5 Surprising Culprits Behind Obesity and Weight Gain

In this interesting article below by Mike Barrett featured on Infowars, we see some things you may not have thought of that will promote weight gain and even obesity. We know that diet and exercise play a major role but many who take care of these factors are still challenged when it comes to keeping their weight in line. Here is the article which offers some good food for thought. Of course the role of detoxing the body with greens and cleanses and giving it optimal nutrition must never come in to question. These things are and will always be essential components of a healthy life.

There is no doubt that the Western diet holds most of the weight regarding the escalating obesity epidemic we are facing today.

Ingesting overly large portions of foods containing fat-promoting ingredients coupled with an inactive lifestyle is the perfect recipe for a gigantic disaster.

While these obesity contributors are widely known, there are actually some other very surprising factors to consider when analyzing the reason for the nation’s continued growth.

Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Excess Weight

As surprising as it may seem, antibiotics have actually be pinpointed as being a promoter for obesity as well as diabetes and metabolic syndrome. While antibiotics succeed in destroying bad bacteria, which is their intended use, they also destroy good bacteria in the gut known as friendly flora.

This lack of bacterial discrimination leads to a shortage in friendly gut bacteria which are responsible for regulating overall health, including weight management.

Pollution has been Connected with Weight Gain

Not many people would point their finger at pollution when searching for a cause for obesity. And while poor air quality certainly isn’t a primary reason for extra weight, it does indeed have a link to extra weight. Research has shown that ingesting toxic chemicals found in both food and the air leads to increased fat storage in babies. A defense mechanism is triggered in unborn babies when mother’s take in these toxic chemicals which is supposed to protect the baby. It just so happens that this defense mechanism is the formation of fat.

Shampoo, Plastic, and Pesticides

There is growing concern regarding various chemicals used in products today and their impact on our health. Chemicals like bisphenol-A, phthalates, PCB’s, POP’s, and pesticides, which are all endocrine disruptors,  have been tied to many health ailments such as infertility, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. Paula Baillie-Hamilton, an expert on metabolism and environmental toxins at Stirling University in Scotland, was one of the first to point out the connection between environmental toxins and obesity. She noted that:

Overlooked in the obesity debate is that the earth’s environment has changed significantly during the last few decades because of the exponential production and usage of synthetic organic and inorganic chemicals

Environmental toxins are lesser known evils when it comes to health complications, but it may be time people started seriously considering these toxins when evaluating their health. 

Has the flu flown away or should be wary of science that is not in the public interest?

In this article below from NaturalNews read how scientists have been purposefully and even openly weaponising  flu strains. Also read my previous article on the flu and how to be prepared for it since the season is already here.

For years, health officials from around the world have been warning that the H5N1 avian flu virus, which is currently not a threat, will one day mutate into a deadly, pandemic strain. But now their predictions — or warnings, depending on how you look at it — could come true, as a European scientist has genetically altered H5N1 to effectively spread between mammals.

NPR reports that Dr. Ron Fouchier from Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands announced at a recent flu conference in Malta that he had discovered a way to make the avian flu virus more contagious. By deliberately modifying the virus’ genes, Dr. Fouchier was able to induce H5N1 transmission between ferrets, which represent the animal model typically used to study flu transmission between humans.

So in case you missed it, a virologist has deliberately altered the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus to become more transmissible between mammals — and he has done so in the name of studying the nature of the virus and, according to NPR, “what it is capable of.” Never mind that in its native state, H5N1 is incapable of doing much at all on a global scale. Now that it has been purposely altered, the virus could eventually have devastating global consequences should it ever be released into the wild.

“It’s just a bad idea for scientists to turn a lethal virus into a lethal and highly contagious virus,” said Dr. Thomas Inglesby, a bioterrorism expert and director of the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, concerning the experiment. “And it’s a second bad idea for them to publish how they did it so others can copy it.”

Though Dr. Fouchier has not yet published his findings in a scientific journal, he very well could in the near future. In response to an NPR inquiry as to whether or not he intends to publish the study, Dr. Fouchier allegedly told NPR via email that he refused to comment until a National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity committee decides whether or not to recommend that the study be published.

In defense of publishing sensitive studies of this nature, Lynn Enquist, editor in chief of the Journal of Virology, told NPR that it is necessary in order to “be prepared” for how the virus might evolve and spread.

Why we must avoid BPA!!!

Bisphenol A is a hormone disruptor present in the lining of canned foods which leaches into the foods from the lining itself. In this article that appeared on BBC more explanation of this issue is laid out to help us understand why we must avoid it.

A new strategy to make hunger a thing of the past. It’s our land anyway. Guerilla gardening.

In the video attached below you will find a way to preempt hunger by using public land to grow food. A guerilla gardening and permaculture expert Rob Avis explains the theory and practice behind this movement in a short video. Click on the link below to view it!

on you tube

 

 

When is a vegetable really a vegetable?

In the latest travesty of our corporate dominated or “bought” congress, pizza and French fries are now considered a vegetable. Watch this you tube video below to more closely understand where our tax dollars are going. This is more of the same ridiculous behaviour that keeps getting our country into a mess. Watch the video below by clicking the link!

on you tube

How to have clean air without killing yourself with poisonous air fresheners?

There  is a safer way to keep your house smelling fresh. Air it out daily by simply opening windows for an hour or so. Use an air purifier. These can cost as little as $50 for a smaller one. Also buy some essential oils and mix up to 10 drops with a quart of water in a spray bottle. Spray your house safely and naturally in this manner. Check out this article that appeared on infowars by Jonathan Benson to understand why this is crucial to improving and maintaining your health. Here is the article!

Millions of Americans use scented candles, air freshener sprays, plug-in deodorizers and diffusers to make their living spaces smell clean and pleasant, but are the chemicals in these products safe? New research compiled by scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic suggests that various chemical additives in air fresheners can trigger allergies, asthma and other health problems.

“The chemicals in some of these products can trigger the nasal congestion, sneezing and the runny nose,” said Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist from Emory who helped gather data for the study. “With the asthmatics, there’s really good data showing their lung function changes when they’re exposed to these compounds.”

Many scented air freshener products contain harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, benzene and limonene, which are known to trigger asthma and other respiratory symptoms, as well as eye irritation, bone damage and leukemia. They also contain various other toxic ingredients like benzyl alcohol, camphor, dichlorobenzene, ethanol, naphthalene, phenol and pinene (http://mcs-america.org/airfresh.pdf).

Even some scented products labeled “natural” contain harmful ingredients like phthalates that can build up in the liver and fatty tissue over time. Phthalate exposure is linked to low sperm counts and reproductive damage (http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com…). This is why it is always a good idea, even with “natural” products, to verify all ingredients with product manufacturers prior to purchasing them.

In 2007, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested 14 different brands of popular household air freshener products and found that most of them, even those labeled “all natural” or “unscented,” contained dangerous chemicals linked to hormone disruption and reproductive problems (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2007/0709…).

The worst offender in the test was Walgreens Scented Bouquet Air Freshener, which contained 7,300 parts per million (ppm) of di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), a chemical linked to damaging hormones and impairing genital development, followed by Walgreens Air Freshener Spray with 1,100 ppm of DEP.

You can read the full NRDC report here:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/home/air…

“Consumers have a right to know what is put into air fresheners and other everyday products they bring into their homes,” said Dr. Gina Solomon back in 2007. “There are too many products on the shelves that we assume are safe, but have never even been tested. The government should be keeping a watchful eye on these household items and the manufacturers who produce them.”

With Thanksgiving coming it is time for gratitude on so many levels.

We all understand the history of Thanksgiving and yet it is my true belief that being grateful is not a thing to feel once a year but rather to cultivate. When we learn to be and feel grateful for even the simple things of daily life, it improves not only the way we feel about ouselves but also the interactions we have with others.

Enjoy this article below by Wendy Strgar;

To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.”  -Albert Schweitzer

Gratitude was the most challenging aspect of the positivity quest I have journeyed for close to two years. As a concept and way of living, gratitude is always one of the first concepts taught in positive psychology texts and has, for centuries, been called the greatest of virtues and the parent of all the others. A dear friend of mine once shared with me that the more she practiced gratitude daily, the more her life became increasingly abundant in ways that continued to amaze her. After hearing that I dedicated myself to learn the ways of gratitude throughout what I called the Summer of Gratitude, in which all my writing leaned towards gratitude each day.

Not surprisingly, just like at the very beginning of my positivity quest, the negative thoughts that deflect us from gratitude ran deep. Identifying and rooting out my invisible attachments to lack and other ungrateful thinking took time. Most of us walk through years of life unaware of the poisonous thinking that undermines our abilities to thrive. Tragically, this is often most deeply true within our closest relationships and explains much of relationship failure. We are often plagued with a sense of loss or misled by a sense of entitlement, both of which often prevent us from witnessing and feeling grateful for all of the goodness and love that surrounds us.

These experiences of loss and entitlement hide an even deeper sense of worthlessness that shows itself as a disappointment in those around us or, more frequently, an utter lack of recognition for how other people do show up for us. This in turn creates the vicious cycle where instead of appreciating and recognizing the people we love, we undermine the goodness intended for us, and indirectly, the people we love best. Although this seems like stating the obvious: when we don’t feel grateful inside, we are hard pressed to offer it to others.

Creating a grateful heart begins with recognizing and replacing the internal messages that keep you from receiving. Creating a willingness to be curious or lean towards self-compassion and self respect is often enough to move you towards an experience of gratitude. Remember that focusing our attention toward what we choose to cultivate is the most powerful use of the mind’s eye; our attention is sufficient to making big changes. What we focus on multiplies and gratitude multiplies faster than most felt experiences.

An easy exercise to focus the mind is to make a running list of brief grateful moments. Many people have been very successful with a gratitude journal for this purpose. A recent study demonstrated that the practice of noticing and documenting your grateful thoughts were associated with better health and greater optimism. Also people who recorded their gratitude made more progress towards reaching their goals. This might explain why people who record their grateful moments are more likely to be alert, enthusiastic and attentive. Practicing gratitude raises your overall energy level in both your body and your mind.

I can vouch for the results. The more work I did to build my own inner experience of gratitude, the more I was able to recognize and express gratitude for the many ways that I am loved. In turn, the more I expressed my thanks, the more that my kids, my husband and even my employees, kept offering more love. What we want most in life is being recognized and appreciated. Educating yourself in the ways of gratitude will show you how.

The cold hard truth about vaccines

In the article below it talks about the absurd number of vaccines given or should I say forced upon young children here in the US. Doctors and other health care practitioners who speak up against vaccines are ridiculed or even have their medical licences revoked. This is serious business. A prominent herbalist I studied with had a daughter become damaged by vaccines some 60 years ago. My own son was lucky to survive his last vaccine, some 19 years ago. This event also pushed me into learning the truth. Beware of vaccines! They can be deadly or essentially harm you for life and they are largely laced with so much in the way of toxins that the barely nascent immune systems of young infants and children are very likely to experience some very serious side effects. Read the article below by Dr Mercola.

By Dr. Mercola, MD.

Common sense would suggest that, if we are giving our children more than five dozen vaccinations from day of birth to age 18, we are over-vaccinating our children. Yet, authorities continue to insist that “more is better” when it comes to vaccines without providing adequate scientific evidence to justify that assumption.

If you follow the CDC’s recommended vaccination schedule, your child will receive 49 doses of 14 vaccines by the time he/she is 6 years of age. And by the age of 18, the CDC recommends that children should have gotten 69 doses of 16 vaccines.

Today, you’ll pay $2200 to purchase all government recommended and mandated vaccines for a child (plus the cost of office visits) because the numbers of vaccines recommended for children have tripled in the past three decades. Sadly though, the short term financial costs to fully vaccinate your child according to the CDC schedule may actually pale in comparison to the costs to your child’s long-term health.

The list of problems related to today’s vaccines, and vaccine policy, is long and troubling:

1. Children not all biologically identical. The current one-size-fits-all approach to vaccination does not take into account differences among children’s genetic profiles or immune responses based on factors such as age, weight, and overall health status.

2. Infant mortality rates between nations appears to be linked to the numbers of vaccinations given to babies before the age of 12 months. More vaccines may contribute to higher infant mortality.

3. Babies receive several vaccines at once—they may receive 8 vaccines or more simultaneously at a doctor visit (between 2 and 15 months of age). Vaccine “layering” may increase the risk for a serious vaccine reaction.

4. Vaccines have not been adequately tested for safety using methodologically sound scientific studies, so their long-term health effects are unknown. Moreover, the effects ofmultiple vaccines given together have not been adequately tested. And pharmaceutical companies have financed nearly all vaccine research to date, which introduces enormous bias.

5. Vaccines do not provide complete or permanent protection against infectious disease. For example, 75 percent of children who contracted chickenpox in a 2001 Maryland outbreak had been vaccinated against chickenpox. A high number of vaccinated persons also have been found in pertussis and mumps outbreaks.

6. Vaccines are not always sterile but can be contaminated with bacteria, viral fragments, and foreign human and animal DNA.

7. Vaccines may contain toxic additives (including aluminum and mercury), which can contribute to your child’s toxic load.

8. Some vaccines are associated with a higher number of serious health problems, both immediate and delayed, yet healthcare professionals rarely report vaccine adverse events. Every year, more than 25,000 adverse reactions are reported to the government, including irreversible injuries and deaths. It’s been estimated that this represents only about 1 to 10 percent of total vaccine reactions, which means that millions of people may have suffered vaccine reactions and injuries over the past few years.

9. Vaccines, say some researchers, may contain excitotoxins that disrupt your child’s immune system (through microglial overstimulation) and damage developing brain structures, which raises his/her risk for a wide range of diseases, including autism, learning disabilities, and psychiatric disorders. New research gives evidence for a link between the high number of vaccines and the autism epidemic.

10. Many children receive even more vaccines than the vaccination schedule recommends. If you take your child to multiple health care providers or facilities, the odds are increased that your child may be given “extra” doses. Ten percent of children aged 19 to 35 months were found to have received extra vaccinations, according to a National Immunization Survey.

11. Preventing natural immune responses to environmental pathogens may not be in your child’s best interest. Healthy children receive life-long benefits from naturally occurring immune responses.

Current Vaccine Policy Could Explain Our Higher Infant Mortality Rate

In a recent report on Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality, an Institute of Medicine committee of medical experts acknowledged a casual link between adverse health effects and vaccination, while confirming that there are too few methodologically sound studies published in the medical literature to make definitive conclusions about many other serious health problems linked with vaccination. This report was published after a review of more than 1,000 vaccine studies by the Institute of Medicine.

According to the most recent National Vital Statistics Report, more than 26,000 American babies born alive in 2009 died before their first birthday, which gives the U.S. a very high infant mortality rate of six infant deaths per 1,000 live births. In 1960, America ranked 12th in infant mortality among all nations of the world. In 2005, we had fallen to number 30.Today in America, there are more premature babies than ever before and more full term babies die before their first birthday than in most European countries.

The most recent study (2011) looking and infant mortality and vaccination is perhaps the most disturbing. It finds that developed nations with the poorest infant mortality rates, like the U.S., tend to give their infants more vaccine doses before age one. To put this into perspective, doctors give American babies 26 vaccine doses before age one, which is twice as many vaccinations as are given babies in Sweden and Japan. Is it really just a “coincidence” that the infant mortality rate is twice as high in America as it is in Sweden and Japan?

Natural Immunity is Superior to Vaccine-Induced Immunity

The more vaccines are studied, the more apparent it becomes that proper vaccine studies are lacking, as vaccine expert and pediatrician Larry Palevsky explains. There is a major difference between natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity. Obtaining natural immunity has far greater benefits.

When children are born, they develop natural immunity to a large variety of microorganisms that they breathe, eat, and touch. The immune responses by cells lining their airways, skin and intestines, are very important in creating “memory” and protection against the organisms they naturally come into contact with. That primary line of defense is a very important step in the maturation of your child’s immune system—and it’s bypassed when he/she gets a vaccine.

With vaccination, you are merely creating an antibody.

Vaccines do NOT impart long-term immunity because they don’t create the kind of memory that occurs when you go through the process of a natural immune response. And natural exposure does not necessarily lead to infection—it is possible to obtain natural immunity without actually getting sick, if your immune system is robust. In fact, vaccines do NOT strengthen the healthy functioning of the immune system, but actually may weaken it.

Bombardment by Multiple Vaccines Can Damage Your Child’s Developing Brain

Dr. Russell Blaylock is a board-certified neurosurgeon and expert on vaccines and the nervous system. He may have discovered the central mechanism of how vaccines can contribute to the development of neurological diseases and has proposed a theory about the cause of autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Blaylock’s theory can be summarized as follows:

Priming: Your child’s immune system gets “primed” through exposure to an excitotoxin, such as a vaccine or an infectious agent, causing his/her microglia (special immune cells within the brain) to shift into “readiness mode.”

Microglial Activation: Subsequent exposures to vaccines or other immune stresses over a relatively short period of time activate the microglia into full “battle mode,” prepared to defend your child’s body against what they perceive as an all-out invasion.

Bystander Damage: Excitotoxins and free radicals are generated, causing “bystander damage” in a runaway process that cannot be shut down. This leads to chronic inflammation and damage to brain tissues, including mitochondrial dysfunction, brain inflammation, seizures, and the other difficulties seen with autism.

Vaccines differ from natural infections in that vaccines can cause brain stimulation for very prolonged periods—the immune system in your child’s brain is activated and re-activated by repeated exposure. Babies do not respond to vaccines in the same way as adults, even by one year of age. Immune over-activation can be especially damaging to a baby or young child’s developing brain structures, such as the amygdala and limbic system.

This cycle is magnified by the administration of multiple vaccines at once. Many studies suggest this is very risky. Did you know that your 12 or 15 month old baby is allowed to get up to 13 vaccines at once under the CDC Immunization Schedule? How can this NOT be an assault to the immune system or developing brain? When was the last time YOU took 13 different prescription drugs at once without suffering side effects?

Certain children appear to have a higher risk for developing chronic brain and immune system dysfuntion including autism, than others, if their immune systems are more easily “primed.” All it takes is the insult of ONE more vaccine, or ONE more infection, and the stage is set for regression into autism or development of other kinds of neuroimmune disorders like ADD/ADHD and seizures. One of the factors that can increase vaccine risks is if your child is particularly susceptible to immune dysfunction because of an imbalance in their gut flora..

Gut Bacteria May Increase Vulnerability to Vaccine Damage

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride found why some children are more vulnerable than others to developing autism. She discovered a close connection between abnormal gut flora and abnormal brain development—a condition she calls Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS).

Your child’s immune system begins in his/her gut. Pathogenic microbes inside your child’s digestive tract can damage their gut wall integrity, allowing all sorts of toxins and microbes to enter their bloodstream and then his/her brain. With GAPS, your child’s digestive system becomes a source of toxicity, rather than a source of nourishment.

In her research, Dr. Campbell-McBride discovered that 100 percent of the mothers of autistic children have abnormal gut flora, which is significant because newborns inherit their gut flora from their mothers at the time of birth. Establishing normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in the maturation of your baby’s immune system. Babies who develop abnormal gut flora are left with compromised immune systems, putting them at higher risk for suffering vaccine reactions.

If your baby has suboptimal gut flora, vaccines can become the proverbial “last straw”—the trigger that “primes” his/her immune system to develop chronic heath problems, remembering Dr. Blaylock’s model.

The best way to prevent GAPS is by breastfeeding. and avoiding the use of antibiotics because they destroy the balance of gut floras and promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In addition to breastfeeding, I highly recommend the use of fermented foods and probiotics for your baby to help reduce his/her risk of GAPS.

Fortunately, it’s possible to screen your child for GAPS before he or she is vaccinated, so that you can make a better-informed vaccination decision. Dr. Campbell-McBride describes the entire process in her book. It involves providing a detailed family health history to a knowledgeable healthcare provider, combined with stool and urine analysis, and these combine to give you a picture of your baby’s gut health and overall immune status.

Dr. Campbell-McBride states:

“If your child has abnormal gut flora, we can assume that your child has compromised immunity, and these children must not be vaccinated with the standard vaccination protocol because they simply get damaged by it. They should not be vaccinated.”

These non-invasive tests are now available in most laboratories around the world for, typically, $80 to $100 each. This cost is insignificant compared to the incredible expense of treating an autistic child, once the damage is done.

Recommendations for Preventing Vaccination Overdose

Ultimately it is your responsibility to do the due diligence and research to decide for yourself which vaccines you want your child to have. My only caution is to warn you not to rely exclusively on government, drug company or medical trade association information as those sources will not disclose the full story about vaccine risks. Please do an independent analysis by getting information from many sources, including organizations dedicated to preventing vaccine injuries and deaths, rather than from entities that make billions of dollars from promoting one-size-fits all forced vaccination policies. Please realize that right now in most American states, you have the right to opt out of vaccines. However, also be aware that vaccine exemptions are under attack in every state because the wealthy and powerful Pharma/Medical lobby is trying to take them away.

Below are a few recommendations that will help you prevent extra vaccine doses and minimize a vaccine risk for you or your child:

• Keep a detailed record of the vaccinations your child has received and when. DO NOT rely on your doctor’s office to do that for you. It is also a good idea to have your child’s vaccination history on hand in the event there is a vaccine reaction.
  
• Make sure that your doctors or vaccine provider reports vaccine adverse reactions to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System) or make a reaction report yourself.
  
• Consider having your child evaluated for GAPS prior to any vaccination to help decrease vaccine risks.
  
• Consider using an individualized vaccine schedule. Find a doctor to work with you to if you want to have fewer vaccines administered on the same day and/or allow more time between vaccinations.
  
• Breastfeed your baby. Consider feeding him/her naturally fermented foods, rich in natural probiotics, as a regular part of his or her diet. Avoid antibiotics whenever you can.
  
• I also encourage you to become involved with the NVIC, a non-profit charity that has worked for more than 30 years to protect your legal right to make informed, voluntary choices about vaccination for yourself and your family.

 

What You Can Do to Make a Difference

While it seems “old-fashioned,” the only truly effective actions you can take to protect the right to informed consent to vaccination and expand vaccine exemptions, is to get personally involved with your state legislators and the leaders in your community.

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY.

Mass vaccination policies are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level, and it is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact.

Signing up for NVIC’s free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org not only gives you access to practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community, but when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips to make sure your voice is heard.

So please, as your first step, sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal.

Connect with Your Doctor or Find a New One that Will Listen and Care

If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don’t want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination.

However, there is hope.

At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they’re starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents. It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors, who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vaccinations or giving children fewer vaccines on the same day or continuing to provide medical care for those families, who decline use of one or more vaccines.

So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.

Fiber and colon cancer prevention

As a health advocate I have always recommended the inclusion of adequate fiber containing foods in  our diet. Eating a fiber rich diet is in my mind more important than taking fiber supplements since a healthy regular diet is the best ticket to long term health. In this BBC article they report on a study that illustrates the benefits of regular fiber intake.

Eating more cereals and whole grains could reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, a BMJ study says.

Researchers from Imperial College London found that for every 10g a day increase in fibre intake, there was a 10% drop in the risk of bowel cancer.

But their analysis of 25 previous studies found that fruit and vegetable fibre did not reduce risk.

A cancer charity called for more detailed research on the quantity and type of fibre to eat.

Eating fibre and whole grains is known to help protect against cardiovascular disease, but experts say that any link with colorectal cancer is less clear because studies have not had consistent results.

Reviewing the results of all previous observational studies in this area, researchers in London, Leeds and the Netherlands analysed data provided by almost two million people.

Their conclusion, published in the British Medical Journal, is that increasing fibre intake, particularly cereal fibre and whole grains, helps prevent colorectal cancer.

Whole grains include foods such as whole grain breads, brown rice, cereals, oatmeal and porridge.

Dagfinn Aune, lead study author and research associate in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Imperial College London, said their analysis found a linear association between dietary fibre and colorectal cancer.

“The more of this fibre you eat the better it is. Even moderate amounts have some effect.”

Adding three servings (90g per day) of whole grains to diets was linked to a 20% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, researchers said.

Cancer Research UK data shows that the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the UK is estimated to be one in 14 (6.9%) for men, and one in 19 for women (5.4%).

However, the study said there was no evidence that fibre in fruit and vegetables played a part in reducing risk.

A previous study which showed a reduction in risk with high intake of fruit and vegetables suggests that compounds other than fibre in fruit and vegetables could account for this result, said the authors.

They also said that the health benefits of increasing fibre and whole grains intake was not restricted to colorectal cancer.

“It is also likely to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and possibly overall mortality,” the researchers said.

Protecting grains

Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said the research supported the charity’s current advice.

“These results support what we already know about the link between dietary fibre and a reduced risk of bowel cancer, although more work is needed to clarify the quantity and types of fibre we should be eating to reduce risk.

“We recommend that people eat a healthy balanced diet that includes plenty of dietary fibre, such as grains, cereals, fruit and vegetables to reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer.

“It is encouraging to know that simple changes to your diet and lifestyle could help protect you from the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.”

Yinka Ebo, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said the review added weight to the evidence that fibre protects against bowel cancer.

“It shows that certain sources of fibre, such as cereal and whole grains, are particularly important.

“Eating plenty of fibre is just one of many things you can do to lower your risk of developing the disease, along with keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, cutting down on alcohol, red and processed meat, and not smoking.”

In an accompanying editorial in the BMJ, Professor Anne Tjonneland from the Danish Cancer Society, said whole grain products should be made more appealing to shoppers.

“To increase the intake of these foods in Western countries, the health benefits must be actively communicated and the accessibility of whole grain products greatly improved, preferably with a simple labelling system that helps consumers to choose products with high whole grain contents.”

Cancer of the large bowel, also known as colorectal cancer, is a common form of cancer in developed countries – but occurs much less frequently in the developing world.

Could your shampoo be slowly killing you?

That beauty and personal care products can be damaging to our health is more and more of a known fact  Read this article below by Dr Mercola as well as a previous article of mine here, in order to deepen your awareness of this vey important issue. We are being hit from multiple angles with regards to our health and the more we know the better armed we are to stay healthy.Enjoy the info and do your best to put it into practice!

 

If you buy special shampoo for your baby, the last thing you’d expect it to contain would be known or suspected carcinogens…

But if you live in the U.S., this may in fact be the case.

For the past two years, health and environmental groups have been urging Johnson & Johnson to remove two potentially cancer-causing chemicals from its baby shampoo.

One of these ingredients is quaternium-15, which releases formaldehyde; a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant, and a known carcinogen (formaldehyde exposure has been associated with leukemia specifically).

According to SafeCosmetics.org:

“The North American Contact Dermatitis Group considers quaternium-15 to be among the most clinically significant contact allergens in children.”

The other, 1,4-dioxane, is a “likely carcinogen,” and is present in Johnson & Johnson’s:

• Baby Shampoo
• Oatmeal Baby Wash
• Moisture Care Baby Wash, and
• Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash

According to the CDC, 1,4 dioxane is “probably carcinogenic to humans,” and is toxic to your brain, central nervous system, kidneys and liver.

Why is Johnson & Johnson Dragging Their Feet on Removal of Toxic Ingredients for U.S. Lots?

On October 31, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics sent Johnson & Johnson a letter signed by 25 environmental and medical groups, demanding they “commit to removing the chemicals from all of its products by November 15.” The Campaign also urges everyone to boycott Johnson & Johnson until it complies.

Johnson & Johnson recently responded, stating that:

“We have been phasing out the use of preservatives that release tiny amounts of formaldehyde to guard against bacterial contamination. These preservative technologies, which are used widely in our industry are all safe and approved in the countries where they are sold…  Over the past couple of years, we already have reduced the number of formulations globally with these “formaldehyde releaser” preservatives by 33% and in the U.S. by over 60%.

We are completing this reformulation as quickly as we can safely and responsibly do so.

As part of the manufacturing process, we have extensive monitoring to ensure that the amount of a trace byproduct known as “1,4 dioxane” in any of our products is well below the level that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and regulatory agencies around the world consider safe.

… We have introduced new product formulations for consumers who prefer natural products, such as JOHNSON’S^® NATURAL^®, a line that is 98% natural, and contains no formaldehyde releasing preservatives or traces of 1,4 dioxane.”

However, reasonable as this may sound, there are two rather obvious “problems” with their reply:

1. They’re already selling a carcinogen-free version of its baby shampoo in other countries, so obviously no complicated reformulation would be necessary, and
2. The Johnson’s “Naturals” brand does not contain either of these chemicals, but, it costs about twice as much as their regular baby shampoo. That makes TWO carcinogen-free formulas at their disposal, which makes the line “We are completing this reformulation as quickly as we can safely and responsibly do so,”  seem like a rather strange excuse

The countries already receiving quaternium-15-free Johnson & Johnson products include:

Denmark	Finland	Japan	The Netherlands
Norway	South Africa	Sweden	The U.K.

 

As stated by Jezebel:

“And it’s not like the company removed an essential ingredient to meet environmental restrictions in these countries. While some have banned the use of quaternium-15, it’s unclear why some of these countries are being treated to the carcinogen-free shampoo.”

What to Look for to Avoid Formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane

If you want to avoid formaldehyde-releasing ingredients and 1,4-dioxane, you need to know what to look for as they’re NOT listed on the label; at least not in those words.

Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include:

• Quaternium-15
• DMDM hydantoin
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• Diazolidinyl urea

To avoid 1,4-dioxane, watch out for these ingredients, which create 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct:

• PEG-100 stearate
• Sodium laureth sulfate
• Sodium myreth sulfate
• Polyethylene
• Ceteareth-20

Other Hazardous Ingredients to Watch Out for

It’s unfortunate, but personal care products, including those specifically designed for babies, can contain a number of hazardous ingredients. Other common culprits to avoid include:

• Any chemical that include the clauses “xynol,” “ceteareth” and “oleth”
• Diethanolamine or DEA, a potentially cancer-causing agent. DEA also readily reacts with nitrite preservatives and contaminants to create nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), a known and potent carcinogen. The chemical also appears to block absorption of the nutrient choline, which is vital to brain development.
• Propylene Glycol. Despite the fact the material safety data sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as it is a strong skin irritant and can also cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage, it’s a common ingredient in shampoos.
• Parabens. These preservatives may be listed on the label as methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben or E216. They have shown particularly troubling links to cancer.

  Studies have shown that parabens can affect your body much like estrogens, which can lead to diminished muscle mass, extra fat storage, and male gynecomastia (breast growth). Other studies have also linked parabens to breast cancer, as researchers found traces of parabens in every sample of tissue taken from 20 different breast tumors. The EPA has linked methyl parabens in particular to metabolic, developmental, hormonal, and neurological disorders, as well as various cancers.

Average Baby Exposed to Dozens of Potentially Unsafe Chemicals Daily

Four years ago, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) surveyed 3,300 parents and compared the baby products they used to lists of chemicals known to cause allergies, hormone disruption, damage to the nervous system, and cancer. Their review revealed that children are exposed to about 27 chemical ingredients on a daily basis that have never been assessed for safety. Not by the industry, nor by the government.

Examples of hazardous ingredients and baby products from that review include:

• 2 bromo, 2 nitropropane, and 3-DIOL: Can cause allergies and skin irritations. In certain products these ingredients can also break down to form other cancer causing agents
• Sodium borate, found in Desitin diaper cream, can accumulate in your child’s brain and liver, causing detrimental health effects
• Oxybenzone, a common ingredient in sunscreen, can trigger allergies, and may disrupt a child’s delicate hormone system

Interestingly, 89 percent of products labeled “Recommended by doctor” were found to be some of the worst offenders, containing some of the most dangerous chemicals!

The 2007 EWG study also determined that:

• 82 percent of children are exposed every week to one or more ingredients with the potential to harm the brain and nervous system.
  
• 69 percent of children are exposed every week to one or more ingredients that may disrupt the hormone system.
  
• 3.6 percent of children are exposed to ingredients with strong data linking them to cancer, including chemicals classified as known or probable human carcinogens.
  
• 80 percent of children’s products marked as gentle and non-irritating contain ingredients linked to allergies and skin or eye irritation according to government and industry sources.

Evaluate Ingredients Before You Buy

The issue of potential toxins lurking in shampoos, soaps, lotions and other personal care products is a serious one, as your skin readily absorbs these chemicals, allowing them directly into your blood stream. When absorbed, they can actually do more harm than if you were to swallow them.

I strongly recommend switching over to organic brands of toiletries, including children’s personal care products. You can usually find a good variety at either your local health food store, or by searching online. Keep in mind that not all products marked “natural” or “organic” are in fact wholly natural or organic, as “greenwashing” has become increasingly pervasive.

I highly recommend using the Environmental Working Groups Skin Deep site to evaluate each product before settling on a purchase. The EWG is a nonprofit public-interest research group known for making connections between chemical exposure and adverse health conditions. Since its inception in 2004, their “Skin Deep” study has assigned health-risk ratings to thousands of personal-care products.

General Shopping Guidelines

Some general guidelines to keep in mind when purchasing personal care products include:

• Look for the genuine USDA Organic Seal.
• If you can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t want to put it on your body. Ask yourself, “Would I eat this?”
• Look for products that are fragrance-free. One artificial fragrance can contain hundreds—even thousands—of chemicals, and fragrances are a major cause of allergic reactions.
• Pay attention to the order in which the ingredients are listed. Manufacturers are required to list ingredients in descending order by volume, meaning the first few ingredients are the most prominent. If calendula extract is the last ingredient in a long list, your calendula body wash isn’t very natural.
• Stick to the basics. Do you really need 10 products to prepare for your day? Simplify your life and rescue your bank account by reducing the total number of products you use daily.
• Buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic, since chemicals can leach out of plastics and into the contents. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a serious concern; make sure any plastic container is BPA free.
• Look for products that are made by companies that are earth-friendly, animal-friendly and committed to organic and sustainable business practices.

There is reason to be concerned about the numerous toxic chemicals you expose your children to on a daily basis, as each and every exposure adds to your child’s total, long-term toxic load. For more information, I highly recommend reading Dr. Doris Rapp’s book, Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. Dr. Rapp does a thorough job of uncovering the many ways you’re exposed to toxic chemicals, and how they take a toll on your health, contributing to the many chronic diseases you see today.

Call to Action

SafeCosmetics.org recommends taking decisive consumer action to end the unnecessary inclusion of toxic ingredients in products designed for babies. Here’s what you can do:

1. Vote with your pocketbook: Until Johnson & Johnson commits to making safer baby products for all babies, purchase products from companies making safer alternatives. Search EWG’s Skin Deep cosmetic database to find safer products.
2. Contact Johnson & Johnson: Sign the petition to Johnson & Johnson, asking them to immediately remove formaldehyde-releasing preservatives from all of its baby products sold in all countries and replace them with safer alternatives.
3. Write to Congress: Ask your U.S. Representative to support the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011.

« Previous Page — Next Page »