Dr. Jaty
Markham Village Naturopathic Clinic Blog
We tend to be concerned with what products and foods we put in our bodies but what about the products we surround ourselves by in our homes? On a typical cleaning day in a typical Canadian home, levels of chemicals in the indoor air can be hundreds, even thousands of times higher than the outdoor air in the most polluted of cities. Our families are breathing in dozens of chemicals mixed together that have negative effects on our bodies, especially when you think of little ones with allergies and asthma!
Here are a few examples of what is found in chemical solutions;
Acetone – A neurotoxin, acetone may cause liver and kidney damage, and damage a developing fetus. It is a skin and eye irritant. Found in spot treatment cleaners and mark and scuff removers.
Aerosol products- Aerosol propellants contain propane, fomaldehyde, a carcinogen, neurotoxin and central nervous system depressant, methylene chloride, a carcinogen, neurotoxin and reproductive toxin, and nitrous oxide . Products applied with aeresol sprays are broken into minute particles, which can be more deeply inhaled than larger particles, which may increase their toxic effect.
Parabens – Parabens are hormone disruptors. Used in cleaning products as preservatives, paraben is usually preceded by the prefixes methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-, or propyl.
Bleach- The main ingredient in chlorine bleach is sodium hypochlorite (chlorine added to lye). Chlorine is toxis as a skin irritant, and by inhalation. Workplace safety sheets warm that sodium hypochlorite may be a neurotoxin and cause liver damage.
Alternatives!! There are several natural options out there. The first would be making your own solutions with common household products like vinegar, lemon and baking soda (some recipes below). There are also plenty of “greener” alternatives now widely available from manufacturers like Citra-Solv (my fav!), Ecover, Mrs. Meyers, and Seventh Generation, among many others. They work well, leave your home smelling fresh, are environmentally friendly and do not emit toxic particles into our air.
Home Solutions:
All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc.
Chopping block cleaner: Rub a slice of lemon across a chopping block to disinfect the surface. For tougher stains, squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the spot and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe.
Oven Cleaner: Moisten oven surfaces with sponge and water. Use 3/4cup baking soda, 1/4cup salt and 1/4cup water to make a thick paste, and spread throughout oven interior. (avoid bare metal and any openings) Let sit overnight. Remove with spatula and wipe clean.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into basin and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse.
Dr. Rachel Schwartzman
Here is a simple and delicious recipe just in time for the holiday season! They are vegan too…..
Vegan Macaroons-I got the recipe from http://www.selfishvegan.com/2010/07/macaroons/
I think they might just end up being holiday gifts to a few lucky people. Give them a try!
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup almond milk (can use soy or rice if a nut allergy)
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
I mixed the above together and then added
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
6 tbsp flour (your choice, next time i am going to try Bob’s gluten free blend)
Make into small round balls and bake at 350F for 15minutes.
Once they cooled down a dipped them halfway in melted vegan chocolate chips. Pure bliss….. happy holidays!
Dr. Rachel Schwartzman
I gave an informal lecture to a mom’s group last week and we discussed food ingredients. There are a lot of additives put into food, especially into packaged foods. I compiled a short list of ingredients to try avoid and thought I would share with y’all!
Aspartame: more popularly known as Nutrasweet and Equal. Aspartame is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined. Aspartame is also a neurotoxin. Known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory, the components of this toxic sweetener may lead to a wide variety of ailments including brain tumor, diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, migraines and seizures.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (in Canada called Glucose/Fructose-read you labels and you will see how often glucose/fructose is in your packaged food!): As discovered by Princeton researchers HFCS leads to obesity. They discovered that rats which had access to high fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to basic table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.
Food Dyes: Blue #1 and #2; Red #3, Yellow #6, Tartrazine may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ. Animal studies have linked other food colorings to cancer. Banned in Norway, Finland and France. Has been proven to cause thyroid cancer and chromosomal damage in laboratory animals, may also interfere with brain-nerve transmission Check product ingredient lists for beet, carotenes, annatto (a paprika extract)—all are natural colorants.
MSG: is known as an excitotoxin, a substance which overexcites cell to the point of damage or death. Studies show that regular consumption of MSG may result in adverse side effects which include depression, disorientation, eye damage, fatigue, headaches, and obesity. MSG effects the neurological pathways of the brain and disengaged the “I’m full” function which explains the effects of weight gain. Found in packaged foods ie. flavoured potato chips, powdered soup stocks.
Sodium nitrite is used as a preservative, coloring and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. Highly carcinogenic once it enters the human digestive system. This chemical is used as it turns meats bright red. It’s actually a color fixer, and it makes old, dead meats appear fresh and vibrant.
Lastly, avoid Microwaved Popcorn: the bags are lined with Perfluorooctanoic (PFOA) acid which lines the bags, and when heated the compound is released. It is toxic, carcinogenic and a hormone disruptor. Here is the post of how to make your own stove top popcorn in mintues! http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/05/stove-top-popcorn.html
Dr. Rachel Schwartzman
We went to Avalon Organics (http://www.avalonorchards.net/index.html) this past weekend and
picked SO many apples! It was important that we went to an organic orchard as we did not
want to walk through fields of pesticides, nor did we want to bring any home with us. All that Avalon did
was spray Kaolin Clay once early in the season on their crops and those nasty little pests
kept away! Apples are a low glycemic food, rich in fiber, eliminate bad estrogens, and are rich in
nutrients.
Organic food has fewer hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing pesticides and higher levels of
cancer-fighting nutrients. As the Harvard School of Public Health recently released their data
stating that by choosing 5 servings of organic fruits and vegetables per day, most people can
lower their volume of pesticides they consume daily by 92%.
Another study out of Harvard shows that even tiny, allowable amounts of a common pesticide
class can have dramatic effects on brain chemistry. Organophosphate insecticides (OP’s) are
among the most widely used pesticides in the U.S.; have long been known to be
particularly toxic for children. This is the first study to examine their effects across a
representative population with average levels of exposure. Finding : Kids with above-average
pesticide exposures are 2x as likely to have ADHD.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/05/17/peds.2009-3058.abstract
Dr. Rachel Schwartzman
Did you know that a 10 minute jump on a rebounder (mini trampoline) is equivalent to a 30 minute run with 80% less stress on your joints! We have one in the backyard and the kids LOVE jumping on it. Another amazing benefit is that it moves your lymphatic tissue (which eliminates viruses, bacteria and cancer cells!). Plus it tires active kiddies out which is always helpful at the end of a day!
Dr. Rachel Schwartzman
We went to the Organic Market the other day and I picked up this beautiful bunch of kale for $2.00 (i wish a would have taken a picture of it all bunched up). I decided to make kale chips from it and they turned out fantastic! What a wonderful way to get one of the most nutritious greens into little kiddies. Kale is rich in vitamin A, C and K plus is an important part of the cruciferous vegetable group that aids in fighting cancer cells, esp. breast and prostate.
Before going into the oven.
Crisped!
I simply washed the kale and broke it up into smaller pieces, getting rid of the heavy stalks. I put all the small pieces in a big mixing bowl and tossed with a little olive oil and sea salt. I also rubbed the olive oil and salt into the kale softening it up a little. I then baked them in the oven at 325F and 10 minutes later perfectly crispy chips came out!
Enjoyed!
just a small warning: if your teeth are anything like mine (velcro-like!) have some dental floss on hand…..
Dr. Rachel Schwartzman
The main compounds in antibiotic wipes, antiperspirants, creams and soaps — triclosan and triclocarban – have also been added to laundry detergent, garbage bags, chopping boards, refrigerators, plastic lunchboxes, and mattresses in an attempt to halt the spread of microbes. But studies show that these antibiotic chemicals are no more likely than regular soap to prevent gastrointestinal or respiratory illness. In fact, for chronically sick patients, antibiotic soaps were actually associated with increases in the frequencies of fevers, runny noses and coughs.
According to Scientific American (July 2011):
“What we do know is that the influence of these wipes and salves does not end with our hands, but instead spreads from them down our drains and out into society.
What happens when antibiotic soaps and suds go down drains? To find out, a group of scientists recently made artificial drains clogged with bacteria … and then subjected them to low and high doses of triclosan … Triclosan kills ‘weak’ bacteria but favours the tolerant, among them species of bacteria that eat triclosan … Triclosan may also favour lineages of bacteria that are also resistant to the oral antibiotics used in hospitals”.
Additionally, there have been recent concerns about its possible effects on human health — and triclosan has been detected in human breast milk, blood, and urine samples. Triclosan can pass through skin and is suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption). A study evaluated the effects of triclosan in female rats, and was found to advance the age at which the rats hit puberty. Serum thyroid hormone concentrations were also suppressed by triclosan.
Environment Canada has categorized triclosan as potentially toxic to aquatic organisms, bioaccumulative, and persistent. In other words, it doesn’t easily degrade and can build up in the environment after it has been rinsed down the shower drain. In the environment, triclosan also reacts to form dioxins, which bioaccumulate and are toxic. v
The extensive use of triclosan in consumer products may contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Canadian Medical Association has called for a ban on antibacterial consumer products, such as those containing triclosan.
Health Canada’s Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist limits the concentration of triclosan to 0.03 per cent in mouthwashes and 0.3 per cent in other cosmetics. As is often the issue with toxic chemicals in cosmetic products, the problem is that triclosan is used in so many products that the small amounts found in each product add up — particularly since the chemical does not readily degrade. Moreover, some anti-bacterial hand sanitizers containing triclosan may not classify as “cosmetics” as per the Food and Drug Act. Products classified as “drugs” on the basis of a therapeutic claim or function are not subject to the Cosmetic Regulations or the Hotlist restriction.
Environment Canada has flagged triclosan for future assessment under the government’s Chemicals Management Plan.
Dr. Julie Wyatt
Here it is! We are happy to introduce our blog as a way of keeping in touch with you about things going on in our clinic and in the exciting world of naturopathic medicine. We hope you enjoy it.
We have an exciting fall lined up with new services to offer, new team members to introduce you to and an interactive mini-lecture series.
For now, I will keep this simple and just share my favourite summer salad recipe with you… enjoy!
Avocado and Black Bean Salad
1 19oz can black beans
1 red onion
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 15 oz can corn
2 avocados
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup olive oil
4 oz arugala (optional)
Mix the above ingredients together with a dash of salt and fresh cilantro to taste. Enjoy!
Dr. Julie Wyatt