Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

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skincare

Sunscreen Madness

It’s that time of year again!!!  This weekend the heat wave should begin so it’s time to pull out the SUNSCREEN for all those outdoor activities.  I know I’ll be at the softball fields trying to hydrate as my daughter (8) rounds out her season in the big tournament !!  Go Wildcats! 

I highly suggest visiting the Environmental Working Group’s website to check your sunscreen’s rating for toxicity —-SKINDEEP

I also found a new free app for my smart phone called THINK DIRTY

Image result for think dirty app images

— it rates all your bathroom products on a scale of 1-10 (10=dirty) based on the toxic additives in them.  This is a great app because you can scan the products at the store before you even buy them and get a good read on how “clean” they are.  Remember your skin is your largest organ so what we put on it is just as important as what we eat!

 

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First of all,  why do we need sunscreen?  We all know that the UV rays from the sun can be harmful but why?  Free radicals –these are generated as a byproduct of UV exposure and different environmental toxins.  OK OK –what does that mean?

Let me explain a Free Radical (an unpaired electron) in terms that might actually make sense.  In a nutshell, let’s say you and your spouse decide to go to a dinner party with several other couples.  Because you are empathetic and loving, you decide to bring recently divorced cousin Joe to cheer him up.  Unfortunately, cousin Joe is slightly depressed, drinks a few too many Sun King’s, and hits on everyone’s wife!  EEK! CHAOS ensues and healthy paired couples are broken up!  Cousin Joe is a free radical!  He is a toxic cell that breaks apart healthy paired cells and reproduces with them chaotically to cause disease.

So the free radicals caused by UV light and environmental things like pollution will break down collagen and elastin in healthy skin which provide structural support –this triggers premature aging and even skin cancer.

So sunscreen blocks about half of the free radicals in the skin that can be generated from the sun.  However many of them contain chemicals that can cause other issues and actually do nothing to protect us from other environmental toxins.

Not only do many of the sunscreens on the market contain chemicals like Oxybenzone (EEK) but many of their advertised SPF levels have been debunked —Most SPF levels max out at about 50.

So what is bad about oxybenzone?

 

Oxybenzone— is from a class of ketones called benzophenones.  It is used to absorb UV light in plastics, nail polishes, cosmetics and hairsprays.  This is how it protects from UVA and UVB in sunscreen.

Here is the real problem with oxybenzone—it is an endocrine disruptor!  Remember that nasty BPA that you find in plastic bottles and on receipts:  that is one of those bad guys too.  It acts like estrogen in the body.  And you know how important hormonal control is for overall health –you need all those hormones just at the right levels.  I don’t know about you, but I already wig out when I have PMS–I really don’t need anything else jacking with my hormones.

Retinol Palmitate — is a form of vitamin A.  It is used in many products to slow signs of aging.  However, when it is exposed to sunlight, it can cause harmful effects (liver damage, thinning of the bones etc).

The EWG (environmental working group) has a great website called SKIN DEEP —you can search for a product on there and actually get a rating on how toxic it is.

Unfortunately, many of the top brands are on their NOOOOOO list including:  Coppertone, Banana Boat and even Neutrogena!

There are a few brands that come out on top—you can find a full list on their site but here are some names that I recognize:

Arbonne, Bull Frog, Burt’s Bees, Earth’s Best, Jan Marini, MD Skincare, The Honest Company

 

 

What else can I do to protect my skin?

Well, can you guess it involves eating some healthy food!

Certain antioxidants in some foods not only offer a level of natural sunscreen, they also have the ability to grab up those free radicals and protect the cells from oxidative damage which can lead to cancer.

The following foods will help protect your skin from sun damage

Green and White Tea—these have polyphenols that can slow inflammation

Blueberries— one cup contains tens of thousands of antioxidants

Black Plums –almost 5k antioxidants in these

Dark Veggies —- radishes, tomatoes, kale, parsley, yellow peppers, squash, yams, purple cabbage

Walnuts –are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation

 

Comment below on your experiences with sunscreen or other skin care products — we would love to hear since we are all in this together!!!!

Have a great weekend!

 

 

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Organic, Supplements 2 Comments

Breast Cancer and Parabens

How many have someone dear to their their heart who has either had breast cancer or had their life changed by this wicked disease?   I’m guessing many people hold this close at heart .  This article may enlighten you.

 

 

Dr. Mercola reported this week on a study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology  that 99% of 160 breast tissue samples tested from mastectomies contained Parabens.  (n-propylparaben, methyparaben, n-butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylaraben).

Parabens are found in the vast majority of skin care products.  They contain a synthetic estrogen that is the major factor seen in the growth and development of breast cancer.  EPA testing concludes that ingredients in skin care and personal care products are reaching havoc on our hormone levels.  Chronic long-term low dose exposure to these chemicals will accumulate in the body and eventually settle into practice of mutating cells and creating free radicals.

DON’T LET THIS—–

CAUSE THIS—–

Http://www.cleure.com is a company dedicated to making products without additives

Dr. Flora Stay has been in the wellness industry for over 30 years.  After graduating from University of California at San Francisco with her doctor of dental surgery degree (D.D.S.), she knew her path was clear towards health and wellness.  She became passionate about helping others take responsibility towards their health.

She is an author (Secret Gateway to Health), speaker, practicing dentist and professor at University of Southern California. Dr. Stay noticed the need for a truly safe and effective toothpaste in 1993.  Since then due to popularity of her dental products and demand from loyal customers, the Cleure line has grown to include personal care, skin care and makeup.

In Her Own Words:

My background has influenced my passion towards developing healthy toothpaste, skin care and personal care for everyone. I come from a family of doctors: three brothers (cancer specialist, pathologist, internist), and my father was a university professor with 3 PhDs in science, who discovered many medicinal plants and wrote 20 volumes of botanical books found in most universities.

As I listened to my brothers, especially the cancer specialist Dr. Kooros Parsa (Ventura County Hematology, Oncology Specialists), talk about the yearly alarming increase in numbers of patients, I began to research why cancer was on the rise.

There are many possible causes for cancer, but we can minimize the risk with our lifestyle.

Safer choices in using skin care, personal care and cosmetics lead to a healthier life. I believe you can be beautiful without added toxins in daily used products.

Cleure Mission:

My promise is to develop safe and effective (salicylate free, fragrance free, ecologically responsible, hypoallergenic formulas) non-irritating products, reasonably priced, without animal testing.  You can enjoy youthful, radiant, beautiful and healthy skin, hair and a beautiful smile with Cleure, without added questionable toxins.

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Angela in Body, cancer, Diet, disease, Exercise, Family, Humor, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment