solvents  
• toothpaste  
• laundry spray starch  
• antiperspirants

… just to name a few

DO YOU STILL WANT TO USE PRODUCTS IN YOUR HOME THAT CONTAIN FORMALDEHYDE?

How many of these names would you have recognized as formaldehyde? 

• Formalin  
• Methanal 
• Methyl Aldehyde  
• Methylene Oxide  
• Oxymethylene  
• Bfv*  
• Fannoform*  
• Formol*  
• Fyde*  
• Karsan* 
• Methaldehyde  
• Formalith*  
• Methylene Glycol  
• Ivalon*  
• Oxomethane  
• Formalin 40  
• Formalin  
• Formic Aldehyde  
• Hoch  
• Paraform  
• Lysoform*  
• Morbocid  
• Trioxane  
• Polyoxmethylene  

* denotes trade name

  

Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion. 90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.

Government regulations require that only the most EXTREMELY toxic substances must contain a warning label. Labels that say the following should be removed from your house immediately:

• “Do not induce vomiting”
• “Corrosive – rinse from skin immediately”
• “Harmful or fatal if swallowed”
• “Call physician immediately”
• “Warning!” (may mean that as little as 1 teaspoon of product can harm or kill adult)
• “Danger!” (means that as little as 5 drops can harm or kill an adult)

Phenol is an extremely caustic chemical that burns the skin. Absorption of phenol through the lungs or skin can cause:

• central nervous system damage
• pneumonia
• respiratory tract infection
• heart-rate irregularities
• skin irritation
• kidney and liver damage
• numbness
• vomiting
• and can be fatal

 Phenol is a very common chemical and is regularly found in the following common products:  

• air fresheners
• aftershave
• bronchial mists
• chloroseptic throat spray
• deodorants
• feminine powders & sprays
• hair spray
• decongestants
• mouthwash
• aspirin
• solvents
• acne medications
• antiseptics
• calamine lotions
• cleaning products
• detergents
• furniture polish
• hair setting lotions
• lice shampoo
• polishes
• cold capsules
• all-purpose cleaners
• aerosol disinfectants
• anti-itching lotions
• carnex
• cosmetics
• disinfectant cleaners
• hand lotions
• lip balms
• sunscreen and lotions
• insecticides
• cough syrups
• … just to name a few

 DO YOU STILL WANT TO USE PRODUCTS IN YOUR HOME THAT CONTAIN PHENOL?

Contact me to find out how you can make your home safer

Website: http://www.livingwell2010.com/

Email: LivingWell2010@live.com