INTRO TO CLEAN LIVING
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-homegrown-podcast/id1611220209?i=1000558847994
@Natural Nurse Momma Blog Post
@NaturalNurseMomma Glyphosate Highlight
@Emmalee_Awake No Candles Highlight
@Organic.Gannett Glyphosate Highlight
Doing it Different Podcast with a Toxicologist
Doing it Different Podcast with 3 Little Plums
Just.Ingredients
The following photos & caption are from @wellfolkrevival.
Do you remember the first time you threw away a fragranced lotion your daughter was gifted? The first time you told a family member no thank you when they offered your son artificial everything candy? The first time you refused an injection ? The first time you told a friend you weren't doing injections?
The list of can go on
➤Homeschooling
➤Network marketing business
➤Raising your own food
➤Seeing a naturopath
➤Using oils
➤Refusing fluoride
The push back was either subtle or extreme. What was it for you? It doesn't get easier, you get stronger in your truth and knowledge. Either way you don’t have to explain yourself if it feels confrontational. You are the adult making the choices for your children and family. They are not. They do not have to deal with a child so jacked up on artificial colors and sweeteners, they do not have to deal with a teen girl that has extreme mood swings and menstruation problems, they do not have to deal with the injuries that come along with shots, they are not in charge of your bank account and how you provide for your family….. You are. Stay strong mama. All the hugs if you are in this place right now. Find a tribe that will support and uplift you.
The following photo & caption are from @taylordukeswellness.
The following photo & caption are from @taylordukeswellness.
Want to know what I pay attention to on nutrition labels? Hint: It’s not calories….
It’s ingredients.
Here are a few I personally steer clear of because of how they can negatively impact our gut, our hormones, our mood and our overall health.
It is not just about what we put in our bodies (food)...
It is also about what we put on our bodies (personal care products).
It is proven that what we put on our skin is absorbed, even toxins.
Not sure about this? Sound a little much?
Think about medications that are administered topically and absorbed (hormones, pain patches, etc.)
Needless to say, our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs what we put on it so let’s be motivated and mindful to use clean products daily!
The following photo & caption are from @environmentaltoxinsnerd.
The following photo & caption are from @3littleplums.
For many chemicals, negative effects are dose-dependent with higher doses leading to more significant responses and lower doses often being harmless.
This is what people mean when they say "the dose makes the poison". More exposure = more harm and less exposure = less harm.
This phrase is often pulled out when folks start talking about low-level exposures to toxicants (that we all get every day), as a means of trying to tell you to not worry about it.
EXCEPT, the dose makes the poison, while true in many instances (like radiation for example), is not true ALL the time.
I have posted about this before so you can scroll back in my feed even just a couple days ago where I talk about "the dose makes the poison"...until it doesn't.
In fact, endocrine-disrupting chemicals blow apart the "dose makes the poison" concept because these types of chemicals behave very differently in the body.
Very low levels of chemicals that block or mimic hormones can be hugely problematic.
Why?
Because our biology responds to hormones in the body at extraordinarily small levels - equivalent to ppm or ppt measurements. This is how our hormones function.
So when we are exposed to chemicals that block, mimic, or otherwise interact with our own hormones, even small amounts matter.
Endocrinologists and pharmacologists recognize, as a point of FACT, that very low doses of compounds are biologically relevant.
However, within the field of toxicology, the concept of low-dose exposures is often dismissed, and chemicals aren't tested for toxicity at low levels of exposure. This is a problem because our regulatory decisions are based on toxicological research.
TLDR: endocrine-disrupting chemicals are some serious shit.
Do you talk about low dose exposures with your clients, patients, customers, or followers? Do you get pushback about how "the dose makes the poison"?
LMK in the comments!
Transitioning to low tox living leaves many feeling overwhelmed.. but its the little changes that we implement that can be the key to long term success! It doesn’t take an overhaul.. just small steps!
Here are 3 little ways to reduce your exposure to toxins in the pantry
1️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀
Canned foods still very often are lined with epoxy resins that contain BPA or similar chemicals. These bisphenols are hormone disrupting chemicals that can affect brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children, children's behavior, and have been linked to increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
BPA can be even more toxic at low levels than at high levels because of the way the chemicals interact with receptors in the body.
🤩: instead choose fresh foods or frozen foods
2️⃣ 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗱𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝗿𝘂𝗽.
Artificial colors and dyes can :
➡️cause an inflammatory response in the body, which can affect the immune system.
➡️Some of the most commonly used food dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) are contaminated with known carcinogens or cancer-causing substances, such as 4-aminobiphenyl, 4-aminoazobenzene, and benzidine.
➡️some have been linked to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, and other behavioral effects in children.
➡️High fructose corn syrup also contributes to diabetes, inflammation, high triglycerides, and something we call non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
3️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀
These are foods that are made in a factory and will often contain a long list of ingredients, including ingredients you would not use at home including unrecognizable ingredients like artificial dyes, sweeteners and preservatives.
➡️Examples: some bread , Pre-packaged meals, some Breakfast cereals, Cookies, buns and cake, chips, Soft drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices
➡️Ultra processed foods are our main source of exposure to phthalates.
🤩Instead, Fill your pantry with nuts, beans and healthy grains
The following photo & caption are from @3littleplums.
Red dye 40 is:
❌an Azo Dye made of petrochemicals
❌the most widely used of the 9 FDA-approved artificial food colorings
❌Found to cause increase hyperactivity in children
❌Required in the EU to have this label: “may have an adverse effect on activity & attention in children”
❌There is evidence, although inconclusive, that it can accelerates the appearance of tumors of the immune system in mice.
❌Like other dyes, red dye 40 contains upwards of 10 % impurities from the manufacturing process. Health Canada scientists, identified small amounts of carcinogenic impurities in Red Dye 40
The most well documented of these concerns is the hyperactivity & behavior effects it has on children- both those with pre-existing problems like ADHD hyperactivity & those without
Over 5.8 million children in the US are diagnosed with ADHD & 69% of those are taking medication. Study’s have found that hyperactive children’s behavior improves dramatically when these dyes are removed from their diet- 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆.
🧠Yes these dyes impact the brain of young child
How to avoid it?
1. become a label reader ( hint: not all of the foods with Red Dye 40 are red)
Red dye 40 can appear as:
• Allura Red AC
• Allura Red
• C.I. 16035
• C.I. Food Red 17
• FD&C Red No. 40
• Red 40
• Red No. 40
Some foods that contain Red Dye 40 include:
candy canes
M & Ms
Jello
Gatorade
Children’s Tylenol
Welch’s fruit snacks
Fruit Loops
Sunny D Juice
fruit roll ups
red velvet cake mixes
2️⃣Look for natural, unprocessed food. Certified organic food does not allow artificial dyes like Red dye 40, instead they use natural food coloring like Beet juice, beta-carotene, blueberry juice concentrate, turmeric etc
🎅🏼Have I banished candy canes from home?
I def dont buy “ normal” candy canes anymore - lucky for me companies like @YumEarth make candy canes colored with radish, apple & blackcurrants.
But when they are gifted a ‘normal’ candy cane, its fine for them to enjoy, however having a child with mild ADHD I am glad I know & can control his overall intake of all artificial dyes
The following photo & caption are from @3littleplums.
OEKO TEX is a great certification you can trust to 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 source safer products. But it’s not perfect & there are some loopholes which are important to be aware of .
𝗢𝗲𝗸𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝘅 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀:
➡️ every thread, button & accessories on a certified product has been tested for several hundred harmful substances
➡️testing is conducted by independent OEKO-TEX® partner institutes
➡️what do they test for? Several hundred chemicals like: heavy metals, siloxanes, azo dyes, Glyphosate, 20 phthlates, BPA , PAHs, 39 flame retardants, formamide, 23 PFAS
➡️there are 4 product classes & each has slightly different requirements; class 1 tends to be the strictest, class 4 less so.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
1️⃣class 1: products for babies, has the strictest requirements & limits. Includes articles designed for babies & children up to 36 months
Ex of limits:
formaldehyde: not detected
extractable lead:0.2 ppm
extractable arsenic: 0.2 ppm
BPA: 100 ppm
2️⃣class 2: products that come into direct contact with the skin such as blouses, shirts, underwear, mattresses, etc.
Ex of limits:
formaldehyde: 75ppm
lead/ arsenic: 1ppm
BPA: 100ppm
3️⃣class 3: includes products that have no or minimal contact with the skin, such as jackets, vests, etc.
Ex of limits:
formalehyde: 150 ppm
lead/arsenic: 1ppm
BPA: 100ppm
4️⃣class 4: includes decoration, used for furnishing purposes, ir table cloths, curtains, upholstery fabrics
Ex of limits:
formalehyde:300ppm
lead/arsenic: 1 ppm
BPA: 100ppm
🧐So- what to watch out or when purchasing an Oeko Tex certified product?
⭐️pay attention to the class it is tested for
⭐️formaldehyde: baby items can’t contain detectible levels of formaldehyde but other types of products can. So if its certified & labelled as ‘ wrinkle resistant’ inquire about formaldehyde
⭐️PFAS: their test for 23 PFAS but there are over 6,000. If a certified item is labelled ‘water/stain resistant’, inquire about PFAS use
𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲?
✅esp for baby products it’s a great certification but don’t purchase & trust blindly. Read labels & when in doubt ask!!
The following photos & caption are from @3littleplums.
When looking to buy a product you often rely on packaging/ website to help you determine whether the product is safe or not
But, can we trust what is on a label?
Greenwashing are labels, jargon or images used to misrepresent or overstate health & environmental benefits of a product; to make a products seem natural & non-toxic when it might not be
Examples of Greenwashing
1️⃣Overt lying: saying a product is all natural when it contains lab-made substances
🤨Ex: a mattress that is made of PU foam is not natural. A mattress made with soy foam is not natural. Both contain varying amounts of PU foam made from petroleum & additives
2️⃣Leaning heavily on trade assoc. certifications
🤨Ex: CERTIPUR is a foam industry certification. Many of the chemicals they ‘test’ for aren’t even allowed in PU foam in the US, nor are they all natural nor toxin free
3️⃣Comp that tell you what isn’t in the product, but don’t provide transparency about what actually is in your prod
🤨Ex: “BPA free” can still contain harmful BPS or BPF. “PFOA & PFOS-free” can still contain other PFAS
5️⃣Claiming a product is "organic' when the products actually contains some or mostly non-organic materials
6️⃣Confusing consumers by talking about certifications they "have" that are irrelevant to the product or dont cover the entire product
🤨Ex: Greenguard Gold certified doesn’t address PFAS nor flame retardants
7️⃣Creating & using their own logo graphic similar to independent certifications
When a company obscures the fact that potentially hazardous chemicals are in their products, consumers cannot make informed choices. Honesty & transparency matter
Clean & Healthy NY recently offered these tips &I agree
🌿Get curious about words like “nontoxic,” “organic,” & “natural.” Look for verifiable certifications – not just logos – to confirm claims.
🌿Be wary of claims about what isn’t present: “BPA-free” or “PFOA and PFOS-free”instead ask whats inside
🌿Watch out for misrepresentations about materials. Foam labeled as “plant-based” or “soy foam” are still PU, with a little plant oil.
🌿Trustworthy certifications: @MADESAFEhq GOTS & GOLS
More on #blog!
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
Tip #1 - endocrine disruptors.
There are many factors that can help hormones and many factors that can affect them.
Endocrine disruptors are just one of many. So pictured above is a list of common endocrine disruptors and where they can be found.
Endocrine disruptors make it so our real hormone can’t do it’s right job. They “interfere with hormone biosynthesis, metabolism, or action resulting in a deviation from normal homeostatic control or reproduction?(1)
Some of these are doable right now, others may not be. I went 20 years before I could afford new mattresses. So do what you can, and don’t stress about what you can’t do.
Don’t quote me saying that I said changing your body wash will solve all your hormonal problems. That is not what I’m stating with this post.
What I’m saying is...
Endocrine disruptors can play a role in ones hormonal imbalance. This is a list of common endocrine disruptors found in our day. Be aware of these and make the changes you can.
Tomorrow’s post will be another factor that plays in hormonal imbalance.
And reminder... these are not the only better choice products out there. More favorites are on my website, justingredients.us
Charts/Lists Sources:
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726844/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5973437/
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139484/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321486
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
According to the Environmental Working Group, women use an average of 12 products a day, containing 168 different chemicals.
Do you use 12 products a day❓
How many of the products above have artificial dyes, or formaldehyde releasors, or triclosan, or BHT, or sulfates, or metals, or unknown chemicals?
They may be safe amounts in each product, but when used as a cumulative whole, they can be a burden on our bodies.
The FDA does not have much regulation for these ingredients.
.
👉🏻 one of every 13 women – are exposed to ingredients that are known or probable human carcinogens every day through their personal care products.
👉🏻One of every 24 women, are exposed daily to beauty product ingredients that are known or probable reproductive and developmental toxins or linked to impaired fertility. (These statistics do not account for exposures to phthalates that testing shows appear in an estimated three quarters of all personal care products). Phthalates are endocrine disruptors.
👉🏻One of every five adults are potentially exposed every day to all of the top seven carcinogenic impurities common to personal care product ingredients — hydroquinone, ethylene dioxide, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, PAHs, and acrylamide.
👉🏻There was a small study which tested 20 teens' blood and urine to find out which chemicals from these products were ending up in their bodies. They used 17 beauty products and found 16 hormone-altering chemicals, including parabens & phthalates.
And we wonder why we have so many people with illnesses and unbalanced hormones.
Do you know what you’re putting on your body❓
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/testimony/ewg-testimony-exploring-current-practices-cosmetics-development-and-safety
https://www.ewg.org/research/teen-girls-body-burden-hormone-altering-cosmetics-chemicals
The following photos & caption are from @daniellehamiltonhealth.
⚠️ FALSE!! Read every label!! ⚠️
If you know me, you know Whole Foods is my happy place. I’ll also be the first to tell you that that place is fillllled with toxic processed foods.
In general, you want to look for ingredients that YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE.
(We need to stop saying just make sure you get ingredients “you can pronounce”. I can pronounce “canola” and “soy protein isolate” just fine... but I would never have those things in my house or eat them.)
One disturbing common thread between all of these processed foods is that they ALL contain:
☠️ Vegetable Oils
-and-
☠️ Some form of sugar (or multiple forms of it)
I find that plant based foods are the worst offenders in terms of level of processing, number of ingredients, and nutrient density.
Want to learn more about how to read food labels & what to look out for?? This is one of the first lessons I cover in my Unlock the Sugar Shackles Group Coaching!!
A new round of group coaching starts this October!! (Date TBD). Click the link in my bio to get on the waitlist!! 🥳
The following photo & caption are from @environmentaltoxinsnerd.
No ingredients list? No purchase 🤗
Current labeling laws in the U.S. do not require cleaning, cosmetic, and personal care companies to disclose all the ingredients they put in their products.
Many types of product formulations are protected under confidentiality claims. Companies basically say "if we disclose ingredients, then it will cause "substantial business injury"... but what about the potential injury to consumers??
One of my biggest peeves is companies who say "trust us! It's safe!" but then provide NOTHING to back that up.
Ingredient disclosure happens least frequently when it comes to fragrances, which are protected trade secrets. There are 3000+ fragrance-related ingredients used can be used to formulate a scent, none of which need disclosure.
The exclusion of ingredients from a label does not make the product inherently unsafe, but transparency, public health, and consumer advocacy matter more than trade secrets.
Last year California passed the Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Right to Know Act, which requires the disclosure of the secret, unlabeled, and often toxic fragrance and flavor chemical ingredients in our personal care products. This is a step in the right direction (even though it only requires companies to disclose on a public database if they use chemicals from a predetermined hazard list.)
Educating on topics like fragrances benefits greatly from our ability to look beyond just the exposure/health effect conversation and into public policy and business tactics, both of which are explored in-depth inside the Certificate Course in Environmental Health.
This 5-month advanced training for anyone with a health-based business includes a deep dive into environmental health AND into how to best use this education in your business.
The following photo & caption are from @environmentaltoxinsnerd.
* B A L A N C E *
A follow up to yesterday's post about other people's judgement, to talk about our OWN judgement or pressure we put on ourselves.
It's the weekend so consider this our reminder to calm the heck down 🤪
Whenever possible, of course, we want to do everything we can to reduce exposure to environmental chemicals. Emphasis on "whenever possible."
But like sooooo many other things in the health space, some people take it to the extreme and turn it into a black or white, all or nothing topic.
Your clients, patients, customers, readers, etc., want you to make them feel better, not worse, right? So let's empower ourselves and each other to make healthful choices when possible and not obsess over them when we don't. 💁🏼♀️
I went to brunch today and zero of the foods I ate were organic. The waffles I ordered were likely cooked in a non-stick waffle iron. My leftovers were placed in a styrofoam container.
I drove my car to get there, and to get home, which exposed me to toxic chemicals from both car exhaust and from the materials my car is made of.
And I'm ZERO concerned about these things because I focus my energies on exposures that I can more easily control.
Our goal is the following:
CHANGE WHAT WE CAN CONTROL, SO WE WORRY LESS ABOUT THE THINGS WE CAN'T. 🌈⠀
We do the best we can, without driving ourselves bonkers.
We can't forget, STRESS is toxic and contributes to ~80% of all chronic diseases... When we allow ourselves to get excessively worried about every micro-decision we make, it can be just as bad as the exposure itself...and it just might lose you clients, patients, customers, etc. as well!
Take the pressure off yourself to be the flawless health guru. (I'm definitely not!) Your clients will benefit from seeing you live your life authentically and imperfectly while still striving to evolve your health.
The following photo & caption are from @environmentaltoxinsnerd.
While many folks in the health space have gotten rid of scented candles and air fresheners, they are still likely to be found in the homes of your clients or patients and are worth addressing.
According to the NPD group, nearly 80% of consumers scent their homes. Their reasons? Consumers want to feel “relaxed”, “cozy”, and to “uplift their spirits".
But at what cost?
🕯 Scented candles *whether they are lit or not* release VOCs into the air - chemicals like benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde, all of which are carcinogens. (PMID: 25588193)
🕯 Scented candles almost always contain phthalates, which are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to a laundry list of chronic health issues. Phthalates are SVOCs - or semi-volatile organic compounds. They accumulate in our homes, settling in house dust, another vector for chemical exposures.
🕯 Candles and incense both release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. PAHs have been clearly identified as being: carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic
Indoor air quality issues - whether from scented candles, household cleaners, off-gassing furniture, building materials, or mold (or all of the above) - are significant problems in homes around the world, AND are often overlooked by health professionals.
It's not just respiratory health that's at risk here; these air pollutants are associated with hormonal issues, neurological problems, and even cancers.
Indoor air quality is something we exposure in-depth inside my Certificate Course in Environmental Health - my 5-month advanced course for health professionals of all types.
This small-group course offers extensive education on multiple facets of environmental health AND personalized support and coaching on how health professionals can integrate this topic into their work.
Enrollment for professional training
✨OPENS TOMORROW✨
Until then let's encourage all our clients, patients, customers, and followers to ditch the scented candles!
The following photo & caption are from @environmentaltoxinsnerd.
Let's talk bioaccumulation of toxicants.
Bioaccumulation - the build-up of substances in tissue happens either when we take them in faster than we can eliminate them, or because of specific properties, like being fat-soluble.
Fat-soluble chemicals hang out in our adipose tissue and sometimes in the brain, and even in breast milk. During periods of rapid weight loss, we can see levels of toxins in the bloodstream spike by more than 300% because those fat-soluble toxins are being mobilized as fat is burned off.
PFAS (dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they don't break down), flame retardants, and dioxins, bioaccumulate in the body because they get stored in our adipose tissue.
Metals, like lead, arsenic, and mercury are all highly bioaccumulative because they are elements that cannot be further broken down and are often stored in bone.
Methylmercury is so good at biomagnification that the fish at the top of the food chain (whales, sharks, and tuna) can have levels of it in their muscle tissue that is ✨one hundred thousand ✨times higher than the mercury concentration in the water in which they swim.
Highly persistent chemicals like PFAS, dioxins, metals, etc, are harder for the body to get rid of, which is why lowering your exposure is critical!
Non-persistent chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and organophosphate pesticides often have short half-lives, which means that our bodies can metabolize and detoxify them pretty quickly. However, our exposures are constant, meaning we're taking them in faster than we can break them down!
The primary focus of my work is helping health professionals guide their clients and patients around REDUCING as many exposures as possible, to lower than body burden!
This is what you'll learn to do inside my flagship 5-week Talking Toxins course! If you're new to my feed, make sure you check it out!
Head to the link in my bio to grab the link.
Do you know of other toxins that bioaccumulate?
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
I have.
🎉This time of year, lots of foods are marketed as "healthy"
The trick: some of them are and some of them are not.
👍🏻Simply ask yourself if the ingredients nourish your body.
Its usually the added ingredients that takes these foods from being a great, nourishing food to something that can contribute to inflammation, hormonal imbalances, gut dysbiosis and more.
1️⃣For example:
Yogurt, protein powders and cottage cheese can all be great sources of protein. Of the three macronutrients (carbs, fat and protein), protein makes you feel the most full. Protein also increases muscle mass and strength.
The problem is that some of these protein sources can contain artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners increase the risk of type II diabetes by 67% and alter glucose homeostasis (the balance of insulin to maintain blood glucose). 1,2,3,4
2️⃣Another example:
Oats are great for soluble fiber which helps reduce LDL cholesterol. Oats also feed the gut with good bacteria.
The problems are oats can be sprayed with glyphosate which can contribute to inflammation in the body and also have the opposite effect on the gut by reducing the good bacteria. And many “flavored” oats like pictured above use artificial sweeteners. 5,6,7
👉🏻Another trick is NO sugar added. In the case of my protein powders and pre workouts, there is no sugar added. But many times, when this is advertised they contain artificial sweeteners.
👉🏻Another trick is GMO free. They put this all the time on almonds. Almonds are not a gmo food. Therefore the label means nothing.
So when looking at how a food is marketed, ask yourself if the added artificial sweeteners, mono and diglycerides, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, emulsifiers, etc really nourish your body 😀
1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15466943/
2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25169440/
3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19151203/
4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29159583/
5 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25411276/
6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26511097/
7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32045792/
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
Getting better, feeling better.
It takes work.
It takes patience.
It takes desire.
It takes endurance.
So many give up. They get frustrated. They don’t give it enough time. They want a magic pill to fix things. They can’t find the right doctor.
But I promise you, a life full of energy, health, and happiness is worth all of the work.
My life full of depression 15 years ago is night and day different from the life I have now.
Healing is amazing. Healing is worth it.
One of my favorite quotes… “you’re always ONE CHOICE away from changing your life.”
Which one do you maybe need to work on in 2022? (And of course there are so many other ideas that could benefit you!)
The following photo & caption are from @just.ingredients.
🌎Earth Day - plastics
👉🏻If you’re like me, SAVE this for reference! I can NEVER remember which numbers on plastics are ok to use and which ones to avoid. So SAVE this to reference back to next time you’re wondering.
And just FYI...
#1 is relatively safe, unless it’s used with heat or left in the heat. This can leach carcinogens. So that’s why its in both categories on the chart.
And #7 - that’s a category that essentially means “all the other stuff” and is composed of any new plastics, including bioplastics, and could also be comprised of different types of plastics.
And remember from yesterday’s post...
According to National Geographic:
* Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
Some tips to remember:
1️⃣Determine whether you need to clean or disinfect. Clean surfaces regularly to remove germs and prevent them from growing or spreading. You should still disinfect surfaces that have contact with raw meat, blood or bodily fluids, and when a family member suffers from a contagious illness, such as the flu.
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2️⃣🌟When you need to disinfect, use products properly. Inappropriate use may not kill bacteria, exposing your family to harmful chemicals without the germ-destroying benefit. THINK CLOROX WIPES or DISINFECTING WIPES in this case!!!!
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3️⃣All disinfectant products, including bleach, need to stay on the surface for a certain duration of time to work adequately, so always read instructions on the label. You might be surprised how many wipes it takes to ensure the surface stays wet for the full 4 to 10 minutes directed on the label. So many people use wipes completely ineffectively!
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4️⃣Science is telling us that exposure to germs and the infectious diseases they cause may contribute to a better functioning immune system. For example, children who grow up on a farm are less likely to have asthma because they are exposed to a wide range of germs when they are young. Most microbes are helpful and only 1% cause disease.
👉🏻I think of it like this:
All purpose cleaner - make up on bathroom counters, hair on counters, crumbs and jelly on the kitchen counter, spilled food on the floor, etc.
Disinfectant/Sanitizer - blood, vomit, raw meat juice, disgusting bathrooms or toilets, etc.
And just FYI...
Force of Nature website says it can be used to clean, sanitize, and disinfect.
Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant also.
https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2015/09/trouble-disinfecting-wipes
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/ece_curriculumfinal.pdf
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
There is a common belief that organic crops have no pesticides/herbicides. Not true.
Slide 4 above is what’s allowed on them. It’s about 25 ingredients vs. 900 for non organic.
Organic does mean though that glyphosate (the main ingredient in Roundup) cannot be sprayed on the crop.
People love to debate if glyphosate is toxic or not, whether it’s safe to ingest or not, and at what levels.
👉🏻But what gets forgotten in the debates is the aspect that glyphosate can be an endocrine disruptor (1).
And glyphosate is not the only pesticide/herbicide that is an endocrine disruptor. There are about 100 substances listed as such. Many have been banned over the years though (1).
As mentioned in previous posts, an endocrine disruptor can mimic our natural hormones, allowing the real hormone not able to do its proper function.
👉🏻So if you’re dealing with depression, infertility, anxiety, chronic fatigue, chronic migraines, hormonal issues, etc, glyphosate is one more endocrine disruptor to look at.
And remember that the word organic for process foods has a completely different meaning than the word organic for produce.
👉🏻Glyphosate is mainly found on gmo canola, gmo corn, gmo sugar, gmo soy, gmo cotton, wheat, oats, and almonds which are in MANY processed foods! So I try to buy products without these gmo ingredients.
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138025/
Whats allowed:
2.https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div6&node=7:3.1.1.9.32.7#se7.3.205_1601
The following photos & caption are from @organic.gannett.
Fragrance, as an ingredient, is everyyywhere. And much to the surprise of many, it is not just “one” ingredient making up a fragrance.
A fragrance in any given product usually consists of 10s to 100s of different chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, allergens, neurotoxins, and more. Up to 80% of these chemicals have never been tested for safety at all.
How do companies get away with this?
Fragrances are considered industry trade secret under the Fair Package and Labeling act of 1966. Companies do not have to disclose what chemicals make up their fragrance so others can’t replicate it.
And what typically happens when companies aren’t required to meet a certain standard? They will do what they need to do to cut costs. Usually chemicals that are toxic are cheaper, so that’s what the formula will be. Many of the chemicals are derived from petroleum and coal tar and have a long list of side effects.
Some known side effects of the chemicals in fragrance include:
❌migraines
❌hormone disruption
❌asthma
❌cancer
❌reproduce issues, infertility
❌developmental toxicity
❌birth defects
❌respiratory issues
❌autoimmune disorders
The EWG found that over 75% of the chemicals in fragrances are classified as phlatates, powerful hormone disruptors.
Get good at checking your labels, friends! Yummy smelling homes, body products, makeup, laundry…tempting! But not worth it, IMO! Clean doesn’t need to equal a smell! Be aware of greenwashing too. “Natural fragrance” or “unscented” are often terms used to make you think it is cleaner, but if a company has nothing to hide, they will list ALL ingredients, including ones in their fragrance. Some companies like to slap labels like “paraben free” on their product when in reality it can still contain toxic chemicals like phthalates.
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
Many car fresheners, air fresheners, plug ins, body sprays, laundry scents, contain endocrine disruptors and other harmful chemicals.
We know how to make them nontoxic!
Let’s hold these companies to a higher standard!
👍🏻I teamed up with Grow Fragrance to make a delicious smelling air freshener that is completely non toxic and does not disrupt our health!
🎄It’s the perfect scent for the holidays. Smells like peppermint vanilla (think candy cane).
Copy this link to buy:
https://www.growfragrance.com/products/vanilla-peppermint-air-fabric-spray/?rfsn=2875789.75b1a7
And just FYI…
What are endocrine disruptors❓
“Many chemicals, may mimic or interfere with the body's hormones, known as the endocrine system. Called endocrine disruptors, these chemicals are linked with developmental, reproductive, brain, immune, and other problems.” (4)
1.https://www.ewg.org/research/teen-girls-body-burden-hormone-altering-cosmetics-chemicals
2. http://www.toxicsinfo.org/personal/fragrance_safety.htm
3. https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/regulations/international-laws/
4. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
If someone tells you organic means nothing, it’s not right.
Organic was a label given to us in the year 2000 by the government to help us decipher what was now in our food.
Remember hormones added to milk happened in 1993 and gmos with glyphosate didn’t happen until the late 1990s.
By 2000 people wanted a new label.
The organic rules above are for PROCESSED foods.
Remember organic doesn’t always mean healthy, it’s just food held to a different standard.
Organic for PRODUCE has a different set of rules than PROCESSED foods
The rules are:
That synthetic chemicals or pesticides are allowed in organic farming. But...
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👉🏻There are about 25 synthetics allowed in organic farming. (Conventional farming allows around 900.) The synthetics go through rigorous testing by the National Organic Standards Board and must prove that:
1️⃣They are not harmful to human health or the environment because they are low risk or have a non-toxic mode of action
2️⃣They are necessary for production because no natural or organic version exists (copper, for example)
3️⃣They must be consistent with organic practices. Farmers must show they’ve exhausted all other options before they can use a synthetic (crop rotation, natural pheromones, beneficial insects, etc)
✨This is a list of the major substances used in organic farming (both natural and synthetic). All of these must either be: a minimum risk, non-synthetic or on the National List of Approved Synthetics.
Bacillus subtilis
Bacilus thuringiensis
Beauveria bassiana
Boric acid: Structural pest control, no direct contact with organic food or crops.
Coniothyrium minitans
Copper: Copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, copper sulfate: Application rates are limited
Corn gluten
Cydia pomonella granulosis
Diatomaceous earth
Gibberellic acid
Horticultural vinegar
Hydrogen peroxide
Lime sulfer: Including calcium polysulfide
Minerals such as elemental sulfur, bicarbonate, or kaolin clay
Myrothecium verrucaria
Non-detergent insecticidal soaps
Oils - petroleum, vegetable, and fish
Peracetic acid
Pheromones/ pheromone traps
Plant-derived substances such as neem, caraway oil, seed fennel, quassia, or ryania
Sabadilla
Spinosad
The following photos & caption are from @just.ingredients.
More confusing labels.
We HAVE to remember when people say something of the sort, “organic means nothing,” that this may ring more true for produce than packaged foods.
Organic for packaged foods tells us a whole lot!
That’s why I pay more attention to the word organic on packaged food than I do produce.
Produce whether organic or not, is still full of AMAZING nutrients. Don’t skip buying produce because you can’t afford it to be organic.
So once again, budget for organic, with what’s best for you and your family.
The following photo & caption are from @wellrootedpediatrics.
❗️ SO IMPORTANT! Always check that your pots and pans are PFAS-free (NOT just PFOA-free!)
🍳 The safest cookware to use is cast iron, glass, and stainless steel (uncoated.) not enough is known about non-stock ceramic surfaces.
🍳 What is your favorite cookware? Cast iron skillet for me!!
The following photo & caption are from @just.ingredients.
Labels can be confusing, but…
Learning what they mean empowers you to make the decision that’s best for you and your family.
🥚Eggs are such a nutritious food. The have a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. Vit A, vit d, vit e, vit k, b vitamins, calcium, zinc, selenium, and more.
🍳Eggs also are an excellent source of protein. Eggs contain all the essential amino acids in the right ratios, so your body can make full use of them.
🐓The most nutritious eggs come from hens who have free range out on a pasture, basking in the sunlight, and pecking at the dirt finding little bugs for protein. Eggs described from a scenario above have:
1⁄3 less cholesterol
1⁄4 less saturated fat
2⁄3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta carotene
4 to 6 times more vitamin D (1)
If you can’t afford the best, that doesn’t mean eggs aren’t nutritious. Eat the eggs you can afford in your budget.
**And little tip: Years ago, I wanted to buy pasture raised eggs but couldn’t afford them. So I searched on the internet for a local farmer who sells them at a cheaper price than the stores. I now pay $3 a dozen for them which is cheaper than the stores.
1. https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/free-range-eggs-zmaz07onzgoe