Diva Guide: Suncreen
July 23, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Better Beauty, Diva Guide, Health & Wellness, Infant & Childcare
Summer is coming – which sunscreen will you slather on your skin?
Sunscreen is a product that we are encouraged to use to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays while enjoying the outdoors. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you are even more concerned about protecting your children’s sensitive skin and making the safest choice possible.
But what to do we really know about the safety of the products we are choosing – in my research – it seems clear that we don’t know enough.
Note – be prepared when switching to safer sunscreens you are going to move into products that are going to be thicker, whiter and slower to absorb that other sunscreen choices. This is because they rely on a high concentration of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to block the suns rays.
Look for:
At least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for UVA & UVB protection.
What to Avoid:
Spray and Powder Sunscreen
Sunscreen insect repellent combo – pesticides absorbing into your body
Ingredients; Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3, skin absorption, allergies, hormone problems
Brands; Coppertone, Banana Boat and Most Neutrogena
From the EWG:
No one understands the health implications of our exposures to complex mixtures of industrial compounds and pollutants: remarkably, federal health standards do not require companies to test most products for safety before they are sold, including nearly all chemicals in sunscreen and other personal care products. Little is known about the safety of most industrial chemicals. In the absence of data the federal government approves new chemicals for the market using computer models to predict if they are toxic to humans.
After 30 years of debate,the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. Companies are free to make their own decisions on everything from advertising claims to product quality. FDA now stands in direct violation of a Congressional mandate requiring the agency to finalize sunscreen safety standards by May 2006, flouting not only Congress but also consumers, who are reliant on sunscreen to protect their health.
EWG’s Top Ten List:
Blue Lizard
California Baby (SPF 30 or Higher)
CVS (with zinc oxide
Jason Natural Cosmetics – Sunbrellas Mineral Based Sunblock
Kiss My Face – Paraben Free series
Neutrogena – Sensative Skin Sunblock
Olay Defense Daily UV Moisturizer with zinc
SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense
Solar Sense Clear Zinc for Face
Walgreens Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose, & Ears
My Picks:
After studying the EWG’s extensive list the following products have an EWG score of 0-3 for toxicity. My selections are for individual products, not the brands in general, as brand scores can vary widely.
Natural:
Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas: Mineral Based Physical Sunblock SPF 30+
Kiss My Face Sunscreen Spf#30 + With Oat Protein 100% Paraben Free
Nature’s Gate Organics Be Solective Sunscreen for Face, SPF 30
All California Baby Sunscreens
Luxury
Dermalogica Super Sensitive Face Block, SPF 30
Mustela Sun Cream for Sensitive Areas, SPF 50
Kiehl’s All-Sport ‘non-Freeze’ Face Protector, SPF 30
DDF Organic Sunblock, SPF 30
Value:
CVS Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide, SPF 45+
Walgreens Sunblock with Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose & Ears, SPF 45+
Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer, SPF 30 – Available at my Target
No-Ad Ultra Sunblock Lotion, SPF 60
If you must use a spray – these are your best bets:
Almay Sun Protector for Body Spray, SPF 30
Dermalogica Waterblock Solar Spray, SPF 30
Banana Boat Ultra Mist Kid’s Tear Free Continuous Spray Sunblock Lotion, SPF 30 – Only SPF 30 the SPF 50 is rated 9!
Shopping at Target:
I was recently at target, they had walls of sunscreen. I could only find one of the above products – After an hour of research using my telephone I was able to find 2 sunscreens that were an EWG 3 and the lowest score for a spray was a 5.
Coppertone WaterBabies Pure & Simple – SPF 50 – oil, fragrance & dye free
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion – SPF 60+
Banana Boat Kids Continuous Spray Sunscreen – SPF 50
To learn more:
www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09
The Dangers of Cigar Smoking
July 2, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Health & Wellness
If you know me – you know about my battle with Dude’s little cigar smoking hobby. I can’t argue with him about it anymore… but at least I can blog a few of the facts!
The information that most surprised me was how addictive Cigars are – nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes. Cigarette’s contain 1-2 mg while a Cigar contains 100-200 mg.
Don’t be mislead by thinking because you don’t inhale you are safe. The nicotine is absorbed in your mouth through your saliva.
Data for this was from About.com – Written by Terry Martin
It’s a common misconception that cigar smoking is less dangerous than cigarette smoking. Not true. Cigars are not safer than cigarettes, but because they are used differently, the health hazards differ somewhat as well.
How does cigar smoking differ from cigarette smoking?
- Approximately 75 percent of cigar smokers don’t inhale and don’t smoke cigars on a daily basis.
- Cigarette smokers do inhale, and most smoke 20, 30 or more cigarettes every day.
These differences in smoking habit explain why cigar smokers are generally exposed to less of the poisons and carcinogens present in cigars than cigarette smokers are to similar toxins in cigarettes, and why there are fewer instances of cigar smoking-related disease and death than we see with cigarettes.Let’s take a look at a few facts about cigars and cigar smoking — some of them might surprise you.
Facts About Cigar Smoking
1. One cigar may contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes.
A single cigarette typically has less than a gram of tobacco, while a single cigar may contain as much as 5 to 17 grams of tobacco.
2. Cigars are addictive.
Cigar smoke breaks down in saliva, allowing the smoker to easily absorb nicotine through the lining of the mouth in quantities sufficient to causeaddiction, even if the smoke is not inhaled. And, the amount of nicotine in a single cigar is many times greater than what is found in a cigarette. A typical cigarette contains one to two milligrams of nicotine, while the nicotine content of a cigar is 100 to 200 milligrams, with some as high as 400 milligrams.
3. Cigar smoke is more concentrated and toxic than cigarette smoke.
Secondhand smoke from cigars varies from that of cigarettes for a couple of reasons. First, the manufacturing process for cigars requires a fermentation period. During this time, high concentrations of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are produced. TSNAs are some of the most carcinogenic compounds known to man. Secondly, cigar wrappers are not as porous as cigarette wrappers, making the combustion of a cigar less complete. These two factors result in higher concentrations some of the toxic chemicals in cigars than in cigarettes.
4. Smoking as little as one cigar a day increases the risk for cancer.
Cigar smoking has been linked to several different cancers, most notably those of the oral cavity, which include lip, tongue, mouth, throat and larynx. Cigar smokers who inhale are also at an increased risk for lung cancer, cancers of the pancreas and bladder, as well as heart and lungdisease.
5. Cigar and pipe smokers are at risk for early tooth loss.
In a study published in the January 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, it was discovered that cigar and pipe smokers are at an increased risk for early tooth loss, compared to that of their nonsmoking counterparts. Cigar and pipe smokers are also at an increased risk for alveolar bone(the bone that holds the tooth in place) loss.
6. Cigar smoking has been linked to erectile dysfunction in men.
Smokers are twice as likely to be impotent as nonsmokers due to the adverse effects smoking has on circulation, hormones and the nervous system. Cigar smoking and exposure to second hand smoke in particular have been shown to be significant risk factors for erectile dysfunction.
All forms of tobacco have risks associated with them, and cigars are no different. Steer clear of cigars, and avoid the secondhand smoke they produce.
There is no such thing as a “safe” tobacco product.
<a href=”http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cigarspipesandsmokeless/a/CigarSmokeFacts.htm”></a><a href=”http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cigarspipesandsmokeless/a/CigarSmokeFacts.htm”></a>http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cigarspipesandsmokeless/a/CigarSmokeFacts.htm
High Fructose Corn Syrup – HFCS
June 30, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition, Health & Wellness, Preservatives & Additives
Dr. Oz has HFCS listed this as his number 2 of foods to avoid on his Oprah.com food hall of shame…
What’s wrong with it after all?
Consumption of HFCS prevents your brain from making a chemical that enables your brain to signal to your body that you are full, causing you to consumer on average an extra 100 calories.
It is widely used because of it’s highly concentrated sweetness making it less expensive in food manufacturing.
I have virtually eliminated HFCS from the diet of our family. If it’s on the ingredient list I look for an alternative… it is really surprising just how many food products are made using HFCS.
Look for it in Sodas, Breads, Ketchup, Relish, Baked Beans. Syrups, Salad Dressings and my favorite it’s even in Mott’s applesauce… and so on.
If you check the labels – in most cases you will find that one of the brands does not contain HFCS.
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/health/weightloss/slideshow2_ss_yourbody_20060501/2
High Fructose Corn Syrup – HFCSI’m Buying a Cow.
May 16, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition, Health & Wellness
I’m not going to pasture a cow in our backyard, but have I decided that I need to opt out of the mainstream meat production as much as I can.
The first step in “buying our cow” is acquiring a deep freeze. If you aren’t going to get your meat from the market, you’ll likely be buying it in larger quantities and that will require a freezer.
In an effort to ensure anyone could do this - I found our deep freeze on craigslist in the free section. It took a few weeks of steady checking – but one day there it was – an upright, clean, free deep freeze.
I don’t think we’ll buy a whole cow, we don’t eat that much meat – a share will do us nicely.
Image courtesy of Universal Pops
So why am I doing this?
It’s my belief that the food system in our country is very broken and one of the areas that is of particular concern is the meat industry. It’s no wonder so many people turn to being vegetarian. About 70% of ground beef in America contains a filler product that is washed with ammonia in order to kill e-coli – it’s time to for a change.
For me and my family that means eating less meat, higher quality meats and whenever possible – supporting local farmers and ranchers.
Recently, I had an great discussion with a farmer named Xenia, from Rainbow Ranch Farms in San Bernadino, CA. She used to be a vegetarian – now she has a farm, and on her farm she has chickens, goats, cows, and 2 dogs. She raises these animals in the manner that we imagine all the farm animals are raised. Unfortunately meat we are getting from conventional grocers isn’t raised in this fashion.
Xenia can’t sell to any stores, she can’t sell to whole foods, she can only sell to folks who are shared owners of her farm. The good news is anyone can become a shared owner of her farm or many of the other CSA farmers around the country!
More good news – there are farms that are licensed to sell without requiring a CSA share. Farms like Lazy 69 Ranch in Central California. They will ship anywhere, but see if you can’t find a great ranch like this one close to you.
Don’t think you have a small farm in your area – you’d be surprised. Spend a few minutes with google or www.localharvest.org.
You can also find local farmers who sell meat and eggs through the Farmer’s Markets.
I’m Buying a Cow.MRSA – Staph Strain Resistant to most Antibiodics
April 21, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Health & Wellness, Infant & Childcare
Watching Oprah a while back – I was shocked to hear the story of Kristen Hunter who passed away after contracting MRSA. At one point in the story – as told on Oprah – what concerned me was that she was treated with antibiotics for what the doctors suspected was a virus. Am I accurate in the understanding that an antibiotic will not help a virus? Why are they still being prescribed in these situations?
Dr. Oz went through a detailed graphic on what the MRSA looks like, and how it is different from the other Staph strains, he said that giving the incorrect antibiotic will kill off the other strains and leave the MRSA virus to thrive rampantly. It wasn’t stated, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the incorrect antibiotic could actually create a more favorable environment for this Super Bug.
There is a now a test for MRSA widely available, so it can be quickly and accurately diagnosed.
We are blessed to have wonderful medicine and treatments available to us, but they should not be used without careful consideration or we will find our country facing more and more of these strains that will be deadly because we don’t have anything left to kill them.
The good news for MRSA is that we can treat it when accurately diagnosed.
For more information on MRSA, how to recognize it, and how to prevent it look at:
www.stopmrsanow.org/facts.html
When to seek medical advice:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735/DSECTION=when%2Dto%2Dseek%2Dmedical%2Dadvice
My thoughts and prayers are with Kirsen Hunter’s family, for more about their tragic story:
www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090423-tows-mrsa/8
www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=10056399
Natural Remedies Known to Have Dangerous Interactions With Medications:
April 6, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Health & Wellness, In the News
A report from the Mayo Clinic lists the following known drug interactions between natural remedies and prescribed medications & conditions:
St. John Wort – Increases the potency of some drugs.
S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) – Interacts with drugs that affect serotonin.
Garlic – Avoid if taking anti-clotting medications.
Ginseng – Avoid if taking anti-clotting medications.
Ginger – Avoid if taking anti-clotting medications.
FeverFew – Avoid if taking anti-clotting medications.
Ginko – Avoid if taking anti-clotting medications & can interfere with anti-seizure medication
Kava – Avoid if you have liver problems or taking cholesterol medications
St. Johns Wort – Image from Shandchem
I use natural remedies myself – but it is important to remember that natural remedies CAN interact with prescribed medications – just like any other medicine! My personal choice is to work with an Integrative Doctor who prescribes both prescription and non-prescription drugs. If you see a traditional Doctor, or don’t have an Integrative Doctor in your area, be sure to keep your doctor informed of any natural therapies you are using.
The above list is condensed, to read the full story.
Natural Remedies Known to Have Dangerous Interactions With Medications:Diva Review & Giveaway: revitaPOP – the B12 Lollipop
March 31, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Diva Giveaways, Diva Reviews, Health & Wellness, Review & Giveaways
Longtime readers will be familiar with my experience with Vitamin B12 or Methylcobalamin B12 (Melthylated B12 or MB12) is that it is Vitamin B12 that has been methylated to enable the body to absorb vitamin B12 better, in it’s regular form B12 doesn’t readily absorb.
For those who are not – B12 is one of my go to cold & flu remedies. There is no scientific data to my knowledge supporting it’s use. That said, I know when I get a sore throat – a dose of B12 and the sore throat is gone.
The challenge with this natural remedy is getting your hands on it in a way that our bodies will benefit from it. You can’t just take a tablet.
You can:
Order it from a compounding pharmacy in Georgia with a prescription. Make your own compound using 5000 mcg sublingual tablets crushed into .5 oz of water in a dropper or nasal spray bottle (Read Comments in Diva Cold & Flu Tool Kit). Find a Doctor who administers B12 shots. The B12 lollipop – revitaPOP – a delicious Lolli that no child will turn down.
Founder - Stan Kurtz (left) and Friends
In our family we use this remedy treating the common cold, but many say they have had great success using B12 with ADHD, Irritable Bowel, and autism to name a few of the symptoms they list on their site.
While their statements have not been evaluated by the FDA they do list numerous sources & studies pointing to it’s efficacy on their site. I know if I had a child that suffered from autism I would be willing to invest in a few lollipops to see if I noticed any improvement.
revitaPOP contains – no gluten, no casein, no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’S), no FD & C Colors, no dairy, no artificial flavors, no dyes, no synthetics, no pesticides, no preservatives.
Ingredients – Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Fruit Juice, Citric Acid & Natural Goji flavor.
Children may safely take 1 Revita Pop, adults may take 2.
My one wish was that they had formulated revitaPOP without Cane Juice – and that it was a little less expensive. Revita Pops are $34.99 (plus shipping) per bag of 30 lollipops.
Conclusion:
RevitaPOP is a great way to easily administer vitamin B12 and it’s so yummy no one will feel even know they are taking their “medicine”.
Ready to Try revitaPOP for Yourself?
Enter to win a One Month Supply of revitaPOP – A $45 value.
HOW TO ENTER:
There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.
Mandatory
Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar. Leave a comment with a name I can print in our newsletter if you win!
- The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.
Additional Entries
- Go to RevitaPop and share your favorite fun fact about this great company!
- Stumble, Digg, Kirsty, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.
- Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.
- Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & revitaPop on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.
- Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “WIN a One Month Supply of revitaPOP Vitamin B12 Lollipops a $45 Value Diva Giveaway http://bit.ly/aFC7kB @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
- Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!
This giveaway will run through midnight on April 10, 2010 PDT, with winner being announced April 12, 2010 in the PND Newsletter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entriesl. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.
Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.
alt=”MckLinky Blog Hop” longdesc=”http://www.mcklinky.com” />
target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….
10 Americans
March 30, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Health & Wellness, Why Bother?
This is a great presentation by the President of the EWG, Ken Cook.
The risk of Cancer in the United States is higher than any other country in the world. Invest a few minutes to watch this video. For the health and safety of your family – it’s eye opening.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Fruits and Vegetables May Be Taking a Bath In Toxic Chemical
March 23, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition, Health & Wellness
It keeps getting scarier to eat!
It seems more and more important that we stay informed, get involved, buy local produce whenever possible from the farmers and wash, wash, wash what you buy from the market!
The Short Version:
Fruits and vegetables are packed on pallets for shipping, turns out the industry is moving towards using more plastic pallets, turns out a bunch of these pallets contain Deca a chemical linked to Cancer, Brain and Reproductive Disorders in animal studies.
Wooden Pallets
What is Deca?
Deca is a Flame Retardant that is added to plastics to prevent them from catching fire at high heats.
Question: How does the Deca get from the pallets onto our fruits and vegetables?
In preparation for shipping produce is hydro-cooled. Stacks of pallets containing produce are submerged in supercooled water, or have water dripped on top. The water is then recycled, raising the concentration of Deca in the water and increasing the likelihood of contamination.
General Mills, Borders Melon Company, PepsiCo, Cott, Okray Family Farmsand Martoni Farm are currently using plastic pallets. While Dole Foods and Kraft Foods are considering making the switch.
By the way, over 40% of the deca used globally is used in the US!
As a result of public health concerns officials in Maine and Washington State have restricted the use of Deca and 10 other states are proposing bans this year.
Canadian and European officials have banned the use of Deca in electronics. It seems clear that Deca should come nowhere near our food supply and yet, at the moment, it is much too close for my comfort.
This is summarized from an EWG report on another potential contamination of our food supply. Click to read their full report.
Image courtesy of Wahig.
Fruits and Vegetables May Be Taking a Bath In Toxic ChemicalTamiflu Use Leading to Drug Resistant Virus
March 6, 2010 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Diva Musings, Health & Wellness
The flu sucks.
We all want to do everything possible to shorten it’s duration or better yet avoid it all together.
Yet – virus’ are clever little buggers and are mutating to become immune to our biggest tool – Tamiflu.
Unless we are in a high risk group… we don’t want to be treating the flu with drugs that are causing these virus’ to mutate. Doing this puts us all at greater risk.
Natural remedies like Black Elderberry have been shown in studies to shorten flu duration.
The moral of the story seems to be – once again – use caution before taking drugs. If we don’t all collectively do this – we’ll find ourselves without the tools to fight these virus’ when we really need them.
Image by mybloodyself - photo links.
While we’re on the subject of virus’ mutating it’s a good time to remind our readers that antibacterial products have been shown to be of concern for a similar reason – bacterial resistance according to the AMA.
Our best defense against cold and flu is frequent hand washing with REGULAR soap and water (not antibacterial).
Read up on the tips and tricks we use to fight cold & flu in the Diva home.
The Bottom Line is that we are putting ourselves at risk using antibiotics and other drugs when a cold or flu is inconvenient rather than saving these drugs for true medical emergencies.
Pandemic Flu, Like Seasonal H1N1, Shows Signs of Resisting Tamiflu.
Tamiflu Use Leading to Drug Resistant Virus
