Health | Mamavation Archives

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Need some help sleeping at night? Did you know that there are plants you can purchase for your home, particularly the bedroom, that assist in helping you sleep? Just like we covered 23 herbs that can help you medicinally AND natural ways to boost fertility, join us as we cover 5 bedroom plants that will help you sleep.

Ever noticed how getting fresh air can help you have a great sleep? There’s nothing like a big hike, or a swim in the sea, or a day out in the park, to help you sleep better that night. Of course, it’s often the fresh air, or the physical activity, or the exertion of running after kids, that sends you into Sleepsville quickly. It’s the Great Outdoors singing its own kind of lullaby.

Still, Mother Nature has even more mysterious ways of weaving her spell on us. She can help us to fall in love with the right romantic setting (if you’ve ever kissed someone in a field of sunflowers, you’ll know what I mean!) She can make us feel scared, or relaxed, or hungry. She can even help us to fall asleep, with a few carefully selected plants.

So if you’re having trouble sleeping, turn to Mother Nature for help. Starting with these bedroom plants to send you to sleep. Note: You don’t have to choose them all; one or two is all you need for a sounder snooze!

1. Jasmine

No, I’m not talking about the foxy star of Disney’s best offering (hello, princess!)… I’m talking about the plant.

This exotic-sounding-and-smelling plant is known for soothing the body and mind. In fact, one study showed that jasmine can even reduce anxiety levels, plus give your productivity and mental aptitude a boost during your waking hours. No genie needed; Jasmine can be your antidote to sleepless nights.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is the queen of versatility. It can be used in homemade shampoos for added moisture. It can be used to soothe sunburn, heal minor cuts, or added to yogurts for a great digestive aid. Plus it looks really pretty!

As a sleep aid, aloe vera emits oxygen during the night, making for a purer sleep environment. It’s also really really easy to maintain and doesn’t require frequent watering; hence it being dubbed the “plant of immortality”. So if you’ve got a tendency to accidentally kill each plant you buy, this one’s a pretty safe bet.

3. Snake Plant

Also – and rather strangely – known as “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”, this bad boy’s a lot more loving than its name would have you think.

It kindly emits oxygen at night while simultaneously taking in carbon dioxide. If that sounds familiar, you obviously paid attention in biology; that’s what we do when we breathe! This doesn’t mean the snake plant actually breathes on your behalf (although that’d be pretty cool), but it does purify the air through this action. It also filters out common household toxins – like formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene – so that you get a better sleep. Nice.

Oh, and snake plants are really easy to look after, too. Good news for those who aren’t a fan of high-maintenance bedroom companions. 😉

4. Peace Lily

With a name like that, it’s sure to help you relax at night, right?! Right.

In fact, the peace lily is another top plant for filtering harmful toxins from the air. Plus, it can increase a room’s humidity by up to 5%. As well as keeping you nice and snug, this prevents airborne microbes from forming – which can lead to allergies and the scratchy dry throat that can keep you up at night.

Far cheaper (and quieter!) than an electric air humidifier… and more easy on the eye, too. Keep it in a shady place and water it once a week, and that’s all you gotta do.

5. English Ivy

This leafy legend is quick to grow, easy to maintain and only needs a little sunlight to survive (don’t we all?!)

It’s best known for improving symptoms of asthma and other allergies – which can seriously disrupt our sleep. In fact, in a 2005 study, English Ivy was found to remove 94% of airborne feces and 78% of airborne mold in just 12 hours! As mold can affect your sleep, and your overall health, this is definitely a plant to have on – and by – your side. Careful though: the plant looks cool but it’s also toxic to kids and pets. So hang it from an indoor basket and keep it out of reach.

Well, that’s 5 of my favorite plants to help me snooze. But there are plenty more out there. So before turning to screechy CDs of jungle noises, turn to a more natural aspect of Mother Nature instead. Bring the Great Outdoors into your bedroom and sleep sounder as a result.

For more wellness information that empowers your family sign up for our FREE newsletter here. Then pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!) for more information on how to protect your home from dangerous chemicals.

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It’s estimated that Americans spend $340 BILLION every year on health care expenses and loss of productivity due to the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals. Fire retardants was a major contributor to that study and adding up the amount of chronic disease it’s linked to. They are known to be ubiquitous, meaning you come into contact with them everywhere you go. But there is some good news about how you can lessen the impact they have on the health of your family. Mamavation has already revealed the shocking truth about toxic electronic and flame retardant chemicals found in black plastic utensils, common chemicals that actually lower your IQ & which retail brands are making your family safer as you are shopping. Now join us as we delve into more details of the hazards of flame retardants and the surprisingly easy ways you can lessen your exposure at home.

Flame retardant chemicals are added to furniture, household electronics, sleepwear, mattresses, paints and lacquers as required by fire safety standards. They actually sound pretty great, don’t they? Built-in, worry-free fire extinguishers in case of emergency. The problem is that commonly used flame retardants are extremely toxic, and they slough off and enter the body through skin contact and inhalation.

According to the European Flame Retardants Association,

More than 175 flame retardant compounds are currently on the market, and the industry is worth over $600 million dollars per year in the U.S. and nearly $2 billion worldwide.

And what’s worse, these toxic chemicals aren’t required to be listed on labels. Products that use flame retardants as secondary components (not crucial to the product itself) and those comprised of less than 1% flame retardants aren’t even required to list them on the material safety data sheet (MSDS).

Disclosure: This post has affiliate links.

Dangers of Common Flame Retardants

A handful of flame retardant chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and chlorinated flame retardants (CFR) have been linked to dangerous heath effects like endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, immune suppression, altered sexual development, cancer, delayed brain development, lower IQ, and behavioral problems in humans. The dangers of flame retardants are so obvious that in November 2010, 145 scientists issued a joint statement documenting the health hazards of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant chemicals.

After the highly hazardous nature of brominated flame retardants was discovered, the government began to regulate and restrict their use, and introduced measures to eliminate the most toxic PBDEs in a phase-out process starting in 2005. As a result, manufacturers began using alternative organophosphate flame retardants (OPFR) to meet flammability standards instead. It appears though that OPFRs are similarly toxic in nature with confirmed negative health effects including endocrine disruption, decreased fertility and thyroid function.

Study Reveals Cleaning House and Hands Reduces Flame Retardant Exposure

In the new study published by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, scientists researched the exposure to 7 different flame retardants and discovered a clear reduction of exposure to these chemicals achieved through routine increased cleaning inside the home. In fact, detectable exposure to toxic flame retardants was reduced by half in as little as 1-2 weeks through routine house cleaning and handwashing! Dusting with a damp cloth, wet mopping, and vacuuming are recommended specifically by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after assessing and confirming the distinct risks of flame retardant exposure.

With such dramatic results in just a few days, imagine the amount of toxic chemicals you could avoid in a year! It’s still very important to continue seeking out flame retardant-free products because flame retardant chemicals were still found at detectable levels even after increased cleaning and handwashing. Products made of certain materials like wool are not required to contain added flame retardants because the wool itself meets standards of flammability. And as usual, we need to raise our voices and demand clear labeling requirements while also encouraging manufacturers to develop safer alternatives to toxic flame retardants when their use is required by law.

Mamavation Curated Cleaning Supplies & Products

List of cleaning supplies like e-cloths, micro cloths, approved cleaning products

Mamavation Curated Soaps & Hand Soaps

List of soaps, hand soaps, etc approved by Mamavation

And if you’re looking for a community of like-minded people, join us on Facebook for support from other women who are just like you (ladies only and it’s FREE!). For more information about safer personal care products and other products for your home, pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!). I’ll help you slay those foul-mouthed hidden dangers in your home so your family is safer. And for FREE updates, tips & tricks, product investigations and news, sign up for the Mamavation newsletter here.

The post Study Shows Cleanliness Reduces Toxic Flame Retardant Exposure appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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Wildfires happen in the summer when it’s hot and dry and then in the fall when it’s still dry and windy. Vast stretches of heat sweeping the country coupled with drought, lightening and human error provide the perfect breeding ground for seasonal wildfires. In 2017 alone, there were 71,000 wildfires that burned through 10 million acres of land, 12,000 homes and caused $18 billion in damages. And with these fires comes the inevitable and dangerous air pollution that affects not only the areas where the fires occur, but also everywhere it touches as the smoke mixes with the jet stream and travels hundreds of miles away. Is your family in danger when smoke continues to linger? This is a very relevant topic. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like 15 plants NASA recommends to clean your indoor air, how the air quality is inside your city RIGHT NOW, & 5 bedroom plants that will help you sleep, now journey with us as we cover a topic you may not have thought of before — how to keep your family safe from wildfire air pollution and smoke inhalation.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Air Quality Negatively Affected by Wildfires

Wildfires produce particles and chemicals generated by burning of carbon-containing materials. All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and soot, and can contain many different hazardous chemicals, including aldehydes, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, styrene, metals and dioxins depending on how hot the fire is and what’s burning. YIKES.

Outdoor air quality is directly negatively affected by wildfire smoke just as it is with any fire, but on a massive scale. Pollution levels during or after a wildfire almost always exceeded EPA regulations with levels that were 1.2 -10x higher due to wildfire smoke. Children and babies in utero are among the highest risk groups to develop adverse health effects from smog and smoke. It’s been confirmed that lung development is negatively impacted in the womb when pregnant mothers are exposed to air pollution which can lead low birth weight and premature birth as well as chronic conditions like asthma and respiratory disease. In fact, over 90% of 45 studies reported that wildfire smoke was significantly associated with risk of respiratory morbidity in all age groups.

According to ClimateCentral.org,

Wildfires burning within 50-100 miles of a city routinely caused air quality to be 5 to 15 times worse than normal, and often 2-3 times worse than the worst non-fire day of the year.

How Products Used Inside The Home Are Part of the Problem

What’s more, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates are also a huge part of the air pollution problem. A study found that most air pollution is coming from everyday products like household cleaners, personal care products, perfumes and other industrial products that emit air-polluting toxins which then escape the home and get into the air we breathe outside. VOCs have a long list of negative health effects including eye and nose irritation, chronic asthma, liver, kidney and central nervous system damage, and cancer. Overall, air pollution causes our bodies to function at lower levels because we’re being bombarded with dangerous chemicals that we’re inhaling on a daily basis which leaves little time for the body to recover and restore itself back to health. Because air pollution ranks as the 5th most concerning health risk factor worldwide, it’s critical to identify and decrease particulate emissions whenever possible, both inside and outside the home.

So to put this into perspective, if you focus your efforts on cleaning up your indoor air quality, you’ll do a great job of removing most of what they will be exposed to. So we’ve taken the liberty of combining the tips and tricks for you down below that look at the picture as a whole.

8 Ways to Protect Your Family From Wildfire Smoke Inhalation and Air Pollution

There are several steps you can take to reduce your family’s exposure to smoke and smog. Most of our efforts should be focused on increasing the quality of air inside our homes to create a safe haven to escape increased levels of toxins present during wildfires and high pollution days.

1. Monitor the air quality in your area

Most cities broadcast current air conditions, and you can see a map of areas at risk here. Pay attention to what the conditions are like in your city and the forecasts so you can plan.

2. Stay inside when air pollution levels are high.

This is important especially for pregnant women and children. Keep outdoor activities to a minimum, especially when you expect to be out of breath by doing the activity like cycling, running, nature walks or sports. The less you breath outside, the less you’ll get into your lungs.

3. Choose non-toxic household cleaning supplies

We spend about 90% of our time indoors and on days when it’s polluted, perhaps more. It’s estimated that indoor air quality is anywhere from 3-5x more polluted than the air outside so cleaning up the indoor air is a great step toward protecting your family. Here you need to select only products that don’t add pollution into your home. Remember when we told you that everyday products were a main driver now of pollution? This is where you can make a dent in that inside your own home. Here are some of our recommended products:

4. Stop polluting indoor air with fragrances from personal care products.

You may not think about how much pollution fragrances add to your air via personal care products, but they do. Here is a list of recommended personal care products you can count on that won’t add to the air pollution inside your home.

5. Purchase a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA or DFS) filter for your home.

Purchase a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) or DFS filter for your home to effectively remove particulate matter from air pulled from outdoors. This system will also work to remove the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air inside your home as well. HEPA air systems clean up about 99.7% of pollutants, but DFS filters clean up 99.99% of pollutants with the added bonus of also getting viruses, bacteria, mold & airborne germs. The best system on the market is the Intellipure. This system has done wonders for my family, especially my husband who suffers from severe pet allergies. [Use MAMAVATION for 10% off the unit.]

6. Take your shoes off at the door.

Lots of toxic things are trampled inside your home by being on the bottom of your shoes. Would you lick the asphalt outside? That’s basically what your shoes do? Take them off at the door and you’ll bring less inside.

7. Invest in houseplants for your home.

Invest in several houseplants that naturally purify indoor air. NASA has done all the research on which plants clean up what toxin, so take their advice and start adding more greenery to your home. At least one per room is ideal.

8. Consider getting masks for the family for when outside

In acute situations where you’re in the direct line of wildfire smoke or extreme air pollution of any kind, consider using a simple respirator mask to reduce inhalation of particulates.

Here’s a child’s mask you can purchase
Here’s an adult mask you can purchase

Is It Possible to Detox Toxins from Smoke Inside the Body?

So what do you do if you have been exposed to toxic smoke from wildfires? Well, there are solutions out there if you take a look at what firefighters do. Cancer is the leading cause of death in firefighters outside of the line of duty, surpassing heart disease, according to the International Association of Firefighters. So this is a serious topic for the men and women who protect us everyday. So what have they discovered works for them? Infrared sauna and sweating. In fact, some units even have them at the firehouse paid for as “detoxing agents” for them to use after a job.

Some of the worst chemicals are detoxed and come out in your sweat during an infrared sauna sweat session. And when it comes to flame retardants, the health impacts are serious. A handful of flame retardant chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and chlorinated flame retardants (CFR) have been linked to dangerous heath effects like endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, immune suppression, altered sexual development, cancer, delayed brain development, lower IQ, and behavioral problems in humans. The dangers of flame retardants are so obvious that in November 2010, 145 scientists issued a joint statement documenting the health hazards of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant chemicals. It’s very clear that the chemicals in the air after a fire are very hazardous to our health. Therefore, picking up an infrared sauna for your family is a wise solution.

Mamavation Community Gets $400-600 Off Clearlight Infrared Sauna

Clearlight Infrared Saunas offering the Mamavation community between $400-600 off the cost of a unit, lifetime warranty, and a backrest when purchasing. To learn more click here or dial 1-800-798-1779 and let them know you are with Mamavation.

And if you’d like more information about how to detoxify your home from toxins and hormone-disrupting chemicals that cause indoor air pollution, pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!). Mamavation is also a community of like-minded people, so join us on Facebook for support from other women who are just like you. And for FREE updates, tips & tricks, product investigations and news, sign up for the Mamavation newsletter here.

The post How to Keep Your Family Safe From Wildfire Smoke and Air Pollution appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Visit us at Mamavation.com for more updates, healthy tips and challenges.

I bought a beautiful hand-carved wooden cooking spoon at our local farmer’s market when my son was a toddler. It is one of my favorite cooking utensils and we have used it ever since for baking, cooking and stealing tastes from the bowl. Today, I still have that wooden spoon but have banned all other plastic kitchen utensils from my kitchen because I don’t want anything plastic touching the food I’m preparing for my family. And this is a wise move for several reasons that we will explore here. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you the deadly chemicals leaching out of black plastics, which plastics are the safest when not heating, & eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws, join us now as we explore the reasons why you really need to stop using plastic utensils in your kitchen.

Are you using any nylon based cooking utensils? Nylon is a thermoplastic. This kind of plastic can be melted and molded into shape. It is also used to create composite heat-resistant materials. But it’s not just nylon that is in those plastic cooking utensils. Disastrously, plastics, especially the black ones, are more dangerous than they are useful. And when you are also considering they are contributing to pollution to our environment, the question is why use them? Not convinced yet? Then there are a dozen reasons to get rid of plastic cooking utensils!

plastic cooking utensils

1. They Don’t Last Long

Those black nylon plastic cooking utensils chip, shred with use. That damage from everyday use allows toxins to enter your food. Remember, they’re heat resistant to 400 degrees, not heat proof. They will melt with extended contact with a hot pan.

2. “BPA-Free” is a BS Label

BPA-free does not mean safe. Most of the time when companies are touting “BPA-Free” they have just replaced BPA with a similar chemical. Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been replaced by bisphenol-S (BPS), which independent scientists are warning is just as bad or perhaps worse than BPA. The reason is BPS isn’t that much different from BPA. It’s a sister chemical, part of the same family of bisphenols and all are rotten. We refer to the bisphenol family of chemicals as the “bitchy bisphenols” because they are all rotten. BPS disrupts cell function in the same ways that BPA does, leading to obesity, hormone disruption, and even cancer. That means that plastic cooking utensils labeled “BPA-free” are not necessarily safe.

3. There Is No Safe Plastic

Actually, any plastic is a hazard for endocrine disruptors, some especially when heated. For this reason, it’s best to limit your use of them as much as possible. This is especially true when heating them up in the kitchen! It’s difficult to tell what exactly is in the plastic cooking utensils since companies don’t disclose the chemical make-up of their products (but they will trademark it). Plastics like polypropylene, used in plastic cooking utensils, leach chemicals into the body. These chemicals act like estrogen in the body, creating a whole new set of problems.

4. Several Organizations Have Asked The FDA To Remove Phthalates From Anything Touching Food

Several organizations, including the Breast Cancer Fund, The Center for Food Safety and The Center For Environmental Safety, are pressuring the FDA to rule against phthalate use in any products. For example, plastics which have contact with food, including food storage and plastic cooking utensils. Right now, only certain phthalates are banned from use in children’s products used by ages 12 and under. Not only are Phthalates are linked to asthma, but also to developmental disabilities, obesity, cancer and more.

5. They Contain Traces of Flame Retardants & Heavy Metals

Plastic cooking utensils, especially ones made of black, are made with recycled computer parts that have been treated with flame retardants. Companies are (possibly unknowingly) risking your health in an effort to reuse plastic. It’s a noble yet foolish issue when you consider what is leaching out of the plastic when you are heating it with use. Earlier this year researchers discovered something very sinister coming out of plastics. After testing 129 black plastic items used in contact with food & beverage, they found the presence of brominated flame retardants, chlorine, PVC, cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, and antimony. Most of these substances are not safe for human consumption, even at small levels. Additional things tested included plastic cooking utensils and coffee mugs. These chemicals have been found in blood and breast milk samples. Presently the EPA has labeled one of these chemicals, decaBDE, as a possible human carcinogen.

6. They Pollute The Environment

8 MILLION tons of plastic end up in the oceans, and the number is growing. This trash is accumulating in vortexes in ocean currents and has created large garbage patches. Lamentably, few companies recycle plastic cooking utensils, so those utensils are feeding the plastic pollution problem.

plastic cooking utensils

7. “Made In China” a Lot of Times Means Made with Carcinogens

Most of the black nylon utensils found to be passing primary aromatic amines into food were made in China. These chemicals have sensitizing and allergenic properties. Alarmingly, the one found most prevalently in samples that gave of excessive amounts was 4,40-MDA, which is a possible carcinogen. Animal testing has proved that constant exposure leads to thyroid and liver cancers.

8. Their Production Poisons Us

One of the main chemicals formed in the manufacturing of household plastics is benzene. Benzene contains a mix of chemicals, including dangerous phthalates. Benzene is also a known carcinogen. Unfortunately, rates of non-Hodkin lymphoma are higher around factories that release benzene.

9. Spend a Little More to Get a LOT More

Plastic cooking utensils tend to be cheaper, but also damage more easily. Why not pay a little more for a safer option – silicone, stainless steel or wood – which has a longer life? You may also save some money on your health.

10. Other Utensils are Safe To Use

Other utensils are just as safe when cooking meat. Wooden spoons are safe to use – even with chicken! Just wash them well afterward. You can season them, and, if properly cleaned and air dried, they will last years. For instance, bamboo is a renewable resource and makes a great utensil.

plastic cooking utensils

11. They Can Be Hard To Clean

Plastic cooking utensils can be hard to clean, especially if the plastic on the end has broken down with wear and heat. Scrubbing can also cause more wear on a spatula with a worn end. As a result, rough edges and handles with mixed components can be a bacteria risk.

12. Manufacturers Cover Up Their Dangerous Chemical Pollution History

Companies who make the plastics pollute the environment, including water sources for cities and agriculture. Many chemicals are dumped into the environment, most notably PFOA, making their way into our bodies. Unfortunately, these PFC chemicals persist in the environment without signs of breaking down. Meanwhile, companies are strategizing against worker claims and have hidden decades of research showing that low-dose exposure is dangerous.

Kitchen Utensils Mamavation Recommends

There are several kitchen utensils Mamavation recommends for cooking. When it comes to your food, we don’t recommend anything plastic, especially black plastics. When it comes to cooking utensils, wood & stainless steel are your best bets. Silicone is okay for things that are cold, but our partners at the Food Packaging Forum in Europe are still deciding whether it’s safe to heat silicone. Until they let us know, we are avoiding heating silicone. Here are some utensils that we love:

Here are some additional kitchen needs you may not have thought about. For instance, is there any black plastic touching the liquid in your coffee maker? I tossed my coffee maker out last year and never looked back for that very reason. Today I make coffee with a Chemex and love the hip look of the caddy and fresh coffee it makes. And what about food processors like blenders? Is there any plastic touching your food there? We’ve also curated food processors and other kitchen appliances that don’t have plastic or nonstick chemicals touching the food below. Feel free to use the drop-down menu to find other categories of safe curated products you are looking for.

What kind of cooking utensils do you have in your home?

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I won’t lie, I’m a little freaked out right now. I’ve suspected something was going on. I’m a pediatrician and I’ve been seeing unhealthy changes in my patient’s growth, development and behavior over the past 20 years. I’ve also seen first-hand improvements in patient’s behavior when unhealthy foods with fake colors and other additives have been eliminated from a family diet. Is it a coincidence? Or real? I know about the placebo effect and as a scientist and physician try not to jump to any conclusions unless there is real data to back it up. Well, now there is enough evidence to say for sure that some chemicals found in food colorings, preservatives, and packaging materials may be harming our children’s health!

A little background history on what I’m talking about. The U.S. allows the use of more than 10,000 additives in our food. Some of these additives are directly added to make the food last longer, stay fresher, taste better, look more colorful, have a better texture, or even to try to make the food “more nutritious.” Other chemical additives are called “indirect additives” as they aren’t put directly into the food, but they secretly seep into our food from the plastic, paper, cardboard and other packaging or from the glue, coating or dye used in the packaging.

Many of the additives have long, hard to pronounce names and/or abbreviations and were grandfathered in for approval during the 1950s, well before those of us currently grocery shopping for our young children were born. Here is a short list of the most concerning additives that all parents should now be aware of.

This post was written by Scientific Advisor Dr. Tanya Altmann, Spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics

Artificial food colors (aka Fake Colors, such as Red Dye #40)

Fake colors are common in children’s food products from cereal to snacks to make them look more colorful. Fake colors are often associated with worsened attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. There have been several studies proving this and I can say from personal experience in my own patients that children who cut fake food colorings from their diets are showing decreasing ADHD symptoms.

Dr. Tanya’s Tip: When buying cereal and other food for your children, choose items with no fake colors. Teach your kids to read labels and spot color names and numbers as being artificial (i.e. red #40).

Nitrates & Nitrites

Nitrates are used to preserve food and enhance color, especially in deli/lunch meats. These chemicals can interfere with thyroid hormone production and the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen in the body. This is one of the reasons it’s recommended that pregnant woman and young children avoid nitrates. Such chemicals also have been linked with gastrointestinal and nervous system cancers.

Dr. Tanya’s Tip: Avoid processed deli meats and choose organic, grass-fed lean meats

Bisphenols Such as BPA & BPS

Bisphenols are used to harden plastic containers, like water bottles and reusable food containers, and line metal cans. Bisphenols can act like estrogen in the body, potentially causing early puberty, decreasing fertility, increasing body fat, and affecting the nervous and immune systems. Fortunately, BPA is banned in baby bottles and sippy cups, but it’s still in so many other things children come into contact with daily, like thermal receipt paper or canned food.

Dr. Tanya’s Tip: Toss the plastic and use glass and metal containers whenever possible. Avoid canned food as much as possible. Don’t allow children to touch receipts.

Phthalates

Phthalates make plastic and vinyl tubes flexible. These are often used to produce packaged foods and may affect male genital development, increase childhood obesity, and contribute to cardiovascular disease. In 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of some phthalates in child-care products such as teething rings.

Dr. Tanya’s Tip: Switch to glass and stainless water bottles and eat more organic items. Try cooking from scratch more and eating out less.

Perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs)

PFCs are used in grease-proof paper and cardboard food packaging like mac and cheese boxes and cereal. PFCs may negatively affect the immune system, interfere with fertility and be linked to low birth weight. Research also shows that PFCs may affect the thyroid system, which in turn affects metabolism, digestion, muscle control, brain development, and bone strength.

Dr. Tanya’s Tip: Avoid non-stick pans, use real plates instead of paper and avoid greasy packaged and fast foods.

Perchlorate

Is added to some dry food packaging to control static electricity. Perchlorate is known to disrupt thyroid function, early life brain development and growth. Perchlorate has been found in baby rice cereals, salami and processed meats.

Dr. Tanya’s Tip: Eat real, whole foods instead of packaged whenever possible.

As a pediatrician and mom, I find this very concerning, especially for young children since they are more sensitive to chemicals because they are still growing and developing. Also, kids eat and drink more than adults, relative to body size, so they ingest and absorb more. It’s also known that such chemicals are “endocrine disruptors,” which means they can disrupt the endocrine/hormone system which controls important functions in the body and therefore have life-long consequences on a child. In addition, the annual estimated health-care costs tied to endocrine disrupting chemicals are estimated to be roughly $340 billion.

The good news is that it’s not just a few of us who feel that way, the American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization made up of over 67,000 pediatricians put out these recommendations today:

The AAP calls for a more rigorous and transparent “Generally Recognized as Safe” designation process, including new requirements for toxicity testing before use in the marketplace and re-testing previously approved chemicals.
Increased research is needed to better understand how food additives affect human health. Often safety data is based on outdated testing methods or animal studies. The research found 64 percent of nearly 4,000 food additives had no research showing they were safe for people to eat or drink.
We need congressional action that would give the FDA authority to review existing data on additives already on the market or to re-test their safety for people to eat.
In the meantime, the AAP recommends safe and simple steps families can take to limit exposures to the chemicals of greatest concern. These include:
- Buy and serve more fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, and fewer processed meats–especially during pregnancy.
- Since heat can cause plastics to leak BPA and phthalates into food, avoid microwaving food or beverages (including infant formula and pumped human milk) in plastic when possible. Also try to avoid putting plastics in the dishwasher.
- Use alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.
- Avoid plastics with recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene), and 7 (bisphenols) unless they are labeled as “biobased” or “greenware.”’
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after touching food and clean all fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled.

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A study was released earlier this year that has shocked the building industry and caused concern around the world–modern wood sealants used on kitchen cabinets have been linked to PCB contamination inside homes. In other words, if you have recently remodeled your kitchen cabinets, they could be toxic to your family with a substance that has been banned since 1979. So what do you do? Well, we have some answers and direction on which types of cabinets are safer. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover corruption in the cosmetic industry, what air quality is like in your city, & whether your favorite store has BPA inside their receipts, now join us as we explore the toxicity issues behind modern kitchen cabinets and how you can protect your family.

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) contamination in kitchen cabinets is very concerning. PCBs were widely used in the creation of lubricants, inks, paints and electrical equipment from 1920 to 1979. They were then classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) at the World Health Organization and then banned in 1979. Not only are PCBs very persistent, meaning they stick around in the environment for YEARS, but they are also problematic to health. PCBs have a half-life of about 10-15 years and tend to get stored in body fat, which makes them very difficult to detox. They are linked to cancers, thyroid conditions, diabetes, lesions, irregular menstrual cycles, lowered immunity responses, fatigue, headaches, coughs, poor cognitive development in children & motor control problems.

The Monsanto company was the sole distributor of PCBs from 1920 to 1977, which is one of the many reasons they were nicknamed “the most evil corporation in the world.” In 2003, Monsanto was sued for illegally dumping PCBs in the town of Anniston, Alabama, and lost over $700 million to the community in a lawsuit settlement. According to internal documents, Monsanto knew about the contamination and health impacts and continued to manufacture and dump PCBs into the environment in Anniston, Alabama. Because of this egregious act, thousands of people were harmed with disease ranging from cancers, birth defects, cognitive disorders, early death, diabetes and thyroid conditions. Today similar lawsuits are happening, but this time the cities of Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Berkeley, San Diego, San Jose and Oakland are suing Monsanto to help clean up their waterways. Therefore Monsanto, the same company that created Agent Orange in Vietnam and genetically modified crops with glyphosate today are still operating in the same matter–throw the chemical into the environment first and ask questions later.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Toxic PCBs in Kitchen cabinets

Modern Kitchen Cabinets May Have PCB Contamination

Earlier this year in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, scientists published a study detecting PCBs off-gassing from modern kitchen cabinets from wood sealant breakdown. Keri C. Hornbuckle and colleagues at the University of Iowa College of Engineering wanted to determine how much PCB contamination was happening in homes and where it was happening. The researchers measured concentrations of PCBs using special equipment, polyurethane-equipped passive air samples (PUF-PAS) for six weeks from August 22, 2017 to October 2, 2017. They surveyed 16 homes in Iowa and found neurotoxic PCB-47, PCB-51 and PCB-68 at levels that were concerning and unexpected.

Homes with modern kitchens that were modeled within the last five years had the highest concentrations of the contaminants. Originally, they were testing emissions from everything in the kitchen like the stove, floor, walls, and then the kitchen cabinets. That’s when they discovered the PCB contamination was actually off-gassing from the cabinets. They then suspected the contamination originated from the decomposition of 2,4-dichlorobenzoyl peroxide, which is a common ingredient in modern cabinet wood sealants.

How The Cabinet Manufacturers Association Responded

Betsy Natz, CEO of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association had this to say. “Let me say at the outset that I am not a scientist. But I do know that scientific studies can be complex and you would need to talk to the principal author(s) and perhaps other scientists that have studied PCBs to evaluate the study. However, I do know that there is a great deal of research in the open literature on PCBs. It is interesting why this source wasn’t identified years ago?”

She added, “Having said that the way a protocol is constructed for any scientific study is critical to the outcome and needs to be considered carefully, optimally by not only the study researchers but perhaps others in the scientific community. And, the results of any study should be able to be replicated in follow-up studies. It seems to me that this is a very small sample size. If you compare it to the study that Exponent conducted, they collected more than 30,000 passive badge samples from more than 19,000 residential homes for formaldehyde levels in installed Chinese manufactured laminate flooring. Sixteen passive samples may not be a robust enough sample size.

“I am not sure what the permissible exposure levels mandated by various federal agencies. notably EPA, nor PCB’s health effects. And, if there is a consensus on any potential adverse health effects? How do these levels compare to levels of PCBs found in ambient air? The authors also hypothesized that the congeners are inadvertent byproducts of the polymer seal manufacturing operations process. Perhaps more research is needed.”

We agree that more research is needed at this point. So although we can’t say that ALL kitchen cabinets are contaminated with PCBs, the oppositive is also true…we can’t say all the newer cabinets are safe either. In this case, I would say that precaution is warranted because PCBs are so dangerous.

Ways To Avoid Off-Gassing Toxins When Remodeling or Selecting New Kitchen Cabinets

This study came out days before I started my kitchen remodel so I had some time to dig into the issue and find alternatives. I ended up deciding to refurbish my old kitchen cabinets because it was less expensive and I didn’t want to chance it with newer cabinets. However, what I did discover was purchasing “green guard” cabinets is your best bet to ensure these wood sealants are not used. You can search for different types of green guard cabinets here. Greenguard is also free from formaldehyde and an additional 10,000 chemicals to ensure they are healthy and safe for the family especially considering indoor air quality.

If you decide to refinish your old kitchen cabinets like I did, there are several things you can do to ensure you protect the indoor air quality of your home.

Ask the workers to take the doors off the cabinets and sand and treat them away from your home. Make sure to seal off the area so the dust does not leak into your living areas.
Pick up a robust air purifier and have it on full blast the entire time work is done. My favorite air purifier is the Intellipure because it’s the absolute best one on the market able to handle the toughest jobs that present themselves in your home. More about that model here and a 10% discount for the Mamavation community. If you can’t afford an Intellipure, pick a HEPA air filter instead. Use “Mamavation” at checkout!
Only allow “low VOC” or “no VOC” primer to be used on the kitchen cabinets. You may also need to pick up a “low VOC shellac primer” as well. Today there are several selections but GreenGuard.org has a list here.
Use “low VOC” paint on the cabinets if you end up painting them. Here is a full list here.
Use “low VOC” wood sealants if you end up refurbishing them instead. Here’s a list of wood stains and finishes from Greenguard.org.

How to Clean Up Indoor Air If You Suspect Contamination

Indoor air quality is estimated to be anywhere from 2-5x more polluted than the air outside. That’s because contaminants get trapped inside our homes, especially when they are super energy efficient. Outside, the wind and sun beat down the contaminants and break them down, but inside they have nowhere to go. Click below for our FREE eBook “The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Up Indoor Air in Your Home” for tips and tricks.

Open Your Windows Every Day

Opening your windows every day gives bad air the ability to circulate out of your home.

Bring in More Houseplants

NASA has given us lots of information on what plants have the ability to filter out contaminants in the air.

Get an Intellipure Ultrafine 468 to Clean Up the Air

The strongest air purifier on the market is the Intellipure Ultrafine 468. This is hands-down my favorite air purifier because I used it during my own kitchen remodel. Click here to receive 10% off a machine for your home and use “Mamavation” at checkout.

Make Sure to Dust Often

I hate cleaning, but when it comes to indoor air, dusting often helps you cut down on the amount of fire retardants your family is exposed to. Fire retardants coming from furniture, carpet, electronics & rugs degrade over time and become attracted to household dust. Therefore, dusting and having less junk in your house will cut down on the amount of fire retardants you are exposed to.

Purchase Furniture, Flooring, Carpet & Other Products With Low to No VOCs

Old electronics, furniture, flooring & carpet typically contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) unless you make an effort to avoid them. VOCs can interact with the ozone inside your home and create smog when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, it’s in your best interests to find products for your home that have low or no VOCs. For instance, formaldehyde is an example of a VOC and it’s very common to find particleboard furniture. Shopping at places like Ikea is a safer option for furniture with low VOCs. Here’s a list of safe places to find furniture. When you look into flooring, it’s important to know what they are using to seal the wood with and opt for more eco-friendly alternatives like Cali Bamboo.

Switch to Natural Cleaning Products or Make Your Own

When it comes to cleaning your home, anything that comes with a warning label on the back should be tossed. (You don’t need that type of negativity in your life *snort*) But really those warnings are there because the product has the ability to pollute the air in your home, so avoiding them is really your best bet. Lots of cleaning products also contain VOCs and remember what happens when VOCs react with ozone inside your home and sunlight…smog. Yikes! If you would like some recipes on how to make your own cleaning products, pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Yoru Family Crazy!).

How to Detox From PCBs Based On Studies

Detoxing from PCBs doesn’t have as many studies as other contaminants backing detoxing but there are a couple of methods I’ve found. The first way to detox from PCB contamination is with an infrared sauna. Sauna use has been around for hundreds of years as a means of wellness. But infrared saunas more powerful and very safe for the entire family. You also want to make sure you select an infrared sauna that doesn’t have treated wood or you are basically putting toxins back inside. I’d also look for a unit that has low EMF. Clearlight Infrared Saunas are what we have in my house and they generously offered $400-600 off a unit, lifetime warranty and a backrest to anyone from the Mamavation community. For more information click here.

And finally here’s one other study about PCBs detoxing but I’m not recommending it. I’m telling you about it but would not recommend going this route without talking to a doctor first and knowing you have a heavy burden of PCBs in your body. Olestra has been found to have the ability to detox PCBs & DDE from your body. It was a small study but the results were very significant because the contamination was great. “The researchers say that olestra apparently makes fat-soluble compounds like PCBs in the intestine more likely to be dissolved, which reduces absorption of these compounds into the body” which I believe because of how rough Olestra is with your body. Again, I don’t recommend going this route but just letting you know about it. Utilizing an infrared sauna would be much safer way of detoxing PCBs from the body.

Want More Tips on How to Detox Your Home From Hormone Disrupting Chemicals?

Pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!) if you are serious about making your home safer for your family. Inside you’ll get step-by-step instructions on how to do a kitchen cabinet purge, personal care purge, indoor air quality purge, and food packaging purge. It also contains over 1,000 product recommendations to make things easy for you and very simple when you have to start purchasing new products.

And don’t forget to pick up our FREE eBook “The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Up Indoor Air In Your Home” by signing up below.

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Any mother knows that the role of motherhood can be hectic! From the time our eyes open, to the moment our heads hit the pillow, it is often go, go go! Having morning rituals that result in a more peaceful day can benefit any family—no matter what stage your family is in. (However, if your children are in middle school, you’ll definitely want to check these out!) You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like ways gardening makes you happy, natural ways to prevent the flu, and dangerous school supplies that have tested positive for asbestos, now join us as we explore ways you can use daily riturals to become more centered in motherhood.

Disclosure & Author Credit: This post was written by Michelle Duncan-Wilson from Souldworkformoms.com. This post contains affiliate links.

The Power of Habits in Forming Centerness

Another way to think of rituals is to think of them as habits. In The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter Charles Duhigg uses scientific discoveries to explain how habits can be created or changed. Duhigg’s work centers around the importance of the “cue, routine, reward” cycle in habit-building or habit-breaking.

The following daily morning rituals work with the same three-step process that Duhigg explains. By having set morning rituals, the “cue” is waking up, the “routine” is the 5 rituals, and the “re-ward” is—you guessed it, more centered mothering, or better know as: less-stress.

By following these routines consistently, before you know it you’ll have a new set of behaviors that are as second-nature as brushing your teeth.

1. Meditate

It doesn’t have to take long! Research shows that even a 15-minute daily session has positive benefits.

Loch Kelly, psychotherapist, author and meditation teacher calls these short, repeated sessions “small glimpses, many times”. If meditating has been challenging for you in the past, check out Kelly’s Shift Into Freedom audio program. A progressive series of short guided meditations, pointers, and “glimpses” designed to help you shift into peace of mind and awaken in the midst of your daily life. Bonus—you can also do these “shifts into freedom” with your eyes open at your desk, on the train, or while walking.

Other options are to try meditation apps like Headspace, or even check out YouTube, where you can find resources such as Elena Brower’s A Meditation For Conscious Parenting.

5 morning rituals for centered mothering

2. Exercise

Countless studies have highlighted the benefit of exercise on your mental health, but one in particular researched just how much time sweating is needed, and how much is too much. (Good news-getting the benefits takes less time than you might think!) “The largest mental health differences occurred with two to four hours of exercise per week[…]. Beyond four hours, the trend begins to reverse…”, the report says.

You can read about even more of the positive side effects in “8 Keys to Mental Health Through Exercise”, by psychologist and mother, Dr. Christina Hibbert.

Weight training, walking or yoga…pick something you like and get moving!

3. Recite a Morning Mantra

In “Unlocking Your Potential”, Bob Moawad lists positive self-talk as one of the key drivers for finally living the life you’ve always been dreaming of. He suggests having 1-3 daily phrases to recite to yourself in the morning and throughout the day…but the catch is to phrase them as if you are already the person you wish to become. For example, if you’ve never run a day in your life but you’d like to run a 10k, your phrase could be “I am a serious runner who trains daily for my goals.”, rather than “I am working hard to finally be a runner.” The difference is subtle, but Moawad says that phrasing it like this will create subconscious actions throughout the day that support your mission, rather than continue the belief that you still are not there.

Bottom line: having a positive, short statement to repeat to yourself in the morning and throughout the day helps to keep you centered and focused.

4. Read (Or Listen To) a Parenting Book

Bite-sized learning, or “micro-learning” is a term that’s becoming more and more popular. (There’s even a conference on the subject!) Asha Pandey, Chief Learning Strategist at EI Design, de-scribes microlearning as “a short, focused learning nugget (often 3-5 mins long or shorter) that is designed to meet a specific learning outcome. It can be used to offer formal training but it often finds a wider usage in informal training (with a focus on performance gain).”

Take advantage of this learning hack by choosing a parenting book to read or listen to for 10-15 minutes, and improve your parenting skills just a little bit, every day.

5. Turn Breakfast into a Sensual Event

Vinita Mehta, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington, DC, who suggests using the five senses to beat stress. In just a few minutes, what used to be a quick bowl of cereal could turn into a major pleasure-inducing event, by turning on some music, tak-ing in a big whiff of your tea, and grabbing the fancy bowl from the back of the cupboard. (Bonus points for lighting a candle.)

5 morning rituals to more centered mothering

Small Effort, Big Results

For many of us, time is of the essence in the mornings, so these rituals can be combined in a way that supports your schedule. If you need to you could combine listening to a parenting book while exercising, turn on a meditation while in the shower, then recite your mantra while enjoying your sensual breakfast. It may take some tweaking to find the rhythm that works for you, just make sure to make it easy enough that you’ll actually do it! The key is to make your ritual so automatic that you no longer need to think about how to do it. (Remember the cycle from above: cue, rou-tine, reward.) Before long, you’ll notice that parenting situations that were once a struggle are now much easier, that your days are feeling lighter, and that your confidence as a mother is stronger, all from starting your day with beautiful intention and ritual.

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Babies are born with particularly vulnerable immune systems, and everything from taking a dose of antibiotics to picking up germs from others at the hospital can have a potentially weakening effect on them. But it’s important for all parents to know that while an infant’s immune system is, indeed, susceptible at this point in life, it is also the best time to strengthen, nurture and develop it.

In fact, a recent study published in the Human Microbiome Journal proved for the first time ever that it’s possible to reduce bad bacteria, such as E. coli, C. diff, Staph and Strep, linked to autoimmune issues, by colonizing the infant gut with a specific good bacteria called B. infantis. In the study, B. infantis wiped out 93 percent of harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, most babies don’t acquire this good bacteria at birth anymore. While that is unfortunate, what is exciting for those of us who work with babies is that this new research shows we’re getting closer to better-protecting newborns immediately after birth as they grow.

This post was written by scientific advisor to Mamavation, Dr. Tanya Altmann, and it contains affiliate links.

Developing a Strong Immune System Starts Day One

The gut is made up of both good and bad bacteria and when more good bacteria (particularly B. infantis) are present in the gut, they crowd out the bad bacteria. Unfortunately, nine out of 10 babies today do not have B. infantis, which causes gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance in the ratio of good and bad gut bacteria and distress as more bad bacteria are allowed to thrive. The presence of bad bacteria in baby’s gut is linked to a higher risk of health issues such as colic, eczema, allergies, diabetes, and obesity later in life.

This is extremely important. As a pediatrician, I’ve seen a massive spike in allergies and eczema among kids. It has become an epidemic among American children in the past decade, and these issues are now being linked to immune health and the gut. Here are the facts:

There are at least two children with food allergies in almost every kindergarten classroom in the U.S. (FARE)
9.6 million children under the age of 18 have eczema and of this total, 3.2 million children suffer from moderate to severe cases (National Eczema Organization)

While we know the immune system is responsible for fighting off viruses and bacterial infections, we’re now starting to better understand how the composition of bacteria in a baby’s gut plays a significant role in how well the immune system can help keep a baby healthy.

What Mom Can Do to Boost Baby’s Immune Health

There are many things moms can do to boost their baby’s immune health from day one. Here are my recommendations.

Breastfeed. The benefits of breastfeeding are extensive and include protection against illness and diseases. During the first six months, breast milk helps enhance a baby’s immune system, making it stronger and less susceptible to bad bacteria, infection and disease. Additionally, breast milk has special carbohydrates that feed the good bacteria in babies’ guts, helping fight off bad bacteria that are linked to colic, allergies, eczema and asthma.
Give baby the right probiotic to restore good bacteria to the gut. The right bacteria help enable the proper development of the immune system, and I highly recommend that all parents give their babies a probiotic during infancy. Evivo (activated B. infantis) baby probiotic, for example, is clinically proven to restore the key good bacteria to the gut and reduce harmful bacteria. This probiotic helps establish a healthy immune system from day one and helps lay the foundation for lifelong good health.
High fiber foods. Once you start feeding solids, it’s important to introduce toddlers to a wide variety of foods with high fiber, including fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains. Kids should eat plenty of high fiber foods for their entire lives!
Sleep, sleep sleep! I can’t stress enough how important it is for a developing child to get enough sleep. Especially as kids get older, it’s important that they’re well rested and keeping their immune systems healthy.

There’s many factors that play into raising strong, healthy babies, but creating a strong immune system during the first six months is critical for baby’s short and long-term health.

—

Dr. Tanya Altmann is a leading pediatrician, Founder of Calabasas Pediatrics and best-selling author. Her expertise lies in baby nutrition and gut health, but she also speaks to everyday parenting issues. Altmann is the author of What to Feed Your Baby, Baby and Toddler Basics, and Mommy Calls, as well as editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ parenting books, The Wonder Years and Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. Dr. Tanya has made numerous media appearances and contributions over the years, but she would say her most important role is being a mom to her amazing three boys.

The post It’s Never Too Early to Help Strengthen Your Baby’s Immune System – Start on Day One appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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Home pesticide testing is here! That’s important because they just found high levels of glyphosate in some of the most common kid cereals, breast milk, & infant formula. And when it comes to glyphosate, an herbicide that has been found to be dangerous even at “safe” levels, it’s important to ensure that your family is not digesting a ton of this stuff. Everyone is talking about glyphosate because it’s not only the most popular herbicide on the globe, sprayed on over 200 different crops, but it’s also deemed a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization. With profits over $4 billion per year, there’s a lot invested in keeping people eating food with glyphosate residue on it. But what if you could find out if the food your family eats is contaminated or not? And what about if you wanted to test yourself to see how much pesticides you have been exposed to in the last four months? Well, now there is a test for that! The same organization that brought you the revolutionary Glyphosate Residue-Free certification for food products is now offering a home kit where you can test the food yourself, right in your own kitchen, and share the results with all your friends on social media! And they have another kit you can purchase to submit a strand of hair to a lab in France to be analyzed telling you how much pesticides you have been exposed to in the last 120 days. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like glyphosate in oat cereal, asbestos in crayons and toxins in tampons, now join us as we show you these special kits you can purchase to protect your family at home. No lab needed!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Glyphosate–What Is it AND Why Is it Dangerous

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in RoundUp Weed Killer and the most popular herbicide in the world. This multi-billion dollar product was originally created by Monsanto, nominated as one of the most hated companies in the world alongside Exxon and Nestle. Glyphosate is not only sprayed on most “bioengineered” or GMO crops in the United States, but it’s also used heavily on conventional crops to kill weeds and again to force desiccation allowing for early harvesting. These uses make glyphosate incredibly ubiquitous and virtually impossible to avoid. In fact, chemical residues are routinely found in rainwater, food and water supplies, soil, air, breastmilk and urine samples. And it’s been proven the chemical can reside in the body of animals for up to one year or longer meaning it’s likely also ending up inside your food.

Glyphosate has also been deemed a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization and added to the Prop. 65 List of Carcinogens and reproductive toxins in California. In other words, this chemical is not something you want around your family or inside the food they eat. There’s lots of controversy on whether glyphosate is actually toxic though. The companies and partners profiting from the chemicals are very vocal about it being safe, however, independent scientists point to the clear conflict of interest present in the safety studies they rely on because most of them are internally funded.

Another glaring issue is that when glyphosate was approved as a pesticide, only the active ingredient was analyzed. They never presented information about the formulation with the additional chemicals that were used. Some of the latest independent science coming out of Europe is pointing to the formulation, including the adjuncts, dyes and surfactants make the product incredibly toxic to both animals, humans and the planet.

Glyphosate home testing kits for food & water

It seems the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) isn’t always up to date on current studies and product formulations either. In 2015, the EPA was poised to issue another favorable risk assessment of glyphosate until the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that there was enough peer-reviewed, published research to classify glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. Suddenly, the EPA was interested in the current details.

In an effort to resolve questions about the potential toxicity of glyphosate, glyphosate formulations, and any co-formulants (inert ingredients and surfactants), EPA was interested in any data or information Monsanto may have on how the formulations may differ from data on the active ingredient and surfactants independently of one another. The notes go on to ask for information about changes in Monsanto’s Roundup formulation “over the years.”

While this is a step in the right direction, we deserve so much more. We deserve real oversight, independent safety studies, and bans on toxic chemicals like glyphosate.

Monsanto Just Lost Court Case Settlement for $289 MILLION for Having Prior Knowledge of Dangers

This year, a groundskeeper from Northern California won a $289 MILLION settlement against Monsanto for causing his non-Hogdkins lymphoma. Dewayne Johnson used RoundUp weed killer 20-30 times per year during his employment as a pest manager for a county school system, and is now terminally ill at 46 years old. Mr. Johnson’s attorney also represents another 2,000 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma sufferers who used Roundup extensively.

When Monsanto was on trial this year, secret documents were exposed that shed a light on how they were able to get away with selling a product that is dangerous to public health and the environment. This sums up what they were caught doing.

Monsanto ghostwrote several publications submitted by “independent” scientists
Monsanto violated standards of the peer review process
Monsanto censored studies reaching the conclusion that glyphosate had adverse health effects
Monsanto placed a paid consultant with an obvious conflict of interest in the role as editor of a journal publishing research on glyphosate. This editor later retracted a study published in the journal that glyphosate was a plausible human carcinogen.
Monsanto organized a campaign to criticize the World Health Organization in anticipation of a general carcinogen causation classification.
Monsanto was guilty of harassing independent scientists involved in research of glyphosate
Monsanto ghostwrote articles submitted by “independent scientists” criticizing the World Health Organization
Monsanto was involved in tons of studies published in scientific journals and their involvement was never disclosed. This points to the fact they have been able to populate scientific discourse with favorable coverage.
Monsanto had several consultants on the payroll on an official panel supposedly “independent” critiquing the World Health Organization
Monsanto lead studies that found that glyphosate was a carcinogen and never submitted them to the Environmental Protection Agency
Monsanto used a laboratory that was later shut down for fraud. However, the EPA never forced Monsanto to repeat the studies done at that laboratory.
Monsanto’s own experts confirmed that glyphosate was a probable carcinogen inside internal documents and emails and voiced concern that was ignored
Monsanto was aware of the toxicity of glyphosate and continued to sell it without warning the public
Monsanto coached witnesses to testify that glyphosate was not toxic
Monsanto admits that the surfactants used in the formulation would cause the body to take in more of the chemical and could cause a toxic effect which was not stated to the EPA when evaluated by regulatory agencies
Monsanto admits to using political influence to overcome regulatory hurdles
Monsanto was colluding behind the scenes with the Environmental Protection Agency, reminding us all of the “revolving door” between the governmental agencies and the chemical industry

Monsanto maintains their innocence and states that their pesticide products are safe as proven by 800 safety studies. Monsanto will appeal the verdict. Interestingly, lead Monsanto toxicologist Donna Farmer seems to inadvertently indict the company while making a statement trying to distinguish glyphosate from RoundUp,

The terms glyphosate and RoundUp cannot be used interchangeably, nor can you use RoundUp for all glyphosate-based herbicides anymore. For example, you cannot say that RoundUp is not a carcinogen…we have not done the necessary testing on the formulation to make a statement.

The trial jury also observed “clear and convincing evidence” that Monsanto’s officials acted with “malice or oppression” in failing to adequately warn of the risks. Not only that, but internal emails obtained the US Right to Know organization revealed that the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly found a “fair amount” of glyphosate over two years of food testing, but has failed to release its findings. That means Monsanto likely knew the negative risks of human exposure and acted to purposefully suppress them from the public, and the FDA was fully aware of glyphosate residue contamination in our food supply.

Detox Project Launches Pesticide Home Testing Kids for Glyphosate & Other Pesticides

The Detox Project is working alongside Pennsylvania-based Abraxis, Inc to provide the global public with a uniquely developed and packaged home test kit for glyphosate: The GlyphoCheck™ Home Test for Glyphosate in Food and Water. Built on the same immunoassay lateral flow device test kits that laboratories and governmental agencies have used for glyphosate analysis, a simplified test kit for analyzing foods and water in your home for the presence of glyphosate is now available. You don’t need a science degree to get lab test results, you can do it right in your kitchen!

Validated foods for testing with the GlyphoCheck Home Test Kit, include:

Water
Beer
Honey
Cereals/Infant Cereals
Whole Oats
Wheat
Corn
Soybeans

There are two tests available to the public where you can purchase two tests or five tests.

If you end up purchasing one of these tests, please let us know in the comments what the results were.

Detox Project Also Has Released Hair Testing With 120 Days Worth of Pesticide Data

If you are interested in purchasing a laboratory test that will give you the results of 120 days worth of pesticide exposure, the Detox Project has a kit you can purchase to submit a hair follicle to a laboratory in France for analysis. There are several options, including just having an analysis of glyphosate OR glyphosate and other pesticides. We recommend the “Combined Pesticide” test that gives you everything at the bottom. Click here to view a sample report. Here are those options:

Glyphosate in Hair (1 Test) – $149.99

This test covers Glyphosate, AMPA, Glufosinate.

Home Pesticides in Hair Test (1 Test) – $199.99

This test covers 4,4′-DDD, 4,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDT, Acetamiprid, Aldrin, Allethrin, Alpha Hexachlorocyclohexane, Beta hexachlorocyclohexane, Alpha Chlordane, Gamma Chlordane, Cypermethrine, Deltamethrin, Dieldrin, Alpha Endosulfan, Beta Endosulfan, Endosulfan sulfate, Endrin, Fipronil, Fipronil sulfone, Lindane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide cis, Heptachlor epoxide trans, Hexachlorobutadiene, Imidacloprid, Mirex, Permethrin, Piperonyl butoxide, Tetramethrin, Transfluthrin.

Agriculture Pesticide in Hair Test (1 Test) – $199.99

Agricultural Pesticide Plus Glyphosate Hair Test (1 Test) – $348.00

Combined Pesticides (without glyphosate) Hair Test (1 Test) – $349.00

This test covers Acephate, Acetochlor, Alachlor, Atrazine, Azoxystrobin, Boscalid, Chlorpyrifos-methyl, Chlorpyrifos-ethyl, Cypermethrin, Cyprodinil, Diazinon, Diflufenican, Dimethomorph, Diuron, Epoxiconazole, Iprovalicarb, Isoxaben, Malathion, Metalaxyl, Metolachlor, Pendimethalin, Permethrin, Propiconazole, Pyraclostrobin, Pyrimethanil, Simazine, Spiroxamine, Tebuconazole, Trifloxystrobin, Trifluralin, 4,4′-DDD, 4,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDT, Acetamiprid, Aldrin, Allethrin, Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane, Beta hexachlorocyclohexane, Alpha Chlordane, Gamma Chlordane, Deltamethrin, Dieldrin, Alpha Endosulfan, Beta Endosulfan, Endosulfan sulfate, Endrin, Fipronil, Fipronil sulfone, Lindane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide cis, Heptachlor epoxide trans, Hexachlorobutadiene, Imidacloprid, Mirex, Piperonyl butoxide, Propoxur, Tetramethrin, Transfluthrin.

Combined Pesticide Including Glyphosate Hair Test (1 Test) – $499.00

This test covers Glyphosate, AMPA, Glufosinate, Acephate, Acetochlor, Alachlor, Atrazine, Azoxystrobin, Boscalid, Chlorpyrifos-methyl, Chlorpyrifos-ethyl, Cypermethrin, Cyprodinil, Diazinon, Diflufenican, Dimethomorph, Diuron, Epoxiconazole, Iprovalicarb, Isoxaben, Malathion, Metalaxyl, Metolachlor, Pendimethalin, Permethrin, Propiconazole, Pyraclostrobin, Pyrimethanil, Simazine, Spiroxamine, Tebuconazole, Trifloxystrobin, Trifluralin, 4,4′-DDD, 4,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDT, Acetamiprid, Aldrin, Allethrin, Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane, Beta hexachlorocyclohexane, Alpha Chlordane, Gamma Chlordane, Deltamethrin, Dieldrin, Alpha Endosulfan, Beta Endosulfan, Endosulfan sulfate, Endrin, Fipronil, Fipronil sulfone, Lindane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide cis, Heptachlor epoxide trans, Hexachlorobutadiene, Imidacloprid, Mirex, Piperonyl butoxide, Propoxur, Tetramethrin, Transfluthrin.

Click Here to Learn More and Order a Test

If you decide to purchase one of these tests please come back here and leave a comment about what you found out. The more information we share, the more likely the food industry will start to rethink their food supply and clean it up for everyone’s benefit!

Green enough book by Leah Segedie

And if you’d like more information about how to detoxify your home from toxins and hormone-disrupting chemicals pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!). Mamavation is also a community of like-minded people, so join us on Facebook for support from other women who are just like you. And for FREE updates, tips & tricks, product investigations and news, sign up for the Mamavation newsletter here.

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This week I was featured on Fox News affiliate in Los Angeles for their morning show, Good Day LA. Now I’ve been on live television before, but it’s been something like 15 years since I’ve done live television working for the California State Assembly. So I was a little bit rusty, but it came back to me very quickly and I realized how much fun live television is. Fox News Los Angeles brought me on to discuss two topics: (1) how much glyphosate is inside oat products and cereals and (2) how can people at home test their food and themselves. I was joined by Brent Wisner who was the main attorney that took Monsanto to court and won a $289 MILLION award for his client. Monsanto lost this battle to a man dying of non-Hodgekins Lymphoma because they were able to prove that Monsanto knew that glyphosate causes cancer, but hid that information from the public for decades. Hmm…sounds a little bit like what they did in Anniston, Alabama, but I digress. The main point both Brent and I were making was that the way the Environmental Protection Agency is evaluating and approving chemicals is fundamentally flawed. And there are thousands of scientists and pediatricians all over the world that will back up that statement. You’ve trusted Mamamvation to cover topics like what popular cereals have too much glyphosate, how toxic are your tampons, and how the American Academy of Pediatrics cut ties with Monsanto, now join us as we explore how the Feds evaluate chemicals they put in our food.

Is This All Hype? Nope. Pediatricians & Scientists Demand Better Chemical Evaluation Policies Too.

Several weeks ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced that the way the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates food additives is fundamentally flawed and puts pregnant women and children at risk. Now they didn’t come out against pesticide levels…yet, but what they are attacking is the process by which the Feds evaluates and approves chemicals for commerce. This process doesn’t take into account the vulnerable hormonal system of pregnant women and children and puts them in harm’s way. Numerous food additives, approved by the FDA, have been later been shown through studies to cause harm.

Thousands of doctors in Europe got together this year to say that certain hormone-disrupting chemicals are also linked to obesity. Certain pesticides are also in that category. Obesity is also a modern-day disease with rates that have skyrocketed in recent years. And the problem really boils down to a lack of accountability within the system. Chemicals are not independently analyzed before they go to market. I talked about this in my book, Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!) and here is the excerpt from the book describing the process by which chemical additives are approved.

“Let’s pretend for a second that you are a chemical aching to become a useful and productive member of nation’s food supply. You need to get into one of three lines to receive approval under the GRAS program.

LINE NO. 1: Before you start, ask yourself if you were born before the year 1958. If you answered yes, congratulations! You are grandfathered into the system and zip right into the express lane, which puts you straight into the nation’s food supply. How very nice for you.

LINE NO. 2: If you love to do tons of paperwork, conduct legitimate scientific studies that are published in peer-reviewed science journals, hold a public comment period, and follow the spirit of the law, then this line is for you. What–no takers? Okay. Well, here’s the third option.

LINE NO. 3: Get in this line if you don’t want to bother with rigorous science. Just do up your own safety studies and notify the FDA that you want a review. You can involve legit scientists if you want but you don’t have to. The FDA has 120 days to do a complete review of whatever you give them, but it takes them about that long just to get ink into one of their printers, so chances are they won’t pull off a review in that time–and in that case, you’re good to go, because it means automatic approval is yours. And on the off chance the FDA gets their act together and denies your petition, don’t worry your pretty little chemical head because a) they are reviewing your safety studies that you did with people you paid to get the results you wanted, and b) even if they are about to reject your petition they will tell you beforehand so you can withdraw it before any news goes public. Then it’s like nothing ever happened–no one will ever know there were any questionable safety issues, not even when you try again and, one way or another eventually get approved.”

Now I know food additives are not pesticides and please don’t mix those two up, but what independent scientists are saying is the same is true for pesticides and the amounts that are inside the foods we eat. The system is set up in a way that they get approval without the information verified as true. And they use ancient technology and methods that hide trace amounts. In the 21st century, we have far more sophisticated testing. When you look into outer space for galaxies, you wouldn’t use binoculars. If you did, you wouldn’t see anything. That is how the FDA and EPA are evaluating chemicals. They use outdated technology and methods to look for chemical residue. When they don’t find it, they say no danger is present. But today we have the equivalent of the Hubble Telescope which shows us galaxies inside the body. Now if old technology is relied on to evaluate chemicals, the only people winning in that scenario are the chemical companies.

Did the Feds Let us Down? Well, Monsanto Secret Documents Revealed How Dangerous Chemicals Get Into The Food We Eat Via Burying Evidence & Colluding With Government Officials

A California court awarded $289 MILLION to a groundskeeper in Northern California because glyphosate, owned by the chemical company Monsanto, caused his nonhodgekins lymphoma. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in RoundUp Weed Killer and the most popular herbicide in the world. Glyphosate is not only sprayed on most “bioengineered” or GMO crops in the United States, but it’s also used heavily on conventional crops to kill weeds and again to force desiccation allowing for early harvesting. These uses make glyphosate incredibly ubiquitous and virtually impossible to avoid. In fact, chemical residues are routinely found in rainwater, food and water supplies, soil, air, breastmilk and urine samples. And it’s been proven the chemical can reside in the body of animals for up to one year or longer meaning it’s likely also ending up inside your food.

Glyphosate was originally patented as a chelator and an antibiotic, which means it has the ability to stop nutrient absorption and decimate delicate gut flora. These two simple facts explain why glyphosate is so damaging to the overall health of the body and has been linked to spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Glyphosate has also been deemed a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization and added to the Prop. 65 List of Carcinogens and reproductive toxins in California. In other words, this chemical is not something you want around your family or inside the food they eat. There’s lots of controversy on whether glyphosate is actually toxic though. The companies and partners profiting from the chemicals are very vocal about it being safe, however, independent scientists point to the clear conflict of interest present in the safety studies they rely on because most of them are internally funded.

Monsanto ghostwrote several publications submitted by “independent” scientists

Monsanto violated standards of the peer review process

Monsanto censored studies reaching the conclusion that glyphosate had adverse health effects

Monsanto placed a paid consultant with an obvious conflict of interest in the role as editor of a journal publishing research on glyphosate. This editor later retracted a study published in the journal that glyphosate was a plausible human carcinogen.

Monsanto organized a campaign to criticize the World Health Organization in anticipation of a general carcinogen causation classification.

Monsanto was guilty of harassing independent scientists involved in research of glyphosate

Monsanto ghostwrote articles submitted by “independent scientists” criticizing the World Health Organization

Monsanto was involved in tons of studies published in scientific journals and their involvement was never disclosed. This points to the fact they have been able to populate scientific discourse with favorable coverage.

Monsanto had several consultants on the payroll on an official panel supposedly “independent” critiquing the World Health Organization

Monsanto lead studies that found that glyphosate was a carcinogen and never submitted them to the Environmental Protection Agency

Monsanto used a laboratory that was later shut down for fraud. However, the EPA never forced Monsanto to repeat the studies done at that laboratory.

Monsanto’s own experts confirmed that glyphosate was a probable carcinogen inside internal documents and emails and voiced concern that was ignored

Monsanto was aware of the toxicity of glyphosate and continued to sell it without warning the public

Monsanto coached witnesses to testify that glyphosate was not toxic

Monsanto admits that the surfactants used in the formulation would cause the body to take in more of the chemical and could cause a toxic effect which was not stated to the EPA when evaluated by regulatory agencies

Monsanto admits to using political influence to overcome regulatory hurdles

Monsanto was colluding behind the scenes with the Environmental Protection Agency, reminding us all of the “revolving door” between the governmental agencies and the chemical industry

Monsanto maintains their innocence and states that their pesticide products are safe as proven by 800 safety studies and they will appeal the verdict. Interestingly, lead Monsanto toxicologist Donna Farmer seems to inadvertently indict the company while making a statement trying to distinguish glyphosate from RoundUp,

Glyphosate home testing kits for food & water The trial jury also observed “clear and convincing evidence” that Monsanto’s officials acted with “malice or oppression” in failing to adequately warn of the risks. Not only that, but internal emails obtained the US Right to Know organization revealed that the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly found a “fair amount” of glyphosate over two years of food testing, but has failed to release its findings. That means Monsanto likely knew the negative risks of human exposure and acted to purposefully suppress them from the public, and the FDA was fully aware of glyphosate residue contamination in our food supply.

This Has Actually Happened Before. Monsanto Paid Out $700 MILLION to People They Contaminated with PCBs in Anniston Alabama. Now They Are Dying.

History repeats itself. In Anniston, Alabama, Monsanto lost a court case and had to pay out $700 MILLION to citizens in Anniston, Alabama for polluting their town for decades causing cancer, birth defects, diabetes, and death. The plaintiffs were able to prove that Monsanto knew about the dangers and continued to dump the chemicals in the neighborhood anyway. PCBs were later banned in the late 70s but still showing up in the environment today. Most of us are exposed to it through animal fats and off-gassing from modern kitchen cabinets.

Residents of Anniston, Alabama are still in dire needs. The aftermath of cancerous contaminants, which found their way into their water supplies and ground samples mean more cancer and medical monitoring for years to come. CBS covered the story here below.

Glyphosate in Oatmeal & Cereals in Dangerous Levels For Pregnant Women & Children

Glyphosate has been something Mamavation has been tracking for some time. And recently some news has hit of a study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group–Iconic products from companies like Quaker Oats and Cheerios contain enough pesticide residue, glyphosate, to be dangerous to children. Here’s a complete list of what was published online. And we’ve done you the favor of linking up how you can get safer brands.

Granola Brands Tested for Glyphosate

Nature’s Path Organic Honey Almond granola— Test #1 Non-detectable, Test #2 Non-detectable
Back to Nature Classic Granola–Test #1 620 ppb, Test #2 170 ppb
Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey, Raisins & Almonds–Test #1 430 ppb, Test #2 400 ppb
Back to Nature Banana Walnut Granola Clusters–Test #1 30 ppb, Test #2 30 ppb, Test #3 340 ppb
Nature Valley Granola Protein Oats ‘n Honey–Test #1 220 ppb, Test #2 170 ppb
KIND Vanilla, Blueberry Clusters with Flax Seeds–Test #1 50 ppb, Test #2 60 ppb

Instant Oats Brands Tested for Glyphosate

Giant Instant Oatmeal, Original Flavor–Test #1 760 ppb
Simple Truth Organic Instant Oatmeal, Original–Test #1 Non-detectable, Test #2 Non-detectable
Quaker Dinosaur Eggs, Brown Sugar, Instant Oatmeal–Test #1 620 ppb, Test #2 780 ppb
Great Value Original Instant Oatmeal–Test #1 450 ppb
Umpqua Oats, Maple Pecan–Test #1 220 ppb, Test #2 220 ppb
Market Pantry Instant Oatmeal, Strawberries & Cream–Test #1 120 ppb, Test #2 520 ppb

Oat Breakfast Cereal Brands Tested for Glyphosate

Kashi Heart to Heart Organic Honey Toasted cereal–Test #1 Non-detectable, Test #2 Non-detectable
Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat cereal–Test #1 490 ppb, Test #2 470 ppb
Lucky Charms–Test #1 400ppb, Test #2 230 ppb
Barbara’s Multigrain Spoonfuls, Original, Cereal–Test #1 340 ppb, Test #2 300 ppb
Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran oat cereal–Test #1 250 ppb, Test #2 120 ppb

Snack Bars Brands Tested for Glyphosate

Cascadian Farm Organic Harvest Berry, granola bar–Test #1 Non-detectable, Test #2 Non-detectable
KIND Oats & Honey with Toasted Coconut–Test #1 Non-detectable, Test #2 120 ppb
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Oats ‘n Honey–Test #1 340 ppb, Test #2 120 ppb
Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bar–Test #1 120 ppb, Test #2 160 ppb
Kellogg’s Nutrigrain Soft Baked Breakfast Bars, Strawberry–Test #1 30 ppb, Test #2 80 ppb

Whole Oats Brands Tested for Glyphosate

365 Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats–Test #1 Non-detectable, Test #2 Non-detectable
Quaker Steel Cut Oats–Test #1 530 ppb, Test #2 290 ppb
Quaker Old Fashioned Oats–Test #1 390 ppb, Test #2 1100 ppb, Test #3 1300 ppb
Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats–Test #1 300 ppb, Test #2 Non-detectable

Today General Mills is being sued by a woman in Florida stating if she would have known about the levels of toxic glyphosate that were in Cheerios she would never have purchased them and fed them to her family. We expect similar lawsuit to hit other companies producing products with oats, wheat, and legumes with high levels of glyphosate.

Testing–The New Frontier. Detox Project Launches Pesticide Home Testing Kids for Glyphosate & Other Pesticides

This can be a little overwhelming, but some smart people have figured out a way how you can take control of your family’s health with lab testing. The Detox Project is working alongside Pennsylvania-based Abraxis, Inc to provide the global public with a uniquely developed and packaged home test kit for glyphosate: The GlyphoCheck™ Home Test for Glyphosate in Food and Water. Built on the same immunoassay lateral flow device test kits that laboratories and governmental agencies have used for glyphosate analysis, a simplified test kit for analyzing foods and water in your home for the presence of glyphosate is now available. You don’t need a science degree to get lab test results, you can do it right in your kitchen! This was the same test I used in my kitchen to validate that Quaker Oats indeed does have more than 200 ppb glyphosate in their product. The implications of what I can test and show you are endless.

And sophisticated testing for personal use has also come out. If you are interested in purchasing a laboratory test that will give you the results of 120 days worth of pesticide exposure, the Detox Project has a kit you can purchase to submit a hair follicle to a laboratory in France for analysis. There are several options, including just having an analysis of glyphosate OR glyphosate and other pesticides. We recommend the “Combined Pesticide” test that gives you everything at the bottom. Click here to view a sample report.

The post Fox News Los Angeles Debuts Interview Stating Glyphosate in Food is Problematic to Children appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Visit us at Mamavation.com for more updates, healthy tips and challenges.

To escape the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, many have moved out of the City to discover toxic secrets within tap water that is rarely disclosed in their real estate contract. Secrets of a partial nuclear meltdown were covered up from 1959 to 1979. Citizens of Simi Valley didn’t find out until 1989, over 30 years later. Simi Valley is an example of what happens when corporate greed mixes with political complacency, & paternalistic dismissiveness to the detriment of the health of children and families. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover issues like how much hormone-disrupting chemicals are costing your family in healthcare expenses, which chemicals endocrinologists are blaming for the obesity epidemic, & how toxic are your tampons, now join us as we bring to you the partial nuclear meltdown in the United States you never knew about.

Just north of Los Angeles is a sleepy suburb called Simi Valley, population 125,000. I’ve lived here for about 15 years. Entering the city from the 118 freeway you’ll go past “the valley” and see huge unique rock formations surrounding a breathtaking entry into another valley laid out with small California bungalows that were developed in the 60s and 70s. Off to the right, you’re greeted by a happy face burned into a field right off the freeway as a way to welcome you to our friendly city. Overall it’s a quiet and safe neighborhood. Simi Valley is most famous for its open spaces, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and the Rodney King trial in 1992. Its citizens comprise of off-duty LAPD officers & firemen, teachers & nurses, pharmaceutical representatives from Amgen, and additional blue collar workers. In terms of real estate, it’s more affordable than most homes in the City of Los Angeles, the schools have higher test scores, and its crime rate is very low compared to other cities it’s size. It sounds like a dream come true until you learn it’s toxic secret. We don’t really like to discuss this with outsiders. Perhaps it’s because we don’t want to tank the real estate market or scare jobs away, but it has to be said. There was a partial nuclear meltdown in the hills to the east at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in 1959 and it’s rocked the community ever since.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

The Rocketdyne Partial Nuclear Meltdown of 1959

To the hills east of Simi Valley is an experimental nuclear energy and rocket testing facility called the Santa Susana Field Lab where a partial nuclear meltdown happened in 1959. The former rocket testing facility released thousands of radioactive isotopes and other toxic chemicals that then blanketed the area, poisoned the ground and seeped into the groundwater. Today the property is now tri-owned by the Boeing Corporation, NASA and the Federal Department of Energy.

Even though this event happened about 70 years ago, there are still health impacts that remain today without a complete cleanup. Rare pediatric cancers have clustered in Simi Valley, including children dying from a very rare form of neuroblastoma. Only 600-800 cases of this rare form of cancer happen in the country, and yet several are coming from Simi Valley, California.

An independent advisory panel concluded the meltdown released more than 458 times the amount of radioactivity released by the Three Mile Island accident. And because of lack of containment, it was released into the surrounding environment of Simi Valley, Canoga Park, West Hills, and Chatsworth. And according to a study done by the University of Michigan, residents living within 2 miles of the laboratory are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers compared with other residents. One of those cancer victims was Hazel, a 7-year-old girl who died of neuroblastoma in March of 2018. Bailey is the name of a two-year-old that died of neuroblastoma in 2015 and another girl died at age 4 in 2014.

My first introduction to Rocketdyne was a town hall meeting organized by Erin Brockovich around 2011. At the time, I was a representative for local California Assemblyman Tony Strickland and Simi Valley was not only my home but a city I was responsible for covering. Some of the issues I oversaw in my time with the assembly were small businesses concerns, water, and environmental issues. But this was my first time I had ever heard of Rocketdyne. Even though at that point I had lived in Simi Valley for about a year, I had only been working for this particular politician for about six months. That day I sat next to a city councilman who I knew well and he said to me “Oh boy! Erin Brockovich is here stirring everyone up. This is ridiculous!” As he was saying these words, I looked up to see moms who were concerned about their children speaking and were basically being dismissed by local representatives that were supposed to serve them. This moment etched itself into my brain forever because it was a clear example of how women are dismissed as “hysterical” when they clearly were the only ones willing to protect the city.

You can click here to join over 270,000 people demanding the Santa Susana Field Laboratory clean up their toxic mess so fewer children get cancer. I’d recommend you do that because this mess needs some national attention.

What is Perchlorate & What are the Dangers

Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and synthetic chemical anion that is commonly used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants, fireworks, airbag in vehicles, munitions, signal flares, and fertilizers. Perchlorate is a classified hormone-disrupting chemical linked to thyroid conditions and cancers. It has the ability to disrupt the normal function of the thyroid gland in both children and adults. And it can also interfere with the human body’s ability to absorb iodine into the thyroid gland which is a critical element in the production of thyroid hormones. Perchlorate is ubiquitous because it’s also showing up in the food supply in things like leafy greens. It’s estimated that contamination with fertilizers and water feeds into the plant and trace amounts are digested every day. And since we are already exposed by our eating, it’s VERY important to make sure it’s not also showing up in the water you drink every day.

And as the rule with hormone-disrupting chemicals, it can be extremely dangerous at teeny tiny levels equivalent of a drop in an Olympic sized swimming pool to pregnant women and children. California sets the limits of perchlorate at 6 parts per billion inside water. (Nationally the number is much higher.) However, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) within the California Environmental Protection Agency proposed a health guideline in 2011 to lower that level to 1 part per billion stating the current levels do not protect pregnant women and children. This recommendation is still working it’s way into the law and is considered what is referred to as a “health guideline.” And that means, water districts can be within the legal limits and not be protecting most of it’s citizens, particularly the women and children.

I interviewed Dr. Tom Zoeller from the University of Massachusets who specializes in Perchlorate and its impact on our thyroid for this story. Part of what I was trying to explore is if 6 parts per billion were adequate in protecting women and children. Spoiler Alert: it’s not. According to Zoeller who quotes from the World Health Organization, women are becoming deficient in iodine in the United States and it’s impacting their thyroid. Iodine is what protects our thyroids from such attacks like what you would experience from perchlorate and if we are deficient in it, 6 parts per billion would not be adequate enough to protect women or children. It would need to be closer to 1 parts per billion. He also reminded me that there is a difference between the legal requirement a water district would need to uphold and a “health protective” standard that they are supposed to strive for. California recognizes this and that is why they are trying to change the standard to 1 parts per billion.

According to documents from the Golden State Water Company that services the central part of Simi Valley, Perchlorate has been found in the blending wells at levels between 1.4 and 4.6 parts per billion. Meaning technically they are abiding by the law, however, they are not sufficiently protecting pregnant women and children within the district. In 1965 the Golden State Water Company received permission from the State of California to start adding groundwater from the contaminated wells in Simi Valley. Back then no one had any idea the partial nuclear meltdown that had happened. It wasn’t until 1979 that students from UCLA hot on the investigative trial exposed Rocketdyne to federal agencies. And the public didn’t hear about it until 1989. So from 1965 to today, Golden State Water Company has been delivering citizens water with perchlorate. In 1989 when they found out the water had been contaminated, did the California Department of Toxic Substances rescind that permission to use groundwater? No. And long story short no one uttered a word until 2018 when the City of Simi Valley wanted to start adding groundwater to another water district inside the city to save money. That’s when citizens discovered that Golden State Water Company has been doing this since 1965. Technically they had it buried in their website this entire time, but how many people regularly go through their water district website to browse through their water quality? You’re a bit busy making awesome, right? So basically, close to a third of the city had already been consuming it! This realization sent shockwaves around the city.

Melissa Bumpstead, a mother whose child has a very rare form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and who runs Parents vs. SSFL, says “Golden State Water Company is aware that Simi is only miles from one of America’s worst nuclear meltdowns, the Santa Susana Field Lab. They’ve allowed levels of perchlorate above the California health goal, they’ve only tested for radioactive Tritium twice in the last 12 years, they dilute carcinogenic TCE to meet the maximum contamination limits, but still claim that they’re providing high-quality drinking water. They aren’t protecting the people of Simi Valley if they’re not willing to be proactive to learn all the facts, do all the right tests, and do them rigorously, and be fully transparent. And right now they’re not willing to do that, and that puts the people of Simi at risk.”

According to independent reports, during the years 2008 through 2014, there have been a total of 216 exceedances from these outfalls at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. An exceedance is a release offsite above limits set in the NPDES permit. In other words, 216 times in the last few years, contaminants have migrated from SSFL in surface water at levels above those specified in the site’s pollution discharge permit contamination. Several radioactive, hormone-disrupting and carcinogenic chemicals may have migrated into Simi Groundwater including the following:

Manganese exceeded the daily permit limit 20 times.
Lead has had 27 exceedances.
Dioxins detected at up to 500 times the permit limit.
Perchlorate on-site at levels such as 670 parts per billion and 180 parts per billion. Importantly, there were also concentrations detected in monitoring wells in Simi Valley like 19.28 and 15.2 parts per billion.
- A study by Dr. Ali Tabidian, Professor of Hydrogeology at Cal State Northridge, concluded that the contamination of wells in Simi Valley with perchlorate was likely the result of perchlorate contamination that migrated from SSFL.
- Golden State Water Wells had 7 hits of perchlorate between 2006 through 2010. A hit means that it was above the detection level which is 4 micograms per liter, 5.2 ug/L in January 2010
Tritium has been found offsite
500,000 gallons of TCE dumped at SSFL and assumed to be in groundwater throughout Simi

rocketdyne partial nuclear meltdown in simi valley

Why Would a Private Water Company Use Ground Water Contaminated with Perchlorate & Other Radioactive Chemicals?

This as something that obviously concerned me. So I met with the Golden State Water Company to see how they were able to include groundwater that was contaminated with Perchlorate from the Rocketdyne plant. They told me permission was granted to them in 1965 and they were within the maximum amounts proposed by the State of California. As long as they are in those legal limits, why change?

Um, well because precaution would be warranted in this situation. But I digress.

When I asked them how much money they were saving by using contaminated groundwater, they told me “several hundred thousand.” Hmm, that’s interesting. Golden State Water Company just initiated a rate reduction of 1.5%. I would gladly give my $2 back to have safer water. Call me crazy.

Let’s not forget what happened in Flint Michigan–felonies and thousands of sick children. Making decisions for the sake of saving a buck can cost you your freedom AND the lives and future opportunities of children.

American States Water Company is the parent of Golden State Water Company and American States Utility Services, Inc. It provides water service to 255,000 residents within 76 different communities inside California. It’s a company that has been around for about 85 years servicing the state. But it’s a private company and there is very little someone can do if they don’t want to drink water with perchlorate in it. The City of Simi Valley would have to act to help its citizens in this situation. What could Simi Valley do? They could start applying pressure to the company immediately and threaten to get rid of this water company via eminent domain or public bond if they didn’t stop using groundwater. Several other cities have already done this to Golden State.

But this private water company is used to citizens being upset with them about the quality of their water and price hikes. Having a private company deliver your water can be a problem when abuse of power is happening. Here are some of the things I found within 10 minutes of a search. In 2013, the residents of Ojai just north of Simi Valley passed a bond measure to kick them out of their city for abusive rate hikes. Then Claremont, California launched eminent domain proceedings to get rid of them for abusive rate hikes. And in 2015 citizens in Gardena protested after their water turned black and the Golden State Water Company said it was still safe to drink. And this year when the Environmental Working Group came out with their safe Tap Water Database report, 38 Golden State water districts were found with chemicals above the health guidelines set forth by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Simi Valley was only one of them. And finally, they are also rated B- by the Better Business Bureau for several complaints logged about them within the past few years. And last quarter their company was running in the red. Could it be possible they are blind to serving the district because they are worried so much about money? Again, I’d gladly give them my $2 bucks back for safer water.

You can click here and join thousands of other people telling the Golden State Water Company they should STOP using toxic groundwater immediately!

Recommendations For Families Living In Water Districts Ignoring the Health Guidelines

There are several things you can do if you are concerned about the water you are drinking, cooking with and bathing with. Our Scientific Advisor Dr. Tanya Altmann, who is also the spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends being very careful when dosing children with iodine. Please make sure if you are wanting to start an iodine regimen, check with your doctor first. There are tests they can run to find out how much you need. Mamavation then recommends:

Look into getting a good quality water filtration system, such as Environmental Water Systems. Reverse Osmosis systems can get rid of most, not all, but most of the chemicals problematic in water.
Have your water tested for pollutants that are a common problem in your area. One lab that does this well is AGQ USA right in Oxnard.
Pick up some iodine supplements if you don’t use table salt. But please talk to your doctor first. Assuming you have done that these are for adults: Now Foods, Pure Encapsulations
WARNING–Iodine for children: PLEASE BE CAREFUL HERE. Overdosing on Iodine has symptoms as well. Please see your doctor first before starting any supplement regimen, especially with children. And let them know if you are using table salt because it already has iodine inside.
Sometimes “detoxing” is marketing, however, infrared sauna use has strong studies to back up its effectiveness in detoxing persistent chemicals like PCBs, and other types of hormone-disrupting chemicals like glyphosate, bisphenols, and phthalates. Sweat happens naturally to expel things from your body that don’t belong there.
Perspective: Focusing on things you CAN control like protecting your family from dangerous air quality inside and outside your home. Toxic exposure is cumulative, so anything you can do to reduce the overall exposure of your family is important.
For more information on how to protect your family from dangerous chemicals pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!). I’ll help you walk through your home and kick the three-headed monsters to the curb.

Private Companies Vs. Local Control–Which Scenario Is Best For Your Family?

There’s a trend in California of cities kicking Golden State Water Company to the curb and that begs the question–what is best for your family? A private water company OR a public utility serving your water? Does having a private water company put your family in more danger than a public utility? And is there any recourse that citizens have to affect change after something happens like too much perchlorate in the water or the water itself turning black? These are all great questions that we’ve been pondering here at Mamavation. And we’d love your input on this matter!

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Tess Holiday, a plus-sized model, is the Septembers 2018 cover girl for Cosmopolitan UK. And the world reacts with high intensity at the idea of a fat girl being a cover model. One side of the aisle reacted with glee about how far the body-positivity movement has come while the other side yelled in disgust about how a fat girl could EVAH be a role model because she’s obviously unhealthy. Well, for those of you who think that the only way to get fat is to sit around all day and eat bonbons, I got some information for you–there’s a class of chemicals called “obesogens” that can impact your waistline and they are found inside everyday products like shampoo, cleaners & nonstick pans. Thousands of endocrinologists in Europe think it’s a major factor in the obesity epidemic. In other words, some people are fat not because of their lifestyle, but because they’ve been exposed to dangerous endocrine disrupting chemicals during a vulnerable hormonal period in their life and their body reacted by creating more fat. And this theory is no longer fringe, it’s accepted by scientists all over the world, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. Where did all the obese babies come from that are exclusively breastfed? Huh. There’s a theory behind that as well. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like trying science-based detoxing methods like an infrared sauna, how Target covers their receipts with a chemical linked to weight gain, why your diet may be killing you, now join us as we explore obesogens and their potential effects on your weight.

Over $340 Billion Spent Annually on Health Care Related to Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals in the United States

Last year a study was published that looked at the amount of money that was wasted on health care due to the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals we are commonly exposed to. They found that the United States had a burden of $340 BILLION annually. And that number is conservative because it didn’t take into account chemicals that haven’t been studied yet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are over 86,000 chemicals in commerce. Most of them have not been studied to understand their impacts on our hormones, so once that happens, that $340 BILLION is expected to go much higher.

Thousands of endocrinologists in Europe believe the epidemic of exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals and the obesity epidemic are intimately linked. Not only does the obesity epidemic mirror the rise in hormone-disrupting chemicals we find ourselves surrounded by every day, but nothing can explain why there is such a rise in obese babies over the past couple of decades. Babies that survive on breastmilk should not be overweight. They aren’t expected to get exercise because they can’t walk yet and they don’t eat food that would cause weight gain. So what gives? The rise in obese babies have become a canary in the coal mine, so to speak for researchers. Holding to the antiquated theory that weight gain is all about energy balance with calories going in and calories going out no longer makes sense in the modern world. When chemicals can cause weight gain in utero, what are they doing to adults?

What About The Lack of Activity Americans Are Getting?

If you turned on the television and started listening to what was said about weight loss, you’d hear about Americans not being active and weight gain happens because of lack of activity. A picture is painted of Americans sitting on their couches and watching television all day or working on their computer. And although our modern lifestyle may seem like we are getting a bit less active, overall Americans are more focused now on health than they’ve ever been before but it’s not translating into a slimmer waistline.

Some studies have drawn conclusions that an increase in activity may actually also be tied to weight gain. The more you workout, the more the body slows down your metabolism. It’s almost like your body is fighting against you to maintain balance. Globally, there is a correlation between the amount of exercise people do and their weight, but it’s not what you think. In countries like Norway and Japan where they actually get LESS activity, they weigh less. Studies looking at how the body reacts to activity have concluded that exercise doesn’t increase weight loss. And studies on hunter-gatherer communities vs. western lifestyles have concluded that hunter-gatherers aren’t burning more calories than Americans. Long story short, there is something very odd about the obesity epidemic in first world nations and none of our prior theories make sense once science starts to look into it.

Now let’s not give up on exercise, because the benefits of getting activity are more about extending your life, cutting down on inflammation, increasing circulation, detoxing from the sweat you expend, and not dying of heart disease which is the leading killer of women. Those are all really good reasons to get 150+ minutes of high intensity per week. (I get over 200 from kickboxing and weights). But let’s be clear about why it’s important and focus less on it being about weight loss.

What About All The Junk Food People Eat?

It’s true that what you eat has more influence on the size of your waist circumference, but that correlation isn’t as strong as we previously thought. But don’t tell the weight loss industry that. According to them, there is a perfect diet for everyone and if you can’t sustain weight loss it’s because you aren’t trying hard enough. As Americans, we eat a ton of junk food and processed food. That’s what this is really about. Processed food is void of nutrients so they make up for it by adding synthetic vitamins and minerals. It’s the kind of diet you can eat all day and never feel satisfied. But there’s also some very large limitations on the idea of dieting. Eating healthy without focusing on losing weight is one thing, but dieting has some incredible limitations that Traci Mann, who teaches psychology at the University of Minnesota and has been studying. Over the course of 20 years, Traci Mann has been studying eating habits, self-control at the University of Minnesota’s Health and Eat Lab. Her book, Secrets from the Eating Lab, is a deep dive into what they discovered. Here are some tidbits on dieting:

1. “After you diet, so many biological changes happen in your body that it becomes practically impossible to keep the weight off. It’s not about someone’s self-control or strength of will…The first is neurological. When you are dieting, you actually become more likely to notice food. Basically, your brain becomes overly responsive to food, and especially to tasty looking food. But you don’t just notice it — it actually begins to look more appetizing and tempting. It has increased reward value. So the thing you’re trying to resist becomes harder to resist. So already, if you think about it, it’s not fair.
2. Then there are hormonal changes, and it’s the same kind of thing. As you lose body fat, the amount of different hormones in your body changes. And the hormones that help you feel full, or the level of those rather, decreases. The hormones that make you feel hungry, meanwhile, increases. So you become more likely to feel hungry, and less likely to feel full given the same amount of food. Again, completely unfair.
3. And the third biological change, which I think people do sort of know about, is that there are metabolic changes. Your metabolism slows down. Your body uses calories in the most efficient way possible. Which sounds like a good thing, and would be good thing if you’re starving to death. But it isn’t a good thing if you’re trying to lose weight, because when your body finds a way to run itself on fewer calories there tends to be more leftover, and those get stored as fat, which is exactly what you don’t want to happen.”

And the diet craziness goes on and on. At first, we thought that your perfect diet is linked to your genetics but that was found to be untrue. Your genes don’t decide what your perfect diet is. Damn! What about the keto craze? Well, while Keto can help you cut down on inflammation and lose weight, it’s not a long-term solution. You’re likely to gain it all back within five years. Is losing weight possible? Yes, I did it. I dropped close to 120 lbs. and kept it off for seven years, but then gained 60 lbs. back. So I’m definitely ahead but I don’t reflect the vast majority of Americans and what the research says. Today, the diet industry is like nails on a chalkboard, which leads me to our next subject.

The Rise of PCOS–One of the Most Misdiagnosed Conditions for Women

One of the most underrecognized diseases plaguing women today is PCOS or Polycystic ovary syndrome. It’s when you have an increase in male hormones and this imbalance causes an imbalance in the body. It’s estimated that close to 27% of women get PCOS during their childbearing years and over 70% of women with PCOS don’t even realize they have it.

PCOS is a “syndrome” that affects the ovaries and ovulation. Its main symptoms are:

High levels of male hormones
Cysts in the ovaries
Irregular or skipped periods
Weight gain
Hair growth

Weight gain is a very big part of PCOS and there are communities dedicated to a special diet plan that helps people maintain their weight. That means it feels like a runaway train of weight gain unless you know what to do. Those diet plans require severe calorie restrictions, avoidance of dairy & gluten, a low glycemic diet, special supplements and you have to change your eating patterns to consuming most of your calories in the morning and afternoon. If you’ve been paying close attention notice up to 1/3 of women between the ages of 15 to 44 have this syndrome with runaway weight gain and they have to starve themselves to maintain a weight that is normal. Just let that sink in for a moment.

If You Care About People’s Weight, Call Your Federal Representative & Ask To Make Fruits & Vegetables More Affordable in the Farm Bill

Does anyone know why a McDonald cheeseburger costs more than broccoli? The answer to that is in the Farm Bill that is negotiated every five years. The Farm Bill determines which crops are given priority over others. In other words, certain crops like corn, wheat, soy and sugar beets are given priority privileges in this system by offering farmers things like lower insurance costs and subsidies. This makes producing those types of crops less expensive for a farmer and thus less expensive for you.

Crops that lead to obesity like corn, soy, wheat, and sugar beets are all subsidized as part of the farm bill. And crops like lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes that are linked with health are called “specialty crops” and are not subsidized.

So effectively, we are subsidizing the obesity epidemic and making it harder for someone with fewer means to afford health in general. Don’t be part of that problem by just throwing daggers. You can pick up the phone and call your local congressman and tell them you believe that “specialty crops” should get some love under the farm bill so they become more affordable for everyone.

Okay, Fine Be an As*hole If That’s Who You Are

Okay, so now that you know what science is saying about people who are fat like Tess Holiday, what do you think? Tess Holiday doesn’t just represent the body positivity movement with her #effyourbeautystandards campaign, but she incites anger from individuals who don’t understand how chemicals can impact hormones. I guess you could say she incites people who are ignorant and judgemental. If you feel the need to make fat people feel ashamed of their bodies, what does that say about you? Oh, yeah…that you are in fact, an asshole. I think that’s a medical term we can use here. Unfortunately, being an asshole isn’t something the medical industry can treat. However, if you are into all that new age stuff, there’s some movements you may want to check out.

The post If You Are Disgusted by Terri Holiday You Don’t Understand Obesogen Chemicals and Their Impacts On Us appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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Weeks ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) came out saying that the way the Feds evaluate food additives puts pregnant women and children in harm’s way. They are referring to things like artificial colors and “indirect additives” coming from packaging materials and processing contamination. But according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) these ingredients are all-too-often “Generally Recognized as Safe” or GRAS for short. So the AAP is now pressuring Congress to change how chemicals are evaluated and how that GRAS determination is given because the AAP concludes, based on the science, the FDA isn’t doing an adequate job of protecting pregnant women and children. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like 12 reasons to ditch plastic kitchen utensils, and how Target covers their receipts with a chemical linked to obesity, now join us as we explore the ways the Feds determine “safe” and if that is really enough for your family.

So that begs the question–what is safe? What does that mean and how do the Feds determine the definition? According to thousands of pediatricians across the United States, the word “safe” may not really mean what you think it means when it comes to food additives. And if there are two different interpretations of “safe” who do you listen to? The Feds OR your local pediatrician? Hmmm…

The battle over the word “safe” isn’t unique. Safe is a term that is completely subjective and hard to pin down. What I feel would be “safe” for my family may differ from your interpretation of “safe.” Different countries also differ in their interpretation of “safe.” Places like the European Union operate under the “precautionary principle” whereas chemicals have to prove their innocence instead of us just assuming they are “safe” and finding out later they are not.

Now that you know the Feds have a more lackadaisical interpretation of “safe”, do you trust the ingredients they consider okay? And how confident are you in the food system in general? This is a battleground for the internet warriors of today’s time. Luckily, I find myself on the winning side.

The Industry Perspective vs. the Independent Scientist Perspective–See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Test No Evil

Today the FDA and EPA have a differing perspective of “safe” than what an independent scientist or pediatrician would have. And this is what you see played out online with arguments on both sides. It’s also important to note that the Feds have been looking into the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals and the results have been concerning. However, we may need to wait for another administration for this to cement into policy.

Over a billion dollars have been invested by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on research looking into the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals in nature and within us. It’s pretty clear that parts per billion (which is like a drop in an Olympic sized pool) of an endocrine-disrupting chemical can cause hormonal changes in animals like infertility, cancers and birth defects. But what about humans? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started looking into it. First, they wanted to get a baseline for how much of these chemicals were inside Americans so they started testing people. They were looking at different pesticides and industrial chemicals such as phthalates & bisphenols to name a few. And then a lot of that scientific inquiry withered when the new administration took over. Two things they got rid of immediately inside the EPA when Scott Pruitt entered the scene was the word “climate change” AND a ban on a notorious endocrine disrupting pesticide (and neurotoxicant) chlorpyrifos. Both of these issues are threatening to the industry. Guess which side the new administration takes, your family or industry’s chemicals?

This is a frustration to our scientific advisor Pete Myers, a Ph.D. biologist who co-wrote best selling book Our Stolen Future with Theo Colborn and Dianne Dumanoski and then in 2003 founded Environmental Health News. Pete is passionate about biology, photography, nature and democratizing science for consumers. He’s received accolades from both the National Institutes of Health and the Endocrine Society. The Endocrine Society is the largest scientific and medical association for research scientists and physicians who are versed in scientific and medical insights about endocrinology, including endocrine disruption. Today, he’s involved in both lab work and the communication of its findings, a maverick with many talents so to speak. Pete Myers holds a doctorate in the biological sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. For a dozen years beginning in 1990, Dr. Myers served as Director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia. And while at the foundation, he helped found the science of endocrine disruption close to 30 years ago with his now-late colleague Theo Colborn.

the illuminati of the cosmetic industry

Here’s what he says are the three biggest problems with every test the EPA/FDA have ever done to identify toxic chemicals. EVERY TEST. (Spoiler Alert: They don’t know shit about what is safe vs. not safe. So when they insist something is safe, you know they’re whistling in the dark.)

First, they assume that high dose testing will tell them everything they need to know about low dose testing without doing it. So they do the high dose testing and then extrapolate what they think will happen at low doses. But they don’t actually do the test at low doses. While that works with some poisons, it emphatically doesn’t for endocrine disrupting compounds. And that’s because different genes get turned on and off at different parts of the dose response curve. What happens at low doses can be just the opposite of what happens at high doses. And because of the way they structure their tests, they never dose at the low levels that are relevant to most people’s experience. SHOCKER!

Pete has written multiple scientific (and peer-reviewed) papers on this. You can find two of them here and here. And when he published the second one the country’s top toxicologist, Dr. Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences wrote an editorial concluding that this should be the general expectation for endocrine disrupting compounds. Should low dose testing be considered? I guess it depends on what your interpretation of “safe” is. If you don’t want to know, don’t test. If you don’t test low doses, you definitely won’t understand their impacts.

Second, when they test pesticides, they only test the active ingredient. They aren’t looking at our real world exposure of a complete formulation, just certain ingredients inside. And that is also completely absurd. It’s like testing the tomatoes in a spaghetti sauce but missing the oils, herbs, and other ingredients. Refusing to test the entire formulation means they don’t know how it’s reacting with your body as it’s sold or applied. The actual product contains a complex mixture of other chemicals that are included specifically to make the active ingredient more toxic. And it’s not just pesticides that have this problem. We live in a soup of nasties that can interact in ways that dramatically make the mixture more dangerous than just one chemical. Is this toxic soup safe? I guess it depends on what your interpretation of “safe” is. If you don’t want to know, don’t test the products the way families experience them in their homes.

Third, the tests they use are way out of date. The Feds rely on antiquated testing compared to the tools that independent scientists use when examining toxicity. Here’s Pete’s analogy–Imagine you’re an FDA employee and you’ve just seen photographs in National Geographic of distant galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. You’ve never seen anything like it. So what do you do? You grab your binoculars and go into your backyard at night, look up toward the stars, and see nothing like those photographs. You don’t see anything so you conclude the photographs are FAKE NEWS. One of the crude tests the EPA and FDA use was actually developed in the 1930s. In case they didn’t know, medical science has advanced a lot since 1935. Their tests are totally insensitive to what we need to know about endocrine disrupting chemicals. To determine what is “safe” you need to use modern medical tools. Not surprisingly, they aren’t finding anything, so they are able to say “no danger here!” But does that mean they are right? I guess this depends on what your interpretation of “safe” is.

But Doesn’t “Dose Make The Poison?” Well, Yes, But Also No.

The Feds are relying on the concepts of a man who died in the year 1541. Paracelsus was the father of toxicology and it’s not uncommon for his theory to reign supreme as a basis for toxicological inquiry at the Federal level. He stated, “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison, the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.” In other words, anything can be a poison but the dose determines just how poisonous it is. But this is simply not true in the world of hormones. Endocrinologists know that chemicals that behave like hormones don’t follow this rule of thumb created in the 1500s. Only looking for disease in large amounts can hide things that happen at smaller amounts. And when these outcomes are not predictable, you have a problem when chemicals sneak in that are harmful at smaller levels.

Here’s one quick example. A high dose of several different estrogenic chemicals causes weight loss. Low doses cause morbid obesity. Put that in your “dose makes the poison” pipe and smoke it.

Hormonally active ingredients are understood when it comes to pharmaceuticals, but not when evaluating chemicals in commerce. Some pharmaceuticals drugs operate in the same way with only parts per billion in the active ingredients. Cialis is an example of a male enhancement drug that delivers an active ingredient in parts per billion and yet, works. That’s the equivalent of a few drops in an Olympic sized pool. If we followed the rule “dose equals the poison” then Cialis is impossible. (Irony: It was approved by the FDA.) Similar hormone-disrupting chemicals have been found in our food while decades of research points to this being a BAD idea.

Finding High Levels of Glyphosate In Children’s Breakfast Foods Is Problematic Even If It’s In Parts Per Billion (PPB)

Recently, these types of chemicals are also coming up in the news. Weeks ago the Environmental Working Group did a study finding high levels of glyphosate herbicide in children’s iconic breakfasts foods like Cheerios and Quaker Oats. And I was asked by Fox Good Day LA to come on and describe what was happening to breakfast foods.

This is something that the public obviously cares about. And my feeling is most people are starting to have a lack of confidence in how the Feds evaluate chemicals. It’s about time, people! Not only are they agreeing with the American Academy of Pediatrics, but they are wondering about potential collusion by industry. Recent documents unearthed during discovery proceedings from the Dewayne Johnson vs. Monsanto trial have underlined the possibility of chemicals in commerce getting a pass without proper scrutiny. These documents from the recent $289 MILLION Monsanto judgment have pointed to Monsanto hiding evidence of harm, colluding with government officials, and relying on laboratories that were later found to be faulty. Following the judgment, the world started reacting. Sri Lanka has decided to take Monsanto to court, Vietnam has demanded Monsanto pay for Agent Orange victims flooding their healthcare system, and additional countries are halting its sale of glyphosate. There are now over 8,000 lawsuits against Monsanto following the Monsanto judgment.

Does All This Collusion, Fakery, Out of Date Science Upset You? Well, There is Something You Can Do About It.

At this moment, we must remember that consumers can also act as judge and jury. When a brand is caught with dangerous levels of pesticides (*ahem Cheerios & Quaker Oats*) and uses the defense of being “within the FDA’s allowable limits”, this does not breed confidence in our food industry. Why? Well, the levels considered safe by the FDA suck, to be blunt. With food companies essentially harboring pesticide fugitives within their ingredients, consumers can choose to support one brand over another. When consumers act as the judge and jury they can pass over brands aiding and abetting glyphosate for ones they believe are safer. This is what the food industry is already starting to see–a growth in brands “free from” chemicals they don’t like. The iconic food giants of the past will have to change their tune to earn respect back. That’s America baby! Your real vote happens every day at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And We Should Start Voting With Our Dollar Immediately Because Of The Real Costs of Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals–An Annual $340 BILLION Tax on Your Lifestyle

It’s estimated that over $340 BILLION is spent by Americans on medical costs and loss of wages due to the impacts of hormone-disrupting chemicals. That amount was actually quite conservative because it only includes chemicals that we know a lot about. With over 86,000 chemicals in commerce, only a sliver of that has actually been studied. But the chemicals that have been studied are linked to some of the most common modern diseases like anxiety and depression, weight gain, hyperactivity in children, early puberty in girls, degraded sperm quality, infertility, Autism, increases in allergies, and end of life diseases like cancer.

But there is a reason why all this is happening and it has to do with a lack of communication.

One of the founders of green chemistry, a scientist by the name of John Warner, reminds us that “modern-day chemists don’t actually take classes in toxicology, endocrine disruption and environmental science. Because this is missing from their training, they essentially do not use these concepts when designing new materials.” And that’s what happens with emerging science—it takes time to get integrated into the mainstream curriculum

The field of toxicology itself is not without emerging change. Toxicologists don’t take classes that would demonstrate hormones can be impactful in natural settings at very small amounts. No wonder they are opposed to the idea. Change is happening too quickly around them. But the science of endocrine disruption is starting to gain broad acceptance, including by the National Institutes of Health that has spent over ONE BILLION in federal tax dollars studying its effects on our planet and to us.

According to John Warner, if the future is in green chemistry, wouldn’t it be beneficial for this education to already become part of the curriculum when becoming a chemist? John Warner is an optimistic scientist who thinks that idea is a no-brainer. His research center, the Warner Babcock Laboratory, is an example of the possibility of making a living off of green chemistry. This is one of the impediments to entering–some people just don’t think there is money in it to support a family. But now is the most exciting time to be part of green chemistry. As consumers are directing brands to think differently, John Warner is consulting for tons of major players. He also thinks he can change this generation of science through teaching children to recognize the importance of green chemistry. His wife started a nonprofit called Beyond Benign to improve access to green chemistry for children in school and at home. This resource has classroom curriculums for teachers and homeschoolers. Let’s hope this next generation finds a better way to work with Mother Nature. And as John Warner keeps working in his lab on hundreds of solutions, let’s hope his next one chips away at antiquated hormone-disrupting chemicals we are exposed to today.

Pete Myers is also optimistic. “If we stop using chemicals linked to hormone disruption, we will wind up with healthier people!”

I’m with maverick scientists Pete & John on this one. How about you?

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How do you feel about the water in your city? Do you have trust in your local water district? If the answers to those questions make your blood boil, you’re not alone. I just found out my water district is adding groundwater to my tap. That would be pretty uneventful if it wasn’t for the partial nuclear meltdown that happened about three miles from my house in 1959. When you live close to a partial nuclear meltdown, avoiding dangerous chemicals inside your home is quite important. This is why I’m vigilant about avoiding contaminants like fire retardants, bisphenols, pesticides, phthalates, and other indirect additives coming from packaging and baking. These hormone-disrupting chemicals add up and contribute to a body burden that you have control over. And I’ve become such an expert over the years that I wrote the manual on how to protect your family from these same chemicals called Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!).

So when you are doing your best to avoid chemicals that would disrupt the hormones of your family, you get a bit peeved when you discover your private water company has been sketchy as hell. Have you discovered something sketchy about your private water company? Follow me as I take you through what I’ve discovered and what I’m doing about it. I’m sure this will give you some ideas on what you can do in your own city. I’m getting involved in local politics to bring attention to the health impacts of perchlorate and work for safer water. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like what does “safe” mean according to the Feds, how to test your children for pesticides, & how to strengthen your baby’s immune system, now join us as we explore what you can do if your private water company is sketchy.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

With Private Water Companies, Things Can Go South Very Quickly.

There are countless examples of private water companies putting the public in danger. (*ahem Flint & Pittsburgh*) And that’s because when you are dealing with a private water company there is less accountability in the system leaving residents at the mercy of shareholders instead of elected representatives. Private water companies don’t have a responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the residents it serves. Instead, they have a responsibility to turn a profit. This can cause a number of problems like refusing to do system upgrades, a lack of transparent records to the public, overcharging for services, and in the case of Simi Valley, safeguarding water systems from pollution. Nationwide Americans are overwhelming moving away from private water companies based on wanting more local control and wanting to avoid potential dangers like what happened in Flint. In the case of Simi Valley where I live, the City Council has expressed interest in looking into what it would take to condemn Golden State Water Company and turn it into a public system, which in my opinion, would make residents safer.

The case for taking over a private water company and turning it public has been a trend for some time. Food & Water Watch released a report on the differences between private and public water systems and how this is impacting Americans. Their findings are very telling about American confidence in private water districts:

Publicly owned utilities served 87 percent of people that have piped water service.
For-profit water companies own only about 10 percent of water systems, most of which serve small communities, like the middle of Simi Valley. (Why not consolidate so it’s all public?)
From 2007 to 2014, the portion of people with water service from publicly owned systems increased from 83 percent to 87 percent.
Over that period, the number of private systems dropped 7 percent (a loss of nearly 1,700 privately owned systems), while the number of people served by privately owned systems fell 18 percent (8 million people).
Public water utilities are also taking over and consolidating private systems. (This is what Simi Valley is looking into.)
On average, private for-profit utilities charged households 59 percent more than local governments charged for drinking water service — an extra $185 a year.
The average government utility charged $315.56 for 60,000 gallons a year, while the average for-profit company charged $500.96 (59 percent more) for the same amount of water.

So there is definitely a trend of public utilities taking over private water companies. Would this work for your city? It depends. In the case of Simi Valley, where about 30% of residents have private water and the rest of the city is in a public system, this may make sense for the city to consider taking back local control. Why? Well, common sense, which leads me to my next point.

See No Evil. Hear No Evil. Test No Evil. Speak No Evil. Report No Evil.

You can live in the same city, and if your water is delivered to you by a private water company, vast differences in testing can be problematic to ascertain whether they are attempting to meet the health standard. All water districts, regardless if they are public or private, have to submit testing results to a state agency. In the case of Simi Valley, all records must be submitted to the California Water Board. Contaminants need to be below a certain threshold, however that threshold allows them to legally hide contamination amounts below that threshold. How is that possible? It’s all about what testing is used and how sensitive that testing is.

Water districts have the ability to utilize old technology or newer technology when assessing contamination inside water. In the case of testing for perchlorate, older technology from the 20th Century only allows you to test perchlorate at 4ppb, which means anything below that level will give the result of “non-detect.” But what does that mean? That means you can have contamination from 0-3.9999ppb and you’ll never know the exact amount. The health standard for perchlorate is 1ppb in California, so by using older technology, you wouldn’t be striving to meet that health standard because you never know where you actually are. Modern testing methods allow testing for perchlorate to 0.02ppb, which is incredibly sensitive and would also give you an accurate account of contamination inside the water. The price difference between tests are only $50, so deciding to use old vs. newer technology isn’t an issue of cost. It’s more of an issue of do you want to know. Technology from the 21st Century is so sensitive, it allows you to see teeny tiny levels equivalent to a drop inside an Olympic-sized pool, which is also the level hormone disruption happens to pregnant women and children.

As in the case of Simi Valley and Golden State Water Company, Golden State knows that groundwater is contaminated with perchlorate, a hormone-disrupting chemical dangerous in parts per billion, but they refuse to test to the level which will actually allow you to accurately gauge how much is inside the water. They only test to 4ppb. When the health standard is 1ppb and you have a partial nuclear meltdown in your backyard, I would argue that using sensitive testing is in the public’s best interest. If you don’t test, you’ll never know. Test no evil. See no evil. Report no evil. Public water districts that are striving to meet the health standards typically have more accountability to the people. Residents can demand more sensitive testing and elected officials will have to respond in turn.

Water Quality Can Differ from Private Water Company to Public Water Utility Even Within the Same City

Water quality from a public utility system to a private water company can be vastly different, even within the same city. Let’s take Simi Valley for example. In terms of how private Golden State Water Company differs from the Simi Valley’s public water system, perchlorate levels are vastly different.

Perchlorate Found in Groundwater

Perchlorate is a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to obesity, thyroid damage, a decreased uptake of iodine, etc. Contamination in the Simi Valley area of perchlorate either comes from the Rocketdyne partial nuclear meltdown OR from fertilizer used on citrus groves according to recent private report. Golden State Water Company has been using between 10-20% groundwater to supplement the water they receive and they have not been forthcoming with what they have discovered in the groundwater wells. The day I went down to their office to meet with them, afterward they sent out a letter to residents complaining about rumors and “misinformation.” The irony about that letter was a lack of information. They missed some important facts about perchlorate contamination and the season in which it’s prevalent. While their letter was trying to tell you “nothing to see here” this is what they omitted–when it rains in Simi Valley, the wells seem to have more perchlorate contamination. So they decided to give residents testing results from dry weather instead of wet weather that would have looked problematic. However, that information is public here and here. Oops! Here’s what Mamavation discovered very easily when looking into all the testing submitted to the State this year.

Niles Well: Testing done on April 3rd, 2018 resulted in 4.7ppb. Later when the rain stopped and things went dry, it tested on July 10th, 2018 at less than 4ppb. I guess they forgot to mention that part. (Let’s not forget the health standard for perchlorate is 1ppb)

Sycamore Well: Testing done on January 2nd, 2018 resulted in 4.8ppb and testing on April 3rd, 2018 resulted in 4.5ppb. Later when the rain stopped and things went dry, it was tested on July 10th, 2018 and the well tested under 4ppb. I guess they forgot to mention that part too. (Let’s not forget the health standard for perchlorate is 1ppb.)

Private Water companies sketchy No water district is perfect and there is no such thing as contaminate-free water, however, there are differences in the levels of contaminants you’ll find when you look into averages from 2010 to 2015 via Environmental Working Group’s Tapwater Database. It’s pretty clear that in the case of Simi Valley, the public utility is closer to the health standard than the private water company.

Chromium-6 (Hexavalent Chromium) averaged from 2010-2015

Golden State Water Company: 0.91 parts per billion (higher)

Simi Valley Public Water System: 0.09 parts per billion (lower)

Flouride levels averaged from 2010-2015

Golden State Water Company: 0.53 parts per billion (higher)

Simi Valley Public Water System: 0.18 parts per billion (lower)

Nitrate levels averaged from 2010-2015

Golden State Water Company: 1.77 parts per billion (higher)

Simi Valley Public Water System: 0.44 parts per billion (lower)

With just this little snapshot, It’s clear there are vast differences between the two water systems. When Golden State utilizes groundwater from wells in Simi Valley that are contaminated with hormone-disrupting chemicals, they end up delivering more contaminants to the residents they serve than the City of Simi Valley. And they end up having to treat the water a bit more harshly to get rid of those contaminants. Which water would you prefer to give your family? I think that choice is clear.

What You Can Do If Your Private Water Company is Sketchy

Pressuring a private water company is vastly different than pressuring a public utility. And that’s because a private company doesn’t answer to the residents. They answer to shareholders. If a private water company isn’t striving to meet the health standard, the options are a bit messier, potentially can require attorneys, and can take more time to fix. However, there are things you can start doing.

Meet with Your Private Water District

A went with a group of concerned moms to the Golden State Water District office to gather information about what they were doing and get an idea of who was in charge. We showed up to the meeting and there were two armed guards at the door to escort us inside. They were there special for us to ensure that we didn’t harm the staff. If this happens to you when you meet with your water district, I’m going to say they may not be receptive to your needs. They may be expecting a fight based on what they are unwilling to do for the public. At this meeting, we talked with them about our concerns using groundwater that had been contaminated with perchlorate and radioactive materials. They argued with us about the ethics of not being at the health standard. A regulator on the phone from the California Water Board told us he hopes they meet the health standard one day but the State is powerless to ensure they do that. But I still believe it’s important to meet with the people who are in charge of supplying you with water. Technically they don’t work for you as a public utility would, but it’s still a good idea to have that presence.

Take Your Issue to Local Elected Officials

After getting the runaround with Golden State, we decided to turn up the knob a bit. So we organized a group of concerned moms to show up at the next City Council meeting to testify. City Council meetings typically open up with comments from the public, so we made sure that most of them got up to speak and let the City Council know that they were very concerned with Golden State’s use of groundwater in our area. The outcome of that meeting was very positive. The City is looking into what it would take to condemn Golden State and take over, they are reaching out to UCLA to ask if they would do a cancer cluster study of our city, and they are involving more state agencies to oversee this process and bring more attention to it.

Because it’s an election year, making the groundwater a topic during campaign season is also very important. So we are gathering a list of which candidates are for or against the use of contaminated groundwater. Candidates that are against the use of groundwater will obviously get more love from our group of concerned moms.

Be Vocal About Your Issue in Social Media

Social media has completely changed the world in terms of how information is shared and that is no different here. When I was involved in the labeling of GMOs fight, most of the work I was involved in was all online. In terms of Simi Valley, several concerned citizens are taking it upon themselves to keep people within the city informed of the issue by posting updates in popular forums. I’m doing as much as I can here on Mamavation to keep people informed of the issues, and we are using social media to organize. I can’t tell you about all the plans we have, but just note there is more coming. Lots more.

Look Into Extreme Means–A City Can Condemn a Private Water District and Assume Control

One thing a city can do is condemn a private water company and take over the services to make it public. This can be a costly venture for a city and require a team of lawyers to maneuver, so it will need strong political will to accomplish, but it’s very possible. There is a trend of this happening all over the United States, starting in places like Los Angeles in the early 1900s. The Environmental Protection Agency’s 2006 Community Water System Survey found a 9% decrease in private ownership of water systems from 2000 to 2006, with the biggest drop, percentage-wise came from larger systems. This is good news for anyone living in a larger city.

The City of Ojai (north of Simi Valley) overwhelmingly passed a bond to allow a public utility to assume control over Golden State. Golden State sued to prevent the bond from getting on the ballot, which further angered residents, and when it was all said and done, they lost. The City of Claremont, however, was a different story. Claremont enacted eminent domain proceedings against Golden State and a judge ruled in favor of Golden State last year. So again this process is not easy and can go either way which is why political will is needed.

But whatever you decide to do, remember that you have a voice and that voice is important. Your family is important. So don’t give up, just get creative! Mamavation will keep you informed of what we are doing as it unfolds.

The post What You Can Do if Your Private Water Company Is Sketchy–Simi Valley & Golden State Water Company appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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Unsettling news has been circulating recently about asbestos, a deadly human carcinogen. This toxin is a fibrous mineral used widely throughout the U.S. during much of the 20th century. Even though negative health effects associated with asbestos have been known for over 100 years, asbestos is not banned in the U.S., allowing the toxin to create a variety of risks for many Americans. And on a personal note, asbestos killed my father over a decade ago. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover ten toxins that lower the IQ of children, how toxic is your favorite brand of tampons, what to do if you don’t trust your water company, now join us as we show you five ways asbestos can affect your family and what you can do about it.

DIY and Home Renovation Projects

A “third wave of asbestos exposure” has gained attention in recent decades, and has the potential to threaten populations not typically associated with the toxin. This “third-wave” refers to exposure that results from asbestos that was originally installed years ago getting damaged or disturbed during a construction, renovation, or demolition project. While asbestos is not necessarily hazardous when undisturbed, it is very dangerous if the material is displaced because it can release toxic asbestos dust and microscopic fibers. If these fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can lead to a variety of asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.

If you’re taking on home renovations, it’s extremely important to consider the age of your home and if asbestos might have been used in its construction. If your house was built before the 1980s, it is best to have a trained and accredited asbestos professional check your home for the presence of asbestos. The best thing you can do to ensure that your family is not exposed to asbestos during a renovation project is to stay away from structures containing asbestos, or to have the toxin professionally removed if it cannot be avoided.

Older Schools, Public Buildings, and Public Infrastructure

Large amounts of asbestos were used in construction and manufacturing in the U.S. during the 1900s. This means that many buildings and portions of public infrastructure contain the toxic substance.

Like older homes, schools and other buildings may also contain structures made out of asbestos and present similar health risks. According to an article published in the LA Times, one-third of American schools still contain asbestos. If renovation or demolition work is done at school, or if older parts of buildings start to become worn, asbestos dust and toxic fibers could be released into the air. This could endanger anyone present in the building.

Similarly, instances like the July pipe burst in New York City serve as a reminder of the dangers these previous uses of asbestos present in our daily lives. Though no one was seriously harmed in the event, concern was raised over the long-term effects of toxic asbestos dust. In addition to the time it would take to clean up the surrounding areas and to ensure air quality was satisfactory, people worried the exposure could lead to asbestos-related diseases down the line.

Water Quality

For decades, asbestos has been detected in water supplies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an established maximum contaminant level for asbestos in drinking water of seven million fibers per liter (MFL). The EPA has also confirmed that the two main causes of asbestos in water results from a decay of water mains and pipes that were historically made out of asbestos-containing cement and the erosion of naturally occurring asbestos deposits near watersheds. Though a 1996 report from the World Health Organization found that there wasn’t conclusive evidence linking the ingestion of low levels of asbestos fibers to significant health problems, more recent studies assert that the ingestion of asbestos-contaminated water over long periods of time could present health risks.

When evidence is conflicting it can be hard to gauge what to believe. For example, one case of contaminated water in south Texas in 2016 drew attention to the fact that residents could still be told that it is “OK” to drink water containing heightened levels of asbestos. These reassurances of safety are alarming given that “cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine may be a greater concern” in areas where residents are exposed to asbestos fibers in drinking water.

Contaminated and Vintage Products

Asbestos could be found in over 3,000 consumer products when it was at the height of its use in the U.S. Some of these products could still pose risks to you and your family, especially older appliances that were intended to create heat or remain plugged in for long periods of time. For example, asbestos was sometimes used in the wiring of crockpots. Today, if you have an older crockpot and the unit’s wire becomes broken or frayed, it could release dangerous asbestos fibers into the air or onto surfaces. Similar risks are present with a variety of other older products that contained asbestos, including items like hair dryers, toasters, and electric blankets.

Even though asbestos is heavily regulated today, it still seems to make its way into consumer goods. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of allegations surrounding products contaminated with asbestos. From years of discussion surrounding contaminated talcum powder, to children’s makeup testing positive for the carcinogen, to traces of asbestos in crayons, it’s frightening to think about toxins in products intended for children.

In addition to these recent issues, the EPA has been monitoring other contaminated products for decades. For example, the agency previously found that some vermiculite products, often used for lawn and garden potting soil, could expose people to asbestos because of contamination. In the case of these soil mixtures, the issue again is any dust that can be released when vermiculite is mixed with soil. Though the EPA determined the greatest potential risks could be for people who consistently work with vermiculite in potting soil, the EPA did recommend that consumers use premixed potting soils, which produce less dust.

The lack of an asbestos ban in the U.S. is a large contributing factor to these contaminations. In fact, products and materials are not formally considered “asbestos-containing materials” (ACMs) so long as they do not contain more than one percent asbestos.This is especially unnerving because no amount of asbestos exposure is safe, and any exposure can lead to a variety of adverse health effects.

New Uses and Problematic Regulations

Another factor you and your family should be aware of is the potential for asbestos regulations to change, resulting in the emergence of new risks. For example, a 2016 amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act required that the EPA identify a list of chemicals and substances for safety and risk evaluations. Asbestos was one of the first 10 chemicals chosen for assessment. However, the EPA’s decisions on how to evaluate asbestos appear to have fallen short. In addition to limiting the scope of its risk evaluations for the toxin, the agency has decided not to place a ban on uses of asbestos that industries have already abandoned.

Instead of outlawing these previous uses of asbestos, the EPA proposed a “Significant New Use Rule” (SNUR) for asbestos in June 2018. This legislation would require that older, inactive uses be evaluated by the EPA before being reinstated, which could make it possible for these uses to reappear. It could also create a way to introduce new uses outside of the previous uses the EPA has identified.

While the agency has maintained that the proposed SNUR will actually help ban more uses of asbestos with a review process, many officials and organizations do not believe this is the case. Even though the SNUR would not remove any asbestos legislation currently in place, this framework could create new opportunities for asbestos use in the U.S.

Raising Awareness: Asbestos and Mesothelioma

One of the hardest things a family can encounter is the loss of a loved one. While any cancer diagnosis is devastating, learning that someone close to you has mesothelioma can be especially overwhelming because this cancer is almost always fatal. The prognosis for mesothelioma patients is especially poor, with most people living only one to two years after diagnosis. My father lived about nine months after he was diagnosed. For many, receiving this diagnosis can also raise questions because symptoms can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years to appear. With a latency period that is so long, it can be difficult to tell when someone was exposed to asbestos. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to try to avoid exposure of any kind in order to prevent a mesothelioma cancer diagnosis in the future.

Currently, asbestos is the only recognized cause of this rare cancer, so knowing the dangers of asbestos and how you and your family could be exposed to the carcinogen is extremely important. Mesothelioma Awareness Day, which takes place on September 26 every year, is a good time to think about where you might encounter asbestos in your daily life and what you can do to avoid exposure. From following recent developments in legislation to investigating the history of your home, there are many things you can do to make sure that you understand where asbestos could be present and the risks it poses.

The post 5 Ways Asbestos Can Affect Your Family–And What To Do About It appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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Mountains of evidence funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has demonstrated over and over again that bisphenols like BPA are dangerous. And who agrees? The American Academy of Pediatrics. Shockingly, weeks ago the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) held a press conference to say that “BPA is safe!” The problem with this is they are very wrong. The FDA is using scientific principles from the 16th century and old technology to analyze chemicals and it’s putting the American people in danger. We at Mamavation have watched this closely, and while we were not surprised by the outcome, and are very fed up with how the FDA evaluates chemicals for safety. And because of that, we’ve decided to petition the Congress for their help banning bisphenols, like BPA. You can support the petition here. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover issues like how Target receipts contain a chemical linked to weight gain, how BPA has been linked to obesity in children, and which diapers and baby wipes are the safest based on ingredients, now join us and sign this petition demanding that the Congress ban bisphenols once and for all.

Sign the #BanBPA Petition To Tell Your Congressional Representative You Want Your Family Protected

It’s time to stop relying on the FDA to do their job and take matters into our own hands. Care2 has partnered with us to utilize their platform and we just launched a petition with Care2 to pressure Congress to ban bisphenols like BPA. Make sure to sign this petition and share. Stick around and I’ll fill you in on all the reasons why you should sign this petition, share it with all your friends and join with us to make this a reality.

The FDA Is Getting in the Way of Banning BPA. The Evidence is Overwhelming. Demand Congress Bypass Them and Ban.

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is getting in the way of banning a dangerous chemical class around pregnant women and children called bisphenols. The methods the FDA is using to evaluate whether a chemical is safe for pregnant women and children are incredibly flawed. Not only has the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) come out strongly stating they believe the bisphenol chemical class is potentially harming pregnant women and children, and they believe that Congress needs to take some sort of action to help, but independent scientists are also concerned. This is why we asked Dr. Pete Myers of Environmental Health Sciences to talk with us about bisphenols. And Dr. Myers made some very important points that you can discover here.

Dr. Pete Myers is a Ph.D. biologist who co-wrote best selling book Our Stolen Future with Theo Colborn and Dianne Dumanoski and then in 2003 founded Environmental Health News. Pete is passionate about biology, photography, nature and democratizing science for consumers. He’s received accolades from both the National Institutes of Health and the Endocrine Society. The Endocrine Society is the largest scientific and medical association for research scientists and physicians who are versed in scientific and medical insights about endocrinology, including endocrine disruption. Today, he’s involved in both lab work and the communication of its findings, a maverick with many talents so to speak. Pete Myers holds a doctorate in the biological sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. For a dozen years beginning in 1990, Dr. Myers served as Director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia. And while at the foundation, he helped found the science of endocrine disruption close to 30 years ago with his now-late colleague Theo Colborn.

He made frequent contributions to my book Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Happier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!). Below you’ll find some main points.

Feds Don’t Do Low Dose Testing. Therefore, They Don’t Know.

The FDA assumes that high dose testing will tell them everything they need to know about low dose testing without doing it. So they do the high dose testing and then extrapolate what they think will happen at low doses. But they don’t actually do the test at low doses. While that works with some poisons, it emphatically doesn’t for endocrine disrupting compounds. And that’s because different genes get turned on and off at different parts of the dose response curve. What happens at low doses can be just the opposite of what happens at high doses. And because of the way they structure their tests, they never dose at the low levels that are relevant to most people’s experience. SHOCKER! (That was probably immature of me.)

Feds Only Consider Active Ingredients, Not Whole Formulation

When the Feds test pesticides, they only test the active ingredient. They aren’t looking at our real world exposure of a complete formulation, just certain ingredients inside. And that is also completely absurd. It’s like testing the tomatoes in a spaghetti sauce but missing the oils, herbs, and other ingredients. Refusing to test the entire formulation means they don’t know how it’s reacting with your body as it’s sold or applied. The actual product contains a complex mixture of other chemicals that are included specifically to make the active ingredient more toxic. And it’s not just pesticides that have this problem. We live in a soup of nasties that can interact in ways that dramatically make the mixture more dangerous than just one chemical. Is this toxic soup safe? I guess it depends on what your interpretation of “safe” is. If you don’t want to know, don’t test the products the way families experience them in their homes.

Feds Utilize Old Technology And Need An Upgrade!

The tests FDA use are way out of date. The Feds rely on antiquated testing compared to the tools that independent scientists use when examining toxicity. Here’s Pete’s analogy–Imagine you’re an FDA employee and you’ve just seen photographs in National Geographic of distant galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. You’ve never seen anything like it. So what do you do? You grab your binoculars and go into your backyard at night, look up toward the stars, and see nothing like those photographs. You don’t see anything so you conclude the photographs are FAKE NEWS. One of the crude tests the EPA and FDA use was actually developed in the 1930s. In case they didn’t know, medical science has advanced a lot since 1935. Their tests are totally insensitive to what we need to know about endocrine disrupting chemicals. To determine what is “safe” you need to use modern medical tools. Not surprisingly, they aren’t finding anything, so they are able to say “no danger here!” But does that mean they are right? I guess this depends on what your interpretation of “safe” is.

First Human Trial of BPA Demonstrates Serious Potential For Harm of Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals

Bisphenols are a chemical class that is linked to a plethora of medical problems and diseases. Most of this research was paid for by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by very reputable scientists all over the United States. They’ve found these chemicals are particularly dangerous to pregnant women and small children. But the research has not found its way into setting policy and that’s a problem. Part of the argument not to take research on bisphenols seriously is that it’s only tested on animals or cell cultures, which does not necessarily translate into real human outcomes. But all this has changed now. The first human trial of bisphenols was just released and it’s now established a potential link to the rise in Type 2 Diabetes. Now more studies need to be done on humans in order to establish these links.

Prior to this first human trial, there were no approved standards for testing on humans outside the pharmaceutical realm. But a very savvy researcher found a way to incorporate humans into research without exposing them to anything higher than what they would normally be exposed to daily. In order to do this, he instructed each subject with how to avoid bisphenols in their everyday lives and then dosed them with the amount of bisphenols they would have had daily. The differences between the subjects are what he used to establish the study. No pregnant women were used for this study. And obviously, it begs to be repeated by other scientists to establish a firmer link.

Tips for Avoiding Bisphenols Every Day

Avoiding bisphenols can be complicated but very worth the effort when you are pregnant or have young children at home. Bisphenols can be found in three basic areas: thermal receipt paper, plastic food & beverage containers, & canned food lining. Here’s the trifecta of how to avoid the Bisphenols.

Stop touching thermal receipt paper. Signing without touching them is complicated, but can be done if you place your covered arm on them then scribble. An example of a store with bisphenol coated thermal receipt paper is Target.

Stop drinking water or eating food from plastic containers. Use stainless steel, glass & tetrapak instead. Click here for recommendations on products.

Stop eating canned foods OR drinking sodas from cans. Look for alternatives stored in glass or tetrapak.

Now is the time to start discussing a ban on all bisphenols. Join us as we petition Congress to get this dangerous chemical out of the industry so we no longer need to be exposed to it daily.

The post SIGN THIS PETITION: Evidence Proves BPA is Dangerous–Demand Congress Ban Bisphenols NOW! appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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Indoor plants such as the Peace Lily, Fern, and Cheese Plant, require plenty of watering, but can significantly contribute to a healthy living environment. Human beings were born to be outside surrounded by nature, but the urban society in which most people now live only allows them to spend a limited amount of time outdoors. People spend the vast majority of their time indoors, either at home or at work. For this reason, it is common to substitute nature with indoor plants for homes and offices. This is a good thing because houseplants can have an immensely positive effect on a person’s physical and mental health. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like 5 plants that can help you get more sleep, 5 morning centered rituals to become a better mother, and houseplants NASA says clean up indoor air, join us now as we explore plants you can bring into your home that can increase your health.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

houseplants that bring good health

The boost a person gets from being around greenery is due to the fact that house plants give off negative ions, and these have a very positive impact on both physical and mental health. Indoor plants also suppress the formation of mold and other compounds in the air around us which can affect health. A room full of house plants is less dusty and more humid.

There is also the achievement factor in being responsible for keeping houseplants alive and healthy, which adds to a person’s self-esteem and can give a subconscious feeling of self-purpose and charity. Lush green leaves are the sign of a person’s success in rearing a healthy living houseplant, through dedicated watering and maintenance.

But the best thing about keeping houseplants is that most of them require very little time and attention. They are inexpensive in comparison to the benefits that they bring to one’s life. But there are so many different types to choose from; how does an individual know which indoor plants are best for him?

The Peace Lily

The Peace Lily is a beautiful green indoor plant with pleasing white flowers that spring out in all directions. Not only is the Peace Lily pleasing to look at, but it can also significantly reduce the level of pollutants in a room. Believe it or not, furnishings, carpets, paints, and home appliances contain chemicals which excrete fumes into the air of the home. These fumes and contaminants are really bad for our health. (If you would like to know which types of furniture and mattresses are best to avoid this check out this investigation.)

The air inside the average home can be anywhere from 3-5x more polluted than the outdoor air on the main road. Some indoor plants, however, draw chemicals into their leaves, cleaning air levels. The Peace Lily is very effective and has been certified by NASA as a plant that detoxifies the air. Because they can grow very large when the plant is re-potted and the roots are given the space to grow, three large indoor plants such as the Peace Lily can take levels of pollutants in a room to virtually nil. Mamavation loves the Peace Lily for a detoxing plant. If you would like to learn more about plants that detox the air you breathe click here.

You can purchase a peace lily here.

Lady Fern

Ferns are easy to maintain and require humid surroundings and plenty of watering. Ferns are very good at attracting dust from the air so less falls into your living areas. High dust levels are linked to asthma and allergies. Houseplants reduce dust by 20 percent, by raising the humidity in a room. Dust particles are also attracted to plant leaves. Ferns are very leafy, hence they are well suited to lowering dust levels in a room. Lady Ferns have been used for thousands of years as a medicinal medicine for the following: increasing appetite, getting rid of fever and cough, faster relief from sunburn and cuts, prevention of harmful worms, balancing the digestive system, and prevention from asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Other plants are known for medicinal qualities as well, such as aloe vera, wormwood and comfrey.

You can purchase a fern here.

The Cheese Plant

The leaves of the Cheese Plant are thick and they are very effective for absorbing sound. Sound pollution raises blood pressure and stress levels. Having Cheese Plants in a house where there are children helps to absorb sounds from the children’s bedroom. For the best effects place Cheese Plants slightly away from walls.

You can purchase a cheese plant here.

There are many other houseplants, all of which will have a positive effect on the living space, and a person’s health. Choose large leafy plants like the Peace Lily, Fern, and Cheese Plant, with easy maintenance. Alternatively look for those which carry pleasant scents which can soothe the senses, such as Lavender which has been found to assist disturbed sleep; or plants with pleasing colors, such as Sunflowers or Daffodils. Yellow is the color of creativity and can provide inspiration when placed in a work environment such as the office.

The post Houseplants That Heal You Should Grow appeared first on MAMAVATION.

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jewelry at ross, nordstrom rack and papaya test for cadmium

Before you head to Ross, Nordstrom Rack, and Papaya, you may want to take a look at a report recently dropped by the nonprofit Center for Environmental Health about cadmium in jewelry. Cadmium, an incredibly toxic heavy metal that causes cancer and reproductive harm, was found in jewelry sold with women’s dresses and shirts. The public has been warned to avoid clothing with jewelry from these brands until further testing has been done. What are these companies doing about it? Well, let’s take a look. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like chemicals found in everyday shampoo linked to weight gain, the strongest air purifier on the market, how to find out what the air quality is like where you live, now join us as we take you through what was found at Ross, Nordstrom Rack, and Papaya that may disrupt your hormonal health and lead to cancer.

History of Cadmium in Jewelry

Consumer watch groups have been focused on cadmium in jewelry since 2010 when an Associated Press investigation found Chinese manufacturers were using metal to make kid’s jewelry. Following this investigation, states like California outlawed cadmium in children’s jewelry. California’s law allows for no more than 0.03 percent cadmium in jewelry for children, which was basically an estimate of a safe level for children. However, because we don’t know how much Cadmium actually sheds when it’s handled and worn, it’s unclear whether this law is actually protecting children. The good news was later testing revealed that chemical had virtually disappeared by 2012 from jewelry produced for children.

But what about adult jewelry? California laws never addressed cadmium in adult jewelry, so companies are legally able to produce jewelry with cadmium and sell it to consumers. If adult consumers would like to purchase jewelry without cadmium, they will have to rely on reports like the one just produced by the Center for Environmental Health to ascertain which products are safe.

The Center for Environmental Health Report on Cadmium in Jewelry

The results from independent testing commissioned by The Center for Environmental Health was released this year in a report covered by the Associated Press. The Center for Environmental Health purchased women’s dresses and shirts with jewelry attached at Ross, Nordstroms Rack, and Papaya in the greater San Francisco area and tested them for cadmium. What they found was shocking and very problematic to the health of families considering how incredibly toxic exposure to cadmium is. The results were as follows:

31 adult jewelry items purchased from retail stores were at least 40 percent cadmium
Most items were more than 90 percent cadmium
Many of the jewelry pieces contain more than 3,000 times the level of cadmium allowed in children’s jewelry under California law (.03%)
Ross had the most tainted jewelry of all the brands
Brands found at Ross with high levels of cadmium include Tacera and Vibe Sportswear

Health Impacts of Cadmium

Cadmium is an incredibly toxic contaminant problematic to the health of your family. It accumulates in the body over time and can damage your kidneys and bones. And that exposure happens over time by ingesting small amounts, or by breathing it into the lungs through tobacco smoke, which can also contain cadmium. There is also a chance that you can absorb cadmium through the skin, a.k.a. dermal contact, similar to how BPA is absorbed through the skin when you handle thermal receipt paper. Cadmium can also trigger skin rashes like psoriasis and is listed on California’s Prop. 65 List of carcinogens.

Michael Harbut from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine states “Cadmium is bad. Given the choice between wearing something with cadmium in it, or wearing something without cadmium in it, I would take the product without Cadmium.”

How are Ross, Nordstrom Rack & Papaya Responding?

Now that Ross, Nordstrom Rack & Papaya have been caught selling products that can cause cancer and organ damage, how are they responding and what are they going to do about it? The reactions have been mixed.

Ross, which operates more than 1,400 stores in 38 states, had some of the most tainted jewelry found at their stores. We at Mamavation are very concerned with the supply chain at this national chain because one pendant from a necklace chain was 100 percent cadmium. Brands found at Ross with high levels of cadmium include Tacera and Vibe Sportswear. In a written statement, Ross declared to investigate. They said they are committed to protecting their customers and has “addressed this issue with our supplier.” However, we are unsure if they have pulled the products from the shelves.

The Associated Press reached out to Xinwei Xie, Chief Executive Officer at Trend Textile Inc., which owns Tacera, and he declined to comment. The Skate Group Inc., which owns Vibe Sportswear, was also contacted by Associated Press and multiple times and did not respond either.

A Nordstrom spokeswoman by the name of Emily Sterken said they are “reaching out to these vendors to make them aware of the situation and get more information on these items.” Papaya operates over 100 retail locations in the United States said “our manufacturers are required to represent and warrant that their products are in legal compliance. Papaya is very strict and stops doing business with any manufacturer which fails to comply.” Papaya has recalled all the products where contamination was found and stopped purchasing from that manufacturer in China.

How Should Families Respond?

At Mamavation we recommend stopping purchasing jewelry or clothing containing jewelry from Ross, Nordstroms Rack or Papaya until the Center for Environmental Health repeats their study. We don’t have the ability to assure your safety until that happens. But I’d also like to throw in there that toxic exposure is cumulative and if you focus on other parts of your home, you’ll be doing your family a favor. For instance, focusing on cleaning up your indoor air is worth your time and we have a FREE eBook that can help you do that.

Indoor air is typically between 3-5x more polluted than the air outside and because the air you breathe can impact your health, it’s very important to clean it up inside your home. So when you don’t know everything about the contaminants around you, focus on things you can control like air quality.

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Studies linking ADHD and thyroid conditions to overuse of fluoride in tap water were released this month calling into question the practice of adding fluoride to water or salt to prevent cavities. Because over 66 percent of the American public drinks water that is fluoridated to prevent cavities, health professionals are now calling into question whether this is a good tradeoff. There are three separate studies we will explore linking fluoride to health issues to help you get a better handle on whether you want fluoride in your family’s tap water. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like what are the safest plastics to use for food packaging, chemicals that can reduce your chances of getting pregnant, and what to do if your private water company is sketchy, now join us as we explore three new studies linking overuse of fluoride in water to ADHD and thyroid conditions.

Three different studies released this month draw attention to the controversy behind fluoride in drinking water. Is this more harmful than useful? The problem with this debate is it ends up pitting one branch of public health interests against the other. Most people are getting fluoride from their water districts and this is done to improve dental health. Good dental health can also protect you from heart attacks. So it’s essentially water interests and dentists vs. independent scientists who focus on endocrine disruption. And who is right? Well, the answers to that are a bit complicated because something incredibly political has just happened. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently come out saying that the way the Feds evaluate chemicals is putting pregnant women and children at risk. With this happening in the background, it calls into question what “safe” actually means to government agencies when they approve chemicals in commerce. Mamavation has covered this topic extensively from the perspective of the independent scientist. Then as more studies are released calling into question safety of chemicals that are already in commerce, the Feds and their process of evaluating chemicals are also being scrutinized. Thus pediatricians have been pitted against government agencies that evaluate chemicals which leaves everyone else scratching their heads about who to believe. So now that the widespread use of adding fluoride to tap water is being called into question, let’s explore three new studies that are having an impact on the debate.

Study Suggesting ADHD is Linked to Fluoride

One study published in Environmental International this year looked at pairs of 213 Mexican mothers and their children and the mother’s urine fluoride levels during pregnancy. They later assessed those same children for attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms during the ages 6 – 12 years old. After assessing all 213 couples, they found significant results. Mothers with higher levels of fluoride during pregnancy were most likely to have children with ADHD symptoms.

What’s not clear is if fluoride has a direct impact on their behavior OR if it’s indirectly impacting their behavior. What could be happening is fluoride could be creating problems in the thyroid of pregnant women, which is then leading to problems with their babies. Altering levels of dopamine in a child could affect development. But Christine Till, an associate professor, and researcher at York University is primarily concerned with how susceptible to iodine deficiency pregnant mothers are already. Fluoride easily crosses the placenta from mother to the unborn, so it makes sense that impacts of fluoride are being seen. But this is not the first study linking ADHD to fluoride, a previous study linked ADHD to fluoride consumption with U.S. children as well.

Dr. Howard Hu, the co-author of the Mexico study from the University of Washington, said fluoride levels in pregnant women “makes the results of this study from Mexico even more applicable to what might be going on in North America.”

Study Suggesting Thyroid Problems are Linked with Fluoride

Another study is drawing conclusions that small amounts of thyroid-stimulating hormones matter. When Malin and her colleagues analyzed the urine results of over 7 million Canadians for the Canadian Health Measure study, they noticed that iodine deficiency and thyroid gland activity were impacted with a rise in levels of fluoride. Specifically, they were noticing that the more fluoride you had in your body, the more likely you had elevated levels of specific hormones telling the story that the thyroid gland was being suppressed. This is a condition commonly referred to as hypothyroidism, which can cause a host of problems like disrupted heart rates, altered metabolism, and fatigue.

An iodine deficiency can also prove to be incredibly problematic to health. Because iodine helps to flush fluoride from the body, having a deficiency means that more fluoride would stay inside the body and interfere with certain enzymes important for thyroid function. In the study, they also noticed that iodine deficient Canadians seemed more sensitive to fluoride impacts. Malin also pointed to 18% of the nearly 7 million people studied were iodine deficient “We’re talking about potentially more than a million people at risk of an underactive thyroid due to fluoride exposure.”

Study Suggesting We Get Most of Our Floride Exposure From Water

Another study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that when 1,566 pregnant women in Canada were followed and studied to see where they were receiving the vast majority of fluoride exposure, it was coming from the water. In fact, it was found that fluoride urine levels in women drinking fluorinated water were two times higher than women not drinking fluoridated water. And that’s a bit problematic because it’s estimated that 66 percent of people in the United States are drinking fluoridated water. What are all the fluoride exposures? About 80 percent of fluoride comes from water and other beverages such as tea. Then other exposures are things like grapes, shellfish and toothpaste.

But Isn’t Fluoride Safe? Should Water Districts Add it to Tap Water?

One thing that isn’t surprising to Mamavation is how chemicals get into commerce before they are proven to be safe for pregnant women and children. In fact, branches of the Feds like the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are under scrutiny right now by the American Academy of Pediatrics for not considering the principles of endocrine disruption when evaluating the safety of chemicals and thus putting pregnant women and children at risk. Could it be possible that fluoride use falls into this category?

Well, previous studies have linked fluoride to things like a reduction in thyroid hormones, elevated thyroid stimulating hormones and increased likelihood of hypothyroidism and diabetes in adults. A meta-analysis study done by Harvard suggests that children in China exposed to higher levels of fluoride tested lower on IQ scores in 26 out of 27 studies done and the average IQ drop was about 7 points. And in the Lancet, epidemiological studies documented 6 additional developmental neurotoxicants, including fluoride and infamous chlorpyrifos pesticide chemical used on crops.

However, it’s important to also note that fluoride has brought with it some major health benefits as well. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), drinking fluoridated water reduces tooth decay in about 25 percent of children and adults. They refer to use of fluoride to achieve that one of its “Ten Great Public Health Achievements” of the 20th Century. But the evidence that fluoride may have negative health consequences is building and that ends up pitting one branch of public health against another. Arora said, “as a dentist and environmental health scientist, I feel this is an opportune moment in our professions to have an honest discussion” about the impacts of fluoride and public health.

“A question that is becoming increasingly important – is fluoridation of water supplies the best way to deliver the oral health benefits of fluoride?” Arora said. “For me, there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this. Socioeconomics, background risk and other aspects of the community have to be considered, but now is the time to have the scientific debate.”

Mamavation’s Recommendations

At Mamavation, we highly recommend you filter fluoride out of your water and avoid it in toothpaste. By doing that, not only will you avoid the vast majority of the contamination of fluoride, but you’ll also be filtering out other contaminants as well. And here are some more of our solutions.

Look into getting a good quality water filtration system, such as Environmental Water Systems. Reverse Osmosis systems are the strongest water filtrations systems on the market, but note you may want to also look into remineralizing your water afterward.
A less expensive option would be to grab a different filtration system that removes fluoride, chlorine, lead, chromium 6, tastes and odors, heavy metals and 99.99% of other contaminants. But the essential minerals are left behind so you won’t need to mineralize it afterward.
Purchase toothpaste for the family that doesn’t have fluoride. Here is our investigation on toothpaste brands.
Pick up some iodine supplements if you don’t use table salt to protect your thyroid. But please talk to your doctor first. Assuming you have done that these products are for adults: Global Healing Center Nascent Iodine, Now Foods, & Pure Encapsulations
Perspective: Focusing on other things you can control like protecting your family from dangerous air quality inside and outside your home. Toxic exposure is cumulative, so anything you can do to reduce the overall exposure of your family is important.

The post ADHD and Thyroid Conditions Linked to Overuse of Fluoride in Water appeared first on MAMAVATION.

Visit us at Mamavation.com for more updates, healthy tips and challenges.

Coughing. It’s not fun, and we usually just want to make it stop, however, coughing is one of the body’s miraculous ways of getting rid of things it knows shouldn’t be there. Especially in the lungs where air is supposed to be, coughing is the natural mechanism that works to ensure clear airways, so it’s important to distinguish between a cough the body needs to recover from illness and a cough that’s more damaging than beneficial. But how safe are cough syrups anyway? You’ve trusted Mamavation to uncover the latest information about multi-level marketing companies, a thorough inspection of 170 dog foods on the market, and the fact that ADHD and thyroid conditions are linked to fluoride in water. Now jump into the deep end with us as we look closer at the different types of cough treatments, the active ingredients and their functions, and the various OTC products on the market.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

6 Types of Cough Treatments

Cough treatments mainly consist of methods of suppression and discharge of mucus from the lungs, and control of the cough reflex by reducing irritation of receptors in the throat. Treatments come in a range of complexities from the simple use of water all the way up to potentially hazardous pharmaceutical medicines that have long lists of negative side effects. Paying attention to your symptoms is critical because it can be tricky to distinguish between a beneficial cough and a damaging one. The general rule of thumb is that if your cough begins to cause muscle soreness in the torso, dizziness, headache or pain in your neck, it’s probably time to start looking for a cough treatment. Severe, long lasting coughs can cause some unbelievable problems including urinary or bowel incontinence, hemorrhoids, damage to the ribs and abdomen, petechial hemorrhaging, loss of consciousness, stroke, arrhythmia, decreased cardiac output and ruptured spleen. YIKES.

Overall, we recommend beginning treatment for the underlying issue of your cough before it becomes a major problem. This way, the illness causing the cough is remedied which eliminates the body’s need to utilize the coughing mechanism in the first place and prevents the progression to damage and delayed recovery.

For the specifics on methods of cough treatment, we simplified and summarized the cache of information we found in this article. These are the 6 different approaches, ranging from simple treatments that work on the surface of the throat to medication-based treatments that affect entire systems inside the body.

demulcents are the most simple cough treatments and are generally effective right at the larynx and include drinking water, using a vaporizer, and eating lemon or honey to provide a coating on mucous membranes and cough receptors which helps prevent irritation in the throat and activation of the cough reflex.
anesthetic cough drops and sprays contain medicines like benzocaine and lidocaine that numb cough receptors which prevents them from activating as often, however, there are notable side effects include numbness in the mouth and throat, stomach upset, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
expectorants like guaifenesin are common medicines in cough treatments that break down mucus so it can be coughed out.
antihistamines like diphenhydramine dry up mucus and expand the lung’s air passages, but have a notable side effect of drowsiness. Interestingly, the newer non-drowsy antihistamines don’t work well for coughs.
sympathomimetic decongestants open nasal passages and reduce postnasal drip, but ingredients like phenylephrine and dextromethorphan in these medicines can cause upset stomach, insomnia, dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, nervousness, tremor or fast heartbeat. These medicines should not be used by those with hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cardiovascular disease of any kind, increased intraocular pressure, or an enlarged prostate.
central suppressants address cough by pharmaceutical treatment and suppression of the central nervous system with ingredients like dextromethorphan. Notable side effects include constipation and drowsiness.

Cough Syrup Ingredients to Avoid

With many conventional cough syrups, there’s a high potential for negative side effects due to the presence of pharmaceutical medications. Many cough syrups carry warning labels for people on certain common medications including all MAOI drugs (for depression, psychiatric or emotional conditions, or Parkinson’s disease), as well as people with diabetes and the elderly. The truth is that these drugs are potentially dangerous for everyone, and have long lists of negative side effects compounded by multiple active pharmaceuticals and toxic added ingredients.

dextromethorphan is one of the most commonly used active ingredients in conventional cough syrup and works by suppressing the cough reflex through a direct action on the cough center in the medulla of the brain. Side effects include confusion, constipation, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Toxic psychosis (hyperactivity, visual and auditory hallucinations) and serious respiratory depression have been reported after ingestion of 300 mg or more. Dextromethorphan should never be used by people with asthma, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cardiovascular disease of any kind, increased intraocular pressure, or an enlarged prostate.
diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that can cause dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, insomnia, constipation, stomach upset, pounding heartbeats, painful or difficult urination, lack of urination, confusion, feeling like you might pass out, tightness in your neck or jaw, and uncontrollable movements of your tongue. Should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
phenylephrine is a sympathomimetic decongestant that can cause upset stomach, insomnia, dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, nervousness, tremor or fast heartbeat. Phenylephrine should not be used by those with hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cardiovascular disease of any kind, increased intraocular pressure, or an enlarged prostate.
doxylamine is an antihistamine that can cause central nervous system depression, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, decreased sweating and difficulty urinating. Doxylamine should not be used by the elderly or people with asthma, glaucoma, enlarged prostate, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease or thyroid dysfunction.
chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine that can cause fast or uneven heart rate, mood changes, tremor, seizure (convulsions), easy bruising or bleeding, weakness, shortness of breath, little or no urinating, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, nose, or throat, constipation, blurred vision, or feeling nervous or restless.
guaifenesin is a common expectorant is relatively benign but should still be avoided whenever possible because of the potential of side effects that can include diarrhea, dizziness, headache and nausea.
polyvinyl acetate is a synthetic resin prepared by the polymerization of vinyl acetate that serves as the film-forming ingredient in water-based (latex) paints, and is also is used in adhesives.
sodium polystyrene sulfonate is derived from polystyrene and binds itself to potassium in the digestive tract. While not absorbed into the bloodstream, it can still cause dangerously low potassium and calcium levels, stomach pain, rectal pain, severe constipation and stomach pain, bloating, fever, chills, vomiting, confusion, thinking problems, irritability and stomach bleeding.
petroleum-based ingredients like polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol are often contaminated with carcinogenic compounds including 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which can also cause reproductive system toxicity, headache and nausea.
parabens mimic hormones in the body and disrupt functions of the endocrine system causing low birth weight, pre-term birth, early puberty, decreased sperm levels and neurodevelopment disorders. The CDC has also confirmed that parabens were present in the urine of 96% of people tested which raises concerns of bioaccumulation.
sugar ingredients including sucrose, fructose, glucose, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup should be avoided by patients with diabetes because they’re more vulnerable to disruptions in glycemic control when ill.
artificial colors/flavors, natural flavors are umbrella terms that can hide any number of ingredients. Manufacturers aren’t required to disclose the specific makeup of these additives which is problematic for purposes of analysis, especially for those with food allergies.
artificial sweeteners including saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame and aspartame can contain methylene chloride which can cause headaches, mental confusion, nausea and depression, and can negatively affect the liver and kidneys after long-term exposure. Artificial sweeteners have also been investigated as a possible cause of brain tumors, mental retardation, birth defects, epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, fibromyalgia and diabetes.
grapefruit seed extract can be contaminated with benzalkonium chloride, parabens and triclosan.
high sodium content should be avoided by children and people with heart disease or high blood pressure.
alcohol-based medicines should be avoided by children and people with high blood pressure and diabetes.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers should be extremely careful with all medications because the potential for negative effects to the unborn baby or nursing child is frighteningly high. It’s important to note that non-prescription OTC meds can be just as dangerous as ones prescribed by your doctor.

Cough Syrups Ranked from Bad to Best

These are the results of our investigation into non-prescription cough syrups on the market. We researched 1-3 products from each of the 43 brands and placed them into 3 categories — Bad, Better, Best — based on ingredient content.

The layout for each entry goes like this: Brand (active ingredients) – questionable ingredients.

BAD

This list consists of brands that use the most hazardous active ingredients including dextromethorphan, phenilephrine and chlorpheniramine along with multiple toxic added ingredients that create an overall hazardous mix.

Basic Care (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – artificial colors and flavor, high fructose corn syrup, polypropylene glycol, sucralose
Broncochem (acetaminophen/chlorpheniramine/dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin/phenilephrine HCI) – artificial colors, natural flavors, propylene glycol, saccharin
Buckley’s (diphenhydramine/ammonium carbonate/potassium bicarbonate/menthol/camphor) – parabens, carrageenan
Creomulsion (dextromethorphan HBr) – corn syrup, sugar
CVS (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin/phenylephrine HCI) – high alcohol content, artificial colors and flavor, propylene glycol, sucralose
Delsym (dextromethorphan polistirex) – artificial colors and flavor, high fructose corn syrup, parabens, soy, hydrogenated vegetable oil, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sugar
Diabetic Tussin (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – artificial flavors, aspartame, acesulfame K, paraben, polyethylene glycol
Dimetapp (diphenhydramine/phenylephrine) – artificial colors and flavor, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, sucralose
Equate (acetaminophen/diphenhydramine/phenilephrine HCI) – artificial colors and flavor, propylene glycol, sucralose
Father John’s (dextromethorphan HBr) – artificial flavors
GeriCare (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – artificial colors and flavors, high fructose corn syrup, saccharin
GoodSense (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – artificial colors and flavor, high fructose corn syrup, polypropylene glycol, sucralose
Guna (homeopathic) – artificial flavor, sugar, parabens
Mucinex (acetaminophen/dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin/phenylephrine HCI) – artificial colors and flavors, propylene glycol, sucralose
Next (acetaminophen/dextromethorphan HBr/doxylamine succinate/phenylephrine HCl) – artificial colors and flavor, propylene glycol, saccharin
NyQuil/DayQuil (dextromethorphan HBr/doxylamine succinate) – alcohol-based, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavor, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sucralose
Olbas (herbal extracts) – ingested essential oils have the potential to be dangerous to the body
Robitussin (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – artificial color and flavors, natural flavors, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sucralose
Rugby (guaifenesin) – artificial color and flavors, propylene glycol, sucralose
Safetussin (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – aspartame, parabens, natural flavor, propylene glycol
Walgreens (dextromethorphan polistirex) – parabens, artifical color and flavor, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, polyvinyl acetate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate
Triaminic (dextromethorphan HBr) – carrageenan, artificial colors and flavor, high fructose corn syrup, sucralose
Tukol (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin/phenylephrine HCI) – artificial colors and flavor, sucralose
Tylenol (acetaminophen/dextromethorphan HBr/chlorpheniramine/phenylephrine HCI) – artificial colors and flavors, cellulose, sugar
Ultra Tuss (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – propylene glycol, sucralose, parabens
Up&Up (dextromethorphan HBr/guaifenesin) – artificial colors and flavor, high fructose corn syrup, cellulose, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, saccharin

BETTER

These brands are much safer and are acceptable alternatives to those listed above, but still contain ingredients that aren’t ideal including higher alcohol content and natural flavors.

Boericke & Tafel (homeopathic) – 10% alcohol, low sugar content
ChildLife (homeopathic) – natural flavors
Hyland’s (homeopathic) – natural flavor, low alcohol and sugar content
NatraBio (homeopathic) – 10% alcohol, natural color
Source Naturals (homeopathic) – natural color and flavors
Zand Zumka (homeopathic) – natural flavors
Zarbee’s (honey) – grapefruit seed extract, natural flavors

BEST

Our Best list consists of brands that use only safe and natural ingredients.

Boiron (homeopathic)
Christopher’s (herbal extracts)
Gaia (herbal extracts)
Ginger-Tussin from Designs for Health (herbal extracts)
Little Remedies (honey)
Nature’s Way (homeopathic)
Maty’s (honey) – organic ingredients
Mommy’s Bliss (herbal extracts) – organic ingredients
ReBoost (homeopathic)
Vitality Works (herbal extracts)

Elderberry Syrup Treats Cold, Cough and Flu

Aside from the products in our Better and Best lists, elderberry syrup is potent treatment that offers a multitude of benefits during cold and flu season. In fact, the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) states that elderberry has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and they found that elderberry supplementation dramatically reduces cold and flu symptoms and duration, aids in the treatment of sinus infections and lowers blood sugar. And what’s even cooler, you can keep a few ingredients on hand and whip up a batch of immune-boosting elderberry syrup right in your own kitchen!

Here are 3 of our favorite DIY elderberry syrup recipes you can make at home: