Are Breast Cancer and the Enviroment Related?

Women today are more likely to develop breast cancer than any previous generation. Hard to believe despite the decades-old war on cancer. It is well known that risk factors such as early menarche, later menopause, childlessness and delayed childbearing are established, but these established risk factors do not account for all breast cancer cases. Does the enviroment play a part?

Since World War II, breast cancer incidences have risen. Many people feel the rise is because that is when industry began pumping out pesticides, plastics, solvents and other chemicals that leave residues in our soil, water and air. Studies in labs show that these chemicals can cause tumors in breasts, hasten their growth, or leave mammary glands more susceptible to carcinogens.

It is interesting to note that breast cancer rates declined in the United States between the years of 2003 and 2004, which is attributed to women forgoing hormone replacement therapy after a study reported that it can cause breast cancer. The goal is to find ways to have the disease not to develop at all, and if we are to genuially hope to defeat the disease, one must look at all factors- enviroment included.

~Silent Spring Institute

Consumers and Toxic Chemicals

It's is time to become more serious about shielding consumers from toxic chemicals. Common- sense controls on chemicals used in everyday products merit everyone's support. Industrial chemicals are widely used in everyday products like furniture, food packaging, personal care products and toys. These chemicals, can and do, leach out and enter our bodies, putting our health at risk.

> The plastic hardener bisphenol-A, commonly used in baby bottles and canned food lining, is an endrocrine disruptor and can cause neurological damage, especially in young children. A study done in 2011 found BPA in the bodies of 96% of pregnant women. Campbell soups have promised to remove their BPA lined soup cans, but gives no time frame for it's elimination and replacement.

> Phthalates, a plastic softener commonly found in air fresheners and plastic school binders, has been linked to birth defects and is found in the bodies of 99% of pregnant women.

> Testing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found more than 212 industrial chemicals in the bodies of most Americans, including at least 6 known carcinogens and dozens that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and other adverse health effects.

> As consumers we rely on the manufactures to both adequately test the chemicals in their products and label accordingly. It is astounding to note that in the last 35 years, only 200 of the 80,000 chemicals currently used in commerce have been tested for their threat to human health and also to the enviroment. So, we can safely say that the vast majority of chemicals on the market today remain untested!!! That is frightening!!!

> How can this happen? The Toxic Substance Control Act is completely ineffective in preventing large companies to test their chemicals before they are used in consumer products. What needs to take place is the passing of the Safe Chemicals Act which would ensure that chemical manufacturers would provide the EPA with minimum test data for all the chemicals they produce. We urge you all to support this important public health legislation.

Oh Those Winter Blues!!!

Winter is in full force and we find ourselves combatting the lessening of light that we experience during the winter months. So how do we beat the winter blues? We know we can not beat them , so let's join them by embracing these 5 ways to prevent the blues from coming on and to get yourself back to normal if they are already there.

a.) Excercise: Excercise is a great way to not only relieve stress, it also is important to staying healthy and maintaining your weight. Excercise will increase your energy level and your mood.

b.) Eat A Healthy Diet: What you eat has an affect on not only your mood, but on your energy level as well. Try to include a lot of complex carbohydrates into your diet, such as whole wheat breads, brown rice, veggies and fruit. These healthy foods provide your mind and body with nutrients, as well as, help to stabilize your blood sugar and energy levels. Try to avoid processed foods that are devoid of nutrients and zap your energy. Don't forget the importance of keeping hydrayted.

c.) Get Some Sun: Vitamin D improves your mood. Similar to excercise, exposure to sunlight releases neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood. Get outdoors as often as you can. Get as much sunlight into your home as possible. Read by a sunny window.

d.) Relax: Set some time aside to simply relax. Try to spend a few minutes a day doing nothing. Read a good book, sleep in, go to bed early and possibly try meditation excercises or yoga.

e.) Have Something to Look Forward to: Winter can seem endless and having something to look forward to can lift anyone's mood. Plan a trip, a day at the spa, go out for lunch or plan a special day with your loved ones.

What to Eat To Prevent Colds and Flu

Here's a list of what to eat and drink to help prevent colds and the flu this winter season :

1.) Drink Green Tea: Eating fruits and veggies are one of the best ways to keep germs at bay this winter, as well as drinking green tea. Green tea is the best food source of catechins, which are plant compounds that halt oxidative damage to cells. If you flavor it with fresh pomegranate or ginger, you will add an extra anti-inflammatory nutrient punch!

2.) Make Some Chili: If your chili contains ingredients like garlic, onions, pasta, mushrooms or veggies, you have added immune boosting ingredients that will give you the comfort you crave during chilly winter months.

3.) Use Lots Of Spices: Some immune-supportative spices include tumeric and ginger. Try adding a pinch of cayenne to soups or stir-fries. These spices are traditionally used in cooking to get one's blood flowing and to promote healthy circulation.

4.) Include a lot of Vitamin C and Healthy Fats into Your Diet: Vitamin C is an extra cold-fighting antioxidant and nuts, like cashews, provide your body with healthy fats.

5.) Protect Yourself with Nutient Rich Foods: You can strenghthen immune cells by eating foods that are nutrient-rich and full of antioxidants like mushrooms. red bell pepper, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, garlic, beans, nuts and whole grains.

Natural Alternatives To Toxic Fabric Softener

According to the Allergy and Environmental Health Association, both liquid and dryer sheet fabric softeners are "the most toxic product produced for daily household use." Most of the popular brands of fabric softeners contain many neurotoxins (substances that are toxic to the brain and nervous system) and other types of toxins. So, you're ready to forego commercial fabric softeners but you still want soft clothes. What are your options? Well, here are our 6 suggestions to detox your laundry:

1.) Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water in your washing machine and let it dissolve prior to adding your clothes. This is my preferred method since the baking soda acts as a water softener and helps makes clothes super soft.

2.) Some people toss tennis balls or other rubber balls into the dryer with clothes. I'm not a huge fan of this method since the heat of the dryer can cause the rubber to off-gas onto your clothing. If you have an allergy to latex, this is definitely not the method for you. Plus, I wouldn't choose this method if you're drying delicate clothing items.

3.)Adding a cup of vinegar to the wash water can also soften clothes but I don't find this method as effective as the baking soda technique.

4.) To help with static, there's the aluminum foil ball technique. Tightly scrunch a piece of foil to form a ball. Throw it in with clothes in the dryer. There is some possible concern with increasing your exposure to aluminum (which has been linked to some brain disorders). It can also snag delicate clothes.

5.) Try to keep synthetic fabrics out of the dryer since they are the culprits when it comes to static. Natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen are best dried on their own.

6.) And, of course there are natural fabric softeners available in most health food stores. I must admit, though, that I don't find them necessary. I try to purchase clothing made of natural fibers as much as possible and find my clothes are soft regardless whether they go through the dryer (free of fabric softeners) or are hung to dry.As you can see, there are plenty of options when you want soft clothes and to be free of toxins.

Five Simple New Year's Resolutions That Will Bring Your Diet into Balance

It seems like every January we make New Year's resolutions to eat better and save money, bur never follow through. But, let's break the habit this year by creating several super easy-to-do things to make a difference in your diet, and the planet.

~*~ Resolution: Incorporate three different colored foods a day into your diet. If you plate is looking pale, that means you are probably not getting much nutritionally from your food. One surefire way to make sure you are eating right is by keeping it colorful. Brightly colored foods like carrots, beets and spinach are nutrient-rich and packed with powerful antioxidants.

~*~ Resolution: Trade in the Twinkies for natural sweets. Packaged, processed, high-fructose corn syrup-rich treats gratify for seconds, but leave us feeling sluggish and bloated. This year, swap one of your go-to packaged sweets for the natural sugars of fresh and dried fruits.

~*~ Resolution: Cook at home one night a week. Eating and cooking at home saves money and keeps you in control of what you are putting in your mouth. Not sure what to make? Try a smoky root vegetable gratin or a hearty vegetarian chili.

~*~ Resolution: Take advantage of the delicious seasonal foods around you by inviting friends and family to a " garden to table" party, featuring locally sourced seasonal dishes. Link up with a local farmers' market for yummy seasonal fare, and encourage guests to bring their own dishes.

~*~ Resolution: Start a container tomato garden. Growing your own food is a great way to get hands-on with your diet, and tomatoes are chock-full of antioxidant-rich lycopene and vitamin C.

Plus, they taste great and can be used in everything from sauces to salads and sandwiches.

Did You Make A Resolution?

Around this time of year, you will inevitably be asked if you have made a new year's resolution. And when you are, you may feel a rush of adrenaline--which may be because you feel a sense of personal connection to yours.

>Resolutions create pressure

Once you say something out loud, you are broadcasting your hope in your self. You have instigated public expectations in your performance. Now that it is said, you could fail! Not only that, but your friends and family will be holding you to your word. Enforcing behavior modifications that you may not feel as resolved in at that moment, as you felt at the time you jovially announced your New Years Resolution.

>Resolutions build intention

Letting people in on what you want to create in your life builds a supportive environment to actually bring it to fruition. When your resolve is meager, those who support you will become your temporary crutch until you regain your conviction. And, all worldly manifestations originate as a thought. The more thought generated in the same direction the more energy there is for it to manifest on your behalf.

>How genuine is your resolve?

When you hesitate to make a New Year's resolution, you don’t feel like thinking that hard or you don’t believe there is any value in the tradition or you just can’t think of anything, you are not recognizing how significant your personal resolve is in the outcome of your life.

When contemplating the New Year feel, what would make your heart full? Let yourself dream; imagine living your dream; visualize the journey. What convictions are necessary to make this change in your life? This is where your resolve needs to be. Express your resolution in a way that creates the feeling you have when you dream about the resolutions result.New Years resolutions are about creating positive change in your life. Happy New Year from The Maids!!!