Avoiding Toxins at home in food, water, and personal care

This is the second of three posts that cover Principle One: Stop putting toxins in.

Foods to avoid
Toxins in the water supply
Personal Care Products

Foods & substances to avoid

(alphabetic order)

Additives

The list of toxic and carcinogenic food additives that should be avoided is long.¹ I single out Carrageenan (because it’s in so many ‘natural,’ even ‘organic’ products) and MSG (because it’s seemingly in everything that tastes good. LOL). Carrageenan is made from seaweed to clarify beer and thicken foods. Research shows a link to gastric complications, degradation of the intestinal tract, and cancer.² The National Organics Safety Board has recommended against allowing it in organic products. I don’t believe that recommendation has taken effect yet and it doesn’t always appear on labels but I do recommend checking labels to avoid it. MSG (Monosodium glutamate) is a flavor enhancer added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats and has been linked to many deleterious health effects, including cancer, although the research is not definitive. It appears on labels under many aliases.

Alcohol

The studies on alcohol’s effects on health have been mixed, to say the least. One day, the key to a long life is to drink a glass of red wine per day. The next day, we read that alcohol increases your risk of cancer. I posit that alcohol has two strikes against it. It is basically sugar (see Sugar below) and it burdens the liver, an organ whose proper function is essential in preventing and fighting cancer. The recently published 90+ study found people who drank moderate amounts of alcohol lived longer than those who abstained. Seniors who drank one or two glasses of wine or beer each day were 18 percent less likely to die prematurely. Other studies have found that low levels of alcohol consumption may reduce inflammation and help the brain clear away toxins.

However, evidence is overwhelming that alcohol is tied to several types of cancer.¹It enters cells easily and converts to acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen that damages DNA. Heavy drinking has been linked to increased risk of colon, breast (particularly ER+), liver, oral, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, lung, and gallbladder cancer. Even light to moderate drinking increases cancer risk. In November 2017, the American Society of Clinical Oncology released a statement asking Americans to drink less alcohol, citing years of research linking alcohol to cancer. More recently, a study was published concluding that there is no safe amount of alcohol to consume regularly.²

Canned food

Most cans are lined with BPA (see Household Toxins). Tomatoes are the worst because the acid eats away the lining, leaching more of the toxins into the food. Buy tomatoes fresh or in glass bottles or Tetra Pak boxes, or from companies that use non-BPA-lined cans.

Coffee

Another case of competing study findings. We do know that carcinogenic acrylamides are formed when coffee is roasted. Legislatures are considering requiring a warning label of its link to cancer. But coffee is full of anti-oxidants and is anti-inflammatory and drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes. dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. A review of all coffee studies concluded that it is good for you and may actually lower your risk of early death.¹But researchers at Harvard and in the UK have concluded that the incidence of pancreatic cancer goes up proportionately with daily coffee consumption.

I won’t suggest you quit caffeine but perhaps you’d consider changing your relationship with it for a while? Caffeine stimulates your adrenals to produce cortisol and adrenaline, the stress hormones linked to cancer, especially breast cancer. Our adrenals produce them to give us that boost of power we might need, say, if there was a saber tooth tiger about to pounce. So every time you drink a cup of coffee, etc. you are kicking your poor adrenals saying, hurry up and make me some of that joy juice because we have an emergency here.

When’s the last time you went a month without caffeine? You are likely suffering from adrenal fatigue. It’s a vicious cycle… the more fatigued adrenals get, the more fatigued you get, the more caffeine you ingest and the more fatigued they get, etc. I think your adrenals might want to relax on the beach for a little while and have cabana boys bring them drinks with umbrellas in them. : )

Adrenals are part of your endocrine system (pineal gland, pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, hypothalamus, gastrointestinal tract and adrenal glands)… think hormones. These organs are very important for our health and they are very intertwined. When one subsystem is out of balance, it may affect the balance in the other subsystems. And supporting and nurturing your body while it is enduring toxic poisons and trying valiantly to help you heal is all about restoring and maintaining balance.

So here’s my suggestion… take a caffeine holiday of at least a month. If you typically ingest a lot of caffeine, you may need to taper off gradually to prepare so your body doesn’t suffer sudden withdrawals. But you need to go at least a month without any at all to reap the benefits. The first few days will be hard but at the end of that month, I predict that you will have more energy than you currently have. You can re-introduce caffeine back but I will bet that your need for it will have diminished and you will have a different relationship with it.

Personally, I now have one cup of really good organic coffee with organic cream per week. And boy, do I love it!!! I don’t find that I need more. And my adrenals are just strolling through life, smiling and waving, and showing off their tan. I select organic coffee. One of the most pesticide-heavy crops, the coffee bean is globular and so has maximum exposure as do tea leaves, and you put them in boiling water, extracting all those poisons into your brew! When I take my caffeine holiday, I substitute with my morning tonic (Part One: Chapter Three).

Coffee, caffeine, and health outcomes

Dairy

Dairy milk is produced by lactating cows so, aside from the added hormones, antibiotics, and pus we’ve discussed, it contain hormones that are unnatural for human consumption. Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu of Harvard University has conducted long-term studies comparing the nutritional benefits and deleterious effects on health between Nomadic milk (pasture-fed cows are milked only through the first three months of a new pregnancy) with milk from modern dairies (cows are kept pregnant and lactating 300 days a year through use of artificial insemination and high-quality winter feed). She has linked increased tumor formation and growth in laboratory animals with chemically induced cancer to high levels of hormones in commercial milk. Nomadic milk has one-tenth the progesterone found in commercially produced milk.¹

Modern Milk

Farmed fish

Farmed salmon lacks Vitamin D and is full of carcinogens such as pesticides, antibiotics, PCBs, and flame retardants.^1,2 Opt for wild fish.

Fried snacks

frying foods at high temperatures produces Acrylamide (which metabolizes into Glycidamide and is carcinogenic) and heterocyclic amines and polycyclic hydrocarbons (also bad).

Genetically-modified organisms (GMO)

Carcinogenic herbicides and pesticides are used to grow GMO foods, many times contained within the foods themselves. Glyphosate, the major pesticide associated with GMOs and a known carcinogen, has been found in human (even fetal) blood in significant amounts. There are a number of socioeconomic factors that make GMOs bad and nearly 20 countries, including Europe, have banned them. Controversial but relevant to this discussion is research showing liver and kidney toxicity, hormonal abnormalities, rapid tumor growth, and premature death¹ resulting from GMO consumption. Look for the Non-GMO-Project-certified label.

Long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize

– For more GMO health information

– Specifically for cancer

Hydrogenated oils…

… contain trans fats, the worst type of fat there is. Used to preserve processed foods, hydrogenated oils alter the structure and flexibility of cell membranes, which can lead to cancer, heart disease, and immune system problems. The FDA says trans fats are not regarded as safe.¹ Avoid fried foods, margarine and vegetable shortening, packaged snacks, pre-made baked foods, ready-to-use dough, and coffee creamers (dairy and nondairy). Better to choose coconut or olive oil.

FDA Final Determination: Trans fat

Iron

Iron is a double-edge sword because it is both toxin and nutrient. An important component of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body, it can be very detrimental if stored in high amounts. Our modern diet is abnormally high in iron because of fortification. The body has no way to get rid of excess iron except menstruation. Iron overload is linked to cancer, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, liver and heart problems, and basically every chronic disease. Iron deficiency is linked to breast cancer in pre-menopausal women while overload is linked in post-menopausal women.¹

In my book, Whatever Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Strong, I tell of my discovery that iron overload caused cancer to grow in my body. Iron feeds cancer, basically. I have hereditary hemochromatosis, the most common genetic disease in America. This disease explains why half my family on my mother’s side has developed cancer. It increases my iron absorption from the food that I ingest. But even if you don’t have that disease, if you eat a standard American diet, you could very well be iron overloaded. Experts say that over 90% of America is iron-overloaded. Iron overload is the most missed diagnosis and responsible for the most misdiagnoses. What makes it even worse is that, even if your doctor has told you that you are anemic, you could be iron-overloaded,

See, the body is brilliant at achieving homeostasis… balancing itself in spite of our unbalancing actions. The body squirrels away iron, in the form of Ferritin, in our tissues, bones, and organs, where it does the most damage. So, when we become dangerously overloaded with iron, our body can decrease the rate of iron absorption through the intestinal tract. If your doctor happens to test you while this is happening, your circulating blood iron, the most common measure, will be low. Your doctor may misdiagnose you as anemic when, in fact, your bones, muscles, and organs could be suffering from iron overload. Prescribing iron supplements could actually make things worse and dangerous.

In my upcoming book, The Secret Life of Iron, I will outline the fascinating role of iron in our health and our history. For now, please ask your doctor for a full iron panel, including Ferritin, to get a complete picture of iron in your body. Iron Saturation percentage will tell you about the iron circulating in your blood and Ferritin will indicate how much iron is stored where it causes problems.

When I found my particular problem, my iron saturation was 91% and I was weeks away from organ failure… long before cancer would have killed me. Maintaining both of my iron levels well below the normal range is part of my protocol to keep the cancer from returning. While your levels may be ‘normal,’ if 90% of America is iron-overloaded, then ‘normal could be the new dead.’ See, ‘normal’ is a statistical derivation of the people that get tested at that lab. If the majority of the people tested are iron-overloaded, then iron-overload is the new normal. That doesn’t mean it is healthy or ideal. I keep both under 40.

The way to treat iron overload is simple and cheap… give blood. It creates a temporary anemia, resulting in iron being pulled out of those stores where it is causing problems and used to make more hemoglobin and red blood cells. In fact, my top advice for everybody to maintain and improve their health is to donate blood regularly. Out with the old, in with the new. Women live over 10 years longer than men on average because they get rid of excess iron every month for 40 years through their period. If you have cancer, they won’t accept your blood for donation but your insurance will likely pay for a phlebotomy. Some donation centers do it for free and discard the blood.

Iron feeds cancer, but so do many other things and so the absence of iron will not necessarily mean an absence of cancer. But I figure why make the little bastard happy and allow it to thrive? In my case, iron overload was responsible for cancer thriving in me and the majority in my family who got cancer.

Avoid ‘heme’ iron (found in high concentrations in red meat and shrimp), limit alcohol intake (increases iron absorption), and stay away from cigarettes. What a coincidence that those things are all known to increase your risk of cancer! If you must have alcohol, have it before or after but not with your meal. Red wine contains tannins and so inhibits absorption of iron, counteracting the increased absorption from the alcohol. Another coincidence that we evolved to drink red wine with meat? Coffee and tea limit iron absorption. Check the ingredients label on vitamins and processed food as iron is added to so many things… part of the reason the majority of Americans are iron-overloaded. The Iron Disorders Institute (‪irondisorders.org) is an excellent respected resource, to know more.  Optimum Iron Levels for Adults: Hemoglobin: 12.5 g/dL, Ferritin: 50-150 ng/mL, Saturation: 25%-35%

Does iron have a role in breast cancer?

Meat

Factory-farmed meat is full of antibiotics and hormones. Charring meat creates carcinogens. Red meat consumption causes inflammation and elevated cholesterol and iron levels. After reviewing over 800 studies, the World Health Organization has listed meat consumption as a ‘probable carcinogen.’ The FDA has known since the ‘70s that processed meats are linked to cancer and the WHO’s report declares them actual carcinogens. Beef jerky, lunchmeat, hot dogs, bacon, ham, salami, etc. are generally cured with sodium nitrites and nitrates in this country, which are carcinogenic.¹Things that happen when you stop eating meat: inflammation, blood cholesterol, and your chance of getting Type 2 diabetes will decrease; the health of your microbiome will improve; and your impact as a consumer on the environment will decrease.

In Principle Three, we will discuss the health advantages of a plant-based diet. As I mentioned in Bone Metastases, I did not go completely meat-free because my objective was to build bone marrow and bone broth was a big part of my successful protocol. I do eat meat from time to time but it is uncured and organic, I limit both frequency and portion size, and I avoid charring.

What’s Wrong with Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and Bacon?

Microwave popcorn

Perfluorooctanoic acid is carcinogenic.

Processed foods

Consuming ultra-processed foods, such as mass-produced packaged breads, cakes, snacks, candy, sweetened drinks, meatballs, chicken and fish nuggets, instant soups, frozen meals, and foods made mostly or entirely from sugar, oils and fats, increases your risk of cancer. A recent study publishedin the British Medical Journal, showed that if the proportion of ultra-processed food in the diet increased by 10%, then the number of cancers detected increased by 12%.¹ My guess is toxins and inflammation are to blame.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk

Salt

We all know that high sodium intake raises blood pressure leading to heart disease and death, right? In fact the New England Journal of Medicine predicted that 99,000 US lives per year could be saved by limiting sodium intake. But in true modern scientific fashion, there is a study that found that those with lower sodium intake can have a higher rate of death from heart attack and stroke.¹

My take: follow your doctor’s recommendation, stay away from processed foods, and use good sea salt. Commercially produced table salt is full of chemicals and devoid of important nutrients. Himalayan sea salt is far superior in taste and health benefits. It was formed when the sea lapped at the shores of the Himalayas so it contains all the essential minerals (90+!) and nutrients that our depleted soils now lack and helps to maintain several body functions.² It does have trace amounts of iron so I use Celtic sea salt too.

Sody Pop

whether it’s the sugar, the high-fructose corn syrup, the artificial sweeteners, flavorings and colorings, soda pop adds up to a whole lot of bad. Devoid of any nutritional benefit, it is an acidifying, carcinogenic soup that is best avoided. 4-MI, for example, gives cola its classic caramel color and is directly linked to cancer. Diet cola is perhaps the worst. Caffeine and aspartame combine to form excitotoxins that are deadly to cells. Google it.

Sugar and artificial sweeteners

The pancreas releases insulin when we ingest sugar (or high-glycemic foods), which regulates conversion and storage of glucose. Simple sugars are sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit), and glucose. Sucrose converts to fructose and glucose. Your liver converts fructose into glucose, and uses it for energy. Excess energy from sugars is synthesized into fat. Glycerol, a component of fat, converts to glucose when needed. Amino acids in protein are also converted into glucose. Cancer uses glucose for energy. But so does every other cell. Brains, hearts, and muscles all require glucose… your body needs glucose to function properly and it will create the glucose it needs. That’s a compelling argument against trying to starve cancer.

The claim ‘sugar feeds cancer’ and that you can ‘starve’ cancer by cutting out sugar is controversial. The ‘Warburg effect’ that seemed to show that sugar causes cancer was called into question when it was proposed that changes in sugar metabolism could be a by-product of cancer (correlational rather than causal). And MIT biologists have found that the largest source for new cancer cell material is amino acids, not glucose.¹But a recent study found high levels of glucose could overstimulate the production of certain proteins found in tumors causing cancer cells to multiply faster.

It isn’t just glucose that affects cancer… it’s the resulting imbalances in metabolism and insulin production that messes things up. Cancer cells uptake glucose 10-12x more than other cells and have insulin receptors that make them respond more than normal cells to insulin’s ability to promote growth. IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) is released by the liver when the pancreas secretes insulin and stimulates cells (including cancer) to grow. There is a correlation between cancer and diabetes²and women with high levels of IGF-1 are more likely to get breast cancer.³ Research shows sugar’s relationship to higher insulin levels and related growth factors influences cancer cell growth.⁴

In regards to breast cancer, a strong correlation was found between breast cancer mortality and sugar consumption in older women, in younger women not so much. It’s possible the connecting link between sugar consumption and breast cancer is insulin.⁵ And high blood sugar could worsen existing tumors.^6,7 In fact, a recent in vitro study shows that increased glucose uptake activates known oncogenic pathways and promotes oncogenesis.⁸A recent study from MD Anderson showing sugar to increase risk for breast cancer and metastasis points to the way sugar increases inflammation as the mechanism.⁹

PET scans identify cancer through its appetite for sugar since rapidly dividing cells have a greater uptake of glucose. You limit intake of sugar (and high-glycemic foods) for 24 hours before the scan. Then you take glucose with a radioactive tracer. Cancer says “oh goody, I’m starving” and sucks it up, identifying itself on the scan. Kinda supports ‘sugar feeding cancer.’

Refined sugar is a burden to digest, is devoid of vital nutrients, causes inflammation, obesity and diabetes, and increases the risk of cancer.¹⁰ 200 years ago, Americans consumed 6 pounds of sugar/year, now it exceeds 100. Is it a coincidence that cancer rates have experienced a similar growth rate? Sugar suppresses your immune system by making Vitamin C less available to white blood cells. It’s estimated that a blood sugar level of 120 handicaps your immune system by up to 75%. Like the tobacco industry, the sugar industry has skewed the reporting of the health risks.^11,12 It’s an excellent example of how science can be commandeered by corporations to deliver the results they favor.

Artificial sweeteners may be worse. Aspartame, thought to be the most dangerous additive in the western diet, has been linked to cancer for years, causing a host of ailments including fibromyalgia and MS-like symptoms. Splenda, saccharin and various other artificial sweeteners have also been linked to cancer, destroying gut bacteria, raising insulin, and neurotoxicity. The problem with artificial sweeteners is the brain doesn’t recognize them and they don’t trigger satiation responses so you keep eating when you don’t need to.

High-fructose corn syrup, found in processed foods and sweetened drinks, is overwhelmingly linked to obesity, diabetes, and cancer. It induces changes in gut impermeability contributing to leaky-gut syndrome, in turn linked to chronic disease conditions. Candida overgrowth causes LGS as well. Sugar and HFCS feed Candida and Candida overgrowth fuels sugar cravings in a vicious cycle. I cover Candida, which is linked to cancer, in Principle Two.

2DG is a glucose-analog taken up by cancer cells that doesn’t provide it with the energy it needs. A promising treatment, it’s like putting water in your gas tank. The theory is that cancer will think it’s satiated but will slowly starve.¹³

My take? Cancer’s going to get the glucose it needs one way or the other. But who wants to make it easy for the little bastard? The western diet is high in sugar and carcinogenic chemicals linked to making our bioterrains hospitable to cancer. That’s not to say they ‘cause’ cancer but that they contribute to creating a fertile soil for the cancer ‘seed’ to thrive in. Moderate consumption of natural sugars and complex carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index, spread out over time and accompanied by a corresponding intake of proteins and fats is the way I roll. I favor honey because of its anti-microbial properties.

Sasha Harland documented body changes as he gave up sugar for a month.¹⁴

It seems every oncologist’s office is filled with candy and cookies with pink frosting. I want to run through throwing them into the trash and screaming… this is the LAST thing you should be giving your cancer patients!

Tobacco

Do I really need to say anything? If you have cancer and you are still using tobacco, then reading this book is a waste of your time.

Wheat and refined white flour

Modern wheat is high in gluten which irritates the lining of your gut, causing an inflammatory response and interferes with the thyroid… even if you don’t have ‘gluten-sensitivity.’ Celiacs will experience more inflammation but generally, the more gluten you eat, the more inflammation you experience. Chances are the less gluten you ingest, the better you will feel. In the US, refined white flour is bleached with chlorine and ‘fortified’ with potentially harmful chemicals, such as excessive iron and bromide. Bromide, along with chloride and fluoride, are halogens that compete with and inhibit the absorption of iodine, an essential mineral for preventing and fighting cancer. Perhaps most worrying about refined food products is they are high-glycemic, convert to sugar rapidly, upset blood sugar balance leading to higher insulin production with carcinogenic effects. High-glycemic foods also feed Candida. Try organic whole wheat and low- or non-gluten flours.

Xeno-estrogens

Xeno-estrogens are toxic chemicals that masquerade as hormones and should be avoided because of their links to cancer, especially estrogen-positive breast cancer. They may also reduce the efficacy of certain breast cancer treatments.^1,2 Sources include processed food and non-organic, factory-farmed meat, dairy and vegetables.

Toxins in the water supply

Whenever you are healing, it is important to drink lots of water to help detoxify and process whatever you ingest. It is particularly important if you are putting pharmaceutical medicines into your body. Chlorine and fluoride are both carcinogens and should be removed from our water. Chlorine sterilizes water and prevents bacterial overgrowth but increases the production of free radicals, damaging healthy cells. It is present in all municipal water supplies unless it is removed before distribution. It can be removed in the home using activated charcoal or reverse osmosis filters. Much of its detrimental effects come from inhaling the vapor, such as in a hot shower. Chlorine shower filters are inexpensive and easy to install. Perchlorate interferes with thyroid function.

Fluoride is basically contaminated industrial waste (not naturally occurring calcium fluoride) that has been pawned off on us under the myth that fluoridation prevents tooth decay. The claim that adding it to the water improves dental health is very much in question while some claim it is the most carcinogenic chemical in our daily lives. It is illegal to release it into waterways or to bury it. It can cause bone cancer, thyroid disease, and kidney damage, negatively impact children’s IQ, and more. Only 5% of the world is artificially fluoridated and it’s banned in 98% of Europe. I live in a community that does not fluoridate the water. Reverse osmosis, but not activated charcoal, removes fluoride. Consider a whole-home filter that filters the water as it enters your home.

(about fluoride) I don’t feel comfortable using a substance designated by the Environmental Protection Agency to be a waste disposal hazard. I can’t throw it in the trash, bury it in the ground, or put it in a landfill, but they say it is OK to put it in people’s mouths. That doesn’t make sense. – Richard. Fischer, D.D.S.

I have a chlorine shower filter but do not have a whole-home filter and I prefer baths. Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and baking soda both neutralize chlorine so I add them to my detox baths with Epsom salts. I also add baking soda to drinking water to neutralize my stomach acids and alkalize my entire system.

Traces of pharmaceuticals, including chemotherapy, in the water supply are very disturbing. As I mentioned, residue from pharmaceuticals including chemotherapy have been found in fish and shrimp around the world. Mussels near Victoria sewage outlets tested positive for painkillers and antidepressants. This is a real problem that should be addressed by preventing drugs from entering the supply and improving wastewater treatment practices. Partial removal can be accomplished by home filtering… reverse osmosis is the most effective at 62-97% removal and ultrasound ranges from 24-100%. UV light is apparently inconsistent and can even make it worse by chemical conversion.¹

WHO: Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water

A principle of Ayurvedic medicine is that water should not be drunk ice-cold and that warm water is best. Modern nutritional studies support this. Cold water increases mucus production and suppresses your immune system. When you drink something cold, blood vessels shrink, digestion becomes restricted, and hydration is impaired. Warm water enhances hydration and digestion. Food breaks down more easily and digestive enzymes are more easily activated.

Personal Care Products

In addition to ingesting and inhaling toxins, we absorb them through our porous skin, the largest organ in our body. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that disrupt hormone function and can have substantial and permanent impacts on health. These chemicals interfere with normal function of the endocrine, reproductive, neurological, and metabolic systems. Examples of adverse health effects include infertility, endometriosis, early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, thyroid disorders, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obesity, diabetes, asthma, immune disorders, and more. They are associated with fossil fuel extraction, processing, and/or burning and include food additives, pesticides, plastics, dyes, etc.

Commercial cosmetics are full of harmful chemicals and toxins, heavy metals, etc. Nail polish and lipstick can be particularly nasty but there are natural alternatives.^1,2 Shampoos and conditioners contain surfactants, preservatives, fragrance, and emulsifiers that can be harmful not only to you but to aquatic life. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are present in processed food, toothpaste, sunscreen, deodorant, and other products. Nanoparticles are easily absorbed and circulate throughout your body and many different kinds are increasingly used in foods and cosmetics. Initial studies indicate they are probable neurotoxins and carcinogens.³ Oxybenzone in sunscreen is linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage.⁴Commercial hair dyes contain lead and toxic metals. Deodorants contain aluminum, phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, triclosan, and fragrances. EWG updates lists of harmful ingredients.⁵

Here is a partial list of ingredients to be aware of and avoid:

BHA & BHT: endocrine disruptors, carcinogens. Cosmetics preservative.
Coal Tar Dyes: heavy metal, neurotoxins, carcinogen. Hair dyes.
DEA, MEA & TEA: Forms nitrosamines, a carcinogen. Foamy, products.
Dyes: Blue 1, Green 3, Yellow 5 & 6, Red 33: Carcinogenic. Hair dyes.
Formaldehyde: Carcinogen. Released by preservatives.
Isobutene: Carcinogen. Moisturizer, shaving cream, etc.
Oxybenzone: Endocrine disruptor, cell damage. Sunscreen.
Parabens: Endocrine disruptor, carcinogen. Deodorant, toothpaste, etc. Ethyl, Methyl, Butyl or Propyl, 99% of breast cancer tissue contain parabens.
Petrolatum: Carcinogen, Cosmetics.
Plastics #1-7: Endocrine disruptive, neurotoxic carcinogens. Better: #2,4, 5.
Pthalates: Endocrine disruptors. Many different kinds, fragrances, etc.
Polyethylene and propylene glycol, polyoxyethylene: Carcinogen, Lotions.
Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate: Carcinogens, foaming cosmetics.
Triclosan: Endocrine disruptor, carcinogen. Toothpaste, deodorant, etc.

Make your own:

Rather than read all the labels I just use henna root powder to dye my hair and make my own shampoo, moisturizers, and toothpaste. I use castor oil to remove my eye make-up (most mascaras contain mercury so I use a natural brand that doesn’t) and as an eye and night cream. Organic coconut, olive, hemp seed oils and shea butter make great face and body moisturizers.

Toothpaste – equal parts baking soda and coconut oil, pinch turmeric and mint or cinnamon oil to taste. My dental health has never been so good. The anti-bacterial and alkalizing properties of these ingredients are incredible.

Shampoo – Equal parts castile soap, coconut milk, and baking soda. Optional: essential oil, almond or olive oil.

Deodorant – Equal parts coconut oil, baking soda, arrowroot powder. Essential oil for fragrance, anti-bacterial and hormone balancing properties. Use old deodorant holder and let harden or small jar and apply with fingers.

Facial mask – coconut oil, lemonjuice, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, bakingsoda.

Insect repellent – Apple cider vinegar with a few drops of thyme, rosemary, lavender, geranium, eucalyptus, and/or tea tree oil. Add garlic, cayenne.

Lip balm – Equal parts beeswax, jojoba or almond or vitamin E or hemp seed oil, coconut oil or shea butter, essential oils. Use old lip balm holders.

Lash lengthener – Equal parts aloe oil, vitamin E oil, and castor oil. Use sterilized old mascara applicator and tube.

Facial toner – apple cider vinegar or witch hazel, essential oils.

Hair spray – Lemon juice, water, sugar or salt (different effects).

Sunscreen – Non-nano zinc oxide and shea butter

This post, Avoiding Toxins, is from Book 2 of my Thrive Tribe Series, What I Did and Do and Why, a naturopathic protocol that helps me to survive and thrive, available from the bookstore, starting at $7. I am posting the entire book sequentially, in its entirety, on this blog once a week. Subscriptions are free.

Nothing contained on this website nor in my blogs or books should be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. I am a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer thriver who is currently NEAD and simply sharing my journey in the hopes it helps you to find your power and path. Please research anything I share to determine if it is a good choice for you. I believe in you! Bless you all on the path you choose.

All original content contained on this blog, What I did and do and why, is copyrighted 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Kaiulani Facciani, Snarling Wolf, Inc.

Avoiding Toxins at home

Principle One: Avoiding Toxins (part B)