For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, January can be a bit gloomy. Sunlight is of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it variety. Temperatures are low, the holiday buzz has ended and all that’s left is a burning desire to sleep until April. Chances are, even if you haven’t diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), most f us will feel at least some of winter’s depressive effects, such as oversleeping, difficulty waking up, carb cravings, fatigue and general malaise. The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to help banish the blues. Here’s where to start:

1) Light ‘em up.
Drench your days with light. Find a sunny spot outdoors and have lunch outside or do an errand or two on foot on your lunch-hour. Force yourself into the light! Supplement your doses of sunshine with full spectrum light bulbs at home and at the office add a full spectrum light bulb to your desk lamp to mimic the mood and immunity-boosting effects of sunshine.

2) But don’t get lit.
As in go easy on the cocktails. You’re not going to drink your way out of winter. Over-imbibing on a regular basis will compromise your immunity and depress mood – which is about the last thing you should be doing during the dark days. A glass of wine now and then is fine. A half bottle a night? Not so much.

3) Get out.
Preferably to a sunny locale. A quick trip to someplace warm and bright can go a long way when it comes to boosting immunity and mood. Some studies suggest that even the simple act of planning a trip can deliver mind/body benefits comparable to actually taking the trip, so why delay joy?
If you can’t swing a weekend in the sun, then stay local and plan day trips. Do something that you wouldn’t normally do or haven’t done in years. Day-trip to an indoor water park or botanical garden for an instant dose of simulated summer. Brave the elements at local ski-hill, build a snowman, go sledding, take a hike through the snow. Whatever you choose to do, the idea is to break out of the sedentary winter mindset. Can’t decide between indoors and out? Then consider this: outdoor activities can burn up to 50% more calories than indoor ones – so get out there!

4) Shake your groove thing.
Keep moving through the winter – don’t let the cold temperatures keep you from staying active. Can’t get out before then sun goes down? Then take a cue from Lady Gaga and “just dance.” Make the living room your dance floor, draw the curtains if you must and crank up your favorite tunes. Loose yourself in the music and dance for 10 minutes every day to boost spirits and keep your body energized.

5) Surprise your senses.
Stuck in a visual rut? Then color your world with a few light, brightly colored pillows, a fresh coat of paint or new bedding in sunny shades. Light, bright colors will reflect sunlight during the day and keep rooms from feeling dreary at night. Think of light and color as a way to guide your eyes and your brain into a sunnier disposition.

6) Make your own happy pill.
In other words, engage in health-supporting, pleasurable activities that help release those sought-after endorphins. Book a spa day, take a sauna at the gym, go for a swim, hang out in a hot tub, get a massage. Anything you can do that makes your body feel good, short of drugs or alcohol, is worth doing.

7) Get up in someone’s face.
And we mean that in the nicest of ways. Get off your Facebook page, quit out of Skype and force yourself to make actual face-to-face dates. Human interaction and community is essential to our mental and spiritual well-being. Last winter, one of my less-outgoing patients learned to work around her shyness by joining a meditation group, which enabled her to quietly enjoy the feeling of community, without needing to speak more than she was comfortable with.

8) Have a happy meal.
Eat in a way that supports your health and prevents spikes and dips in your energy levels. The easiest way to do it is to keep sugar and (bad) fats to a minimum and go easy on the cocktails. Load up your plate with leafy greens, plus high-quality protein and good fats to keep your body on an even keel.

9) Think positive
If you trudge into the season like a character in a Russian novel, the winter is going to feel like a long one. Instead, make an effort to reframe your attitude towards winter. Think of it like a work project that needs attention, planning and creative solutions in order to achieve the goal, rather than an annual “nightmare” that needs to be “survived.” Find joy in days when the mercury rises, learn to love a cloudless sky, witness the clarity of a winter sunset. Remind yourself that there is beauty to be found in winter skies that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

10) Supplement your happiness. In addition to eating well throughout the winter, the addition of a few mood-boosting supplements, such as Vitamin D, Omega-3’s, melatonin and magnesium can also help keep spirits high. Click here for my list of favorite, blues-chasers.

“You put what up your bottom five times a day?” This is the number one question I have received for the past two years when I tell people that I am using coffee enemas as part of my cancer-healing regime. Out of all the supposedly “crazy” acts I undertake as part of my two year Gerson Therapy program (hourly juicing, sticking to a very basic plant-based diet etc.) coffee enemas are the part that has most people thinking I’m cuckoo. Or kinky. I assure you, I’m neither.

As Ralph Moss, Ph.D, said, “coffee enemas are serious business: their potential should be explored by good research – not mined for cheap shots at alternative medicine or derisively dismissed as yet another crackpot fad.”

Coffee enemas are not a new idea. Dr Max Gerson introduced them to his powerful cancer therapy way back in the 1930s and Gerson patients have been reaping the benefits of them ever since. But the phenomenon goes back even further than that. In pre-revolutionary France, a daily enema after dinner was de rigueur. It was not only considered indispensable for health, but practiced for good complexion as well. King Louis XIV is said to have taken over 2,000 in his lifetime.

Clearing up cancer and complexion – the crappacino doesn’t sound so crazy after all, does it?

Coffee enemas are designed to detoxify the poor over-worked liver. Our liver is like our body’s gatekeeper. Everything we eat, drink and breath is filtered through the liver where it is decided whether it is fit for absorption, or destined for elimination. However, in this toxic modern world we live in, our livers have their work cut out for them. This is where coffee enemas come into play. The coffee enemas increase liver filtering, greatly aiding the organ’s ability to remove serum toxins.

Why coffee?

Dr Gerson believed that caffeine could stimulate the liver and gall bladder to discharge bile. It’s the coffee that dilates the bile ducts, and kicks the detoxifying process into high gear.

It may be met with scorn and ridicule, but there has been some independent scientific work that gives credibility to this concept. In 1981, Dr. Lee Wattenberg and his colleagues were able to show that substances found in coffee – kahweol and cafestol palmitate – promote above normal activity of a key enzyme system called glutathione S-transferase. This is recognised as an important mechanism in the detoxification of carcinogens, as the enzyme group is responsible for neutralizing free radicals.

Why so many?

If you don’t have cancer, you probably aren’t going to be doing five coffee enemas a day. In fact, if you aren’t replacing your body’s electrolytes, this many enemas can cause an electrolyte imbalance. However, Gerson Therapy patients are drinking 13 fresh organic veggie juices each day. As the juices begin rebuilding the body and encouraging toxins to be released from the cells into the bloodstream, a great deal of stress is placed upon the liver. The liver alone, especially in cancer patients, cannot deal with a sudden influx of toxins into the bloodstream. This is why regular coffee enemas are so important.

How to do a coffee enema:

Here is a brief (and tasteful) how-to video …

For more information on how to do a coffee enema, check out The Wellness Warrior Starter Kit + 10-Day Cleanse.

References:

1. Moss, PhD, Ralph W., COFFEE: THE ROYAL FLUSH, The Cancer Chronicles #6 and #7, 1990, http://www.ralphmoss.com/coff.html

2. Dr Gabriel Cousens http://www.gabrielcousens.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=J87jhQVZx_0%3D&tabid=172&mid=6704&language=en-US

Too many women see the hormone therapy decision as an either/or, yes/no decision. It is important for you to know that you don’t necessarily have to choose between traditional HT and alternatives. Think of your perimenopausal support as a smorgasbord. You get to choose what appeals to you at the moment and leave what doesn’t.

Every day more and more studies are showing how effective modalities such as dietary change (in particular, a low-sugar diet), food supplements, exercise, and herbs can be in supporting a woman through her menopausal transition. Though some doctors still don’t know about these approaches and may not mention them to you, they often work as well or better than hormone therapy (HT). They can also be used in addition to hormone therapy, to reduce dosage levels, side effects, and potential risk.

As a first step, it is important to define the goals you hope to achieve with hormone therapy. Contrary to the message conveyed by pharmaceutical marketing efforts, HT will not give you a means of moving backward, of denying the aging process and keeping yourself young forever. In fact, to do so would be counterproductive to your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. If you are determined to deny that you have passed middle age, HT cannot put you at peace with that fact.

However, a personally tailored program—with or without supplemental hormones—can help reduce physical symptoms and health worries so that you can focus your energies on finding your creative passions, which in and of themselves can stoke the flames of your life force. Hormone therapy can help mask the heart palpitations and irritability often associated with perimenopause. And it can also promote healthy sleep (especially when natural progesterone is used). But hormones cannot resolve the underlying relationship problems (and ensuing high levels of stress hormones) that may be crying out for your attention.

Becoming an Active Partner in the Decision

For our mothers and grandmothers, the decision to take HT (or not) was very often a passive one, made by their doctors (or husband or best friend), with their own involvement limited to “being good patients.” Or they decided by not deciding and simply let time go by. In those days there were very few HT preparations available, so the choices were only two: yes or no.

Until very recently, the potential benefits were too often clouded by side effects from the wrong type of medications or fear of long-term consequences. As of the late 1990s, less than 20 percent of American women used hormone therapy, and those who did often discontinued it within six months. [Hammond, C. B. (1994). Women’s concerns with hormone replacement therapy—compliance issues. Fertil Steril, 62(suppl. 2), 157S–160S.]

Today, many women (and their doctors) are more confused than ever about hormone therapy. Part of this confusion arose because early reports on the Women’s Health Initiative study seemed to indict all hormone therapy. In fact, the women in the original 2002 WHI study were on the same dose of only one type of HT—namely, Prempro. And the 2006 analysis of the WHI data showing a decreased risk of heart disease in women who started taking it early is a silver lining in a dark cloud. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions, plus the irrefutable increased risk of breast cancer with Prempro. One thing is clear: We need far more research on the role of hormones, particularly bioidentical hormones in low dosages.

At the same time, we also need to remember that medicine will always be an art, not an exact science. In the early 1990s, science seemed to indicate that the majority of postmenopausal women would benefit from hormone therapy. Some were even dismissed from their doctor’s office if they questioned that belief. Then the pendulum swung all the way in the opposite direction. Now it’s coming back to center. In addition to the question “Do I want or need hormone therapy, at least for right now?” we also have to ask: “What kind? What strength? What route of administration? In what combination? For what reason? For how long? At what risk?”

The number of options can be intimidating at first, but in the end you’ll feel much better about your HT decision if you’re armed with facts, know your options, and are willing to listen to your inner guidance as well as to your doctor’s advice. And although I discourage using HT as a means of numbing oneself to what is happening in body and mind during perimenopause, there is nothing to be gained from suffering. Given the range of formulations and dosages now available—as well as the many alternatives to HT—you can create an individual treatment program that supports you through the change, rather than helping you deny that it is happening.

Adapted with permission from The Wisdom of Menopause (Random House, 2012). You can purchase The Wisdom of Menopause on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble or at a bookstore near you. Click here to read an excerpt.

To learn more about Dr. Northrup and her work, go to www.drnorthrup.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and by listening to her weekly Hay House Internet radio show Flourish!

This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. All material in this article is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.

A video excerpt from “A Philosophers Notes” discussing the importance of paying attention to the fundamentals if you wish to achieve your goals.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Reprinted with permission from Experience Life Magazine.

We assume they are safe. But in fact, many popular household cleaners are dangerously toxic. Learn about the eight scariest substances hiding under your kitchen sink, and how to replace them with safer, more natural options that really work.

By Jessie Sholl

When a pain in Beth Greer’s shoulder led her to a chiropractor nine years ago, she wasn’t that worried. After all, she led a healthy lifestyle: She watched her weight, meditated regularly, and ate mostly organic food. Greer’s chiropractor wasn’t worried either; he diagnosed her with a herniated disk. But after three sessions, not only was she not better, the pain was beginning to radiate down her arm and into her fingers.

An MRI revealed the true cause of Greer’s pain: a tennis-ball-size tumor in her chest. The good news was the mass was benign. Still, each of the three thoracic surgeons Greer saw strongly recommended she have it removed. One wanted to get at it by going in under her collarbone, one wanted to reach the mass through her armpit, and the third wanted to remove a rib to get the tumor from the back.

They all agreed on just one thing: The surgery was risky. Because the tumor was in such a nerve-packed place, there was a real possibility that removing it could cause Greer to lose feeling in her hand.

Greer opted out of the surgery, and instead focused on doing everything she could to support her body’s healing capacity. Curious by nature (she and her husband, Steven Seligman, owned the Learning Annex, a group of schools offering short-term classes on everything from relationships to real-estate), Greer decided to learn everything she could about her condition and discovered that tumors typically grow in response to irritation and inflammation. Eliminating environmental toxins that might be contributing to her tumor’s growth seemed like a practical first step.

First, she turned her attention to the conventional household cleaning products tucked away in her cabinets. “I’d look at a label and it would say ‘hazardous to humans and domestic animals,’” says Greer. “So why would anyone want to use that?”

She ultimately tossed her entire collection of toxic cleaning products and began making her own with ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and essential oil. She also swapped her commercial body-care products and makeup for nontoxic ones, and she cleaned up her already healthy diet by eating only whole, unprocessed foods — without any labels.

Nine months later, her tumor was gone. Completely. Although she can’t pin her results on any one environmental change, Greer’s confident that cutting down her exposure to toxins played a critical role — so much so that she’s made sharing that information with others a central part of her life.

Today, Greer consults professionally with others who want to detoxify their homes and offices. In 2002 she and Seligman sold the Learning Annex and she began writing about toxin-free living. The result is her book, Super Natural Home (Rodale Books, 2009).

During her research for the book, Greer was shocked to learn that there’s no federal regulation of chemicals in household products. Rebecca Sutton, PhD, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), explains, “In terms of household cleaners, neither ingredients nor products must meet any sort of safety standard, nor is any testing data or notification required before bringing a product to market.”

The average household contains about 62 toxic chemicals, say environmental experts. We’re exposed to them routinely — from the phthalates in synthetic fragrances to the noxious fumes in oven cleaners. Ingredients in common household products have been linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity.

Manufacturers argue that in small amounts these toxic ingredients aren’t likely to be a problem, but when we’re exposed to them routinely, and in combinations that haven’t been studied, it’s impossible to accurately gauge the risks. While a few products cause immediate reactions from acute exposure (headaches from fumes, skin burns from accidental contact), different problems arise with repeated contact. Chronic exposure adds to the body’s “toxic burden” — the number of chemicals stored in its tissues at a given time.

This toxic body burden is EWG’s chief concern about household chemicals. Sutton explains: “Our concern is daily, weekly, chronic exposure over a lifetime. Maybe if you’re exposed to a chemical a handful of times it wouldn’t cause harm, but some chemicals build up enough or cause enough harm in your body over time that it triggers some kind of disease outcome. The concept [of body burden] is that pollution is not just in our air and in our water — it’s also in us.”

No one can avoid exposure to toxic chemicals altogether, but it is possible to reduce it significantly. In the following pages, Greer, Sutton and other experts weigh in on the worst toxic offenders commonly found in household cleaning products, and offer ways to swap them for healthier, safer options.

1. Phthalates

Found in: Many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, even toilet paper. Because of proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents, so you won’t find phthalates on a label. If you see the word “fragrance” on a label, there’s a good chance phthalates are present.

Health Risks: Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health. Although exposure to phthalates mainly occurs through inhalation, it can also happen through skin contact with scented soaps, which is a significant problem, warns Alicia Stanton, MD, coauthor of Hormone Harmony (Healthy Life Library, 2009). Unlike the digestive system, the skin has no safeguards against toxins. Absorbed chemicals go straight to organs.

Healthier Choice: When possible choose fragrance-free or all-natural organic products. Greer recommends bypassing aerosol or plug-in air fresheners and instead using essential oils or simply opening windows to freshen the air. Besides causing more serious effects like endocrine disruption, “Aerosol sprays and air fresheners can be migraine and asthma triggers,” she says. Also consider adding more plants to your home: They’re natural air detoxifiers.

2. Perchloroethylene or “PERC”

Found in: Dry-cleaning solutions, spot removers, and carpet and upholstery cleaners.

Health Risks: Perc is a neurotoxin, according to the chief scientist of environmental protection for the New York Attorney General’s office. And the EPA classifies perc as a “possible carcinogen” as well. People who live in residential buildings where dry cleaners are located have reported dizziness, loss of coordination and other symptoms. While the EPA has ordered a phase-out of perc machines in residential buildings by 2020, California is going even further and plans to eliminate all use of perc by 2023 because of its suspected health risks. The route of exposure is most often inhalation: that telltale smell on clothes when they return from the dry cleaner, or the fumes that linger after cleaning carpets.

Healthier Choice: Curtains, drapes and clothes that are labeled “dry clean only” can be taken instead to a “wet cleaner,” which uses water-based technology rather than chemical solvents. The EPA recently recognized liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) as an environmentally preferable alternative to more toxic dry-cleaning solvents. Ask your dry cleaner which method they use. For a safer spot remover, look for a nontoxic brand like Ecover at a natural market, or rub undiluted castile soap directly on stains before washing.

3. Triclosan

Found in: Most liquid dishwashing detergents and hand soaps labeled “antibacterial.”

Health Risks: Triclosan is an aggressive antibacterial agent that can promote the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. Explains Sutton: “The American Medical Association has found no evidence that these antimicrobials make us healthier or safer, and they’re particularly concerned because they don’t want us overusing antibacterial chemicals — that’s how microbes develop resistance, and not just to these [household antibacterials], but also to real antibiotics that we need.” Other studies have now found dangerous concentrations of triclosan in rivers and streams, where it is toxic to algae. The EPA is currently investigating whether triclosan may also disrupt endocrine (hormonal) function. It is a probable carcinogen. At press time, the agency was reviewing the safety of triclosan in consumer products.

Healthier Choice: Use simple detergents and soaps with short ingredient lists, and avoid antibacterial products with triclosan for home use. If you’re hooked on hand sanitizer, choose one that is alcohol-based and without triclosan.

4. Quarternary Ammonium Compounds, or “QUATS”

Found in: Fabric softener liquids and sheets, most household cleaners labeled “antibacterial.”

Health Risks: Quats are another type of antimicrobial, and thus pose the same problem as triclosan by helping breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They’re also a skin irritant; one 10-year study of contact dermatitis found quats to be one of the leading causes. According to Sutton, they’re also suspected as a culprit for respiratory disorders: “There’s evidence that even healthy people who are [exposed to quats] on a regular basis develop asthma as a result.”

Healthier Choice: You don’t really need fabric softener or dryer sheets to soften clothes or get rid of static: Simple vinegar works just as well. “Vinegar is the natural fabric softener of choice for many reasons,” explains Karyn Siegel-Maier in her book The Naturally Clean Home (Storey Publishing, 2008). “Not only is it nontoxic, it also removes soap residue in the rinse cycle and helps to prevent static cling in the dryer.” White vinegar is your best choice for general cleaning; other types can stain.

Alternatives to chemical disinfectants abound, including antibacterial, antifungal tea-tree oil. Mix a few drops of tea-tree oil and a tablespoon of vinegar with water in a spray bottle for a safe, germ killing, all-purpose cleaner. Add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil for scent.

5. 2-Butoxyethanol

Found in: Window, kitchen and multipurpose cleaners.

Health Risks: 2-butoxyethanol is the key ingredient in many window cleaners and gives them their characteristic sweet smell. It belongs in the category of “glycol ethers,” a set of powerful solvents that don’t mess around. Law does not require 2-butoxyethanol to be listed on a product’s label. According to the EPA’s Web site, in addition to causing sore throats when inhaled, at high levels glycol ethers can also contribute to narcosis, pulmonary edema, and severe liver and kidney damage. Although the EPA sets a standard on 2-butoxyethanol for workplace safety, Sutton warns, “If you’re cleaning at home in a confined area, like an unventilated bathroom, you can actually end up getting 2-butoxyethanol in the air at levels that are higher than workplace safety standards.”

Healthier Choice: Clean mirrors and windows with newspaper and diluted vinegar. For other kitchen tasks, stick to simple cleaning compounds like Bon Ami powder; it’s made from natural ingredients like ground feldspar and baking soda without the added bleach or fragrances found in most commercial cleansers. You can also make your own formulas with baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. See the “DIY Cleaners” sidebar for a list of clean concoctions.

6. Ammonia

Found in: Polishing agents for bathroom fixtures, sinks and jewelry; also in glass cleaner.

Health Risks: Because ammonia evaporates and doesn’t leave streaks, it’s another common ingredient in commercial window cleaners. That sparkle has a price. “Ammonia is a powerful irritant,” says Donna Kasuska, chemical engineer and president of ChemConscious, Inc., a risk-management consulting company. “It’s going to affect you right away. The people who will be really affected are those who have asthma, and elderly people with lung issues and breathing problems. It’s almost always inhaled. People who get a lot of ammonia exposure, like housekeepers, will often develop chronic bronchitis and asthma.” Ammonia can also create a poisonous gas if it’s mixed with bleach.

Healthier Choice: Vodka. “It will produce a reflective shine on any metal or mirrored surface,” explains Lori Dennis, author of Green Interior Design (Allsworth Press, 2010). And toothpaste makes an outstanding silver polish.

7. Chlorine

Found in: Scouring powders, toilet bowl cleaners, mildew removers, laundry whiteners, household tap water.

Health Risks: “With chlorine we have so many avenues of exposure,” says Kasuska. “You’re getting exposed through fumes and possibly through skin when you clean with it, but because it’s also in city water to get rid of bacteria, you’re also getting exposed when you take a shower or bath. The health risks from chlorine can be acute, and they can be chronic; it’s a respiratory irritant at an acute level. But the chronic effects are what people don’t realize: It may be a serious thyroid disrupter.”

Healthier Choice: For scrubbing, stick to Bon Ami or baking soda. Toilet bowls can be cleaned with vinegar, and vinegar or borax powder both work well for whitening clothes. So does the chlorine-free oxygen bleach powder made by Biokleen. To reduce your exposure to chlorine through tap water, install filters on your kitchen sink and in the shower.

8. Sodium Hydroxide

Found in: Oven cleaners and drain openers.

Health Risks: Otherwise known as lye, sodium hydroxide is extremely corrosive: If it touches your skin or gets in your eyes, it can cause severe burns. Routes of exposure are skin contact and inhalation. Inhaling sodium hydroxide can cause a sore throat that lasts for days.

Healthier Choice: You can clean the grimiest oven with baking-soda paste — it just takes a little more time and elbow grease (see recipes in “DIY Cleaners” sidebar). Unclog drains with a mechanical “snake” tool, or try this approach from the Green Living Ideas Web site: Pour a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar down the drain and plug it for 30 minutes. After the bubbles die down, run hot water down the drain to clear the debris.

Jessie Sholl has written about health for a variety of publications. She is also the author of Dirty Secret: A Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother’s Compulsive Hoarding (Simon and Schuster/Gallery Books, 2010).

SIDEBAR

Beware of Greenwashing

If a cleaning product at your supermarket proclaims itself “green,” “natural” or “biodegradable,” that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s nontoxic. In 2010 the environmental consulting firm TerraChoice Group produced a report called “The Sins of Greenwashing.” In it the group found more than 95 percent of so-called green consumer products had committed at least one “greenwashing sin,” like making an environmental claim that may be truthful but unimportant. “CFC-free,” for example, is a common one, since CFCs are banned by law. Donna Kasuska of ChemConscious offers this advice: “When gauging ecological claims, look for specifics. ‘Biodegradable in three to five days’ holds more meaning than ‘biodegradable,’ as most substances will eventually break down with enough time.”

SIDEBAR

DIY Cleaners

Clean your home safely — and cheaply — with the following recipes:

• Basic sink cleanser — Combine ½ cup baking soda with six drops essential oil (such as lavender, rosemary, lemon, lime or orange). Rinse sink well with hot water. Sprinkle combination into sink and pour ¼ cup vinegar over top. After the fizz settles, scrub with a damp sponge or cloth. Rinse again with hot water. (From The Naturally Clean Home, by Karyn Siegel-Maier.)

• Oven cleanser — Put a heatproof dish filled with water in the oven. Turn on the heat to let the steam soften any baked-on grease. Once the oven is cool, apply a paste of equal parts salt, baking soda, and vinegar, and scrub. (From Super Natural Home, by Beth Greer.)

• Bathroom mildew remover — Good ventilation helps prevent mildew and mold. When they do occur, make a spray with 2 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon each of tea-tree and lavender oil. Shake first and spray on trouble spots. The oils break down the mildew so there’s no need to wipe it down. (From Green Interior Design, by Lori Dennis.)

• Carpet shampoo — Mix 3 cups water, ¾ cup vegetable-based liquid soap, and 10 drops peppermint essential oil. Rub the foam into soiled areas with a damp sponge. Let dry thoroughly and then vacuum. (FromThe Naturally Clean Home.)

• Laundry soap — Try “soap nuts” made from the dried fruit of the Chinese soapberry tree. Available in natural groceries and online, the reusable soap nuts come in a cotton sack that goes into the washing machine with clothes.

• Dusting — Skip the furniture polishes. Instead, use a microfiber cloth. Made from synthetic fibers that are then split into hundreds of smaller microfibers, they capture dust more efficiently than regular rags. If necessary, a little olive oil makes a fine polishing agent.

Reprinted with permission from Experience Life Magazine.

Experience Life magazine is an award-winning health and fitness publication that aims to empower people to live their best, most authentic lives, and challenges the conventions of hype, gimmicks and superficiality in favor of a discerning, whole-person perspective. Visit www.experiencelife.com to learn more, to sign up for Experience Life newsletters, or to subscribe to the print or digital version.

Genetically modified foods — there’s little doubt in my mind that they’re poisonous to the earth and dangerous to our bodies — and I’m certainly not alone in this belief. As people across the country have grown increasingly concerned about the dangers of genetically modified foods, a coalition of more than 450 environmental, agricultural, consumer and parenting groups has formed to petition the FDA for the right to know which foods are genetically modified and which are not.

The campaign, known as “JUST LABEL IT: We Have the Right to Know,” is dedicated to the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, also referred to as genetically modified, or GMOs. The JUST LABEL IT message is simple: consumers have a right to know what’s in their food so they can make informed choices about what they eat and feed their families. Such labeling will give American consumers the power to choose foods wisely, just as consumers in Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China already do.

As as a health evangelist, I encourage everyone to visit the Just Label It website (www.justlabelit.org/takeaction) to submit your comment to the FDA in support of the petition. It takes less than a minute to submit and in turn, empower millions of Americans to make healthier food choices — truly a cause worth fighting for!

To read more on how to minimize genetically modified foods in your diet, click here (http://www.drfranklipman.com/what-practical-tips-do-you-suggest-to-avoid-gm-food)

An informative animated video of a typical interaction with a Dr after a patient gets his cholesterol results with the Dr’s automatic response being to push a Statin…EXCELLENT!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

What do climate-science deniers and “spin doctors” who attack environmental health protections have in common?  They’re like moths to the flame of an activist victory for safer products. Ever since my organization succeeded in pressuring Johnson & Johnson to get carcinogens out of its baby products,  the “boys who know best” are coming round to tell us not to worry our pretty little heads about cancer-causing chemicals in baby shampoo.

David Ropeik wins the prize for paternalistic, condescending framing in his Scientific American blog: “Warning! Health Hazards May be Hazardous to Your Health.”

Ropeik warns that “frightened, worried, scared, concerned” moms are at greater risk of stress-related illnesses (irritable bowel syndrome, clinical depression) than babies are at risk from getting cancer from formaldehyde in the bathtub; as if the only choice here is between soaking kids in toxic substances or making mothers sick with worry.

How about if America’s “most-trusted brand” just gets the carcinogens out of baby shampoo? And hey, guess what, Johnson & Johnson has already done that in other countries, where they have better laws, just not here! That’s the kind of thing that really makes moms sick to their stomachs.

Ropeik is described in the article as an instructor at Harvard Extension School,but there’s no mention of his role as a “risk communications” expert; one of those people who gets hired to help corporations spin themselves out of trouble – and spin he has, for clients that include Dow Chemical, DuPont and others working against environmental health protections.

Ropeik may want to pay more attention to the science than the talking points if he’s going to write for Scientific American. The concern about quaternium-15 isn’t just that it emits formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen); dermatologists have been warning for years that the chemical is contributing to higher rates of contact dermatitis.

This sort of detail doesn’t fit with the “how dare you worry moms about chemicals” narrative of folks like Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society, who used the space so generously provided him by the Montreal Gazette to make the “Case to Keep Chemical Soup in Baby’s Soap.”

Schwarcz was keynote speaker for this year’s meeting of the Personal Care Products Council (which counts Johnson & Johnson among its members), and is also a consultant for industry (including Monsanto) who, as described in his bio, “interprets science” for the public.

Joe, I urge you to try out your 2 cubic meter theory on the nearest mom, and ask her if she wouldn’t just rather that her baby’s shampoo contained no formaldehyde at all.

At least Schwarcz admits it’s time to get formaldehyde out of Brazilian Blowout hair straighteners. A recent attack report by the better known and notorious industry front group Competitive Enterprises Institute — leading opponents of the overwhelming science on climate change — starts off on a dubious foot by claiming that the Brazilian Blowout problem was “quickly resolved” (except that it’s still not resolved). And that’s not the only detail in the report that’s opposite of true.

Ah well, consider the source: a group with funding ties to Exxon, Texaco and the Koch family foundation…

As Nicole Abene points out in “Industry-Funded Watchdog Group Says Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics Are Good for You,” the authors of the report attacking the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics are the same folks who produced a TV commercial advocating for increased carbon-dioxide emissions because it’s “what plants breathe in.”

Following the logic of the chemical industry talking points, a little bit of carcinogen on the head might be just what the baby really needs.

And for moms who disagree, well, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that: We’re winning! Companies are responding to our demands and cleaning up their products, and it isn’t even all that hard for them to do.

As Abene writes, “It was only under significant public pressure that Johnson & Johnson agreed to no longer introduce new products with formaldehyde-releasing ingredients. No one was asking Johnson & Johnson to pull a hat trick—a safer alternative was already available and in production, so why the double standard?”

Here’s hoping the Corporations of America get it that it’s time to invest in a toxic-free future and give the spin doctors a rest.

Photo credit:
Bubble Monster: audi_insperation on Flickr.com Creative Commons

For most of us, the post- holiday sugar and alcohol funk puts “cleansing” on our radar, so this is a great time to incorporate twists into your yoga practice. When you twist, the organs become compressed, which then pushes out blood filled with toxins. Twisting also stimulates circulation and improves digestion, stretches and strengthens the spine, and helps maintain flexibility in the vertebral discs and ligaments.

Make sure before you move into any twisting posture that you extend the spine by lengthening through the crown of the head as much as you can- the effort is on the inhale to elongate, and on the exhale relax deeper into the pose without contracting your abdominal muscles; twisting first from the lower lumbar spine then making your way up to the cervical spine breath by breath.

I hope you enjoy this video I made for you with three poses from my Xen Strength Yoga program. I use weights here, but if you are new to my style, or new to yoga in general, then feel free to try them without the weights.You can find more videos like, and my new Xen Strength Yoga DVD on my website: www.xenstrength.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When it comes to BPA’s – bisphenol A – I really can’t say a good word about them. They’re bad for the earth and terrible for our bodies – so the less we ingest (knowingly or not) the better. When you feel as strongly about sustaining wellness as I do, the best way to deal with BPA’s is to get them out of your life. And how do I loathe BPAs? Let me count the ways. First of all, biosphenol A is an industrial chemical, an endocrine disrupter, a suspected carcinogen and proven synthetic hormone that mimics the effects of estrogen! BPA’s have been linked to increased risks for heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as liver and brain problems. BPA’s are also credited with contributing to erectile dysfunction and the growth of breast cancer cells in adults, plus developmental problems in children. Need I go on?  Clearly, it’s time for all of us to kick it to the curb. Here’s how to start your BPA purge, preferably today:

Kick the can.
Virtually all canned food liners contain BPA’s, which leech into the food (yuck!). My advice? Don’t buy canned food. It’s as simple as that. Buy glass bottled items instead. Better yet, buy fresh, whole, organic foods and prep them yourself to minimize BPA exposure.  If you can’t kick the can completely, just be sure to use canned goods as little as possible.

Keep it glassy.
Store foods in glass containers to eliminate BPA leeching. Reheat items in glass as well to banish the BPA’s. If you have a lot of plastic microwavable containers in your pantry, slowly start decommissioning them and start transitioning over to an all-glass or ceramic-container kitchen. The older the plastic container, the sooner you should throw it out.

Be kinder to the earth.
Another reason to go with glass? It’s kinder to the earth and can be easily recycled. Better yet, you use less energy and water by using one-dish glass cookware that goes from the oven straight to the table. The same is true also for ceramic cookware.

Put down the spatula.
Particularly if it’s made of plastic. Some of the cheaper brands made in countries with fewer safety regulations may contain BPA’s, so be conscious of what your cooking utensils are made of. A better bet is to switch to sustainable, earth-friendly cooking utensils, such as bamboo, that won’t melt or leech chemicals into food with every stir of the soup.

Know your BPA-free numbers.
Pay attention to recycling codes on the bottom of the container. If they’re tagged with a # 1,2, 4 or 5, they’ll be BPA-free, so they’ OK for short-term, single-occasion use, but again, the less you buy, use and dump in a landfill, the better.

Know the bad guys.
Stay far away from the 3’s and the 7’s. The 3’s are made of PVC, also known as vinyl, a notorious toxic off-gasser. Items marked with the #7 recycling code are made with BPA’s so leave them at the store.

Hit the bottle.
Just not plastic ones. If you like to carry water along wherever you go, then portable bottles made of stainless steel are the BPA-free way to go. However, you should remember to check that the bottle doesn’t have a plastic liner, which may contain BPA’s. If you do buy bottled drinks in BPA-free plastic bottles (usually marked with the #1 recycling code), never re-use them, as they’re not designed to withstand hot water washings or repeated usage.

Have a happy and BPA-free day!