Before you hit the stores on Black Friday, you need to hear this!

Are you preparing your Black Friday search for bargains, but wary of purchasing toys this holiday season? Has the rash of recalls affecting more than a million popular toys got you wondering how to spread holiday cheer without harm? Well, there is finally some good news on the toy front.

The Ecology Center, in collaboration with the Washington Toxics Coalition and other leading environmental groups, has tested more than 1,500 toys and ranked them from highest to lowest in terms of harmful chemicals such as lead and PVC. They performed the tests using technology far more reliable than home testing kits. The results will be released to the public at www.healthytoys.org on Wednesday, December 5^th. Each week until Christmas more toys will be tested based upon shoppers’ requests.

So rather than braving the crowds this Friday, why not sleep in? This way you can wait to hear which toys are safest and avoid waiting on long return lines along with other customers who learn the toys they have purchased rated poorly on the test for hazardous chemicals.

 In light of recent outbreaks of Staph, short for Staphylococcus aureus, parents and teachers have expressed concern about how to prevent this health threat. Staph is a bacteria that is present on the skin and in the nostrils of all people, and is not usually problematic. The recent health scare involves a type of Staph that has become resistant to many antibiotics. It is called MRSA (short for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) MRSA has been a major cause of infections among hospitalized patients for years, but has only recently become a problem in non-hospitalized patients. It is estimated that 25-30% of people have Staph on their body whereas 1% of people harbor MRSA.

Because it is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, Staph is a concern among schools, daycares, and other places where people gather. Here are 3 ways to protect yourself and others from Staph:

1. In order for Staph to cause infection, it has to pass through the protective layer of skin into the body. This may occur with cuts, scrapes, or through hair follicles. For this reason, the best form of protection from Staph is to keep infections covered with a bandage or other means. Towels, washcloths, razors, and other items that have had direct skin contact should also be kept from contacting others.
2. Proper hygiene including frequent hand washing and wiping down any surfaces that are frequently touched (as in preschool tabletops) is essential to preventing the spread of all infections, including Staph. However, antibacterial products are not required. A recent scientific study found that antibiotic soaps were no more effective than plain soap at reducing bacterial levels on hands nor were they more effective at reducing sickness¹. Moreover, several types of bacteria, including Staph showed unexpectedly high resistance to triclosan, the antibiotic typically used in antibacterial products¹. If these particular bacteria are wise enough to have developed resistance to antibiotics taken by mouth, it makes perfect sense that they would have developed resistance against antibiotics in soap, cleaners, detergents and other products. In addition to the possibility of creating “superbugs”, there is another high price to pay for the unnecessary use of antibacterial soap: When it reaches our waterways in wastewater, it is decimating fish and causing an environmental catastrophe. It has now found its way into human breastmilk with unknown consequences to the developing baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) and Isopropyl alcohol (Alcohol wipes) are effective against MRSA. Alcohol works by dehydrating the bacteria cells, so there is no way to develop resistance. While other cleaners may be effective, they are also frequently toxic to humans and are preferably avoided.
3. Have you ever noticed how some people fall prey to illness, while others who were exposed to the same germ do not? The reason for this is that there are two parties involved in every fight. We tend to focus on the aggressor, the germ, while overlooking the target, the immune system. It is essential to maintain a strong immune system in order to combat any type of infection, including Staph. This can be accomplished by eating a whole foods diet (check out whfoods.org) and considering high-grade nutrient supplements when necessary. A functional medicine doctor (www.functionalmedicine.org) can help you determine your child’s individual nutritional deficits by a simple blood test and prescribe targeted nutritional therapy.

TIP: Proper hand washing means taking the time to lather up the soap. This gives the soap time to lift the bacteria off the skin and entrap it within tiny soap compartments called “micelles”. Once the lathering is done, the bacteria are rinsed away by the water stream. Be sure to clean the fingernails, between the fingers, and all other surfaces of the hands.

 If a person becomes infected with Staph, they will usually develop a boil or pus pocket on the skin. These are treated by simply allowing the pus or fluid to drain out of the body. Antibiotics rarely are helpful because the Staph is walled off from the blood stream by the boil and antibiotics cannot reach the area to treat it. If a skin infection is not healing, getting worse, is accompanied by a fever, or causes concern, it is advisable to see a healthcare professional. The good news is that Staph infections that enter the bloodstream causing severe illness or death are exceedingly rare in healthy people and following the 3 steps listed above will help protect you and those in your care from the threat of Staph. 

1 Aiello AE, et al “Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky” Clinical Infectious Diseases 2007; 45, Supp.2: S137-147.

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Questions and Answers about MRSA in Schools: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_in_schools.html   

 Bravo to CNN for shedding some light on the devastation that chemicals are causing. It is wonderful to see the mainstream media tackling the issue of chemicals and kids. For those of you who aren’t aware of the Body Burden study, I have included an excerpt from “Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family”, which cites the study several times. If you are a parent or know someone who is, please tell them to check this out. Avoiding toxic chemicals and minimizing their impact on the body is truly the most important component of health in today’s world. Check out my links at http://www.holler4health.com to get started on a safer path.

Excerpt from “Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family”:

“There is nothing on this earth equal to, no nation has any resource greater than, the potential of just one child.” –Richard Pelzer, Author of A Child Called It We all live in a toxic soup. We are bombarded with chemicals whose toxicity and potential dangers are often unknown. Although we may all suffer the effects of toxins, it is our children who are at greatest risk.

Children are uniquely vulnerable to environmental toxins. Their rapid metabolism and growth and development expose them to more toxins by requiring increased consumption of food, water, and air for their body weight than adults. Children also behave differently than adults. They put everything in their mouth. Products may be considered to have “safe” amounts of toxins because they were not intended to be placed in the mouth. Crawling and spending more time on the ground places children in closer proximity to the toxins that settle in the earth and household dust. Toxins are also more likely to make a child ill because the systems required to detoxify or excrete these poisons are still maturing. Moreover, acceptable exposure limits are typically determined by risk assessment calculations in adults, not more vulnerable infants and children. ¹

We now know that children are contaminated before they even take their first breath of air.² This is especially concerning because the blood brain barrier is not fully formed until months after birth allowing these toxins to enter the brain causing irreversible brain damage in the unborn child.

Medical Stuff: The blood brain barrier shields the delicate brain from potentially harmful substances that may be circulating in the bloodstream.

Of the 287 industrial chemicals and pollutants found in umbilical cord blood from newborns tested in a 2004 study, 180 are known to cause cancer, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or developmental abnormalities.²

How did we manage to contaminate our children with all of these toxic chemicals before they have even taken a breath of air let alone smoked a cigarette? When we look at the information on toxic releases into our air and water, the answer is obvious. In 2004, U.S. industries released over 70 million pounds of known carcinogens, 96 million pounds of known developmental toxins, nearly 38 million pounds of reproductive toxins, more than 826 million pounds of suspected neurological toxicants and nearly 1.5 billion pounds of suspected respiratory toxicants into the air and water.³

Yet these releases are not our greatest toxic threat. For every pound of neurotoxins, carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxins that industries reported releasing to the environment in New Jersey and Massachusetts, an average of 42 pounds of the same chemicals are used in products intended for use in or around the home.⁴ And so our greatest toxic threat comes from our own purchasing decisions. This means we have the power to change the state of our health by simply choosing to purchase safer products.

Unfortunately this is no easy task. Chemicals known or suspected of causing health problems are frequently not labeled so consumers have no idea how toxic their homes have become or how to choose safer products. This book is intended to change that by providing practical tools and tips for making healthier choices. But first we need to understand that others aren’t positioned to help. We must step up to protect ourselves.

Learn more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones at www.holler4health.com

Did you know that poor college students have been used as guinea pigs? In 2000, Students at Loma Linda University in California were paid $1000 to participate in a study funded by defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The students were required to take a daily dose of perchlorate, rocket fuel, for 6 months. Those who were taking the highest dose, were taking an amount that was 83 time higher than California’s Action Level for rocket fuel in drinking water. Healthy males were also recruited at Harvard and Oregon State Universities to drink water laced with rocket fuel. The US Air Force may be conducting similar studies at other locations.

Rocket fuel is a known toxin that decreases thyroid hormone function and interferes with normal brain function. Nearly one in ten people are believed to have an undiagnosed thyroid condition, particularly low thyroid hormone production. Chemical contamination by rocket fuel, pesticides, dioxins, and PCBs are likely suspects.

Lower levels of thyroid hormone can cause attention deficit disorder, poor learning ability, depression, anxiety, unexplained weight gain, fatigue, and sexual apathy. While sexual apathy might be considered a desirable trait in college students, the inability to learn is certainly not.

According to the National Institutes of Health’s International Review Board (IRB), children over the age of 18 do not require parental permission to participate in research studies. Students are solicited by want ads in college papers and on advertisements on public transportation. Research is portrayed to be safe because it is conducted at respectable institutions. A website geared toward students downplays the risks claiming that “doctors will always go to great lengths to make sure you’re safe. So as long as you answer all the doctor’s questions honestly, any bad reaction will be a completely freak occurrence.” The website goes on to denounce “those pesky ethicists [that] have made an outcry against these types of trials”. (www.soyouwanna.com)

In 1996 a 19-year-old University of Rochester student died after undergoing a procedure as a volunteer subject in a research study. The study was to determine the role that airborne chemicals play in lung cancer. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the host of the study, responded by stating that the procedure that killed this young nursing student “carries a low risk”.

So before you pack up your child and ship them off to college, please be sure they know that research studies are not always safe . The potential for harm may outweigh the monetary benefits.

(References: Sharp, Renee and Walker, Bill. Rocket Science: Perchlorate and the Toxic Legacy of the Cold War. Environmental Working Group. July, 2001. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1996/wandeath-0410.html. http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/guineapig/guineapig.html.)