Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Poo-LESS

Yes, I have been poo free for almost 3 weeks...

No poo at all!


Or conditioner.



I have swapped out my shampoo and conditioner for a simple, homemade, inexpensive alternative. What could be more non-toxic then this recipe I found online:


1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

I heard about this recipe over a year ago and finally decided to try it out. There are hundreds of different ways to use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in your home, and this is just one of the examples. Prior to using this recipe I was buying John Masters Organic Shampoo and Dr. Bronners Conditioner but was not entirely happy with it and just did not feel it was worth the hefty price tag.

Here are the directions on how to make your own shampoo & conditioner:

Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in just enough water to make a paste. I keep a small box of baking soda right in my shower and mix this up in my hand. Apply this to roots and let it sit for a minute.

Use your finger tips to scrub your scalp, being careful not to be too rough. I start by doing the top of my head. Lastly, do the back of your head and temple area. Rinse well. If your scalp becomes dry or hair is frizzy, try using a little less. It may take about 1-2 weeks for your hair to adjust. Other products that are loaded with chemicals can cause a lot of build up which takes a while to get rid of.

For a conditioning rinse I use a few tablespoons raw, organic, unfiltered ACV. I mix up a few days worth into a squirt bottle. Mix in 1 cup water for every 2 tablespoons ACV. Pour the mixture on the ends of your hair only. Let it sit for a minute, then rinse.
After a few days of trying this I also added a few drops of lemon oil to this mixture since I hate the smell of ACV. Don't worry, after you rinse, your hair does not smell like vinegar using this recipe!

If you try this out, please come back and comment! I think it is a great alternative to the toxic conventional hair products out there, or the expensive organic ones. Do it for your health, or to save money or both!

Good Luck!

Friday, October 15, 2010

***** Must Read!!

*************************************

This is one of the best articles on cancer and cancer prevention I have ever read. Please take a few minutes to read the entire article at:

Hawaii Health Guide - Preventing Breast Cancer

Here are a few parts of it:

Can you cure cancer?
"Because Cancer is actually one's own cells misbehaving, there truly can never be any "cure" for the condition - only PREVENTION and REGENERATION! Cancer does not kill, as all cancer really is your very own cells that have somehow started to mutate." Dr. Hahn MD. The body eventually starves to death from the lack of vital nutrients to other healthy cells.


Here's over a dozen ways how we'd work to find a "cure" for breast cancer NOW!...

STOP allowing hormones in the food chain
including the inclusion of artificial hormones, artificial, colors and chemicals that are synthetic hormone markers, toxic preservatives (Nitrites and pesticides, growth hormones, GMO corn and soy in animal feed lots, and full spectrum anti-biotics in our food chain, (now approved by the FDA)
The prevalent use of these in USA ag, dairy, meat production and processed food may be the reason that breast cancer in North America is the highest in the world.


STOP NOW ALL allowed sources of exposure to ionizing environmental radiation, (including new airport security full body xray machines,, avoid annual mammograms, unnecessary CAT scans), ......Radioactive materials that decay spontaneously produce ionizing radiation, which has sufficient energy to strip away electrons from atoms (creating two charged ions) or to break some chemical bonds. Any living tissue in the human body can be damaged by ionizing radiation in a unique manner. The body attempts to repair the damage, but sometimes the damage cannot be repaired or it is too severe or widespread to be repaired. Also mistakes made in the natural repair process can lead to cancerous cells. The most common forms of ionizing radiation are alpha and beta particles, or gamma and X-rays.

Radiation can cause changes in DNA, the "blueprints" that ensure cell repair and replacement produces a perfect copy of the original cell. Changes in DNA are called mutations.

STOP NOW the creation and exposure to, nuclear waste and the products of war such as uranium enriched weapons. In 2005, a National Academy of Sciences Panel in Washington DC has found that "no level of radiation is safe for humans" and concluded that "any dose of radiation, no matter how small, can induce cancer."

STOP using antioxidants and vitamins that are petroleum based. Petroleum derivative anti oxidants such as BHA is a synthetic analogue of vitamin E and operates by reducing oxygen radicals and interrupting the propagation of oxidation processes. It is widely used as an antioxidant and preservative, and is prepared from p-methoxyphenol and isobutene. BHA can be used in baked products as it is stable at high temperatures, it is mainly used to prevent rancidity in fats and oils. Typical products include biscuits, cakes, fats and oils, cereals, pastry and pastry products, sweets, edible oils, chewing gum, fats, margarine, nuts, instant potato products, polyethylene food wraps; not permitted in infant foods, can provoke an allergic reaction in some people, may trigger hyperactivity and other intolerances; serious concerns over carcinogenicity and estrogenic effects, in large doses caused tumours in lab animals, banned in Japan in 1958, official committees of experts recommended that it be banned in the UK, however due to industry pressure it was not banned, McDonald's eliminated BHT from their US products by 1986. Other names: tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole, tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol, BOA, (1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methoxyphenol

STOP restaurants from cooking with partially hydrogenated oils, (Harvard School of Public Health researchers estimate that trans fat had been causing about 50,000 premature heart attack deaths annually, making partially hydrogenated oil one of the most harmful ingredients in the food supply , Denmark has banned the use of trans fats in public restaurants.)

STOP ignoring the ingredient label. Avoid nutritional ignorance: Be aware that some processed foods are messing with metabolism such as high fructose corn syrup. Cancer rates rise with obesity.

STOP selling cigarettes with known cancer causing chemicals.

STOP NOW supporting pharmaceutical companies but not organic farmers as part of medical plans, health insurance and factory approach to health care. Support prevention through life style and nutrition as part of your health insurance plan. Organochlorine pesticides are "complete" carcinogens, which both initiate and promote tumor growth, and whose presence (or absence) can change cancer statistics quite rapidly. DDT, dioxin and atrazine are called "organochlorines

STOP eating and selling deep fried food.

STOP drinking excessive alcohol. Learn about the direct link between breast cancer, obesity, drinking and estrogen in fatty tissues.

STOP using anti-perspirants with aluminum salts, or alum sulphate or parabens. Don't apply a cancer causing product directly on lymph nodes on breast tissue, especcially after just shaving. Use alternative deodorant products or baking soda/corn starch instead. Look at the ingredient label to determine if a deodorant or antiperspirant contains parabens. Parabens are usually easy to identify by name, such as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben.

STOP using cooking pots with aluminum, or peeling teflon or non stick coats. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin, affecting brain function, is indicated in Alzheimers, Parkinson's, renal failure and bone disease and can impair the formation and release of parathyroid hormone and may interfer with proper iron metabolism resulting in anemia.

STOP using lipstick with lead, mascara and lighbulbs containing mercury. Heavy metals including cadmium, nickel and aluminum, directly or indirectly activate the estrogen receptor in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Learn about cosmetics and cancer links. There are now many beauty and household products that use safe and natural ingredients.

STOP habitual consumption of diet soda and products with artificial sweeteners.The first artificial sweeteners used in diet soda were cyclamates. In 1970 the FDA banned cyclamates in the USA on evidence that they caused cancer in lab rats. Cyclamates are still used in many countries around the world, including for diet soda.

STOP drinking cow milk and dairy products made in America with rBGH ( recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone is a genetically engineered hormone manufactured by Monsanto to increase milk production.) Also increases IGF-1, which promotes cell division (Good for growing baby cows, but can promote cancer growths by behaving as a cancer accelerator.) IGF-1 is not destroyed in pasturization process nor during human digestion, and is biologically active in humans. Associated with breast, prostate and colon cancers. Cancer is uncontrolled cell division and growth.

STOP building residential dwellings on top of contaminated "brown" land (Love Canal etc)

STOP using aquifers for public drinking supply that are contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, fungicides, mine tailings, oil spills etc. Protect ground water and enforce protection of clean water.

STOP IGNORING your bodies warning signs:
If you suffer from candida, are prone to yeast infections, chronic fungus, notice sudden lump formations, tumors, slow healing wounds, chronic fatigue, sugar craving or feeling like you are thinking "in a fog" It may be a good time to meet with a health care professional and take necessary steps to change your lifestyle and diet now. Learn self breast examination techniques. Know your breasts and notice any changes.

Friday, October 1, 2010

October - Watch out for the pink ribbons!!

Please read this article. It is a powerful story of a breast cancer survivor who explains why she does not buy into the pink ribbon madness!

http://www.bestforbabes.org/2010/10/my-breast-cancer-why-i-wont-race-for-the-cure/

I agree, this month should be about PREVENTION and education, not about purchasing products (which are often cosmetics or food that contains ingredients that are actually linked with causing cancer).

I like to try to support charities where most of the money goes towards prevention.

Some related sites to check out:

www.breastcancerfund.org
www.saferstates.com
www.btiscan.com
www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org