Question from Beth Kant

Hi Debra,

Cannot find car seat cushions to sit on that are organic and toxic free any help finding or making what materials to use. Help.

Debra’s Answer

Well, I found one online pretty easily: 100% Natural Latex Seat cushion with Organic Cotton Covering

But that was the only one I could find.

If you don’t want latex…If I were going to make one I would get a sleep pillow filled with something I like (I like wool, but kapok or other fillings are fine), fold it in half and put it in a pillow case. Wrap the pillow case around and pin it if needed with safety pins. That’s actually what I did to make a seat cushion for my desk chair and it works great.

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Question from Angelique

Hi Debra,

Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with LED lighting ballasts and sounds? We are remodeling our kitchen and replacing the old fluorescent lighting ballasts. We thought of switching to LED lighting. My husband brought home an LED shop light ballast to try. The amount of light is fine, but when he turns it on, I feel like someone is stabbing me in the ear, as well as head pressure. I cannot HEAR anything; I don’t hear any buzzing or high-pitched whine. (And I head high-pitched whines ALL the time.) But I must be picking up SOMETHING. Any insights?

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from TA

Hi Debra,

Hi Debra, I’m wondering if you have any advice about home security. I’ve wanted to avoid the wireless systems (though we do have wireless internet which I turn off at night, though I’d like an alternative to the wireless during the day as well). There are security cameras that are DIY installations, but those are typically wireless also, I think. And security systems that use the phone lines aren’t recommended, since the phone lines can be cut.

I recently saw a recommendation for this company which provides home security systems that use a cellular signal, and I’m wondering if this would be a reasonably safe option. I think the important questions to ask the company would be whether there is any constant transmission, or whether it transmits only in case of emergency (when the alarm is set off and notifies the security company and police, etc). It seems to me that could be reasonable, since we do have cell phones but I don’t wear it on my body or keep it beside my bed, etc. Here is the company site: http://smiththompson.com/how-it-works/

(It states “wireless” – but my understanding is that this cellular signal is a different type of monitoring than other wireless systems.)

Do you have any thoughts about what they are saying? Any suggestions for questions I should ask about this (or any other) security system? Any other alternatives for home security?

Debra’s Answer

I am not an EMF expert, but am posting this so anyone who does have a good answer can reply.

Thanks.

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I’ve been writing about not using laminate flooring for years. Now 60 Minutes has verified that laminate flooring contains amounts of toxic formaldehyde that may not meet health and safety standards.

Watch 60 minutes video and read transcript

A new study from England found that locations with fluoridated water supplies were more than 30 percent more likely to have high levels of hypothyroidism, compared to areas with low levels of thyroid in the water.

The Chicago Tribune quoted an American endocrinologist with this warning:

“Clinicians in the United States should emphasize to patients this association and should test patients for underactive thyroid,” said Dr. Spyros Mezitis, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“Patients should probably be advised to drink less fluoridated water and consume less fluoridated products, including (fluoridated) toothpaste,” added Mezitis, who was not involved in the study.

• Chicago Tribune: British study links fluoride, underactive thyroid

• Newsweek: Water Fluoridation May Increase Risk of Underactive Thyroid Disorder

• J Epidemial Community Health: Are fluoride levels in drinking water associated with hypothyroidism prevalence in England?

This is a new study, but old news. I wrote about fluoride and thyroid just about a year ago. If you think that fluoride is affecting your thyroid, here’s what you can do to detox fluoride from your thyroid gland: Thyroid Problems? Detox Fluoride & Bromine

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Press Release

A University of Melbourne researcher has found that common consumer products, including those marketed as ‘green’, ‘all-natural’, ‘non-toxic’, and ‘organic’, emit a range of compounds that could harm human health and air quality. But most of these ingredients are not disclosed to the public.

Dr. Anne Steinemann, Professor of Civil Engineering, and the Chair of Sustainable Cities, from the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, is a world expert on environmental pollutants, air quality, and health effects.

Professor Steinemann investigated and compared volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from 37 different products, such as air fresheners, cleaning products, laundry supplies, and personal care products, including those with certifications and claims of ‘green’ and ‘organic’. Both fragranced and fragrance-free products were tested.

The study, published in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health found 156 different VOCs emitted from the 37 products, with an average of 15 VOCs per product. Of these 156 VOCs, 42 are classified as toxic or hazardous under US federal laws, and each product emitted at least one of these chemicals.

Findings revealed that emissions of carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants from ‘green’ fragranced products were not significantly different from regular fragranced products.

In total, over 550 volatile ingredients were emitted from these products, but fewer than three percent were disclosed on any product label or material safety data sheet (MSDS).

“The paradox is that most of our exposure to air pollutants occurs indoors and a primary source is consumer products. But the public lacks full and accurate information on the ingredients in these products. Our indoor air environments are essentially unregulated and unmonitored,” Professor Steinemann said.

The most common chemicals in fragranced products were terpenes, which were not in fragrance-free versions. Terpenes readily react with ozone in the air to generate a range of additional pollutants, such as formaldehyde and ultrafine particles.

At this time, consumer products sold in Australia, the US and around the world are not required to list all ingredients, or any ingredients in a chemical mixture called ‘fragrance’.

“Given the lack of information, consumers may choose products with claims such as green, natural, or organic, but those claims are largely untested,” Professor Steinemann said.

Professor Steinemann will continue to investigate how and why we’re exposed to pollutants and ways to reduce risks and improve health.

Additional Information:

• Products selected are commonly used in Australia, the US, and other countries in a range of environments (e.g., homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, hotels, restaurants, stores, residential buildings, parks, child care and aged care facilities, gyms, homeless shelters, government buildings, airports, planes and public transport).

• Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) headspace analysis was used to identify VOCs emitted from 37 products, representing air fresheners and deodorizers (sprays, gels, solids, oils, and disks), laundry products (detergents, dryer sheets, and fabric softeners), cleaning supplies (all-purpose cleaners, window and surface cleaners, disinfectants, and dishwashing liquids), and personal care products (soaps, hand sanitisers, sunscreens, lotions, baby lotions, deodorants, shampoos, and baby shampoo).

• Ingredients in consumer products and in fragrance formulations, are exempt from full disclosure to the public.

• For laundry products, cleaning supplies, and air fresheners, labels do not need to list all ingredients, or the presence of a fragrance in the product.

• For personal care products and cosmetics, labels need to list ingredients, except the general term “fragrance” or “parfum” may be used instead of listing the individual ingredients in the fragrance.

• For all products, material safety data sheets do not need to list all ingredients.

• Fragrance ingredients are exempt from full disclosure in any product, not only in Australia and the US but also internationally.

The full article is available, free of charge, on Professor Steinemann’s website (under Recent Publications, “Volatile Emissions from Common Consumer Products”): http://people.eng.unimelb.edu.au/asteinemann/

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Press Release

Tropical Traditions

Brian Shilhavy, CEO of Tropical Traditions, sent a letter this week to Tropical Traditions customers explaining why the company has had so many of its products out of stock or back ordered at the beginning of 2015.

Tropical Traditions found out in late 2014 that much of the USDA certified organic wheat supply in North America was contaminated with residues of the herbicide glyphosate. Tropical Traditions has been in the process of testing all of its products for the presence of glyphosate since that discovery. The products that have been tested for glyphosate and found to be clean are all listed on the Healthy Traditions website now.

Besides organic wheat and other organic grains that were tested positive for glyphosate and removed from the Tropical Traditions product line, they also tested and found glyphosate present in organic flax seeds, organic hemp, and organic freeze-dried strawberries. Products containing those ingredients are no longer available on the Tropical Traditions websites.

Shilhavy explained why the process of determining which products are contaminated with glyphosate and which ones are clean is not a simple process:

It might seem that it is a simple procedure for us to simply test all of our products for the presence of glyphosate, and know right away which products we can continue selling, and which ones we cannot. Unfortunately, it is not so simple. We have to carefully consider how the product is produced or grown, and how likely a sample taken from a certain batch is to represent all products grown or produced by that supplier.

If a product comes from a large company or supplier, just testing what we have in our inventory at any given time is no guarantee that this product will always test clean. This is especially true if the supplier is sourcing the product from many sources or many farms, and mixing it all together before packaging into retail sizes. Therefore, we need our suppliers to work with us in ensuring each sample that is tested is truly representative of a batch that can be traced directly back to the producer, ensuring that these producers are consistently producing and harvesting products that are testing clean from glyphosate.

Some of our suppliers have expressed a willingness to work with us on this issue, some have not. Hence, we will be dropping some of our product lines because we cannot be reasonably sure that we are selling you products that are not contaminated with glyphosate, and we would rather sell no products at all than sell products that are contaminated, no matter how small that contamination may be.

Tropical Traditions to Phase Out USDA Organic Certification on its Products and Switch to “Healthy Traditions”

Tropical Traditions also announced that it will phase out the USDA certified organic certification on its privately labeled products by the end of 2015. In its place, they will be using the “Healthy Traditions” approval seals on their products, which currently includes: Traditionally Produced, GMO-tested, and Glyphosate-tested.

The Healthy Traditions standards are explained on the Healthy Traditions website:

The purpose of Healthy Traditions is to define the standards of healthy food and products we use when producing or choosing products to sell in our network. These are not new standards for us, but the same standards we have followed since 2002, when we first started shipping virgin coconut oil to the U.S. from the Philippines. Today’s certifications and labeling have become so watered-down and confusing, that we thought it was time to define our own standards, so that the consumer can better understand the commitment we have to high standards that promote a healthy lifestyle.

The goal of the Healthy Traditions project is to eventually develop a nationwide network of producers and suppliers that meet a higher standard than current USDA organic standards, which currently allow for glyphosate and other pesticide residues to be present. Healthy Traditions maintains a ZERO percentage tolerance for the presence of glyphosate, GMOs, and other herbicides and pesticides.

Tropical Traditions asked its customers to be patient as they go through the testing process to determine which products are at risk for glyphosate contamination, and which products are clean. They hope that consumers will appreciate the extra work they are putting in to develop their glyphosate-tested and GMO-tested programs. They are believed to be the only company currently testing products for the presence of glyphosate.

Their goal is that consumer demand for glyphosate-tested products will grow and encourage other companies and producers in North America to start testing their products for glyphosate as well.

Read this article and comment at HealthyTraditions.com.

Brian Shilhavy is the CEO of Tropical Traditions and the Editor of Health Impact News.

Question from Adriana

Hi Debra,

I would like to know if you have any information on bottled sparkling water brands and which ones are the best ones to drink.

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t ever investigated bottle sparkling waters or still waters. I don’t often drink them.

I looked online for some ratings, but they didn’t rate what I think needs to be looked at.

There are a few major problems with bottled water.

First is the bottle itself, which can leach plastic into the water. Sparkling waters are usually bottled in glass so that isn’t a problem for your question.

Then there is the source of the water. Many bottled sparkling waters come from underground sources, which sounds pure, but they may be contaminated with unknown pollutants.

And finally, bottled waters are not “natural”—they are processed in a processing plant as they are bottled, so it’s not like drinking water from a natural spring./p>

It’s better to drink sparkling water than a soda.

But best is to filter your own water at home, which is why I use and recommend Pure Effect Advanced Water Filters.

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Question from MaryLou Flake

Hi Debra,

I just want to thank you for sharing, I too have gout and fibromyalgia and arthritis they are coming onto thinking it rheumatoid. I am worried the next thing they will be saying is MS. I am trying to use diet to reduce inflammation and head off some of these symptoms and episodes. My husband receives our only income from disability due to seizures and back injury and it is imperative I stay within a food budget. Could you perhaps address the issue of finding organic foods at affordable cost? Thank You for sharing your journey with us.

Debra’s Answer

I’m going to give you a whole spectrum of answer, starting with the easiest and ending with what costs the least money.

First, if what you are looking for are organic packaged foods, then try  Trader Joes. They don’t sell online but they are opening stores all over the country now. When I lived in California (where the chain started), they were always the hottest store. Everyone loves Trader Joe’s. They have a lot of fresh and frozen prepared entrees and packaged foods and packaged ingredients, some fresh ingredients, too. A lot of what they sell is organic. But the great thing that everyone loves is the prices are very low compared to natural food stores. I used to shop there a lot when I lived in California, now my closest Trader Joe’s is about 15 miles away. It’s the kind of store people drive to once a month if it’s not near by, and stock up.

Online Thrive Market has 3000+ healthy, natural products, always 35-50% off, delivered free to your door. You get 15% off your first order. You cans search by a variety of different choices such as manufacturer, special diets, made by hand, sourced direct from farmers, certified organic etc. It’s all packaged products you would find at any natural food store, they just cost less. Also personal care products and household cleaners, remedies and supplements. You have to register to look at the site (but it’s free), then with your first purchase you start a fress 30-day trial membership. See how much you save, cancel at any time. At the end of the 30 days, it’s $59.95 to shop at Thrive Market for a year, but the idea is you should save much more than that.

I don’t shop at either of those places because I don’t buy much packaged food.

You can immediately cut your food bill when you buy only fresh ingredients and prepare them yourself at home. Even if you shopped at Whole Foods (the most expensive place to buy organic food) you would still reduce your food bill by purchasing only fresh ingredients. And you will be eating the highest quality food. I just continue to be amazed at the ingredients in packeged foods sold at natural food stores. Even some packaged foods that have basic organic ingredients then have processed salt and flavoring ingredients to make them edible. It’s much better to learn how to cook.

Now once you are in the zone of preparing food yourself from fresh ingredients, here are some options.

Look for a local, independent natural food store. Their prices are often less than Whole Foods.

Shop at your local farmer’s market. Very good prices on local organic food and you can meet the farmers.

Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, where you buy a share in a farm and then get a weekly share of the harvest. These farms often let you work at the farm too and participate in harvesting and sorting and delivering the harvest. You get a variety of foods and learn new foods you might not know, but come to love. I loved my year eating out of my CSA basket when I lived in California. I wish there was one here where I live in Florida.

Grow your own. Seeds cost only pennies and gardening is great exercise. Nothing tastes better than food foraged straight from your own garden.

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Question from Matt Carter

Hi Debra,

I know you posted before that you use a Hydrafloss and I am looking into getting one, but in the meantime am looking for a safe dental floss option. I have found two types of floss that are unwaxed nylon (POH and Dr. Collins) would these be the safest options in terms of regular floss? I also looked into some wood pick options instead of floss but was concerned if the wood might have been treated with anything. Thank you!.

Debra’s Answer

All flosses I’ve been able to find are made from nylon, so these are as safe as any others. The things to watch out for with dental floss are the waxes and flavorings.

When I used to use floss, I tried using heavy cotton sewing thread. Worked just fine.

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