Update: 12/2018
I am updating this post from 2011 because an article just came out about Johnson & Johnson being aware that their baby powder products contained small amounts of asbestos.You can read that article here: J&J shares plunge 9% after report that the company knew for decades about asbestos in baby powder. (Open the article in a different window so that you can come back to this blog post - or read this first and then read the article.)
Are we absorbing too many toxic materials in our bodies?
With the staggering numbers of cases of ovarian cancer, cervical and breast cancer in women, news like this is not only shocking it is devastating. That this company may have been aware of this issue for 40+ years, and they hid that information from the world? It's just too much. It's TOO MUCH. Especially as the world watched all of the fall out about asbestos causing lung cancer, mesothelioma and other cancers.. and they remained silent. *smh* What a world we live in.
Considering how many of us grew up slathering our bodies (and specifically our genital areas) with this powder in an effort to be as clean and fresh as possible, the fear that we feel is real. I used baby powder regularly to stay "fresh"; I used it to absorb odors and moisture all the time. I've never been diagnosed with ovarian cancer or cervical cancer - nor do I have any symptoms of any problems - but naturally I'm concerned. Hell, I'm scared. At any rate, the book that this post is about is a really great book. I highly recommend it. You can get it for less than $10 on Amazon.
My book review of Body Toxic: How the hazardous chemistry of everyday things threatens our health and well-being.
I picked up a copy (picked up being a euphemism for strolled through Amazon.com) of The Body Toxic: How the hazardous chemistry of everyday things threatens our health and well-being. And in the first few pages, I was smacked in the face with a whole lot of stuff I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
I have a personal theory that our world is just so chock full of crap that it is slowly killing us. I have no proof for this theory. I have no scientific background which I could point to that says... "you might be right Nicole". No, I have none of that. All I've got is this feeling... and I know that its lame to just have a feeling but eh. Its all I got right now, so I'm going with it.
This well-researched and clearly laid out book actually shows me that my non-scientific feeling could be very dead on. Even as our government agencies slowly do away with certain chemicals, their effects manage to continue to leach into our environment and accumulate in our bodies. The first few pages and chapters of this book are frightening. Clean living, healthy living, being diligent about what you eat, working out and all of that... doesn't stop these toxic chemicals from finding their way into our bodies. Though it can reduce our toxic load. And that is a step in the right direction.
I won't give away all of the great information in this book but if you are remotely concerned about how our environment affects the chemical load in our bodies -- and how that toxicity can affect our health -- please do yourself a favor and pick up this book.
Let me add... it gets a little heavy -- all the names of all of the chemicals became a little confusing for me -- but the information is startling. The writer did a great job of providing a good historical background that explains how we got to this place and she offers reasonable suggestions for you to consider if you want to take action steps to lighten your chemical load. She's not suggesting radical life changes... just a few small ones that may help. Things like eating organic foods, no microwave popcorn, and not using plastic in the microwave.
Chemotherapy taught me one thing for sure...
Chemotherapy changed my outlook about what I put in and on my body. Chemo was HARD as hell on me. From the hours that it took to receive the infusion, to the need to go back to the hospital the day after for the Neulasta shot (they didn't have that cute little button/box thing for your arm back then)... to the feeling of pure exhaustion and just sickness for days and days afterwards. Chemo was a lot. The first few days immediately following my infusions, I could SMELL the medicine coming out of my skin. It was overwhelming for me. I didn't want to be around anybody because I figured if I could smell it, they could too. I hated that sick, medicine smell and I got into the habit of soaking with Epsom salt regularly to draw out the toxins. Chemo taught me to pay attention to what was going into my body and it taught me to look for ways to detox naturally.
So, the few little changes that are suggested in this small book are ones that I will be sure to implement. We cannot avoid all of the chemicals in our world. It simply isn't possible. But, if you're like me, any few steps that you can take to regain control of your life makes a difference in your outlook.
A few things you can do right now to lighten your toxic intake:
- Pass on the microwave popcorn - buy an air popper or go old school and pop it in a cast iron skillet. (that's the BEST to me...but it doesn't have to be your favorite)
- Only use BPA free plastic food containers. Or use glass bowls or stainless steel bowls instead.
- Skip using stain protection treatment on your clothes or your carpets
- Use a stainless steel or BPA free plastic water bottle.
- Filter your tap water. I use the ZeroWater filter and I LOVE IT!!
- Dust and vacuum regularly.
- Don't use non-stick pans. Use hard-anodized aluminum, stainless steel or cast iron.
- Eat organic as often as possible.
- Read labels on everything.
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Nicole McLean is a survivor of Stage 3 breast cancer and the Founder of the award-winning breast cancer blog, My Fabulous Boobies. Leading with compassion, empathy, and passion, she helps other survivors and their caregivers understand and prepare themselves for the breast cancer journey and life after breast cancer. Her focus is on survivorship and reconnecting with the "you" that gets lost after diagnosis. She consults with businesses and individuals (or families) on ways to make this terrible experience a bit more manageable. She has written several books regarding specific aspects of the breast cancer experience, with several more in the pipeline.
bit.ly/FabBoobiesBio << Nicole's bio for FabulousBoobies.com
bit.ly/FabBoobiesBooksbyNicole << Books written by Nicole for FabulousBoobies.com
bit.ly/FabBoobiesShop << The FabulousBoobies.com Gift Shop (cancer tees)
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Thanks!
