SHOP ONLINE NOW
+ Cleaning Cupboard
+ Personal Care
+ Water Filters
+ Organic Food
+ Unique Gifts
+ Vitamin & Supplements
+ Animal Care
+ Amy's Consulting

New! Search All Of My Articles By Topic With Quick and Easy Links

If you like this article, please link to it, instead of copying it. Thank you.

Green Living Now News, Edition Sixteen

1. What's Causing 1 in 7 women to be diagnosed with Breast Cancer now?

The rate of breast cancer in women has tripled since the 1960's. What the heck is going on?

Often experts tell us that it's due to lifestyle factors, such as whether or not we have a child or breast feed, how early we start menstruation, or a genetic predisposition (a close blood relative having cancer).

For the last 13+ years, I've been convinced that cancer, and other prevalent diseases, has a lot to do with our exposure to environmental pollutants, particularly the toxic chemicals in our homes and neighborhoods. Apparently the evidence is gathering for this point of view. A report by the San Francisco based groups, the Breast Cancer Fund and Breast Cancer Action, found that as many as half of all new breast cancers in woman may be due to pollutants in our environment, such as: bisphenol-A lining in tin cans (and other products), radiation from mammograms and x-rays, hormone replacement therapy (check out the article I wrote ), pesticides, PAH (a compound found in diesel exhaust fumes), dioxin, and PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls), and even drinking alcohol. The report was peer-reviewed by leading scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Tufts University School of Medicine, Columbia University and other research institutions.

According to this report, which analyzed over 350 experimental, epidemiological and ecological studies assessing breast cancer, "compelling scientific evidence points to some of the 100,000 synthetic chemicals in use today as contributing to the development of breast cancer, either by altering hormone function or gene expression." The report also identifies radiation exposure, such as that from X-rays and CT scans, as the "longest-established environmental cause of breast cancer." Additionally, according to a re-analysis of a large Scandinavian study originally published in 2000, genetic susceptibility makes only a 'small to moderate contribution' to the incidence of breast cancer.

We know from the blood and urine sampling that's been done over the past few years that we humans have a lot of toxic chemicals in our bodies. Sadly we know little about their health effects.

Here's some of what we do know (from the report):

· Scientists have known since the 1930's that hormone replacement therapy causes breast cancer.

· Women living within one mile of hazardous waste sites containing common herbicides and pesticides such as 2,4-D and chlordane had an increased risk of breast cancer a study conducted on Long Island, N.Y found.

· Researchers working in Iowa and North Carolina also found an increased risk of breast cancer among the wives of farmers who used certain chlorinated pesticides and among those living closest to areas of pesticide application.

· In California, certain pesticides and herbicides were associated with increased risk of breast cancer in Latina agricultural workers.

· There is no safe dose of ionizing radiation. Even the smallest dose has the potential to cause an increased cancer risk in humans, according to a report from the National Research Council.

· Chemicals called phthalates, which are ubiquitous in personal care products, were shown to significantly increase cell proliferation in human breast cancer cells. Scientists also found that certain phthalates inhibited the effectiveness of tamoxifen, one of the most widely prescribed breast cancer treatments, in killing MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

So, what do we do with this information?

It's impossible to rid ourselves of all exposures to toxic chemicals, but there is a lot we can do to reduce our exposure and protect our health, and the health of the planet.

First, if you are a woman, you might want to stop using hormone replacement therapy. There are natural alternatives available (this will be the topic of a future article, in the meantime, here's a good link.

Stop using chemical pesticides (that means the garden variety, as well as chemical flea killing products, indoor insect sprays, etc.) Click here for some suggestions.

Choose truly organic and natural body care, skin care and cleaning products.

Get a tap water filter and shower filter, unless you have really clean well water.

Stop getting frequent dental x-rays. My new dentist uses digital x-rays, which he says give you a fraction of the radiation of regular x-rays. I haven't decided how often I'll let them take digital x-rays, but I only submitted to the old version once every three years.

Like all of these decisions, the question of whether or not to get a mammogram is a personal one. For me, without any family history of cancer, and being quite healthy, I've chosen not to get a mammogram. Instead, I've gotten thermal breast imaging done. It is designed to detect cancer long before mammograms do by tracking hot spots, which indicate increase blood flow. Read more here. Some believe that it is not an alternative to mammogram, but a companion procedure. I also do self-breast exams regularly.

Eat as much organic food as possible, particularly meat and dairy. The higher fat foods are the ones that contain more industrial chemicals.

There are other things that you can do, but I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information in one article. More on this topic can be found in my newsletter archive, and in future articles.

Sources:

http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/GetInformed/PressReleases/PR012406.html

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MTAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY4Njc5MTgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk1

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MTAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY4Njc5MTgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk1

2. Soy Does Not Lower Cholesterol

Put down that tofu. Forget the soy protein drink tomorrow morning. This just in…the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association has just released the news that there is little evidence that soy based foods and supplements significantly lower cholesterol, prevent various forms of cancer, or limit menopause related symptoms. The jury is still out on whether or not soy products can treat osteoporosis.

In 22 randomized trials, using large amounts of isolated soy protein with isoflavones (averaging about half the usual total daily protein intake) as compared with milk or other proteins, soy decreased LDL (the bad one) cholesterol concentrations an average 3%. This is a very small reduction considering the large amount of soy protein tested in these studies. The nutrition committee also said that the earlier research that showed some favorable effects on L.D.L. and other cardiovascular disease risk factors has not been confirmed by many studies reported over the past 10 years. (Members include: Frank M. Sacks, Harvard School of Public Health; Alice Lichtenstein, Tufts University; Linda Van Horn, Northwestern University; William Harris, St. Luke's Hospital; Penny Kris-Etherton, Pennsylvania State University; and Mary Winston, a consultant).

The committee goes on to say, "Among 19 studies of soy isoflavones, the average effect on LDL cholesterol and other lipid risk factors was nil. Soy protein and isoflavones have not been shown to lessen vasomotor symptoms of menopause, and results are mixed with regard to soy's ability to slow postmenopausal bone loss. The efficacy and safety of soy isoflavones for preventing or treating cancer of the breast, endometrium, and prostate are not established; evidence from clinical trials is meager and cautionary with regard to a possible adverse effect. For this reason, use of isoflavone supplements in food or pills is not recommended."

There was no mention of what kind of soy was used, organic or conventional containing genetically modified organisms. I would assume it was conventional, but I don't know for sure.

These results were published in the Jan. 17 on-line version of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association.

According to Dr. Mercola, non-fermented soy (soy milk, tofu, soy hot dogs, textured vegetable protein, soy yogurt/ice cream, and soy protein) contains "anti-nutrients" such as phytic acid, which are not good for our health.

In contrast, fermented soy products (miso, soy sauce, natto, and tempeh) decrease the dangerous components and makes the nutrients in the soybeans more available for absorption. That doesn't mean that these safer forms of soy will decrease your cholesterol or have other health benefits either. If you enjoy the fermented soy products, continue to eat them, favoring the organic ones, of course.

Sources:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.171052v1

http://www.bakingbusiness.com/daily_enews.asp?ArticleID=77573#CAAN

http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/jan/24/experts_finally_recognize_the_dangers_with_soy

3. Maybe I should Move To Sweden…

Sweden wants to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years-without building a nuclear power station. How fabulous! Sweden's Minister of Sustainable Development, Mona Sahlin, described oil dependency as one of the greatest problems facing the world. Already Sweden uses steam and hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat for it's heating. The energy ministry officials in Sweden expect to develop biofuels from their massive forests, and expand wind and wave power energy creation. Homeowners are benefiting from green tax incentives; Saab and Volvo are developing cars that run on ethanol and other biofuels, and more…

In contrast, President Bush, who stated in his State of the Union speech recently that he wanted to cut Middle East oil imports by 75% within 20 years (which after the speech he backpedaled on) is investing a lot of money in nuclear power. He wants $115 million increase for research and development, and proposes a $250 million Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, which is designed in part to encourage other developing nations to build nuclear power plants. And clearly this administration has been incredibly supportive of oil and gas, and drilling for more oil in our country. Apparently Mr. Bush's idea of renewable energy is nuclear and "clean coal". (If you want to read why nuclear power isn't a good idea, click here)

Sadly, the White House is calling for an 18% cut in programs that reduce energy consumption, such as financial aid for needy families who want to insulate their homes, and research to make cars more fuel efficient. They're also cutting energy efficiency programs by 30%. And, what about solar, wind, hydro, et al? I remember when Vice President Cheney said that the American way of life wasn't negotiable. I guess it's going to be up to each of us to implement changes because our oil, gas, coal, and nuclear supportive leaders aren't moving in the right direction. No surprise that Exxon Mobil recognized record profits while we're all paying more at the gas pump.

Last weekend I attended the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont's (NOFA-VT) Winter Conference. The topic was "Local Energy, Local Economies". It was terrific. I took a class on how to put my home on an energy diet, and renewable energy choices for my home. When we bought our home nearly 4 years ago, we purchased an energy star refrigerator, washer, and dryer. We also had to buy a new water boiler a couple of years ago and got an energy efficient Weil Mclain Gold model for propane. We need a new oven/stove top, but they don't make them with energy star ratings for some odd reason. I also want to replace the old dishwasher with an energy star model. We have a very efficient wood stove that we use for the majority of our heat. This year we purchased ecological wood, which is recycled sawdust made into logs that create 58% less pollution than regular wood. They were easy to light, but burned faster than regular wood (no water in them like regular wood).

The next step is to replace all of our light bulbs with compact fluorescents which last approximately 7 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs and use much less energy. They are more expensive to buy, but actually save you money in the long run. Here in Vermont, we get a coupon for $3 off each bulb from an energy efficiency program.

Next, I'm checking all windows, doors, electrical outlets, etc. for cold air sneaking in and then I'll seal them. Last summer I put insulation up in our garage, including on the garage door, which has helped our bedroom above it stay warmer. For example, it was 7 degrees outside last night, but inside the garage it was above 32 degrees. How did I know? The water I brought in for our horses (I was anticipating a power outage from the high winds) didn't have any ice on it.

The bigger step is to renovate our home to open up the south facing side to more sunlight, benefiting from passive solar. I also want to put in a photovoltaic system to generate energy from the sun. I want a "bimodal" system that has battery storage, and will still connect us to the grid. We can sell back energy to the electric company, actually spinning our electric meter backwards, and have energy stored in the batteries for the power outages (a frequent event in the last year).

Stay tuned for more details on our shift towards a more renewable energy home. There's also a hybrid car in our future.

It's free to subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

Sign up for Green Living Expert, Amy Todisco's,
free E-newsletter and you'll receive well-researched,
useful, newsworthy information, and some free surprises,
to help you "green" up your indoor spaces and improve
your life. Your e-mail address will never be shared, rented
or sold. Your privacy is guaranteed.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter now:

Any Questions? Don't hesitate to contact me, Amy Todisco,
Editor in Chief, and Owner of Green Living Now, LLC,
at: amy@greenlivingnow.com