8 Pesticides in Your Own Kitchen
A new study finds that the kitchen floors in most U.S. homes are laced with pesticides — including pesticides known to cause cancer or disrupt the normal functioning of the human hormonal system.
Sure, but if you don’t use pesticides yourself, you’re safe — right?
Wrong.
The Environmental Protection Agency study found traces of pesticides banned or discontinued long ago. Like 37 years ago, in the case of DDT.
Here are the 8 pesticides most likely to be found on the kitchen floor in U.S. homes:
- Permethrin (an insecticide found in some head lice treatments, pet flea and tick products and other insect repellents) was found in 89% of homes tested.
- Chlorpyrifos (an insecticide sold for decades for home use as Dursban until 2001) was found in 78% of homes.
- Chlordane (an insecticide banned in 1984, but used for decades on home lawns and gardens before that) was found in 74% of homes.
- Piperonyl butoxide (a chemical used with pyrethrin and similar pesticides to kill wasps, ants, fleas and ticks, lice and other pests) was found in 52% of homes.
- Cypermethrin (an insecticide found in some Raid products and other ant and roach killers) was found in 46% of homes.
- DDT (an insecticide banned in 1972 but used widely to kill mosquitoes and other insects for decades before then) was found in 42% of homes. (DDE, a breakdown product of DDT was found in 33% of homes, suggesting that toxic DDT doesn’t break down easily inside homes.)
- Fipronil (an insecticide used in some Frontline and Maxforce products) was found in 40% of homes. (A recent NRDC study found pets themselves are a source of pesticide exposure to children, because of flea and tick treatments.)
- Diazinon (an insecticide used widely to kill ants, roaches and other pests, as well as lawn and garden pests, until household use was banned in 2004) was found in 35% of homes.
These aren’t the only pesticides worth avoiding. Just last week, California listed 30 more common toxic chemicals that cause cancer or developmental and reproductive harm. Among them: Carbaryl, a household pesticide used to kill a range of insects, and sold as Sevin by GardenTech and Bayer.
Beyond Pesticides publishes a good resource for finding the least toxic method for dealing with common pests.
To avoid pesticides on foods (yes, they can linger there, too) check out The Daily Green’s list of the Dirty Dozen foods with the highest pesticide residue. Choosing organic when buying those foods is a good idea if you want to avoid pesticide exposure, or go ahead and start your own organic garden.
Source: Dan Shapley (The Daily Green.com)
Midwife Story Video: “Like Heaven Into my Hands”
Check this link out. It’s the sweetest story about a midwife and her journey. It’s not too long and it’s worth watching. http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~tm322203/Midwife/soundslider.swf?size=2
Published by Elisa on June 30th, 2009 Tagged Uncategorized | Comment now »Intestinal Flora in Breast-Fed Babies
I’ve been aware for some time that 75% of a person’s immune system is in their gut. A healthy person likely has a healthy balance of bacteria in their intestines. So it doesn’t suprise me to learn that breast-fed babies have a healthier gut. After reading an article like this, why would anyone NOT want to breastfeed their baby? Breastmilk is the best baby food there is!
Breastfeeding newborns, like the evolutionary process of vaginal birth, is about bacteria. The breast milk of a human mother, like other mammalian mothers, is species-specific, having been adapted over eons to deliver specific and sufficient nutrition to guarantee proper growth, health, and immunity development. Researchers have long known that breastfed babies possess an intestinal flora that is measurably different than formula-fed infants. Of specific interest is a group of bacteria known as bifidobacterium. Some of you may immediately recognize the name, as they are often added to dairy-based foods such as yogurt, often advertised as “live cultures” on the packaging. These are probiotics.
Studies have shown that at one month of age, both breastfed and formula-fed infants possess bifidobacterium, but population densities in bottle-fed infants is one-tenth that of breastfed infants. The presence of a healthy and robust population of bifidobacterium throughout the first year or two of life contributes significantly to the child’s resistance to infection and overall development of defense systems—not to mention the physical development of the intestinal system in general. Aside from the substances secreted by these specific bacteria that are known to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, they also work to make the intestinal environment of the infant more acidic, creating an additional barrier against invading pathogens. In short, breastfed babies are sick less, are less fussy, have fewer and shorter duration of bouts of diarrhea, and have more frequent—and softer—bowel movements.
— Jeff D. Leach
Excerpted from “C-sections, Breastfeeding and Bugs for Your Baby: What the doctor probably won’t tell you,” Midwifery Today, Issue 79
The Pill Is Not Your Best Option
I quit using the pill when I realized it was making me nauseous and depressed. I’m never going back. I would rather educate myself about how my body works. Tony Weschler’s book “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” has been a great help.
Here are some reasons whyI will never take the pill again:
• Cancer: Women who take birth control pills increase their risk of cervical and breast cancers, and possibly liver cancer as well.
• Fatal blood clots: All birth control pills increase your risk of blood clots and subsequent stroke. And if your prescription contains the synthetic hormone desogestrel, your risk of fatal blood clots nearly doubles!
• Thinner bones: Women who take birth control pills have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than women who have never used oral contraceptives.
• Impaired muscle gains: A recent study found that oral contraceptive use impairs muscle gains from resistance exercise training in women.
• Long-term sexual dysfunction: The Pill may interfere with a protein that keeps testosterone unavailable, leading to long-term sexual dysfunction including decreased desire and arousal.
• Heart disease: Long-term use of birth control pills may increase plaque artery buildups in your body that may raise your risk of heart disease.
Published by Elisa on May 31st, 2009 Tagged Uncategorized | Comment now »The birth control pill was first introduced to the American public for contraceptive use in 1960. By 2002, 11.6 million U.S. women were on the Pill, making it the nation’s leading method of contraception.
But oral contraceptives can have negative health effects. The Pill’s relationship with blood-clot risk and stroke is well-documented, and that risk increases when a woman is a smoker, particularly a smoker over age 35. In addition, studies in recent years have found that birth control pill use:
• Impairs muscle gains in young women
• Increases the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women
• Increases the risk of cervical cancerAnd the Pill may interfere with a protein that keeps testosterone unavailable for women’s physiologic needs, thus causing long-term health problems, including sexual dysfunction.
Since 2000, death rates have increased in women between the ages of 35 and 44. All other age groups, meanwhile, have seen a decline. Research on this fact cites the significant increase in the use of birth control pills as a possible contributing factor.
Sources:
Mercola.com
Live Science May 7, 2009
Why Choose Organic Skin Care?
The skin is our body’s largest organ and protects us from the environment. While it is not true that everything we put on our skin enters into it, many things do. Here are some reasons why we should we choose organic plant-based products for our skin:
- there is evidence that a number of synthetic ingredients may be contaminated with carcinogens;
- plant extracts obtained from plants not grown organically may be contaminated with pesticides;
- many synthetics, especially various substances used for fragrance and preservatives can be irritating and allergenic;
- many products are preserved with parabens – there is quite a bit of evidence indicating that parabens are absorbed through the skin and they were found to accumulate in breast cancer tumours
- if not preserved with parabens, the next greatest preservative agents used are formaldehyde releasers such as DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diozolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, tris (hydroxymethyl) nitromethane, and hydroxymethyl glycinate (personally, I hardly agree with preserving our bodies AFTER they are dead, so I am in no hurry to get a head start!);
- organic cultivation protects not only the people using the product and the environment at the point of end use, but also protects the environment where the ingredients are grown and the people growing, harvesting, and processing those ingredients;
- in many respects, using all natural ingredients also helps to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels – many synthetics are based on components derived from petroleum; and many are simply of the opinion that nature does it best!
Source: December 2008 - Tech Talk by Candi Bezte Norwex, Science & Technical Advisor
Norwex - My Latest Thrill!
Imagine a cloth that kills 99.9% of bacteria using just water. And it works much better than a regular cloth, picking up dirt more than twice as efficiently as a regular cloth, and leaving your surfaces streak-free. Well, such a thing does exist. It’s called an “Enviro” microfiber cloth, lined with antibacterial silver, and made by Norwex. And this is only one example.
I’m excited about this company because not only do their products work much better than what I’ve been using all along, but their cleaning tools DON’T USE CHEMICALS! Just water, that’s all it takes, and you will have a spotless germ-free kitchen, mirror, floor…you name it.
And the best part of course…you can buy it from….me! Seriously though, I would be promoting this even if I wasn’t getting money out of it, so I figured I might as well make a comission if I’m going to be so excited about it!
I would love to come do a show at your place…hostesses/hosts get lots of free stuff, there are prizes and the shows are great fun. And you save your health and money in the long run.
Diaper Free Babies?
What if you didn’t have to go to the store every week to buy diapers for your little one? Have you ever heard of babies that don’t need diapers because they tell their parents that they have to go to the bathroom? Well, it’s not a scam, it’s real! Even tiny babies can do this. You can read more about this at diaperfreebaby.org, but here are some of their very interesting pointers:
* Babies are aware of their elimination needs from birth and communicate about those needs through various vocal and bodily signals. Within the first few months of life, babies have the ability to consciously release their bladders and bowels. By taking them to appropriate elimination places during infancy, we enable them to maintain a connection with their bodily sensations and learn from an early age what to do when they experience those sensations. Read the rest of this entry »
Published by Elisa on May 18th, 2009 Tagged Uncategorized | Comment now »
The Winner is…
I apologize for my tardiness in announcing the winner for the post about natural family planning. The last few days have been busy and I’ve been under the weather as well.
However, I chose randomly and the winner is Danielle! Thanks to the three of you who posted comments. Much appreciated.
Published by Elisa on April 18th, 2009 Tagged Uncategorized | Comment now »
Free Jewelry Online-For real!
Looking for some free jewelry? Check out http://www.silverjewelryclub.com. All you pay is shipping. And I know it’s legit since I’ve ordered and accurately recieved quite a few pieces myself!
Published by Elisa on April 10th, 2009 Tagged Free Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
How To Improve Marriage And Slow Down Life At The Same Time
I came across this website (simplemarriage.net) - it’s one worth perusing. Here’s one article.
Source: simplemarriage.net
Everywhere you look, things are moving at a fast pace. Hurry up is a common phrase. When I want something, I want it right now. “What? You mean I have to wait 45 seconds for the book I just bought to download? Where’d I put the number for my Internet provider, I need a faster connection!”
The speed of life takes its toll on marriage and family as well. If your day is spent racing around from one thing to the next, it’s too easy to continue this pace when you arrive home each day.
If you feel like life is too fast, if there is no more room on the schedule for another thing to do, if the chaos of the world around you has caused you to create a life determined by others rather than yourself, and if you are desperately seeking a way to slow things down in order to breathe - then here’s a few suggestions to try. Read the rest of this entry »
Published by Elisa on April 6th, 2009 Tagged Uncategorized | Comment now »
