DNA Does NOT Repair in Cancer Cells

As I finalize my presenation for cancer prevention night, coming up Thursday, Oct. 30 at the local coffeehouse in Cross Plains at 6:30 (open to the public) - my son and I had a discussion on food choices, and cancer cells.

You see, they are learning about DNA in biology class ...and he tells me that broken strands of DNA repair itself...it is how the body is programmed.  He would argue that it is okay to eat toxic food now and then because the body will "heal thyself".  In a healthy individual, that eats primarily an 80% vegetable and fruit diet...yes, this is likely a true statement.

However, in searching for an illustration comparing healthy vs cancerous cells for my slide show - I came across a link that describes cancer. You can find the entire list here, but I have cut and pasted the article leading up to the point of disucssion above.
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What is cancer?
- cancer comes from cells in a part in the body that begin to grow out of control
- normal body cells grow, divide, and die in a set system and pattern
- as humans grow older the cell division slow down... cells in adults only divide to replace old or dying cells or to repair injuries
- cancer cells continue to grow and divide- instead of dying they outlive the normal cells and form new abnormal cells
- the damage in the cancer cells that make them abnormal comes from damage in their DNA
- most normal cells with damaged DNA are easily repaired by the body
- cancer cells the DNA is not repaired by the body
- damage can come from genetics... or exposure to something... in the environment or an action (like smoking)
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I also left the last line in - because EXPOSURE to SOMETHING, as in processed foods, acidic foods, chemically laden hygiene products...  factors that WE HAVE CONTROL OVER will be the topic of discussion this coming Wednesday evening at Crossroads Coffeehouse.
Make no mistake...we ALL have cancer cells in our body...the question is...are you going to FUEL them with your choices, or give your body the FUEL it needs to go to "battle" on your behalf and kill off the cancer cells?


To your health,
Rita S.

Summertime Friend or Foe: Chlorinated Water

Most agree that swimming is good  exercise.  Swimming is therapeutic as well, and of course it’s a great way to cool of during these hot days of summer. Public pools, and for most of us, even the backyard pool, utilize chemicals to maintain and sanitize the pool water. Chlorine is most commonly used, and poses a risk to our health as well. It seems to be a Catch 22. It seems if we want to swim in water with a balanced pH, we have to subject our bodies to hazardous chemicals.

Per Dr. Joe Mercola, a well known health advocate whom authors the most popular health web site on the internet, writes: “Chlorine is a hazardous chemical when absorbed by your body or inhaled. Most public pools are overloaded with chlorine, as the well-intentioned people who maintain public pools overly shock them with chlorine to make sure bacteria and other organisms get snuffed out quickly. But even the swimming pool in your backyard could be toxic if you treat it with chlorine.”
Studies have pointed out risks to those working in and around chlorinated water, such as, swim instructors are twice as likely to suffer frequently from sinusitis or sore throat, and more than three times as likely to have chronic colds, than pool workers with less trichloramine exposure, such as waiters or receptionists. Compared to the general population, pool workers with high levels of exposure were at a 40% greater risk for tightness of the chest, and over 700% more likely to suffer breathlessness while walking. Chlorine in pools poses the risk of miscarriage and stillbirths in pregnant women, and birth defects. It can weaken the immune system, disrupt central nervous system, damage the cardiovascular system, and more, per Mercola’s article.
Swimming is a great recreation, and should be encouraged, but take some actions to reduce chlorinic overload on your body. For a number of years our family had a backyard EasySet pool.  Learning about the toxicity of chlorine, we learned that Patio Pleasures Pools and Spas in Madison offered a “green chemical” that was a more safe alternative than chlorine. Our family really enjoyed pool time not having the sting of chlorine in the eyes.
We use an AB Detox Rescue Wash (for head to toe cleaning), whic contains sea algae extracts in a sulfate-free cleanser to provide antioxidant benefits to help neutralize the toxicity of heavy metals (e.g. lead, mercury  chromium and cadmium).
Research indicates that heavy metal build-up can lead to poor digestion, hormonal imbalance and depression. The unique formula lifts away impurities and environmental toxins and also provides a moisture barrier on the skin’s surface to provide a relaxed, and comfortable feel. The item number for this product is 7320.
Hair care products developed for chemically treated hair,  free of parabens, SLS and other harmful or irritating ingredients, can help combat the effects of chlorine. Learn to become your own ingredient watchdog, as shampoos and conditioners are some of the most toxic hygiene products on the market, yet we apply them on our scalp - right above our brain (now, that is a scary thought!).  If hairs get especially tangled after hours in a pool, a quality hair mask can also be of great help in repairing chemically damaged hairs after being washed, in addition to smoothinig out tangles and restoring softness.

Are the chemicals in your Acne Treatment okay?

If you are a user of acne treatment products that use BENZOYL PEROXIDE (BPO), you may find the linens in your linen closet riddled with white spots, or bleached areas. I have heard many complain about the ruining of towels, pillowcases, sheets, from benzoyl peroxide.

Food for thought for today - if a chemical in skin care bleaches your fabrics, do you feel it is safe for your skin and body?  Personally, I am not saying it is dangerous, but think about that for a moment....

For my own family, we have found a product line of which the active ingredient is salisylic acid, formulated with other botanicals, for an effective, non irritating treatment of facial acne. Abbi, above is one person who has benefited from the product line and saw visible results within a few weeks.

Benzoyl Peroxide, found in the most popular acne treatment product line advertised on television today, can irritate the skin of many - leaving it very dry. I've talked to a number of teens who dread using their acne treatment products because it makes their skin feel so dry and itchy, yet they don't want blemishes, or they are "threatened" by a parent who invested in the product, i.e. "use it or else..."

The top-selling brand, ProActive, when asked why they do not use BPO in their acne treatment products targeted for the body, state on their site why they utilize BPO only in the face products:
 "...Because BPO is known to bleach fabrics, while salicylic acid does not, we opted to leave it to our customers to decide whether they want to take the extra care required when using BPO products on the body. If you decide to take that route, we recommend that you wear white clothing, use white towels and sleep on white sheets; or at a minimum, wear a white T-shirt under your clothing and sleep in nightwear you don't care about bleaching so that the treated areas of your body don't make contact with your sheets." 

Now, I know people prefer studies about such ingredients, and I found one on BPO done way back in 2002. I am sure if I kept looking I would find some additional info uncovered by now. If you read the study, in general, you wouldn't get too concerned. (if you don't have concern for a chemical that bleaches your towels is ok for your body) ... http://www.chem.unep.ch/irptc/sids/oecdsids/BENZOYLPER.pdf

I did find this sentence on page 18 a bit disconcerting: "Benzoyl peroxide is not likely to be a complete carcinogen and/or initiator, but it seems to be a tumor promoter in mouse skin in an experimental two-stage model of carcinogenesis."

In my mind, an "INCOMPLETE carcinogen" is not okay...nor are tumor promoters. Obviously, doses of BPO at each application must be small, or people everywhere would have serious reactions to products using BPO. From the books and articles on endocrine disruptors that I have read, it is not the small amount in each "dose", but the build up of these chemicals in the body over a period of time, that contribute to problems down the line. I would venture a geuss that most people who use ProActive use if for more than a year, as they go through their hormonal change/teenage years.  As a parent, I am glad I can offer our son a safe approach to acne treatment.

A few other interesting google search finds on BPO - a hazardous material handling sheet on Benzoyl Peroxide from the US Department of Labor.
Holy cow Batman!  Why is this an okay ingredient to apply to our children's skin day in, day out?

When BPO was first scrutinized at its introduction to the market (whatever that may entail),  the FDA  classified Benzoyl Peroxide as a Category 1 chemical, in other words, safe to use.  However, in 1991 the FDA took another look at BPO and changed the chemical to a Category 3 "more data needed"  due to it's tumor promoting tendencies in more than one strain of mice, as well as in hamsters.  

This time of year, many are preparing for their wedding day, desperately trying to clear up blemishes and such prior to the big day when photos will be taken that will be with them the rest of their lives. As well, upcoming seniors often have their senior pictures taken during the summer prior to their last year of high school. I encourage parents to research the products they decide to purchase for their child, or encourage their young adult to be aware that ingredients in acne treatment products can and may:

1. turn your linens into a white dot design pattern

2. dry out and irritate skin, making them regret having to use it

3. can potentially be harmful with use

Safe and effective products are available, and some even come with a 45 day money back guarantee. As always, for the sake of your health, I hope you have found today's post informative and empowering to help you make smarter choices for smarter living, that can help you...

Feel better, look better, and live better!

Rita S.

Purity Bests Organic

Good. Better. Best.  When I worked for a window treatment company we had three grades for our products.  The discount, big box stores bought and sold "good", department stores offered better...but the premium stores and design houses offered the BEST.

As we wrap up 30 days of clean eating in our home I thought I should digress from the clean food topic for a bit, and bring up another subject that affects our health - that would be our skincare.  As I have discussed in my cancer prevention workshops, when it comes to toxic food - thankfully our bodies have a liver to filter the toxins.  When it comes to what we put on the largest organ of our body, our skin, there is no filter.  Everything we put on our skin is absorbed into our system, and per the EPA reaches our bloodstream and organs in less than 30 seconds.  So why should we be concerned about our lotions and shampoos?

Toxins in - does not necessarily mean toxins out (unless you are on some sort of regular detox program).  Toxins store up inside - a little toxin a day multiplied by 365 days a year multiplied by.....  get the picture?  It creates a hormone imbalance, interupts our divinely created endocrine system.  Consider that for a moment...and then - be on guard.  Just because a label states "all natural" or "organic" does not mean it is toxin free.

Truth of the matter is - organic farmers have a hard time keeping their produce pure, in some parts of the world more so than others.  I learned a while back from my chiropractor, Dr. Joe Teff, also a highly respected nutritionist, that the fall out of radiation from Japan has affected organic food crops.  Where, you might ask? Well, California, Hawaii and another friend tells me the fall out has reached much further north. To help the organic farmers of California, the state simply raised the allowance of radiation in order to label a product organic.  If you would like to be your own personal watchdog on this topic - check out www.enviroreporter.com or www.compassnaturalmarketing.com and look for the effects of the Fukushima disaster.  It is affecting much more than I could have imagined.

This is not to say you should not eat organic - you can obtain 40% more nutrients from organic than traditionally grown produce, but for certain -wash it! Small organic farms adjacent to Monsanto's huge, chemical laden farms also fall victim to chemical fall out from their genetically modified crop farm/corporation.

So my point here is the ORGANIC label on skin care.  Unless you are growing it yourself - I feel you need to have a higher standard than organic. 

PURITY bests organic.  For myself and my own family - we look for purity standards, and frankly, the European cosmetic industry has standards that far exceed any skin care products made here in the U.S.  Having said that - watch out for foreign sounding names on your product labels. They may sound French, Swiss, or whatever, but may actually be formulated here in the U.S.  I remember a friend telling me her mother uses a high end French sounding product from a fancy department store...and when I researched the ingredient labels the product contained petrolatum (a derivitive of crude oil) and parabens.  It turns out the product line is simply a more expensive offshoot of the Big L in cosmetics.

Know the company from whom you purchase products.  What is their ingredient policy? Are raw materials tested for purity on a regular batch-tested basis?  Even organic soy beans contain naturally occuring toxins such as formaldehyde and trace metals from the soil.  Just one example of why PURITY is the standard by which skin care products are chosen for our family.

Labeling is what labeling does - MARKET. I think about the irony of products who wash their labels PINK in October to support the Komen foundation...when the products themselves have cancer causing ingredients.  All I am saying is be a WISE consumer, and do your research.

Check out those web sites I offered above, and become a SMART consumer about the truth of the nuclear disaster.  Mainstream's media coverage, or lack of it, is rather disturbing. How would you like to apply a skin lotion made with organic ingredients that contain radiation? Think about that. The thought makes me shudder.

European standards, specifically the European Union Cosmetics Directive and the European chemicals agency known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) are two watch dog agencies that I trust more than any U.S. resource. Therefore, the products we use in our family,  adhere to these European standards - and I feel very very good about the safe approach to skin care that my family is using. The company has been formulating with green science and offering pure and safe products for 33 years, before organic was a popular word.

Many of my readers may be familiar with Safe Cosmetics.org - and I will leave you with a link to their article which points out the level of excellence that is established by the European cosmetics directive: www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=346

May you feel great, look great and live great as you make wise decisions, not only in your food choices, but in your skin care as well!

To your health,

Rita S.

Is Your Baby's Skin Care Toxic?

Babies are amazing, little miracles - they are of a DIVINE design, intricate in all their workings, inside and out. Thier systems are carefully planned out by the Creator - every vessel, strand of DNA and amino acid working together to create a human body. Babies are born in an alkaline state - they smell so good, without the aid of extraneous powders and lotions.
In contrast, nursing homes do not smell so good, because by then - the human bodies have become toxic, highly acidic and typically on the far left side of the pH scale.
How do we go from pure, pH balanced bodies (assuming the baby in the womb had proper nutrition and safety from environmental exposure) to out of balance, toxic bodies as senior citizens? Well, it is a lifetime of environmental and chemical exposures and poor food choices; and it all starts with the products our mothers patted on our soft baby hineys and rubbed on our arms and faces. Products, most likely, recommended by the family doctor or pediatrician.
I remember visiting a friend's nursery, all set up for the baby to come - and being apalled at seeing Johnson and Johnson baby oil on the changing table. This person had already been told about the detrimental effects of mineral oil, but it was a product her doctor recommended.  It is good to trust in your doctor for many reasons, but it is also good to realize that they are human, and BUSY, and don't have time to continue their education outside their clinic life and learn in great part, from the reps of the drug companies that pay them a visit.
Dr. Joe Mercola, who has made time to learn outside his practice and is helping people live healthier lives through awareness (of that mentioned above) and nutrition, makes a statement in his newsletter today about baby care that everyone who is expecting, has a baby, has children, or grandchildren...should be made aware of. Mercola writes:

In my opinion, if you had a hospital birth, you may need to trash some of the sales samples you were given there, and shed your preconceived notions about caring for your new little bundle of joy.
You probably know that there are very few softer surfaces than a newborn's skin.
It is important to remember that most items you apply to this soft skin, just like your skin, will be absorbed into their bloodstream. There are plenty of reasons to be especially concerned with what you allow to go on your baby's skin – for these four reasons.

• Your baby's skin is ten times thinner than yours is
• Their sebaceous glands are not fully developed, making them more sensitive to mother's hormones – and by extrapolation, probably other things
• Like you, their skin is their largest organ
• Your baby's rapidly dividing cells make her even more sensitive to DNA-disrupting toxins than an adult is.
• So it stands to reason that your baby's (or grandbaby's) skin care products may have much more 'damage' potential than even your own skin products do.

Think about the brands that are sent home with your from the hospital. These are BIG NAME companies, companies who want you to keep on using their products once those samples are gone. Do you think the hospital gets some kind of kickback for handing out those product samples? No doubt...and in doing so they lead unwary new parents into thinking they are using safe baby care products on their newborn.
I saw "good" ol' Vasoline Petroleum Jelly on a table while visiting a friend who had a baby a few months ago. These friends are very much aware of the food they eat - organic consumers, whole foods, nothing processed. Yet they were using a petro-chemical, an endocrine disruptor, on the baby for naval care - just as we were instructed to do when our son was born. Had I only known then what I know now.  Food choices and skin care choices are not seperate factions of living a healthy life style - they go hand in hand. Both feed our organs.
Consider what you use on your newborn baby's body, born pH balanced in a hopefully healthy alkaline state. Everything you do...from lotions to food will affect the health and long-term well being of the child. And it all begins in the womb...from what the mother uses and absorbs through her skin and consumes for nutrients. Learn to read your labels, not to trust every product sample given to you, and look for products that are PURE, SAFE and BENEFICIAL for the sake of your precious, little miracle - who depends on you to make smarter choices.

To your health, and that of your family's a well!
Rita S.