If you receive this email as a forward, please subscribe.
If you have friends or colleagues whom you think would be interested in the content, please feel free to forward this to them!
|
|
|
Avoid Toxins!
The days of covering ourselves in baby oil and sunbathing in the backyard are long past for many of us. I still shudder that there are pictures in existence that prove that we did it!
We have accepted the need for sunscreen, but not all sunscreens are created equal and higher number SPFs do not actually guarantee greater protection.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) offers a list of 184 sunscreens that meet their criteria for safe, 22 moisturizers with SPF, and 18 lip balms with SPF. Use one of them! (Of course I think you should use Ava Anderson Non Toxic). Even with a non-toxic sunscreen, you should not over expose yourself to the skin. You should apply generously and reapply frequently.
Among the ingredients EWG recommends avoiding in sunscreens are:
-
Vitamin A, retinol and retinyl palmitate
-
Oxybenzone which is problematic because it can penetrate the skin, cause allergic skin reactions and may disrupt hormones
-
Spray sunscreens generally are problematic because you don't want to breathe in the zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that is in many sunscreens. While calling for more study, EWG feels that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide on the skin provide more benefit than harm.
It is troubling to realize how much is still unknown about the damage that the sun can do. Research is still underway on the linkages between sun exposure (UVA and UVB) and cancer, and the impact of the chemicals in sunscreens to our largest organ (our skin). Sunburns do seem to be the cause of some skin cancers. The relationship between melanomas and over exposure to the sun is not understood. Of course, there is also the question of how much sun is needed for adequate vitamin D.
The best approach is to make safe sunscreen choices, apply carefully (poor application is a huge contributor to burns and other problems), and limit sun exposure, especially in the middle of the day. A walk on the beach at sunset is not only more romantic, but it is also better for your skin than spending hours on the beach blanket in the mid-day sun. Using an umbrella, wearing a hat, and covering up are all wise choices. Remember to apply sunscreen when outside exercising, gardening, or just sitting, as well as when you are at the beach or at the pool. Enjoy summer, celebrate the beautiful long days, but do it wisely!
|
|
|
Did you know?
-
Organic Apples can still be sprayed with pesticides until 2014. In Canada you can buy unsprayed apples, I have not seen that in the US.
-
Round Up has been demonstrated to have a chemical, Glyphsate, that causes breast cancer.
-
If you are overheated in the summer, you should eat watermelon and green vegetables rather than ice cream to cool down.
-
If you Google a food, the google search results will include (on the right hand side) nutritional information about that food.
|
|
|
A little about me and why I am doing this.
I am passionate about working with people to help them achieve their goals through making healthier nutrition and wellness choices. My particular interest is in working with people who are seeking to make health and wellness choices to help to prevent cancer or its recurrence. I believe that through healthy food choices, avoiding toxins, and taking steps to reduce stress and be happier, it is easier to achieve life goals and to stay healthier. Because of my passion, I am a holistic health coach, a distributor of Ava Anderson Non Toxic Products, and a one-on-one provider for Heart Math.
|
|
|
|
|
Health and Wellness: Worth the Effort
It's summertime! How are you making the most of all of the fabulous daytime hours? What kind of exercise are you doing? Do you want to do something more or something different? What's holding you back? Can you "just do it!"?
|
|
|
Eat Well!
With apologies to my friends reading this in Australia, this is a great time of year to enjoy fabulous local produce. Buy organic where possible, especially for the "dirty dozen." One of the interesting things I’ve learned in the last couple of months is that foods that we have often dismissed as having no nutritional value actually do have value. For example, cucumbers and celery are alkalizing and iceberg lettuce contains Vitamin K, which is critical for bone health. Here are just some of the excellent fruit and vegetable choices you can make and information about what makes them so great!
Apricots are a good source of iron, vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium and fiber.
Arugula has folate, vitamin C and calcium
Avocados have good fat and are an excellent source of potassium, folate and vitamins C and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and magnesium.
Berries have phytochemicals that help boost immunity and protect against cancer, heart diseases and circulatory problems
Bright red cherries may inhibits the growth of carcinogenic cells
Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin C and silica
Eggplants have high fiber content and phytonutrients that play an important role in antioxidant activity.
Hot peppers are high in antioxidant carotenes and flavonoids, and vitamin C
Mushrooms have cancer fighting properties
Papayas and mangoes are excellent source of vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin A and fiber
Peaches and plums contain vitamin C, beta carotene, and antioxidant phytochemicals
Pineapples contain the enzyme bromelain to aid digestion
Shallots have a high concentration of antioxidants
Watermelon is a good source of beta carotene, vitamin C, pectin, lycopene, potassium and iron.
Try something new and fun this summer:
-
Put spinach in a mango smoothie
-
Add blueberries to your arugula salad
-
Finish a meal off with pineapple
-
Cook a piece of fish on the grill on top of half of a pineapple shell (shell side down).
Eat well and enjoy!
|
|
|
Be Happy!
Hi
This is Pepper. Wendy asked me to write the "be happy" column this month since, frankly, I'm an expert. I'm almost always happy -- well either happy or asleep. Here's what I think:
-
If someone invites you to go for a walk, go (however, if it’s raining, immediately turn around and go back inside).
-
Wake up every morning and shower your people with joy and love (and a few licks).
-
Whenever you see your friends greet them with excitement and celebrate what a great privilege it is to spend time with them (I do that my sniffing their butts, you might have a different approach).
-
When you are tired, sleep.
-
When you are hungry eat, but when you are no longer hungry stop eating.
-
Always drink plenty of water, especially before going for a long walk.
-
Sometimes just being close enough to touch someone else is enough.
-
Be polite to strangers.
-
Stop and look before crossing the street (that’s not my rule, but it seems to make my people happy).
-
Run like the wind every once in awhile.
-
Play on the beach.
-
Test the water before deciding whether or not to go all the way in (to date I have never decided to go all the way in).
-
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables (apples, bananas, broccoli and carrots are my favorites).
-
Take good care of your people – they need someone to watch out for them.
|
|
|
To learn more about how to eat healthy, avoid toxins and be happy, go to:
www.breakthroughconsultingllc.com
or like my Facebook page
Eat Well, Avoid Toxins, Be Happy!
or email me
wendy@breakthroughconsultingllc.com
|
|
|
|
|
