Top 10 Toxins in Your Home, Room by Room
Written by Lacy Boggs Renner 



If you're looking to rid your home of toxins, these top offenders in each room of your home are a good place to start.

1. Laundry Room: Dryer Sheets
   Dryer sheets were my entree into the land of toxin-free living when I learned that the substance used to soften clothes is often derived from animal fats. (YUCK!) But the fragrances used in dryer sheets can be even worse, containing chemicals like benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol and terpines—all toxic, and some carcinogenic. Switch to DIY dryer balls instead and use essential oils for that fresh laundry smell.
2. Bathroom: Bleach-based Cleaners and Wipes
   Because of years of branding, bleach can seem like the only choice when it comes to disinfecting germy surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen, but the health risks of the toxic chemicals in bleach can outweigh the benefits. Chemicals in bleach are highly corrosive to the skin and lungs, and the chemical chlorine in bleach is used in the chemical weapon mustard gas. If bleach is mixed with ammonia (which is found in urine, by the way) it creates a deadly gas. And when mixed with wastewater, it's known to form numerous carcinogenic compounds. Switch to white vinegar, baking soda, or even boiling water for your disinfecting needs.
3. Kitchen: Oven Cleaner
   Oven cleaners sold in the store are chock full of toxins, including lye (also known as ‘caustic soda’), ethers, ethylene glycol, methylene chloride and petroleum distillates. They even release butane (a neurotoxin) when you spray them. Switch to a simple paste made from baking soda and water, and then line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil to make future clean ups easier.
4. Living Room: Carpets
   Carpets are the No. 2 cause of air pollution in the home—right after cigarette smoke—because they're treated with all kinds of toxic chemicals, from flame retardants to stain repellents. Bare wood or tile floors are best, but swapping traditional carpets for natural-fiber carpets can make a big difference.
5. Dining Room: Scented Candles
   Believe it or not, those romantic candlelit dinners could be hazardous to your health. Lots of commercial candles contain tiny metal wires in the wicks that can release lead into the air. In addition, most of the fragrances contain plasticizers and other solvents that shouldn't be inhaled. Even plain beeswax and soy candles release hydrocarbons into the air when burned, which can cause respiratory problems. Experts suggest limiting candle burning to special occasions.
6. Kids' Room: Art Supplies
   Coloring and drawing seem like such harmless kid activities, but it depends on the tools. Dry erase markers top the list for toxicity because they usually contain the solvent xylene, a neurotoxin. Colored pencils can contain lead (look for lead-free varieties) and even water-based markers can contain alcohols that can be toxic.
7. Nursery: Baby Wipes
   One of the most ubiquitous baby tools, conventional baby wipes, can be toxic. Many contain bronopol, an antimicrobial compound that's toxic to the skin, immune system and lungs. Many also contain pthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors. Look for natural brands that don't contain these harsh chemicals—or just use soap and water.
8. Bedrooms: Furniture
   Most of us start out with inexpensive particle-board furniture when we are setting up house, but particle board or pressed wood usually contains formaldehyde or isocyanate glues, which give off toxic fumes—sometimes for years. Upholstered furniture made with polyurithane foam can also contain brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, which also offgas toxic vapors. Your best choice? Solid wood furniture, even if it's second hand.
9. Porch or Deck: Pressure-Treated Wood
   Pressure treated wood has preservatives forced into it under high pressure that help repel insects and prevent rot. But the chemicals used, like alkaline copper quat and copper azole, can be very toxic. When building a new porch or deck, look for wood that's been treated with the less-toxic borate preservatives.
10. Yard: Fertilizers and Pesticides
    It's a status symbol in suburbia to have a lush, green, golf-course-like lawn, but all those chemical pesticides, weed killers and fertilizers can be very harmful—especially to pets and kids, who, let's face it, are the ones most likely to be rolling around in the grass in the first place. Switch to organic lawn treatments, but be aware that even organic treatments can sometimes be harmful to pets and kids in high doses. Read labels carefully.

Photo Credit: bill barber via Compfight cc

State Law & Vaccine Requirements

 

Register today to be a NVIC Advocacy Team Member to join with other like-minded grassroots activists working to protect and expand vaccine exemptions in your state! By signing up, you will be connected directly to YOUR lawmakers and receive action alerts, newsletters, and tips so you can be an advocate for the right to informed consent in the vaccine decision making process. Information for each state is provided below. You may access your state information by clicking your state on the map or by locating your state in the text links below.

Be sure to visit our Vaccine Law page, which provides and overview of exemptions, the difference between required vs. recommended vaccines, and tips on filing a religious exemption letter in your state. Our Vaccine Law page also notes exemption statute language of interest for residents of California and New Mexico with regard to religious and personal/philosophical belief exemptions.

HPV, tetanus vaccines causes deadly new autoimmune disease known as antiphospholipid syndrome

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) One of the latest technologies being employed in the production of new vaccines involves the use of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), a type of pathogenic bacteria that mimics the phospholipids naturally found in the human body, as customizable vaccine adjuvants. But vaccines that utilize this untested technology, which include vaccines for tetanus, human papillomavirus (HPV), and influenza, are now being linked to causing a potentially deadly autoimmune disease known as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Several recent studies published in prominent medical journals have investigated the connection between APS, which belongs to a wider class of vaccine-induced health conditions known as autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA), and vaccines, and found that OMVs are directly linked to triggering APS. Like the common vaccine adjuvant squalene, vaccine phospholipid materials, when injected into bodily tissue, can trigger an immune response that ends up causing the body to attack its own natural phospholipids.

As far as the tetanus vaccine is concerned, injections containing OMVs and recombinant (genetically-modified) DNA are being shown to cause blindness, cardiovascular disease, headaches and migraines, miscarriages, skin disorders, ulcers, necrosis, and neurological disorders. And as an increasing amount of vaccines are quietly converted to OMV-based adjuvant blends, the prevalence of APS is also expected to continue rising, as it already has been for quite some time.

"OMVs are even more precisely analogous to human tissue (than squalene), because they are not only lipids, they are phospholipids -- which are precisely what the body attacks in APS," explains Heidi Stevenson from Gaia Health about the growing prevalence of vaccine-induced APS. "Therefore, we can anticipate that there will be ever-more cases of APS as we see the approval of ever-more OMV-based vaccines, which are in the pipeline now."

Cervarix, the HPV vaccine rival to Merck & Co.'s Gardasil, contains OMVs, as do some flu vaccines -- and many more common vaccines are being reformulated with OMVs at this very moment. What this means is that we can expect an increasing number of vaccinated individuals to develop autoimmune symptoms as we move forward into the future. And such symptoms are likely to be systemic, as APS can target virtually all areas of the body.

"People with APS are suffering from phospholipid antibodies that are erroneously destroying parts of the eye, cardiovascular system, brain, nerves, skin, reproductive system -- in short, any part of the body," adds Stevenson about the horrific nature of this relatively new condition. "This self-destruction is induced by vaccine technologies."

Be sure to read Stevenson's full report on vaccine-induced APS here: http://gaia-health.com

Therapy Bears

Great healing gift for stressed and anxious kids

Baby lily bear is stuffed with nuturing and "grounding" earth energies of flowers, plants, gems and tree extracts in vibrationally conductive comfy squishy material. She clears out the ickies and helps you feel safe and loved. She brings love, grounding and nature energy to anyone who hugs her. Super cute! Each one seems to have such a different look on their face and personality plus. 7 inches sitting, 9 inches toe to ear.

"My daughter got this one last year for Christmas. Since the first night she slept with it in her arms, she stopped having nightmares (and stopped waking up totally terrified in the middle of the night, mama's collateral gain!). Now she sleeps well, falls asleep easy, and in the tough days for mama she lends it to me in the evening to Lily helps mama...
p.s. As we travel a lot, this is extra-handy for traveling too!" :)

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Genetics: The Future of Cancer Treatment has Arrived

Genetics: The Future of Cancer Treatment has Arrived

A new and exciting discovery to provide real hope for late stage and complex cancer patients has arrived. For years, patients and doctors have been asking, “Why does chemotherapy only work for some patients?” For example, a patient may try a different chemo regiment over and over or may “respond” to chemotherapy and have a 30% shrinkage of a tumor only to find it returns even more aggressively later. Our new form of treatment aims to eliminate this problem altogether, meaning many patients will become cancer survivors.

Currently, the odds that a patient will respond to any given chemotherapy treatment are generally no better than the odds of flipping a coin. Chemotherapy drugs have historically been tested, dosed, and incorporated into treatment protocols based on trial-and-error approaches, resulting in a single or a range of recommended dosages based on averages from clinical studies in large populations.

The cancer patients who continue to receive chemotherapy drugs that they simply don’t respond to are unknowingly suffering through devastating side effects all while simultaneously wasting valuable time in their fight to survive against cancer.

The good news is that recent advances in pharmacogenetic research may eliminate the randomness in chemotherapy treatment. Through genetic testing, specific gene expression patterns can be identified that can better predict a patient’s drug response. These genetic indicators act to help physicians find the optimal drug or drug combination that will combat the precise tumor in a given individual with the benefit of optimal results along with greatly reduced side effects.

http://www.envita.com/cancer/finally-chemotherapy-game-changer-for-stage-cancer/

Benefits of Ginger

How Ginger Can Help You Keep Your Fitness Resolutions

By Intent on January 21, 2013in Food & Nutrition, Healthy Weight

Now that the hype of New Year’s resolutions has faded, the real work begins. Avoid injury and burnout by keeping your muscles rested and recovered. Keep your metabolism working at its full potential naturally, and your body healthy and fit well into the new year.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has long been used in Ayurveda to stoke the digestive system. Due to its yang properties of warming and stimulating, it’s thought to enhance the fire in the body. Everything from the digestive system to blood circulation to energizing the body internally.

Ginger for Sore Muscles:

If you don’t have time for a long Epsom salt bath to soothe your muscles and mind, consider a hot cup of ginger tea after dinner or a refreshing ginger lemonade after your daily workout.

In two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, subjects were tested for muscle pain after exercising and taking 2 grams of ginger versus a placebo. The study concluded that daily supplementation with ginger reduced muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise.

Another study asked subjects to participate in exercises meant to cause muscle inflammation and pain, with one group taking ginger as a supplement and the other group a placebo. They found that muscle pain and soreness was reduced the day after in some participants taking the ginger, suggesting ginger may reduce the day-to-day progression of muscle pain.

These results are not surprising, considering ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory substances: Gingerols. Gingerols are the pungent compound present in ginger that give it many of its incredible health benefits, proving it effective in treating arthritis, nausea, and a multitude of digestive disorders.

Ginger for Metabolism:

Introducing ginger to the body can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. It can reduce feelings of hunger and enhance thermogenesis, or increase metabolism; all pluses when trying to lose or manage weight.

During winter, hot tea is a great way to introduce the benefits of ginger into your diet and system. To cool off after a hot workout, this Fresh Mint Organic Ginger Lemonade is a nice alternative:

Fresh Mint-Organic Ginger Lemonade

INGREDIENTS:

Mint leaves
1 shot cumquat or Bush lemon juice
1 shot of Agave sweetener
1 tsp. Wakaya Perfection Organic Ginger Powder
2 shots of water Ice

Pour all ingredients into shaker. Shake, and then pour into serving glass. Float lemon and serve.



Topical Treatment for Sore Muscles:

A paste or creme created from softened ginger root or ginger powder can be applied directly to sore muscles. Mix the powder or crushed ginger with a few drops of camphor oil and a little water and then apply directly to the skin. Let it sit until it starts to dry and then wipe it off.

Caring for the body naturally will keep it in balance, strong, and enable you to reach your fitness resolutions in a healthy way.
 

Farmer's Pal is an international Organic, Sustainable, & Local Business Directory helping people in finding local Green businesses by State, County, & Region.

Understanding the numbers on the label of your produce

Good to know!

 

 

Bring luster back to your dried out "winter hair"

Women to Women | Women's health, naturally.|

Looking to bring luster back to your dried out "winter hair"? Try this moisturizing hair mask! With only three ingredients, this recipe is easy to make:

1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup condensed coconut milk
3 teaspoons of olive oil or coconut oil (if you have almond oil on hand, this works, too!)

In a microwave-safe dish, mash avocado with the end of a whisk. Add the coconut milk and oil, whisking rapidly until mixture is blended and smooth. Place dish in the microwave for thirty seconds to warm (test to make sure it is not too hot). Apply mask from roots to ends, taking time to massage into your scalp. Leave on for 30 minutes before shampooing as usual.

The magic of this mask? Oil can help soften dry, brittle hair. Avocado contains hair-friendly nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, iron, potassium, and pantothenic acid. Coconut milk is prized for its ability to bring moisture to flyaway hair and dry, flaky scalps. In other words, your hair is in very good hands!

If you like this beauty tip, get ready for more because each Friday, we're bringing members of our Facebook community exclusive health and beauty tips (and other good ideas) as a way to say thank you for joining us here. Next week, look for tips on how to make your own natural household cleaners -- for just pennies a bottle!

8 Damn Good Reasons Not to Get the Flu Shot

Feb 1st, 2013 | By Jeffry John Aufderheide

Every year the mainstream media war drum beats for you to get vaccinated against the flu. They rarely discuss anything but the benefits of the vaccine.

Why?

Maybe it is because many people are already skeptical about the flu vaccine.

I’m going to be very up front with you here. You rarely hear about the adverse reactions or about the toxic chemicals being injected into you. My goal is to get you to investigate vaccines more closely. Here are eight reasons to question the flu shot.

Let’s begin…

(Short version here, see full story for details)

REASON #1: NEUROTOXIC INGREDIENTS
REASON #2: 4250% INCREASE IN FETAL DEATHS REPORTED
REASON #3: VACCINE-INDUCED NARCOLEPSY
REASON #4: “THEY ARE PROTECTED” … FROM YOU!
REASON #5: IF YOU GET VACCINATED, YOU SHED THE VIRUS
REASON #6: IF YOU GET THE FLU VACCINE, EXPECT TO GET THE FLU
REASON #7: EVERY YEAR THE EXPERTS GUESS
REASON #8: THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL’S RECIPE FOR GENERATING FEAR

Jeffry John Aufderheide is the father of a child injured as a result of vaccination. As editor of VacTruth.com, he promotes well-educated health professionals, informed consent, and full disclosure and accountability of adverse reactions to vaccines.