22 replies to this topic

[alternativista]

Save your money, reduce your exposure and your impact on the environment. See the post below about the badness of xenoestrogens and other chemicals we fill our world with unnecessarily.

I.E.:

Oils for moisturizers, cleansers.

Aloe, ACV, teas, baking soda for toners/exfoliants.

Clays, eggs, fruits, yogurts for masks.

Mineral powder for makeup, but close eyes and avoid breathing as much as possible while applying. And do follow the directions about using tiny amounts at a time and embed it into the brush to minimize the particles flying around.

Mineral based sunscreens when you need them, but ideally put on clothes and hats once you've made some vitamin D.

Glass, steel, ceramic not plastic.

Whole, organic, local food, not processed boxed 'big food' products.

Avoid perfumes - make your own with essential oils.

Vinegar, baking soda and basic soaps and elbow grease for household cleaning.

Buff nails, don't polish. There are so many bad things in most nail polish. Do not go sit in a salon and breath the fumes!

Just stay out of salons to avoid all kinds of fumes.

Also, try to stay away from traffic to avoid exhaust fumes. Don't jog or exercise along heavily traveled roads. They've measured the air along a boulevard that passes through Houston's largest park where hundreds jog and bike, often during rush hour, and where the tree canopy traps the exhaust. The air is some of the worst in the city and that's saying something for the refinery capital of the world. Parking garages are another bad place. And indoor ice rinks where they for some reason drive an internal combustion engine round and round to smooth the ice. It's idiotic that those things aren't electric. Also avoid cigarette smoke, of course.

Edited by alternativista, 19 March 2013 - 10:53 AM.

[Peony7]

I.E.:

Oils for moisturizers, cleansers.

Are you using an oil to moisturise?

[alternativista]

Homemade laundry detergent at a couple pennies per load.

I just did this and have washed 2 loads. One of which was dog bedding and rugs and it worked fine. I don't know about you but I can barely stand walking through the detergent and cleaning product aisle because of the smells.

The most basic recipe is 1 grated bar of ivory or laundry soap such as Fels-naptha or Zote and 1/2 cup of washing soda which is sodium carbonate (as opposed to baking soda which is sodium bicarbonate). And supposedly you only need 1-2 Tablespoons of this per load.

Additionally, many also call for 1/2 cup of Borax. After I bought it, I looked up recipes and found that borax is a skin irritant. But does boost performance and whitening ability, not that I have any whites.

Since I had 2 bars of fels-naptha that have been laying around here for years, I decided to make both recipes. So I have a mild formula and a stronger formula. And kept small leftover pieces for spot treating. Just wet and rub on spot.

There are also many variations such as making liquid detergent which involved dissolving the grated soap in a saucepan on the stove. Recipes are easily found online. And of course, you could go for natural, pure glycerine or Castile soaps. And soapberry nuts. They are berries high in saponins from Chinese or Mexican soap berry trees. And they work.

Borax is found at most supermarkets as is ivory soap. Washing soda and the laundry soaps are at many supermarkets stores. I'm pretty sure I've seen zote at dollar stores, especially if the have a lot of products for Hispanics. Zote is scented though.

I bought the borax and washing soda at Walmart.

Note: It was really difficult to grate the bars but I'm assuming that's because they were hardened due to being several years old. I should have stopped trying and bought a new bar, but instead I switched to my food processor and I think I messed it up. I pushed kind of hard against the grater and it looks like the adapter that you used with the grating blade is now permanently stuck. Which means I can't use the grinding/chopping blade...

Another Note: The phosphates and other chemicals in detergents destroy our waterways. Although big Ag and Industry are the bigger culprits.

And another: If you use bath size bars of ivory, I would think you'd need 2 as they are smaller than the laundry bars and ivory soap is 'whipped' full of air. That's why it floats. It's probably very easy to grate though. Zote also comes in double size (14 oz/400g) bars.

And another: Don't wash clothes that don't need to be washed. You are just increasing to the wear and tear and fading. Hang up to air for a bit.

And don't wear clothes that need dry cleaning except for the very most special occasions. Besides, half the things labeled dry clean only don't need to be dry cleaned. Silk and wool can be washed. It's usually the acetate and other materials lining suits and other tailored and formal clothes that can't be washed. Definitely don't use bedding that is dry cleaned. That's just stupid. Use only washable natural materials.

I.E.:

Oils for moisturizers, cleansers.

Are you using an oil to moisturise?

Yes. And to cleanse, especially when i have makeup to remove. Although I mostly just use water.

Edited by alternativista, 03 March 2013 - 07:15 AM.

[alternativista]

chemical xenoestrogens, hormone mimickers and endocrine disruptors

Xenoestrogens are a type of xenohormone that imitates estrogen. They are widely used industrial compounds such as PCB, BPA and Phthalates, that have estrogenic effects on a living organism even though they differ chemically from the naturally occurring estrogenic substances internally produced by the endocrine system of the organism.
Most scientists that study xenoestrogens, including The Endocrine Society, regard them as serious environmental hazards that have hormone disruptive effects on both wildlife and humans^{[2][3][4][5][6]}.

• alkylphenols (intermediate chemicals used in the manufacture of other chemicals)
• 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) (sunscreen lotions)
• butylated hydroxyanisole, BHA (food preservative)
• bisphenol A (monomer for polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin; antioxidant in plasticizers) - in your water bottles, canned foods, etc.
• dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (one of the breakdown products of DDT)
• DDT (banned insecticide)
• erythrosine, FD&C Red No. 3
• ethinylestradiol (combined oral contraceptive pill) (released into the environment as a xenoestrogen)
• metalloestrogens (a class of inorganic xenoestrogens)
• parabens (lotions)
• phthalates (plasticizers) - one of the many bads in Nail Polish and all kinds of plastics, makeup, etc.
• DEHP (plasticizer for PVC) which is all over your house.
• Propyl gallate (used to protect oils and fats in products from oxidation)

I removed many from this list, mostly pesticides and insecticides that are banned, but just because they are banned, doesn't mean they are gone from our environment. Also, many banned items are still manufactured and sold in other countries so could still be in your food.

More on phthalates:

Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, from enteric coatings of pharmaceutical pills and nutritional supplements , adhesives and glues, electronics, agricultural adjuvants, building materials, personal-care products, medical devices, detergents and surfactants, packaging, children's toys, modeling clay, waxes, paints, printing inks and coatings, pharmaceuticals, food products, and textiles... Phthalates are also frequently used in soft plastic fishing lures, caulk, paint pigments, and sex toys made of so-called "jelly rubber". Phthalates are used in a variety of household applications such as shower curtains, vinyl upholstery, adhesives, floor tiles, food containers and wrappers, and cleaning materials. Personal-care items containing phthalates include perfume, eye shadow, moisturizer, nail polish, liquid soap, and hair spray.^[3] They are also found in modern electronics and medical applications such as catheters and blood transfusion devices.
Phthalates are easily released into the environment because there is no covalent bond between the phthalates and plastics in which they are mixed. indoor air concentrations are higher than outdoor air concentrations due to the nature of the sources.

selected from the Wikipedia article.


----------------------------------
In a survey of 40 women with breast cancer, 99% of breast cancer tissues were found to contain
paraben esters. http://articles.merc...20402_DNL_art_1

"Parabens are chemicals with estrogen-like properties, and estrogen is one of the hormones involved in the development of breast cancer."

Commonly found in:
Deodorants and antiperspirants, Shampoos and conditioners, Shaving gel, Toothpaste, Lotions and sunscreens, Make-up / cosmetics, Pharmaceutical drugs, Food additives

Check labels for:
Methyl paraben, Propyl paraben, Isobutyl paraben, Ethyl paraben, Butyl paraben, E216

Metals can bind to estrogen receptors:
Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenite, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Selenite, Tin, Vanadate

More:

Petrochemical compounds found in general consumer products such as creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfume, hair spray and room deodorizers. Such compounds often have chemical structures similar to estrogen and indeed act like estrogen.

Other sources of xenoestrogen include car exhaust, petrochemically derived pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides; solvents and adhesives such as that those found in nail polish, paint removers, and glues; dry-cleaning chemicals; practically all plastics, industrial waste such as PCBs and dioxins, synthetic estrogens from urine of women taking HRT and birth control pills that is flushed down the toilet and eventually found its way into the food chain and back into the body. They are fat soluble and non-biodegradable.

http://www.acne.org/...ost__p__2214881

Edited by alternativista, 08 April 2012 - 02:36 PM.

[alternativista]

Catnip repels mosquitos better than DEET

Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET the compound used in most commercial The finding was reported at the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the worlds largest scientific society, by the same Iowa State University research group that two years ago discovered that catnip also repels cockroaches.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi...p#ixzz1rU25AyME

Note: they are talking about fresh catnip that you grew yourself there.

3) Chop a handful of fresh catnip leaves and stems in a food processor. Put the chopped catnip in a pot. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the catnip and let it steep like tea. Strain the leaves out and refrigerate the liquid. Pour it into a spray bottle. Spray on clothing just before going outdoors.
4) Use catnip oil to make a spray. Mix about a half-teaspoon of essential oil of catnip with 1 cup isopropyl alcohol and 1 cup water. Shake well and spray lightly on clothing, arms and legs. Do not use on children, pets or people sensitive to catnip.
5) Brew a catnip and vinegar spritz. Crush 2 cups catnip leaves and add to 3 cups white or rice vinegar in a quart jar. Seal and store in dark cupboard. Shake every day for 2 weeks. Strain mixture into clean jar and refrigerate. Use as a light spritz on clothes, arms or legs. Some say the vinegar keeps the mosquitoes away, other say the catnip does the work.
6) Gather 2 cups catnip and 1 cup rosemary leaves. Crush the leaves by using a rolling pin or scrunching them with your hands. Put the leaves in a clean jar and cover with 2 cups unscented body care oil or vegetable glycerin. Store in a cool dark cupboard for 2 weeks. Shake the jar lightly every day. After 2 weeks, strain out the leaves and pour the oil into a clean jar. Refrigerate and use the catnip body oil as needed.

And I've found many sources that say it also repels fleas. '

In addition to deterring fleas, catnip essential oil repels mosquitoes, cockroaches and, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, termites.

Read more: http://www.livestron.../#ixzz1rU3ybJKK'

Since there are so many herbs that repel all kinds of insects, I'm considering stopping all flea and heartworm 'medications' for my dog in favor of keeping his skin healthy and applying herbal repellents. He seems to be prone to skin problems and very sensitive to fleas, which apparently attracts them. Perhaps as a reaction to flea 'medications.' Some animals just don't get fleas at all while others get covered in them. Anyway, it looks like massaging oil into his skin really helped, while none of the Advantage topicals have helped at all lately. And also apparently ACV to acidify the skin makes the animal inhospitable.

It would be nice to come up with a concoction that I could spray on me, the dog, and the cats. So many things seem to be toxic to cats, but catnip is obviously not one of them and safe for dogs and people. Looks like rosemary and lavender are also safe.

Edited by alternativista, 05 March 2013 - 09:34 AM.

[alternativista]

Puberty Before Age 10: A New ‘Normal’?
http://articles.merc...20416_DNL_art_2

Iti sn't just due to diet and obesity, but all the hormone disrupting chemicals we expose ourselves to which is the focus of this article. And a mention of a role of vitamin D or rather a lack of it. People closer to the equator might start puberty later. "

Upon measuring vitamin D levels in 242 girls aged 5-12, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that those who were deficient were twice as likely to start menstruation during the study period as those with higher levels.

^v"

Edited by alternativista, 16 April 2012 - 11:10 AM.

[alternativista]

Parabens accumulate in breast tissue.
 

• Recent research found higher concentrations of parabens in the upper quadrants of the breast and axillary area, where antiperspirants are usually applied, suggesting they may contribute to the development of breast cancer. One or more paraben esters were detected in 99 percent of the tissue samples collected from mastectomies. In 60 percent of the samples, all five paraben esters were present
• Overall, topical application of personal care products containing parabens appear to be the greatest source of exposure to these estrogen-mimicking chemicals, far surpassing the risk of the aluminum in antiperspirants
• Aluminum chloridethe active ingredient in antiperspirantshas been found to act similarly to the way oncogenes work to provide molecular transformations in cancer cells. Like parabens, aluminum salts also mimic estrogen, and bioaccumulate in breast tissue, which can raise your breast cancer risk
• Despite the fact that parabens are used in such a wide variety of products, their safety is primarily based on a rat study from 1956, as modern toxicology studies are lacking, and not a single study on the chemicals carcinogenity follow acceptable regulatory standard carcinogenity study protocols, according to a recent review

The featured study by Barr et.al. discovered one or more paraben esters in 99 percent of the 160 tissue samples collected from 40 mastectomiesⁱⁱⁱ
. In 60 percent of the samples, all five paraben esters were present. There were no correlations between paraben concentrations and age, length of breast feeding, tumor location, or tumor estrogen receptor content.

While antiperspirants are a common source of parabens, the authors note that the source of the parabens cannot be established, and that 7 of the 40 patients reportedlynever used deodorants or antiperspirants in their lifetime. What this tells us is that parabens, regardless of the source, can bioaccumulate in breast tissue.

And the sources are many. Parabens can be found in a wide variety of personal care products, cosmetics, as well as drugs. That said, it appears the dermal route is the most significant form of exposure.

http://articles.merc...20524_DNL_art_1

---------
Also, consider if you even need to use anything. It isn't essential. I used anti perspirants for a bit in high school because I thought it was essential, like applying soap all over my body. But I've realized they don't do much for e at all. If its really hot and muggy or im doing a lot of physical activity, I'm going to perspire all over so what's the point of stopping it under my armpits? And on most days, I don't sweat that much.

Edited by alternativista, 17 May 2013 - 01:20 PM.

[alternativista]

some sunscreen myths:
http://breakingnews....prising-truths/

a wide range of public health agencies – including the FDA – have found very little evidence that sunscreen prevents most types of skin cancer. In reviewing the evidence, the FDA said that the available clinical studies “do not demonstrate that even [broad spectrum products with SPF greater than 15] alone reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging.” The agency also said that it is “not aware of any studies examining the effect of sunscreen use on the development of melanoma.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer recommends clothing, hats and shade as primary barriers to UV radiation.

And many common ingredients cause cancer and other free radical damage. You particularly want to avoid oxybenzene, a cancer causing and hormone disrupting ingredient in many sunscreens. http://www.cnn.com/v...a.sunscreen.cnn

This is a recipe for a homemade zinc sunscreen. I haven't researched it and they provide no support for their claims. I'm not certain they are using all the best ingredients. I know there are others that also protect your skin from the sun that can work topically, such as green tea. And I don't know that their claims on each ingredient are accurate, in fact, I doubt they are. But it's an interesting start.
 

Home-Made Chemical-Free Sunblock

4 oz. bottle
Mixture of Avocado Oil,V-6 and JoJoba Oil OR Tamanu Oil
20 drops of Myrrh essential oil
1 tiny glob of zinc oxide
Sesame oil can block or reduce about 30% of the burning rays, coconut and olive oils about 20%
and Aloe Vera also inhibits 20% of the rays of the sun.

Actually, now that I've posted it,, I see it doesn't make sense. The ingredients they talk about protecting the skin are not in the recipe, other than the zinc of course.

I know that linoleic acid protects the skin from the sun and some of the best sources are grapeseed and sallflower oils. And we skin problem prone people are deficient in linoleic acid in our sebum. But I don't think you want to apply them right before going into the sun. You want to make a habit of applying them routinely.

The only thing there that I know for sure is a good thing to apply before being out in the sun for longer than 10-20 mintes (to make some D) is the zinc which is a physical block. But then, so is a hat and a shirt.

Also make a habit of consuming the many nutrients that protect you from sun damage such as tea; cocoa; lycopene, proanthocyanids found in purple/black berries, fruits, tea, cocoa, purple onions and cabbage.

And some things are good for applying after sun exposure to prevent free radical damage such as vitamin C and green tea.

Edited by alternativista, 19 March 2013 - 10:50 AM.

[dejaclairevoyant]

I love this thread! I already follow most of your advice. One thing I won't give up though, is nail polish. I can't stand the way my feet look without my toes painted pretty colors. I just count that under the "live a little, you're going to die anyway" category--but only because I've never noticed any negative effects from it. I'm sure there are some. I just hope the rest of the good stuff I do counters that.

[alternativista]

^Well, I agree that toes look a lot better painted. I'd just as soon buff my fingernails since they'd just get chipped anyway. Keeping up with fingernails would be too time consuming.

But, Normal nail polish is seriously bad stuff, filled with formaldehyde and several hormone disruptors. And we really don't want our hormones disrupted. don't go to a salon and breath the fumes, don't get it on your skin, and ideally, don't use it and support it's continued manufacture. Acetone nail polish remover isn't good stuff either.

(I used to paint my toenails sloppily getting it all over my skin, then scraping it off my skin after it dried. Because no one told me it was a bad thing to get on your skin. What I didn't want to do is lean in close and smell it while I did it. )


Here's an alternative (besides just buffing nails)


Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer Nail Polish
Formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and camphor free

http://www.amazon.co...h/dp/B00366NK48

It's not expensive and reviewers seem to like it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aloe Vera gel for Hair Gel.

Many people rave about it. I have little use for such a thing, but I do sometimes use it to smooth the little flyaways when I have my hair back in a pony tail. And it does that pretty well.

And I'm talking about the stuff like Fruit of the Earth which isn't 100% aloe despite the misleading label. It has added thickeners. I haven't tried real, pure 100% aloe vera from the plant of the stuff you use buy to drink.

Edited by alternativista, 29 May 2012 - 03:28 PM.

[dejaclairevoyant]

Wow thanks so much for that link! And only for 2 bucks, that is amazing. I'm going to start buying those.

I'm lucky with hair, I have dreadlocks so all I ever put on my head is baking soda, essential oils and dr bronners soap. No hairspray or gel needed.

[alternativista]

This Mercola newsletter article is about the radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power disaster being much worse than the news media is telling us. and includes info on nutrients that can reduce the harmful effects. I thought people on the west coast, or even closer to Japan, might want to take note. and up their doses of vitamin D, turmeric and spiralina mentioned in the article. I think any and all antioxidants would be helpful in preventing cancerous cell growth, but some of these may be more specific). http://articles.merc..._DNL_artTest_A1

And I came across this list of nutrients that supposedly help counter harm or bind up harmful chemicals and metals. I know nothing about it's validity. Do additional research. In fact chemtrails is a conspiracy theory.
http://chemtrailsnor...-chemtrails.pdf

Edited by alternativista, 17 May 2013 - 01:21 PM.

[alternativista]

From a Mercola article on how supposed pandemics like bird and swine flu and their vaccines are so over-hyped and mismanaged they are basically fraud. http://articles.merc...09_DNL_artNew_1

Mentioning:

an explosive

CBS News investigation

published in October 2009, which clearly showed that the vast majority of "swine flu cases" were not any type of flu at all, let alone H1N1! Rather, based on lab testing, the vast majority of people who reported flu-like symptoms had some other type of cold or upper respiratory infection. It's also worth noting that the lead researcher of this

Lancet

study, Dr. Fatimah Dawood, works for the CDCan agency that has a very clear interest in justifying the actions taken in response to the alleged swine flu pandemic, as well as justifying any future actions to a perceived pandemic, such as the now hyped bird flu.

And that the CDC decided since a 'pandemic' had already been established, it wasn't cost effective to test people anymore. Just assume every sick person had it. Prolonging the panic.

How to Protect Yourself Against the Flu Without Vaccination

While the media is sure to continue hyping the bird flu, I'd like to remind you that a healthy immune system is your best and primary defense against any viral threat. Following these simple guidelines will help you keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you're far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.

• Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I've previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds. This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng/ml year-round.
  An inexpensive option to get your vitamin D levels checked on a regular basis is to join the GrassrootsHealth D*action Project.
• Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.
• Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night's Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
• Have Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.
• Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads.
• Take a Good Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
• Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
• Use Natural Antibiotics. Examples include colloidal silver, oil of oregano, and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.
• Avoid Hospitals. I'd recommend avoiding hospitals unless you're having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to any new bug. Also keep in mind that virtually all vaccinations will LOWER your immune system (this is the main job of the vaccine adjuvants), NOT make it stronger!

-------
See also this post for more ways to boost your immune system such as increasing IgA antibodies, your first line of defense against this type of infectious disease, with laughter, hugs, sex, and anything that stimulates the release of endorphins. http://www.acne.org/...-2#entry2585034

Edited by alternativista, 03 March 2013 - 09:12 AM.

[alternativista]

Add vinegar to the water when cleaning produce to reduce pesticides on the skin. More uses and benefits:
http://articles.merc...20_DNL_artNew_1

[alternativista]

Good blog:
http://myplasticfreelife.com/

And a blog post on bottled water and review of the documentary about bottled water called Tapped
http://www.thefrugal...ybe-some-rants/

Deodorant alternatives and recipes:
http://myplasticfree...odorant-review/

Edited by alternativista, 20 August 2012 - 01:09 PM.

[alternativista]

Article by Mercola on 7 ways to avoid carcinogens in the home includes this statement on carcinogens and toxins commonly used in cosmetics and skin care. And a few tables listing several of them.

'Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body. When you put these chemicals on your skin however, they're absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so the toxic chemicals from toiletries and beauty products are largely going directly to your internal organs.
There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, and only a tiny fraction of them have ever been tested for safety. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are known to be toxic.'

http://articles.merc...21112_DNL_art_1

[alternativista]

This is for the ladies. I'd been meaning to post for a long time, but didn't want to start off with something so personal. And that is:

Toilet paper and feminine hygeine products are not as pristine and sanitary as you'd like to believe. They've been bleached and are full of pesticides and other chemicals and artificial fibers that can get embedded into your live tissues down there. Also, soft toilet paper comes from old growth forests. And we ladies use a lot of toilet paper. Look for paper made from recycled paper. And use reusable alternatives.

Menstrual Cups- these are cups used internally to collect blood rather than absorb it. Usually silicon, but a few other materials are used. Once you get used to the idea, you'll see they are actually far more convenient, economical, environmental and hygienic. And they are better for your plumbing. And as they form a bit of a suction around your cervix they may speed up the flow and shorten your period. They last up to 10 years. You don't have to haul tampons and pads with you. You don't have to find places to dispose of soiled items in public places, other people's homes, on the trail while hiking, camping, etc. There are many manufacturers and models, shapes and sizes, mostly in Europe with a couple commonly sold in the U.S. at places like Whole Foods. I just discovered the model usually sold for about $40 bucks is available at Vitacost for nearly half that, so I took the plunge. There's a Livejournal discussion forum full of info, tips, help, comparison charts on the various models http://menstrual-cup...com/648061.html There's a bit of a learning curve so this is a great resource. Also many women have some special needs and there are some cups just for them.

Cloths - People use reusable cloth pads and strips for their monthly needs, but I think the cups, once mastered, are the better alternative. So I'm talking about TP here. Like with most things, a brand new name (and goofy) had to be coined for this thing we'd done for centuries-- 'Family Cloths' --which sounds like a cloth the family shares, but no, everyone uses a new cloth each time and then they are laundered. People actually sell these on Etsy and people actually buy them. Early adopters tend to be women and families using cloth diapers so they already have such laundry to do. And they tend to use them for everything. I cut up some soft old T shirts and I don't use them for 'everything.' I'm sure you can guess but I'll add a clue. I drink a lot of liquid and I'm home most of the day. My TP bill was pretty expensive especially since I buy the recycled and it's never on sale. Cloths are a lot softer than paper, btw. If you want soft, go cloth.

And if you can't get behind these ideas, there are products made from organic unbleached materials from Mercola and others, but they'll cost you.

Edited by alternativista, 17 May 2013 - 01:27 PM.

[alternativista]

Article on how Aspartame(NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) converts to formaldehyde in your body:

http://articles.merc...21111_SNL_Art_1

You are better off having real sugar or honey, just in small amounts, with fiber and fat, etc.

[alternativista]

Just throwing out there this thing I came accross. Perhaps triclosan is already in the lists of hormone disrupting chemicals I've posted or linked to.
http://www.onearth.o...p-triclosan-fda

From an article about the tricolosan in anti-bacterial soaps:

Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone levels -- lowering levels of thyroid and testosterone in lab rats, as BPA in plastics does...

It also goes on to say it interferes with muscle function, including your heart.

The American Medical Association has also raised a red flag about triclosan, concerned that it causes antibiotic resistance: the germs that survive triclosan become stronger, making it harder to treat common infections with our current arsenal of antibiotics. When bugs like e. coli, staph, and salmonella are exposed to triclosan, they develop a cross-resistance to other antibiotics that work by a similar mechanism. In 2000, the AMA issued a statement recommending that triclosan and other antimicrobials “should be discontinued” in consumer products. It also urged the FDA to finish the process of banning triclosan in consumer products. That was a dozen years ago.

 

Just use plain old soap, and friction.

To explain why triclosan doesn’t work any better than soap, Aiello described what happens when we wash our hands. First, just the friction of rubbing your hands under water makes most of the bacteria on them slide into the sink (that’s why it’s better, in a pinch, to rinse your hands with water when there’s no soap). More important than what soap you use is how long you spend washing your hands -- at least 15 seconds. Soap, innocent of toxic chemicals, works very elegantly: It doesn’t kill germs, but attaches to them and carries them away. Soap molecules have a head and tail, like sperm, but even smaller. The tail attaches to organic materials -- oil, viruses, bacteria, fungi, dead skin -- while the head keeps it afloat in the water. Together, soap molecules surround the materials they’ve attached to, making an impenetrable barrier while escorting the dirty stuff down the drain.Triclosan may kill some of those bacteria (again, not the viruses), but Aiello says, there’s no point, since the bacteria is already on its way down the sink.

And there's more about the FDA and EPA 'at work' in their failure to finalize a decision on antibacterial soaps.

 

BTW, those foaming liquid soap dispensers are watered down soap with a pump that somehow foams it up.  don't keep buying it.  Keep the dispenser and add a little soap and a lot of water.  You'll have to google for amounts. If that even matters.

Edited by alternativista, 17 May 2013 - 01:29 PM.

[alternativista]

Thermography for breast cancer screenings. So, I'd been hearing for decades how mammography is a lousy test for breast cancer. And I have not been seeking this inf out. It's in the nightly news and talk shows, often in a report for some better test that should be available soon. Yet they still persist in telling us to get our breast smashed and have a dozen X-rays taken every year.

Besides the radiation and the possible tissue damage from the smashing, it can't detect cancer until its been there for up to ten years. Apparently those small lumps it detects (what they consider 'early' detection), are calcified dead cancer cells. And it takes a while for them to form.

But as cancer cells grow, they somehow redirect blood vessels to supply blood right to them . Those abnormal blood vessels are detectable by thermography, a harmless infrared camera. Many Years earlier than a mammogram can detect those calcified lumps. This camera can also detect cancer under the armpits, an area where they quite often form but is missed by mammograms.

This has been available since the sixties, but it didn't work so well in the beginning in favor mammography even though that didn't work well either (and there's no way it ever could since X-rays can't see soft tissue). But the cameras are much better now and we know much more about how cancers grow and so what to look for for truly early detection. It has been an FDA approved method for cancer screenings since 1982 . However, in 2011, they began issuing warning letters saying that thermagraphy is not a replacement for mammography, citing no good reason except that cancer societies want you to get mammograms. So the official recommendation is for annual X-rays that aren't going to detect anything for up to 10 years after the cancer began growing.

Here's a brief article about it with some references for more info. http://www.naturalnews.com/022227.html

Edited by alternativista, 17 May 2013 - 01:29 PM.