What women, choices & breast cancer have in common - BPA

Sadly there is little media attention and up roar about this chemical here in Australia. Given we have a smaller population than the USA we also generally speaking have less funding available for chemical studies. So here in Australia we often follow, watch, sit and wait for alarm bells to ring in other countries ....and then maybe we will begin to seriously look at an issue.  If I can impart any message along with these videos it is that even if you live in a country other than the USA, it is very likely the same type of foods are packaged using BPA. This certainly is the case here in Australia !


It was great to see a recent report stating the following by CHOICE (Australia) which stated :
"Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn said laboratory samples on 38 tinned products - including baby food, baked beans, coconut milk, corn kernels, soups and fish - revealed 29 contained "potentially harmful" levels. Choice found the highest levels of BPA (300-420 parts per billion) in samples of Edgell corn kernels, John West tuna olive oil blend, and Heinz smooth custard with banana." To read the complete story refer to :
http://www.news.com.au/business/strip-danger-drug-from-food-tins-says-choice/story-e6frfm1i-1225913100587

What can we do to avoid BPA   - 

- Choose fresh food whenever possible
- Consider alternatives to canned food, beverages and juices
- Use glass or ceramic containers when heating food.
- Avoid handling receipts as the paper is coated in BPA
- Avoid buying product in plastic bottles/packaging marked plastic code #7


As the number of people diagnosed with cancer rises I keep asking myself  "How are our lives different to that of our grandparents ?"  We have so many new chemicals being approved for use each year without the precautionary principle to protect human health, I am not a scientist but surely this reality should be raising some red flags as to a possible causes for some of the rising serious illnesses !   


Take care ....

A Greener Kitchen

Its an exciting few weeks coming up and not just because the festive season is around the corner.

Relish designs has experience in kitchen design and custom cabinetry however we are excited to be launching a researched and specialised "green kitchen" design service as the Melbourne  "Greener Kitchens" design consultancy.  www.greenerkitchens.com.au are based in Brisbane and have been broadly published in green magazines throughout Australia. Its an exciting collaboration as green kitchens are made with materials that have low environmental impacts along with lower emissions - so air quality within the home contains less pollutants - just the thing we are passionate about. Bring on cleaner air for Melbourne homes and more options to help people create healthy homes !

Sustainable, lower emission building products are available although a little harder to find than conventional products as we wait for large manufacturers and suppliers to see the demand for healthier, more sustainable  products. I am loving getting into the nitty gritty on where to find what and what can be used where ...

The concept of acknowledging the quality of our indoor air despite not being able to see it or test it daily is gaining recognition. 

In my travels I found a great book you may find of value - Good Green Homes gives an overview of ways we can make our homes healthy for the environment and ourselves for those buying, building and renting - theres some good info for everyone.

Green, clean, healthy & beautiful for the hub of the home - your kitchen.

Happy reading !

Mercury in the home and @ the dentist  ...

Although this topic strays a little from toxins within the home environment I felt this was something worth mentioning ...

I have heard many times that it is not healthy to be exposed to mercury. I had listened and taken note of  mercury found in certain fish products, immunisations and from broken lamps. I have been focused on a healthy lifestyle and what confronts me in my environment and have not given a great deal of thought to my past.

Like many of you, I try not to give too much thought to the past as I am often reminded what has gone before can not be changed. Although, I have recently learnt more about mercury dental fillings. I am not a fan of visiting the dentist but after watching the video below I have been inspired to investigate promptly having my mercury fillings taken out of my teeth, it seems this is one thing done in the past that I can change ...

My mother had no idea that the dentist was implanting toxic fillings into my teeth so many years ago. I am so grateful that this information is now out there so we can take steps to protect ourselves and our children. It seems industry and government has again let us down by not applying the precautionary principle to products that could potentially effect human health. With so much negative press about fluoride bubbling to the surface will fluoride will be the next dental industry health blunder ...

I am thinking I will look into having mine safely removed !

What are your cosmetics made from ?

The saying we are what we eat takes on a whole new meaning when we consider our skin absorbs the cosmetics that we place on our skin.


Human skin is highly absorbent and a doorway to our internal system, the engine room of our health and well being. This presentation is a reminder that when we seek out the latest in anti wrinkle cream, the latest brand of exclusive perfume and lipstick that will add volume and retain longer lasting colour that we consider what these products are made from.......

Are your cosmetics made from ingredients that are individually considered unsafe and not healthy ? We can not assume that because a product exists that it is safe and made from safe ingredients.......sadly the push for profits is the reason for a product being developed in many cases, not improvement to human health.

Toxic substances cartoon lobby

A sense of humor with a serious message



A toxic chemical lobby launched in the USA is approaching the issue of chemicals in our homes and in our products with a sense of serious humor.  It has been refreshing to see visual campaigns circulating about these issues, although frustrating that these issues still remain largely unseen and unspoken about within the Australian consumer marketplace. 

 

Enviro blog has collated a list of furniture considerations as inspired by the new Q Collection from New York that considers the health of your home and the planet.
Avoid :

• No formaldehyde
  Formaldehyde is used in most furniture adhesives, but the Q Collection uses only water-based adhesives.
• No polyurethane, no dacron
  Polyurethane, a known carcinogen, is used as a topcoat and in the manufacturing of foam and dacron (part of foam padding) contains toluene. This company uses only water-based stains, topcoats and natural latex foam rubber.
• No brominated flame retardants
  Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are banned in Europe but are still being used extensively in US upholstery manufacturing.
• No heavy metals
  Leather tanning is the most harmful of all fabric production processes because it relies on harmful heavy metals like chromium 6.
• No toxic stain resistant chemicals
  Fabrics often contain dioxin (typically as a byproduct of the dyeing and finishing processes), a powerful carcinogen that is also known to damage the human immune system. Dioxins are also on the "dirty dozen" list of persistent environmental pollutants (POPs).
• Sustainably harvested wood, 100% certified
  The source of most wood used to make furniture today is unknown. Unfortunately, it can come from some of the world's most threatened ecosystems, such as old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest or the Amazon rain forest. The U.S. is by far the largest importer of virgin timber from the Amazon.
• Organic or European ecological cotton
  Cotton is the world's most polluting crop because of enormous levels of pesticides and herbicides used in growing it.
• Non-toxic, low-impact fabric dyes
  Fabric dyes often contain toxic chemicals that are suspected to cause cancer, reproductive or developmental damage.

WHY I am passionate about your healthy home !

This presentation sums up why I am so passionate to help educate people about "healthy homes". Our precious children are being born into a world that bombards them with chemicals in the very space that parents feel they are safe in - the home. We can make our homes safe only when we know what to look out for. When we are aware of the hidden chemicals disguised in consumer product.

Our babies and children are vulnerable to chemicals in our environment more so than adults due to their size and metabolism. However as adults we too are still subject to the health risks from chemicals and particularly  accumulative chemicals that our bodies have stored over time.

For those who are already ill and trying to recover -  my concern is that people retreat to their homes, they focus on good food, rest and positive thoughts to lift them from illness, yet their home environment may not be supportive.

The world in which we live in has changed and changes ever day with the approval of new chemicals that reach our shelves in the form of products we consume - cleaning products, personal care products, utensils, furniture, building materials & finishes, fragrances, repellents, gardening products, bedding, clothing and the list goes on.

You can make a difference - one step at a time - one purchase at a time  - when you understand what to look for. Which is why I will continue to advocate for healthy homes, decorate for healthy homes and educate for healthy homes !