Wednesday, March 30, 2011

More Information on Cosmetics

Here is some more information on why you should read ingredients on cosmetics.  Better yet, if you want some of the best cosmetics out there try the Skin Deep website.  This website can give you even more insight on good cosmetics.  They will rate products and give information on why the product is a good product or why it is hazardous.

I didn't find Ecco Bella in their data base, however, Zuzu was.  To my surprise, the eyeliner (which I've been using) was rated a 3 which is a moderate hazard.  That isn't horrible, but that tells me that I can do better.

Enjoy the video!



More on Cosmetics

Ecco Bella and Zuzu are two brands that I love.   All of my cosmetics, in fact, are produced by one of the two companies with very little exception.   There are, however, many other wonderful products out there.  Aveda is another line of beauty and cosmetics that a few people that I know swear by.  I have a friend who manages an Aveda store in Massachusetts.  If you find Aveda to be favorable then you have an incredible variety of choices when it comes to cosmetics.  Dr. Hauschka has an incredible line, but I find it to be more costly than many.  On the other hand, Dr. Hauschka is one of those brands that are more expensive because of the fact that the quality is so high.  I have a girlfriend who will spend the extra money on Dr. Hauschka because she KNOWS that she will get quality non toxic makeup and cosmetics if it is made by this company.

There are a few products that I can offer through amazon.com, however, in all honesty, I wouldn’t buy makeup online unless I’ve used certain colors before.  I always buy my makeup from a health food store so that I can test the colors on myself to make sure that it looks good.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Still Read Ingredients

As you are searching for new non toxic products, remember to take the advice that I've repeated throughout several posts:  READ THE INGREDIENTS!  Even some of my favorite brands admit that some of their products contain toxic preservatives.  Ecco Bella, for example, produces VERY clean non toxic products.  They still confess that their Shampoo, Conditioner, Mascara and Natural Foundation, contain preservatives.  So PLEASE, even though you may be buying a product produced by a brand name that you trust; always, always, ALWAYS read the ingredients.  The only area where you may have to place your faith in a company or product is when it comes to fragrance.  By law, companies that produce fragrances don't have to list ingredients nor do they have to disclose them to you over the phone or otherwise. 

Even though you are switching to brands that are more eco friendly, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that you need to still be careful of.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Sally Malanga and Ecco Bella

Ecco Bella happens to be one of my favorite line of cosmetics.  Although thier shampoo, conditioner, mascara and natural foundation do contain preservatives; for the most part their products rate VERY highly with me because of their focus on creating non toxic high quality products.

In the following video, Sally Malanga presents a farm where Ecco Bella products are born.

Enjoy!


Decreasing Toxicity: Cosmetics

Yes, even common cosmetics contain toxins like paraben.  I understand that you are putting most cosmetics on your skin and not in your body, however, let us not forget that the skin can absorb particles that will later be found in your bloodstream.  The good news is, there are WONDERFUL cosmetics available that aren’t harsh on the body.

Unless you are so attached to a line of cosmetics, I would assume that this should probably be an easy part of your decrease in toxicity project.  Switching out makeup may be a very short search (at least I hope it is).  Perfume, however, I can understand may be a bit of a challenge.  I’ve used the same perfume for years after I knew it wasn’t healthy for me.  I continued to search for a long time until I finally found a natural fragrance that I liked. 

I will give more information on different lines of cosmetics that may be better choices.  In the meantime, I always value your feedback.  Please give your comments below, or if you'd like you may start a discussion in the Making Changes forum on the Whole Health Destinations page.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Decreasing Toxicity: Cleaning Solutions

By now you have probably looked at different cleaners.  Earlier, I've given some ideas about eco safe replacements for toilet, sink, tub and floor cleaners.  In your search for eco safe cleaners you may have found some that you like and some that you are still testing.

Biokleen is a brand that I've mentioned before.  I love their laundry, dish and floor cleaners.  Their cleaners are all eco friendly and VERY effective; plus their dish detergents have no sodium laurel sulfates.  Biokleen also has a bathroom cleaner and odor removers.  (For more information on a product of interest below please click the "buy from amazon.com" button below the product of choice).

I want to hear about some of your natural cleaning solutions and offer more on mine.  Please comment below or in the Making Changes forum on the Whole Health Destinations page.


 



Friday, March 25, 2011

Moving Forward

I know that some of the information that I've offered has been rather graphic and unsettling, I apologize to anyone who had a difficult time with it.  I hear the people who dispense this information constantly saying things like "I'm not trying to scare you, but arm you" and in all honesty, I'm not displaying this information to scare but to arm.  Knowledge is power.  If we are aware of what is going on, then we can do something about it.

Sometimes the research that I do for this blog can be overwhelming.  I find information at times that I don't even want to accept.  I was just telling my husband today about how there is a small cowardly part of me that doesn't even want to do this anymore because the more I find the more I am burdened with the responsisbility of doing better.  I have posted before about how it can be scary to be open to new information.  Even I can lapse into an old mind frame where I wish I could go back to the days where none of this mattered.  For a brief moment at times I wish I can go back to the days where I can eat sugar cookies with color sprinkles and have a can of soda and not worry about what it is doing to my health.  All I have to do in order to snap out of it is think of what the norm in this world is and what it produces.

Believe me, I don't want my old life back and the only way to move is forward and that's where I'm going.  So on with my healthy low toxic life!

The Meatrix In Reality Part II

Free range chickens and cows have been the way to go for me for the last seven years at least.  I've always known that the quality was better, but I wasn't sure why at first.  Then I heard about hormone injections and antibiotics in animal feed, however, I wasn't sure why the animals had to got through this.

All my BeWell BookWorms who are reading Vitamin Code understand that nutrients must be properly metabolized by the food that we eat in order for our bodies to properly metabolize it too.  Grass, for example, must draw in and metabolize all of it's nutrients from the soil and the sun in order to grow to be green and healthy.  The cow or buffalo that eats the grass then absorbs it's nutrients.  Their bodies may even make other nutrients from what it absorbed from the grass.  When WE then eat the cow, our bodies do the same; we absorb the nutrients from the meat and our bodies may even make other nutrients from the nutrients absorbed.  Think about that when it comes to poor quality mass produced food.  In several studies, animals have shown illness after eating GMOs; such as abnormal and damaged cells and liver lesions in rats and mice.  So imagine feeding this poor quality GMO to cows.  This is what the cow absorbs into it's body.  That in conjunction with the poor environment that the cow is raised in may put the cow at high risk for diseases.  Then it is fed antibiotics to prevent the disease, plus hormones so that it produces more milk.  Then I have a steak or a glass of milk from this cow.  Can I REALLY expect to be nourished by this undernourished or even sickly cow?

If you are eating to get by then none of this should concern you at all.  If you eat to arm your body with nourishment, you may want to think twice about what you eat.

The Meatrix In Reality

Someone I worked with (another personal trainer) saw pictures similar to the ones presented via the link below.  A couple of people I know, like her, became vegetarians as a result of seeing something like this.  I am not, however, a vegetarian nor am I advocating vegetarianism.  I am a meat eater, I may not have been always, but I certainly am now.  I simply am not in the habit of buying conventionally raised meat.  I buy free range, at the very least, however, I prefer organic beef, chicken and eggs.  "Organically" raised chickens and cows are often free range and they are better nourished therefore more nutritious.

I'm not trying to play on the sympathy of people by showing these pictures.  I'm trying to educate.  I'm trying to show you what they are doing to these animals with a reminder that this will be on your plate if you aren't informed and careful about what you buy.  If you raise an unhealthy, malnourished animal how do you expect to be nourished by it's meat?

Remember, these pictures show what is probably the worst of the conventional methods of raising animals for meat.  They are of a graphic nature. Quite honestly, in my opinion they are pretty horrible and I just want to give this warning because there are some who may NOT wish to see it.  Click here to see the reality of meat production if you wish.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Vitamin Store

Inspired by the book we are reading this month, I decided to offer the names of my favorite whole food vitamin products.

I've posted previously about a discussion that I had with a group about vitamins and about a woman who says that she is sure to have a large viriety of fruits and veggies so that she doesn't have to waste her money on vitamin supplements.  Honestly, if you can do that then you don't need any of the products below.  I would rather get my vitamin intake from my meals if I had the time, but to be honest, I don't always.

My favorite brands are Garden of Life (the company that makes Vitamin Code) and New Chapter.  Then there are actual foods that are natural whole food vitamins in themselves like Kelp, Brewers Yeast and Salba seeds; three essential ingredients for vitamin toast (see Wellness Cafe on the Whole Health Destinations page).  You could also use them in a smoothie.

I may have presented some of these before, but here they are again; brands and products that my husband and I use.  For more information about a product that interests you, click the "Buy From amazon.com" button below the product of choice:





Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Decreasing Toxicity: Cleaners (continued)

If you participated in the Decreasing Toxicity project, by now you are on your way to much cleaner bodies.  You may even feel a difference.

After one client of mine went through her detox, she didn't' feel anything until the day she ate one of the foods that she intended to permanently eliminate and got sick.  I didn't feel a difference until I had ice cream for the first time in a year.  My head felt like it was swimming for almost a week and my though process slowed down significantly; to the point where others noticed there was something wrong with me.  My husband started detoxing before I moved in.  After I moved in, he lost a bunch of weight (it helped that he was exercising too) and now he looks great and says that he feels better as well.

The downside of detoxing is, you may get sensitive to toxins.  I can't stand the smell of harsh cleaners.  I can't even walk down the cleaning isle at a conventional grocery store anymore.

Let me know how you are doing and what I can do to help.  I encourage you to join the Making Changes forum to offer any comments, questions or furthermores.  There is also room for comments below as well.  I always love hearing from you!

The Meatrix II Revolting

I wanted to show this next episode of "The Meatrix" only because I have pictures that show that it wasn't as exaggerated as I thought it was.  If anything, the cartoon made these factory farms look better.  I will present them on another post.

 Enjoy the second part of “The Meatrix” if you haven't been to their website yet:


Monday, March 21, 2011

More on GMO

This video gives some fabulous insights on GMO.  It talks about how and why they are made and how and why they may be harmful.  Please watch and enjoy!


Decreasing Toxicity: Cleaners II

As a school counselor I'm well aware of the problems that harsh cleaners can do to young minds.  If you have any school age children in your home, your home detox is as important as your food and beverage detox. 

Harsh cleaners are known to effect the minds of students and yet they use these cleaners in schools anyway (unknowingly of course).  In this post, "harsh" can be defined as synthetic/ toxic ingredients that are potentially harmful to the body and environment.  According to one study, students did significantly worse on exams when they took it just after their school was cleaned (Bell, Peiper 2006).  There are nasty chemicals found in some cleaners such as paraben.  Several  sources say that parabens are found in cancer tumors.  According to my research I haven't found any "link" between paraben and cancer other than that, however, one article did say there is a possible link between harsh air fresheners and breast cancer.  When more information is available on that subject, I will definitely post about it.   

So start hunting for alternative cleaners to scrub your home.  Let me know your progress.  As always, questions, comments and furthermores are valued and welcomed.  For more community feedback, try the Making Changes forum on the Whole Health Destinations page.



Reference:

Bell, Rachel; Peiper, Howard; (2006) The A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. diet! (Bell, Peiper 2006) 

Decreasing Toxicity: Cleaners

By now you are on your way to much cleaner, healthier bodies and families.  Now let us look at something other than foods that effect our bodies.
The next step is to examin your house hold cleaners.  What do you use to clean the kitchen, bathrooms, floor tile and to freshen the air?  What do you use to wash your dishes?  Look over the ingredients in these products and look for parabens, phthalates and chlorine just to start.  These are all known to be toxic to the body and environment (Be Well My Friends will always support a healthy environment because a healthy environment supports healthy bodies).

I understand how hard it can be difficult to part with effective cleaners.  As the daughter of a nurse, I like my toilets, tubs and sinks clean and germ free when I am finished cleaning it.  There are natural, eco safe disinfenctants and cleaners available; these products are also effective.  Cleaning products made from eco conscious companies like Method, J.R. Watkins, Melaleuca and Seventh Generation are just a few of my personal favorites.

There will be more on cleaners in future posts.  In the meantime, I provided my favorite eco safe bathroom cleaners/ disinfectants below.  I actually use these cleaners and I find them to be very effective.  I use the Seventh Generation bathroom spray for cleaning surfaces, the wipes for day to day cleaning, the Bon Ami powder with the castile soap (tea tree oil castile soap is my FAVORITE to clean with) to clean the insides of the toilets, tubs and sinks and I dilute some tea tree oil castile soap in a bucket of water to wash the floors.  For more information, please click on the "Buy from amazon.com" button below the product of choice.

As always, questions, comments and furthermores are ALWAYS valued and welcome!




 

Sunday, March 20, 2011

How is it going? (End of week 2)

How is it going?  This is the end of week two of our decreasing toxicity project, so by now you are drinking plenty of water (filtered or spring) eating more vegetables and fruits and less toxic/synthetic food like trans fats.

I know this kind of change is rarely if ever easy.  I had to give up some of my favorite foods because of toxicity and food sensitivities.  It may be comfort for you to know that I now no longer have a craving for most of those foods and I can make the ones that I still have a craving for using whole food ingredients.

Tomorrow, Monday we will take another step forward toward a healthier body and a healthier life.  I encourage more use of the forum.  I feel that it is a fabulous way to both teach and learn information.  Your feedback is most valuable to me even if it is a question.  Questions are NEVER dumb they are an opportunity for learning.  The so called “dumb” questions are a learning opportunity for those too embarrassed or too prideful to ask; and that STILL doesn't make it dumb.  If you are still not confident about your feedback, remember reregistration is required for the use of Whole Health Destinations for the benefit of those who would like to remain anonymous.  I hope to see more of you there and thank you to those who have participated already!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

New Entries in the Forums

Please check out the Whole Health Destinations page and say hello to our newest registered member.  He started or replied to three different discussions including a recipe that was shared.  Please log in or register and offer your ideas as well.

Remember you questions, comments and furthermores are always, always valued and welcome!  I will be happy to see you in the new forum!  Be well my friends!

Organic Gardening

I openly admit that I have a lot to learn about gardening.  My parents and my mother in law are all trying to teach me.

We purchased our sweet comfortable house about a year ago.  I have a beautiful apple tree in my back yard that the birds got to before I did.  I don't have a lawn because the weeds are in power.  I have this wonderful backyard with many possibilities, but I've done nothing to tend to it because I don't know how.  When I saw it first, I liked the fact that it was big and plain because it was a blank canvas waiting for an artist.  The artist in me can see many wonderful possibilities, but I've just been too intimidated to go out and do anything.  I fear the question about whether I have a green or black thumb.

I'm reading about organic gardening to excite the dreamer in myself that envisions fruit trees and vegetable and herb gardens.  It is more cost effective to grow your own food, but there is work to do and skills to attain.

Please check out the Organic Gardening forum on the Whole Health Destinations page and share what you know.  I will note my progress in this forum as I hope to get advice.  Thank you for reading, and as always comments, questions and furthermores are welcome!

Re-registration is necessary in order to use the forums.  Click here for simple step by step instructions on how to re-register and use the forums.

Friday, March 18, 2011

The Meatrix

I'm really trying to give my business to restaurants that give their support to organic farms.  There aren't many of them, however, the few that I've gone to are very, very good.  I went to an organic pizzeria last night and I was in heaven!  There is another restaurant where they serve fresh free range chicken, freshly hunted elk and fresh fish along with organic fruits and veggies.  I perfectly understand why these foods are more expensive; there is less of it to go around.  I think that with the brilliant minds in this world, there has to be a better way to produce food without having to cram animals in tiny spaces and feed them antibiotics in order to keep consumers from getting ill.

I just thought that the following was a FABULOUS presentation.  It was cute, creative, and very informative.  In order to see the rest of Leo's journey, check out their website.

I want to thank the makers of this presentation!

Enjoy!




Wednesday, March 16, 2011

GMO

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is another area where people meant to do good things with modern technology (I assume), but just weren’t thinking things through.  The reason for genetically redesigning the cellular makeup of crops it to make plants resistant to pests and herbicides.  I would imagine that it is cheaper to grow crops that are their own pesticide and that are resistant to herbicides (for weeds) than it is to spray crops constantly.

Contrary to what some are made to believe, GMO is NOTHING like grafting or cross pollinating.  It is NOT something that is done naturally; it is a process of forcing genes from one source in to the DNA of another.  Biological engineering is NOT safe for us, and it is NOT safe for the environment.

In one test (that I can’t get out of my head), rats wouldn’t touch a biologically engineered tomato.  When the rats were finally force fed the tomato, they became very ill.  Is this surprising?  We are talking about food that isn’t supposed to be palatable to “pests” from a cellular level.

If rats become ill from GMOs can people?  I haven't found any information about how much GMOs can be consumed before people can become ill, but it seems like we can eat quite a bit because people eat it everyday.  Then again, could this be a part of the reason for the obesity in infants or learning disabilities or other diseases or conditions? 

Why You Should Eat Organic

I have given you many reasons why it is best to eat organic.  Pesticides are now the least of our worries.  Pesticides can sometimes be avoided by peeling fruit for example.  The new kind of pest resistance, cannot be peeled away.  The new technology in pest resistance is found in the very cells of the foods that we eat.  Genetically modified engineering is now the greatest reason why I urge you to buy organic produce when you can.  You have eaten genetically modified organisms (GMOs) before as have I.  Most people in the United States and in other parts of the world have as well.  Do you know how to tell the difference between a conventionally grown tomato and a genetically modified tomato?

The FDA declares GMOs are safe.  Because they feel it is safe, companies don't have to label their fresh produce as genetically modified.  So a conventioally grown tomato and a genetically modifed tomato can be given identical labels.  An organic tomato by itself may look the same, however, it is usually marked organic and the plu number will start with the #9.

So as you are increasing the amount of fresh foods you eat, please be aware of this.  There will be more on GMOs in future posts, in the meantime, please be aware of what kind of fresh produce you buy.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Fiber II

As I may have mentioned, fiber can be found in most earth grown foods (best in whole form) like grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. 

There are ways to get more fiber in your diet.  A friend of mine taught me something in college and I’ve been doing it since.  Even my father swears by it.  Every morning have a tall glass of water and some fruit before breakfast in that order.  I like to have fruit that is fibrous and juicy like mangoes, kiwis or citrus, but I’ll have all kinds of other fruit as well.  Have some veggies with lunch and dinner and try to fill half your plate with the fresh vegetables.  Snack on fruits and veggies between meals.  Try to eat the skin on fruits instead of peeling them.  Avoid processed foods like pastas or processed cereals in boxes.  Hot cereal made from whole grains would be better.  In the morning, usually make some millet, buckwheat, steel cut oats or corn meal with some amaranth and coconut milk.   If you are going to have the pastas or boxed cereals once in a while like I do, make sure they are at least made from whole grains and with few ingredients all of which you can recognize (if it contains ingredients that sound like they were made in a chemistry lab, steer clear of it).  You can also sprinkle some chia/ Salba seeds on your food for extra fiber and other nutrients.

You know that I love to hear from you.  If you have questions, comments, furthermores or extra tips, know that they are all welcome!

Fiber

We've been talking about decreasing toxicity.  At this point you are drinking at 8 -10 glasses of good clean water per day.  Clean as in spring or filtered water (and of course you made sure the filter you have takes the fluoride out).  This week we talked about decreasing our synthetic and toxic food intake and raising our nutrients.  By doing this, you will also raise the amount of fiber in your diet.

Fiber is just indigestible carbohydrates.  Why would we need to consume something that is indigestible?  Well, for lots of reasons.  Believe it or not, these indigestible carbs are necessary nutrients that have a variety of benefits.  For one thing, most people understand that it helps to cleanse the system.  What many may or may not understand is that helps lower the risk of a variety of diseases or bad health conditions.  To name a few, fiber can decrease your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and it both prevents and relieves constipation (according to Harvard School of Public Health).

Harvard School of Public Health says that if the calories that you consume are more than average then you need more fiber.  For example, they recommend that teens consume 30-35 grams per day.  For most people, the recommendation is 20 grams of fiber per day.  Either way, it is recommended that you get obtain your fiber FROM FOOD.

Once again, another source is stressing the importance of getting your nutrients from real food as opposed to a pill or supplement.  Because you are decreasing your toxic/synthetic food intake and increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, you are well on your way to getting the fiber that you need in your diet.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Decreasing Toxicity: Increasing Nutrients (continued)

The next step is to decrease the chemical/ refined foods and increase our nutrients.  The best way to obtain your vitamins is from food when you can (as you are learning from "Vitamin Code" the book of the month).  The vitamin supplements are there because most of us don’t have the time to spend in the kitchen.  Even I feel that washing veggies can get tedious, but I do it because it is the best way to nourish my family.  You body will not absorb the “enriched” processed food vitamins any better than it will the processed crystallized junky vitamins.

So this week we will work on decreasing our intake of all the junky stuff that just fills our bodies with nothing but toxins.  This week we will decrease any trans fats (also known as hydrogenated oils), MSG, BHT, BHA, TBHQ (which eliminates many fast food restaurant all together), aspartame, reduced iron, RDHD (usually found in refined milk), artificial colors and flavors, (be careful of natural flavors too) and high fructose corn syrups.  It is good not to get rid of these things too quickly.  Take the week (or even take two if you need to, there’s no rush) and finish anything you have in your home with these ingredients.  Now, as we decrease the toxins we will increase the nutrients with the new foods that you will buy.  Start buying more organic fruits and vegetables.  Start trying a variety of organic dark leafy green veggies this week; kales, chards, spinach, broccoli, arugula, dandelions and dark salad greens.  If you can’t get into the flavor of the greens, ease yourself into it by juicing them with carrot and apple (see the vitamin juice recipe in Wellness Café on the Whole Health Destinations page).  The carrot and apple will sweeten the juice and add extra vitamins.  This is how I eased myself into the habit of dark leafy greens, now the very mention of them makes me salivate!  Start becoming aware of seasonings too.  Be careful of marinades, for they often have ingredients that you are trying to avoid now.

So we are inching closer and closer toward a diet that contains mostly real food!  Your body will thank you as mine did and still does!

Decreasing Toxicity: Increasing Nutrients

By now I’m assuming many of you have started drinking lots of good clean filtered water or spring water and decreased the sugary beverages to a minimum or, better still, you’ve stopped drinking the sugary beverages all together.  I also assume that you have started reading the vitamin code and you are learning about nourishment.  Well, whether you are there or getting there, you are on a great path toward a strong healthy body! 

Stay alert for the next step in decreasing toxicity coming up in my next post.  Thank you for reading!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

BeWell BookWorms: March Book Club

Welcome my BeWell BookWorms!  The book club has finally commenced with "The Vitamin Code," our first book of the month.  This book talks about the history of our understanding of vitamins.  How is this helpful as far as what we can do to improve our lifestyles?  Well, when you understand vitamins, how they work and why the crystallized junk doesn't, you can make the best choices as far as which foods and vitamins supplements to buy.  This book will deepen your understanding about why I LOVE kelp, brewer's yeast, Salba seeds and other whole food supplements.  It will also explain why it is best to get all of your vitamins from food when you can.  It may even help you know what foods and vitamins to bone up on if you are to become ill.

If you go to the BeWell BookWorms page you can find an image of the book.  Below the image, there is a place where you can purchase the book.  The link to amazon is on this post as well to get you started.  Please push the "buy from amazon.com" button for more information.  In the future, please refer to the BeWell BookWorms page.

There is a new BeWell BookWorms forum on the Whole Health Destinations page as well.  This is so that we can all have discussions about the books that we are reading in the book club and about the lifestyle changes that we are making.  You may ask questions and offer insights that you feel may be of help to others.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

  

Friday, March 11, 2011

Positive Thinking and Life Changes

I started a discussion in the Making Changes forum on the Whole Health Destinations page.  I would like to offer more input, but even more so, I would like to hear your input.  Please click here for instructions on how to re-register in the forum.  If you would like to stop in the Say Hello forum  and us an idea of who you are, that would be great too. 

I look forward to hearing from you!  Thanks to those of you who have responded!

FINALLY!

FINALLY!  According to Dr. Mercola, in the Journal of the American Dental Association a PUBLISHED study finally, finally shows that fluoride does not own up to what we have been told.  It states (what many of us who read BWMF already know) that fluoride is BAD for the teeth!  Imagine that!

We have been warned in the past against mixing baby formula with tap water.  Well, the CDC finally admits that the combined exposure to fluoride in children under 8 from toothpaste, water, mouthwash or anything else increases their chances of getting dental  fluoridosis.  But wait, just in kids and JUST dental fluoridosis?  Remember Dr. Connett's words?  "The teeth are the window to the bones. If you've seen the damage to the teeth, what damage can you not see?"  That's what I'm wondering!  If dental fluoridosis is a result on the teeth, what about our bone health?  (sigh!)  Oh well, they've come this far, right?  I've got to hand it to the CDC, I know that it is difficult for them to admit such things.

Before you start throwing confetti, however, Dr. Mercola furthere states (in a tone that I've interpreted as frustration), that the CDC still states that water fluoridation is safe (????) and that dental flouridosis is merely a cosmetic problem... (sigh!).  Sooooo close!  Maybe with the help of real scientists like Dr. Connett and Dr. Mercola the stubborn veil of blindness that the CDC wears so proudly may eventually be lifted.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Vitamin Toast

Please check out the new recipe that I posted in Whole Health Destinations.  This is just a quick healthy snack that you can prepare for yourself or your family.  I also posted adjustments that you can make so that the kids would love it too.  Below are three important ingredients that you will need to make vitamin toast (I just offered different forms and prices for the Salba seeds.  Please click the "Buy from amazon.com" button for more information).  If you are unsure of how to log on to Whole Health Destinations click here.






How is it going?

How is it going; as far as trying to drink water instead of sugary beverages?  It may not be as easy as it sounds for some people.  Sugary beverages can actually be addicting.  Artificially sweetened beverages definitely are.  My husband went through a few months of headaches (and grouchiness) before he was free from his aspartame addiction.  He kicked it none the less, bless his persevering heart!

By the way, non sweetened tea counts as a non sugary beverage, as long as you made it.  Be careful of bottled teas and restaurant teas for the water may be fluoridated.  Also, make sure there aren't any ingredients in the tea except for the tea itself.  In other words, if you are drinking real peppermint tea, that's fine.  If you are drinking a fruity tea with "natural flavors" I'd stay away from that for a while.  Sometimes "natural flavors" are a way for companies to make their products appear all natural.  "Natural flavors" may be all natural, but sometimes they contain hidden MSG or other chemicals.

I've had comments on decreasing toxicity via chat and email.  One reader has been drinking non-sugary beverages her whole life and asked for the next step.  If this is you, start reading ingredients on the foods that you buy.  Start cutting out foods with artificial ingredients such as any artificial flavors or colors, reduced irons, BHT, BHA, MSG, fast foods and foods with aspartame.  Start reducing the mentioned chemicals and chemically infested foods and keep drinking the non fluoridated water.  A good way to do this slowly is by finishing what you already have in your house, but not buying anymore foods with chemical ingredients. 

We will discuss more about the next step next week.  In the meantime, whether you are succeeding or having trouble please go to the Making Changes forum.  I would like to hear how you can be helped or how you can help others.  You may even inspire me!  I’m eager to know how you are doing and to chat with you.  I’ll see you in the forum.  If you don't remember how to sign in click here for instructions.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Healthy Menus For Schools

I've started a discussion on the Whole Health Destinations page about the menus in school cafeterias.  I'm a believer in free market, however, when it comes to the health of my students I'm very harsh with the companies that sell junk our schools.  I know there are many wonderful advantages and quite a few disadvantages to having a healthy school menu.  What are they? 

Please refer to the Healthy Minds forum on the Whole Health Destinations page to read more and further discuss this issue.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Healthy Minds Forum

I am happy to introduce the Healthy Minds forum.  This is a forum mostly for parents, educators and health professionals to come together.  I’m starting this discussion so that educators can both teach and learn ways to teach their students healthier habits.

I once worked with a middle school that had a Pizza Hut in the cafeteria.  I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they really didn’t know what a horrible choice that was.  Eating can be fun, but it must be nourishing first; especially for a young mind!  If you feed a brain properly it can do wonders.  Starve a brain with refined junk and you will have a student that doesn’t want to learn because he/she doesn’t have the energy or the brain power to do it.

What are some things that schools and educators can do to inspire kids to lead healthier lives?  Let's go to the Healthy Minds forum in Whole Health Destinations and talk about it! :-)

Re-registration is necessary in order to use the forums.  Click here for simple step by step instructions on how to re-register and use the forums.

Decreasing Toxicity: Water continued

It is necessary to be very careful when you choose which bottled water to drink.  Some bottled waters are fluoridated.  My husband and I drink Eldorado water.  We subscribed to it.  We ordered the porcelain jug dispenser and the glass bottles.  The glass bottles are a little more expensive, but it’s worth it.  Many doctors feel that filtered water is best.  It often has the least amount of toxins in it.  We use a Berkey filter for cooking and making tea.  We talked about eventually getting a whole house filter to decrease toxicity even further.  In our research we came across a whole house reverse osmosis appliance.  Some doctors highly recommend reverse osmosis because it takes out almost all the toxins; other doctors advise against it for concern that reverse osmosis (and distillers) take out too many important minerals.  Use your judgment on this topic.  Also, watch out for plastic containers.  I like to keep my water in either glass or stainless steel containers per my doctor’s advice.  If you MUST use plastic, at least check the number within the recycle sign at the bottom.  Make sure the number is #1,2,4 or 5; any other number may leach.

It’s sometimes frustrating that we have to be so careful.  As Mother Teresa would probably say, however (according to her poem), be careful anyway!  Your body will thank you for it in the end.  Good clean water will begin the journey toward a clean body with very little toxins.

Decreasing Toxicity: Water

I forgot to mention something about water.  Make sure the water that you drink is NOT fluoridated.  As discussed in a prior post, the fluoride in drinking water is a man made toxin.  Calcium fluoride and sodium fluoride are naturally occurring substances.  The kinds of fluoride they put into our water supply includes hydrofluorosilicic acid and other byproducts of things like steel, cement, aluminum and nuclear weapons. 

I was having discussions with some of my readers outside the site and it made me realize that I really wasn’t specific enough.  I just assume sometimes that my readers have read everything in this blog and I forget that some haven’t seen important posts with information on things like fluoridated water.  I feel that it is very important to warn against fluoridated water because if you are decreasing toxicity, the increase of this toxin doesn’t help to steer anyone in the right direction. 

Saturday, March 5, 2011

We're Expanding

Sorry about the late notice, but Be Well My Friends will be under construction again this weekend.  I will resume posting as usual on Sunday night or Monday morning the latest.

Thanks for your patience!
Be well my friends! :-D

Friday, March 4, 2011

A Discussion About Vaccines

I had an online discussion with two gentlemen about the link between vaccines and autism.  This was my response to them:

I believe that the pharmaceutical industry would love for us to believe that there is no link between vaccines and autism.  I will admit that even though I know little of Wakefield’s studies, they sounded questionable.  He seemed very focused on the MMR, but that wasn’t the only vaccine that parents of vaccine injured children would complain about.

[To address what one individual said about correlation NOT implying causation]; this is very, very true and I agree with you very strongly.  Correlation is merely a place to start when investigating cause.  So let’s start with correlation in regard to vaccines and autism.  Since 1989, vaccine dosages have more than tripled and autism skyrocketed from 1 in 2500 in to 1 in 110.  Now, this is just the correlation.  Should we be concerned?  Absolutely!  The question is what is linking these two variables?  Is the rise in vaccinations causing the rise in autism or is there another variable that we aren’t looking at?  I have a strong suspicion that there is a hidden variable that we aren’t looking at; only it hasn’t been a hidden variable for the last couple of years.  Dr. Boyd Haley has been warning about the dangers of thimerosal in the vaccines for the last couple of years.  Thimerosal, as you may know, is a preservative used in many vaccines and it contains 49% mercury (ethyl mercury).  It doesn’t take an MD to tell most of us that mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin.  In most debates that I’ve watched about the link between autism and vaccinations, thimerosal was almost always overlooked.  Several studies done by scientists like Dr. Haley showed that thimerosal can damage and even destroy brain cells and cause disabilities like autism.  According to Robert Kennedy, the amount of mercury that was injected into children was about 400 times the amount the FDA would normally allow.  So why have they continued to use this dangerous neurotoxin as a preservative?  Money!  It is a very cheap preservative.  As the wife of someone who worked for the government for more than 10 years, government will choose the cheapest way the law will allow…ALWAYS!  Another variable varies from individual to individual and that is glutathione levels.  Why is it that most children survive the vaccine schedule?  This is a very fair question.  Obviously out of 110 children 109 have enough glutathione to remove the mercury from their bodies before it causes any visible damage.  Everyone has different physical strengths and weaknesses.  Just because some can smoke and live until they are in their 90s until they die of old age doesn’t mean that smoking doesn’t cause lung diseases.

Just recently, the pharmaceutical industry finally started phasing thimerosal out; thank goodness.  There are many vaccines that no longer contain it.  It will be interesting to see what will happen as a result of this.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Fake Foods

We've been discussing decreasing toxicity for the last couple of posts.  We've also discussed the importance of reading labels and keeping the processed junk on the shelves.  Some companies aren't interested in selling their customers quality food, they are just interested in selling things that look and taste good so that people will come back an buy more.

Blueberries are considered a super food.  So if there are blueberries in your cereal or muffins or any other kind of food, you may think that you are attaining some nutrients.  Well that depends, how much of the blueberries are real?




Decreasing Toxicity: Implementation

Implementation is the unmentioned fourth step in the process of decreasing toxicity.  This is when you put your new skills to action.  But where does one begin?  Well, the good news is, you don’t want to eliminate too many toxins from your diet at once.  It wouldn’t be harmful to get a whole new set of nontoxic/eco-safe household products, but as far as toxicity in food and beverages, it is better to decrease toxins more slowly.

The place I ALWAYS suggest for people to start when it comes to decreasing toxicity in the body is with beverages.  When my clients were looking to lose weight, the first thing I would have them do is drink more water.  As you start drinking more water, start decreasing the amount of sugary beverages that you drink as well.  I had my husband do this.  He was addicted to diet sodas when I first met him.  His cravings for both diet drinks and for sweet beverages decreased significantly within a week after he started drinking more water.

While you are weaning off of sugary (or artificially sweetened) beverages, you may have cravings at times.  If you really badly crave for a sugary beverage, have some fresh pressed fruit juice.  If you don’t have a juicer, Lakewood is one of my favorite brands of juice because their selection is mostly fresh pressed organic juice (if you would like to buy from amazon below understand that the prices may be very high because the product is sold in a case of six or more.  Click the "buy at amazon.com" button below the product of choice for more information).

When I was helping clients lose weight (actually, I was more helping them get healthy), I would also have them keep a journal.  This way they keep track of their new lifestyle changes.  With the journal, you can show your doctor what you are doing, how you are progressing and where you need some support.

What is the hardest part of making this change for you?  Let us help each other.  Please start a discussion in the Making Changes forum on the Whole Health Destinations page.  As usual, questions, comments and furthermores are more than welcome!


  

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Decreasing Toxicity: Achieving Step 3

As someone who is constantly doing research on health I will be the first one to tell you that learning about decreasing toxicity can be very scary.  It’s very scary sometimes learning what is in our food, water, environment and medications.  In fact, sometimes it can be downright overwhelming.  This is when we may start creating the excuses to stay in our comfort zones.

One thing that I admire about the doctor that I had in San Diego, is his promise to himself that he would do what he had to not to be in denial about anything.  He would force himself to look at facts and to look at himself objectively and go from there.  It is hard to accept the truth sometimes, especially when the truth is overwhelming.  Sometimes you may need some time to absorb the information that you’ve received before you act on it.  To avoid procrastination, don’t take more than three days to act.  During those three days, find a support system.  Hopefully there are friends and loved ones who can support you.  If not, there is always this site.  Go to the “Rants” forum and talk about what you’ve learned and how you are overwhelmed and ask for help. 

Once you’ve accepted what you have learned and the journey it will take to get there, you are ready to begin your new journey toward a life low in toxins.  You’re ready to figure out how to get that whole house filter; you’re ready to read ingredients and leave the toxic stuff on the shelves; you’re ready to decrease your garbage by recycling and composting and you’re ready to get second opinions to be sure that medication is the best way to treat your illnesses.  Once you create a routine of your new habits it will become second nature, as though you’ve done it your entire life.

Decreasing Toxicity: Step 3

Step three is acceptance.  This and the first step are the two that people struggle with the most.  Step three can be heavily guarded by fear and excuses.  The fear alone can be a major road block, but when aided by excuses it's even worse. 

We make excuses so that we can feel that we have a GOOD REASON to be afraid.  Sometimes there really is a good excuse, but it is really up to the individual to figure that out with or without help from others.  One way to avoid being in denial is to ask yourself what is the worst that can happen if you accept the information that you’ve learned.  If the answer is that you could truly get hurt, then you may have a good excuse.  If the answer is that you don’t have the time or energy, however, you may be trying to get yourself out of something you shouldn’t. 

Not trusting a source isn’t an excuse because you could double check with another source like a doctor.  Check with both an ND and an MD and compare the sources through which they are getting their information.  For example, there is an MD that told a girlfriend of mine that she should take antibiotics because of her sore throat.  When she asked him how he knows that she has a bacterial infection he answered “Because I’m a doctor.”  As a premed student and someone who knew her science, she knew enough to call him on that rigmarole.  If you don't trust a source ALWAYS seek another.  There is also the library.  There are countless books, magazines and journals to compare information.  The internet can be a challenging place to find reliable sources at times, however, the internet can also be the best place to find reliable sources.  I usually check the internet first because it is the easiest place to find information.

Once you see that a variety of sources are all saying the same thing but you are still making excuses so that you don't have to accept the information; then obviously the only obsticle in that situation is yourself.