Know The Ingredients In Your Personal Care Products

From the Environmental Working Group (EWG)

Better products are truthful in their marketing claims and free of potentially worrisome ingredients. Some products might make claims like "gentle" or "natural," but since the government does not require safety testing, personal care product manufacturers can use almost any chemical they want, regardless of risks.

HOW TO READ A LABEL
Every personal care product must list its ingredients. Here's how to navigate the label:
1. Start at the end, with preservatives. Avoid:

• Words ending in "paraben"
• DMDM hydantoin
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone
• Methylisothiazolinone
• Triclosan
• Triclocarban
• Triethanolamine (or "TEA")

2. Check the beginning of the ingredients lists, where soaps, surfactants, and lubricants show up. Try to avoid ingredients that start with "PEG" or have an "-eth" in the middle (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate).

3. Read the ingredients in the middle. Look for these words: "FRAGRANCE," "FD&C," or "D&C."

FOR GROWN UPS

Many parents pay more attention to their kids' environmental health than their own, but adult bodies can be affected by toxic chemicals, too. EWG's Safer Shopping List has nine common-sense tips to reduce everyone's exposures. For instance, buy fragrance-free, skip the nail polish and use fewer products.

JUST FOR KIDS

Extra caution is in order for kids because, pound for pound, they are exposed to more contaminants in everyday products than adults. Their immature metabolism and organ systems are typically less capable of fending off chemical assaults. Even subtle damage to young bodies can lead to disease later in life.

Follow EWG's top five tips for kids:

1.Use fewer products and use them less often.

 2.Don't trust ad hype. Check ingredients.

 3.Buy fragrance-free products.

 4.Avoid the use of baby powder.

 5.Always avoid EWG's top six chemicals of concern for kids:

       •2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3 Diol

       •BHA

       •Boric acid and sodium borate

       •DMDM Hydantoin

       •Oxybenzone

       •Triclosan

Ear Tubes: Should You or Shouldn't You?

Children between the ages of six months to two years of age commonly get middle ear infections also known as otitis media. These infections involve the space on the inner side of the eardrum and can occur initially as a result of a cold or upper respiratory infection.

When this area is infected, it fills up with fluid which pushes upon the eardrum or tympanic membrane. Infections can be either bacterial or viral. Usually viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, and with time, they will usually resolve on their own.

If the infection is bacterial, the middle ear space will fill up with fluid, putting pressure on the eardrum, thus causing pain. During this period of infection, the child may have a temporary loss of hearing, but usually it is not permanent, unless there is structural damage.

Doctors will suggest ear tubes for children under these circumstances:
• If a child has had fluid behind the eardrum in both ears for more than 3 months and has significant hearing loss in both ears.
• If a child has repeat ear infections and antibiotics aren’t working

A specialist called an otolaryngologist places the tubes through a small surgical opening made in the eardrum (myringotomy or tympanostomy). The child is unconscious under general anesthesia for this surgery.

Tubes can help with ear infections because they:
• Allow air to enter the middle ear
• Allow fluid to flow out of the middle ear through the tube into the ear canal.
• Clear fluid from the middle ear and restore hearing.
• Prevent future buildup of fluid in the middle ear while they are in place.
• Decrease the feeling of pressure in the ears, which reduces pain.

Tubes normally remain in the ears for 6 to 12 months. They often fall out on their own. If the tubes don't fall out on their own, surgery may be required to remove them. After the tubes are out, the child should be watched for signs of ear infection or fluid behind the eardrum.

How Well Do Tubes Work?
Ear tubes often restore hearing. While the tubes are in place, they often prevent buildup of pressure and fluid in the middle ear. And they can reduce pain.
Tubes may keep ear infections from recurring while the tubes are in place. But infections may return after the tubes are gone.

Risks
Minor complications occur in up to half of the children who have tubes inserted. Usual complications include:
• A thickening of the eardrum over time. These changes in the eardrum may affect hearing in a very small number of children.
• Discharge of pus (otorrhea) from the ear. This is common and can become an ongoing problem in some children.

Other possible complications:
• The tube may become blocked, allowing ear fluid and infections to return.
• The tube may slip out of place, possibly falling into the middle ear (rare).
• Tissue may form behind the eardrum (cholesteatoma). This is also rare.

In addition, tubes may scar the eardrum which may then lead to minor hearing loss.

(Information above compiled from Web MD and Dr. Leia Melead)

Now, I would like to add my two cents:
There are other avenues that can be pursued that are much less invasive than antibiotics and ear tube surgery. (Putting a baby under general anesthetic if it isn’t necessary?) The goal is to build up your child's immune system and get rid of the infection once and for all.

You might want to try the elimination of highly allergenic foods such as wheat, corn, milk, and soy from your child’s diet.  Dairy can be very mucous forming.  Also, avoid sugar.

Other factors that can contribute to ear infections include taking the bottle to bed and second hand tobacco smoke.


FACT: There are 4000 or more chemicals in cigarette smoke, and research shows that secondhand smoke increases a child's risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, cancer and sudden infant death syndrome.


I would also suggest the addition of certain high quality supplements. In the fourteen years I have been with my company I have seen many children’s ear infection clear up completely just by making some of the lifestyle changes noted above and adding the following nutrients:


Vitamin C, garlic, and probiotics for the infection


Multivitamin/mineral supplement and a daily protein drink to maintain good health.

Moms, let me know what your experience has been with ear tubes.  I'd love to hear from you.


And, as always, I can’t promise that the above suggestions will be the answer for your child, but these are all positive, healthy steps...and what if it does work?

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Health By Design disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

The Building Blocks of Health

Source: Health Quest Newsletter
Dr. Frank M. Painter, Editor



It’s sad but true – most Americans fail to meet the basic requirements of good health. Statistics gathered by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) are frightening:

Only 27% of adults eat three servings of vegetables per day (3 – 5 are recommended)

Only 13% of students meet the vegetable goal

Only 33% of adults eat two servings of fruit day (2-4 are recommended)

Only 32% of students meet the fruit goal

Even worse, these numbers are artificially inflated, because foods like sugared fruit drinks and French Fries are still counted as servings.

The next nutritional issue comes from the fact that industrial farms force-grow crops, with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The measured vitamin levels in “conventional” crops are continuing to decline. And it gets worse. More and more American staple crops are grown from genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), which have no established track record of health effects or benefits. European clinical trials, that only fed animals GMO foods, have under-reported subject deaths, damage found in their intestinal tracts, and second- and third-generation sterility.

All the problems in the food chain, and the dietary habits of most Americans, emphasize why it’s important to adopt a basic nutrition program that provides all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants we require to maintain our health.

When selecting health products, you want to look for ones that are made from non-GMO crops that are completely free from pesticides, heavy metal residue or other toxic contaminants, and are guaranteed to be bacteria and virus free.

Selecting vitamin supplements can be a daunting task. There are so many out there, how does one know which brand is going to be effective and actually work? You may want to refer to my blog post on selecting good quality supplements for guidance.

The Basic Nutrition Program:

1. The core of any nutrition program starts with a multi-vitamin. We require vitamins everyday to maintain our immune system, energy levels, detoxification systems, and for managing billions of cellular processes, from producing hormones to cell repair and reproduction. Many diseases occur when we lack a particular vitamin, mineral or amino acid. These are referred to as nutrient deficiency diseases. Researchers are discovering that suboptimal levels of these nutrients, along with exposure to xeno-toxins (chemicals that are foreign or poisonous to the body) seem to be associated with the onset of many disease processes.

2. The second building block of health is protein. The average healthy person requires at least 180 grams of protein per day (1800 calorie diet). The ideal, fat-free source of plant-based protein is soy. A word of caution – most soy powder manufacturers use the alcohol extraction process, which leaches out the two most important isoflavones – (Genistein and Daidzein). You want to find a company that uses the water-wash method, because it retains the critical soy isoflavones most associated with soy’s reported health benefits.

3. The third building block of health is antioxidants. The classic antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E. Every time scientists discovered a new photochemical in plants, it invariably displayed powerful antioxidant properties, sometimes ten to hundreds of times more powerful than the classic antioxidants. Phytochemicals (also called phytonutrients), are non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventing properties. It is understood that plants produce these chemicals to protect themselves. Recent research suggests that they also protect humans against various diseases. Some of the best known phytochemicals are lycopene, (think tomatoes), isoflavones from soy, and the flavenoids from fruits. There are many health databases that clearly demonstrate that those individuals who eat the most fruits and vegetables also have the lowest incidence of the deadly diseases: cancer, vascular disease, and diabetes.

These are the three basics of a sound nutritional program. There are many other types of products that can boost your immune system, increase energy or memory, improve stamina in sports, etc. But they should all rest upon these three basics. To your good health!

De-stressing Through The Holidays

The holidays are coming...eek!  Here are a few ideas on how to breeze through them.

Can Food and Supplements Help You De-stress??

 

Mental stress is a normal reaction to upheaval, emotional upset or just too many demands on your time. Whether it’s a result from something good, like getting married or a big promotion or from something negative, like a divorce, death in the family or losing a job – stress can wreak havoc on your physical well being.

In the body, chronic stress kicks the hormone cortisol into high gear. Cortisol then triggers a hike in insulin levels. (Wonder why you crave sweets when under stress??) At the same time, blood levels of serotonin drop. Serotonin is the mood regulator manufactured in the brain from tryptophan and those wonderful B vitamins.

 

The end result? Stress can make you fat and sick. Stress, all by itself, can cause overeating of the not so good foods and exacerbate conditions such as high blood pressure, insomnia, chronic pain and gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome.

 

SO – What can you do to ease the stress???
The most important thing to do when under stress is remove the stressor from your life. Try to manage stress by adapting or adjusting to the cause of the stress. Some good ideas:

 

• Exercise regularly
• Get plenty of sleep
• Try meditation or yoga (I just started a yoga class - it's great!)
• Get the right nutrients in your diet

Taking a good-quality multivitamin/mineral daily just makes sense. Stressed people tend to have poor diets, so a multivitamin/multimineral supplement is a great insurance policy for getting the nutrients you need.

 

Another great option for stressed out lives is a product from Shaklee aptly called Stress Relief Complex. The primary ingredients are:

 

• L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that helps to promote a relaxed, yet alert mental state;
• Ashwaganda, an ayurvedic herb that enhances the body’s ability to adapt to stress;
• L-tyrosine, an amino acid used by the body to make norepinephrine
• Beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol, helps to blunt the response of cortisol.

My favorite supplement for chronic stress is B-Complex. Remember, B-Vitamins help transport and move nutrients throughout the body. They also help to produce serotonin. I like to call the “Bs” the happy vitamins. Come on – get happy and get yourself a bottle of B-Complex!

Just remember this – reduce your stress and you’ll feel (and look) a whole lot better!  And you will enjoy the holidays a whole lot more, too. 

If you would like further information on a natural approach to stress management, please fill out the information form on the upper right of this page, indicating your areas of interest.

 

 

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

This is a terrific article that talks about the ghosts and goblins (i.e. toxic chemicals) lurking in our families' food and water; what they can do to our health; and tips to keep your family safer.  Please take the time to read it and then share it with your friends.  I always say "knowledge is power."

Learn How to Avoid the Real Goblins

Low Fat vs. Low Carb...again

Dr. Chaney takes another look at the Low Carb vs. Low Fat diet debate:

By Dr. Stephen Chaney, Phd

You would think the question of low carb versus low fat diets would be settled by now.  Literally dozens of studies have been published on the subject and they are all in pretty much agreement that initial weight loss (mostly water) is faster on the low carb diets but that weight loss at one or two years is essentially the same on the two diets.

The unique feature of the study just published in Annals of Internal Medicine (153: 147-157, 2010) was that it included an intensive behavior modification program to optimize the weight loss over the two year period of the study.

Here is how the study was conducted:
The low-carbohydrate group was instructed to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrate per day for 3 months and then to increase the carbohydrate by no more than 5 grams per day each week until they achieved their desired weight.

The low-fat group was instructed to decrease calories and restrict fat intake to no more than 30% of calories.  All of the patients were enrolled in a lifestyle program designed to help them improve their physical
activity and other lifestyle factors.

The program met weekly for 20 weeks, every other week for another 20 weeks, and then monthly for the rest of the 2-year study. In short, this was a very good behavior modification program.  Weight, blood pressure, blood lipid levels and side effects were measured at the beginning of the program and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.

Considering the enormous effort put into behavior modification, the results of this study were somewhat
disappointing.  The participants lost an average of only 22 pounds and the end of year one and had gained back 7 of those pounds by the end of year two.  And that only included the ~50% who stayed with the
program for the whole two years. Who knows how much weight was gained by the people who dropped out of the study?

Since the behavior modification program used in this study did not significantly impact either weight loss or weight maintenance, it's perhaps not surprising that the other findings of this study are pretty much the same as the findings from previous studies.  Weight loss was slightly greater in the low carb group at 6 months, but did not differ significantly between the two groups at either 1 year or two years.  Triglyceride levels and blood pressure were lower for the low carb group at 6 and 12 months, but were the same for both groups at 2 years.

The only significant differences between the two groups at 2 years were LDL (bad) cholesterol levels - which
were significantly lower in the low fat group - and HDL (good) cholesterol levels - which were significantly
higher in the low carb group.

Ironically, I've already seen blogs from proponents of the low carb diets trumpeting the increase in HDL levels as "proof" that low carb diets are better for your heart.  But, it's not just HDL or LDL that's important, it's the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol that determines your risk of heart disease.  And at two years the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol was virtually identical on the two diets.

As for side effects, the patients on the low carb diet reported more constipation and more problems with bad
breath. If you've beeen on a low carb diet before, that's probably not news to you.

So what is the take home message from this study?
1) The laws of thermodynamics still work. It's all about calories in versus calories out. Low carb and low fat diets work equally well for weight loss.

2) If you just focus on blood lipid levels and blood pressure there is also no significant difference between the two diets.

However, I still recommend against high fat (low carb) diets as a long term lifestyle strategy.  We know that high fat diets are much more likely to cause inflammation - which is a risk factor for
multiple diseases.  We also know that long term consumption of high fat diets is associated with increased risk of heart disease, certain types of cancers & diabetes.

To Your Health!

Dr. Stephen G Chaney

Effectiveness of Statins Called into Question

Who really benefits from taking statins?  There are natural approaches for lowering cholesterol that may be much safer for certain people.  The information revealed in this article is alarming and should be shared with anyone you know who is currently on a statin. 

Effectiveness of statins is called into question - latimes.com

If you are currently taking a statin and have not already had a heart attack, you might want to explore other possibilities.  Always be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor.