Eco Living Blog

What's The Truth About Sunscreen?

2010-05-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

As with any health issue, relevant studies must be examined closely to reach balanced conclusions about its impact on our health and well-being. Often, risk determinations are made without considering actual hazards and real-life exposures. It is in our best interest to become informed as consumers and make pure, natural and simple choices to protect our health and longevity.

There is a substantial body of evidence that shows that there is an increase in cancer when sunscreen products are used. Both chemical sunscreens (avobenzone, methoxycinnamate, padimate-o) and physical sunblocks (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) have been found to generate free radicals when exposed to sunlight, which then can attack the nuclei of your skin cells and cause mutations. Furthermore, sunscreen chemicals have been found to pass through the skin and mimic the effects of estrogen, which may disrupt the delicate balance of the body´s natural hormones.

The following excerpt is taken from a book called "Sunscreen Photobiology—Molecular, Cellular and Physiological Aspects" (Francis P. Gasparro, Springer Verlag, Pub.): "Illumination of titanium dioxide suspensions with sunlight can degrade organic materials and purify drinking water, while illumination with short wave UV kills human cells. This work shows that the distinction between 'chemical' sunscreens and 'physical' sunscreens, attractive though it may be to those who market them, is not based on any significant difference. Both varieties have the potential to produce reactive species that can attack biological materials (human skin cells) when they are exposed to normal sunlight. What is established is that particles of titanium dioxide as large as 220 nm can enter human cells in culture, and so it seems entirely plausible that if titanium dioxide does pass through skin it could enter cells under the skin (carrying with it the absorbed UVA and UVB radiation and hydroxyl radicals)."

Other studies show that cytotoxicity (danger to the cell) was dependent on the particle size of titanium dioxide. The smaller the particle size, the more toxic it is. This conclusion is relevant to the consumer because of the consumer’s insistence on (and subsequently, the cosmetics industry's response to), the use of micronized pigments in sunscreens and color cosmetics. Nano particles of titanium dioxide are used in sunscreens because they are colorless (no big schmear of white goop on your face – how unhip!) at that size, and still absorb ultraviolet light.

Lastly, an unintended consequence of the “successful” campaign to get people using sunscreen: over 5 metric tons of sunscreen are washed off swimmers into the world’s oceans every year. The highly toxic nature of one of the main ingredients in sunscreen (Benzophenone-3), has been shown to prime the growth of a deadly virus in coral reef. The dangers are greatest, of course, where the most swimmers are drawn to the beauty of coral reefs.

Simply put: small amounts of sun are healthy. We need the absorption of Vitamin D to help strong bone growth, and to help our bodies process calcium. We need to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of sun shining through depleted ozone. The natural “solution”: adults and children should remain indoors (at work and school or play) during the hottest part of the day, and when they venture out they should be sure to cover themselves properly. Schedule gardening, errands, play, etc., for early morning or evening hours. Our recommendation for protection: Loose-fitting clothing, shady trees and big floppy hats. Organic cotton is a good way to go. And choose sunscreens with zinc oxide at the main ingredient, no nano particles of titanium dioxide in them, with a plethora of organic, plant-based ingredients (aloe, green tea, grapeseed oil) and no Benzophenone-3.

Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About Stress, But Were Too Stressed To Pay Attention To It

2009-05-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. - Natalie Goldberg

Stressful facts about “Stress”:

More than 50% of adult Americans suffer adverse health effects due to stress.
Medical researchers estimate that up to 90% of illness and disease is stress-related.
Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.
Tranquilizers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications account for one fourth of all prescriptions written in the U.S. each year
Americans spend $11.3 billion per year to cope with stress

What can be added to the discussion on stress, especially now, and knowing all that we know, is that it is up to each and every one of us to find out about it as much as possible in order to save ourselves from its debilitating effects, both short term, as well as long term. Excluding the trauma of living in a war zone, surviving a natural disaster, being a crime victim, or suffering from a horrible accident, most of our stress comes from the makings of our own mind, our perceptions of our experiences that arise out of daily living. What a bizarre thing we humans do to ourselves in the course of going about our daily lives! Whether it’s career/work stress, relationship stress, money stress, aging stress, wedding stress, or vacation stress (!), we are all faced with the task of organizing our response to the stuff of our lives. And that’s what stress really is – not the actual event or situation, but our response to it.

I'm an old man and I've had many troubles, most of which never happened. - Mark Twain

Aging and stress

Stress doesn't just make a person feel older. In a very real sense, it can speed up aging. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that stress can add years to the age of individual immune system cells. The study focused on telomeres, caps on the end of chromosomes. Whenever a cell divides, the telomeres in that cell get a little shorter and a little more time runs off the clock. When the telomere becomes too short, time runs out: The cell can no longer divide or replenish itself. This is a key process of aging, and it's one of the reasons humans can't live forever. Researchers checked both the telomeres and the stress levels of 58 healthy premenopausal women. The stunning result: On average, the immune system cells of highly stressed women had aged by an extra 10 years. The study didn't explain how stress adds years to cells making up the immune system. As the study authors write, "the exact mechanisms that connect the mind to the cell are unknown." Researchers do have a not very surprising theory, though: Stress hormones could be somehow shortening telomers and cutting the life span of cells.

New Science Regarding Stress:

One of the most original minds working today in the area of physiology and stress, is Dr. Robert Sapolsky. He is a MacArthur fellow, and a professor of biological sciences and neuroscience at Stanford University, and he has an outstanding reputation as a dynamic teacher and lecturer. In addition, he is also an accomplished writer and communicator of science to non-scientists. Every summer since the late '70s, he has traveled to Kenya to study the stressful lives of baboons, whose competitive, stratified society resembles our own. By linking baboons' behavior with their health, he has learned that some individuals handle stress better than others. More importantly, he has also seen the profound effect of peace on these animal societies.

But an extraordinary thing has been observed in one of the troops, called the Forest Troop: In his book A Primate's Memoir, Sapolsky studied the activities and lifestyle of the Forest Troop to explore the relationship between stress and disease. In typical baboon fashion, the males behaved badly, angling either to assume or maintain dominance with higher ranking males or engaging in bloody battles with lower ranking males, which often tried to overthrow the top baboon by striking tentative alliances with fellow underlings. Females were often harassed and attacked. Internecine feuds were routine.

Through a heartbreaking twist of fate, the most aggressive males in the Forest Troop were wiped out. The top ranked males invaded the territory of another troop, which had taken to foraging in an open garbage pit adjacent to a tourist lodge. The Forest Troop aggro males who had so viciously fought for the rights to the garbage dump, contracted bovine tuberculosis from tainted meat that ended up in the dump. Most died between 1983 and 1986, leaving the weak, oldest, and youngest males behind with all the females. The deaths drastically changed the gender composition of the troop, more than doubling the ratio of females to males, and by 1986 troop behavior had changed considerably as well; males were significantly less aggressive. Over time, the males in the Forest Troop also displayed more grooming behavior, an activity that's decidedly less stressful than fighting.

Analyzing blood samples from the different troops, Dr. Sapolsky found that the Forest Troop males lacked the distinctive physiological markers of stress, such as elevated levels of stress-induced hormones, seen in other troups. For Sapolsky, the challenge is to figure out why these differences exist and to see if there are lessons for humanity: “I can tell you this: physiologically, it doesn't come cheap being a bastard 24 hours a day.”

What this is supporting, is the very clear link between peaceful, calm behavior both in individuals, as well as society at large, and longer, happier lives. Of course many many philosophers, spiritual leaders, writers, activists, as well as plain old folks, have known about this for millennia. Now it seems, science has irrefutable proof of it.

When it rains, I let it. - 113 year old man in response to a question about the secret of his longevity

Interesting and Inspiring Facts about Stress:

The color blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to release calming hormones
When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red.
Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
Stress is manageable, workable, and reversible

Stress Be Gone! What to DO about stress that is not stressful at all:

Eat Consciously

The important connection between diet and stress cannot be “stressed” enough. If the food you eat is imperative to your overall everyday health, then it may very well save your life in times of stress. Eating high fat, sugary, fried foods, and/or drinking and smoking while experiencing stress, is literally proving to be like playing Russian roulette: it will definitely catch up with you and harm you greatly.

AVOID:Caffeine: overstimulates the adrenals which are responsible for the hormonal “flight or fight” response in the body.
Alcohol: Spikes sugar levels in blood, bogs down liver function needed for immune system, disturbs sleep patterns, causes depression, reduces ability to judge situations rationally – things feel worse than they really are.
Salt: triggers hypertension; restricted salt intake allows kidneys to remove stress hormones from the bloodstream at a faster rate.
Sugar: Exacerbates mood swings - gets you high, then you crash.
Trans fats: greasy fried foods clog liver function, reduce circulation and raise blood pressure.
Animal foods: High-protein foods elevate brain levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, both of which are associated with higher levels of anxiety and stress.

Stock your pantry with these foods to help you stave off stress and enhance your beauty and well being:

Wild Salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids fight depression
Oatmeal: Carbs produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for calm, relaxed feelings. Whole grains and complex carbohydrates are better than sugary carbs.
Walnuts: contain Omega 3s, as well as L-arginine, an amino acid that converts to nitric oxide, a chemical that allows blood vessels to relax.
Dark Chocolate: Feel good chemicals in it are for real: anandamide and phenylethylamine calm the mind and lower blood pressure.
Sweet Potatoes: a great low calorie, starchy food that boosts serotonin levels; also contains beta carotenes, free radical scavenger that protects from sun damage.
Milk/Cheese/Yogurt: High calcium intake reduces PMS symptoms and may even alleviate them altogether.
Blueberries: Number one in antioxidants (supports immune system), and potassium which helps lower blood pressure.
Asparagus/Chickpeas: high in folic acid, which helps stabilize moods. The body converts folic acid into serotonin.

Aromatherapy:

Many plant essences can help to bring on a calm, relaxed state of mind. Aromatherapy is simple to do: just dip a cottonball in the essences and inhale. You can find them on line or at your local health food store. Organic is best, when available.

Essential Oils For Stress-Related Problems
Anger, Anxiety: Basil, bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, frankincense, geranium, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli, ylang-ylang
Depression: Basil, clary sage, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, melissa, neroli, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang-ylang
Insomnia: Basil, chamomile, lavender, mandarin, marjoram, melissa, neroli, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood, thyme, ylang-ylang
Nervous Exhaustion: Basil, cinnamon, citronella, coriander, ginger, grapefruit, hyssop, jasmine, lavender, lemon grass, peppermint, nutmeg, rosemary, ylang-ylang
Nervous Tension: Basil, bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, cinnamon, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli, palmarosa, rosemary, vetiver, ylang-ylang

Herbal Teas:

Brewing up a soothing cup of tea is a calming, peace-inducing ritual in itself. If you can, find loose leaves, that are organic, but ready made tea bags in various blends of the herbs listed here are just fine.

Mint: Herbs in the mint family, especially spearmint and peppermint, add a refreshing flavor and mild sedative action to herbal teas. They are especially soothing to an upset stomach.
Skullcap: The whole plant can be used as tea to help relieve a variety of symptoms. Skullcap is a relaxing herb that you can use for insomnia, headache, nervous exhaustion, muscle spasms, and the nervous tension and irritability associated with premenstrual syndrome.
Ginseng: The dried roots of ginseng are used in cases of insomnia, nervous exhaustion, and stress.
Chamomile: The delicate apple-like scented flowers of chamomile are useful for people suffering from hyperactivity, indigestion, insomnia, and nausea
Lavender: Its benefits include anxiety, indigestion, irritability, nervous exhaustion and tension headaches
Lemon verbena is used to help alleviate indigestion, insomnia, and nausea.
Linden: The aromatic flowers of this herb help relieve anxiety, headaches, indigestion, and nervous tension.
Passionflower vine: are utilized in teas by persons suffering from anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nervous tension, PMS & menstrual problems, and tension headaches.
Valerian: useful in relieving anxiety, insomnia, and tension. Actual clinical trials show that valerian can help users fall asleep faster and have a deeper, more refreshing night's sleep.
Catnip has a variety of medicinal uses including insomnia, excitability, palpitations, nervous indigestion, stomach upsets, and digestion-related headaches. Interestingly, although catnip causes quite a bit of excitement in cats, it is believed to have exactly the opposite effect on humans. Catnip tea has a long history of use as a calming brew, to soothe the stomach and quiet the mind.

Vitamin And Mineral Therapy

To help offset some of the damage caused by stress, try the following daily supplements:

200 to 400 milligrams of magnesium,
10 to 100 milligrams of B- complex vitamins and
500 to 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C.

The magnesium blocks the damaging effects of excess adrenaline. Studies have shown the physical damage caused by stress is minimized with B-complex and Vitamin C.

Here are some other things to help prevent stress:
Yoga (try very easy beginner’s classes to really understand why this 3000 year old system of health and wellbeing is so relevant to our modern age)
Mindfulness Meditation (Be Here Now; stress and anxiety come from either dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. The mind that is in the present moment is much more peaceful)
Deep Breathing (deep-breathing-a-day keeps the doctor away)
Guided Imagery (many, many audio cds exist to help you visualize peaceful journeys)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (first relax your toes, then your ankles, then your shins….)
Massage Therapy (lowers blood pressure and assists in the movement of lymph through the lymph system. Our lymph system carries cellular debris and toxins out of the body.)
Exercise In Nature (long walks, biking, hiking, swimming in the ocean)

Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it. - Jane Wagner

Laugh:

Finally, here is one of my favorite remedies for stress (and you may laugh at this, but it really works): Laughter Therapy. A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:
§ Stimulate your organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
§ Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
§ Soothe tension and stomachaches. Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation, which helps reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Laughter isn't just a quick pick-me-up, though. It's also good for you over the long haul. Laughter may:
§ Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can impact your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
§ Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
§ Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make difficult situations a little bit easier.
While we are all works in progress, and the most certain thing about life it that it will be filled with uncertainties, there is only one life that we are given. Use it wisely.

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. -- Chinese Proverb

New Year's Renewal: Hitting the Refresh Button for 2011

2009-02-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

MIND

In discussing ways to jumpstart your New Year, the focus has been on cleansing, “refreshing”, starting over. The cornerstone of any holistic approach to good health and healthy living, is the acknowledgment of the mind/body connection. One of the very best ways, then, to begin cultivating this “new you”, is to really and truly understand what your own mind/body connection is, to begin viewing everything you do through this perspective.
The easiest place to begin is with the breath.

As mentioned in our Top 10 list above, learning how to deep breathe is a must for physical cleansing and health. But breathing exercises also form the foundation of many ancient practices that promote a deepening of consciousness—meditation, mindfulness, yoga, chi gong. In the Middle East the word for breath (ruach in Hebrew and ruhain Aramaic) also means spirit. The way in which we breathe is also the way in which we embody spirit. Deep flowing breath is a sign of health, balance, and fullness of spirit. Short shallow breath indicates stress. Breath is the simplest most direct way to focus one’s energy and to connect with the center of awareness. Breathing through a stressful time is an effective way to let go of the tension that accumulates in the body. A few long deep breaths at a difficult moment can completely change the way we handle a situation. By changing the way we breathe we can change emotional and physical states. Feelings and emotions can therefore be released and cleared out of the body by working with the breath.

Meditation is another way to achieve the same results. It clears the mind, puts everything in perspective, helps move your emotional center to a more non-reactive place, and trains the mind to “be in the present moment”. Stress comes from either dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. Problem solving, clear thinking and reasoning, and ability to be more flexible with life’s daily challenges can be directly related to present moment thinking. There are many ways to begin meditating, either on your own, or with a group. There is meditation with yoga, Zazen (seated formal Zen Buddhist meditation), walking meditation, Transcendental Meditation that trains one to meditate anytime, anywhere. As they like to joke in ye olde Buddhist monastery: “Don’t just do something, sit there!”

The practice of consciously unplugging, of finding how to take a step back from your daily life, through alone time, through stillness and quiet, is critical for living a healthier life. It’s been medically proven that mindful disengagement, when practiced on a regular basis, provides the link to mind/body health. This is truly what “hitting the refresh button” is all about.

SPIRIT

The through line of this discussion is about finding a New Year’s ritual that not only serves the purpose of helping you to welcome the turning of the ‘08 to the ‘09 with good cheer and enthusiasm, but to give you encouragement to continue on for the whole rest of the year, and beyond. And nothing helps to set intention more than ritual. Mindful living really is nothing more than a series of rituals, big and small, that we create for ourselves on a daily basis, that help give structure and meaning to our story, the story of our life.

One of the components of mindful living is a connection with nature. Re-affirm your own personal connection to the natural world every day, in every way that you can. To me, this is spiritual health. Once one has an abiding relationship with nature, then all the dots become connected: it is pointless to care about what you eat and what you put on your body as being eco pure, if you have not directly related that to the state of the planet.

Getting zen and calm and yoga-ed out everyday merely becomes an act of trendy self absorption if those lessons aren’t put into action to help make the world a better place. Every choice every day hopefully enables you to understand the interconnectedness of all that you do, think, consume, recycle, create.

Here is a simple ceremony to help you re-affirm your spiritual connection to Nature, to engage in a ritual that helps you to bridge the year just completed, with the one still to come.
It’s based on the Native American ritual, The Blessing Tree Ceremony.

Go out into Nature and find a beautiful tree that speaks to you. Choose it for it’s solitary location (away from lots of people) Bring an offering of cornmeal and loose leaf tobacco (traditional Native offerings) and sprinkle around the base of the tree in a circle going clockwise after your ritual.

Sit on the East side of the tree, and ask yourself: What ideas have brought me Liberation?
On the South Side: What beliefs have I outgrown?
On the West Side: What things do I regret and now let go of?
On the North Side: What are my life’s achievements as well as unfulfilled desires?

You should take a small notebook and pen to at least have the questions so you don’t forget them, but to also provide yourself a journaling exercise to record your lists. I like to take mine out and look at them throughout the year, and to also compare my lists from year to year.

Mindful living is simple, honest and direct - just like the refresh button on your computer. Both contain what any new year always promises: potential. Here’s another thought that’s been around for a while, but ever so appropriate now, more than ever, and to help you in your preparations for 2009:

Watch your words: they become your thoughts.Watch your thoughts: they become your actions.Watch your actions: they become your habits.Watch your habits: they become your destiny.

New Year's Renewal: Hitting the Refresh Button for 2009

2009-01-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

One of the most enjoyable aspects, to me, of our ever evolving world of computing and technology, has always been the unexpected poetry of the language used to describe various functions, situations, and concepts. (defragmentation, cookies, open the drapes, pixel dust, thumbnail). My favorite lately, perhaps because in practical terms, it sometimes solves so many problems with a mere click of a button, is “refresh”. Who doesn’t enjoy the feeling of an instant “fix” when in a jam?

In metaphorical terms, it’s a complete winner: a simple enough concept, albeit one with huge ramifications: it’s the all encompassing “do over” for which all of us are longing.

And when considering its use in thinking about the looming New Year, it has a more gentle, less harsh ring to it. Instead of saddling ourselves with sure to backfire, hardcore “resolutions” about how much better we’re going to be in ’09 with (fill in the blank) our diets, our exercise program, our finances, our relationships, etc. etc. etc. , we can right away avoid the straight out of box “doomed for failure” modality which that whole system involves.

“Hit the refresh button for your life”. See how much softer, kinder, and attainable that sounds? Mind you, like anything and everything in life, attention must be paid in order to achieve any kind of satisfaction. Paying attention here means thoughtful consideration, a modicum of stick-to-it-ive-ness, and a little perseverance. But, as with computing, there is no limit to the amount of times you can hit the refresh button. Keep doing it, and before long, you will have developed the incredibly good habits of enlightened self-care that will change your life. And that is not spam, that’s truth.

What is “enlightened self care”? Anything that furthers the goal of authentic living, which gives you good physical, mental, and spiritual health, wellbeing, and balance. Following are three sections devoted to a holistic approach to finding this balance – all three are necessary for accessing the sweet spot, and getting the richness you deserve with your life.

BODY

My approach to the idea of physical “refreshing”: if you do it on a semi-regular basis all the time anyway, then there’s not so much need for drastic detoxing. This list offers several ways to work simple habits into your daily life for more long-term results.

1. Drink at least 2 quarts of filtered, purified water a day. No matter what. There is nothing that you can do for yourself physically that is more simple and more important.

2. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

3. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea. The herbs can be taken in capsule form like you would your daily dose of vitamins.

4. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

5. Practice Deep Breathing. Breathing deeply allows oxygen to circulate more completely through your system. Breath is the source of life. During inhalation, fresh energy is brought into the body, energy centers, and pores to nourish the cells, tissues, and organs. With exhalation, accumulated stress, stagnant energy, and toxins are released.

6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions. Chronic stress in increasing degrees can make us more susceptible to physical and emotional illness (like anxiety disorder and depression), burn out, premature aging, and impacts negatively on judgment, performance and decision making. Positive emotions have a harmonizing and thereby health promoting effect on our body.

7. Practice hydrotherapy. Take a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Then wrap up in warm clothes lie down in bed, and pile a bunch of blankets on top of yourself. Stay prone for 30 minutes. Hydrotherapy exploits the body's reaction to hot and cold stimuli. The nerves carry impulses felt at the skin, deeper into the body, where they are instrumental in stimulating the immune system, influencing the production of stress hormones, invigorating circulation and digestion, encouraging blood flow, and lessening pain sensitivity.

8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration. Almost every city and town has some kind of facility with day pass access to dry or wet saunas - YMCA’s, health clubs, and such. Try going to ethnic enclaves in your city for some of the best of these kinds of inexpensive experiences: Russian, Turkish, and Korean traditions have a beautiful history of working with sauna heat for everyday detoxing.

9. Dry-brush your skin to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes with natural bristles are available at natural products stores (please don’t use artificial fibers for this effort). This is a very low-tech yet time tested technique used by people all over the world. Dry skin brushing increases circulation to skin, encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, which greatly aids the lymphatic drainage of the entire body. When the body rids itself of toxins, it is able to run more efficiently in all areas. Dry skin brushing also rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin. Dry skin brushing helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores. Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health.

Begin brushing your skin in long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction. Always brush towards the heart. Try and brush several times in each area, over-lapping as you go. Try following your dry brushing session with the hot and cold hydrotherapy suggested above for an incredible DIY detox session.

10. Finally, what is the most important way to detoxify the body, day in and day out? Exercise, and for at least 30 minutes every day; enough to elevate your heart rate and break a sweat. Choose anything that also gives you enough pleasure to keep doing on a regular basis, because if it’s a chore, then you won’t stick with it. Variety is also key: mix hiking or swimming into a daily yoga practice; salsa dancing twice a week alternating with medicine ball workouts at the gym. Be fearless, try something new.

Next Blog: MIND

WHAT IS A "GREEN" MANICURE ALL ABOUT?

2008-12-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Before you think “Lily Munster’s favorite thing to do”, think again. This kind of green manicure has everything to do with becoming an activist on behalf of your own health and beauty, and the health of the planet, and not so much a sassy, witchy shade of Halloween green (although, if that is your preference of toe color – go for it! More about that later)

Increasingly, the beauty products we use are coming under scrutiny by conscious consumers ready to insist on the health and safety of everything they put on their bodies. Nail care has gotten a strong look and re-consideration, for nail polish ingredients specifically, but for its overall use of strong chemicals for all the stages of a manicure and pedicure in general, not to mention the chemical bath that is a set of standard artificial nails. Isn’t it time to divest yourself of the experience of walking into a nail salon, ready to relax and be pampered, and have to force yourself to breathe through the chemicals that suggest more auto body shop than nail shop?

The nail bed is an incredibly porous and sensitive entrée into the blood stream of the human being. It literally sucks in all the substances that come into contact with it like a sponge, and pushes them into the tiny capillaries at the end of the finger for dispersal. (Likewise, any substance that is used on or near your physical proximity that emits chemical fumes, detectable or not, will be directly inhaled into the lungs.)

Think about the chemical soup your body can absorb during a regular mani or pedi: first the polish remover (typically made of acetone – a strong, chemical solvent used to break up the composition of plastics and paints), then a cuticle cream (most contain ingredients like salicylic acid to break down tissue, or triethanolamine an emusifier); next, various soaks, scrubs, and massages with lotions and potions (which could all contain various chemical detergents and preservatives, synthetic fragrances and colors), and then the application of the polish itself (most commercial brands contain formaldehyde, DBP, and tuolene) – all very toxic chems that have been linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies and certain neurotocixities. Tuolene, for example, is an octane booster in gasoline, and it’s a requirement by law in California, to post hazard warnings at all gas pumps about tuolene for pregnant women!

More bad news: If you happen to feel like splurging, perhaps you would get a paraffin dip (the wax is a by-product of petroleum). The supplies used on you (plastic toe separators, disposable slippers) are also by-products of petroleum and end up in the garbage (landfill), where with any luck, they will break down in, oh, about a billion years. And in case you forgot, petroleum is a non-sustainable resource. The search for, and procurement of petroleum has had major detrimental impacts on the soil, ground water, surface water, and ecosystems of the United States and around the world. Petroleum refineries release toxic, hazardous air pollutants, such as BTEX compounds, and air pollutants, like sulfur dioxide.

Whew. That little “beauty” regimen of yours just got a whole lot uglier, didn’t it? What‘s a girl to do, for crying out loud? Thankfully, there are more and more eco-friendly salons, spa services, and home care products to ease up congestion on the chem highway, and provide great alternatives for incredible hand and foot pampering. You still get to choose from hundreds of lush shades of paints, and you still get to feel like the spa princess that you are (even if you DIY in your own bathroom…er, spa HQ).

The first place to start is to think about getting rid of your artificial nail addiction, if you have one. It kills the health of the nails and prohibits any ability for the nail to flourish and grow on its own. If you have problems growing healthy nails, the root cause could be deficiencies in your diet. Take supplements of Vitamin A and calcium for nails that split or break easily, and Vitamin B for fungus, or ridges. Use tea tree or lavender oil to fight fungus outbreaks. Take Vitamin C or folic acid for hang nails, and avoid cutting cuticles, as this causes them to grow back thicker.

Use course sea salt or turbinado sugar mixed with your favorite essential oils for great exfoliating scrubs to get rid of calluses on the bottoms of the feet. (Try mixing salt or sugar with organic grapeseed oil for an incredible skin conditioner and callous softener.) Use a finer grain sugar mixed with lemon juice for the hands, as this will help lighten age spots or other skin discolorations.

Although the Spredi-Spa is a dandy entrée into the world of green pedicures, (it is a disposable, biodegradable toe separator and pedicure slipper all in one), the most eco way to solve the problem of having something to wear out of the salon with wet toes, is of course, to bring your own pair of flip flops. As you now are surely keeping re-usable canvas grocery bags in your car trunk, why not keep an extra pair of flip flops as well?

While we’re on the subject of “bringing your own”, this goes double for the basic nail care tools. Bring your own re-usable set of clippers, emery board/file, orange stick, and nail brush. You’ll cut down on your exposure to infectious bacteria from others, and in the process, you’ll be participating in the eco conscious practice of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

For polish: there is now a whole wonderful world of options available at health food stores and natural beauty apothecaries, as well as on-line. Our favorite brands are known as the “three-free” polishes, as they have all had the formaldehyde, DBP, and tuolene removed. These include Zoya, Honeybee Gardens, Priti, and Nubar. They have extensive color choices (Zoya has that particular shade of “witchy green” you might like, and new seasonal palettes every year), and last just as long as any other traditional brand, without chipping or peeling.

A new polish on the scene takes the concept of non-toxic polish a step further. Aquarella claims its polishes could be ingested, they are that chem free! These are water based polishes, and require a conditioning step of the nail bed to remove oils and residues accumulated from other polishes, removers and lotions (oil and water don’t mix). The high water content of this product can really be felt as it absorbs into the nail. No base coat OR top coat is needed when using this system—altogether, a very interesting peek into the future of nail care.

So now you have your own little nail care kit, yet you still crave the pampering and massages that come along with having someone else give you a mani or pedi. If you’re watching your pennies, and have to patronize a budget nail shop, at least you’ve taken very important steps to insure more of your health and safety. Choose a seat near an open door or fan while getting your treatment, and bargain for longer foot massages since you’re providing most of your own supplies.

If you happen to live in a city where there is an eco-friendly nail salon or services (uh hm: GreenBliss EcoSpa to the rescue), then you don’t have to take your supplies, as everything they have will be top of the line green and good. The sanitation standards will be stellar, the chemical fumes will be non-existent, and the ingredients used in the products will be more pure. A green salon cost a little more, but in the end, is really worth it.

And if you’re still the CEO of your own Home Spa HQ, then invite a friend over and make it a party. Your digits, your dermis, and your dollars will appreciate it!

Green Armpits: Eco Beautiful Ways To Deal With BO

2008-08-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

It’s a stinky subject, to be sure, but we are nothing if not intrepid in our approach to solving this very annoying problem. Who sweats, who doesn’t, who’s smelly, who isn’t: those are questions best left to the doctors and scientists. We are interested in figuring out what to do about it in the most practical and effective way, from an eco-beauty perspective.
Conventional wisdom suggests that perspiration is the cause of body odor. However, perspiration by itself is basically odorless, but it is the bacteria and odors coming from other sources that are the real culprits. Anaerobic bacteria, which flourish when your body doesn't have enough oxygen, may well be the cause of your body odor. As the body's metabolism goes to work, it gives off odors which is the body's way of ridding itself of waste products. Any imbalances in metabolism will result in stronger odors.
Sweat glands (apocrine glands) under the arms secrete a substance that is the major non-food/drink related cause of body odor. This substance, which contains protein, carbohydrates, and lipids, often secreted in tense moments or emotional stress, is quickly attacked by bacteria, causing odor.
First off, get thee the right underarm protection.
Deodorants help destroy bacteria and disguise odors. But look out for potentially toxic, irritating ingredients. Avoid aluminum (linked to Alzheimer's disease) which can potentially leach into the breasts and lymph glands, and products with emulsifiers (known to clog pores). Consider products with tea tree oil, known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Or use a deodorant stone, made from mineral salts. Antiperspirants reduce bacteria-feeding moisture -- but they block sweat glands and contain aluminum chlorohydrate. Not so good!
These are some of the brands we’ve found at to be the safest (most non-toxic), yet effective:
Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal
Lafe's Natural and Organic
Kiss My Face Liquid Rock
Floral Active by Terra Naturals
In addition to your deodorant, try using a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide (3%) that can be picked up at the pharmacy. Put a teaspoonful in a glass of water and wash the underarm. If that doesn't work, increase the amount of peroxide.
Make it a point to use pH-balanced soaps and skincare products to maintain the protective acid mantle of your skin.
Lifestyle changes
There are certain lifestyle changes to make if you have a constant problem with body odor:
Clothing is an area many people overlook. Loose fitting clothes allow the body to breathe better than tight clothes. The perspiration escapes and doesn't become a breeding ground for bacteria. The type of fabric is also very important. Synthetic fabrics for shoes and clothes don't allow the body to breathe, so use all natural fabrics. (Bamboo is naturally anti-microbial)
Tobacco use is a major cause of body odor. Not only does it come back through your lungs, but it comes through the skin. It probably mixes with other elements of your body's chemistry to create a distinct odor. If you stop smoking it may take several weeks before you notice any changes in your body odor.
Dietary changes are also very important in eliminating various sources of odor. Certain foods, such as meat, onions, garlic, exotic spices, and drinks such as coffee and alcohol can lead to body odor. Try eliminating these from your diet for a week or two and see if this makes a difference.
Maintain a balanced diet. Overloading or cutting back in vital areas can throw your system off and aggravate glandular secretions. Adapt a diet of 30 percent lean protein, to help the liver develop a sufficient amount of enzymes for the detox process; 30 percent essential fats (such as flaxseed oil, nuts, avocados and seeds), to lubricate the GI tract; and 40 percent slow-acting/high-fiber carbohydrates to “clean the pipes” as it were.
Cut down on dairy products and sugar. Protect your gastro tract from yeast-enhancing sugar. Look out for hidden sugars in everything from mayonnaise and soups to nondairy creamers and frozen, pre-packaged meals.
Detoxify your system regularly. It's the only way to keep your liver and gastrointestinal tract functioning at optimal levels -- and potential body odor at bay. Try taking steam baths or saunas frequently as part of an overall detoxification program.
Include friendly flora and a fiber supplement in your regimen. Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria can reestablish the proper pH balance in your digestive system. Adding a fiber supplement will gently whisk away waste buildup in the intestinal tract.
Drink 10-12 glasses of water daily. Flush toxins from your body and keep metabolic processes humming along at peak levels.
Sweating As we mentioned above, excessive sweating may have underlying causes, so it is wise to be diagnosed to see if you have a medical problem. Women going through menopause and perimenopause may experience bouts of sweating accompanied by terrible body odor. The sweating may occur even when the woman is not warm (otherwise known as a hotflash).
Caffeine and medications may also be the cause of your sweating. Reduce your caffeine intake and note if there are changes when you stop taking medication.
Supplements
Chlorophyll One or two chlorophyll tablets or chlorophyll liquid taken with each meal may also help, as chlorophyll is a great deodorizer.
Magnesium Take magnesium supplements or augment your diet with food sources high in this important mineral. Between 200-500 mg of magnesium have been recommended. You will have to try different doses until you get the amounts that are right for your body.
Vitamins A high-potency B vitamin (50 mg or higher), when combined with magnesium, will help reduce certain secretions that can be a cause of odor. Make sure you are getting 100 mg of PABA and 100 mg of B6.
Zinc If you have body odor, try taking zinc tablets. Zinc, plus magnesium, will help balance your body's metabolism and reduce the cause of bad odor. Studies have shown that taking 30 to 50 mg daily will dramatically reduce certain body odors, although you may need less. Zinc may also reduce perspiration and sweaty feet. However, it is wise to go above 15 mg only with a doctor's supervision as zinc may interfere with the absorption of copper, another essential trace mineral.
Folk Remedies
Apple cider vinegar eliminates under arm body odor when used in place of deodorant because it reduces the pH of the skin. Bacteria can't live in areas with low pH. Try bathing in an apple cider vinegar wash twice a week. Pour 2 cups of apple vinegar in your bath. The vinegar smell is gone in minutes and you should be smell-free all day.
Parsley/alfalfa Chewing parsley, alfalfa and other leafy greens will help neutralize body odor, probably because of the deodorizing effect of the chlorophyll.
Sage Herbalists suggest drinking a cup of sage tea daily to reduce sweat gland activity. This is especially true for those who perspire excessively due to tension. Use 11/2 teaspoonsful of dried sage or two tea bags in one cup of water; steep for ten minutes; drink in small doses throughout the day.
• Fresh sage leaves blended with tomato juice has been found to be very effective against BO.
Wheat grass Take 500 mg of wheat grass daily on an empty stomach and wash down with a glass of water. The chlorophyll will dramatically reduce body odor.
Homeopathic
Silicea. Homeopaths recommend dissolving three 6X tablets of the tissue salt Silicea under the tongue each morning and evening to knock out odor. Can be found at natural food grocers and pharmacies with alternative medicine sections.

All in all, we hope the next time you conduct a “smell test” on yourself, that you pass with flying colors – at least one in particular: Green!!

Simple Cures for the Breakout Blues (An Anti-Acne Guide)

2008-07-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is the last in the recent series of blogs about natural skin care, with the intention of empowering the reader to take charge of his or her own beauty regimen by learning a little bit more about what you can do to create a beautiful, healthy countenance, both inside and out – naturally.
”You are what you eat” was never more true than in looking at the causes/cures for teenage acne (and adult acne as well). Sometimes all it takes to get rid of acne and re-balance the skin are simple changes in diet, a clearer understanding of what is being used to clean and condition the skin, and to include basic food supplements in your daily routine.

Chemical reactions caused by sugar are the number one cause of acne, and the worse the acne, the more likely sugar is involved. Too much sugar in the diet stresses the body, especially the liver, and leads to insulin over-production, and consequently, over-production of sebum (fatty lubricant secreted by glands in the skin).

There is another scientifically proven link between food and acne: women who regularly eat meat are more likely to suffer from acne. The mail hormone, testosterone, causes the sebaceous glands (which secret sebum), to work overtime in times of stress. Conventionally raised meat contains hormones and steroids.

Anti Acne Diet:
If you want to have clear skin, base your diet around lots of vegetables, fruits, and good proteins rich in essential fatty acids (fish). Focus on intensely colored vegetables (such as artichokes, asparagus, carrots, kale, radishes, and spinach), that will have the lowest impact on your blood sugar. Apples, berries, apricots, peaches, cherries, nectarines are also a great addition to a low blood sugar/anti-acne diet. Plant proteins such as soy (tofu), quinoa, peanut butter, black beans, lentils, roasted almonds are essential, and will keep you energized.

Basic Supplements for Fighting Acne:
Some basic food supplements that your skin will love, and that will help combat acne are:

Vitamins:
Vitamin A, which helps rebalance hormone production. Naturally occurring sources are in eggs, cod, halibut, spinach, carrots, red bell peppers, cantaloupe, and other orange, red, and green veggies.

Vitamin E an antioxidant that promotes healing and tissue repair; topically it enhances wound repair, so it is good for dabbing on acne scar tissue. It also helps with headaches, fatigue, depression, and insomnia.

Zinc reduces inflammation, helps immune function, and keeps hormone levels in check – all critical for fighting acne breakouts. Found naturally in whole grains, Brazil nuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Magnesium is helpful in relieving stress, and for lowering blood pressure while increasing blood circulation. Stress is a major enemy of healthy skin. Found naturally in seafood, green veggies, nuts, bananas, and potatoes.

Herbs (found at natural grocers and health food stores):
Burdock root is the most important herb for treating all forms of chronic skin problems. It is a serious blood purifier which detoxifies the blood and is a mild laxative. It contains polyacetylenes that have both antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. The easiest way to use it is in a tea, or tea blend, easily found on the shelves of any health food store. You can drink the tea, then gently press the tea bags, now a “poultice”, on your acne outbreaks. Leave on for 5 or 10 minutes.

Yellow dock is extremely powerful against acne. It improves liver function by stimulating bile and digestive enzymes. It reduces bowel inflammation and toxicity, which contributes to skin eruptions. Take in a tea.

Milk Thistle is a liver and kidney tonic, and digestive aid. It cleanses, detoxifies, rebuilds, and restores healthy liver function. Poor liver function (from too much sugar in the diet), results in improper waste elimination, which leads to skin eruptions and acne. Take in a tea.

Makeup and Skin Care Products:
Finally, examine what you are using on a daily basis for makeup, skin care, and in fact ALL your personal care products. Many ingredients are toxic, and could be causing outbreaks, or worse, not doing anything to help dry up oil production and keep skin clean, but in fact, making it “dirtier”, thus becoming the direct cause of your acne.

See previous Eco Living blogs about how to read labels for safe, non-toxic ingredients, and how to shop for the best products.

Here are a few Acne Cure Recipes to make in your own kitchen that will be amazing for helping to clear up your acne:

Apple Cider and Aspirin Toner:
Apple cider vinegar lightens acne cars, while aspirin provides a generous concentration of salicylic acid. The combination of alpha-hydroxy from the vinegar, and salicylic acids will do wonders, without any chemicals. Dilute the vinegar with mineral water eight parts water to one part vinegar. Crush 6 aspirins (uncoated) and add them to the liquid, Shake the bottle vigorously. Apply directly to skin with a cotton ball. Let dry. Best applied before bedtime so the toner can really seep into the skin uninterrupted.

Lemon Egg White Mask:
Lemon juice is an excellent bleaching agent for lightening those brown, post-acne marks. Egg whites are rich in protein and help heal damaged skin, in addition to absorbing excess oil from the skin. Crack an egg, removing the yolk so that just the whites are left in the shell halves. Beat the whites, then cut a fresh lemon (organic if you have it), and squeeze the juice into the bowl of beaten egg whites. Whisk to form a dense paste. Apply to face by spreading on with fingers. Let dry (15 minutes), and rinse off. Gently pat dry.

Baking Soda & Honey Scrub:
This is a great scrub for exfoliating dead skin cells and really refreshing the tone and color of the skin. Baking soda’s fine particles are gentle and will dissolve on the skin. Honey has antimicrobial properties to fight bacteria and fungi, as well as being very soothing to the skin. It also helps to dry up acne. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with an equal amount of honey to make a paste. Rub over the face gently with fingers and then rinse with cool water. Pat dry.

Mind Stress = Acne

Now that we’ve explored ways to take care of your skin with certain “physical” methods, a word about the mental/emotional method: peace of mind, less stress.

Use this summer to get in some serious R & R – stress is big on the list of things which contribute to acne and skin fatigue. Unplug from electronic stimulus – reduce time with the television, computer, and telephone. Try yoga and meditation, long walks and leisurely bike rides, and time spent in nature – camping, picnics in the park, swimming in the ocean. Activities that still the mind, and bring a sense of calmness and serenity will go a long way toward easing the turbulence of stress in the mind.

Here’s to “real” beauty, inside and out!

MAKE IT YOURSELF!!

2008-05-05T01:12:00.000-07:00

FACE:
· Cleanse: Soak a cotton ball with cold milk. Milk removes dirt from pores and brightens the skin. · Exfoliate: oatmeal or oats mixed with milk/water and orange peel.
· Blemishes: drop pure essential lavender oil or dab honey on blemishes to dry them up. Honey also lightens blemishes.
· Face mask: yogurt, and mashed strawberries, or banana, or papaya, and honey

HAIR:
· Condition: Mayonnaise or egg yolks, mixed with mashed avocado
· To promote growth & shine: rosemary essential oil mixed with warm olive oil
· Tame your frizzy hair by rubbing coconut oil into your hands and applying sparingly onto your hair. You don't want to overdo it - too much will make your hair look greasy
. Shampooing your hair less frequently also helps with the frizzies. Excess shampooing strips natural oils from the hair.
· Rinse your hair with baking soda to get rid of shampoo build-up and styling residues. Rinsing your hair with lemon juice is said to bring life and shine back to dull hair; it will also streak it and lighten it naturally when exposed to sunlight.
· Apple cider vinegar mixed with water will give your hair shine and bounce.

More Ways to be Smart, Beautiful & Green

2008-04-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

Read the label on everything! Then go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ to enter any ingredient or product to find out more about it. Use Wikipedia to look up definitions of chemical compounds. Use google to further investigate ingredients, definitions, uses.

Remember: you get what you pay for when buying personal care products. Spend a little more for products that have no synthetic fillers or extenders (esp. in makeup, the most common being talc) and the amount needed for each use is considerably smaller, thus extending the total overall numbers of use.Only a fraction of pure products and ingredients are needed for each use compared to those that are not.

Mineral makeup is superior to traditional makeup, in that it is longer lasting, sits on top of the skin rather than soaking into the skin and being absorbed, like liquid makeup. Liquids contain preservatives. Minerals are more pigmented so less is needed to cover. Longer lasting, since pores have room to breathe – you won’t sweat it off. Beware of BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE, a common ingredient in some mineral lines for an opalescent sheen that is a product of lead refinement. It usually turns up in the more expensive lines (Trish McEvoy, True), rather than the cheaper ones (Afterglow, Alima)

Just because something is labeled as a baby product (baby oil, baby lotion, baby shampoo, etc) doesn’t mean it’s more safe and gentle. Baby oil is mostly mineral oil, which is a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. Baby products, unless specifically formulated from organic ingredients without toxic preservatives, are still going to contain the same things as adult products – parabens, etc.

Traditional lipsticks and lipgosses contain mostly mineral oil or vaseline type ingredients. The average woman will ingest 10 pounds of petroleum by-product during her lifetime from simply licking her lips while wearing lipstick. Good alternatives are shea butter, candellila or canuaba wax.

Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470 or E120, is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from by boiling dried insects in water to extract the carminic acid and then treating the clear solution with alum, cream of tartar, stannous chloride, or potassium hydrogen oxalate. Carmine is used as a food dye in many different products such as juice, ice cream, yogurt, and candies, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc. Although principally a red dye, it is found in many foods that are shades of red, pink, and purple. As a food dye it has been known to cause severe allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock in some people.

Search for nail polishes that do not contain formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP (pthalates) which are incredibly toxic ingredients – both for our bodies and for the earth. (toluene is a key ingredient in gasoline, and all gasoline pumps in the state of California are required to post health warnings about toluene!)Look for non-toxic polishes at Whole Foods: Honeybee Gardens, Causemetics, Online: Zoya, Priti (coming soon)
Buy homemade/handcrafted soaps with herbs and flowers in them at farmer’s markets – support local business and avoid chemical additives. Beware of Greenwashing – just because something is labeled ‘organic’ or ‘all-natural’ doesn’t mean it’s free of toxic ingredients. Consider packaging – the less, the better.

April Fool's...

2008-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is no joke: Women do not like to be made fool’s of. In the spirit of education and enlightenment, it’s critical that we all begin to read the labels of our personal care products.
What you will find, if you investigate, are an outrageous array of highly toxic ingredients that also show up in car wash detergents, oven cleaners, embalming fluid, gasoline, and engine degreasers. To me, this is a feminist issue of the highest concern: women overall use many more personal care products on a daily basis than men. We are the ones to whom the vast multi-billion dollar cosmetics and beauty industry is created, marketed, and sold.
And we are the ones who are showing the ill effects of it in the deadly rise of the breast cancer epidemic, to the pre-mature onset of menses in girls as young as 6, 7 and 8 years old, to the multitude of “inexplicable” everyday cases of contact dermatitis – rashes that are treated by mainstream dermatologists with even more chemicals (medicine)!

The lotions, potions, balms, and softeners that we put on our face and body are at their very heart, meant to soothe and comfort us through their textures, their aromas, their good intentions. The act of body care is a sacred ritual, and the ingredients we use in that ritual should be just as sacred, as special, and as SAFE as we can possibly make them. That no one (ie: government) is regulating these ingredients, that toxic chemicals are even considered to be acceptable for use on our skin, is beyond comprehension, and a boondoggle of the highest order. The worst offense is for a company to label their products “green” or “organic” or “all natural” while still continuing to include known carcinogens is beyond the pale.

Herewith, in the spirit of wising you up: Take this list shopping with you.

10 Ingredients to Avoid In Personal Care Products:

1) DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (momoethanolamine), TEA (triethanolamine): often appear on labels as Cocamide DEA and are commonly found in cleansers, shampoos and body washes as emulsifiers and foaming agents. According to a 1998 research study by the National Toxicology Program, these chemicals affect hormone function and are known to produce cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines in laboratory animals. The FDA is currently in the process of evaluating the link between DEA and cancer in humans.

2) FD&C Color Pigments: often made from coal tar, these artificial colorings can cause skin sensitivity and may be carcinogenic.

3) Added Fragrance: can be very sensitizing to the skin. Many of the compounds in fragrance are toxic and can cause headaches, dizziness or nausea.

4) Imidazolidinyl Urea & DM Hydantoin: these are the most commonly used preservatives after parabens. They are the second most identified cosmetic preservatives causing contact dermatitis according to the American Academy of Dermatology. These preservatives also release fomaldehyde, a chemical that can cause skin irritations as well as health problems such as migraines, allergies and asthma.

5) Isopropyl Alcohol: a petroleum-derived solvent found in hair rinses, hand lotions and shaving products. Also used as antifreeze at industrial strengths.

6) Mineral Oil: a petroleum-derived oil that is sensitizing to the skin and can inhibit the ability of the skin to breathe. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil.

7) Paraben Preservatives: Developed in the 1930’s, synthetic Methyl, Ethyl and Propyl Parabens were derived from benzoic acid and were considered effective and economical since they were inexpensive to use as both a cosmetics and food grade preservative. However, recently this preservative system has come into question as these substances have been found in cancerous tissues, especially breast tissue. The greatest concern of these preservatives focuses on their estrogen-mimicking factor in laboratory animals (i.e., their ability to mimic estrogen in the body). More research needs to be done to see if similar exposures to humans produces similar findings.

A study performed by the British Industrial Biological Research Assoc. that recorded the effects of parabens
in decreasing testosterone levels and sperm counts on the male reproductive system.
(British Industrial Biological Research Assoc. PG: 8 p YR: 1989 IP: VI)

It is estimated that 99% of all cosmetic and body care products contain some form of paraben preservatives.

8) PEG: is an abbreviation for polyethylene glycol and is used to break down oil or help thicken products. PEGs are often used in oven cleansers and are irritating to the skin.

9) Propylene Glycol (PG): an alcohol that can be manufactured synthetically, usually from petroleum or naturally, from corn. Synthetically derived, it is used as a surfactant or wetting agent and is an active ingredient in industrial antifreeze. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on propylene glycol warn users to
avoid skin contact as it is systemic and can cause kidney and liver abnormalities. Propylene glycol may damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage to the skin.

10) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate: are used as detergent surfactants to remove dirt from the skin. These compounds are also found in car wash soaps and engine degreasers and yet are commonly found in many shampoos and shower gels. SLS is very irritating to skin and can be toxic to eyes.

Not only are these “immortal ingredients” toxic to our bodies, but they also, if petroleum-based, deplete the earth’s resources and can be toxic to the environment. Several studies have shown high levels of benzene and naphthalene in the brain tissue of rainbow trout and Coho salmon.

I’m Not A Cockeyed Optimist, Though I Aspire To Be One

2008-02-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

I wish I could be an unflappably, buoyant optimist, one who stood strong against the daily bafflements of the world around me. But I have a lot of hours, a lot of days of complete and total “chicken little” worry. Which, considering the state of our current world affairs, is kind of normal; not constructive, but entirely normal. What helps is hearing an “everything will be alright” kind of message from someone, somewhere.

Recently, I ran across The Message in a couple of different places – one, a book review from last spring that I saved, and only found recently. The other from an email list I’m on. They both popped out in front of me as these things are wont to do, with perfect timing Herewith:

Paul Hawken’s most recent book is, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming. Hawken is an environmentalist, educator, lecturer, entrepreneur, journalist, and best-selling author. Fundamentally, Blessed Unrest is a description of humanity's collective genius, and the unstoppable movement to reimagine our relationship to the environment and one another.

Hawkin explains: “The whole book, really, is about a rise of a movement that is a shift between a world created by, and for, privilege to a world created by community, and it details the rise of over one million organizations in the world who address civil liberties, social justice and the environment. And even though they’re atomized and there’s many of them and they don’t seem connected, due to modern technology—cell, texting, internet—they’re starting to intertwine, morph and come together in ways that is making it much more powerful than it has been before.”

And this from San Francisco Gate and San Francisco Chronicle columnist, Mark Morford:

"Stop thinking this is all there is. Realize that for every ongoing war and religious outrage and environmental devastation and bogus Iraqi attack plan, there are a thousand counter-balancing acts of staggering generosity and humanity and art and beauty happening all over the world, right now, on a breathtaking scale, from flower box to cathedral......Resist the temptation to drown in fatalism, to shake your head and sigh and just throw in the karmic towel.
Realize that this is the perfect moment to change the energy of the world, to step right up and crank your personal volume; right when it all seems dark and bitter and offensive and acrimonious and conflicted and bilious... there's your opening.
Remember magic! And, finally, believe you are part of a groundswell, a resistance, a seemingly small but actually very, very large impending karmic overhaul, a great shift, the beginning of something important and potent and unstoppable."

The Wild Food Guy

2008-01-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading one of my Christmas presents to myself (you always get exactly what you want that way). It’s a book of essays put out by The New Yorker magazine editors. called Secret Ingredients, a collection of food and drink writing since the magazine’s inception over 80 years ago. One that just blew me away was by John McPhee, and the week in 1968 he spent foraging in the Pennsylvania wilderness with Euell Gibbons. Besides the pleasure of his fine writing style, McPhee very poignantly captures the personality of this fascinating and amazing character that was Euell Gibbons.

In 1968, Gibbons was at the height of his renown as a true American naturalist and writer (his first book Stalking The Wild Asparagus, published in 1962, was a national bestseller). He was a Quaker, a former schoolteacher, a railroad hobo during the Depression, and a frustrated writer of novels and short stories. But he hit his stride writing about something that he’d learned to do as a child to keep from starving, and continued to do all his life, from the pleasure of it: the gathering and preparation of wild food – most commonly known as foraging. His talent in the creative preparation of these foods earned him the moniker of greatest living wild chef when he was alive. (He died in 1975 at age 64.)

Gibbons once harvested edible weeds from the President’s garden at the White House, bagged 15 wild foods in a vacant lot in Chicago, and collected materials for 3-course meal from Central Park in New York City. His interest in wild food was to prove simply that there is a marvelous variety of good food in the world that is only partially found in supermarkets, and that mass production of just a tiny fraction of “cultivated” foods is contributing to the demise of the planet and our ability to feed all its people. One need never go hungry when one is a friend of nature.

As a Quaker, Gibbons was a pacifist and a peacemonger, and lived in intentional communities long before they were popular. His goal in foraging was to engage in “creative protest against the artificiality of our daily lives.” Though he was a product of the first half of the previous century, and was embedded with folksy, rural values, his perspective is timeless, sophisticated, and very inspiring. Everything urban foodies are now discussing about crop sustainability, organic and local farming, seasonal ingredients, and so on, old Euell was preaching about 40 years ago. I can’t wait to get my hands on all of his writing.

Winter in L.A.

2008-01-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

We are now deeply into winter, aren’t we? For those of us here in Southern California, it means we’re able to drive an hour in one direction up to the nearby mountains and go skiing, sledding, and snowball fighting. It also means we can drive an hour in the other direction and sit out in the high desert under cobalt blue skies, then take a dip in a nearby hot mineral spring pool to stay warm. Or drive in still yet another direction and be at the beach, where you may or may not need to wear a sweater or jacket on the sand. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Something I haven’t still gotten over, even after living here for 17 years.

The first winter I lived here, I remember driving up to the mountains with my friends, and piling snow on the roof of the car then driving down to the beach with it, parking on the sand, and drinking an ice cold beer as we watched it melt in the afternoon sun. We took lots of pictures with us posing by the snow covered car in our bikini tops and sunglasses.Life is good here on the edge of the continent, isn’t it?

Whenever the ungodly traffic, rude strangers, bad air, and other high costs of living in LA start to make me crazy, I find I’m able to calm down about it all a bit, by focusing on the bountiful aspect of nature that surrounds us here. It’s a cliché, but nature does heal – it calms and soothes in a way that nothing else can.

I spent some time once, in the late 1980’s, studying Native American shamanism with several teachers. One of the cornerstone’s of that spiritual path is the guidance we must be open to receive from Nature in all its forms — from plant life, rocks, animals, to the wind, bodies of water – if we are to evolve our thinking about ourselves and our place in the cosmos.

Here’s a poem by Mary Oliver – a very gifted poetess and high priestess of communing with Nature herself. (PS: You will get many chances to read Mary Oliver’s poems in this blog as she is one of my favorites. Look her up – you’ll love her, too)

The Swan

by Mary Oliver

Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?

Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air -

An armful of white blossoms,
A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned
into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,
Biting the air with its black beak?
Did you hear it, fluting and whistling
A shrill dark music - like the rain pelting the trees - like a waterfall
Knifing down the black ledges?
And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds -
A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet
Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?
And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for? And have you changed your life?

Greetings for the New Year

2008-01-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

The wheel has turned again, and here we are at the starting point of a New Year. What a great time to focus on how best we all want to live our lives: spending more time with those we love, creating meaningful work, participating in the conscious stewardship of our community — and by extension the world at large — and cultivating the good health that will make it possible to do all of these things for as long as possible. What does “good health” mean, anyway? For most of us, it’s getting a handle on stress, on finding ways to reduce it.

After that comes exercise, diet, sleep. But really, it’s all related: you sleep better when you aren’t stressed, when you are managing your time well, you have time to exercise, when you are exercising regularly, you tend to make better food choices, and so on.

So what’s the problem, here? Why is this very straightforward way to live and enjoy life more, so incredibly difficult to grab hold of? Perhaps it’s just the very nature of being alive in the era we now find ourselves, endemic to a particular American existence. When basic issues of food, shelter, and survival has been met, then one is free to start worrying about the other stuff?

“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.”
~ Carlos Castaneda

I’m reminded of what all great thinkers, spiritual teachers, and just wise people in general, continually seem to say about this: try to move into gratitude when all else fails. Gratitude is the thing that gives us the ability to pause, slow down a minute or two, and really put into perspective what it is we’re trying to do, to be, to know, to become.

Gratitude for the big things, as well as small. Gratitude for the ability to draw breath – the prana, or “life force” as it’s called in yoga - and to be alive, every moment of every day. This is one aspect of “conscious” living, and when it becomes a part of the fabric of our everyday lives, then everything else flows.

Thank you for reading, thank you for being a part of our GreenBliss community, thank you for making us one of your healthful living choices this past year, and in the year to come.