Now I know what all of you are thinking.....this time I am not referring to food.  

Day two of our insight to household toxins, now if any of you are like myself this will take you back a bit.  Now remember that because we see it on TV or a magazine it must be true.
I was shocked to find out that sunscreen, yup that's right, sunscreen is the number two household toxin.  Well more so OXYBENZONE.  

Oxybenzone is an organic compound that forms colourless crystals that are readily soluble in most organic compounds.  The compound is also found in cosmetics and moisturizers as well.

A report from an environmental group made claim that not only were 4 out of 5 inadequate for sun protection but that they posed health risk.  With these accusations, it sparked an all new study.

More tests have to be performed to find anything concrete, however what they did find with sunscreen in particular re-application is a must.  One application isn't enough, this will sound a little counter productive however, when ultraviolet light reaches sunscreen that has penetrated the skin it releases free radicals which may in turn result in skin damage and possible skin cancer.  Okay I know what your thinking, I said the same thing.  The key is to keep the application fresh to prevent any of the UVA rays from penetrating the skin.

An SPF of 15 will give you about 150 minutes, so applying every two and half hours should suffice.

I can't stress this enough, there is no solid proof on my next statement.  There haven't been any human studies to prove this, however is has been seen in some animal studies that oxybenzone has shown some evidence that it effects the endocrine system, affecting hormonal functioning and may even cause low birth weight babies.
It's THOUGHT to mimic the hormone estrogen.


Maybe there's a conspiracy theory in the making.  I'm sure we could get creative, or it's just another phrase a man could use....instead oh is it that time of the month again.....they could say "did you put sunscreen on again?" or I think that's going to be my next excuse for mood swings.


Here's what I can tell you, it's been around an awfully long time.  To say that it does more harm than good I think would be misleading and cause unnecessary panic, just remember to put it on and often and remember your antioxidants.      

Never thought you'd hear me say those words....heck, I never though I would say those words.  
Well As I said yesterday we're going to recap the top ten toxins found in the house.

#1 on that list? BPA.  
Bisphenol A is the compound is commonly used to harden plastic and is used in epoxy resins.

Up until two years ago BPA was used in almost every plastic item.  Toys, plastic utensils, water bottles, baby bottles, sippy cups and well I think you get the idea..

The epoxy resins are used to coat metals.  Including canned food, canned formula and even water supply pipes.

The CDC ran a study for two years between 2002-2004 and they found that the study of 2517 people, 93% of them had BPA in their urine levels. 
What does that mean exactly?
Well with further studies produced showed evidence of brain development and behavioral issues with infants and young children.  There is some concern over the effect BPA has on the prostate glands of infants and children. Although their study shows a small amount of concern, they have seen relation to fetus and infant mortality at the current level in people.  Also seen, birth defects, low birth weight, pre-term babies. 

There is a minimal concern for the mammary glands in and an early onset of puberty for young women. 

Reproduction and hormone problems were seen in adults and more so with people who work with BPA personally.
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So have read all their concerns, what can we do to prevent it? Well thankfully the FDA pulled all products with or with the potential of BPA off the shelves.  


There is no guarantee however that you may have something in your home. Switch everything to glass. Yes I fully understand the weight of the expense I just asked of you.  Now I am going to go ahead for everyone's sanity and say that companies are being honest when they place the NO BPA on their bottles.  So look for that if you are buying anything plastic..  This chemical is leached into our foods and drink, more so when we heat our food in plastic containers, so again avoid heating any food in plastic storage containers.

If by the end of this you have decided to breast feed only (which really is best) your baby may not be as protected as you think.  Although trace amounts, BPA did show up in breast milk.  So just like pregnancy you have to remember everything that goes in your baby is still broken down in your blood stream and pass on to the baby


The best thing you can arm yourself with is knowledge.  So just a forewarning, right now the FAD is holding tests and studies to determine what levels are safe for human consumption.  I have a few choice words for this study.....just saying.  The reason they was to determine this, right now using BPA is the most economical way to produce plastic.  Plastic is cheaper, lighter to ship and well I'm sure I don't need to discuss that our health is a far less priority then saving some financial giant a couple bucks,.  I don't know what the big deal is you know their just going to adjust the cost to reflect our pocket.  


Anyway getting off tract.  It has been released yet but they are intending to allow the usage once they determine whats safe for consumption.


So consider a re-usable container with filtered water, just not one through a plastic jug,,,,,hmmmmm okay,,,,,so boiled your water and place it in a glass jar, without the lid.  The lid will have epoxy resin on it.  AHHHHHH........we're pooched! In all seriousness, switch as must as you can to glass and just be cautious of what your using.

Ahhhh.....time to open the windows and take in that breath of fresh spring air!  I'm not sure about everyone else, but today was finally the day I got to start my spring cleaning.

Knowing that there is a cold front moving in, I initially left my windows closed.  I'm kinda a dope that way, not only did I forget to open them.  When the temperature drops tonight to -2 I'll wake up in the night trying to figure out why I'm shivering like crazy tonight.

Well l don't quite know what I was expecting living by the beach.  I know the one thing I didn't count on was the amount of sand and dust that came with this little luxury.

Now between four kids and two dogs, and well the wet rainy spring weather, I had no clue what I was in for.  Now just putting this out there......who in their right mind puts carpet one of the main entrances to a yard that consists solely of sand?  why? I just can't wrap my head around it.

So needless to say I pull out my vacuum.......again. As I'm moving all the furniture I start coughing and sneezing.  Not thinking to much of it, until I had a hard time breathing, headache...etc.  I went around the house and opened all my windows.  Now I don't normally suffering from this type of thing so......again I hang my head when I realize I'm aging.  What other explanation could it be?

Then I got to thinking....Thank God Steve wasn't home.  His Asthma would be unbearable right now.  Which led me to more thinking.....yes it was a big day for me.  (I pick things up, I put them down) Steve developed his asthma from exposure to black mold from a house we rented.  Now on the last day of the move (we had already been gone for almost a month) My sister and brother came to help us.  None of us had been exposed to this house for sometime and my sister and brother had never been exposed.  So in the few short hours that they helped us move our stuff we all came down with......it gets a little graphic.....the runs, we had the worst cramps, sweats, and severe diarrhea.  At first we blamed the 2 pound bag of gummy bears that we ate.  

There was my sister, my brother, me and Wyatt, doubled over in pain trying not to poop ourselves laughing at the gas and trying to make it to the toilet.

We went back to the infected house to grab the last item.  Our 50 gallon fish tank.  This tank sat empty on the floor for about too weeks.  When we lifted the tank underneath was a long rectangle of black mold that had soaked through the carpet from the weight of the tank.  

So off to the doctor we went and he confirmed that the mold was the culprit of my 37 year old husbands sudden onset of asthma. Thinking back on that day today I decided to look further into what else could be ailing my aging and frail body.  The next 10 days will be dedicated to going in depth on the top 10 toxins found in our home.

Maybe some of you are already doing this, but for those who don't, I'm confident to say chaos tends to surround your day.  

First thing that should be done, is get up.  Hitting the snooze button offers no benefits as the quality of sleep isn't the same.  This also alleviates any stress related to a time crunch. 


I know the first thing everyone wants to grab is coffee.  However drinking at least 16 ozs in the morning not only re-hydrates your body, but studies show that it can boost the metabolism by about 24% and that boost will hang on for up to 90 minutes afterward.  Remember your body hasn't had any water for 6-10 hours.  It simply just needs it.


Eat, now that you've drank the water that will also aid with digestion.  You can set the tone for whats going to fuel you for the day.  Make sure to use wholesome food with a combination lean proteins, fruits/veggies, clean carbs or dairy.  These are slow releasing sugars ensuring a full feeling longer.


I don't know about the rest of the world but preparation is key.  I can never stress enough how much happier your life would be if you just prep your food.  Pack, your prepped food including 3 snacks and 1 main course.  This alleviates a few issues.  Making the choice of whats the lesser evil out there to eat and you won't throw your body into survival mode.  Survival mode means your body won't burn anything and you'll hang on to the extra love handles.


Remember, preparation to the key to success.  Just making your bed, it has been shown that people who make their bed have a more productive day.  

Other little tid bits......Breathe, this allows you to start your day with a clear head.  Stretch, this will improve circulation and help with your posture.  Do 10 squats, a little exercise in the morning helps to bring blood to the muscles and helps to sharpen the mind.

If nothing else follow the water rule, kick start your day, while the coffee's are brewing you can get your 2 glasses in! Happy Monday!

Like every new fad diet that comes to light, almost everyone jumps on board.  

Before I begin discussing what I feel is non-sense, Since the dawn of time we have listened to the tv, we bought the expensive coat hangers they call the ultimate treadmill.  Tried every fad diet on the market.

They do more damage then good.  You go to great lengths with constant rebounding.  This is extremely hard on your metabolism, meaning your body will always stay in storage mode.  So to get on with my point....

HCG  - Thats right, the human chorionic gonodotropin.  The hormone responsible for growing a fetus in the womb..  The idea here is that when a mother isn't taking in enuf nutrients to feed the baby the hormone takes over and adds a little extra pressure to turn the fat stores into energy.  Ok so from a diet, supplement stand point, I can certainly see the benefits.


Now here is where my concerns come in.  I think its safe to say that for normal healthy maintenance women need about 1500 cals give or take a few and men need upwards of 2000 and more. 


So given these numbers, this diet only allows for 500 calories.  You read that right, 500 calories.  that a day, not a sitting.  I'm just gonna let you process that for a minute.


Okay I know just reading that your body went into starvation mode, now go and grab 10 almonds to reassure your body that its not starving.  So come to the next theory of this diet, the HCG will send a signal to the brain telling it that your pregnant and don't need to hold those stores.  So low calorie combined with HCG is the answer to everyones issues.  My job here is done.  I am now out of business as a nutritionist!

Now that a little more of the dust has settled, now I won't lie I am always hoping for the magic pill just like the next person.  However, eventually someone needs to burst that bubble.  Here are the facts, yes you will lose fast.  extremely fast, probably faster then your body is ready for.  Even if HCG works this the brain, you still have to go through withdrawals which good lead to something as scary as diabetes.  Somethings have to brought down carefully,  Crack is no exception.  


This diet requires a cycle, you cycle on the hormone for 4-6 weeks and then you cycle off.  Allow your body to adjust, then you start again, and this repeats for a total of I believe three times.  I'm sure the more dramatic state your in you may need to extend treatment.


Okay so its a miracle in three months you've dropped 100 pounds and are off the diet.  Now what? You keep eating clean and try to maintain the 500 cals, oops, now the bodies panicking, there is no hormone left to tell it not to store the fat.  I'm will to bet your going to feel sluggish and sleepy within the first week.  You going to start to see the weight gain instantly.  Your body is going to look at itself and say "oh shit!" the baby is gone and now I have to correct this bag of bones.  Then the process begins again.


I can't stress this enough! I say it all the time......Don't put money in these crap fads.  People are spending hundreds.  
Find your self a good trainer, with a nutrition certificate.  Learn, educate yourself on proper eating habits.  It takes about a year before you won't need any more diet plans, but do it.  Your not out anything less.  


Break it down with me:
250/10 and a meal plan
10 sessions averages about 6 weeks.  
So every 6 weeks your renewing - after a year you have spent 2000.00 with your trainer. (I can't speak for all trainers, I include a meal plans to ensure success)  That gives you 80 sessions in total.


Now go to Goodlife - 5000.00 package for about 6 months training. 
Go see your dietitian at about 60.00 a plan.  Thats usually by weekly - theres another 1560.00 spent in a year.  Not to mention the added 800.00 for your memberships, by the end of the year.  Marketing companies will lead you to believe that this is the way it has to be done.  I will re-sell your 

Well it's happened.  I never knew what the big deal is, your only as old as you feel they say.

Well for all you poor naive souls who believe that, their lying.  I'm turning 32 this year and although in my head I seem to think I have the agility of my 12 year old, as I lay in bed nursing my stiff back and achy hips my body says "HAHA Sucker! your 32!"

Aging sucks! Now I'm still young, lots of time.  In fact there's things that I look forward to at 50.  

Everyone ages, and there are the obvious signs....like the sudden burst of grey hair.  WTF!? One of the first signs of my "growing up" I began dying my hair to match my natural hair colour.  Long gone are the days of odd colours.  I live vicariously through my 12 year now and dye her hair erratic colours.

Losing weight has never been so hard.  I always complained about my hardships with weight loss.  Looking back I should've had more appreciation for being 25.  120 pounds and man I was huge! oh if I had only known.  Now I'm on a treadmill for an hour a day watching murder mystery shows working off the calories I obtained just by thinking about that cupcake.  

Noise....All those years of loud music have caught up with me.  I remember rolling my eyes at my parents demand to "turn it down"....now I get the eye roll from my daughter.
Eye-sight....I have a hard time seeing with my glasses! 

Now for all those in their 20's reading this, if your overweight or are staring down the hallway of health problems do to weight, take care of it now.  It's that much easier.

Now for the rest of us.  Don't lose hope, yes everything does start to slow down.  However, even with age against us we can still reverse the damages done by weight gain.  We just can't do it with the thoughts of Big Mac's and fries.  

If your stumped on your weight loss journey don't turn to fad diets, call me or message me.  I can help educate you on what you should be eating.  No ones perfect but the best way to improve is to arm yourself with knowledge and understanding!