Chemical free sun protection

While sunscreens block the UV rays, they also reduce your body's ability to produce vitamin D by as much as 97.5%, which can cause it's own health problems. Vitamin D is needed for such things as:
* cardiovascular health
* to maintain optimal cholesterol levels
* to enhance muscular strength
* to maintain optimal blood pressure levels
* to maintain a healthy immune system
* to support healthy kidney function
* to support healthy teeth
* keeps your bones strong

Sunlight is the best way to get vitamin D3. There are natural food sources, but it is minimal. Supplementation, such as cod liver oil is helpful but can take up to 6 months to normalize your vitamin D level. Sunblock is necessary if you are not able to limit your sun exposure and to avoid burning. Studies have shown people who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburned decrease their risk of melanoma.

Most commercial sunscreens contain chemicals which in themselves can cause serious health problems. These chemicals are absorbed through your skin and end up in your bloodstream. Harmful chemicals in sunscreens:
* para amino benzoic acid
* octyl salicyclate
* avobenzone
* oxybenzoine
* cinoxate
* padimate o
* dioxybenzone
* phenylbenzimidazole
* homosalate
* sulisobenzone
* menthyl anthranilate
* tromamine salicyclate
* octocrylene
Oxybenzone and Dioxybenzone are two of the most powerful free radical generators known to man.

So what can you use as a sunscreen and be safe? I've read that coconut oil works well as long as you don't eat polyunsaturated fat (which you shouldn't be eating anyway). Also Mercola.com has a 100% all-natural sunscreen called Natural Sunscreen that we use in our household and it works very well. It contains green tea, lecithin, coconut oil, glycerine, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, vitamin e, shea butter and eucalyptus oil.

I am not an affiliate for Mercola.com, nor was I paid to write about this product. I truly believe in natural products and avoiding chemical sunscreen products, and wanted to pass along something that works.

Home remedies for cuts, insect bites, etc.

Here's some quick and easy remedies you can make from ingredients you probably already have in your home:

Insect bites, bee stings, and general itching skin

Mix a bit of baking soda and vinegar into a paste, and apply to the skin. Leave it on till it dries, and if needed, reapply and let dry again. You'll be amazed how it stops the itching.

Cuts and scrapes

Apply some honey to the area. It is antibacterial, aids healing, lubricates and protects the skin.

Sunburn

Apply some whole milk with a washcloth or gauze. The Vitamin A & D in the milk speeds healing, and cools the skin. You can also add 2 cups of whole milk to your bathwater to cool the skin.

Athletes foot fungus

(From public pools and showers, or from feet sweating in hot weather) Mince garlic cloves and put in a cotton sock. Wear at night for 7 to 10 days, and it will clear up infection.

*Remove garlic smell on your skin from cooking, etc with lemon juice and sugar. Sugar exfoliates and the lemon cuts through the garlic smell.

Some leading "Natural or Organic" personal care products contain this carcinogen

If you're trying to reduce your exposure to chemicals as I am, and have been switching to organic or natural personal care products, read the following article I found at Mercola.com to be sure your products don't contain the carcinogenic chemical Dioxane:

"A new study commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) found that many leading "natural" and "organic" brand shampoos, body washes, and lotions contain the carcinogenic contaminant 1,4-Dioxane.

1,4-Dioxane is considered a chemical "known to the State of California to cause cancer.” It is a byproduct of the cancer-causing petrochemical Ethylene Oxide, which is used as part of a short-cut process called Ethoxylation, which makes harsh ingredients milder.

1,4-Dioxane is also suspected of being a kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant, among others, according to the California EPA. It is also a leading groundwater contaminant.

Some of the leading organic and natural brands found to contain 1,4-Dioxane include:

* JASON Pure Natural & Organics
* Giovanni Organic Cosmetics
* Kiss My Face
* Nature’s Gate Organics

To avoid 1,4-dioxane, OCA recommends reading ingredient labels and avoiding products with indications of ethoxylation, which include: "myreth," "oleth," "laureth," "ceteareth," any other "eth," "PEG," "polyethylene," "polyethylene glycol," "polyoxyethylene," or "oxynol," in ingredient names."
Sources:

* Organic Consumers Association March 14, 2008

You may have Candidiasis and not know it

Did you know that 1 out of every 2 people will suffer from Candidiasis sometime in your life?

Symptoms of Candidiasis are:
* bloating, headaches, depression, fatigue, memory problems, impotence or loss of libido, unexplained muscle aches, brain fogginess.
* a craving for sweets, products with white flour, or alcoholic beverages.
* repeated vaginal infections.
* repeated health problems involving inappropriate drowsiness, mood swings, rashes, bad breath, dry mouth, post-nasal drip or nasal congestion, heartburn, urinary frequency or urgency.
* repeated fungal infections (jock itch, athlete's foot, ringworm)
* recently taken repeated courses of antibiotics or steroids.
* use of birth-control pills

If you answered yes to two or more of these, you may be suffering from Candidiasis, a yeast overgrowth. Good bacteria lives in our intestinal tract (acidophilus and bifidobacteria). Bad bacteria such as Candida albicans is a form of yeast that can be dangerous to the body. The good bacteria will produce antifungal substances to keep the bad bacteria under control. But when the good bacteria and bad bacteria get out of balance, problems arise. Proper PH balance is needed, and if the body becomes too acidic, it affects the functioning of heart, blood, brain, nerve, muscle, bone, skin, hair cells, and hormonal levels.

Sugar is the worst enemy of the good bacteria, and feeds the bad bacteria. When antibiotics or steroids are taken, it kills the illness-causing bacteria, but also damages the good bacteria, allowing the bad bacteria to take over. The bad bacteria also thrive on dairy products (except yogurt), as well as yeast and glutens. Pesticide residue, car exhaust, industrial chemicals and heavy metals such as mercury amalgam in dental fillings can encourage growth of the bad bacteria.

It is possible with commitment to reverse Candidiasis. First, remove sugar, alcohol, milk and dairy products from your diet, along with any foods containing mold and yeast. I suffer from eczema and am extremely sensitive to aged cheeses, bread, and some chocolate (I'm guessing I react to chocolate that has been on the store shelf too long and mold may be present even if you can't see it). Supplementation is helpful, increasing Omega 3 oils, taking probiotics to boost the good bacteria, and eating yogurt containing acidophilus. I personally make my own yogurt to be sure I'm getting the live cultures, as they have a short shelf life of a few days.

For more information on Candidiasis and suggestions of what supplements may help, CLICK HERE

Home remedies for what ails you

Many common ailments can be remedied or at least eased with some basic items everyone has around their house. You just need to know how to use them. Here is a list of ailments and home remedies:

Achy muscles from flu - mix 1 tbsp. horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let it set for 30 minutes, then apply as a massage oil to relieve aching muscles instantly.

Sore throat - mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup honey, and take 1 tbsp. six times a day. Vinegar kills the bacteria.

Stuffy nose - chew a couple peppermint Altoids to open nasal passages.

Urinary tract infections - dissolve 2 Alka Seltzer tablets in a glass of water and drink at onset of symptoms. It begins eliminating urinary tract infection almost instantly.

Skin blemishes - put a dab of honey on the blemish and cover with a bandage. The honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Splinter removal - pour a drop of Elmer's glue over the splinter, let dry and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter should stick to the glue.

Boils - cover a boil with tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomato soothe the pain and bring boil to a head.

Bruises - soak a cotton ball in vinegar and apply to a bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up healing.

Arthritis pain - mix 2 cups of Quaker oats and 1 cup of water, and warm in microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly and apply to hands.

Eyeglass fix - to prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a drop of clear nail polish to threads of the screws then tighten and let dry.

These home remedies are easy to use, and may eliminate a trip to the store.

Sun exposure finally declared healthy

We're constantly told to avoid sun exposure, and to use sunscreens whenever we're outside. I read a very interesting article from Dr. William Douglass, stating that the sun is actually good for our health. Here is his article:

"Sun exposure finally declared healthy

The fact that the sun is actually good for you isn't exactly news these days. But in most cases, even people who recognize its benefits still say that they don't override its harmful effects.

Until now.

A new study was recently released suggesting that the health benefits of the sun actually OUTWEIGH its risks-specifically the risk of skin cancer. Wow. That might be the closest they've ever gotten to getting it right.

Everyone's worried about developing malignant melanoma, but as I've written before, the sun DOES NOT cause melanoma or any other kind of fatal cancer. Dermatologists continually warn that it does, but they have absolutely no scientific basis for this assertion. Of course, if you want to spend hours and hours in the sun, it'll turn your skin dark and leathery, and you'll wind up looking like a shriveled prune. But it won't give you skin cancer."

To read his full article, click here

Toxic ingredients in skin care products

Since the skin is the largest organ of the body, and whatever you put on your skin absorbs into your bloodstream, it makes sense to choose your skin care products, including cosmetics, carefully. I found an interesting site with an article on toxic ingredients in cosmetics and skin care products. To read it, click here.

I suffer from eczema, a skin condition involving itchy, red, patches on the skin, predominanly on the face and neck area. There is no cure for eczema, so I have learned to control it through avoiding the trigger foods that bring on an outbreak, along with supplementing my diet to boost my immune system. I've also learned to be more careful of what I put on my skin to avoid irritating it, specifically lotions and makeup.

Even if you don't have a skin condition, it's a good idea to avoid products that contain toxic chemicals, that once absorbed through your skin, can cause any number of health problems. Click here to see a list of toxic ingredients found in many skin care products.

(this blog has been featured in "Adverse Health Affects of Chemicals" at Blog Carnival