The Deadly Chemicals in Your Tap Water

The Deadly Chemicals in Your Tap Water

Originally published on Monday, July 16th, 2012
GENERAL HEALTH, Urgent Care by Bel Marra Health for Bel Marra Health

Proper intake of water is important for our health. It can help ward off health problems, flush out toxins, and aid our digestive system. However, in some cases it can be downright dangerous.

According to a report in the New York Times, scientific research shows that up to 19 million Americans fall ill every year from drinking tap water. The culprits are likely parasites, viruses, bacteria, and poisons.

Unless local officials declare a water emergency of some sort, we have no idea whether or not we are ingesting safe drinking water. Sewage treatment does decrease the number of disease carrying bacteria in waste water that is processed then re-entered into the system, but it does not eliminate them.

Proper Water Treatment Methods

Law requires that residents receive safe tap water through proper treatment methods. Since 2004 however, reports indicate that close to 50 million Americans have been provided with water that contained illegal concentrations of bacteria and arsenic for example. Many other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom have experienced problems with tap water.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a natural element that can be found in rock, soil, plants and animals. Arsenic is poison and depending on how much is ingested into the body it can be fatal. In 2001 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the acceptable amount of Arsenic in U.S tap water, but water standard watchdogs say that there are still close to one-thousand water systems in the United States that are still not compliant. It is important to note that arsenic amounts are no-where near what they are in some third world countries where the water supply situation is at an emergency level.

Fluoride

There is a lot of controversy over fluoride in tap water. Most communities in both the United States and Canada have had fluoridated drinking water for 50 years or more; however, some people oppose it. They argue that fluoride can be toxic. One of the leading researchers on the subject, Dr. Phyllis Mullenix has linked regular exposure to fluoride to neurological deficit. Several studies have shown that fluoride can cause abnormal behaviour in rats. Despite these findings, there are many organizations that continue to promote fluoride in drinking water. They point to the benefits it has when it comes to dental health, and to years of research and scientific study to support their argument that it is safe.

Pharmaceuticals

One of the more startling discoveries in recent years has been the amount of pharmaceuticals found in the U.S water supply. An Associated Press investigation reported while the concentrations of drugs like, antibiotics, anti-depressants, anticonvulsants, and sex hormones are tiny, they do present questions about the impact of long-term exposure.

Pharmaceuticals pass through urine and the waste water goes through sewage treatment then some of that water makes its way back into the system. Water treatment facilities don’t normally release the results of pharmaceutical testing unless they are pressured to do so.

There is a long list of other contaminants that could make there way into your tap water. So what can you do? Find out as much as you can about your local watertreatment plant, have your tap water tested, and as an added precaution, always use a water filter. There is no need to be afraid of your tap water, but it is always a good idea to play it safe for the good of your health and the rest of your family.

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Could what you eat be triggering your migraines?

Simple food choices may help relieve a migraine attack. First, be sure to drink lots of water and eat meals at regular intervals, as dehydration and skipping meals can cause migraines and headaches. Be mindful of what you eat and drink. Food intolerance and food allergies are key triggers of headaches and migraines. Eliminating foods that trigger migraines can help prevent attacks.

Foods that trigger migraines could include:

- Aged cheeses and other foods that contain tyramine–a naturally occurring amino acid– including bleu cheese, brie, mozzarella, processed meats, pickles, onions, olives, chocolate and red wine.

- Foods with the preservatives monosodium glutamate (MSG) ornitrates, which can dilate blood vessels, causing headaches.

- If you have a dairy allergy or are hypersensitive to dairy, certaindairy foods may be triggers, such as milk, cheese and yogurt.

- Alcohol, which boosts blood flow to the brain and may lead to headaches. Beer, whiskey and champagne are common triggers.

I have had great success using magnetic technologies to relieve my migraine headaches. Do some research and find out what works best for you. Each of us has a different chemical make-up based upon our diets and lifestyles. the one-size fits all solutions don't work any more. Take charge of your health. Do it today!

www.My-HealthyChoices.com

Current Concerns at the UK Olympic Games Venue Sites

Worldcue^® Alert
Severity: Informational Alert

Health: Outbreaks of disease and health issues may present during the Summer Olympics in the UK. Be aware of alerts. Healthcare venues will be established.

This alert affects United Kingdom

This alert began 03 Jul 2012 18:29 GMT and is scheduled to expire 09 Sep 2012 23:59 GMT.

Current Concerns at the UK Olympic Games Venue Sites
Ongoing measles outbreaks and a first quarter rise in pertussis cases near several 2012 Summer Olympic Games venue sites have prompted officials to direct increased attention toward enhanced vaccination delivery in the greater London area. Global health authorities urge visitors to the UK to check that their measles immunization status is up-to-date prior to embarking. Potential for other vaccine-preventable and non-vaccine preventable disease spread among large crowds at venue sites may be heightened during peak periods. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has enacted several protocols specifically for the Olympic Games to monitor for outbreaks of disease activity. Additionally, the HPA has formed "Outbreak Control Teams" and special health units to respond to any situations that may merit concern or attention during the events. Area facilities and clinics are prepared to accommodate the elevated number of visitors and various health concerns that may present. The HPA is also monitoring food-borne illness and trauma in order to effectively utilize resources.

Health Recommendations
Although the UK does not require any specific vaccinations for entry, routine vaccines such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and polio are recommended for any international traveler. Additionally, varicella immunization for those with uncertain status against chicken pox is also advised. Meningococcal immunization and pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for certain populations with underlying medical conditions, as these diseases spread easily in large crowds and may affect those with compromised health status. Check with your personal physician prior to travel. Also, influenza outbreaks are sporadically occurring in the Southern Hemisphere. As the Olympic Games are an international event drawing spectators from global reaches, early exposure to influenza is possible for those in the Northern Hemisphere. If flu vaccines are available, they may help prevent unseasonal infection.

Large gatherings of people present the opportunity for enhanced disease transmission due to the lack of availability for social distancing. Increased hand washing and/or use of hand sanitizers has been shown to reduce the incidence of pathogen spread. Fresh air venues may also reduce disease transmission compared to indoors. Maintain adequate hydration and a well-balanced diet. Prior to travel, seek any immunization updates needed from a travel medicine provider or your primary care physician. Many large international airports have medical staff and clinics where some immunizations can be obtained if necessary. Bear in mind that some immunizations require several weeks to confer adequate protection.

Related Advice: General information for disabled travelers.
Related Advice: Influenza
Related Advice: Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Related Advice: Vaccinations for All International Travelers.

The Truth About Salt

SALT:

A crystalline compound NaCl, the chloride of sodium, called common salt.  This simple product is on the table in most every American home. This salt (table salt) pervades a huge portion of the packaged and prepared food industry and when required by law is identified as sodium on food labels. Our diets are almost dependent on salt to prepare, preserve, can and flavor our foods.

Now here is our dilemma; salt is bad for you, salt causes high blood pressure, salt causes edema fluid to collect in the body, etc.. These statements and warnings are coming to us from the medical community and are not new news.  When health challenges are identified, it is common to immediately alter the diet to either a salt-free or salt-restricted diet. It is in our best interest to learn what we can about salt and apply some common sense as to its value and use it in our daily diet.

The table salt we use in our daily lives in not a natural element. Table salt is an altered form of salt we call refined salt. This refined salt has been brought through a process of extreme heat, bathed in a chlorine solution and then has a sulfate or silicate of aluminum added so it doesn’t clump in the shaker. Some salt has dextrose added to buffer the bitter taste from chemical processing. Knowing what this salt is made of and how it is processed, let’s examine how our bodies might respond to it.

Chlorine is a toxic chemical commonly used as a bleaching agent. Chlorine is also commonly used in municipal water treatment to kill bacteria and waterborne pathogens present in stored water systems. Even though white salt may look really good in our salt shakers, our bodies are challenged by the chlorine and aluminum elements present. It is not the salt the body is rejecting, it is the chemicals present with it, causing our concerns.

Salt in the form of a normal saline solution is the most common stabilizer for a body in trauma or shock. This same saline solution is called electrolyte and allows for good cell communication and is the common treatment for dehydration through IV’s. So, if water and salt are commonly used for stabilizing us and for properly hydrating us, then why are we told to stay away from or limit our intake of salt?  The answer is that the salt (salts) in the IV are not common table salt with its altered chemical structure but rather a pure form of sodium chloride and sometimes other essential elements such as potassium and magnesium.

SEA SALT & OCEAN SALT:

Salts derived from drying sea water or ocean water. This is a mineral rich salt sometimes marketed as a wet or moist salt or a dry form either dried by natural sun or commercial drying process. There are basically only two drawbacks to this type of salt. First, the fact that pollution exists in any ocean or sea and that pollution becomes a part of the resultant salt product. Second, is the fact that process, sun dried or commercial drying, causes many of the valuable trace minerals to be burned off or lost in the process.  Other than these two issues, ocean salts are far better for us than common table salt. Be aware that SEA SALT commonly sold in stores is common table salt from an ocean source and the label will reveal: CALCIUM SILICATE, POTASIUM IODIE, ALUMINUM SULFATE or SILICATE, DEXTROSE AND ANTI-CAKING AGENTS added. Your body will not fully utilize these salts because of their un-natural composition.

MINED SALTS FROM ANCIENT SEA BED DEPOSITS:

Salts mined from natural ocean deposits either on the surface or underground.  Salt mined from surface deposits share some of the same problems as wet ocean salts meaning compromised purity because of pollution and UV rays from the sun burn off many essential trace elements. Salts mined from underground sources using good mining practices are our richest source of unrefined salt. Depending on the location of the deposits, these salts contain most of the trace elements and minerals our body requires and in the most bio-available form. Be prepared to invest a few dollars more for these unrefined natural salts and as you incorporate them into your healthy diet, you will be pleased with the results.

I recommend a product called REALSALT.  you can order it directly from their website at www.realsalt.com or find it at your local grocery store.

To Learn More Visit: www.My-HealthyChoices.com

Genetic Evidence That Antioxidants Kill Cancer

Here is a great article for you to read Genetic Evidence That Antioxidants Kill Cancer

Did you know that CiagaV has the antioxidant equivalent of 200 bottles of wine in just one 32 ounce bottle? To Learn more Click Here!

3 Sunscreen Safety Tips You Probably Don’t Know, But Definitely Should | Healthy Child Healthy World

Here are a couple of tips to help you get the most out of your sunscreen this summer.

3 Sunscreen Safety Tips You Probably Don’t Know, But Definitely Should | Healthy Child Healthy World

The Toxic Twelve List

Today we are talking about the everyday toxins we take into our body in the forms of so called "Health and Beauty" products. Here is a list of twelve chemicals you should avoid at all cost and all of them are in products you probably use daily. Keep this list with you when you shop and use only those products that don't contain them.


The Toxic Twelve List

Aging is not just the way we look but, more importantly, it’s the degenerative diseases which prematurely change our life.

Breast Cancer  Heart Disease   Depression Hormone Disruption    Obesity Memory Loss 
Birth Defects ADD   ADHD

The following are the worst of the worst, toxic, carcinogenic list commonly found in most skin and personal care products.  Each is directly linked to one or more of the above conditions.

Benzoyl Peroxide:  Frequently used in acne products, the MSDS states “Facilitates action of known carcinogens…Possible tumor promoter. May act as mutagen; produces DNA damage in human and other mammalian cells in some concentrations.  Also, toxic by inhalation. May be harmful if swallowed and in contact with skin.  Eye, skin and respiratory irritant.”

DEA (Diethanolamine),  MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (Triethanolamine): This foam booster is a skin/eye irritant and causes contact dermatitis.  Easily absorbed through skin to accumulate in body organs, even the brain. Repeated use resulted in major increases of liver and kidney cancer.

Dioxin:  Won’t appear on an ingredient list.  Often contained in antibacterial ingredients like triclosan, emulsifiers, PEGs and ethoxylated cleansers like Sodium Laureth Sulfate.  Dioxin causes cancer, reduced immunity, nervous system disorders, miscarriages and birth deformity.  It’s a hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion – one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools!  Our bodies have no defense against its damage. Most visible example was Yushchenko, the Ukrainian President, who suffered from dioxin poisoning and looked old overnight.

DMDM Hydantoin & Urea (Imidazolidinyl):  Just two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, cancer, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, aggravate coughs and colds.

FD&C Color & Pigments:  Synthetic colors from coal tar contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins in skin, causing skin sensitivity / irritation.  Absorption can cause depletion of oxygen and death.  Animal studies show almost all are carcinogenic.

Parabens: (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl) - used as preservatives and aren’t always labeled "parabens."  They’re used in deodorants and antiperspirants and have been found in breast cancer tumors.  Parabens, as xenoestrogens (hormone disruptors), may contribute to sterility in male mice and humans. Estrogen-like activity causes hormone imbalance in females and early puberty.

PEG (Polyethylene glycol):  Made by ethoxylating Propylene Glycol.  Dangerous levels of dioxin have been found as a by-product of the ethoxylation process.  PEGs are in everything including personal care, baby care and sunscreens.

Phthalates:  Xenoestrogens are commonly found in many products, usually not listed on labels.  Health effects include damage to liver/kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts and early breast development in girls and boys.

Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: Petroleum plastics act as surfactants (wetting agents, solvents). EPA considers PG so toxic it requires protective gloves, clothing, goggles and disposal by burying. Because PG penetrates skin so quickly, EPA warns against skin contact to prevent brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. There is NO warning label on products where concentration is greater than in most industrial applications.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES):  Detergents and surfactants that pose serious health threats.  Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and 90% of personal-care products that foam.  Animals exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation - even death. SLS may also damage skin’s immune system by causing layers to separate, inflame and age.

Sunscreen chemicals: avobenzone, benzphenone, ethoxycinnamate, PABA are commonly used ingredients that are known free radical generators and are believed to damage DNA or lead to cancers.

Triclosan:  Synthetic "antibacterial" ingredient with chemical structure similar to Agent Orange! EPA registers it as a pesticide, posing risks to human health and environment.  Classified as a chlorophenol, chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans.  Tufts University School of Medicine says triclosan is capable of forcing emergence of 'super bugs' it cannot kill.

All information taken from The ToxicAlarm™ Guide - courtesy of The ToxicFree® Foundation

  

Diabetic Diet

Diet for Diabetes

Unfortunately, most dieticians are stuck prescribing high carbohydrate, low fat diets for the treatment of metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. This flawed prescription has been dismissed by the literature for almost 20 years now. To ‘celebrate’ this anniversary, below is a paper published almost 20 years ago stating you can wean “obese diabetic adult patients from insulin? This can be done rapidly, safely, and permanently in the community.”

Diabetes Care. 1983 Jul-Aug;6(4):328-33.

A hypo caloric high-protein diet as primary therapy for adults with obesity-related diabetes: effective long-term use in a community hospital.

Fitz JD, Sperling EM, Fein HG.

Abstract

The use of reducing diets as the sole therapy for the long-term management of obese diabetic patients has been generally unsuccessful. Most previous attempts took place with a few patients in university hospital clinical research centers. We placed 36 such patients on a hypo caloric high-protein food diet, consisting of 1.7-2.0 g protein/kg ideal body weight, during admission to a community hospital.

After beginning this diet, patients could be weaned from sliding-scale regular insulin in an average of 1.9 days. Patients remained on this diet after discharge (mean hospital stay = 4.3 days), and complex carbohydrates were gradually added up to 80 g daily.

Outpatient long-term management consisted of alternating biweekly visits to a sole nurse practitioner or physician or to a group discussion meeting. Follow-up averaged 41 weeks, during which eight patients (22%) had sustained weight loss throughout and remained euglycemic. Twenty patients (56%) initially lost weight (average: 23% of ideal body weight), then plateaued weight, but have also remained euglycemic. Only eight patients, (22%) required insulin.

Side effects of the diet were not serious in any patient; no one had myocardial irritability or serum potassium less than 2.9 meq/L.

This hypo caloric high-protein diet thus appears to be a generally successful means of weaning obese diabetic adult patients from insulin. This can be done rapidly, safely, and permanently in the community. Such diet therapy appears to require minimal laboratory and hospital resources that are available to all health care providers.

www.My-HealthyChoices.com

PH BALANCE AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH

 Our bodies are biochemical machines that require thousands of chemical actions and reactions to function properly. Everything from digestion to thought involves a chemical interaction. Now we all know what happens when an acid and an alkaline meet. Try mixing baking soda and vinegar for example. The human body is 3\4th alkaline and if our food intake is too acidic then the blood electrolyte seeks to balance itself. In order to balance the blood electrolyte the body uses stored alkaline minerals.

An acidic diet robs the system of alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium and leaves us prone to such degenerative diseases as Gallstones, Kidney stones, Gout and Osteoporosis. The stress on our kidneys and cells has a depleting effect on our immune systems leaving us prone to colds, virus infections and cancers. Normally, bile produced by the liver takes care of complete eradication of parasites, eggs and stages in a healthy organism. Bile neutralizes the acid environment of food leaving the stomach to destroy parasites and prepares the food leaving the stomach for digestion and absorption in the small intestine.

Excess acidity due to intake of wrong acid-forming food places too much of a load on bile production and detoxification by the liver, and the body seeks elsewhere for the neutralizing minerals. Chronic acidosis promotes the formation of gall stones and liver exhaustion. The result is the eventual over run by parasites and their stages which can lead to cancer. When we have a proper pH diet and healthy intestinal flora then we have an environment where parasites cannot thrive and where calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium minerals can be properly assimilated into the body.

Vitamin B-12 is produced in the body, when we have a proper pH and healthful intestinal flora. B-12 is very difficult to absorb when ingested, as the stomach will most likely digest it as food and it won't reach the small intestine where it can be absorbed intact as Vitamin B-12. For this reason those short of B-12 are usually given a semi-annual injection of the Vitamin. However, with proper pH levels in the food intake and a healthful thriving intestinal flora, B-12 should be produced in adequate amounts by the body.

One should not mistake the acidity in the stomach, however, as part of an acidosis problem. The hydrochloric acid in the stomach is required for digestion. What we are concerned about is the pH level in the ash, left behind following digestion. In fact, high acidic levels in the body actually inhibit the proper production of stomach acids. The absorption of B-12, as the described in the previous paragraph depends upon a high level of HCL in the stomach, and this is assured by an alkaline diet. What happens when the body pH is too acidic is that the body's response is to compensate by secreting less acidic fluids and a shortage of proper stomach acid is the result.

Here's another example of how our bodies react to this acidosis and how the body tries to regulate the blood pH. Walk through any cancer ward and the smell of ammonia permeates the air and it's not from the cleaning fluid. After the body has used the readily available supplies of sodium from the liver and the calcium that is floating around in the blood stream, it then goes to the bones for more calcium to neutralize this acidosis, but it can't leach enough calcium fast enough to meet the pH demands of the blood electrolyte, so the liver begins to manufacture ammonia for this purpose. Ammonia is one of the worst solvents to have in the body and the solvents set up the environment for parasites to flourish. This, according to Dr. Hulda Clarke in her book, "A cure for all cancers", is the cause of cancer.

Cancer patients have a High [alkaline] pH but it is because of the ammonia being produced to neutralize the acidosis. This high PH reading should NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD. It is because of the acidosis, that the ammonia is produced and the ammonia giving this High pH reading.

Foods that leave an acidic ash: Proteins, Starches, Alcohol and Sugar.

Foods that leave and alkaline ash: Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Sprouts and Millet.

*Note that although lemons and other citric fruits as well as apples are acidic to the taste and in the digestion process, they leave an Alkaline Ash. And note that legumes, seeds and grains are proteins, but when sprouted they also leave Alkaline Ash.

So when making that wonderful Vegetarian salad you should remember to substitute Lemon juice for vinegar and eliminate starches such as croutons and pasta.

An interesting observation from studies on the skeletal remains of native Africans who had died from natural causes or starvation is the absence of any evidence of Osteoporosis. This can be attributed to a natural alkaline diet. Vegetarian or Vegan diets alone do not necessarily address this situation. Many vegetarians are Protein crazy adding tofu or yogurt to almost every meal. After a few years they're as easy to spot as carnivores, stooping over with Osteoporosis or limping from Gout. They, like carnivores, are also prone to parasitic infections which can lead to cancer. Our diets therefore should include many snacks throughout the day of fresh fruits or vegetables but not including proteins, sugars or starches at these snack times.

An added bonus of consuming these fresh fruits and vegetables is the ingestion of phytochemicals which the senior science advisor of the U.S. Public Health Service, Devra Lee Davis, says, "can take tumors and defuse them, they can turn off the proliferative process of cancer."

Therefore, the less likely we are to become sick.

Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Cancer, Fibromyalgia, Psoriasis, Diabetes, Acid Reflux and Gout are just a few of the more than 200 diseases Research has linked to an acidic body & Calcium Deficiency. Calcium has been called the most important mineral our body needs.

In the Okinawa Island chain which is home to some of the oldest living groups of people, the pH of the water on these islands is over 8.0 and some of the inhabitants have lived to be over 115 years old.

Learn more at www,my-healthychoices.com