Breast cancer and toxins widely found in personal care products by Riki (Ulrike) Szalay

Make a commitment to reduce your risk - small changes can make a difference!

During the month of October, pink-ribboned Breast Cancer Awareness reminders are everywhere- and with good reason; this year some 295,000 U.S. women will hear the words: “you have breast cancer”. The odds of a woman developing breast cancer in a lifetime are 1 in 8. If we are increasingly aware and are getting better at detection, then why is this disease so prevalent, and what can we do to prevent it?

The answer is complex; it is known that approximately 10% of all breast cancers are attributable to genetic factors, leaving some 90% unexplained.  According to the non-profit Breast Cancer Fund, a foundation whose focus is on prevention and thus on understanding more about causality, environmental factors are thought to play a major role in triggering cell changes that lead to breast cancer.   A wide variety of chemicals, to which we are exposed over years and from many different sources, are being linked more directly daily as risk factors for breast cancer, among other adverse effects. Among the suspects are chemicals found in the plastics in which our foods are packaged, household items such as non-stick cookware, our dry-cleaning and the cleansers used to sanitize our homes, the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink, and even exposures when we seek medical and dental attention.

EWG’s SkinDeep Database and Mobile App: A great tool to help you assess the safety of your personal care products

And finally, particularly troubling for women and teenage girls, cosmetics and personal care products are increasingly linked to breast cancer, hormone disruption and/or reproductive harm - from mascara to shampoo and conditioner to body lotions.  Given the fact that the average women puts  12-20 different personal care products on her hair and skin daily, exposure to these chemicals adds up daily, over years and decades. It is this cumulative and additive exposure that is increasingly being linked to elevated breast cancer risk.

Although the list of potentially offending, health impacting toxins is thousands long, unbelievably, these ingredients are completely unregulated under US law. Among those widely present include[i]

Phthalates: endocrine disrupting chemicals found in cosmetics like nail polish and synthetic fragrances (perfumes and fragrance ingredients in other cosmetic products) Phthalate exposure has been linked to early puberty in girls and a risk factor for later in life breast cancer;

Triclosan: a chemical used to prevent mold and bacterial growth in anti-bacterial soaps, deodorants, toothpastes. Classified as a pesticide, and linked to hormone disruption (impacting thyroid function and breast development); and

Parabens: a group of compounds widely used as preservatives and antimicrobials in creams, lotions ointments and many other cosmetics. They are absorbed through the skin and have been found in biopsied breast tumor tissues.

The bad news – these chemicals are present in many, many unexpected places. 

The good news – there are simple things we can do to cut our risk of exposure.  We need to do for our personal care products what most of us do for ingredient labels in our foods -  become informed and proactive as possible and select products that help to minimize the risk of exposure to these and other harmful chemicals.  In addition to online resources like the Breast Cancer Fund’s website (www.breastcancerfund.org), be sure to download the mobile app developed by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) which can be found in your mobile’s app store and online at www.ewg.org/skindeep.  SkinDeep is the most comprehensive database available of personal care products and gives ratings from 0 (low risk) to 10 (highest risk) based on available toxicity, allergenicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive harm data. The app will allow users to scan bar codes on their favorite products.

And finally, an October Awareness Challenge

Until there is a cure (and even when that day should dawn) we need to focus on prevention in our everyday lives. It has been shown that the trigger for cancer is not likely a one-time event or exposure, but a cumulative effect that results in cancer-related cell change. During Breast Cancer Awareness month, I would like to challenge each of us to consider identifying one change (like becoming more informed about environmental toxins) you can make to help minimize your risk of breast cancer or that of those around you. Make a commitment to make that stick, and share it with other women to consider as well!

Riki (Ulrike) Szalay has worked for the past 8 years in cancer research for two companies with novel cancer therapies in human clinical trials.  She also holds educationally-based workshops on the connection between toxins in personal care products and a variety of human health issues, notably cancer. She is an Independent Consultant for Beautycounter, a company whose mission is to get safe personal care products into the hands of everyone http://tiny.cc/BeautycounterStory.  For more information, email Riki at uszalay@verizon.org

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[i] The Breast Cancer Fund – www.breastcancerfund.org

Sunshine: Your Vitamin D Supplier

Sunshine is indeed the best way to optimize your Vitamin D levels.

Despite its name, vitamin D is not a regular vitamin. It's actually a steroid hormone that you get primarily from either sun exposure or supplementation, and its ability to influence genetic expression that produces many of its wide-ranging health benefits.

Researchers have pointed out that increasing levels of vitamin D3 among the general population could prevent chronic diseases that claim nearly one million lives throughout the world each year. Incidence of several types of cancer could also be slashed in half.

Vitamin D also fights infections, including colds and the flu, as it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses.

More health benefits of Vitamin D:

• Regulating absorption of calcium & phosphorous
• Important for normal growth & development of bones and teeth

Vitamin D-ficiency can be caused by:

• Pollution
• Sunblock
• Spending more time indoors
• Working longer hours in offices
• Living in big cities where tall buildings block sunlight

Because of these factors, it is sometimes necessary to get your Vitamin D from other sources, like supplements or fortified foods. 

The Raw Food Diet

What is the raw food diet?

A raw diet consists of foods (typically produce, grains, seeds, nuts, and beans) that haven't been heated above a certain temperature, usually somewhere between 104 and 118 degrees. Cooking destroys enzymes that raw foodists believe are essential to human health; without those enzymes, the thinking goes, we're not getting the full, life-supporting benefits of our food.




10 health benefits 

1. Live foods. It’s common sense right? A cooked seed won’t grow, but a raw seed will. Heating food over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys much of the nutrients in your food. Cooking food also diminishes the natural life energy. I’d rather put living food in my body.
2. Enzymes. Cooking food destroys much of the natural enzymes (your body can also create enzymes, but can only do so much) in your food that are needed to break down nutrients. Eating raw eliminates this problem.
3. Insane energy. You won’t know this unless you try it for yourself, but eating raw gives you an amazing boost in energy. I used to get tired around 2 or 3pm during the day. Now I simply don’t have that problem. When I do get tired, it doesn’t last nearly as long and an orange or apple will recharge me within a few minutes.
4. Better sleep and less sleep needed. I’ve slept better than ever while eating raw. But most importantly, I don’t wake up feeling tired or groggy anymore. On most days, I wake up feeling full of energy.
5. Increased mental clarity. Eating raw has helped me focus on the things that are important and made me more emotionally in tune with others. I feel like a wall of fog has been removed in my mind. It’s easier to think clearly and focus for long periods of time.
6. Eat as much as you want. This isn’t really a health benefit, but it is pretty awesome. I never get that uncomfortable full feeling eating raw. You know where you have to unbutton the top button on your pants and take a nap? I don’t get that. I can eat as much as I want, and while I will feel full, I don’t feel weighed down or tired.
7. Less cleanup. Simply put, there aren’t many dishes to wash when you eat fruit and vegetables. Although if you do compost (like I do), you’ll probably have to do it more often.
8. No packaging. Eating raw means less packaging all around (well, I guess you could argue that banana and orange peels are “packaging”). This means less trash in a landfill and more room in your cupboards. Win/win for everyone.
9. More regularity. You should naturally have around two to three bowel movements a day. If you’re going less than that, it probably means your intestines are unhealthily clogged. A raw diet gives you more than enough fiber to keep you regular.
10. Connection with the earth. Eating food that’s been freshly picked just feels different. You feel more connected to the earth and more grounded. Eating lots of processed foods — frozen or from a box — makes creates more of a gap and leaves you feeling disconnected from the earth that sustains you.

Are You a Mosquito Magnet?

Factors that affect who Mosquitoes like best

• Blood type

Not surprisingly—since, after all, mosquitoes bite us to harvest proteins from our blood—research shows that they find certain blood types more appetizing than others. One study found that in a controlled setting, mosquitoes landed on people with Type O blood nearly twice as often as those with Type A. People with Type B blood fell somewhere in the middle of this itchy spectrum. Additionally, based on other genes, about 85 percent of people secrete a chemical signal through their skin that indicates which blood type they have, while 15 percent do not, and mosquitoes are also more attracted to secretors than nonsecretors regardless of which type they are.

• Carbon dioxide

One of the key ways mosquitoes locate their targets is by smelling the carbon dioxide emitted in their breath—they use an organ called a maxillary palp to do this, and can detect carbon dioxide from as far as 164 feet away. As a result, people who simply exhale more of the gas over time—generally, larger people—have been shown to attract more mosquitoes than others. This is one of the reasons why children get bit less often than adults, on the whole.

• Exercise and Metabolism

In addition to carbon dioxide, mosquitoes find victims at closer range by smelling the lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other substances expelled via their sweat, and are also attracted to people with higher body temperatures. Because strenuous exercise increases the buildup of lactic acid and heat in your body, it likely makes you stand out to the insects. Meanwhile, genetic factors influence the amount of uric acid and other substances naturally emitted by each person, making some people more easily found by mosquitos than others.

• Skin Bacteria

Other research has suggested that the particular types and volume of bacteria that naturally live on human skin affect our attractiveness to mosquitoes. In a 2011 study, scientists found that having large amounts of a few types of bacteria made skin more appealing to mosquitoes. Surprisingly, though, having lots of bacteria but spread among a greater diversity of different species of bacteria seemed to make skin less attractive. This also might be why mosquitoes are especially prone to biting our ankles and feet—they naturally have more robust bacteria colonies.

• Beer 

Just a single 12-ounce bottle of beer can make you more attractive to the insects, one study found. But even though researchers had suspected this was because drinking increases the amount of ethanol excreted in sweat, or because it increases body temperature, neither of these factors were found to correlate with mosquito landings, making their affinity for drinkers something of a mystery.

• Pregnancy

In several different studies, pregnant women have been found to attract roughly twice as many mosquito bites as others, likely a result of the fact the unfortunate confluence of two factors: They exhale about 21 percent more carbon dioxide and are on average about 1.26 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than others.

• Clothing Color

This one might seem absurd, but mosquitoes use vision (along with scent) to locate humans, so wearing colors that stand out (black, dark blue or red) may make you easier to find, at least according to James Day, a medical entomologist at the University of Florida, in commentary he gave to NBC.

• Genetics

As a whole, underlying genetic factors are estimated to account for 85 percent of the variability between people in their attractiveness to mosquitoes—regardless of whether it’s expressed through blood type, metabolism, or other factors. Unfortunately, we don’t (yet) have a way of modifying these genes, but…

• Natural Repellents

Some researchers have started looking at the reasons why a minority of people seem to rarely attract mosquitoes in the hopes of creating the next generation of insect repellants. Using chromatography to isolate the particular  chemicals these people emit, scientists at the UK’s Rothamsted Research lab have found that these natural repellers tend to excrete a handful of substances that mosquitoes don’t seem to find appealing. Eventually, incorporating these molecules into advanced bug spray could make it possible for even a Type O, exercising, pregnant woman in a black shirt to ward off mosquitoes for good.

-Smithsonian

Now that you know, try your best to not let those mosquitoes munch on you!

Avocados: World's Healthiest Foods

Avocados are all the rage nowadays. Avocado this, and avocado that. But why? Why is this green, rough looking vegetable known as one of the world's healthiest foods?



Well first, let's start with some background:
The avocado, also known as the alligator pear in regards to its shape and leather-like appearance of skin, is derived from the Aztec word "ahuacatl." Avocados are the fruit of the Persea americana, a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 65 feet in height. Depending upon the variety, avocados can weigh anything from 8 ounces to 3 pounds. The rich and creamy Hass variety is the most popular in the United States, and 95% of all avocados grown in the U.S. are from California. Avocados are available year-round, but are most abundant in the spring and summer months, August for California and October for Florida. Although avocados are technically fruits, we have categorized them as vegetables from a culinary perspective.

Health Benefits:

• Promotes heart health
• Wide ranging anti-inflammatory benefits
• Optimized absorption of carotenoids
• Supports cardiovascular health
• Promotes blood sugar regulation
• Anti-cancer benefits

How to select & store:
A ripe, ready-to-eat avocado is slightly soft, but should have no dark sunken spots or cracks. If the avocado has a slight neck, rather than being rounded on top, it was probably tree ripened and will have better flavor. A firmer, less mature fruit can be ripened at home and will be less likely to have bruises. The average California Hass avocado weighs between 165-170 grams (about 6 ounces) and has a pebbled dark green or black skin, while the Fuerte avocado has smoother, brighter green skin. Florida avocados, which can be as large as 3 pounds, have less fat and calories, but their taste is not as rich as California varieties.
A firm avocado will ripen in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature within a few days. As the fruit ripens, the skin will turn darker. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. If you are refrigerating a whole avocado, it is best to keep it whole and not slice it in order to avoid browning that occurs when the flesh is exposed to air. 

Tips for preparing:
Use a stainless steel knife to cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Gently twist the two halves in opposite direction if you find the flesh clinging to the pit. Remove the pit, either with a spoon or by spearing with the tip of a knife. Next, take each of the avocado halves and slice lengthwise to produce four avocado quarters. The use the California Avocado Commission's "nick and peel" method to peel the avocado. Just take your thumb and index finger to grip an edge of the avocado skin and peel it away from the flesh, in exactly the same way that you would peel a banana. The final result will be a peeled avocado that contains most of that dark green outermost flesh that is richest in carotenoid antioxidants.
You can prevent the natural darkening of the avocado flesh that occurs with exposure to air by sprinkling with a little lemon juice or vinegar.

The healthiest way to cook:
Many avocado recipes that you'll find in cookbooks and on the Internet include avocado as an ingredient in its raw, unheated form. In the World's Healthiest Foods recipes, we also favor this approach. We simply cannot think of a better way to preserve the health benefits made possible by avocado's unique and delicate fats. If you do plan to use avocado in a recipe that calls for heat, we recommend that you use the lowest possible temperature and least amount of cooking time that will still work with your particular recipe. Our purpose in making this recommendation is to help you minimize damage to avocado's unique fats. We've seen one research study showing that approximately 40 seconds of microwave heating on medium heat is a heating method that doesn't significantly change the fatty acid profile of avocados. Sometimes we like to add avocado to a dish that has been cooked. This is a similar approach to some traditional Mexican recipes. For example, in Mexico they add sliced avocado to chicken soup after it is cooked. The avocado warms and mingles well with the soup but retains its nutritional concentration since it is not cooked. 

So, folks, load up on these deliciously smooth green fruits! Your body will thank you.

Spaghetti Squash

It looks like spaghetti and works like spaghetti, but is definitely not spaghetti. It's so much BETTER!

Spaghetti squash is a yellow, rounded squash that is available both in the winter and summer months that is tasty in dishes that are both hot and cold.

It is very simple to prepare and has a tremendous amount of health benefits, especially in the replacement of pasta.

According to Livestrong.com, spaghetti squash contains all of the following.

Vitamins

"Spaghetti squash contains a wide range of vitamins. A 1-cup serving offers 5.4 mg of vitamin C, which is almost 10 percent of the recommended daily intake, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Other vitamins include A, B-6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin K. A report from Colorado State University explains that obtaining your daily vitamins through food sources such as spaghetti squash may be more beneficial than taking vitamin supplements, as food contains several chemicals that work together, making the vitamins function more efficiently. Researchers from China, published in the January 2011 issue of "Journal of Environmental Science and Health," report that the flavonoids found in plant foods work with vitamins and play a role in protecting the body from cancer.

Minerals

A 1-cup serving of spaghetti squash also contains several minerals that are vital to good health. The dominant mineral is manganese, with 0.2 mg, which is 8 percent of the RDI. Manganese is needed only in small amounts, but it has a big job. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports manganese aids in the production of healthy bones, tissues and sex hormones. It also plays a part in metabolism, regulation of blood sugar, absorption of calcium and the functioning of the nervous system. Other minerals found in smaller amounts in spaghetti squash include potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, sodium, zinc and selenium.

 

Fiber

The American Heart Association says consuming fiber on a regular basis improves health by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and lowering cholesterol. Spaghetti squash contains a fair amount of fiber, with 2.2 g, or 9 percent of the RDI, per 1-cup serving. Fiber may also help in weight reduction as it makes you feel fuller longer.

 

Calories & Carbs

With only 42 calories and 10 carbs in a 1-cup serving of cooked spaghetti squash, this vegetable is a safe addition to any diet. A serving contains no fat unless you add butter or olive oil. Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to high-calorie, high-carb traditional pasta. To cook spaghetti squash, the University of Illinois Extension recommends washing it off and then piercing the outer flesh several times with a fork. Place the entire squash in baking pan in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. When it's done, cut the squash in half lengthwise, discard the seeds and pull out the stringy flesh with a fork."

Sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it? Do yourself a favor and pick up a spaghetti squash at your local grocery store or farmer's market (maybe ours!) and get cookin'. We think you'll be happy you did.

Farmacy vs. Pharmacy

Headache? Take some of this. Common cold? Try these pills. Stomach ache? Take this syrup. High cholesterol? Take this everyday. Arthritis? Take two of these daily. Heart disease? Inject yourself with this 3x daily. That should take care of it. For now.

Our country has spiraled into a medical crisis, relying on artificial, chemically derived substances to maintain our everyday lives. Americans have mindlessly short-changed themselves by falling dependent on these modern day conveniences and not taking matters into their own hands.

As technology has advanced and made our lives more convenient, we have become sedentary as a people, only doing and consuming what is easiest. Because of this, we are now experiencing illnesses that did not even exist 50 or 100 years ago. Think there may be some type of possible correlation? Bingo. No fear though. As the the medical industry is a business run by supply and demand, they have met this need with new drugs for these conditions, allowing the public to believe that any of these ‘sicknesses’ they fall victim to are cured with some type of medication. This pattern that will only continue and worsen with time.

We have lost touch with the most crucial element to our well-being—nutrition.

The American people have been trained to have a reactive perspective and approach to health and medicine. The idea that nothing should be done unless there is something wrong (don’t fix it unless it’s broken) is exactly what has led us to the obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease epidemic we have reached today.

Our bodies are self-healing. All our bodies’ need is the right fuel to allow the internal workings to take place. It is our job as ‘managers’ of our bodies to allow this to happen. Your fate is in YOUR hands. If we come to believe that we are victims of circumstance, we are doing ourselves a grave disfavor.

The idea of a Farmacy vs. Pharmacy is to realize the benefits of proactive care and self-healing through wholesome and nutritious food consumption instead of being dependent on artificial substances that create misery and medical bills out the wazoo. It is the realization that what you eat affects a whole lot more than people realize.

Next time there is a diagnosis of some sort, check out what the person is consuming first and foremost—most likely the root of the problem. The research is there.

Health reform starts in YOUR kitchen, not in Washington.

What am I going to do with them ALL summer long???

Selecting a summer camp for your kids:

Written By Sarah Freeman, M.ED.

Have you ever had the experience of dropping your kids off at a camp, looking around and getting back in your car with not much more than hope that the kids will survive and confusion about what you paid for?

Many summer camps are run by teens and young adults who are there for their summer jobs. Don’t discount their enthusiasm, passion for kids or developing leadership skills. Many are there for all the right reasons. Unfortunately they are frequently not set up with the design or resources to be much more than childcare providers successfully.

Wouldn’t it be such a nice relief to know your children are getting the same level of structure and education that they get at school? Not to mention the added bonus of summer fun every day in a summer camp.

If you are looking for some summer fun as well as your child having the opportunity to continue to grow, learn new skills and be engaged throughout the camp, check out the Wellness Connection Summer Camps.

As a Mental Health Therapist at Wellness Connection and a former teacher in Fairfax and Prince William Counties, I have helped design four Wellness Summer Camps. Our camps include a foundation in nutrition, social skills, mental and physical health, and we did not forget to jam pack each week with essential summer fun!

We Make Wellness Fun

Below are only the highlights of what we have planned for your child: 

-   Social Skills – Engage with other peers in age appropriate ways. Learn how to navigate everyday experiences successfully. Understand verbal and nonverbal communication. See social cues, interpret them and interact with ease.

-   Nutrition – Learn that what we put in our bodies is our fuel. Items we consume cause different moods and affect our health. There will be opportunities to try new fruits and veggies, make tasty smoothies, learn healthy snack options and create artwork with fruits and veggies.

-   Mental Health – Improve self-esteem, self-confidence and self-care.  Handle emotions as they come up in healthy ways, including the tricky emotions of stress and anger.

-   Physical Health & Activity – Participate in obstacle courses, trail walks, introductions to Yoga and Zumba and sharing sport skills each child brings to the camp. Learn about listening to our bodies and including play or physical activity every day.

-   Summer Fun – In addition to daily fun and laughter, we have an amazing field trip planned to Great Country Farms every Friday. Kids will experience a working farm and explore fun outdoor activities.

Each of our summer camps is run by Professional Teachers, Mental Health Therapists and Occupational Therapists.  As a Therapist I specialize in working with children, teens and young adults through client centered, cognitive behavioral and art/play therapy counseling approaches. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to incorporate my experience and skills into these educational camps. I look forward to a fantastic, fun packed summer at Wellness Connection. The amazing skills of our passionate professionals have combined to offer endless opportunities for your child this summer!

Visit the camps tab on our website to learn more and sign up.

Hope to see your kids this summer!

 http://wellnessconnectionllc.com/resources/camps-4/