Who is doing your laundry?

The chemicals found in laundry detergents are nothing short of alarming. With the world turning its eyes to creating a safer, greener environment, it is no wonder that consumers are becoming savvy, looking for safer and better alternatives to traditional cleaners and products.

Laundry detergents are no exception to the mysterious world of vague labels and ingredients, leaving the consumer unaware of the potentially harmful effects it may have on herself, her family, or the environment.

Specifically, there are certain toxins present in laundry detergents that take particular aim at the environment. Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS) are more commonly listed as ‘anionic surfactants’ on detergent labels. They are one of the more common surfactants found in laundry detergents. They are a synthetic product. As they are manufactured, cancer causing or carcinogenic toxins, as well as reproductive toxins are released into the environment. Benzene is one such toxin. As if this were not detrimental enough, these also degrade very slowly.

Another group of harmful chemicals that is frequently found in laundry detergents are phosphates. Used to remove hard-water minerals and as a preventive measure to keep dirt from settling onto clothes while being washed. Overall, they are used to make detergents more effective. However, their negative impact on the environment is monumental. After their release into the environment, they can actually activate growth in marine plants. This can result in unbalanced ecosystems, forcing many environmental changes that are
not positive.

The following list of ingredients commonly used in the leading brands, along with a description of how they impact the environment, provide you with a good idea of what’s in these common detergents:

Alkyl benzene sulfonates or ABS (also linear alkyl benzene sulfonates or LAS, linear alkyl sodium sulfonates).

EDTA does not readily biodegrade and once introduced into the general environment can re-dissolve toxic heavy metals trapped in underwater sediments, allowing them to re-enter and re-circulate in the food chain. They are toxic to fish when washed into the general environment and can create bacterial mutations.

Any ingredient listed as a “petroleum distillate” or “naphtha” should be suspect because they are synthetic and likely to cause one or more detrimental health or environmental effects. The fact that you
are washing your family’s clothes with crude oil-derived petrochemicals may concern you, but there has been some concern regarding what those petrochemicals may be doing to our environment and water supply, in addition to your clothing and your family’s delicate skin.

Ultimately, laundries release these chemicals to the environment in their waste water. By using environmentally friendly products we all can help to provide our world with a healthier living environment.
Since phosphates are so problematic, a lot of states have banned or limited their use. Some detergents even advertise their low or nonexistent phosphate level.

In essence, safer alternatives for the environment need to be utilized. Laundry detergents that contain these harmful products need to be altered or perhaps a new method of washing clothes can be implemented.

Since many of these products do not openly delineate the kind of harmful ingredients in them, it may be difficult for the consumer to know how detrimental they are to the environment. Avoiding products that contain anionic surfactants or linear alkyl sodium sulfonates, and phosphates is a move in the right direction.

Better alternatives are on the horizon for those who want to make a transition from the traditional way of washing clothes to a newer, safer method. The cause for concern with laundry detergents and other chemically derived products like it is real, but becoming informed of the hazards can aid in making a change for the better.

There are positive solutions. We’re on the look out for ‘GREEN’ products to introduce to you!

October 10, 2009   Posted in: environment, laundry  No Comments

Quit Smoking!

Everyone is aware of the dangers of smoking. Sometimes, although, we tend to not take this information seriously. Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. Cigarette smoking is link in some studies to erectile dysfunction among men without clinical vascular disease. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of death and illness among Americans.

Smoking has been linked strongly to the following illnesses: Heart disease, stroke ,other diseases of blood vessels (such as poor circulation in the legs), respiratory illness, including the following: lung cancer, emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, cancers, including: Lip or mouth, pharynx or larynx (voice box), esophagus (food pipe), pancreas, kidney, urinary, bladder, cervix, peptic ulcer disease and burns. Cigarette smoking is accountable for 87% of lung cancer deaths and is known to be the leading cause of cancer in the bladder, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus and larynx. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Using tobacco can damage a woman’s reproductive health and hurt babies. Smoking has been linked to other health problems too, including gum disease, cataracts, bone thinning, hip fractures, and peptic ulcers. If that’s not enough, the smoke from cigarettes (called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke) has a harmful health effect on those exposed to it. Adults and children can have health problems from breathing secondhand smoke.

What’s the solution? Quit Smoking! This may not repair the damage done but it will prevent the damage from continuing and worsening.

Quitting smoking lowers the risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Quitting brings benefits at any age, but there are “threshold” amounts of smoking that irreversibly increase the risk for some diseases. Quitting improves pulmonary function by about 5 percent within a few months of cessation, and COPD mortality rates decline among quitters versus continuing smokers. Quitting reduces, but does not eliminate, this risk. Quitting halves the risk for cancers of the oral cavity and esophagus during the first five years after cessation, but ex-smokers always have an increased risk as compared to the risk in those who have never smoked. Quitting reduces the risk of developing laryngeal cancer. Quitting smoking greatly reduces a person’s risk of developing the diseases mentioned, and can limit adverse health effects on the developing child. Quitting smoking significantly lowers the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking makes parents healthier and better role models for their children. Quitting is not deprivation but an advantage.

Humans have a great capacity to rationalize their situations, especially situations that precipitate from their personal perspective. Tobacco smoking is not simply a habit. It is an addiction. It should be treated as an addiction. A great deal of the battle (and it is a battle to free yourself from any addiction) is a strong desire to quit. This takes dedication. When we diligently adhere to the treatment that we choose to be the best for us, we will succeed!

October 8, 2009  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: smoking  No Comments

What Are Vitamins?

Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special role to play. For example:

  • Vitamin D in milk helps your bones.
  • Vitamins A in carrots helps you see at night.
  • Vitamins C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut.
  • B Vitamins in leafy green vegetables help your body make protein and energy.

Some Vitamins are soluble in Water and others are soluble in Fat

There are two types of Vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble.

When you eat foods that contain fat-soluble vitamins, the Vitamins are stored in the fat tissues in your body and in your liver. They remain in your body fat until your body needs them.

Fat-soluble Vitamins are happy to stay stored in your body for awhile — some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months! Then, when it’s time for them to be used, special carriers in your body take them to where they’re needed. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins.

Water-soluble Vitamins are different. When you eat foods that have water-soluble Vitamins in them, the Vitamins are not stored as much in your body. Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. The Vitamins that your body does not use are released when you urinate.

These types of Vitamins need to be replaced often because the body gets rid of them often! This type of vitamins includes vitamin C and the big group of B vitamins — B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin, and pantothenic acid.

Vitamins Feed Your Needs

Your body is a powerful machine, capable of doing things for itself by itself. One thing it cannot do is reproduce vitamins. That’s where food comes in. Your body is able to get the vitamins it needs from the foods you eat. Different foods contain different vitamins. The key is to eat different foods (a well balanced diet) to get the essential assortment of vitamins. Though some people take a daily multi-vitamin, most people do not eat proper balanced diet.

Now a closer look at Vitamins — from A to K:

Vitamins A

This Vitamins plays an essential role in eyesight. It’s great for night vision. Vitamins A helps you see in color, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in healthy skin.

Which foods are rich in Vitamins A?

  • milk fortified with Vitamins A
  • liver
  • orange fruits and vegetables (like cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes)
  • dark green leafy vegetables (like kale, collards, spinach)

The B Vitamins

B Vitamins are a diverse group. Here’s the list: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid.

The B Vitamins are important in metabolic activity — this means that they help make energy and set it free when your body needs it. So the next time you’re running to catch the bus, thank those B Vitamins. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work properly. These B Vitamins have a really important job.

Which foods are rich in Vitamins B?

  • whole grains, such as wheat and oats
  • fish and seafood
  • poultry and meats
  • eggs
  • dairy products, like milk and yogurt
  • leafy green vegetables
  • beans and peas

Vitamin C

This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and muscles in good shape. C is also a key factor if you get a cut or wound. It helps your body heal. Vitamin C also helps your body resist infection. Even though you can’t always avoid getting sick, Vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.

Which foods are rich in Vitamin C?

  • citrus fruits, like oranges
  • cantaloupe
  • strawberries
  • tomatoes
  • broccoli
  • cabbage
  • kiwi fruit
  • sweet red peppers

Vitamin D

No bones about it . . . Vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D even lends a hand to an important mineral — it helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs.

Which foods are rich in Vitamin D?

  • milk fortified with vitamin D
  • fish
  • egg yolks
  • liver
  • fortified cereal

Vitamin E

Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body’s tissues, like those in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from being damaged by polluted air. Also it is important for the formation of red blood cells.

Which foods are rich in Vitamin E?

  • whole grains, such as wheat and oats
  • wheat germ
  • leafy green vegetables
  • sardines
  • egg yolks
  • nuts and seeds

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is the clot master! Remember the last time you got a cut? Your blood did something miraculous called clotting. Simply put, this is when certain cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of the cut to help stop the bleeding. Vitamin K helps in this process.

Which foods are rich in vitamin K?

  • leafy green vegetables
  • dairy products, like milk and yogurt
  • broccoli
  • soybean oil

When your body gets this the vitamin and nutrients it needs, it has the ability to promote its own healing! This is by Divine Design.

For more information about excellent nutritional products, please visit Scriptures

September 19, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: vitamins  No Comments

Hello World!

Welcome to The Healthy Christian. It is the intention of the blog to bring you useful information that will help you to become and maintain your health and physical beauty. Each time you make a purchase at deeply discounted prices, you are helping us to minister to those who are in need – physically, emotionally and spiritually! Thank you in advance!

July 4, 2009  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments