Reducing Exposure to Carcinogens and Other Harmful Substances

Cancer has been on the rise in recent years, with a growing concern as to why and how we can stop this horrible and usually fatal disease.

While some cancers are hereditary and in some parts, unavoidable, we can still reduce our exposure to cancer causing chemicals and substances (known as carcinogens).No one is expected to avoid all of these substances, it does seem beneficial to be aware of those which are harmful so we can do our best to at least reduce their presence in our daily routines.

Below are 5 areas to consider, though the list is so much bigger than this. Chemicals are everywhere you look and on most everything you touch.

Household Cleaners: Many cleaners are full of harmful chemicals. We use these products in our house and the residue remains on our floors, counter tops and cupboards. As we touch these surfaces, our bodies absorb, in minute quantities, these leftover chemicals.

Phthalates: Believed to be an "endocrine disruptor" because they mimic our bodies hormones, phthalates are in many products such as deodorants, shampoos, personal care lotions, baby products, nail polish and many items where "contains fragrance" is displayed. Educate yourself to be able to recognize potential phthalates and avoid them at all costs.

Personal Care Products: Never before have we been as sensitive to what we put on our skin. From the time we were babies we were being lathered in soaps, shampoos, baby powders and more, all smelling nice. Today is a new era and we must be cautious of what is put on our skin. We absorb everything into our body, be it from shampoo to lotions. Makeup for girls, deodorants, skin creams, soaps and perfumes are just some of the products used in our daily routines. Try to find more "Natural" products out there to use. For girls, there are a few lines of "Organic" Makeup solutions, including "Piggy Paint" for nail polish. Look for body lotions, shampoos and deodorants which contain Natural Ingredients, usually plant-based. Some stores have natural based products and if all else fails, visit Watkins Products to find healthier products for you and your family.

Heating up Foods and Drinks: You have probably heard about not heating up anything in plastic containers and for good reason - during the heat up process many carcinogens are released directly into the foods you are about to eat. Cover food with paper towel, not saran wrap, when heating up food. Transfer food or drink into a glass or ceramic dish or cup when heating. Those quick and easy dishes you can take to work and make in the microwave may be convenient, but think about what chemicals are leaking into your food and going directly into your system.

Aromotherapy: We live in a day and age where everything needs to smell nice. Keep in mind many of these air freshners include "fragrance" - see Point 2 above. Air Fresheners, Candles and Potpourri contain fragrances which are actually harmful to us. Find Natural Air Freshners and make your own potpourri from actual fruits,herbs and spices.

We live in a chemical world, where most everything we find in the stores is synthetic and not healthy for us. Only now are some of these products finally being recalled due to recent health risks. Being mindful of what we let our bodies come in contact with is a good step to a healthier future.

Making natural ingredients products is possible, but more costly for companies. So long as we don't complain or demand change, manufacturing companies will continue to make these harmful products.

We do have a choice and can educate ourselves to make smarter choices. We can pass this knowledge onto our children and their children's children. Living a "convenient" lifestyle was the trend 10 years ago and now we are starting to realize the ill effects of such a lifestyle. It is now up to us to put more effort into our health and do what we can to reduce cancer-causing substances from entering our bodies.

For more information on healthier products for home care and body care, visit my website (Listed below) and view the pdf documents.

Tamara Laschinsky and her family are big on healthy products and a healthy environment. Graduating Business Administration with a degree in both Marketing and E-Commerce, Tamara has turned her "side business" into her main source of Income and loves promoting her Watkins Business to customers and new associates across Canada and the USA. She is now at the Manager level of Watkins Indep. Associates and works hard to provide other associates on her team with the tools they need to succeed!

As for Tamara's thoughts on Watkins: "Watkins has been around since 1868 and is a strong and stable company. People have joined for many individual reasons. Some want a little extra income, while others just want the 25% discount on their favorite products. More and more people who are joining are looking for a business to help support them in their retirement years and a few have started this business for their Children to learn from and eventually run! Watkins has been providing Quality Natural household products for over 140 years and expanding their product line to include Body and Home Care products which are made from "Natural" Ingredients. I fully stand behind this company as I have a strong desire to reduce the amount of chemicals myself and my family are exposed to!"

You can visit Tamara's website at http://www.NaturalProductsOnline.ca or subscribe to her blog at http://NaturalProductsOnline.wordpress.com

Reducing Harmful Chemicals in Our Everyday Products

Did you ever stop to think about what we put into out bodies when we put products ON our bodies?

More and more products are being discovered as having harmful chemicals in them which, over time, penetrates to the inside of our bodies. Studies now are finally being done to link many health conditions to these chemicals such as:

* Increase in Cancer

* Decrease in sexual re productivity

* Changes in hormonal activity

* Neurological Disorders

But "going natural" isn't that easy. First, you have to find some good and truthful information on exactly what chemicals are bad and what potential side effects they have.

Then you need to determine what chemicals can be substituted when making products.

Consider these chemicals, be familiar with these chemicals and try to avoid - these chemicals:

* PARABENS (Methyl-Propyl-Ethyl-Butyl)

Common preservative used in cosmetics to length shelf life - Possible endocrine disruptor - potentially causing birth defects and cancer

Alternative: preserved with phenoxyethanol - found in nature and derived from essential sage oil

* CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS (Oxybenzone/Avobenzone)

Synthetic Sunscreen made to absorb UV rays instead of block the rays - potentially disrupt hormone balance

Alternative: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide

* PETRO CHEMICALS (Petrolatum, mineral oil, parrafin)

Used as emollient to smooth skin but are non-renewable crude oil by-products and have potentially dangerous impurities

Alternative: Use oils found in nature: Beeswax, Apricot kernel oil and coconut oil

* PROPYLENE GLYCOL

Humectant, absorbing watker from the air, it is a petroleum derived synthetic chemical and can potentially draw chemicals into bloodstream. It is a known skin and eye irritant; causing allergic reactions and acne

Alternative: Use Glycerin, and Natural Humectant - keep moisture in and other chemicals out

* PHTALATES

Used to blend oils & liquids - very common in fragrances. Known irritants and more studies being done to link Phthalates to possible carcinogenic properties

Alternative: Look for "Phthalate Free" on products, especially those with fragrance added or perfum added.

* DEA/TEA

Adjusts PH levels, but reacts with other nitrates. Reactions can lead to nitrosamines which have been linked to potential carcinogens

Alternative: Use Sodium Hydroxide in small amounts to balance PH

* FORMALDEHYDE

Preservative- in many personal care products. Very strong skin irritant (eye, nose & throat) EPA has classified this as a "Probably Human Carcinogen"

Alternative: Use preservatives that do not release formaldehyde or irritants. Peppermint oil can be used for antibacterial

* 1, 4 DIOXANE

No purpose in products but is produced as a "by-product" of certain manufacturing procedures - it is a suspected carcinogen

Alternative: Find a company that vows to avoid any processing which may produce this by-product

* ACRYLATES

Thickening agent and reduces feeling of "greasiness". Known to be a strong irritant.

Alternative: Use Natural Gums "Guar Gum" or "Xanthan Gum"

* CARBOMER

Thickening agent and emulsion stabilizer - can contain hazardous "by-products"

Alternatives: Again, use Natural Gums "Guar Gum" or "Xanthan Gum"

* PVP

Cosmetic Industry uses these as thickners but again, they can contain hazardous by-products.

Alternatives: as noted before - use Natural Gums (Guar or Xanthan)

* CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES

Used to kill any imposing bacteria - can contain formaldehyde (see point 7) and some are known to be irritants

Alternatives: Use Natural preservatives such as Vitamin E and select essential oils

* SILICONES

Protects against water evaporation but hazardous by-products can result from the manufacturing process

Alternatives: Natural Oils - Apricot Kernel oil, avocado oil, coconut oil and jojoba oils are just some of the alternatives

*QUATS

Preservatives and adds a bond within conditioners. Can produce hazardous by-products in manufacturing process and known to be skin irritants.

Alternatives: Use specific quats not hard on the skin and monitor manufacturing process to ensure no hazardous by-products are contained within

* TALCS

Absorbent, used in many cosmetic products to add softness as well. Closely related to asbestos, talc posses health risk when exposed to lungs and genital areas. Has been linked to both lung and ovarian cancer.

Alternative: Corn Starch - 100% Natural

It's not easy to find products which are Natural, and even if they say Natural - you have to be careful. Especially since not all ingredients will tell you if there are "Phthalates" or "Petro Chemicals".

Finding companies who are dedicated to production of "Natural" products is a good way to minimize your risk. Look for the NPA (Natural Products Association) Certification on products and do your research.

There are so many products out there full of chemicals we haven't even begun to realize how harmful they are on us and the environment. The standards are quite flexible and very few studies are done to protect us, our children and our environment.

It is up to us - to protect ourselves. It is up to us, to educate our children, family and friends, so that they too can educate others. We need to make healthier choices and those choices must be educated and well informed choices. It's not about why we should avoid these products - but HOW to avoid these products.

Consider these everyday items and try to find Natural Alternatives.

* Cosmetics

* Nail Polish

* Skin creams, lotions, bath products, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, scrubs

* Hairspray, perfume, candles, air freshners, deodorants

* Laundry detergents, fabric softners (which release a chemical compound that attaches itself to the fabric and will Never come off - suspected carcinogen)

Tamara Laschinsky is the owner of Expressions by Tamara and leader of TeamExpress - a Watkins Independent Consultant Group. Making the environment a better place to live in, Tamara promotes Watkins products as a "green" choice and promotes other local "green" companies in her monthly newsletter. Mother of two, Tamara uses her college degree to run her own business from home and to help others do the same. Active in her community, Tamara puts much emphasis on family time and community events. In her own words, " Work is only work when you don't enjoy it! Find something you love to do and find a way to get paid doing it! My choice to sell Watkins and grow my business team was easy - I already use the products everyday and they are the same price as store-bought brands. Joining Watkins made sense for me and has allowed me to use better products in my home which are safer for my family and the environment! I enjoy doing what I do and helping others do what they want to do. As an Indp. Watkins Manager I do what I can to help increase education in today's world of avoiding harmful chemicals for a healthier today and tomorrow.

Melaleuca Review - An Expert Overview of Melaleuca

Amazingly, one of the fast emerging wellness and Health Company today is Melaleuca. The company, continuously growing on a very fast phase, offers consumers a variety of products which are tediously researched by experts to aid health related problems and even provide personal and cleaning care products. It seems to be a good company, so to speak. Yet, behind all that, some stories are still claiming that the said company is a scam. In relation to that, I conducted some research to gather enough information about Melaleuca.

Let me start laying the information... The company, what is it all about?

Melaleuca is considered as the "wellness company" and what they offer obviously concerns about healthy lifestyle. True, more and more people are now endowed into maintaining their bodies youthful and healthy, that's why the company sells not just for our personal care but also products which will help us maintain our home pleasant and free from harmful chemicals. Well I must say that Melaleuca has been in the business industry for many years and have reached wide network of independent representatives who have gained impressive full-time incomes through diligent selling and constant recruiting as their referrals to introduce and sell these amazing products.

Now, let me state information regarding the product.

Melaleuca, The Wellness Company, offers variety of products. One of their products is the Access Bar which is prominent for it helps people lose fat and improve muscle and performance. Another thing, Melaleuca has a line of vitamins and minerals which can be taken by both men and women. Actually, special formulations for kids and adults are available. With regards to their food and weight loss products, the company offers softdrinks, sports bars, cereals, protein shakes and bar and organic cookies and crackers. Also, in their bath and body line, the company features dental care, hair care and skin care products. Lotions air freshners and candles are available too.

Well, it seems like the company has a great line of products. Does it mean they offer a great compensation plan too?

In different and wide range of some organizations, the company's mainstream in compensation plan is common with those multi- level marketing industry, where one is paid through various levels of organizations and whereas there would also be commissions through sales by retailing products to consumers. The company's minimum number of orders each month from the costumers should be acquired by a representative to gain adequate profits making the most out of the opportunity.

Melaleuca is likely and desirably a company that offers great products and success opportunity. Nevertheless, like all other businesses, what's very vital is ones' strategy in terms of marketing. No matter how great the compensation and products are; the effectiveness of how well one can market will truly indicate his or her success and the success of the company. It is important in marketing for an individual to consider sponsoring at least 10-20 people a month. Reaching your goal is not far for those who are determined to reach it. So better equip yourself with right set of knowledge and skills to become one of the successful individuals of the future.

To learn how to recruit 20+ distributors a month in a MLM like Melaleuca, visit Jim Chao's 6 figure Marketing blueprint