According to WEBMD.com 55% of the U.S. population tests positive to one or more allergens. The estimated annual cost of allergies to the health care system and businesses in the U.S. is $7,900,000,000.00
Crazy huh? More than half the U.S. suffers from some type of allergy and that statistic is based on just the allergens we have tests for –the things that have already been identified as common allergens. It doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of all the myriad chemicals in our everyday items that may be causing allergies or making them worse.
If people really knew just how many chemicals they’re being exposed to through their everyday items and how that exposure is contributing to their allergy misery they would run out and get themselves a hazmat suit for some cover!
I know that sounds a bit radical but the research and evidence are overwhelming for anyone who is willing to take a hard look at what’s going on with the cumulative effects of using products made with these toxic ingredients. The real culprits are the ones that get into our body either by being absorbed through the skin or inhaled into the lungs. From there they get into our bloodstream and end up hanging around because our bodies don’t know how to properly metabolize and eliminate them.
This chemical residue that remains behind is sometimes called a Body Burden. The greater your Body Burden is, the more damage it does to your body in the long run. It causes inflammation that can be similar to the inflammation you get when you have allergies, which is why it’s usually overlooked as a possible source. It also weakens your immune system which makes it harder for you to get rid of your allergies and a lot of times it paves the way for your allergies to turn into something more serious like sinus infections, bronchitis or even asthma or eczema.
The good news is that by simply making safer choices you can radically reduce your exposure to substances that might trigger or worsen your allergies. Having healed myself from over a decade of chronic allergies, asthma AND eczema, I am living proof it can be done. But the first step to addressing any health challenge is simply creating awareness of what may be causing it, or otherwise interfering with your body’s ability to resolve it without the need for medication.
If you suffer from chronic allergies, or know someone who does then it’s vital for you to pay attention to the hidden toxins in your everyday items and start by getting rid of them or switching to healthier alternatives. In my next post I’ll be exploring 3 everyday items that we often use when we go camping, or throughout the summer season, that are suspect.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In the breast cancer world there’s always a lot of talk about “finding the cure.” I don’t know that it’s possible to find a cure for any type of cancer. I think that addressing cancer has to consist of a two-pronged approach: 1) Focusing on the causes so we can effectively engage in prevention and 2) Finding better (i.e. more effective and less devastating) treatment options for those who already have it. I firmly believe that prevention is the best long-term solution for significantly reducing the incidence of breast cancer (or any other type of cancer for that matter) and developing better tools and technology for early detection are also critical. There are many things we can do to lower our risk of developing cancer, but at the end of the day, if we’re not so lucky, having a wider range or treatment options would make a difficult situation a whole lot better and improve our odds of survival.
Some people are fond of saying that our memory is the first thing to go as we age. The conventional wisdom is that as we age, our memory inevitably gets worse. We just have to accept things like not remembering where we parked the car or forgetting a new person’s name within seconds of meeting them, as unavoidable signs of aging.
Ever since the American Heart Association’s 2009 recommendation to limit our daily consumption of added sugar to between 100 and 150 calories (vs. the 355+ calories that is actually consumed), the link between our overly sugar-laden diets and our ever-expanding waistlines has become painfully clear.
Like the rest of your skin, your lips need a good balance of ingredients that are emollients (softeners) and humectants (moisturizers that attract and hold water to the skin). The good news is there are a wide variety of emollient ingredients you can use. The bad news is the ones found in most lip products are petroleum-based and work via something called “occlusion” which means the act of closing off. They are spread onto the skin to slow or prevent moisture evaporation and are made from oils and waxes that can’t be penetrated by water.
