Rebranding and relauching

I am in the process of re-launching my blog on wordpress with branding consistent with my fan page and all my other web properties.

So you will soon be seeing all content available at http://SafeGreenandHealthy.wordpress.com

Thanks all!

Do Omega-3 users have bigger brains?

New studies link omega-3 and vitamins supplementation to less brain shrinkage and increased performance on mental thinking tests.

Why is this significant?
Well for years we have known about the positive cardiovascular effects of omega-3s, but the medical community has only just recently turned its attention to the latest benefits of the long-chain fatty acids, namely cognitive health. Two recent studies found that there was a "clear association between fish oil supplements and brain volume."

The human brain develops quickly, quadrupling in size during the first three years of life, and maxing out at about 3 pounds by age 20. Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there. Brain weight starts to deteriorate significantly around age 45, decreasing by an average of 11% from its weight in early adulthood. Shrinkage is most pronounced in the forebrain region responsible for personality, memory, and cognitive function. It is this part of the brain that affords humans the ability to think abstractly, reason and concentrate.

A Precursor to Alzheimer's
Researchers now believe that brain shrinkage can help predict Alzheimer's disease years before it can be diagnosed. Alzheimer's disease causes brain cells to shrink or dissappear, replacing them with dense spots known as plaque. But MRI imaging can detect this shrinkage up to 10 years before the effects are noticed in a person's day-to-day living. Recent studies also point to omega-3 supplementation as a way to halt or prevent this brain shrinkage.
A study led by Lori Daielle was presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease. There she reported "a significant positive association between fish oil supplement use and average brain volumes in two critical areas utilized in memory and thinking." The study had 819 participants and also found that the use of fish oil supplements was associated with better cognitive function.

Another study, led by Gene Bowman, concluded that people with diets high in omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to have brain shrinkage.

How Much Omega-3 should You Use?
The FDA has not established daily recommended values for omega-3s, however the World Health Organization offers the following guidelines.
 - Healthy Adults: 1000mg daily
 - Adults with cardiovascular disease symptoms: 2000mg daily
 - Adults with Alzheimer's symptoms: 2000mg daily
 - Prenatal/nursing mothers: 1400mg daily

How do You Find the Right Fish Oil Supplement?
As more omega-3 benefits come tonight, more supplement manufacturers are jumping into the market. It's easy to find the best ones with these three tips.

Look at the label to ensure it meets these critical criteria:
 1. Source: Natural fish oil with the highest concentration of omega-3s comes from wild-caught fish in deep, cold waters. You also want to choose fish with short lifespans, as they are far less likely to accumulate toxins. Ideal sources include salmon, herring, mackeral, anchovies, and sardines.
 2. Purity: One of the ideal benefits of supplements is the ability to avoid contaminants. But just because it's a pill doesn't mean it's pure. Look for a supplement that is molecularly distiller by water microdistillation without chemicals or excessive temperatures.
 3. DHA & EPA levels: The two most valuable omega-3s in fish oil are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA). The higher the levels, the more beneficial they are. And while amounts are important, rations are just as critical. For overall health benefits, look for fishtail with a 2:1 balance of DHA:EPA.

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Health hazards hiding in your laundry room

Everyone knows that familiar smell.... Ahhhh clean laundry!

But very few people are aware of the true cost of those scents and smells. The laws governing fragrances are some of the least restrictive of all in consumer products. In fact, fragrances are considered trade secrets and as a result, companies are not required to list the ingredients of their fragrances on labels. They can literally put anything in there, and it's covered legally as a "fragrance trade secret".

 In fact a recent study that reviewed the air vented from household dryers found over 600 volatile organic compounds, not a single one of which was disclosed on the labels of the products used in the tests. A more complete description of the results of that study can be found at Mercola's articled titled The Household Appliance that releases 600 Potentially Dangerous Chemicals into the Air, but here are some of the highlights.

 First, manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients on Cleaning supplies, air fresheners, or laundry products.

 Second, contrary to popular belief, MSDS sheets are not as comprehensive as thought. There is no requirement for a manufacturer to disclose all ingredients on a MSDS! And again fragrance mixtures are exempt from disclose completely.

 Most chemicals that have had any level of testing at all are tested in isolation, not in combination with other chemicals and compounds. Any multi-chemical compound cocktail might have completely different interaction with our bodies than the individual chemicals themselves would. However, it's estimated that fewer than 10% of the chemicals, compounds or ingredients used in our consumer products have ever even been tests for safety individually anyway. 

It just makes sense that what goes into your washing machine comes back out somehow. Only a very small amount gets washed out with the water. In fact, fabric softeners are designed to have persistence within your clothes, and never get washed completely out.

 This can cause some pretty significant problems for people who suffer from MCS, multiple chemical sensitivities. Some studies have shown that as many as 10-11% of the population suffers from MCS on some level, so constant skin contact with fragrances and chemicals could be seriously reducing their health and wellness.

 My advice is to find a company that manufactures products that ever have these chemicals in them to begin with. An attitude of consumer advocacy is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a source for your household products. Companies with these standards are out there, make sure you do your homework! Links to live Environmental Working Group's Consumer Safety section

You're a survivor, act like it!

The American Cancer Society today released new healthy living guidelines for cancer survivors. These new suggestions are expected to carry a great deal of weight as they are coming from the largest non-government agency associated with fighting cancer.

Over the last several years, evidence has accumulated for a number of cancers that achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the chance of recurrence and increase the likelihood of disease-free survival after a diagnosis of cancer. Big news.

Big news indeed! For readers who have watched the indy documentary "Forks Over Knives", this should come as no big surprise. (Available currently on Netflix, check it out) For the rest of you out there, pay attention. Continual research is demonstrating that proper diet, healthy eating and exercise can help fight cancer, can help maintain remission of cancer, and to be perfectly honest is just important for a healthy happy life. There are many studies out there showing the various massive impacts of simple mineral deficiencies, the importance of vitamins and antioxidants in the fight against chronic diseases, allergies and depression. Anyone who has a family history of cancer or is an actual survivor should be on a daily regimen of high quality natural supplementation beyond doubt. links to live on The American Cancer Society

BPA got you down? You're not alone!

BPA (Bisphenol A) has been a big news item for the last few years. So what is all the fuss about?

BPA is a very prevalent compound used primarily in the production of some plastics and resins. Where it does NOT belong is anywhere near our food supply chain or storage. Unfortunately, that's exactly where it is today.

Here is an excerpt from a recent call to action email I got from the EWG.

BPA is a synthetic estrogen used in everyday products from canned food linings to
store receipts. It disrupts the hormone system and has been linked to serious health problems such as early puberty, brain and heart disorders, infertility and prostate and breast cancer. The Environmental Working Group has been at the forefront of BPA research since 2007, when we released a first-of-its-kind study that found that BPA had leached from can linings into more than half of the canned foods, beverages and liquid infant formula we tested.

There is also some documented research which prompts concern that BPA may have an impact on increased obesity, which has it's own host of health problems to go with it, including diabetes and increased risk of heart disease to touch on just a couple.

The Environmental Working Group is sponsoring a ground roots protest action to help lawmakers understand our stance on BPA in or near our foods.

The FDA will decide this month on BPA. Use EWG's action to tell them to get it out of our food packaging:

Do your part! Help out with an email or support.


Here are a few more very valuable EWG and general food safety resources.
EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

USDA's Know your Farmer, Know your Food compass

2011 Meat Eater's guide to climate Change and Health

EWG's Sugar in Children's Cereal Report

How much cancer is too much?

In a recent call to action, the group "Women's Voices for the Earth" called out Proctor and Gamble for marketing a product as "Free and Gentle".

In fact, Free and Gentle Tide contains more that three times the cancer causing agent 1, 4 dioxone than P&G removed from another of its products recently in response to pressure from activist groups. No amount of a cancer causing agent is safe, especially in a product marketed to mothers as a healthier choice for children and infants.

Hit the link for information on how you can join forces or support the cause.

http://www.womensvoices.org/tide/

You should consider finding a company that doesn't employ these tactics and is an advocate for safety and environmentalism. I have!

Sunscreen safety and new FDA rulings

Earlier this month the FDA finally produced a report that was promised over 30 years ago, talking about the safety and recommendations for sunscreen products and their labeling and active ingredients. Unfortunately, it looks like the rulings are a little bit on the slack side when it comes to ingredient safety, as they simply gave a blanket ruling that current sunscreen ingredients are safe.

We know this to be somewhat untrue, as there are significant free-radical and hormone disruptor concerns with several VERY common ingredients. In fact, one major set of studies done by the Environmental Working Group has shown that as many as 65% of the sunscreen products on the market today contain a very harmful ingredient, oxybenzone. Oxybenzone can cause allergic reactions, is a potential hormone disruptor and penetrates the skin in relatively large quantities.

The major upside to the new FDA rulings are in the revised labeling and testing standards they have added. Major companies have 1 year to implement the new standards which will completely disallow terms like "waterproof" "sweatproof" and "sunblock" as these claims are impossible, and lead to consumer misuse of the products. They will also not allow any sunscreen product to claim a length of use of more than two hours without re-application.

Also, testing will be required to demonstrate the products ability to use the term "multi-spectrum" which indicates that they are covering both UVA and UVB wavelengths. UVB is the primary protection provided by the SPF term, which stands for Sun Protection Factor. UVB rays cause sunburns. UVA spectrum rays are the ones responsible for skin cancers and long term aging damage to the skin. Both are really needed to be safe in the sun.

For those of you who would rather not apply toxins or estrogen disrupting compounds to your skin, there are some products and ingredients that are much safer. Look for products that DO NOT contain Oxybenzone, but one of the safer compounds like Avobenzone (3% is the recommended safe level). The other way to go is with a mineral based creme, like titanium oxide or zinc oxide.

In the 1980s, titanium or zinc oxide products were a thick white creme that many people would not tolerate. Today, most mineral sunscreen products use nanoparticle form of the minerals that go on almost clear. The safety studies on nano-sized titanium and zinc are showing that there are very low levels of absorption into the skin, and the UVA/UVB safety levels are so good that its worth that low risk.

For information on sunscreen products and their ingredients you can visit the EWG's 2011 Sun Safety site

The EWG also maintains a general product safety database that you should be aware of called Skin Deep. Skin Deep contains thousands of personal care products and safety ratings on them and their active ingredients. Check it out, it can help you with your safety choices when it comes to the stuff you smear on your body, face and children.