Alternative Non-toxic Household Products

I saw this today and thought that is was too beneficial not to share.
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Limiting the amount of products you bring into your home will not only cut down on costs at the grocery store but will keep you and your family healthier. Below is a list of some common uses for seven household products. Add some drops of essentials oilslike lavender, rose, or sweet orange to any of them for extra pleasure!

Here are a few more tips to help you go green and save money!

• Cut up old bath towels. Reuse these as rags for cleaning your house rather than paper towels, which are expensive and contribute to 3,000 pounds of waste in landfills each day.
• When you grocery shop, leave your list at home. Instead, fill your basket with local, seasonal, and organic items that are on sale that week. Once you have your fruits and veggies, you can start to plan what other items you might need for the week.
• Stock up on staples when they are on sale. Some ideas: look for jars of organic pasta sauce, condiments, and, frozen organic veggies or fruit.
• Purchase things in bulk like quinoa, granola, beans, nuts, seeds, and dried herbs.
• Cook up large pots of grains and beans then divvy them up smaller portions to freeze for later meals.. Staples that work well: quinoa, brown rice, black beans, and kidney beans.  
• Prep veggies on Sundays. You can wash, chop, blanch or steam them.
• Invest in a high quality blender. This will allow you to make your own nut butters, almond milk, oat flour, soups, dips, and smoothies.  Choose one with at least a 5 year warranty.
• Limit the amount of beauty products you use daily. Keep your routine simple! 

FYI: I (Cali) used to use baking soda and water to clean my contacts. Mix 1/4 tsp baking soda with a few drops of water into a paste consistency. Rub on contacts and rinse with saline. 

(Source: www.MindBodyGreen.com)

How safe is your water bottle?

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I attended a detox class recently and learned many things about food and containers that our foods come in. In our modern day world we are very busy and it is sad to say that convenience over health is often the decision we make. For example, water bottles. I have never been one to buy water in bottles. Why would I? I have a water filter on my refrigerator and I want to limit my carbon footprint. I never really gave a thought to my water bottle that I used until I took the detox class.

Plastic bottles contain many harmful chemicals that can impact ones health. One chemical found is bisphenol-A or BPA for short. BPA mimics estrogen and disrupts normal cell production. Studies show that people that have been exposed to increased levels of BPA have an increased risk of developing breast and prostate cancers, and uterine tumors. Children with high level exposure to BPA have been shown to have early onset puberty. BPH also effects brain development. According to a study in 2011, pregnant women who had increased levels of BPA in there urine had daughters that had increases of hyperactivity, depression and anxiety. Another chemical found is Phthalate (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) or DEHP for short. Research studies have shown that over exposure to DEHP can lead to hormone disruption, birth defects, breast cancer, asthma, reproductive problems and obesity.

BPA and DEHP leach from the plastic container (whether it be a plastic bottle, can or plastic wrapper) into water (or food). If the container is heated, the leaching process can occur up to 55 times faster than at room temperature.

The FDA has stated that BPA and DEHP are safe at very low levels. However, if you are exposed to these chemicals several times a day, everyday your health could be at risk. Make sure you read the labels and choose non-PBA and non-DEHP containers.

To help decrease your carbon footprint, choose a reusable container as your permanent water bottle. (Mason jars are my daughter's favorite)

(Sources: www.breastcancer.org, www.health.usnews.com, www.mayoclinic.com; Picture: www.wired.com)

Apples

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We have all heard our mothers say, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".  And guess what? She was right.  Did you know that apples help heal and cure a variety of illness, aliments and diseases.  Researchers have found that apples and apple constitutes (pectin, vinegar, etc.) can lower the risk of many cancers including colorectal, liver, breast, stomach, and esophageal. In addition, apples have been shown to reduce radioisotopes in people exposed to radiation or nuclear weapon fall out.

Apples have been shown to help with shortening the course of diarrhea in children and prevent atherosclerosis in a high cholesterol diet.  Apples help with weight loss and increase brain function.   Bowel inflammation, periodontal disease, hair loss, infections (staphylococcal and influenza) and vaccine-induced toxicity are decreased when one includes apples in his/her diet.

Next time you reach for an organic apple, remember that you are not only having a delicious snack, you are taking your daily dose of nature's medicine.

(to read more go to www.greenmedinfo.com, resource: Dr. Sayer Ji, photo: experiencecrossriver.com)

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The Benefits of Turmeric

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Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today. Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies. In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects. Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications, including:

Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients.

Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease. A 2008 study published in Critical Care Medicine found that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes. An earlier 2003 study published in Cancer Letters found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion injury model.

Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior in an animal model.

Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.

Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.

Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.

Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC).

Another way in which turmeric and its components reveal their remarkable therapeutic properties is in research on drug resistant- and multi-drug resistant cancers. We have two sections on our site dedicated to researching natural and integrative therapies on these topics, and while there are dozens of substances with demonstrable efficacy against these chemotherapy- and radiation-resistant cancers, curcumin tops both lists: Cancers: Drug Resistant Cancers: Multi-Drug Resistant We have found no less than 54 studies indicating that curcumin can induce cell death or sensitize drug-resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment. We have identified 27 studies on curcumin's ability to either induce cell death or sensitize multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment. Considering how strong a track record turmeric (curcumin) has, having been used as both food and medicine in a wide range of cultures, for thousands of years, a strong argument can be made for using curcumin as a drug alternative or adjuvant in cancer treatment. Or, better yet, use certified organic (non-irradiated) turmeric in lower culinary doses on a daily basis so that heroic doses won't be necessary later in life after a serious disease sets in. Nourishing yourself, rather than self-medicating with 'nutraceuticals,' should be the goal of a healthy diet.
(source exert repost from www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/science-confirms-turmeric-effective-14-drugs, author Sayer Ji, New Collaborative Project EATomology)