Purify and Moisturize Hands Naturally with Clean George

It's Fourth of July weekend, and you are sure to be out and about with your family. Often when attending events, such as parades or fireworks, it is impossible to wash your hands before every snack, especially when your little Curious Georges are off exploring. Clean George all natural hand purifiers offer a great solution to alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Today, amid concerns that anti-bacterial soaps cause 'super germs' and alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain harsh chemicals that strip the skin of natural oils and are unsafe for children, Clean George announces an organically pure solution for disinfecting hands when soap and water aren't readily available. The company has just released the first organic hand purifier that is also a moisturizer-- one with no alcohol-based ingredients, phthalates or parabens which are ingredients commonly found in other hand-sanitizing products on the market today.

Clean George is made with ECOCERT, certified organic and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified ingredients, making it 100% eco-responsible. Clean George replaces chemical antibacterials with sustainably farmed tea tree and manuka oils, which are recognized natural antibacterials.

I love Clean George products, especially the "Lovin' Lavender" scent. Each bottle costs about $10 and has 400 squirts equating to less than 3 cents a squirt. The bottles are also made of 100% post consumer recycled plastic.

Beautyberry is as Effective as DEET in Repelling Mosquitoes

Beautyberry is a favorite amongst gardeners for its fuchsia fruit, but this native plant to the Southeast US is also a powerful insect repellent. According to Mother Earth News:

In 2006, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Products Utilization Research Unit in Oxford, Miss., found that extracts from beautyberry leaves could match DEET for repelling mosquitoes. The next year, experiments showed that the active ingredients from the leaves (callicarpenal and intermedeol) provided 100-percent repellency of black-legged ticks for three hours. In 2008, the four-person research team, headed by chemist Charles Cantrell in Mississippi and entomologist Jerome Klun in Maryland, published research that added fire ants to the list of pests repelled by essential oil distilled from beautyberry leaves.

I have not been able to find any beautyberry insect repellent, so instead I will have to find a plant for my garden.

Doctors Advise Patients to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) is advising:

Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.

AAEM was founded in 1965 and is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to expand "the knowledge of interactions between human individuals and their environment." Specifically, AAEM is calling for:

• A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long term safety testing and labeling of GM food.
• Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GM foods.
• Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients' disease processes.
• More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.

AAEM has found that there is a causation between GM foods and serious health risks, such as "infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system." Over 70 companies have responded to the dangers of GM foods by pledging to avoid sugar from GM sugar beets in their products.

Via: Seeds of Deception

Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray Protects Your Family From Plastic Chemicals

We all know that the chemicals in plastics are bad for our health and our environment. Recent studies have even shown a correlation between phthalates in plastics and childhood obesity. It's easy to replace your plastic water bottles with stainless steel alternatives, but what about your plastic ice cube trays?

I remember stainless steel ice cube trays from my grandmother's house. These throwbacks from the 50s provide a modern day safe alternative to plastic ice cube trays. My kids think the handle that releases the ice is super cool, and I like how the metal actually seems to make the ice harden faster. At $25 a piece, these ice cube trays are more expensive than their plastic counterparts, but the stainless steel ice cube trays will last a lifetime (I bet my grandmother's trays are still in her home).

Children and Pharmaceutical Drugs: Generation RX

Generation RX is a powerful movie that shows how children are being over medicated and dying from antidepressants and stimulants. Information on the serious side effects of these medications has been hidden by drug companies, and children have died as a result of this unscrupulous behavior. Drug companies have "made patients out of normal children for profit", and four out of 100 children die while on psychiatric medicine. These drugs were never intended to be used on children.

By employing the expertise of internationally respected professionals from the fields of medicine, ethics, journalism, and academia, GENERATION RX investigates collusion between drug companies and their regulatory watchdogs at the FDA and focuses on the powerful stories of real families who followed the advice of their doctors - and faced devastating consequences for doing so.

GENERATION RX is a film about families who confronted horror and found nowhere to turn for help - and how scores of children have been caught in the vortex of mind-bending drugs at the earliest stages of their growth and development. This powerful documentary also questions whether we have forced millions of children onto pharmaceutical drugs for commercial rather than scientific reasons.

Every family who is considering placing their child on psychiatric medicine should see this film.

Spry Gum Contains Xylitol to Prevent Dental Cavities

I first discovered xylitol when my son was diagnosed with Early Childhood Caries. Xylitol, a sugar substitute, prevents tooth decay.

An overview of studies about xylitol and dental caries suggests potential clinical dental applications for xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally occurring, low-calorie sugar substitute with anticariogenic properties. Data from recent studies indicate that xylitol can reduce the occurrence of dental caries in young children, schoolchildren, and mothers, and in children via their mothers. Xylitol, a sugar alcohol, is derived mainly from birch and other hardwood trees...Commercial xylitol-containing products may be used to help control rampant decay in primary dentition.

My children chew Spry Sugarfree Gum, which contains xylitol. Fortunately, my children have never had a cavity since we started chewing xylitol gum, but I can't say for certain it is the cause of our success. We have also become more vigilant in our toothbrushing and flossing to prevent further decay. Please note, xylitol can be harmful to dogs.

Kleenex Continues to Log Old Growth Forests for Tissues

Kleenex brand tissues logs old growth forests, including the Boreal Forest, in order that its customers can blow their noses. Remember handkerchiefs? My dad always had one in his pocket ready for our childhood runny noses. They are softer than tissues, and old growth forests do not need to be logged in their production. Of course, alternatives to Kleenex, such as Seventh Generation Facial Tissue, exist.

Salt May be the Key to Happiness

Physiologist Alan Johnson of the University of Iowa has discovered that salt intake may be linked to happiness. By depriving rats of salt, Johnson observed rats had less pleasure and desire to perform daily activities, such as pushing a bar to release sugar water. Once the rats were given salt, they became "happy" again. National Geographic explains:

He points to one study of people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Many of the patients were found to have reduced their sodium intake for health reasons. Increasing sodium in their diets alleviated many of the patients' symptoms.

Most people get more salt than the need in their diets, and there is a link between salt and heart disease, but Johnson's findings are interesting.

Wellness Bags Made from Recycled Designer Fabrics Provide Therapeutic Heat Naturally

Handmade in Pasadena, CA, Wellness Bags provide heat therapy to relieve stress, pain, and muscle tension. Made from designer recycled fabrics and filled with rice, the Divine Therapy collection uses exclusively environmentally responsible fabrics.

To use a Wellness Bag, simply heat in a microwave for two minutes. The bag will stay warm for close to an hour and can be used anywhere on the body. Since I don't have a microwave, I wonder if there is an alternative method for heating the Wellness Bags. Of course, the rice bags can be used for cold therapy as well by placing it in the freezer!

Killer Whales Being Poisoned by Eating PCB Tainted Salmon

A new study of orca whales living off the coast of British Columbia has revealed their dwindling populations are being negatively affected by eating salmon that is tainted with PCBs. Although PCB use has been largely banned in the United States since 1977, this persistent organic pollutant is still present in our environment. Salmon are the staple of killer whale's diet, and even though the amount of PCBs in chinook salmon is relatively low, even small amounts pose a significant risk to the whales.

In fact, the whales have become the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.

Peter Ross, supervising researcher on the study published in the current issue of the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, explains:

Killer whales are long-lived, top-of-the-food-chain animals. They have small, isolated populations. They have very large habitat needs. If we're trying to protect 84 animals in an area where we've got 8.5 million people, we've got a bit of work to do.

One out of every 2000 Pacific orca whales have dangerous levels of pollutants that damage their immune systems, affect reproduction, and lead to developmental abnormalities.

Looking for an Alternative to Fluoride? Try Ayurvedic Toothpaste

Many people are concerned about the safety of fluoride, especially in water. For years, I have relied on Ayurvedic toothpaste as a fluoride alternative and never experienced a cavity while using it. The Chopra Center describes Ayurveda medicine:

Ayurveda is a 5000 year-old system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India...More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body mind and spirit.

The Ayurvedic toothpaste I love is Vicco.

Vicco Pure Herbal Toothpaste is the original Ayurvedic toothpaste. Vicco cleans your teeth, refreshens your breath, stimulates your gums.

Every tube of Vicco contains 20 pure herbal extracts long established by Ayurvedic herbal tradition to be good for teeth, mouth and gums.

Ayurvedic practice, centuries old, actively involves those elements in nature most beneficial to the individual. Vicco toothpaste is made from herbs, barks, roots and flowers, no artificial ingredients or refined sweeteners, no harsh abrasives fluoride just the best ingredients for dental care. Vicco's concentrated formula lasts longer and tastes great.

Vicco is not only great for your teeth, but it special herbal formula keeps your gums healthy too. I love the gentle tingling I feel in my mouth when I brush my teeth with Vicco, and of course, it is cruelty-free.

Prevent Heart Disease and Diabetes with COLORED BPA-Free Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles

BPA is nasty stuff, and it has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. According to Science News, the FDA has failed to protect Americans from this chemical used as a starter material in most plastic manufacturing:

Urine levels of the chemical bisphenol A, found in many plastics, are strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver enzyme problems, a new study suggests. The study, which examined a representative sample of the adult U.S population, appears in the Sept. 17 Journal of the American Medical Association.

"This is good news and bad news," comments Richard Stahlhut, an environmental health research fellow at the University of Rochester. "The good news is these are man-made exposures. If the findings hold up, we could get rid of BPA and hopefully people get better. The bad news is it would mean that our system by which we determine risk is really flawed. It's evidence that the regulatory system is inadequate in very important ways."

The good news is there is a safer, stylish water bottle options. Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles now come in color! No more boring silver, instead you can have a pink, orange, brown, green, black, or blue bottle. Best of all, they are toxin-free dishwasher friendly!

Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamp Improves Indoor Air Quality

I love Himalayan salt, and I've always been curious about salt lamps. I think they are really beautiful and create a nice ambiance in a room, but I didn't know that they actually clean the air.

• These lamps are made of natural crystal salt mined from underground salt mines in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains
• The beautiful orange-reddish Himalayan crystal salt is mounted on a wooden base
• This crystal salt is hundreds of millions of years old and, as a result, has special properties and high mineral content
• Heat from the bulb (in our lamps) or flame (in our candle holders) causes the salt to emit negative ions
• These negative ions bond with the pollutants in the air (positive ions) and neutralize them
• Also, the newly bonded ions become heavier and fall to the ground removing them from the air circulation
• In addition, these negative ions combat electro-smog caused by electronic devices operating in the home
• Symptoms from asthma, allergies, and other illnesses can also subside from the effects of these products
• Concisely, these products cleanse the air naturally and are extremely beautiful

The salt lamp uses only a 15 watt light bulb, so it is energy efficient, or alternately you can use a candle. It is such a beautiful, natural light that creates a warm glow. I love my salt lamp!

Piggy Paint All Natural, No Odor Fingernail Polish

Piggy Paint is a non-toxic, odorless, kid-friendly nail polish that is "natural as mud". I tried Piggy Paints on my daughter's nails, and there really is no odor! Usually nail painting activities are banned from inside our home, but with Piggy Paint, no one noticed she was painting her nails. Piggy Paints do not contain any formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate or acetone. Piggy Paints even makes non-toxic nail polish remover! According to the Grist:

And lest you think the FDA is keeping a close eye on your mani/pedi products, the truth is that the governmental agency doesn't test, review, or approve the ingredients -- and doesn't even require the companies making the products to conduct safety testing. In most cases, virtually any ingredient can be used.

The worst of these include toluene, a toxin that has been linked to birth defects; formaldehyde, a carcinogen and common indoor air pollutant; and dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, a plastic softener that has been much-maligned in the news of late for its role in a number of health problems including infertility, reproductive cancers, and disruptions in fetal development.

Best to play it safe and stick with Piggy Paint.