Parents Think Twice

A Lead-Free Christmas!

2011-12-10T15:15:00.003-05:00

Lead is found in Christmas trees and in the lights as well. It disperses itself via dust (or directly touching the lights) and gets on kids' hands and the presents below. We finally found Lead-free Christmas Trees (made in the USA!) and Lights! Here they are:

Christmas Trees: http://www.uschristmastree.com/. Ours is beautiful! :-)

Lead-Free LED Lights (search for Rohs certified): http://www.environmentallights.com/SearchResults.aspx?q=rohs

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! Enjoy! :-)))

HPV Vaccine risks...

2011-12-05T13:51:00.001-05:00

Check this out:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/29/hpv-vaccine-risks.aspx

Melanoma - too LITTLE sun?

2011-11-20T10:06:00.001-05:00

Mercola article....Check it out! http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/20/deadly-melanoma-not-due-vitamin-d-deficiency.aspx?e_cid=20111120_SNL_Art_1

Gluten and ADHD....

2011-11-02T08:16:00.000-04:00

Check this Mercola article out.... http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/02/gluten-contribute-to-adhd.aspx?e_cid=20111102_DNL_art_2

Are you eating toxic Roundup?

2011-10-07T13:51:00.003-04:00

Mercola article on Roundup in your food....

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/07/are-you-being-kept-in-the-dark-about-birth-defects-from-weed-killers.aspx?e_cid=20111007_DNL_art_1

Ron Paul and Health Choices...

2011-08-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Finally a candidate that I can support! Check this Mercola article out: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/28/ron-paul-on-defending-health-freedom.aspx?e_cid=20110828_SNL_Art_1

Vaccines & Aborted Fetus Cells....

2011-07-10T20:46:00.002-04:00

Check it out: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/10/this-shocking-fact-is-never-disclosed-on-any-vaccine-informed-consent-form.aspx?e_cid=20110710_SNL_Art_N

The Sun is not bad....

2011-06-27T14:11:00.001-04:00

I have been reading more and more about how sunscreen is what is causing skin cancer, not the sun! Blocking vitamin D is definately a bad thing. Check it out... http://products.mercola.com/summer-survival-kit/?source=nl

Round-Up and Birth Defects.....

2011-06-24T15:04:00.002-04:00

I've been saying this for awhile....time for a natural alternative folks!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/roundup-scientists-birth-defects_n_883578.html

Safe Living Distance from Cell Phone Towers?

2011-06-18T20:58:00.003-04:00

Well, I was told you want to live a minimum of two miles from any cell phone tower but here is more information about different cancers found in a closer radius: http://www.emf-health.com/articles-celltower.htm

To find out how many, and where the closest cell towers are to where you live, go to www.antennasearch.com and you will find all cell towers and antenna within a four mile radius of yours (or any) address. You may be surprised at where they are, as most can be disguised or hidden from the public...usually on purpose! :-)

Cell Phones: Declared a 2B Cancer Risk!

2011-06-18T20:31:00.002-04:00

I have been worried about cell phones for the last couple of years, and I try to really limit my use on them. We have a rule that no cell phones be used in the house, or even turned on. Finally, the health issues are starting to come to light...after reading this article from Mercola I want to toss my cell phone out entirely!

Although all cell phones emit radiation, be particularly careful if you have cell phones made by AT&T or T-Mobile, as it now seems that they emit 28x more radiation than the ones made by Sprint or Verison, due to their ability to pulse signals. Also, I found it interesting that you get more radiation if you are in an area of less reception, as the signals are working harder and emitting more radiation. Also, carrying it on your body (pocket, etc) is the worst, direct form of radiation you can get! Do not talk on your cell phone near a child, and NEVER let your child talk on a cell phone either!

Check it out: http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2011/06/18/finally-experts-admit-cellphones-are-a-carcinogen.aspx

Be careful everyone! The information and studies are just beginning on cell phones - of course AFTER they have been around for many, many years and already been deemed "safe" for everyone to use.

American Cancer Society: A Cause for Cancer?

2011-05-24T08:24:00.000-04:00

check it out: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/24/american-cancer-society--more-interested-in-wealth-than-health.aspx

More on Mammograms...

2011-05-16T22:24:00.000-04:00

Check it out: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/16/winning--fewer-mammograms-being-done.aspx

Vaccines & Autism: CBS Investigation

2011-04-02T23:16:00.007-04:00

A CBS investigation into the link between vaccines and autism: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20049118-10391695.html

More Studies: Lead in China

2011-04-01T09:53:00.003-04:00

Another recent article about the amounts of lead found in china (also on Jeremy's Exposing Lead website): http://www.wthr.com/story/12465018/13-investigates-lead-in-your-dishes. When we tested our china at home three years ago with Jeremy, he found extremely high levels of lead in all of our china. Christmas Spode (this one: http://www.christmasdinnerwareonline.com/spode.php) contained over 100,000ppm of lead. We immediately got rid of this china. How much it leaches, no one knows. But ANYTHING with these high levels would pose a much higher risk for leeching. The "safe" level for lead in dinnerware is 300ppm. Why risk it? This article also lists some lead-safe dinnerware, like Fiesta, as an alternative.

Lead in Chocolate?

2011-04-01T09:50:00.003-04:00

Our former lead testing guy from Georgia (http://www.exposinglead.com/) sent this link to me regarding the levels of lead found in chocolate, especially processed chocolate (like cocoa powder). Thanks Jeremy! Check it out: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1166899/lead_contamination_in_chocolate.html?cat=5

The F-35: Pollution Coming to Vermont?

2011-02-12T10:29:00.004-05:00

One of the most controversial topics in Vermont now surrounds whether the F-35 will find its home base here in Burlington. I have to say that I am quite disappointed that it is even being considered as Vermont has always prided itself in being so enviromentally conscious - this decision, however, would change all of that as the amount of pollution (both chemicals and noise) that these F-35's would bring would immediately drop Vermont off of the "greenest state to live in" list.

One of the main reasons we moved here from Georgia was for the clean air. Our son has chemical sensitivities and he will have issues with 2000-4000 gallons of fuel emissions and benzene being dumped over our heads. Had we known that the government here in Vermont was more interested in getting in "bed" with major corporations like Lockheed than keeping the enviroment clean and safe for its residents then I doubt we would have picked it as the place to raise our family.

What I find so interesting is that these same polititicans that are supporting the F-35's coming to Vermont are the ones whose platform is adamently against war and pollution. So why ARE they giving Lockheed this support? Lockheed is promising some "greening initiatives" in return for bringing the F-35's here....funny because I thought vermont is already the #1 greenest state! They should be thinking about suing instead like a city in Flordia. "The city of Valparaiso, Florida, adjacent to Eglin AFB, threatened in February 2009 to sue the Air Force over the impending arrival of the F-35s, but this lawsuit was settled in March 2010" (wikipedia on F-35's). Also, I find it ironic that they want to help us "go green" since Lockheed is a major polluter of chemicals! "Hey, we are about to dump large amounts of chemcials on your city and state, but here are some more trees for downtown!" Seriously? It is so similar to the BP commericals that discuss how they are doing some greening initiatives, all the while they continue to pollute our planet. And do you really think that if the F-35's don't come to Vermont that Lockheed is still going to be offering those "greening initiatives?" Uh, hell no!

Come on folks, wise up! Do we really want these nasty fighter jets here in our pristine Vermont? Do you have ANY idea how loud they are going to be? Here are two quotes I got from Tuscon Forward:

"According to AF sponsored documents, if the new F-35 fighter comes to Tucson International Airport (TIA), the Air National Guard flights will sound three times as loud and the noise will spread over more than 4 times the area. In other words, a family 9 miles from the airport will experience daily noise like that of a family currently 3 miles from the airport. Again, according the AF sponsored documents, the F-35 will be 15 decibles lounder."

More info on cost to citizens:

"There are, of course, costs associated with the presence of the F-35. These costs will be carried by the citizens and property owners in the flight-path; This will negatively impact the tax revenues used to support schools, police, and other vital services. The hotels and restaurants in the flight path will suffer. The economic claims fail to consider these costs."

Look at the this article about the health effects and issues people living the Netherlands are having with overall noise pollution, including that of the F-16: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/267835.

Here is a scenario that could occur with the militarizarion of Burlington: http://salem-news.com/articles/february252010/lejeune_suit_tk.php

Here is another vermont blog that discusses the benzene emissions from the F-35 and F-16: http://f35insouthburlington.blogspot.com/2010/09/everything-you-never-wanted-to-know.html.

Bring these jets to Vermont, and we will not only not get another peaceful night's sleep, but the health impact from the massive pollution increase will devastate our clean air and environment. Please support not bringing them to Vermont NOW!!! Here is a website where you can find more information: http://stopthef35.com/

Cancer & Disease: Thermography vs. Radiation?

2011-02-07T20:56:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry it has been so long since I posted but it has been a very busy past few months! So, this is a topic that I find very interesting. I actually just had my first, full body thermogram a couple of weeks ago. Thermography utilizes an infrared camera to help detect the earliest indications of cancer or disease in your body - AND it gives off no radiation whatsoever. The full body scan only cost around $400. It can detect those changes far earlier than a mammogram. Here is info on thermography: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/26/why-mammography-is-not-an-effective-breast-cancer-screen.aspx AND http://naturalhealthcenter.mercola.com/services/Thermography.aspx. In comparison there are mammograms, which give off a strong amount of radiation, therefore increasing your chances of getting breast cancer. http://www.rense.com/general76/amam.htm. Now if you had these two options, why on earth would you choose the one that increases your odds of illness? I find it horrifying that the most at risk patients (the ones who have had breast cancer previously) are the ones whom doctors are insisting have bi-annual mammograms! Do you have any idea how much this increases their chances of having cancer again? Holy cow!!!

I heard recently that some women are actually opting to voluntarily have double masetomies if they found out that they had the "breast cancer gene." I am just speechless at that one...honestly to mutilate yourself in a state of perfect health in the chance of contracting a cancer that might be caused by some "gene". People are just watching too much TV these days, and the drug companies are obviously being very successful with their scare tactics. Come on people, are you kidding me? It continues to go back to the barbaric idea that cancer is something that needs to be CUT OUT of the body, a foreign invader that can be eliminated IF you cut it out and then pump yourself full of toxic drugs to "kill it off." While this may seem successful (especially the way the drug companies skew things) the truth remains that conventional methods of cancer treatment (surgery, chemo, radiation) still only find recovery in about 2% of all patients. Here is info on chemo survial rate: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15630849. What people also don't seem to realize is that even with all the these "modern inventions" this 2% is less cure ratio than 30 years ago when none of these interventions were available! Now isn't that interesting!

Most people just don't seem to realize that cancer and ALL disease are due to overall immune system dysfunction. Anyone with cancer should read the book Knockout by Suzanne Somers. You have to recover your immune system and make it stronger to get rid of the cancer and illness. Pumping yourself full of poison, cutting yourself open, and mutilating yourself is just not the answer...it will truly make you sicker in the end. You can keep cutting away at your body until it will eventually give up on you. Until you repair your immune system, cancer and disease will return and you will never find true wellness.

Here is the link to finding a thermography center near you: http://www.thermologyonline.org/Breast/breast_thermography_clinics.htm. I plan to go every year! In Good Health! :-)

The Most Healthy Oil: Coconut Oil

2010-10-27T09:46:00.002-04:00

Check this article out from Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/22/coconut-oil-and-saturated-fats-can-make-you-healthy.aspx. For those of you that still think all saturated oils cause heart disease and health problems, do your research on this one and add it into your diet!

Lead in china?

2010-10-12T11:56:00.002-04:00

We had our china tested three years ago with a wonderful lead testing specialist in Georgia from ExposingLead.com and found horrifying amounts of lead in almost all of our china! Our Christmas Spode (with the tree and presents in the center) was the highest at 100,000ppm! That's 10% lead! I have friends that still use this china, although I did share this information with them three years ago. This article shows that it does leech lead into food. Even the plain white ones (our Ralph Lauren everyday from our wedding had over 45,000ppm) are not necessarily safe and can contain lead too! We bought ours from Costco, by Emeril, and it tested just fine. Here is the link, sent to me by Exposing Lead: http://www.wthr.com/story/12465018/13-investigates-lead-in-your-dishes?redirected=true. All of our baking dishes (casseroles, pie plates, etc) from Williams Sonoma ALL contained lead, arsenic, and even some contained mercury! Le Creuset stove pots were all fine, but the baking dishes, casseroles, pie plates, etc contained heavy metals. Find someone who can do the testing correctly! Your health is too important!

Toxic Childhood

2010-09-24T20:50:00.003-04:00

Wow, this was forwarded to me and it was well worth the 45 minutes to watch it! It was done by CNN reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta and is outstanding. I honestly can't believe that it was on national TV! Check it out: http://www.fliqz.com/aspx/permalinkblank.aspx?vid=da7b1310d17940cd9785f79a52464b4d

This is all the stuff I have been saying for awhile, but here it is on CNN (yea!) It would have been better if they had listed the hundreds of toxic chemicals in vaccines and how that plays a role in our health, but it is still really good. Check it out...it could save your life!

Vaccination statistics....

2010-08-30T17:32:00.002-04:00

Check this out...statistics and information on vaccine risks.
http://vran.org/about-vaccines/vaccine-essentials/vaccination-the-basics/

Sunscreen causing cancer?

2010-07-28T20:31:00.004-04:00

Well, I know enough at this point that the simple rule for lotions, sunscreens, etc. is that "if you can't eat it, then don't put it on your skin!" I think I read this a few years back in Kevin Trudeau's book, and it made a lot of sense even back then. Even with a history of melanoma, logic tells me that you can't constantly apply chemicals to your skin on a daily basis without some repercussions. Your skin is an organ too, the largest one on your body, and whatever you put on your skin is practically like eating it. If it contains chemicals, then they are all getting right into your bloodstream too.

At the summer camp that our kids are attending, the kids are plastered with sunscreen before going out to play and swim in a kiddie pool. Today, the camp teacher showed me a brand that they were using for outdoor play, and asked me if I wanted to take it home to try it. It is funny because my kids are fine with wearing the UV wear outside to play and swim, but I guess other people don't understand why I can't just plaster some sunscreen on my kids like everyone else. The reason is that I KNOW what is in those sunscreens (most aren't gluten-free anyway, so it is a moot point for us). We use good caution and wear big hats, use the UV wear, short exposures late/early day only. What people don't seem to realize is that by wearing sunscreen all the time, they not only increase their chemical load, but also block vitamin D absorption - a key cancer fighting vitamin. Most people are severely vitamin D deficient, and this leads to more cold/flu as well as increased risk of various cancers.

Another important thing to know about sunscreens is that they have never been proven to prevent skin cancer! Even the FDA will tell you to not use sunscreen as your first line of defense. Here is more information about sunscreen: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/9-surprising-facts-about-sunscreen/. Now isn't that interesting? Here is the database where you can look up your sunscreen and see how toxic it is: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/.

One interesting theory I have is what if the sun isn't what is causing most of the skin cancers but instead the toxic lotions, sunscreens, body washes, and cosmetics? Now THERE is some irony for you, as well as some interesting food for thought! There is also more research linking heavy sunscreen use to melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. But how can that be?

Here is the most recent information on how vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), an additive in most sunscreens, can increase your risk of skin cancer and tumors by over 20%: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/full-report/new-fda-study-sunscreen-additive-may-speed-cancer-growth/

I guess if being out in the hottest sun for an extended period of time is unavoidable every once in awhile, then at least choose one from the database that is a 0-1 ranking. I think Badger ranked pretty well overall, and only had a few ingredients. But, I wouldn't wear anything on my skin daily unless you could eat it with no trip to the ER. :-)

Agave Nectar - High in Fructose?

2010-07-03T08:57:00.001-04:00

For those of you using agave, here is some recent information from Mercola about how harmful fructose can be to your family's health: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/03/can-this-popular-alternative-sweetener-spike-uric-acid-into-the-danger-zone.aspx

Heavy Juice?

2010-07-01T10:23:00.004-04:00

My sister in law just passed this along to me, and I wanted to post it (thanks Lauren!). It is a crime that this is happening to our children. Now, I would never buy fruit from a jar or can as I worry about the "other things" that are lurking in the juice below. Now lead wasn't one of the things I was really thinking about, so wow! It is so much better to buy fresh, organic fruits. Time to buy a juicer everyone!!! http://eatdrinkandbe.org/article/index.0614_law_juicelead

Flowers that Heal?

2010-06-29T15:46:00.003-04:00

Well, I consider myself more open-minded than most when it comes to alternative therapies but this one I struggled with initially. I could not understand how the "essence" of various flowers, trees, etc. could alter behaviors and correct emotional imbalances within a person. It just didn't seem possible...that is until recently.

I purchased some of the Bach remedies a couple of months ago, and we initially tried the Rescue Remedy with our son. It is a combination remedy that helps with acute stress, and is a combination of several of the different flowers. I definately thought we saw something different, with a little bit of a calmer disposition but I could not be sure as we had also tried another supplements for calming (taurine) recently as well. I purchased The Encyclopedia of Bach Flower Therapy, as well as a book that addressed children specifically to learn more about the individual flowers, as now I was intrigued. Soon, I added in several of the individual remedies that address various behaviors, but before we could realize any benefits the tree pollen season arrived in Vermont. I wasn't sure if some of the facial hives we were seeing were due to the "flowers" in the remedies so we stopped them for about two months.

We introduced them again recently, and I can't attribute the amazing changes we have seen to anything else. Some of the ones we have been quite successful with are Rock Water, Vine, Agrimony, Aspen, Honeysuckle, Willow, Scleranthus, Genetian, Chicory, Beech, Holly and Vervain. We only added in one every couple of days, and with each we have seen interesting changes in our son.

One remedy that I thought that was particularly interesting was when we added in Aspen about a week ago. Aspen's description says "replaces apprehension and vague fears with a sense of security and peace of mind." I added it in the morning, and that evening we were outside with the kids on the playset. Our son has never been interested in swinging on a regular swing. He was so nervous that he couldn't even verbalize why he didn't want to swing....he just avoided it completely. Well that evening, he asked to get on the swing! Not only that, he stayed on the swing for over 15 minutes begging me to swing him higher and higher! It was surreal! He has been doing it ever since as well. He gets the remedies daily in two droppers with water, and has been doing extremely well. Overall, he is much calmer, has better focus, and the ADHD behaviors have been dramatically reduced.

Wow, and all of this from something as simple as flowers? Check it out: http://www.bachflower.com/index.html

Update on Rotavirus Vaccine...

2010-06-01T10:58:00.004-04:00

Check this out... http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/01/barbara-loe-fisher-may-21-interview.aspx

You know, we all had rotavirus when my daughter was one year old. It certainly was messy for about 8 days, but it was certainly was not worth getting vaccinated against! I never understood why one was created for this virus in the first place...

Celiac Disease: Connection to Melanoma?

2010-05-31T11:29:00.003-04:00

I have been learning more about celiac disease lately, as I am about to be tested myself. I got diagnosed with thyroid disease after my first pregnancy, and have had issues with fatigue every since, even with thyroid medication. I have noticed a pattern with eating gluten, and then experiencing extreme fatigue, aches, mood swings, and some other symptoms shortly afterwards. I have been having to "gluten myself" for the next week so that the appropriate antibodies will be made, and honestly I have neve felt worse in my life!

Celiac diease is a common digestive, genetic disease of the small intestine that can only be cured by a gluten-free diet and lifestyle. It must be VERY strict, and includes the strict diet as well as changing out shampoo, lotions, soaps, toothpaste, lip balms, cosmetics, etc as well. Any infraction will cause the symptoms to return for a period of time. Over 3 million Americans are currently affected by celiac disease, and it is estimated that 30 million Americans carry the genes for it. Celiac requires triggers to become "activated." Obviously you need to have the genes to have the disease. The genetic test will rule it out by 99%, but won't let you know if you currently have it or will develop it in the future. The main enviromental trigger is obviously gluten but also includes things like chronic candida, bacterial infections, stress, death in the family, and pregnancy.

So I got the book Living Gluten Free for Dummies, and it has been a wealth of information. I have tested highly positive for gluten and wheat IgG allergies, but I never thought I had celiac, until I read more and started learning about how common this disease really is. Also looking at the history of illness and issues in my own family including thyroid disease, gall bladder problems, mood swings, osteoporosis, ADHD, gastrointestinal issues, reflux, eczema, hair loss, candida, migraines, etc. (all symptoms of celiac) has made me want to take a closer look. It IS a genetic disease, so if I test positive, other family members will also have the same genetics and quite possibly the disease itself.

Apparently, there are more studies being done to link celiac to both thyroid disease and various forms of cancer, including melanoma. Here is one study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19672595. Here is another discussion in the celiac forum where people are discussing the possible link: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/topic/33009-celiaccancer/. I find this very interesting considering that I have had a melanoma previously, and currently are affected by hypothyroidism.

Celiac is also linked to osteoporosis. Apparently bone density can improve dramatically on a gluten-free diet. Here is more information about how they commonly appear together : http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/medicalguidelines/a/osteoporosis.htm

Lactose intolerance can also be a problem frequently with celiac disease, one that usually goes away on a gluten-free diet.

Fibromyalgia is another illness closely tied to celiac disease. Here is an article about what the symptoms are: http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-symptoms.php. And here is more information about the connection to celiac disease: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Link-Between-Fibromyalgia-and-Celiac-Disease&id=3833460. It seems it can be easily mistaken for celiac disease with similar symptoms.

Another symptom of celiac is a form of eczema called Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH). http://www.e-celiacs.org/2-Dermatitis_Herpetiformis.htm. Not everyone with celiac will have this extremely itchy and painful form of eczema, but everyone with DH will have celiac as it is known as the "sister disease" to celiac. I actually have had this chronic form of eczema on my right hand for over two years straight, and my dermatologist told me that it was DH and only gave me steriod cream repeatedly and told me that it was just "bad luck." I kept telling her that there had to be something triggering these horrible itchy, blistering bumps....but just bad luck I suppose! I think not! No one has skin rashes and eczema without an underlying cause. I am praying that I will have finally found it.

My mother in law has a close friend whose health went spiraling downwards about a year ago. The doctors just couldn't figure it out, but her weight dropped to about 70lbs and she was basically bedridden. They were completely at a loss. However, one doctor at the hospital thought to test her for celiac and she ended up being positive. Now that she is strictly gluten-free, she has completely regained her health and is doing amazingly well!

The issue with standard blood testing is that the test frequently comes back negative due to 1) not eating enough gluten in your diet to make the appropriate antibodies and 2) deficient IgA - a major immue system marker. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunoglobulin_A
If you have celiac, your immue system is obviously not working properly, which would be why this immunoglobulin would be low. If the test does come back negative, I have read about the genetic test and a stool test, which is supposed to be more sensitive. The stool test doesn't require a doctor's order and can be ordered here: https://www.enterolab.com/Default.aspx. I have not done these tests myself, so check them out for yourself.

The good thing is that this seems to be one disease where there is an easy cure - a dietary and lifestyle change. And my guess is that your health won't suffer too much from the loss of donuts, pizza and burgers! :-)

ADHD and Pesticides...

2010-05-18T21:36:00.003-04:00

Wow, now it shouldn't take a genius to figure out this one! There are so many adverse health effects from pesticide exposure, but people continue to use them. Most people don't even know that their commercial lawn fertilizers that they purchased from the local garden center contain them! Here is the article from CNN about the studies done linking these two together: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/17/pesticides.adhd/index.html.

A Dangerous Appliance?

2010-05-18T21:25:00.002-04:00

I have known about how horrible microwaves are for 2 1/2 years now. We thought ours broke over two years ago (turned out to be slightly unplugged - one of those built-in kinds), so instead of replacing it, I told my husband that we were going to try and live without it. I had wanted to do this, and this was a prime opportunity! He looked at me like I was insane..."what? live without a microwave? how can we do that?" We started re-heating food in the oven (like the prehistoric times), and in water on the stove. Turned out these techniques worked very well! As we moved into our new house recently, I promptly removed the built-in microwave and put it in the basement. We just don't need it at all anymore! So when I saw this article on Mercola, I raced to my computer to post the link. Here it is: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx

A journey towards A Natural Home...

2010-03-30T21:11:00.003-04:00

Over the past 4 years, I have been working closely with a company in Ohio called A Natural Home http://www.anaturalhome.com/. I found this company when I started searching for an organic baby mattress for our daughter, and over the years they have made sustainable, beautiful hardwood furniture for both of the kids’ rooms, two sofas, and various other items like dressers and tables. Having an organic mattress was one of the most important first steps we made for our son, and for our own health.

They even worked very closely with us to make a special custom bed for our son that ended up looking like a twin-sized crib, to keep him safe while giving him more space to move around at night. The owner Susie and I have become close friends over the years, and I am going to start working with her by this Fall to put together special discounts for families with children on the spectrum. I feel strongly about helping kids with sensitivities since I have one of my own and have been down the difficult path trying to figure it all out. I really think that this is a great avenue to hopefully make it a bit more affordable to “go green and healthy” in your home, especially when expenses run high for the typical family affected by autism. I highly recommend her company, and Susie is an amazing woman!

What’s in a mattress?

2010-03-30T16:03:00.002-04:00

In my mid 20’s I vividly remember being so excited about going to the mall to get my new king size mattress set, as they were half price. It was so comfortable, and I could hardly wait to get it back to my apartment! I didn’t care that I didn’t have a bed frame either…the metal frame seemed fine to me!

Do you know what your mattress is made out of? Here is some information about what your baby is sleeping on at night: http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-sleep/five-problems-with-baby-mattresses-toxic-chemicals/. Doesn’t that seem crazy? All of those chemicals? How can that be legal? When I started learning more about antimony, it was then that we got our first organic baby mattress for our then six month old daughter. Antimony is a flame retardant, and a nasty chemical. Here is information about the link between SIDS and the chemicals found in mattresses: http://www.stopsidsnow.com/. The scary truth is that people have no idea what they are being exposed to 8-10 hours per night!

These toxic chemicals are also being linked to cancer and thyroid disease. Here is more information about illnesses related to the chemicals found in traditional mattresses: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/11/is-your-mattress-making-you-sick.aspx. And here is the list of the toxic chemicals found in mattresses: http://www.ehow.com/list_5818265_list-mattress-chemicals.html.

The memory foam mattresses are even worse than standard mattresses as they contain the largest amount of chemicals. Here is a link to more great information: http://www.squidoo.com/chemicallysensitivepeople.

Wow! Don’t you think it might be time for a healthier alternative? If you don't think you can afford an organic mattress, check out the Simply Affordable line at www.anaturalhome.com.

Tangled in Honeysuckle

2010-03-27T19:55:00.013-04:00

We have a overgrowth of honeysuckle in our new backyard in Vermont. I mean a HUGE amount of it, the kind that grows like trees and are over 8ft tall. Yes it smells nice, but has choked out several nice trees, has spread like wildfire! And it is not even native to Vermont! So, we are working to cut some of it down. We know it will grow right back, but we hope it will become more manageable. So, I call my mom and she recommends using Roundup. Of course my response is a strong "no", but I wanted to do more research on this particular product at any rate.

Well, we all the see the commercials for Roundup...the man spraying it like a gun at the weeds coming up through the cracks in his driveway, with the cowboy music playing in the background. Well, do you know what it actually is?

Roundup is an herbicide, made by the U.S. company Monsanto. The main ingredient is called Glyphosate, and is the most widely used herbicide since the 1980's. Have you seen the movie Food, Inc? It talks about the company Monsanto and Roundup. Here is some information from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup. Some studies are showing links to reproductive damage, liver/kidney damage, endocrine disruption, and various cancers. It is also being linked to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nerve, and respiratory damage. It is interesting because my mother told me today that this is the safest product that you can use in your yard on weeds, honeysuckle, etc. I believe her viewpoint stems from the false advertising on the labels from the 1990's. Here is the quote from wikipedia regarding the new york state lawsuit:

"In 1996, Monsanto was accused of false and misleading advertising of glyphosate products, prompting a law suit by the New York State attorney general.[42] Monsanto had made claims that its spray-on glyphosate based herbicides, including Roundup, were safer than table salt and "practically non-toxic" to mammals, birds, and fish.[43]"

If the labels declare that a product is safe, any product, then people will believe it and buy it. It is that simple, and it is that scary. Here is more information: http://www.holisticmed.com/ge/roundup.html. And this one: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4574.cfm Last one: http://www.mitra.biz/blog/archives/2005/07/roundup_toxic_a.html.

From now on when receiving "organic" green beans from a friend's garden you can be certain I will be asking the question "by any chance, do you own any Roundup?" :-)

Cell Phones and Brain Cancer?

2010-03-27T19:45:00.002-04:00

It looks like Maine may be the first to finally put the much needed warning labels on cell phones. There will be a new epidemic of cancer from the development of the cell phone. I have one, but I am sure using it less and less. So, think twice about giving one of these to your kids and using one at all around a young baby's developing brain. Make those calls later on a corded phone (yes, like the ones from the 1970's! They do still exist!) at home and UNPLUG! Here is the article: http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/03/27/experts-warn-that-cell-phones-will-spur-a-cancer-epidemic.aspx

Toxic Seafood?

2010-03-20T20:31:00.004-04:00

Wow, now this is ugly! I knew that there were risks with eating certain farm-raised fish, but now I think we will pass on all of it! Apparently almost 80% of seafood is imported from foreign countries, but only about 1% of it is checked out by the FDA for safety. Check this video out based on an in-depth investigation into farm-raised fish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0F8x4i5GYE&feature=related

The "New" Heavy Metal: Aluminum

2010-03-20T16:50:00.004-04:00

Check out this Mercola article regarding the toxicity of aluminum in vaccinations. I have been talking for a long time about how everyone focuses on just the mercury in vaccines, when it is the aluminum people should really be worried about! I actually had a bumper sticker on my car awhile back that said "Vaccines and Autism: Aluminum is a Heavy Metal too!" Here is the article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/20/david-ayoub-interview-february-2010.aspx.

Please think twice about cooking in aluminum as well please, eating out of aluminum containers or cans, or storing your food in foil as it puts this heavy metal directly into your food! Also, aluminum in deodorants is being linked to breast cancer. Please consider all of the sources for this heavy metal, and use caution.

Cuckoo on Chicken?

2010-03-20T08:27:00.005-04:00

Lately I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out exactly which foods are triggering erratic behaviors in our son. It has been quite difficult, but I am keeping a daily log and writing down everything he eats, behaviors, bowel habits, and then giving him an overall "grade" for the day. I am starting to see a pattern.

People, in general, are sensitive to various foods. I honestly don't know anyone who isn't "sensitive" to some food. This sensitivity can manifest itself with an obvious behavioral-type reaction (anxiety, aggressiveness, depression) or can be less subtle like flatulence, eczema, tummy cramps, or a mild headache. The bottom line is that everything we eat affects how we feel.

We do annual food allergy testing (via blood samples) and send them off to a lab to measure IgE and IgG food sensitivities. IgE is the immediate immune system response to an allergen, and typically produces the most powerful immune system responses. For a high IgE allergy result with a nut, you would typically be carrying an epi pen. We see immediate hives and facial rashes with an IgE reaction to a particular food. IgG is the secondary immune response, or delayed/matured response, and is a reaction that you could wait up to 72hrs or more to see. This particular response is generally not the severe type, and for us we have seen most delayed behavioral responses with this type. This past August we used the lab AlleTess, and I was pretty pleased with not only the accuracy, but the cost (as most blood allergy testing can be quite expensive!). I removed the highest reactive foods for our son, but after many months of trial and error on other foods we are still seeing reactions from other foods as well. Chicken, for example, came back as a level II IgG allergen, and a level I IgE allergen (IV being the highest). So we continued to give chicken because after all....who can be that allergic to chicken, right?!!

Well, we have definitely seen pretty drastic changes in behaviors that follow chicken at a meal. We noticed a pattern especially after eating chicken broth...red cheeks immediately, and then super silly/wild running around behaviors that can last up to two days! We stopped giving the soup (obviously) but still didn't think it was chicken itself as there were other things in the soup like carrots and celery, etc. Plus, when he would eat plain chicken we didn't see a reaction immediately, but maybe mid-day the next day we would start to see the "sillies" resurfacing again. Then after logging foods recently, it became clear to me that chicken was definitely a trigger food. I also noticed that of all the meats that he is allergic to (beef, chicken, lamb, turkey) that chicken is the only one that is both and IgG AND and IgE allergen. That has to be the reason that he reacts behaviorally to chicken and not the others. Beef will give him diarrhea, but turkey seems ok in rotation. Very interesting though how he is allergic to so many animal proteins though. But, according to the blood type diet (Eating Right for Your Type) blood type A's should be vegetarians! Quite interesting. We will see how things settle down here with the removal of chicken....Bye bye Birdie!!!! Will keep you posted!

Dirty Electricity?

2010-03-18T09:20:00.002-04:00

I always knew that it was advisable to pull the headboard of your bed away from the wall 2ft for sleeping, but it was not until now that I understood why. Our son has always been EMF (electro-magnetic field) sensitive, so I have always found this area of research to be fascinating. We started noticing drastic behavioral changes with our son two years ago with the turning on/off of the wireless router in our home. We finally ended up getting rid of the wireless in our house, and going back to wired phones (like the 70's!) and traditional wall-installed ethernet cabling for the computers. We saw great changes in our son from getting rid of the wireless.

In our new home in Vermont (yes, we moved in January....why I haven't been blogging too much!) I have noticed some new strange behaviors in our son that include chewing on his clothes to the point of soaking them. We did not see this at all in the hotel, where we were the first two weeks, so I have a hard time believing that it was just the "move" that did this. I am sure that is also a factor, but my mom's intuition tells me that there is something else.

With the move, we have had some problems with the house with water damage and mold (all of course discovered right after closing by us), so we have had dozens of contractors here at the house trying to resolve all of the issues. It has been crazy, and the former homeowners are not willing to help out with the costs either (bad karma there!). A few days ago our general contractor was looking at these large wires sticking out of the wall in the dining room with us, and trying to figure out why they were there. We couldn't figure out whether they were active or not, so I was trying to find my Cell Sensor (EMF detector) to see if they were. I didn't find it, but I did find my Stetzerizer Microsurge Meter, and just thought I would check the outlets nearby to see what kind of readings I got. I got this little device a couple of years ago to check our Georgia home, but never fully understood what the readings meant. After reading more here yesterday, and speaking with the lead engineer from Stetzer, I understood a lot more. Apparently it measures electrical fields and can determine whether you have "dirty wiring" in the wall. Levels reading over 50 indicate that you could have health issues, especially the electro-sensitive individual. Just comparing "apples to apples", in Georgia our kitchen levels were in the 300 ranges, and other rooms/bedrooms were typically in 200 range. After testing our new home, levels ranged here from 200 - 2000! Our son's room was the highest in the house (of course, right?!!). A couple days later we installed the filters into the outlets and the levels went down to the 30-50 range all over the house. So far we are seeing a much calmer child, with much less running around.

We also found various antenna in the house that were transmitting signals constantly, and had them changed out. One was in the master bedroom right next to our bed! Now that's pretty bad!

We are also beginning Feng Sui soon to see if it has calming benefits on all of us. It is quite fascinating. Will keep you posted!

What is really in the food we eat?

2010-01-15T22:38:00.003-05:00

Check this movie out: http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php. My best friend just saw this movie about the food industry and told me about it. You will never believe what is in the everyday foods you consume, and will never look at chicken the same way again!

What are we doing to ourselves?

2009-12-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

I have posted previously about EMF issues in our country, but this is a fantastic presentation given by ElectromagneticHealth.org founder Camilla Rees. It is unbelievably enlightening and covers all issues with EMF's including cell phone radiation, microwave radiation, the effect of wireless technologies on children in schools and in the home, and the government's current plans to "blanket" the entire country in radiation. PLEASE take the time to watch this presentation and become educated about this growing concern to protect your families and yourself: http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2009/12/01/Leading-Experts-Give-Advice-on-How-to-Reduce-Your-EMF-Risk.aspx.

H1N1 Vaccine: Glaxo Recall

2009-11-22T15:58:00.005-05:00

Glaxo Smith Kline just recalled a batch of 170,000 swine flu vaccines after Anaphylactic reactions: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/129638. Worldwide severe reactions flooding in and some government's decisions to not buy the H1N1 vaccine due to safety concerns are also discussed.

Vaccines: Effective AND Safe?

2009-11-18T11:41:00.018-05:00

I still don't understand why everyone is running out to get their annual flu shot, much less this new "swine flu" vaccine that was not even tested appropriately. I have not had a flu shot in at least 15 years, even before I became more educated about how vaccines can impact your health. Everyone always gets the flu anyway! It just never made sense to me. Family and friends would stand in line for hours to get the flu shot, only to come down with the flu anyway shortly afterwards...but it was always a "less" severe version of the flu. What? Their flu always seemed pretty bad to me. That doesn't even make sense!

Here is a new ground breaking article about what the inventor of the flu vaccine NOW has to say about it: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/17/Obama-Administration-Launches-Deceptive-Swine-Flu-Propaganda-Blitz.aspx. Unbelievable! Yet, everyone still lines up to go get the shot. The swine flu "epidemic" has been blown way out of proportion in an effort to get everyone to panic and run out to get this vaccine, which has not been proven safe OR effective. This version of the flu has been FAR milder than the regular flu, which takes over 50,000 lives per year...but no one is talking about that.

I believe the original intent for the creation of vaccines was probably an honorable one, however things have spun so far out of control with mandatory vaccines for dozens of diseases that 1) aren't even around anymore and 2) are mostly not life threatening. The ones that are more serious can even be healed with alternative medicine, but mainstream medicine won't talk about that. Remember, viruses (and even cancer) cannot survive in a healthy immune system! Vaccine companies are large corporations that are publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange. You don't think this has turned into Big Business? You bet it has! These same drug companies have a powerful lobby presense in Washington. Talk about a serious conflict of interest! Doesn't this concern anyone else?

There has been so much panic about some pregnant women dying from the H1N1 virus, but has anyone asked about how many pregnant women die from the regular flu each year? How does it compare? Are pregnant women really dying from the swine flu, or another complication? Do they know for sure, especially since other countries have reported that only about 2% of the originally diagnosed "swine flu" cases were actually the swine flu? People will die from the flu regardless of the vaccine, which typically only addresses a couple of the various strands of the virus that is circulating. There has already been little testing done on the H1N1 vaccine in an effort to get it out quickly, but there have been no studies done on this vaccine and its effects on pregnant women and even more importantly....the unborn child. It is a huge question mark.

It is so easy for the media to stir up a panic on a virus, ANY virus, and people will panic and run out to go get the vaccine. Even better, the media will say "there is a major shortage of the vaccine! get it while you can!" so that people will get scared and immediately get vaccinated. This is where I think television can be dangerous. People will watch television, and whatever is being said there MUST certainly be the truth...almost like it is God Himself talking! I just don't get it. It is the same with doctors. Whatever they say must certainly be the truth, and there should be no room for discussion, even when they do not have all the answers. The vast majority of people will blindly believe anything their doctors tell them, even when their intuition tells them to do something different. Your intuition or “gut reaction" is never wrong.

Did you know that there are vaccines coming out for nicotine, anti-obesity, and many others? The Nicotine addiction vaccine is called NicVAX: http://www.minyanville.com/articles/big-pharma-tobacco-cigarettes-smoking-addition-quit-nicotene-patch-gum-minyanville/index/a/25472. The Anti-Obesity vaccine is completed and is currently being tested: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060804085817.htm They are calling obesity and nicotine addiction a disease? Really? Nicotine is addictive, and I know as I watched my own father smoke for 40 years BUT he did quit. Yea Dad!

What on earth has happened to people for them to feel that they need to be vaccinated against everything to stay well, and now even stop compulsive habits? Are people that lazy? What happened to a healthy whole foods diet, exercise, regular detoxification, and good hygiene? There are many reasons why people overeat, and giving a vaccine as a “quick fix” just doesn’t address those underlying issues. Do you know how many vaccines babies get these days? And they keep adding more and more! How many is too many? I think our skyrocketing autism rates and soaring number of learning disabilities can help to answer that question. It is just preposterous!

People never talk about the "risks" vs. the "benefits" of vaccines. Only the benefits are discussed, and you will NEVER see an ad on television for vaccinations that talk about side effects. Why is that so? On the various drug ads you will see that most of the ad talks about the side effects, but never on vaccine ads. Now that is interesting, right? The VAERS database (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) is full of adverse reactions to vaccines, including death, yet no one is talking about it? http://vaers.hhs.gov/index. When you take your child to get vaccinated, does the doctor say "ok, listen, here are the side effects to this vaccine..." Do they inform you about the ingredients in vaccines, such as formaldehyde, MSG, aluminum, thimerosal, propylene glycol, eggs, etc? In the vast majority of cases the answer is no. Here is a link for vaccine ingredients: http://www.novaccine.com/vaccine-ingredients/. They just simply want you to vaccinate and that is it, end of discussion. And in some cases if you refuse, you will be asked to find another practice. Then you will find parents vaccinating due to heavy pressure from their doctors when their intuition might be telling them otherwise.

If you do immunize, these doctors will also not tell you about the vaccine titer test, a simple blood test that can be done for the various individual viruses like measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, etc. to see how much "protective" immunity the child already has before giving more vaccines and boosters. Any doctor can do this test through a local lab (such as LabCorp), and in most cases a couple sets of shots (spread out) will provide protective titers to the various diseases instead of the 36+ that kids get before age two.

Had we done this test we would have seen that our son was WAY over vaccinated with titers ranging from 5-16x higher than protective levels. Of course the pediatricians would say "that's good! the higher the better!" Before he had autism, he had all of the "red flags": allergies, eczema, colic, reflux....all immune system dysfunctions, plus a family history of immune weaknesses such as asthma, thyroid disease, and Candida. These particular pediatricians know nothing about defective immune systems, and will continue to vaccinate blindly. Their parents are encouraged to sit by in ignorance and listen to their pediatrician. This combination can be quite detrimental to those children who are affected. And the sad truth is that more and more children are affected.

So you have just injected yourself or your child with a vaccine and have "immunity" (well after several of those) but did you give any thought to what you just put into your body? As a person of intelligence, do you seriously believe that there will be no repercussions to the viruses, chemicals, heavy metals (mercury and aluminum), and toxins you just injected into your body? Honestly? Is this really what God intended for us to do with our bodies...our temple?

Obviously people need to make their own decisions, but good gosh.....please take the extra time to make EDUCATED ones! At some point, people need to take back control of their own health! Smart lifestyle choices and healthy living are what will keep you healthy in the long run....not a shot.

Take a Pill!

2009-11-10T21:48:00.008-05:00

As I am sitting here watching "So You Think You Can Dance" tonight, I am amazed at the number of drug ads that I have seen. Depression...it Hurts! The ad talks about how people sink into depression, and how taking a pill can suddenly change their lives and "cure" it. If you pay attention though, the ad mostly talks about all the dozens of side effects, and not what the drug can "do" for you. Yet people only see the "now" happy people running around with their families, and that is enough to call a doctor for a prescription. Now THAT is sad!

There are literally dozens of drugs for any specific illnesses. Every illness is treated as nothing more than a drug-deficiency of some kind. Hyperactivity is a Ritalin-deficiency. Depression and anxiety are a Zoloft-deficiency. A simple headache is an Advil-deficiency. You can get a prescription or OTC (over the counter) drug for just about anything these days. Diarrhea, constipation, thyroid disease, ADHD, eczema…even cancer - does anyone know WHY they have these conditions or diseases? No. What they do know is that there IS a drug somewhere that can “fix” it. Does it really fix it? What happens if you stop taking the medicine? Does it return? Are there side effects when taking this medicine? Do you develop other illnesses over time? Have you ever had your doctor say “well, now let’s figure out WHY you have thyroid disease in the first place?” Well, you would if you saw an environmental medicine physician, but no other doctor I have ever had has wanted to probe into the underlying cause of any health issues I have ever had. They only wanted to give me a prescription! No one of intelligence can certainly believe that taking various medications, and injecting toxins (in the form of vaccines) won’t add to the total chemical load in our bodies, which continues to get heavier and heavier until REAL disease is inevitable.

Speaking about REAL disease, let's talk about the Big C: Cancer. I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma one year ago on my neck. It was terrifying. The doctors did not give me much hope, as the melanoma was deep (it had been ignored by the dermatologist one year earlier when it first changed). I agreed to have the surgery done by a wonderful surgeon to excise the entire area (about 5" scar on my neck) as well as various lymph nodes to look to see if the cancer had spread. While I was waiting for the surgery, I got a copy of the biopsy and decided to have acupuncture and NAET (http://www.naet.com/) done with the biopsy to hopefully turn my body against the cancer. I did daily NAET treatments with the biopsy up until the surgery, and also did meditation telling myself that I was cancer-free. After the surgery, I got the call back that not only could they not find evidence of melanoma in my lymph nodes, but also could not find it anywhere in the melanoma site (it had only been lanced off, not dug out originally, and the cancer went through the entire depth of the sample). The doctor was surprised to find no evidence at all of the melanoma. Could it have been the NAET or acupuncture helping, or was my original sample mixed up? We will never know, but I believe that the possibilities are endless if you have an open mind to alternative medicine.

No one knows what causes cancer...cancer of any kind. Most people will agree though that people with cancer have weakened immune systems. That is a fact! So, if a person is dying from cancer does it really make sense to pump them full of additional toxic chemicals and add to their load, especially without appropriate nutritional supports and special diets? Have you heard of the macrobiotic diet? Here is more information: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/macrobiotic-diet. There is more and more evidence that animal protein, as well as dairy, are cancerous and detrimental to our health. Here is more on that, and how a plant-based diet can reverse cancer: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/a-cure-for-cancer-eating_b_298282.html?page=4&show_comment_id=31677220#comment_31677220. Here is one quote from this interview with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Cornell University:

"Yes, this is what our experimental research shows. I also have become aware of many anecdotal claims by people who have said that their switch to a plant-based diet stopped even reversed (cured?) their disease. One study on melanoma has been published in the peer-reviewed literature that shows convincing evidence that cancer progression is substantially halted with this diet."

Wow, melanoma! Now this is fascinating research. If it were me again, I would have to say that I would be pursuing these natural routes first before injecting more toxins into my body. It makes a lot of sense to me that diet and lifestyle are what cause cancer in the vast majority of cases. If this is the case, then shouldn't you be able to dispel the disease by cleaning out the toxins and addressing the severe nutritional deficiencies? It won't happen overnight, but good gosh, don't you think even a diet without meat and dairy should be worth a try....EVEN if it is in conjunction with the chemo? How about juicing organic veggies daily? Why do most medical doctors strongly discourage dietary changes such as these?

It is the same story as when you ask a doctor if an illness/condition that you have could be related to allergies or toxin overload, they will laugh in your face! I had my dermatologist tell me that the reason I had eczema develop suddenly on my hand was that "some people are just unlucky." What? I mentioned food allergies...she abruptly said "no." There IS an underlying cause to all illnesses. You don't just have sudden illness strike for no reason! They just don't have all the information, despite the fact that most people are completely brainwashed into believing otherwise. Most people simply want their doctors to just tell them what to do. And most traditional doctors do not like to be questioned, and if you do ask intelligent, informed questions they feel threatened. Shouldn't we be active participants in our own health? Any good doctor should tell you that they do not know everything!

Yet, we blindly go into our doctor's offices and will simply believe whatever they tell us. Now don't get me wrong...there are many wonderful doctors out there, who are exceptionally intelligent and whose hearts are in the right place...BUT most are just not open to anything that is outside the realm of their education and mainstream medicine textbooks. Alternative medicine has done so many wonderful things for so many people. The human body has an amazing ability to heal itself, when given the chance. Drugs will still be the answer to the "cure" for all illness until such a time comes when people will start to reclaim their own health again, and fight to find the CAUSE of disease. It is at that point that the body will heal, and true recovery begins.

New Report: Most Toxic U.S. Cities Ranked

2009-11-05T19:59:00.005-05:00

Atlanta ranks #1 for most polluted city in the US! Well, isn't that great! http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/forbes-rates-atlanta-most-185466.html?imw=Y. Check out the entire list of cities, and the breakdown by # of Superfund Sites, # of facilities releasing toxic chemicals, pounds of toxic chemicals released in that area, and 2007 air quality rankings: http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/02/toxic-cities-pollution-lifestyle-real-estate-toxic-cities_chart.html. Now this is disturbing!

Is Anyone Listening?

2009-11-04T12:32:00.003-05:00

"There are many environmental issues that contribute to the health epidemics in our country, and they need to be addressed before we lose sight as a nation of what is fundamentally important in life. There will be serious repercussions for our heavy use of chemicals and “plugged in” society and people need to start taking it seriously and stop worrying about “more bars” and perfect lawns. Chronic exposure of these things also hinders the recovery of our special needs kids as well, as they have fragile immune systems. How can we possibly strengthen their immune systems in this toxic world that we are creating for them? How about all the other children without autism, but suffering from ADHD, ADD, Bipolar, asthma, OCD, ODD, sensory dysfunction, and various other illnesses? These disorders have skyrocketed in the past decade, along with autism, yet no one is asking why? The use of drugs like Ritalin is so prevalent in the United States that at colleges kids are selling them as “study enhancers.” It is truly unbelievable and horrifying.

Families with autism need help. No one can possibly imagine what life is like emotionally, financially, physically, and spiritually. The fact that so much money has been wasted, money spent looking in all the wrong directions is unconscionable. These millions of wasted dollars could have been going towards directly helping the thousands of families that are suffering with autism. To those families who have seen their child regress right after receiving multiple vaccines, it is clear what the root cause of autism is and why their immune systems are weakened to begin with. These are the people our country should be listening to. We are crying for help, and unfortunately these cries continue to fall on deaf ears.

Why is no “real” research being done regarding the link between vaccines and autism? It is same reason we still have the coal burning plants continuing to dump billions of pounds of mercury into our atmosphere: it is called Big Business, and our country needs to reprioritize its most important assets: our children and our future. The autism epidemic should have a very real purpose for our country: it is a 911 call. Wake the hell up everyone – we are in deep trouble as a nation and we better do something about it quickly. It is my hope that we will have more brave parents and supporters rise up and state what they know to be true: Autism is recoverable and preventable". (excerpt from my book...more to come!)

What's That Smell?

2009-11-02T16:27:00.003-05:00

Everyone knows that magic marker "smell" when someone close by is using one. Do you know what that smell contains though? This year, at my son's school, each child in the class was assigned his individual, small whiteboard and dry erase markers for special projects. Well, we noticed some real behavioral issues with our son when he would be exposed to the fumes of these markers. His ears would turn red, and silly or aggressive behaviors would quickly follow.

So, what is that smell? That smell is xylene, which is a benzene derivative. Xylene exposure can cause various neurological problems, especially in children, including dizziness, headaches, memory loss, lung/breathing issues, and even more serious complications involving the liver. It has been known to cause death in high exposures as well. So, the question is WHY are they using these markers in schools? My husband talks about how they much they are used during meetings where he works, and how he gets headaches from them. Can you imagine how a young child might feel? Talk about ADHD!

Some other hazardous chemicals found in permanent and dry erase markers are cresol and toluene. Here is an article about these chemicals, side effects, and the brand names that contain them: http://www.informinc.org/fact_P3indmark.php. Now this is scary!

Our family ended up replacing all the markers in my son's classroom with AusPen markers, much more expensive, but an environmentally friendly choice as they are refillable and one marker lasts the equivalent of 256 regular markers! Traditionally, chalk and chalkboards were used in classrooms. Most chalk was simply calcium carbonate, but the dust it created was thought to potentially trigger respiratory issues in children long term. It is so ironic that schools everywhere have phased out the dusty chalkboards with dry erase markers to improve health and air quality when in reality these markers pose FAR worse health risks for our children.

Here is the link to the AusPen markers. Very nice group of people there as well: http://www.ecosmartworld.com/. Inform other parents, and help your child's school make the switch!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T13:44:00.006-04:00

We are taking the kids trick or treating tonight, and are faced with the same issue of buying massive amounts of candy for the neighborhood kids. In light of how well our son is responding to the Feingold diet, and becoming aware of how the artifical colors, flavors, and preservatives affect so many kids these days (not just ours!), I decided to get more natural treats for kids this year! We went to Natural Foods Warehouse and got organic raisins, natural fruit leathers, organic dried fruit bags,and the organic lollipops with all natural flavors! As a child, I always went bonkers around Halloween time eating loads of store bought candy each year (my mom had to hide it from me after Halloween!) and I can see that many other children probably go crazy as well. So, start a new trend - offer healthy snacks for Halloween this year!!! You never know...it just might catch on in your own neighborhood!

Finding Lead Sources in Your Home

2009-10-30T14:09:00.009-04:00

In 2007, there was a big revelation about lead found in children's toys that were made in China. There were large amounts of toys that came back very high in lead, and these were common toys with the most popular brand names. Here are the recent updates: http://www.usrecallnews.com/2007/10/list-of-recalled-toys-for-lead-poisoning-hazards-childrens-toy-recalls-from-china.html.

After hearing about this, I decided to have our home tested for lead, as well as various other items including toys, therapy items, and our china. I found someone local in Georgia that does this very kind of testing. His name is Jeremy Weir and his website is http://www.exposinglead.com/.

Jeremy came to our home on two different occasions to test various items, and this is what we found. Our Ralph Lauren dinner china (solid cream with a braided edge) came back with close to 50,000ppm of lead. Next there was our Christmas Spode china, which came back with almost 100,000ppm! The hand painted portions of the dinnerware were the worst, which made sense to me. We also tested a third china, Noritake Royal Orchard, which came back close to 50,000ppm too. All of the casserole dishes that we received from our wedding from William's Sonoma all contained lead, arsenic, and some mercury in a couple of them. We also tested Le Creusat, which tested fine for all of the cooking pots (ours are red), but came back with lead, arsenic and mercury in the baking dishes and mixing bowls (some red, yellow, green). We had switched over to mostly Visions Corningware, which is solid glass pots and baking dishes (found in eBay, as mostly discontinued - not the ones with Teflon coated bottoms) and all of the cranberry glass tested fine, but the brown glass had high levels of arsenic in it, and some lead! We repeated the testing to confirm all levels. Now we use as much clear uncolored glass as possible, just to be safe. We never use Teflon in the house...more on that later!

Next, we tested toys. My father and I had put together a natural ball pit for my son around this time, and I purchased the "safe" ball pit balls (much pricier) made out of the safer polypropylene plastic. Most ball pit balls are made out of PVC, and I knew this contained lead a good deal of the time, so I thought we were safe. However, the yellow ball pit balls tested high in arsenic and lead (3000ppm). And the kids had been mouthing them as well! The company quickly took them back, and gave us our money back, even though we had purchased them a year earlier. Other various things that tested high were Breyer horses (only the very tiny ones, about 1" in size - larger ones were all ok), some hard plastic dinosaurs, our Little Tikes bouncer, Mega Bloks (yellow only), those wall/wooden box floor mazes with the colored plastic knobs, and various musical instruments like the shaker bells (all of the leather straps had lead), and the shaker fruits.

Our wooden play set tested ok, which was a relief. Up until 2003, most "pressure treated" play sets, decks, picnic tables and "outdoor safe" furniture used to contain CCA treated wood, which contains very high levels of arsenic and will go right into your skin, especially after the wood is wet from rain (more on that later!). They still exist everywhere, but are not manufactured anymore.

After speaking with Jeremy in more detail, he shared with me more items that consistently came back high in lead. They are:

- Yellow Pigments (red, green, brown, orange) -
- Most vinyl (bounce house, tumble mats) contains lead in my testing
- Toy dinosaurs and animals
- Pearlized buttons on clothing
- Dinnerware
- Plastic balls
- Old Fisher Price (with the old fp logo) often contain lead. Stacking rings is an example.

Some of the safer choices for Dinnerware that have come back consistently ok are:

1. Corelle - even the printed/colored ones
2. Fiestaware (not the red, as there is controversy about red glazes still containing uranium)
3. Emeril dinnerware (we use this, bought at Costco)
4. Health Ceramics (apparently they will reveal which sets contain lead though, so beware of others too in this line).

Toys that have always tested ok:

1. Legos
2. Crayola (although most crayons, paints, etc contain formaldehyde)
3. Haba and Voila toys - all of ours tested fine. Made of solid wood and natural paints.

In general, beware of plastic and hand painted items. The highest tested items seem to mostly be red and yellow, with the least being blue colored plastics. Watch out for those wall mazes (like this one: http://www.the-toy-palace.com/catalog/pathfinder-wall-panel.html - this was the one we had where the red, orange and green pegs tested high in lead and arsenic). The same ones can be found in various waiting rooms in the form of a large floor box with five or six different mazes.

Lead is also commonly found in these items: batteries (wash hands after handling!), costume jewelry, children's jewelry, drinking water, cosmetics, older homes (lead was in paint until 1978), dust on computer/TV screens, pesticides, craft supplies, paints, vitamins and supplements (see the recent FDA study), and many more items. It is a real problem that needs to be addressed, and most companies are not doing the necessary testing to keep consumers safe.

Heavy Metals in Face Paints?

2009-10-29T21:45:00.007-04:00

Halloween is approaching, so listen up to this alert! The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has done recent studies regarding toxins that are present in face paints and have found lead in all samples, as well as nickel (also a neurotoxic heavy metal), cobalt and chromium way above the acceptable levels. Here is the article: http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=583.

The Neon Green Lawn

2009-10-29T16:20:00.005-04:00

Do you ever wonder what makes certain people's lawns so green? Well, actually it is the color neon green! Neon green chemicals that is! We live in a particular neighborhood where almost everyone is using these lawn services that drown yards in the famous neon green. The reason it is green is due to dye that has been added for training purposes, so that when the "new" guys are treating a lawn they know where they have already sprayed.

Our first close encounter with one of these treatment was three years ago. It was one particular morning when I was taking our son to a sensory listening program at a clinic. I had already opened the garage to let in some fresh air (or so I thought) and was putting our son in the car when I smelled a very strong, sour smell and heard a motor running. I peeked outside of our garage and saw a ChemLawn truck and a man in boots with a hose completely soaking our next door neighbor's yard with neon green water. Well, I had no idea what it contained but what we do know is that our son was severely affected by this exposure and regressed backyards with horrendous behaviors for the next two weeks. The progress that we lost would not be regained for months. It was at this point that I had to find out what exactly was in this product, so I called the corporate offices. This phone call would be passed along to more than 10 people until someone finally answered my questions.

These particular lawn fertilizers contain pesticides, actually a trio of them. Check out this article: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/news/daily_news_archive/2005/03_17_05.htm regarding safety issues and what Massachusetts has been doing to encourage residents to not use this product. Here is another great website for detailed information on the dangers of these types of lawn fertilizers: http://www.refusetousechemlawn.org/report. I actually met a man two years ago whose dog died after being on their freshly treated lawn - he sued the company.

Our son's first biomedical doctor (who was a pediatrician for over 25 years first) had done some initial tests on our son and found elevated levels of arsenic in his hair. When I asked about where he would get this kind of exposure he stated with confidence "lawn fertilizers!" It is also been found that certain pesticides can contain lead. These chemicals leech into the soil and can get into surrounding ground water, not to mention run-off issues with other people's yards, innocent children, and pets. All for the sake of a green, lush lawn. Is it really worth it?

There are more and more environmental lawn care companies that you should be able to google and find locally that will give you the same green lawn, but without all the toxins. They will utilize natural substances such as composted materials and corn gluten, and give you peace of mind. If you have the time and energy, you can always learn how to care for your lawn yourself. Here is a link to videos to show you just how to do it: http://safelawns.org/video.cfm.

Sodium Benzoate: The Link to ADHD and Health Issues

2009-10-29T10:08:00.016-04:00

Does anyone even know what this is? Well I didn't until recently. We started the Feingold Diet two weeks ago for both of our children for hyperactivity issues and I quickly learned more about this preservative. Sodium Benzoate is derived from benzoic acid, in the form of sodium salts. It is widely used as a preservative in many foods, especially acidic ones. In our own home, I was shocked to find it in the dye-free Benedryl, Body Bio mineral drops, and Homeopathic Chestal Cough Syrup...things we had been giving our kids for quite awhile! I started thinking more about a possible reaction to benzoates when I kept a detailed food log on our son. We get these jekyll-hyde behaviors that now, on the diet, are so dramatic that finding the offending food is getting MUCH easier. We have always noticed reactions from blueberries, brocolli, spinach, cranberries, grapes, green peas, cinnamon, and several other foods...all foods that are naturally high in benzoic acid! We recently had the yearly allergy tests completed on both kids and knew there weren't allergies to any of these foods, but this made sense! When we removed these foods two weeks ago, as well as the supplements containing benzoic acid, our son has become calmer and more focused. The things that used to set him into silly behaviors no longer do....even under stressful situations. We added back in brocolli at one dinner just to test and see and he went bonkers the entire next day! We are hoping to add them back in soon as most of these foods happen to be very nutritous (especially brocolli) but the behaviors are just undeniable.

Sodium benzoate is also found in soft drinks and carbonated drinks, jams, liquid supplements, cough syrups, fruit juices, and many other foods and supplements. It is also listed under the label E211. Here is more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_Benzoate

Also be aware of a very important issue with sodium benzoate. If it is given or ingested with vitamin c, it creates benzene in the body. Benzene is a known carcinogen. Another reason to avoid soft drinks! Most sodas and fruit juices contain added vitamin c in them! Here is an important article to read: http://www.rense.com/general74/benz.htm. Here is another one as well: http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/benzene060303.cfm. Read and please be aware of this!

What's the Deal with Plastics?

2009-10-28T22:15:00.004-04:00

Well in general, plastics aren’t great. However, plastics are everywhere these days, so it’s important to know the difference between the “good” vs. the “bad” ones. You can typically find the following re-cycle numbers on the bottom of plastic containers, toys, etc. inside a little triangle. The safest plastics for you and our environment are #1, #2, #4, and #5. The #7 plastic is questionnable. The worst plastics to use are #3 (PVC) and #6.

First we will talk about #1 (PET or polyethylene terephthalate). It is used in containers that are recyclable, and it is typically considered the best plastic for single use containers. You will usually find the #1 on the bottom of smaller water bottles from the grocery store. Don’t re-use these though because studies have shown that these PET containers will leach DEHP, an endocrine-disrupting phthalate and probable carcinogen. Shelf life is shorter with these, and they should be stored in a cooler location to slow the leaching process. If your water ever smells like “plastic” or has a funky smell, toss it immediately!

#2 (HDPE or high-density polyethylene) is also very recyclable; however it is not used very much.

#4 (LDPE or low-density polyethylene) is similar to HPDE, but is used more in light-weight items like plastic storage bags. The Glad brand uses these safer plastics in all its products. We use Glad products at home. Our Little Tikes playhouse also has the #4 recycle number on it. Little Tykes is a great toy brand that is more conscious about the chemicals they use in their plastics.

#5 (PP or Polypropylene) is not as recyclable, but has shown to not leach any carcinogens or endocrine disrupters. It can also be re-used.

#7 (Polycarbonate) is a plastic that has been controversial. It is used in the Nalgene bottles, and certain baby bottles, and may contain BPA (bisphenol-A), a known hormone disrupter. Use extreme caution when using worn ones, or when they have been sitting in the heat.

Now we will discuss the “bad” plastics. #3 (PVC or polyvinyl chloride) not only leaches phthaltes, but releases carcinogenic dioxins into our environment when it is being manufactured. PVC is found in so many products that we use every day, and it is amazing how much you can find in your own home. Regular wallpaper is made of vinyl (PVC), shower curtains, children’s toys, pipes (hopefully just the sewage ones though, and not your water supply). In general, if you can reduce the amount of PVC you have in your home, you will find better health with it.

#6 (PS or Polystyrene) can leach styrene. Styrene is a probable human carcinogen. Styrene is found in many baby products, plastic baby bottles, toys, Styrofoam containers/cups from restaurants (use caution with these!). They do leach into your foods and drinks. It’s just awful that styrene is used in baby bottles. I had a conversation with Avent two years ago as I was really interested in finding out how safe their plastic sippy cups were. My first phone conversation with their corporate office informed me that their bottles were made with the “safe” #5 plastic, polypropylene. Well, at the time I was satisfied with that answer, but as I started looking more into plastics I started learning about phthlates, which are plasticizers used to make plastic flexible (soft plastics) and also used heavily in the cosmetics and skin care industry to bind fragrance to the products. Toy manufacturers use phthalates to make the “soft” plastic toys, teethers, and other toys that your child spends their early days chewing on. You can easily find out which manufacturers use phthalates in their products by a quick phone call to their corporate offices. Certain companies have phased them out, like Little Tikes and The First Years. Legos have always been safe. So, with this knowledge I contacted Avent again, this time with better questions. They gave me the same answer, but I asked them again. They then told me that the soft nozzles are made out of evoprene, and the hard nozzles are comprised of a combination of evoprene and polypropylene. I asked them “what is evoprene?” They actually said they didn’t know, and to contact the manufacturer of evoprene. I did, and found out that evoprene is styrene based! Unbelieveable. Well, we changed our sippy cups that same day (see recommended product below).

I have found in general that you can’t avoid plastic, however you can easily find safer alternatives. I would NOT use plastic baby bottles, regardless of being "BPA free" or not. We used the EvenFlo solid glass ones with great peace of mind with my daughter. You can buy all kinds of rubber covers to keep them safe if dropped. For general storage we choose to not use plastics very much, but use glass corningware instead due to leeching issues with any scratches. And an FYI - Freezing food in plastic apparently can really speed up the leeching process. After all of this, do I even need to tell you to NEVER put plastic in the microwave, or boil those frozen pouches of food? Yikes! When covering food with plastic, saran wrap, etc. try to let the food cool down completely first before covering. If you don't, the top will heat up and the resulting condensation can leech plastic from the covering right into your foods!

Here is a safer alternative: Klean Kanteen Bottles (http://www.kleenkanteen.com/). They have a small 12oz canteen that our kids use. However, don’t use their baby “sippy” spouts, as they are the Avent ones! However, I spoke with the company two years ago and told them about the evoprene, and they may have rethought their spouts. These cups are made from solid stainless steel, with a fully polypropylene top (the sport top). They are more expensive than regular plastic ones, but come with greater peace of mind. Also, Thermos makes the really cute "fun characters" ones now that you can easily find in target for around $16.

CFL's and Mercury

2009-10-28T20:12:00.003-04:00

Ok everyone, CFL's (compact fluorescent ligth bulbs) contain mercury! Most people have no idea that these "eco" light bulbs contain mercury. Better for the envionment? I think not! They are tossed into the trash by most people, breaking and releasing mercury right into the environment or right into their own homes! CFL's are fluorescent lights, just like those long overhead light bulbs you see in most office buldings and schools. The thing that makes them fluorescent is MERCURY. It is a gas, which is why it is so dangerous when one of these bulbs breaks. If one breaks in your home, you need to evacuate immediately and air out the area, and then follow an extensive clean-up process that makes you wonder WHY these light bulbs are being used on a mass basis if they are toxic?

If you do have them, PLEASE take them to the appropriate recycle center when they go bad. I have no idea who thought it was so brilliant to put mercury into a light bulb that could easily be broken (at least overhead lighting doesn't run the same risk of being knocked over in a lamp, or touched by a child) but good gosh there are other options here folks! For instance, look into LED (light-emitting diode) Lighting. It is VERY safe, lasts a long time, zero EMF, and is good for the planet! More and more options are available now too as far as size of bulbs, etc. so check them out! Also realize that all fluorescent lights give off significant EMF's, which is being linked more and more to various health issues and cancers.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

2009-10-28T19:51:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know that High Fructose Corn Syrup contains mercury? Wow, think about all of those products on the shelves at the grocery store that contain corn syrup! I know I was partial to the Nutragrain strawberry cereal bars while I was pregant with my son...yikes! Most pregnant women know about the mercury content in fish, but how about this? Check out this article, with the list of tested foods and their mercury content: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-27-corn-syrup_N.htm. And apparently they are not taking those items off the shelves either, or removing the HFCS from the ingredients. It is unbelievable that unknowing people are not only eating these products, but their young kids are eating them as well and ingesting mercury. Doesn't this bother anyone else?

Too Plugged In?

2009-10-28T16:55:00.000-04:00

Does anyone worry at all about the vast number of cell phone towers being erected just about everywhere? Did you know that safety tests were never done on women and children using cell phones? Here is a website where you can see how many cell phone towers are located within a four mile radius of your work/home: www.antennasearch.com. It is truly amazing to see how many there are so close to your home. Frightening actually, especially when you consider that no one has done studies to determine the long term health issues with such structures.

Then there is the Blue Tooth or "ear bug" technology. Did you know that recent studies have determined a link between an increase in brain tumors and the use of such devices? If you stop to think about it, it makes sense actually. You have a constant signal being emitted right next to your brain! Why on earth does everyone need to be so plugged in ALL THE TIME? I see little kids walking down the street in our neighborhood "texting" each other as they are walking together! Good gosh. People don't spend time talking to each other anymore. Texting has taken the place of real conversations and even conversing on the phone. Wireless technology is everywhere, which is really convenient sometimes, but do you really need to always be plugged in wherever you go? And have safety studies been done to determine the safety of wireless running all through your home, including while you sleep?

I started thinking more about these issues when we realized that my son would go bonkers when the wireless network was on in our home. We would turn it off and he would be fine again. We watched it happen for many months until finally removing the wireless from our home and went back to standard ethernet technology. We went back the the basics and even swapped our cordless phones for corded phones, this being done when I read more about the high EMF's generated by these phones. The real sign was how hot that side of my face was after I had been on the phone for any length of time. Just makes you wonder, huh? Cell phones are also of caution unless you use a safe headset, not just any headset as typical ones can make matters worse as the cord can act as it's own antenna. Cell phones emit microwave radiation, so use them with caution and with a safe headset. Here is one that is considered safe that we use: http://www.safelevel.com/page9/page9.html. I personally would not use cell phones around babies or children under age 16 either for safety reasons.

Greetings!

2009-10-28T16:36:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone!
Well, this is my first blog! I have had a lot of people ask me to create a website or venue for sharing the extensive research that I have collected over the past few years regarding environmental pollution, toxins, special diets, green living and more and here it is!

First, a little background. I am the mother of a child recovering from autism and multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome. My son was severely autistic and non-verbal at age 2, regressing after multiple vaccinations. I will share his story in depth, and the various interventions that we have done over the past few years that have placed him into the ADHD category at this point. Although we still have challenges at age six, most people do not believe that this is the same child at all from four years ago. He is fully conversational, very affectionate and loving, and continues to improve daily! I am a mom who refused to believe that he would have to live such a difficult life, and forged ahead into the darkness to retrieve our son.

Due to my son's severe sensitivities, I have become an environmental advocate and have learned a multitude about the basic things that surround our daily lives that can cause disease and chronic illness. In general, people never think to question "what is in something?" and the reality is that most people don't really want to know until they are looking eye to eye with a devastating illness. Things that we take for granted as being "safe" aren't always what they seem. I am also working on a book that will detail our son's emergence out of autism, as well as discuss pollution and environmental issues. I hope to enlighten people, and I am looking forward to sharing all kinds of information with you!

Till then -
Valerie