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.

Irony of Endorsements

Marketing is everything. Here in the U.S. - we have put our trust into American icons, such as the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association - believing that our best interest is truly "at heart".
Yet both Dr. Russel Blaylock and Dr. Chris Kressler, and others, divulge in their publications the irony that both organizations put their seal of approval on food products that contribute to both heart disease and diabetes. Have we as Americans bought into this? You bet we do!
For years I thought eating Cheerios was a smart choice - because the heart association said it helps lower cholesterol? Really?  Refined processed flours, simple carbs - contribute more to high cholesterol numbers than a fat, juicy steak!
It boils down to glucose and insulin - simple carbs are treated like table sugar in our body (I learned this from Dr. John Lee in hish book, "What your doctor may not tell you about breast cancer".) To learn more about insulin resistance visit http://insulinresistanceguide.com
I won't get too technical here, but we all know what too much sugar does to our body, right? Well, if simple carbs from refined, processed flours are treated just as table sugar ....big revelation, don't you think? Well, it was for me and this realization is what made me turn my lifestyle around.
The number one food toxin, per Dr Kressler, is cereal grains - especially that made with refined flours. Which is pretty much ALL! In minute amounts its not going to cause sickness and disease, but we as a population eat a greater percentage of cereal grains than all other foods. Kresser titles "Cereal grains - the unhealthiest "health food" on the planet". Wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, oats, eye and millet have become staples in our diet. They have also become, as he puts it, "poster children" of the low fat, high carbohydrate diet promoted by organizations like the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association. Grains with gluten are the worst as it damages the intestine and makes it leaky - per Kressler. Blaylock concurs in his newsletters as well.
Leaky guts cause things to enter the bloodstream that should not, to put it simply, including undigested gluten proteins. This causes an immune system response that can lead to auto immune disease, allergies and more.
Interesting, don't you think? This certainly helps explain why so many adults develop allergies, Celiac's disease and more. Researchers now believe that one of the major predisposing factors for conditions like obesity, diabetes and even heart disease.
Does this mean give up grains forever? No, not necessarily - I guess that depends on your health and symptoms. For myself, my health turned around when I gave up cereal grains (other than organic quinoa and brown rice) 50%, then 75%, working up to 90% - not missing the breads and such much at all. I have "indulgent days" - such as Friday morning with my daughter at the local coffeehouse and I enjoy a  bakery treat, or maybe a pastry with my family on Sunday after worship.
The real message today - don't believe everything you see on labels at the grocery store. The job of the manufactuer is to MAKE YOU WANT to buy it. What about trusting the AHA and ADA? Food for thought...if we did not eat the same foods they promote, we might put them out of business. The head haunch of the American Cancer Society makes multiple millions a year, no doubt the counterparts in these other organizations do as well.
The bottom line is money, the bottom line is not conceren for our well being, although we trust these endorsements because marketing is such a driving force in our world.
All that I continue to learn certainly has made me take a good look at my charitable giving these past two years. The veil has been lifted and the curtain torn in two, as far as I am concerned.

To your health,
Rita S.

Dandruff? Are you sure??

Tonight I received the best hair cut I have ever had in my life from Wendy Cupp in Waunakee. Not only is she a fellow AB consultant, but a very skilled and knowledgeable hair stylist. I knew, when making an appointment with her, that it would be an educational experience...and I was so right!
Of course we had a discussion about products. I asked her what products she was working into her salon business. I love the AB hair masque, and use it as directions state by putting it on my damp hair while in the shower, let it be for five minutes before rinsing it out. From Wendy I learned that if you put a little of the SeaSource Detox 5in1 Massage oil with the hair masque, apply to slightly damp, clean hair, and wrap your head in saran wrap or plastic grocery bag, with a towel wrap on top of that to create heat...you will receive an amazing spa experience for your hair. For anyone experiencing dry scalp - this ultra hydrating/moisturizing treatment will do wonders for dry, itchy scalp, which is often more predominant as we get into the cold winter months.
I shared how my husband had run out of his dandruff shampoo a few months ago, which he has been using since the day we met. Not having any shampoo, he started using the FC5 Moisturizing Shampoo by Arbonne. A few weeks later, he casually asked me if he should let me know when we get low on shampoo so I can reorder. (We've been using the same one bottle of shampoo in our home since end of March...and today, Dec. 6th, we finally started a new one. A little goes a LONG way!) I assured him I already had a new bottle on standby, but why was he asking. I was not aware he had switched over, and he made a casual remark about guessing that he had outgrown the dandruff as he doesn't have it anymore. A light bulb went off in my head... I had long suspected that dandruff shampoos could be drying, and perhaps all he really needed was a better, moisturizing shampoo. Here we have been married 21 years and for the first time in that period my husband no longer has flaky scalp, thanks to FC5 shampoo.
After sharing this story to Wendy, she explained true dandruff, which is a combination of oily hair combined with large, flaky patches of dry skin - the scabs from the patches flake off. Really severe cases are known as "scalp psoraisis". It is these types of cases where Arbonne's Tea Tree Oil Shampoo can benefit someone with severe dandruff. All dandruff shampoos are drying as they are meant to address the problems of the excess oil produced by the sebaceous glands.

If you see a few white flakes of skin on your black sweater, you likely suffer from dry scalp, not dandruff.  Many shampoos have irritants that cause dry scalp. One common ingredient is Sodium Laureth Sulphate...the chemical that makes your shampoo lather up.
Here is an excerpt from another site I found on scalp afflictions:
"What you must know is that several chemicals, especially SLS, strip the natural oils from the skin and even corrode it, along with your eye membranes. Have you also noticed that your hair has been thinning? Well hair follicle damage is another little known but very common symptom of exposure to these chemicals."

If you notice a little dusting of white flakes, or experience a bit of itch, common around the forehead - consider switching to a good quality, chemical-free shampoo like Arbonne's FC5 shampoo and conditioner. My entire family is able to use it, which means we have a lot less clutter in our shower compared to a typical family of four. We have all hair types, and it is even safe for color-treated hair. My hair is very healthy - I love the results with both the shampoo and conditioner.

As we start our new bottle of shampoo, my entire family will be using it day in and day out. I project that one bottle will last the four of us 6 months...not bad for $14 less discount. Let me know if you would like a sample.

Purely living,
Rita