Knowledge Is Power : Top 10 to dramatically reduce your daily exposure to cancer causing agents

(NaturalNews) While it's impossible to avoid all of the toxins and cancer causing agents that surround you, there are some simple, yet effective steps you can take that will greatly decrease your exposure to toxic substances. Making these painless adjustments can lower your risk for just about every type of cancer along with a whole slew of other diseases. The key to this list is that each of the items exposes you to toxins or cancer causing agents on a daily, or almost daily, basis. By eliminating them you are effectively cutting out a large majority of your exposure.

1. Purchase organic foods

By going organic, you are not only avoiding pesticides; you are also avoiding GMOs, artificial ingredients and harmful preservatives.

2. Filter your tap water

Tap water contains arsenic, fluoride and chlorine; all of which are highly toxic. Using a water filter for your drinking water is a great start; however, the body absorbs a substantial amount of water through the skin during showers and baths. One good option is to install an entire house water filter which can remove 99 percent of these chemicals.

3. Get the mercury fillings taken out of your mouth

Mercury is highly toxic and the old fillings in your mouth may be slowing leeching into your system. When making an appointment to get your mercury fillings removed, be sure to find a dentist that has expertise in this area.

4. Make your own deodorant

Deodorants and antiperspirants contain dangerous chemicals including aluminum, parabens, propylene glycol, FD&C colors, talc and more. Making your own natural deodorant is as easy as mixing coconut oil, baking soda and shea butter.

5. Buy natural toothpaste and mouthwash

Fluoride is very toxic and should not be swallowed. Many toothpastes and mouthwashes contain fluoride, triclosan, saccharin and artificial colors such as FD&C Blue #1. Avoid these ingredients by purchasing natural toothpastes and mouthwashes. You can also make your own mouthwash with water, baking soda or sea salt, and a drop of peppermint or tea tree oil.

6. Buy natural bodywash, shampoo and conditioner

Avoid ingredients including triclosan, fragrance, PEG, ceteareth, polyethylene, DMDM hydantoin and parabens including propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl.

7. Make your own natural home cleaners

Cleaners such as AJAX, Lysol, bleach and the like produce very toxic fumes. They can be replaced by a simple and inexpensive mixture of vinegar and lemon. There are many simple recipes for non-toxic, homemade cleaners.

8. Buy natural laundry detergent

Most name brand laundry detergents leave chemical residue on your clothes which is absorbed by your skin. Ingredients to avoid include linear alkyl sodium sulfonates, petroleum distillates, phenols and sodium hypochlorite (house bleach).

9. Don't use the microwave

Microwaves kill food, plain and simple. The way they cook is unnatural. Instead use your oven, stove-top, toaster or toaster oven whenever possible.

10. Limit your cell phone use

The radiation from cell phones can cause cancer. Limit your cell phone use and try to use hands free options such as Bluetooth and speakerphone whenever possible.

A few other notables include: 

- Use natural makeup
- Don't use baby powder (talcum)
- Don't use weed killers or pesticide

ALTERNATIVES TO 12 TOXIC PRODUCTS 

safer alternatives to these 12 toxic products. Even if you replace only half of them in your home, you’re doing you and your family a favor. Every little step that helps reduce the toxic load on our bodies is worth the effort!

1. Talcum powder. It contains talc, which as I mentioned in a previous post, has been linked with ovarian cancer. Use ointment instead of powder for diaper rash, or try California Baby’s Calming Non-Talc Powder, and avoid perfumed genital sprays.

2. Cover Girl Replenishing Natural Finish Makeup (Foundation). This particular foundation contains BHA, talc, TEA, parabens, and fragrance. There are several foundations out there with the same potentially harmful ingredients, however, so it’s important to always read labels.

3. Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste. Several brands of toothpaste contain toxic ingredients like dyes, lead, and harsh sulfates. In fact, sulfates have been found in studies to encourage the formation of mouth sores. Choose instead safer brands like Tom’s of Maine and Herbal Choice.

4. Alberto V05 Conditioner. It’s really common to find potentially toxic ingredients in hairproducts. This particular conditioner contains formaldehyde, dyes, fragrance, and polysorbate 80 (which can be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane). Switch brands to safer options like Aubrey Organics and Avalon Organics.

5. Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Permanent Hair Color. Hair dyes, particularly the dark ones, contain several toxic ingredients. Studies have been conflicting, but researchers have found increased risk of follicular lymphoma in women who use them. Try Logona, a German product that makes dyes containing only 100 percent natural coloring, or Naturtint and Herbatint. Try to dye less frequently, and if you dye your hair yourself, be sure to wear gloves and protect your eyes.

6, 7, 8. Ajax Cleanser, Zud Heavy Duty Cleanser, & Lysol Disinfectant Spray. So many household cleansers and air fresheners contain toxic ingredients, but you don’t have to risk your health to have a clean house.

9. Zodiac Cat & Dog Flea Collar. According to the article, this one contains “propoxur,” a carcinogenic ingredient. Try instead natural flea and tick solutions like Call of the Dog Natural Flea Protection, Earth Easy Household Flea Trap, or simply cover a lemon with boiling water, let it steep overnight, and then use the solution in a spray bottle on your pet to repel fleas. You can also use a mixture of sweet almond oil, lavender, and cedarwood in a water spray.

10. Ortho Weed-B-Gon Lawn Weed Killer. Several lawn and garden products contain dangerous pesticides that can have serious health consequences, especially for children. Reduce your exposure by avoiding pesticides in your home and choosing organic weed killers from brands like EcoSmart, Green Match, and Sure-Gro.

11. Beef Frankfurters. We joke about just what makes up a hot dog, but some brands contain really unsafe ingredients like benzene hexachloride and nitrites, which interact with meat amines to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. Try turkey dogs, Trader Joe’s all natural beef hot dogs, and look for “nitrite-free” on the label.

12. Whole milk. It can contain DDT, antibiotics, growth hormones, and other potential carcinogens. Simple solution—buy organic. It contains none of these ingredients. Even better—buy from a local dairy if you can, or make the switch altogether to almond or rice milk.

Do you have safer alternatives to these toxic products? Please share your ideas!

Knowledge Is Power: The Top 20 Most Credible Natural Food Brands

The pressure industrialized food production has on the planet affects us all—from the toxic agro-chemical genetically modified seed industry, to the billions of animals raised for food, to the artificial ingredients that flavor, preserve and color processed foods—it's enough to make any stroll through a local supermarket feel surreal, even scary. Aisle after aisle of packaged foods contain more unrecognizable ingredients than recognizable ones.

We've come to rely on the health food store as panacea to the supermarket, blindly filling our shopping cart with items we assume to be healthy. But even our beloved organic foods can contain non-organic stabilizers, gelling agents and flavors, some with known human health risks. And it makes sense as many of the major multinational corporate conglomerates that dominate conventional supermarkets also own many of the natural food brands we love. Discernment can be tricky. 

What we know for sure is that less is more. Buying ingredients instead of "products" is the best way to a truly healthy meal. This means fresh fruits and vegetables—best when local and seasonal, and even better when you grow your own. Buying bulk grains, beans, seeds and nuts, and again, making your own meals from scratch decreases your risk for foodborne illnesses, excess salt, sugar, trans fats and other unsavory ingredients. While this is the goal for many of us, it is not often a reality. So we cut corners, buying boxed cereal instead of making our own, pasta sauce from a jar, frozen pizza, and so on.

If we look to food brands as a condiment to our otherwise pure diets, there are some worthy of supporting. And in this modern world where we can research products at the swipe of a smart phone, we owe it to our healthiest selves to make sure what we put in our bodies is of the highest quality.  

While it may seem as if there would be hundreds of natural food brands worthy of recognition, coming up with just 20 was a task. Some well-known brands did not make this list for several reasons. First: Amy's. While we love that Amy's is still family-owned and uses a roster of recognizable ingredients, most of the products are made for the microwave. And we simply cannot recommend that as a healthy method of cooking. The brand does however offer a few items that are not meant for a microwave, but also beware of the canned soup line, as the brand does not say it uses BPA-free packaging.

Another brand not on this list is White Wave/Silk. Not only is the brand owned by the largest dairy conglomerate in the U.S., Dean Foods (although they're looking to sell it), they've also replaced organic soybeans in the soymilk and soy products with non-organic. And, most every nondairy milk brand available contains non-organic ingredients like gelling agents, including carrageenan--a known carcinogen also connected with digestive disorders. You can easily make your own instead.

Also not included on this list are any dairy or meat brands (and not just because I am a vegan). Research has shown that most consumers who truly understand the benefits of organically raised animal products, also value the locally raised model and support regional farmers and ranchers. As a general rule, we recommend this as well. Get to know a local dairy farmer. Go visit a chicken farm or a cattle ranch. Chances are there are several near you, and if you do consume animal products, it's much to your advantage to see where your animals come from. Smaller farms are better farms. Period. 

Organic foods are always recommended when possible. Not all of these brands are organic; but all employ quality standards and ingredients, and some even observe Fair Trade practices as well.

In suspenseful reveal fashion, we're listing our favorite last, so read on…drumroll please!

The Top 20 Most Credible Natural Food Brands

20. Wildwood: The organic sprouted tofus are GMO-free but some of the processed fodos including yogurts, can contain ingredients to avoid.

19. Rejuvenative Foods: High quality fermented foods.

18.  Kettle Chips: Stick with the organic options.

17.Lundberg Farms: Beware the packaged risottos with "butter flavor."

16.Tofurky: Generally clean organic tofu products, but some of the more processed items, including the pizzas, contain questionable ingredients that are best to avoid.

15. Reed's: Ginger is medicine, and these sodas are amazing, but they do however contain a lot of sugar. Like all soft drinks, save for special occassions.

14. Mary's Gone Crackers: Gluten-free, whole grain and clean ingredients when snacking is a must.

13. Sunshine Burger: Pretty much the only soy-free, wheat-free veggie burger option besides your own recipe. They essentially do just one thing, and they do it well.

12. Field Roast: Very clean mock-meats, but wheat-based and non-organic. Still, better than most else out there when you can't make your own.

11. Equal Exchange: An emphasis on Fair Trade coffee and chocolate. Check ingredients on processed items.

10. Theo Chocolate: You can find a lot of locally made chocolates now in most major cities, but a good default option is Theo's organic and Fair Trade varieties. Not all vegan.

9. Artisana: High quality clean nut butters in glass jars.

8. Bob's Redmill: Stick with the solo ingredients rather than the mixes.

7. Dr. Bronner's: They mostly make the world's best soap, but their coconut oil is now available in stores and it's the best-tasting Fair Trade coconut oil currently available. Hopefully they bring more products with integrity to our food supply.

6. Big Tree Farms: A newcomer to the food industry, but they're doing some revolutionary products including coconut palm sugar. And working with thousands of farmers in Bali as a cooperative is also pretty cool.

5. Traditional Medicinals: Pharmacopeial grade herbs formulated by professional herbalists for high-quality, effective teas.

4. Nature's Path: The go-to brand for organic cereal and a commitment to non-GMO ingredients, but beware, they still use a lot of sugar and ingredients like soy oil.

3. Food for Life: Sprouted grains are edible grains. No fillers; impeccable quality.

2. Bragg's: Trust people who make their money on apple cider vinegar. And drink it daily.

1. Eden Foods: BPA-free cans, organic soy, no gelling agents in the soymilk, commitment to organic, local and traditionally made foods for three decades. Family-owned.

Knowledge Is Power: Cereals that cause CANCER

     

    By now, nearly everyone interested in healthy living is aware of the recent research linking Monsanto's GMO corn to cancer tumors and an increase risk of premature death in both men and women. News of the research is spreading like wildfire across the 'net, and support for Proposition 37 -- which seeks to label GMOs in foods -- is growing by the day.

      But the media has not yet reported on the everyday foods being sold in grocery stores right now and made with Monsanto's genetically modified corn (GM corn). Which foods are most likely to contain Monsanto GM corn? To answer this question, I visited a local grocery store in Austin, Texas and purchased 10 breakfast cereals made with high levels of non-organic corn.

According to the Center for Food Safety, up to 85% of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified. This means corn-based cereals that use non-organic corn have a very high likelihood of containing GM corn.

The following list presents the top 10 popular breakfast cereals most likely to contain Monsanto's genetically modified corn. For the record, none of these cereals claim to be GMO-free, nor made with organic corn. The exact GMO content of these cereals remains a mystery precisely because manufacturers of these cereals refuse to label them with their GMO content. This lack of full disclosure by the food industry underscores the urgent need for a labeling law so that consumers can make an informed decision.

The top 10 popular breakfast cereals most likely to contain Monsanto's GM corn

Cocoa Puffs and Corn Chex
 

Frosted Flakes and Honey Graham Oh's
 

Honey Nut Chex and Kashi Heart to Heart
 

Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Kellogg's Corn Pops
 

Kix and Barbara's Bakery Puffins Peanut Butter
 

Which cereals contain no GMOs? Nature's Path

There is only one brand of breakfast cereal I know of that's 100% non-GMO and 100% organic across their entire product line. That company is Nature's Path:

If you buy breakfast cereal, and you don't want to eat Monsanto's GM corn, always choose cereals from Nature's Path. This is my No. 1 most highly trusted cereal company.

Many "natural" brands that appear to be healthful and natural are actually not organic or GMO-free. For example, "Barbara's Bakery" cereals are not organic. Although they are positioned in store shelves alongside other organic cereals, they are actually made with conventional crops grown with pesticides which may include Monsanto's Roundup.

You may also notice that most of the cereals most likely to contain GM corn are children's cereals. It is the children in America who are being fed the most GMOs. This represents a highly unethical food experiment being conducted on an entire generation, and the long-term effects of human consumption of GMOs are simply not known.

What we do know is that rats fed this very same Monsanto GM corn developed shockingly large cancer tumors.

The photo released by the French research team, showing large cancer tumors growing at a strongly heightened risk in rats fed a "lifetime" of Monsanto's GM corn, is shown below. According to that study, 70% of females died premature and showed significant damage to their liver, kidneys and other organs.



Pretty crazy, huh?



Legal note: In no way are we claiming these cereals will cause cancer tumors to grow in your body or that they pose an immediate risk to your health. Those studies have not yet been done on humans. GM corn is an experimental crop with unknown long-term effects of humans. Breakfast cereals made with GM corn may turn out to pose a significant long-term risk to human health, but that has not yet been determined. This article is presented in the public interest, reflecting reasonable caution over a common food ingredient which French scientists have now convincingly linked to cancer and premature death in studies conducted on rats.

Knowledge Is Power: What's Your Skin Telling You?

 

What is your skin telling you?
Skin inflammation like acne or redness can be reflective of your internal health. Use this face mapping method to decode what may be going on inside your body.