During the holidays I took the kids to a local children’s hospital to donate some handmade plushies to the pediatric cancer ward.  The hospital floor was decked out in a lively jungle theme with so many fun holiday details to make the treatment center and waiting areas feel like Christmas.  The ladies on staff gave us a short, informative tour.  My kids listened attentively with wide eyes, soaking in a new reality… children who must regularly visit the hospital to survive.  On the way home Aria (7) and Liam (almost 5) had lots of questions about cancer.  How bad is it?  Can it be fixed?  Do lots of people get it?  And, most importantly in my opinion – What causes it?

That’s the question most grown-ups don’t want to ask.  What causes it?  They’re afraid, we’re afraid because the causes are everywhere in everyday products and it doesn’t seem possible that we’re really choosing something so awful, willingly for ourselves and our little ones.

Today an article from Healthy Child Healthy World caught my eye:

Last week the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States released a study that found 80% of new baby and children’s products tested positive for chlorinated Tris (TDCPP), a chemical voluntarily removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s because it was found to cause cancer.

The report tested 20 products and found this cancer-causing chemical in nursing pillows, changing pads, bassinet pads and car seats.   Starting from day one, millions of loving parents in our country surround their children with a chemical so obviously dangerous that US companies removed it voluntarily in the 70′s.  The seventies!

This reality is truly outrageous.  Someday generations are going to look back and shake their heads at our folly.  Meanwhile, said millions of parents continue to bury their heads in the sand.  And 50% of all Americans get cancer.

But no problem is too big, too hard that you can do nothing about it.  When Aria voiced these hard questions I was so encouraged to be able to connect the dots for her, to explain that all the “odd” choices we make about eating real food and using natural products are precisely the way to prevent cancer.  I could see her eyes light up.  And, I’ll confess, my heart was filled with thankfulness that I could give her this hope.

Lately our family has had to make some sacrifices due to financial challenges.  We can’t always afford to buy organic foods anymore.  But I won’t let those little defeats to change the course of our lifestyle.  We will continue to strive for natural, healthy living.  How could I choose anything else for those I love?

I love this story from Healthy Child Healthy World about a family who faced the diagnosis of autism and fought back with healthy living.  The family made important changes to their little boy’s diet, such as eliminating food additives (food coloring, etc.) and preservatives, as well as identifying his sensitivity to gluten and dairy.  A boy who was considered by doctors to be autistic was simply being “poisoned by his environment.”

After further changes to his diet, Jake is a different little boy. This is a hard thing for me to write, but he now has a sparkle in his eyes that he never had before. Today, he smiles, laughs and tells me I am his best friend. Friends and families cannot believe the dramatic change in him. He is a happy little boy, whom I am so thankful and grateful to have in my life.

A few months later at Jake’s autism assessment, our pediatrician said she could not explain his rapid improvement, and she now has no more concerns.

When I share information about the dangers of the American diet or concerns with common toxic home products, I often feel like that “odd” person.  Reading stories like this is a welcome reminder that real people and even real doctors are seeing a huge difference when folks make wise choices about their lifestyle.  Let’s not be afraid to share the truth and to be the change that our country so desperately needs!

GMO Foods are “genetically modified organisms” but what does that really mean?  I think you ought to know since you probably eat them everyday.  An estimated 30,000 items in your grocery store contain GMO ingredients.

Here in the United States, we are the largest producer of GMO foods and we do not require them to be labeled.  In contrast, 30 other countries – 30! – have placed bans or restrictions on GMO’s for safety reasons.

Find out what GMO’s are and are not with this one-page GMO infographic.  Click here for a larger view!

via

Sources and more info:  “A Disturbing Update on GMOs“  from Healthy Child, Healthy World

Yesterday we spent the morning at a swimming pool with lots of friends.  Five families = bunches of kids and all kinds of approaches to sun safety.  Every year I am reminded of the big fat hoax that sunscreen manufacturers are pulling on the public – selling “sun protection” filled with chemicals known to cause cancer.  It’s a sad and frustrating situation, especially as there’s never seems to be an easy way to share the news with friends.    I suppose if I was asked, I’d say here are the basics for Sun Safety as I see it:

1.   You have to apply sunscreen liberally in order for it to work.  Don’t use less so that you don’t feel oily or so that it rubs in “easier.”  The average human body needs 1 ounce of sunscreen for full coverage.  That’s a lot!

2.  Spending more than a few hours in the sun?  Plan to reapply sunscreen, take breaks in the shade, plus wear hats and sunglasses.  You can’t spend all day outside with one coat of sunscreen and think you’re good to go.

3.   Spray on sunscreens don’t work and aren’t safe.   Period.  They contain dangerous chemicals that allow the chemicals to absorb so easily.  Those chemicals are known to be both hazardous and inferior at providing sun protection.

4.  Only physical block sunscreens are safe.  Unlike “chemical sunscreens” physical blocks use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which  sit on the top of skin to reflect and scatter rays.  So, a healthy sunscreen goes on white and doesn’t really disappear 100%.  Yeah, it’s not always the most attractive look, but that’s the way it goes.

For another point of view on the sunscreen scam and what to watch out for, check out this post at Newly Nested.

This summer I restocked an old favorite – Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen.  I’ve written about it before here and here.  Badger works, has a pleasant herbal scent and is totally SAFE, with no icky carcinogenic chemicals.  I buy a few bottles for home and one for each grandparent’s house.  Done!

How do you view sun protection?

Two years ago today, I posted “Toxic Chemicals May Be Making our Kid’s Fat“.  Today, I can’t honestly phrase that as a question.  In a recent update, Healthy Child Health World shares how published research is demonstrating that

“before we are even born, chemicals like tributyltin may be predisposing us toward obesity by interfering with fetal development.”