There are many things we try to avoid to stay healthy. We try to cut out sugar, steer away from additives, and keep watch on our carb intake. But even with a clean diet, there are toxins that sneak in and wreak havoc on our more sensitive systems. Our hormones are fascinating–they control so many things in our bodies, but hormones are not to be trifled with. Chemicals can negatively effect our sensitive endocrine system. These substances can make your body chemicals overproduce one hormone while depleting another. They can imitate hormones and interfere with signals your bodies needs to perform certain functions.
Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. and is found in 94% of the country’s drinking water. An estimated 7 million people were exposed to atrazine in their water between 1998 and 2003. Atrazine has been linked to breast tumors, delayed puberty, and prostate inflammation in animals. Some research has linked it to prostate cancer in people. Avoid Atrazine exposure by buying organic produce and filtering your drinking water.
BPA is a synthetic estrogen that can disrupt your endocrine system–even in small amounts. It’s been linked to all kinds of issues including: infertility, breast and reproductive system cancer, obesity, diabetes, early puberty, behavioral changes in children and resistance to chemotherapy treatments. In the last few years, people have been more aware of choosing BPA-free products for their homes. Canned food is a source that is slowly becoming BPA-free, but you still have check the label. Avoid plastic containers, especially ones marked “PC” or “Recycling Label #7”. Don’t handle receipts, and never let children play with them. (cool fact— Basil Bandwagon Natural Market only use BPA-free receipts!)
Dioxins are a group of chemically-related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants (POPs). Dioxins are found all over the world but they tend to accumulate in the food chain, especially in the fatty tissue of animals. Recent research has shown that exposure to low levels of dioxin in the womb and early in life can both permanently affect sperm quality and lower the sperm count in men during their prime reproductive years. Dioxins can build up in the body and are powerful carcinogens. Products including meat, fish, milk, eggs, and butter are most likely to be contaminated. The best way to cut down your exposure is by limiting these products and making sure they are the best quality.
They sound like something positive but the chemicals that are used in Fire Retardants have significant health implications.These chemicals are known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs and have been found to contaminate the bodies of people and wildlife all over the world. These chemicals can imitate thyroid hormones in our bodies and disrupt their activity. While several kinds of PBDEs have now been eradicated, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist anymore! PBDE’s are known for their persistence.
Avoiding them can be difficult, but using a HEPA filter while vacuuming is a good start. Doing so cuts down on the exposure to dust from upholstery and other household products. Being active in making sure their are laws to reduce these chemicals is another way to decrease PBDE’s influence!
Another well-known poison, lead, is especially harmful to children. Lead can cause symptoms too numerous to list here. These include permanent brain damage, hearing loss, miscarriage, premature birth, kidney damage and nervous system problems, etc. This might not be new information, but the effect on hormones is not discussed as much. Lead can disrupt the hormone signaling that controls the body’s major stress system (called the HPA axis). To lessen your lead exposure, make sure your house is well-maintained, watch our for old, crumbling paint, and use a water filter to remove it from drinking water.
Neurotoxic organophosphate compounds were produced in World War II as chemical weapons–pretty scary stuff. After the war, these chemicals were used in experiments to create sophisticated pesticides. They are still in use today, even though there have been many studies that show their adverse effects on brain health, fertility, etc.. Organophosphate Pesticides lower testosterone and alter thyroid hormone levels. To avoid this one, buy organic produce and be sure to stay knowledgable on which fruits and vegetable bear the lightest load of pesticides.
Our cells rely on hormone signals to perform all the functions we need to survive–surely you wouldn’t want anything near you that told your cells to die, right? Well, thats something that Phthalates can trigger. It can trigger cell death in testicular cells which leads to low sperm count, birth defects, obesity, etc. Like BPA, you can avoid Phthalates by staying away from plastic containers, plastic wrap made from PVC and personal care items that list added fragrances. Look for Phthalate-free products in containers and body products!
Want more info? Check out EWG’s article on this very subject. It’s full of links and info and even a PDF to keep handy.
We all end up with scars. And while we like to honor life’s journey in these bodies, most of us would prefer to minimize their appearance.
There are some simple and luxurious ways to treat scras without chemicals. The first recipe is for scars from cuts and scrapes, strecth marks, and incisions.
All-purpose scar oil
Mix all ingredients and keep in a glass jar (preferably dark glass) and store in a cool, dark place.
Lavendar is a great go-to oil for any skin issue. Inanition to helping heal scars, it treats acne, burns of all kinds, and bug bites. Rosemary can help skin cells regenerate, which will shrink scar tissue. Helichrysum fights inflammation, heals wounds, and soothes skin.
Tamanu oil is excellent for healing scars. It has been used traditionally by indigenous people in Polynesia for its tremendous healing properties. It increases healthy cell growth and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Easy face mask for acne scars
Combine with whisk or fork in a small bowl. This mixture will be liquid, so soak a soft wash cloth in the fluid
and lay it over your face for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water afterwards.
Makes about 1 cup
Soak the dates in filtered water 2 to 3 hours, until soft.
Combine all of the ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy, adding extra almond milk if necessary to facilitate blending.
Taste as you go. Adjust with salt and lemon if needed. Chill before serving.
Serve with sliced fruit, or thin with water to drizzle over baked goods, oatmeal, cereal, etc.
Despite the cold temps, Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, like this plant sprouting near Frenchtown, N.J., is looking good! The root of this remarkably beautiful plant can be made into a vinegar-based extract that is a very valuable anti-fungal. It is best used topically, and can be applied to athlete’s foot or other fungal overgrowths, where no open wound exists.
Studies show the extract can inhibit the deposition of dental plaque, which is why it is used in mouth rinses. It has excellent anti-microbial activity on the mucous membrane tissues. Once again, however, this is a mouth rinse, not to be ingested. Bloodroot has legitimate internal uses, but should not be used this way unless under the care of a qualified health-care practitioner.
The plant’s most noteworthy physical characteristic is its clasping single grey-green leaf, which wraps itself around the delicate flower when it first appears, later unfurling into a shield-like background for the striking white flower. The small but bulbous root from which the extracts are made contains an acrid red-orange juice wherein lies the medicine. This colorful juice was used as a dye, after careful processing, by Native American people, who adorned clothing and their bodies with it.
Evidence-based herbal and vitamin supplementation is an achievable reality in our 21st century world. Finding quality herbs and supplements, as well as high-quality information about them, requires experience in the marketplace of natural substances. This is what we bring to the consumer’s table: decades of research into herbal medicine as well long experience working with the finest natural supplement manufacturers in the world.
There can be a ten-fold difference in the cost of raw materials for good-quality herbs and supplements versus poor quality. Knowing and trusting your herb and vitamin seller is paramount in a world where bargains are everywhere, but information about sourcing can be scarce.
Taking a degree of responsibility, however small, for one’s own health, is empowering. In addition to exercise, relaxation techniques, and dietary adjustment, herbs and supplements are powerful allies for those seeking optimum health.
Spring is here. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming … and your allergies are driving you nuts. Instead of running to a pharmacy for the usual batch of OTC meds, give these natural products a try:
Sinus Break-UpThis fast-acting liquid compound quickly opens the sinus for easier breathing. It promotes healthy sinus and respiratory systems.
Aller-7 is a proprietary blend of seven herbal extracts clinically proven to promote immune health. Combined with a proper diet, Aller-7 promotes respiratory health and normal breathing seasonally and all year long without side effects.
Aller-7 promotes clear airway passages and normal breathing; stabilizes mast cells, which promote respiratory health; and is a powerful antioxidant protection.
Oregon’s Wild Harvest Aller-AidVery popular with the Basil staff, this compound contains Quercetin and Freeze-Dried Nettle to support your body’s normal histamine-producing response. N-acety cysteine packs an additional punch by brealing down mucous and increasing antioxidant activity.
Urban Moonshine’s Aller-Blast is made with fresh stinging nettle. The formula is unique because it contains the immune-modulating power of reishi mushroom and the tonic action of bitter artichoke. Also included are elder flower and red clover – traditionally used to support a healthy respiratory tract, eyes, nose, and sinus – for a fast acting formula. It can also be taken daily long term.
Locktown Honey Company Local HoneyCompletely locally sourced, this honey is produced by Hunterdon County resident Glen Brewer. It’s unheated and minimally filtered so it retains the maximum amount of beneficial enzymes and bee pollen.
Many people swear by honey’s ability to lessen symptoms of seasonal allergies. As honey has anti-inflammatory effects and is known to soothe coughs, it may not seem like much of a stretch; but honey’s efficacy for treating allergy hasn’t been proven in clinical studies.
That said, some experts say that honey can contain traces of flower pollen, and exposure to small amounts of allergens works as good treatment to combat reactions. Whether it can be proven by science or not is one thing; at worst, honey makes for a delicious placebo . (And don’t knock the healing power of placebos!)
Honey has an unusual chemical composition, one which makes it keep indefinitely without spoiling, as is seen whenever ancient pots of honey, still perfectly preserved, are found during excavations of early Egyptian tombs. It is uniquely low in moisture and extremely acidic, making it a forbidding environment for bacteria and microorganisms. On top of that, bees add an enzyme, glucose oxidase, that creates hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct. According to the National Institutes of Health, honey is hygroscopic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and has remarkable debriding action. Who knew?
With this bonanza of properties, honey has been used for millennia as a medical remedy. As Smithsonian.com reports, the earliest recoded use of honey as a curative comes from Sumerian clay tablets, which convey that honey was used in 30 percent of prescriptions at the time. The ancient Egyptians used honey regularly to treat skin and eye problems, as did the Greeks, Romans, and a number of other cultures.
Sandbrook Meadow Farm is set on 50 acres in the beautiful rolling farmland of Stockton in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Partners, farmer Alex Sawatzky and landowners Brent and Deirdre Alderfer, produce certified organic vegetables weekly throughout the growing season. Sandbrook Meadow Farm is committed to preserving the integrity of the land and the joys of farm community through responsible organic farming practices
Q. How did you get into farming?
A. Farming is somewhat of a recent vocational choice for me. I studied history in college with the intention of pursuing a teaching career in secondary education. However, shortly after graduating, I participated in an internship at a sustainable living and environmental education center in Costa Rica that changed my life. I finally found out what passion was for the first time. I fell in love with growing food as a part of living more sustainably. Conserving resources and consuming responsibly became part of my value system. For me, that included growing food in a way that enhanced the local community while maintaining and improving the integrity of the land. Upon my return to the States, I completed an internship at an organic vegetable farm and haven’t looked back since. I have been farming for six years now in the Northeast and started Sandbrook Meadow Farm in 2011 with Brent and Deirdre Alderfer. The farm is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, providing organic produce to almost 300 families weekly during the growing season.
Q. What are your biggest challenges?
A. Weather is such an unpredictable beast, and its mood swings affect everything we do. We are often at the mercy of Mother Nature, but we continue to strive to do the things we can control well, and not stress about what we can’t. Weather extremes appear to be the new pattern … too much rain, too dry, too hot, or too cold. The other major challenge is finding the opportunities to improve. As a farmer, you often only get one or two chances a season to observe the life of a crop. That doesn’t amount to a surplus of notes and data to learn from. The importance of taking the time to observe cause and effect with all the variables that come along with farming is invaluable to say the least. Our goal every year is simple: to grow food better than we did the year before.
Q. What do you see in the future of Sandbrook Meadow Farm?
A. We have evolved and grown over the five years since our inception. The size of our current operation feels right though. It is important for us to maintain the sense of a community supported farm. If we aspire to continue to expand, we would undoubtedly lose the intimate connection with our members and customers. I want people to know where their food comes from and to know their farmer. If everyone knew who produced their food, it would change the world as we know it in a phenomenal way.
Everyone seems to be either using coconut oil and loving it or discovering it for the first time. It can be used for almost anything: anti-fungal, moisturizer, conditioner, mouthwash, etc. But what if you have an allergy to it? This is a question we get at the store all the time, and we have an easy answer for you—olive oil.
Olive oil is known for its heart healthy fats and antioxidants. These same qualities make olive oil perfect for your skin.
Next time you see an article or post about the miracles of coconut oil, try olive oil instead. You likely have it in your pantry anyway, and you’ll love the results.
This recipe is simple to throw togetherm and you likely have lost of the ingredients on hand already. Experiment with different types of flour. We use organic all-purpose or Jovial Einkorn flour, but this recipe works well with others.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 300°
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs.
Step 3: Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture
Step 4: Roughly chop the nuts, then add by hand with the cranberries.
Step 5: Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12×2 inches) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 6: Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
Step 7: Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275°.
Step 8: Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until dry. Cool.
Dunk in coffee, or gift to only the most special friends!
