Toxins here, toxins there, these nasty toxins are EVERYWHERE!

Hey everyone,

I've been reading a lot about updates on the health effects of environmental toxins and thought I'd share them with you all. First of all, I'd like to tell you all about two  books I've recently gotten a hold of - "Healthy Child, Healthy World" and "Not Just a Pretty Face". They both discuss the innumerable toxins in household items like cleaning supplies, foods and more specifically, beauty and hygiene products, in the latter. As many of you know, companies are not required to list the chemicals in their products, leading to the use of the cheapest, harshest chemicals in products we use every day. These chemicals are known to disrupt hormone pathways and/or cause direct damage to DNA, increasing risk of cancer and other disease processes. These chemicals are even being found in high levels in pregnant women, leading me to think of a connection between chemicals and increasing rates of childhood cancers and ADHD among U.S.-born children. (http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/14/pregnant-women-awash-in-chemicals-is-that-bad-for-baby/?xid=yahoo-feat) 
Until we get a handle on the ubiquitious nature of these chemicals, I will continue to read about it and report it on my blog and Facebook pages. That is the purpose of this post. These books are easy to read and both give practical tips to decreasing your exposure to toxic chemicals and easy alternatives to use. (Yes, there ARE alternatives!) I've posted the President's Cancer Panel Report twice on my blog, because it is crucial that you all see the SCIENTIFIC evidence that has been widely accepted by the NIH and other scientific communities. These two books discuss the movement that built the case for environmental awareness and/or reform. So, download them to your kindles/ipads and get to reading! 

I've also been introduced to the work of Dr. Phillip Landrigan of Mount Sinai Hospital in NY. This ground-breaking preventive medicine physician and researcher led the way in childhood lead intoxication research in the 1970s and the policy changes that resulted as a consequence. Here's a link to an Op/Ed of his featured in the NY Times...pretty much sums up the issues:
 
http://www.mountsinai.org/vgn_lnk/Regular%20Content/File/Advertorials/MS_OpEd%20Ad_080309_Revised.pdf

(It may seem like I present a lot of doom and gloom through my blog, but I do not feel this is the case. I just firmly believe that education and knowledge lead to reform. And we as consumers have been in the dark for TOO long! So, once again, I urge you to read about these issues in order to become informed consumers.)
Let me know if you'd like more info on this topic or have any questions...I'm always willing to find out more!

Take care, 

Ashley