The air freshener fad is obvious. Our TVs are booming with air freshener commercials and almost every bathroom, dorm room and hospital has it on hand for a daily, if not hourly, refreshing spritz. We readily have these products on hand because they smell good. They accomplish the job of “freshening” the air, but is that all they’re doing?

Most have never even considered what air fresheners are made of. When we spray their contents into the air, we inhale their fumes and our skin absorbs their chemicals. So wouldn’t you like to know what your air freshener is made of and how those ingredients affect your health?

In a recent study, the Natural Resources Defense Council tested 14 air fresheners taken from the shelf of a nation-wide drug store. They found that 12 out of the 14 products contained the hormone-disrupting chemical phthalates. None of the 12 included phthalates in their list of ingredients on their product label. The federal government does not enforce ingredient regulation on air freshener makers and therefore does not require a complete list of ingredients for consumers.

Exposure to phthalates has been known to disrupt reproductive normalities, brain development and even cognitive behavior. Studies show that infants and small children exposed to phthalates significantly increase their risks of developing autism.

Phthalates are only one of the many chemicals emitted by air fresheners. What’s in your air freshener? If you use one of the common off-the-shelf products, there is a good chance you are exposing yourself to chemicals you would otherwise avoid. A better alternative would be to increase air circulation by opening windows or even finding a more natural air freshening solution like quality essential oils.

December 21 2010 | Clean Home

So I wouldn’t call myself a radical anti-fluoridation activist, but I will stand on the side of anti-fluoridation with confidence.  This topic is very much like the topic of vaccinations, I have many clients ask me for my opinion on what they should choose. My advice is always simple; you have to research this topic for yourself and then decide which side of the fence you are on. This is not one I can tell you which way is right for you….dang, no one even tells me what is best on this topic.

I will tell you at our house we do not use fluoride toothpastes, we use a RO system on our water and only drink filtered, non-fluoridated water.  But twice a year, I do allow my children to have a fluoride treatment at the dentist. I know… doesn’t seem to make sense right? Well, besides the fact that our dentist is family and firmly believes in his medical training, and I try to not rock the boat too much when it comes to refusing his recommendations, I also believe that there is a huge difference in a twice a year protection treatment and a daily exposure.  My kids bodies will bounce back from a twice annual poisoning…but it will be a lot more work for their bodies to try to keep up daily.

I also believe that fluoridation is another “backward” treatment offered by the medical community.  Science has no doubts that diet makes all the difference in the world when it comes to dental health. So why don’t we put a little more training in nutrition and health in the dental schools, in the media, in peoples homes? Then we wouldn’t need to mass drug our society in the water supply. If we supported our parents a little more, by not bombarding children from all sides with advertisements of pure junk foods, and we didn’t tell them in every way that we can that healthy food is yucky, then maybe these same parents would have the courage to stand up to their children and make decisions based on the health and well-being of their children instead of what was fast, easy, and likable for kids.

Anyway…I had a friend who is a dentist ask me what my position was on fluoridation the other day. He was very non-confrontational and said he sincerely wanted to understand my position and learn more about what I knew. I realized I didn’t know nearly enough about this topic. My basic philosophy is to keep my body as clear from chemicals as possible on all fronts so naturally I would steer clear of the chemically produced fluoride additives as well… but I clearly needed to read and learn more about this. Then this morning I woke up to a very informative, although I admit very anti-fluoride article by Mike Adams, someone I trust very much although I cringe at his reporting style that can tend to be very sarcastic.

So, I wanted to share that article with you and encourage you to read up more about the topic. There is obviously many pieces of information on the web, but it is not all reputable so beware of “opinion” articles.

Click here to read the article!

I came across some very disturbing facts related to childhood obesity and figured I would share them in hopes of jolting a parent or two into putting more effort and care into what they feed their children. This includes any adults who have contact with children, parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, etc.

Please don’t be the favorite grandmother that even on occasion gives your grandchildren non-food garbage with the message that it is alright because it is from Grandma! What a horrible message to send, food and love should never be in the same message to any child, especially from adults they love and trust.

Use your position as a loved and trusted adult to teach GOOD habits! What a better world it would be if we all did this.  And remember we are our children’s best example… what obesity message are you sending to the kids around you?

1. Childhood diabetes have increased 10 fold during the last 20 years.

2. Childhood obesity has increased nearly 3 fold in the last 25 years.

3. Amount that one additional soft drink per day increases a child’s risk for obesity: 60%

4. Increase in per capita consumption of soft drinks, 1950′s to today :500%

5. Percentage of school districts that have contracts with soft drink companies, allowing them to sell soft drinks on school property: 50%

6. Number of food ads viewed by the average child each year: 10,000

7. Estimated annual amount spent on food advertising aimed at US children: 10 billion

8. percentage of these that advertise fast food, soft drinks, candy, or sugared cereal: 95%

9. Increase in risk for childhood obesity per hour of daily television viewing: 12%

10. Annual direct cost of obesity to the American economy: $70 billion!

Source: Dream Magazine, Winter 2004, Published by Children’s Hospital Boston

by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)
With childhood obesity and diabetes running rampant, many people have jumped on the nutritional reform bandwagon.  Jamie Oliver, a British TV chef was recently awarded the prestigious TED award for his work to promote healthier school lunches.  He makes a lot of good points in his talk, Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish.

While I agree with Jamie Oliver’s “diagnosis,” I disagree with parts of his “cure.”  I sincerely doubt that more government funding into school lunches is going to solve the problem.  After all, government is a big part of the problem in the first place as the clip The Case Against Jamie Oliver explains.

I’ve never placed the responsibility for my health, or the health of my family on government, doctors or anyone else. The interests of government and big business are seldom in alignment with what’s in my best interest, or the interest of my family.  The real answer is for all of us to step up to the plate (or better yet, clean up what we put on the plate) and get the job done ourselves.  Believe me, it’s worth it!

Good Nutrition Helps Children Behave Better

Good nutrition not only affects good health, it also affects mental and emotional well-being.  Consuming empty calorie foods like refined sugar, white flour, polished white rice and refined vegetable oils leads to empty heads and affects schooling, behavior and social skills.  When my children were young we had none of these foods in our home and babysitters always said we had the best-behaved kids they had ever seen.

Instead of drugging  kids with harmful medications, we should be feeding them better quality foods. But kids aren’t going to eat these foods at school if they aren’t fed these foods at home.  Unfortunately, many parents say, “But my kids won’t eat healthy food.”  This makes me think, “Who’s in charge of the home, the kids or adults?”  If you don’t buy it, they won’t be able to eat it.

If parents knew how much easier it is to be a parent when you’re feeding your kids correctly, most parents would immediately take steps to change their family menus.  In fact, when kids are fed right, incidences of hyperactivity and antisocial behavior dramatically decrease.

Improving Your Family’s Diet Without Stress

So, take charge of what you feed your family, but not as a dictator.  Do it as a leader, which means start by setting a good example.  With a little parenting skill, your kids will learn to eat what you make available and enjoy it.  So, for starters, here are a few tips.

First, get the junk food out of the home. When unhealthy food isn’t in your home, both you and your children will be less likely to eat it. When you want a treat go out and get it, but don’t keep it in the house.

Second, learn how to prepare healthier versions of your family’s favorite foods. Take a cue from Food Network star chef Emeril Lagasse and “kick it up a notch” by learning how to make your family’s favorite foods using better ingredients.  This makes improving nutrition less stressful.

For example, children love sweets, so don’t deprive them of all treats.  Instead, gradually substitute raw honey, pure maple syrup, xylitol and other natural sweeteners for refined sugar in their diet.  You can also use whole grains instead of white flour.  Start by mixing whole grains and white flour 50-50 and gradually increase the whole grain content.

Third, when changing children’s diets, focus on the positive. Talk more about what’s healthy to eat than what’s bad for you.  Remember that what you focus on, you tend to magnify.  So give kids healthy food first. Place vegetables like carrot and celery sticks and a healthy dip out for them to eat as you are preparing the meal.  If they are hungry enough, they will eat this wholesome food  while waiting for something else.  Increase portions of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains while decreasing portions of meat and dairy foods.

Also, don’t try to control everything your children eat. What they eat when they are away from home isn’t really in your control and trying to control it engenders rebellion.  A “treat” now and then won’t hurt them if their general diet is good.  If you teach them the benefits of eating wholesome foods in a positive manner and set a good example, they will learn to control themselves.  You can’t watch them constantly, especially when they become those delightful creatures that we call teenagers!

Fourth, because they aren’t going to always eat right, take out a little “nutritional health insurance” and give them some supplements.  All the  supplements we discussed in last weeks issue of Nature’s Field can also be used for kids.  Nature’s Sunshine’s Sunshine Hero’s line features  probiotics, minerals, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids available in chewable form.  These products taste good enough you shouldn’t have any problem getting kids to take them.

Finally, here are some specific tips for helping kids to eat better.  For starters, I’ve used licorice root to help stabilize children’s blood sugar and take away their cravings for sweets.

I’ve also used the approach of asking older kids to refrain from eating certain foods for just one week, after which they get to have a meal where they eat all they want.  They usually feel better at the end of the week, and after they indulge in their sugar, dairy, wheat or whatever, they feel horrible.  This helps reinforce the message that this food is making them sick.

Research has shown that children who have protein for breakfast (eggs, meat, whole milk yogurt, a Love and Peas protein shake, etc.) do much better in school than children who eat sugar-sweetened breakfast cereals.  In fact, children who skipped breakfast entirely did better in school than children who ate sweets and carbohydrates for breakfast.  So, if possible, get your family to eat a good, hearty breakfast with protein and good fats.

And while you’re at it, why not pack them a nutritious lunch instead of having them eat the junk food at school?  That’s a smarter option than spending billions more on school lunch programs that may or may not be the foods you want your kids to be eating.