Holistic Feathers

15 ingredients to evict from your bathroom and toilet bag

Is your bathroom cabinet bulging with toxins?
Is your make-up or toilet bag a cocktail of chemicals that could do you harm?

We are not saying any one of these is a direct cause of cancer, although several are known carcinogens while others affect your immune system, nervous system or internal organs. If you are at all interested in Cancer Prevention, you might think to check out the ingredients list on your bottles and jars: the higher up the list these 15 come, the greater the concentration.

So chuck out the offenders, look before you buy and invest in safer alternatives.

1: Formaldehyde
A Class A carcinogen it is used as a disinfectant, fixative, germicide and preservative in a wide variety of products from deodorants to liquid soaps, and from nail varnish to shampoos. Also known as formalin, formal and methyl aldehyde, it has been linked in research to lung cancer and leukaemia. It can damage DNA, irritate the eyes, upper respiratory tract and mucous membrane, and may cause asthma and headaches. It is banned in Japan and Sweden.

2: Phthalates
Sometimes refered to as “gender benders”, these are a family of industrial plasticisers already banned in the EU from being used in plastic toys, but still widely found in plastic bottles and plastic cups. If the contents is heated, the heat can further denature the plastic causing a greater release – forever. Phthalates can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes and ingested in liquids and contaminated food, and even via breastfeeding. They are xenoestrogens, or oestrogen mimics. They can be found in shampoos, shower gels, and even your posh mountain fresh water bottles. Also found in hairsprays, top-selling perfumes and nail varnishes. Animal studies have shown they can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system – especially developing testes.

“They are banned in the EU from being used in plastic toys, but are still in toiletries”

3: Parabens
Listed as alkyl parahydroxy benzoates -butyl/methyl/ethyl/ propyl/ isobutyl parabens on products such as some toothpastes, moisturisers and deodorants. They are used as a preservative but, like phthalates, can act as oestrogen mimics. Research suggests that mimics can increase levels of active oestrogens in the body – oestrogen lies behind many cancers like breast cancer, testicular cancer, colon and prostate cancer. Xenoestrogens have been linked to reductions in sperm count.

Bisphenol A: Found in plastics, the white linings inside cans, and babies bottles. Recent Canadian research turned BPA up in cans of fizzy soft drinks too. Banned in Canada, and in toys for the under 3´s in California, BPA is another plastic-based oestrogen mimic

4: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
is one of the ingredients in many a shampoo, bubble bath, liquid soap etc. Why, when it is a known skin irritant, stops hair growth, can cause cataracts in adults, damage children´s eye development and cause urinary tract infection?

Because it´s cheap and produces lots of bubbles when mixed with salt. Hardly compensation! Sodium Laureth Ether Sulphate (SLES) is a slightly less irritant form of SLS, but may cause more drying. Both can lead to potentially carcinogenic cocktails of nitrites and dioxins forming in shampoos and cleansers, by reacting with other ingredients. SLS actually increases the permeability of the skin by about 40 per cent. Skin is not a barrier – it´s a carrier. If anyone tells you otherwise, ask them how HRT and nicotine patches work?

5: Toluene
is a common solvent found in nail enamels, hair gels, hair spray, and perfumes. It is a neurotoxin and oestrogen mimic and can damage the liver, disrupt the endocrine system and cause asthma.

6: Fluoride
In America toothpaste labels clearly warn about fluoride use. Consider carefully this warning: ‘As in all fluoride toothpastes, keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Centre immediately’. Fluoride is even added to mouthwash. It probably does no good at all if you are over 35 and the FDA has stated that it should be avoided by pregnant women.

7: Alcohol
Recent research from Australia linked alcohol-based mouthwashes to higher rates of mouth, tongue and throat cancer. (These cancer are on the increase particularly in 40-something adults). Smokers and people who drunk alcohol as well as using these mouthwashes had 3 to 5 times higher rates of these cancers. ´Should be banned´, was the researchers conclusion.

8: Propylene Glycol
is a cosmetic form of mineral oil (refined crude oil) used in industrial anti-freeze. People handling it are warned by the manufacturer to avoid skin contact and wear respirators and rubber gloves etc, and yet this is a major ingredient in most moisturisers, skin creams, baby wipes and sun screens. Why?

It´s cheap and gives the “glide” factor in body lotions – but is in fact robbing lower layers of skin of moisture. Lanolin and collagen can also clog pores and cause skin to age faster than if nothing was used.

9: Talc
is recognised as carcinogenic and has been linked to an increased risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer and general urinary tract disorders. On some baby powder tins it actually says, ´Do not use near mouth or nose´! The distant cousin of asbestos, so don´t dust it on your baby´s, or anyone else´s, bottom! And certainly not near your mouth and nose – of course it is in make-up face packs and ´powder puffs´.

10: Parfum/perfume
A typical cosmetic can contain up to 150 chemicals in the perfume alone! 95 per cent of these chemicals are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum -26 of which are on an EU hit list. Fragrances have been linked to allergies and breathing difficulties and they penetrate the skin. The ingredients do not legally have to be declared. Avoid all skin contact with fragrances.

11: Xylene
is also listed, for example, as xytol or dimethylbenzene on nail varnish bottles. It can damage your liver, is narcotic in high concentrations and causes skin and respiratory tract irritation.

12: Diethanolamine
Ans also Tri- and Mono- (DEA, TEA and MEA) are absorbed through skin where they accumulate. If found in products also containing nitrates, they react and form nitrosamines, which are carcigonemic.

13: Vitamin A – retinyl palmitate
is found in many skin creams, skin lotions and sunscreens. There is a growing body of research expressing concern that, far from helping with skin damage, this pre-sensitises the skin to the harmful effects of Ultra Violet (UV) rays in sunshine. The FDA is reviewing concerns that this may actually cause more skin cancers!

14: Triclosan
sometimes listed as 5-chloro-2 (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, is an antibacterial agent in deodorants, toothpastes, vaginal washes and mouthwashes. Toxic dioxins are produced during its manufacture or incineration. It is stored in breast milk and in fish, and can break down in water to create a member of the dioxin family, a proven carcinogen. Serious concerns are under investigation right now.

15: Paraphenylenediamine
or PPD is used in dark hair dyes. Tests on rats have shown that PPD may cause cancer, after long-term use with hydrogen peroxide. Now look at the next ingredient in the list! It has been implicated in numerous bladder cancer cases in California. The perfect excuse to go blonde?

While we are on this subject, the two top toxins found to accumulate in our bodies during our normal daily lives in research were formaldehyde and dichlorobenzene. And this occurs whether we live in cities or in the countryside. The dangers start at home (Dichlorobenzene is in many of those supposedly nice smelling things people freshen their toilets, carpets and rooms with).

(c) CANCERactive

Article discovered on CANCERactive’s website

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… so said the news heading on Natural News’ excellent daily newsletter this morning! Which reminded me of something I found out at a nutritional seminar last week about the sunshine and Vitamin D!

I will share this newsflash with you now and will blog later in the week about Vitamin D and sunshine in the UK …

* * * * *

(NaturalNews) We’ve all been told that sunlight causes skin cancer. This message has been drilled into our heads for so long that most people actually believe it. But what if this “truth” was actually a medical myth? What if dermatologists and health experts didn’t know the whole story? What if their explanations about sun exposure and skin cancer were too simplistic and outdated?

Today, I’ve released a new tell-all video that exposes the lies of dermatology and the cancer industry while explaining the truth about sunlight, vitamin D and skin cancer. That video is available now on the new video site NaturalNews.TV: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=234

Here’s what you’ll learn about sunlight exposure, skin cancer and vitamin D in this free video:

• Why tanning booths can be GOOD for your health and actually prevent cancer!

• The origins of the term “red neck” and what this teaches us about the true causes of sunburn.

• Why sunlight alone does not cause sunburn: There’s another variable that’s just as important!

• Why sunlight exposure could reduce cancer rates in America by nearly 80%.

• Why the cancer industry continues to propagate myths about sun exposure and skin cancer.

• How to build up your own “internal sunscreen” by changing what you eat!

• Why sunscreen products are terrible for your health and may actually cause skin cancer.

• Why dark-skinned people need far more sunlight exposure than fair-skinned people to prevent cancer.

• How to spend more time in the sun without getting burned, even without using sunscreen.

• Why cancer tumors grow during the winter months (and how to stop tumor growth in just minutes a day).

• Why Asian women are endangering their health by avoiding sunlight exposure in order to keep their skin more fair (pale).

• Why cancers are more serious in African Americans than Whites. (And why they’re not being told the truth by the cancer industry…)

• Why working (and living) indoors will turn you into “a ticking time bomb” of disease.

• Why the effort to censor the truth about sunlight as medicine is a dark, evil scheme dreamed up by for-profit cancer institutions and drug companies who profit from the suffering of human beings.

• Why the cancer industry wants you to live in darkness and be afraid of light, knowledge and illumination.

Vide the full video (free!) on NaturalNews.TV: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=234

And then do your own research! Verify everything for yourself, and you’ll see that everything revealed in this video is true.

Discovered at (c) Natural News

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~ I make no apology for sharing this news alert from Natural News today; if anyone has details of where thermography is available in the London or surrounding areas, please do kindly comment on this post or get in touch with me.  Thank you so much, Callie x x

(NaturalNews) It’s well-established that exposure to ionizing radiation can trigger mutations and other genetic damage and cause normal cells to become malignant. So it seems amazing how mainstream medicine frequently dismisses the idea that medical imaging tests from mammograms to CT scans could play much of a role in causing breast cancer. Take this example from the web site for Cornell University’s Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors:

In answer to the question “Is ionizing radiation a cause of breast cancer?”, the Cornell experts say “Yes” and note “.. female breast tissue is highly susceptible to radiation effects.” But then they pooh-pooh the possible hazard from mammography x-rays saying the risk …”should not be a factor in individual decisions to undergo this procedure. The same is true for most diagnostic x-ray procedures.”

If that’s not confusing enough, they turn around and state: “Nonetheless, unnecessary radiation exposures should be avoided and continued vigilance is required to ensure that the benefits associated with specific procedures outweigh the future risks.”

Why radiation causes breast cancer
Common sense suggests there is plenty of reason to be worried about radiation causing breast cancer. And now there’s a new reason to be concerned. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have discovered that radiation exposure can alter cells’ microenvironment (the environment surrounding cells). And that greatly raises the odds future cells will become cancerous.

The reason is that signals from a cell’s microenvironment, altered by radiation exposure, can cause a cell’s phenotype (made up of all its biochemical and physical characteristics) to change by regulating or de-regulating the way a cell uses its genes. The result can be a cell that not only becomes pre-cancerous but that passes this pre-malignant condition on to future cells.

“Our work shows that radiation can change the microenvironment of breast cells, and this in turn can allow the growth of abnormal cells with a long-lived phenotype that have a much greater potential to be cancerous,” Paul Yaswen, a cell biologist and breast cancer research specialist with Berkeley Lab’s Life Sciences Division, said in a statement to the press.

“Many in the cancer research community, especially radiobiologists, have been slow to acknowledge and incorporate in their work the idea that cells in human tissues are not independent entities, but are highly communicative with each other and with their microenvironment,” he added.

For their study, Yaswen and his research teams used human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), the cells that line breast ducts, where most breast cancers start. When placed in a culture dish, the vast majority of HMECs display a phenotype that allows them to divide between five and 20 times until they become what is known as senescent, or unable to divide. However, there are also some variants of these cells which have a phenotype that allows them to continue dividing for many weeks in culture. Known as a vHMEC phenotype, this type of breast cell arises spontaneously and is more susceptible to malignancy because it lacks a tumor-suppressing protein dubbed p16.

To find out what radiation exposure does to the cellular environment and how it could impact the future of cell behavior, the Berkeley Lab scientists grew sets of HMECs from normal breast tissue in culture dishes for about a week. Then they zapped each set with a single treatment of a low-to-moderate dose of radiation and compared the irradiated cells to sets of breast cells that had not been irradiated.

The results, just published in the on-line journal Breast Cancer Research, showed that four to six weeks after the radiation exposure, the normal breast cancer cells had stopped dividing far earlier than they would have normally — and this premature cell senescence had accelerated the outgrowth of vHMECS.

“However, by getting normal cells to prematurely age and stop dividing, the radiation exposure created space for epigenetically altered cells that would otherwise have been filled by normal cells. In other words, the radiation promoted the growth of pre-cancerous cells by making the environment that surrounded the cells more hospitable to their continued growth,” Yaswen explained in the press statement.

The researchers pointed out that the levels of radiation used in their experiments were not as much as a woman would be exposed to during a single routine mammogram but were comparable to those a woman could receive during a CT scans or radiotherapy “and could represent sources of concern.”

Of course, women are often pushed to get annual mammograms, raising their overall radiation exposure through the years. And, as NaturalNews has reported, previous research has already provided compelling evidence linking mammography to breast cancer.

For example, a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine found that the start of screening mammography programs throughout Europe has been associated with increased incidence of breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/024901.html). And a Johns Hopkins study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concluded radiation exposure from mammograms could trigger malignancies in women at risk for genetic breast cancer.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

(c) S. L. Baker, features writer – Natural News

For full links and information in connection with this story, please visit Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/028959_radiation_brst_cancer.html

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Suffering hot flushes? Losing your sex drive? Growing a moustache? Can’t sleep? Irritable and depressed? Go to the doctor with these symptoms and, chances are, if you’re over 50, she’ll tell you you’re menopausal. If your symptoms are bad enough she may offer your hormone replacement treatment (HRT) but HRT, although many women wouldn’t have wanted to cope with the menopause without it, has had some bad press, and isn’t recommended for all women. So is there a herbal alternative?

The menopause is natural

The first thing to remember is that the menopause isn’t an illness. At times it may feel like one but it’s simply your body adjusting to a new stage of life. Not a worse stage but a different one. For hundreds of years women have coped naturally with the menopause and its symptoms often using remedies suggested by their mothers or older female friends. In the old days the wise woman of the village would have been responsible for treating all the villagers’ ailments with her home-made herbal cures.

In our scientific – and litigation-loving – age, where everything that is sold as medicine or a health supplement has, quite rightly, to be tested rigorously, little incontrovertible evidence has yet been offered to show that specific herbs will help combat the symptoms of the menopause. On the other hand thousands of women would say that herbal remedies have helped them. So if you’re dubious about using HRT then do consider, investigate, and try some of the alternatives.

It’s thought that the problems typically associated with the menopause are the result of the pituitary glands, which control our hormones, trying to make up for the declining levels of oestrogen and progesterone.

The most recommended herbs and their reputed benefits
* Black cohosh, an oestrogenic herb, helps regulate hormone levels and is said to work directly on the uterus, easing cramp. It’s also reputed to relieve hot flushes.
* Chaste tree (agnus castus), another hormone regulator that helps to relieve depression. It’s one of the most recommended for hot flushes.
* Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) is used for a number of women’s health issues but especially those associated with the menopause as it helps maintain the hormonal balance.
* Sage is another herb high in plant oestrogens. It’s especially useful for combating night sweats.
* Wild yam (Dioscarea villosa) has anti-inflammatory properties and as such eases cramping.
* Not herbs but hormone regulators, tofu, soy milk and flour, alfalfa and flax seeds are also recommended for menopausal women.

Other things to consider

A good diet and plenty of exercise as well as time to relax all help the transition to postmenopausal woman. And if you’ve gone off sex because you’re suffering from vaginal dryness and it’s painful, there are plenty of creams and remedies that can help.

And consider a vitamin e supplement to your diet. As long ago as 1949 a British doctor discovered vitamin e to be useful in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. It’s thought a daily dose may alleviate hot flushes.

It’s a good idea to discuss with your doctor all the options available to you, and consult her before beginning on a course of herbal treatment, especially if you’ve already been prescribed HRT or other hormone therapy.

(c) Herb Expert

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A restricted diet can be a real pain at times – but it is also full of wonderful moments when you joyfully discover a way to use up some of the leftovers.

In this particular recipe, I wanted to make use of the raw almond “pulp” which is left over from making my own raw almond milk (packed full of nutrients and very simple to make).

Desperation for something chocolate-y but without refined sugar saw me padding into the kitchen, thinking-cap firmly on.  The final results were actually very good, with a delicious moist texture – the only additional I’d make next time is a healthy dose of cinnamon which will complement the cacao and pear perfectly.

What you need:
6 oz white spelt flour
2 oz rice flour
4 oz raw cacao powder
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp stevia (the green stuff!)
1 large egg
1 large ripe pear
3 oz softened coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 small glass of almond pulp (approx. 4 oz)
125ml filtered water
Healthy dose of cinnamon

To make cupcakes:
* Lightly grease and flour cupcake tins (unless using paper cases)
* Turn oven on to 190C to warm up
* Sieve flours, baking powder, stevia and cacao together
* Whisk egg with 100ml and add to flour mixture
* Add softened coconut oil, cinnamon and raw almond pulp to the mixture and give it a good whisk until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture still feels a bit “gloopy” and heavy, add a little more water until it
* Finely chop the fresh pear and add to the cupcake mixture, then stir
* Place dollops of the mixture into 12 cupcake spaces/cases and place in the oven for approximately 15 – 20 minutes (different ovens give varying results, so keep a close eye) until firm to touch

Leave to cool for half an hour and enjoy with a lovely cup of tea!

Makes approximately 12 healthy yummy cupcakes

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… even Sainsbury’s say so!

This sign up above the aisles in Sainsbury’s in Wandsworth, SW London really made me chuckle yesterday afternoon and I just had to share it with you all!

If you are really into chocolate, then we highly recommend a delightful chocolate video which can be f0und here.

Enjoy!

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“When you laugh, you change
When you change, the whole world changes”
~ Dr Madan Kataria

World Laughter Day was created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. Its popularity has grown exponentially with that of the Laughter Yoga movement now counting over 6000 Laughter Clubs in more than 65 countries.

The first World Laughter Day gathering took place in Mumbai, India, in 1998. Twelve thousand members from local and international laughter clubs joined together in a mega laughter session.

“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place in the year 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark where more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. It was the largest ever gathering that laughed and bonded together and the event went into the Guinness Book of World records.

Why World Laughter Day
One of Dr. Kataria’s objectives for Laughter Yoga is to promote world peace through laughter. Some people find this idea fanciful, but an understanding of the science of emotions and emotional contagion in particular shows how this might be achieved. The practice of Laughter Yoga causes the body to release certain ‘Feel Good’ hormones into the bloodstream related to feelings of happiness, warmth, unconditional love, bonding, tolerance, forgiveness, generosity, and compassion. Let’s call this a joy cocktail. The presence of this ‘Joy Cocktail’ of hormones and neuro-peptides precludes the production of other hormones and neuro-peptides that correspond with hatred, fear, violence, jealousy, aggression and the emotions associated with war and oppression.

By practicing Laughter Yoga in groups, the level of this Joy cocktail is raised to high concentrations through the multiplier effect: people leaving Laughter Yoga sessions go forth and interact with many people who are in turn affected to varying degrees by this powerful emotional state of joy. They in turn ‘infect’ other people they come into contact with. You can experience this ‘chain reaction’ after your very first Laughter Yoga session. Not only will you cheer up your friends and family but you may also cheer up the bus driver and others on your bus, the people you work with, the staff at the shop and more. They in turn will cheer up others, and so on. By having tens of thousands of laughter clubs all over the world, it will create a positive energy which will change the consciousness of the globe for the better. Actually, the formula for world peace is very simple – one person at a time multiplies it and spread it…

Nowadays, people face enormous stress and are at war with themselves. Laughter is a positive and powerful emotion which helps people to change themselves and to change the world in a peaceful and positive way. Laughter is a universal language which has the potential to unite humanity without religion. It establishes a common link between various religions and creates a new world order.

Celebrating World Laughter Day
World Laughter Day is customarily celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. This year on the 2nd of May, the world will once again come together to laugh and spread the word of happiness and joy. The Laughter Clubs movement is a global initiative to unite entire mankind through unconditional love and laughter. It is a non-religious, non-racial and non profit organization committed to generate good health, joy and world peace through laughter. This revolutionary idea has changed the lives of hundreds and thousands of people around the world and has helped them to attain a state of complete wellness.

Format
The usual format of WLD celebration is the congregation of laughter club members, their families and friends at some important landmark in their city like big squares, public parks or auditoriums and laugh collectively. They pray for world peace and read out the message from Dr. Kataria.

In India, laughter club members gather in public parks and take out a procession or a Peace march.They carry banners and placards such as -

* “World Peace Through Laughter”,
* “The Whole World Is An Extended Family”,
* “Laugh & Make Others Laugh”,
* “Join Laughter Club – It’s FREE!” etc.

During the march all chant “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha” and “very good, very good, yeah!”clapping and dancing. After walking some distance, they stop to do a few Laughter Yoga exercises and then move on. At the end of the march, they assemble on a stage or platform where laughter leaders conduct a brief 10 min laughter session followed by reading of Dr. Kataria’s message for World Peace.

This is followed by a variety entertainment program of music, dance and laughter contests. One can organize contests with prizes like: Best laughing man / woman / child / senior, Horrible singing contest, etc. Winners are those with the most infectious, natural and effortless laughter for no reason.

Visit World Laughter Day to find out how you can get involved!

(c) World Laughter Day

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