So much is happening that I want to write about! We're still working on remodeling our green bathroom...it's coming along slow but sure because we are doing a lot of labor-intensive work, like tiling the entire shower instead of using plastic. When it's done, I'll give you all the details. And my husband Larry just got a great deal on a diesel car which he will be modifying to run on vegetable oil! He's so excited about getting us off of petroleum fuel. I also wanted to let you all know that I'm coming to San Francsico at the end of September to speak at the West Coast Green conference and expo about green building. The lineup of speakers is impressive and they are expecting more than 12,000 industry professionals and homeowners to come from all over the country "to gain the tips and tools for building sustainably and successfully." And it's open to the public. I'll be speaking on "homeowners" day on September 30. Debra :-)
HEALTH, HOME & HABITAT #48 ~ 11 July 2006
* AT HOME WITH DEBRA: My Natural First Aid
Health, Home & Habitat Back Issues
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AT HOME WITH DEBRA: My Natural First Aid Though there are many natural products now available for the minor ills and injuries of everyday life, I like to keep things simple and make my own home remedies. Read my natural first aid tips...
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POISONING A GENERATION: Mercury in Immunizations Last week I went to my natural dentist to get my teeth cleaned and while I was waiting a few minutes for my appointment I picked up his office newsletter. The whole issue reprinted an article called "Deadly Immunity" by Robert Kennedy Jr. that was originally published in Rolling Stone magazine. The entire article is about how children have been made ill from the mercury-based preservative thimerosal in ordinary vaccines given routinely. Fortunately, this preservative is no longer used in vaccines, but during the years in which it was used--1989 to 2003--the rate of autism in children skyrocketed from one in every 2500 children to one in 166 children. A whole generation of children have been compromised mentally and physically...by a preservative that was known to be toxic from the very beginning. The sheer numbers of children affected is more than asbestoes or tobacco. Though this is an extreme case of cover-up, this same pattern of using toxic substances for economic gain when they are known to be harmful to health and the environment is widespread. Read more about mercury in immunizations....
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DEMAND FOR ORGANIC FOOD EXCEEDS SUPPLY Growth in sales of organic food has been 15 percent to 21 percent each year, compared with 2 percent to 4 percent for total food sales. And I just saw on television last night the first commercials for organic food at Wal-Mart. This is great news, but where is all this organic food coming from? Other countries, if there isn't enough supply to meet the demand in America. While it's a good thing to grow organic anywhere in the world, part of the idea of sustainable agriculature is to grow the food we eat locally, connecting inhabitants to the land through the food they eat and supporting local economies. I'm hoping that importing organic food from foreign countries is a short-term solution while more organic farms are being established in the United States to meet the demand to feed the inhabitants of our own land. Read more about how demand for organic food is exceeding supply...
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MORE ON NATURAL COOLING In the last issue, I gave you some tips for keeping your BODY cool using natural means. Here are a couple of articles on how to keep the air in your HOUSE cool that also save energy. Natural House Cooling Tips -- How To Twenty-three Tips for Keeping the House Cool I found these in Annie Berthold Bond's free newsletter "The Healthy Home", which you can sign up for at care2.com.
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MONEY-SAVING TIPS: Affordable Natural Beds I've received a number of emails in the last couple of weeks about finding affordable natural mattresses. Yes, natural mattresses are expensive, so here are some suggestions. Begin to make a transition to a natural bed instead of buying all the parts of the bed at once. Start closest to your body and work away, creating more and more layers between your body and the synthetic mattress, while you are shopping and saving for your natural fiber mattress. All of these component parts will be used with your natural fiber mattress to make a completely natural bed. * Purchase untreated cotton sheets. Flannel sheets have no formaldehyde-based "permanent press" finish and a queen set can often be had for under $50 at white sales and discount stores. * Get a natural fiber pillow. These are sold by the same dealers that sell mattresses. A standard wool pillow is around $40. * Purchase a wool "topper". These are like a thick mattress pad (usually around 3" high) covered with cotton. They give you the comforts and benefits of natural fiber next to your body and can be aired and sunned. They cost $300-$400 for a queen-size. Also, organically-grown materials cost more than conventional materials. So if the organic materials are way out of your price range, take a look at the prices using conventional natural fibers. Even if they are not organically-grown, natural fibers are better than synthetic. White Lotus Home and Soaring Heart have the most affordable natural fiber mattresses I've found, so try these first if cost is a consideration.
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DEBRA'S LIST: New links Here are just some of the links I recently added to Debra's List. Nature's Crib is the new name of Gentle Essence, which I posted to Debra's List last year. In addition to all-natural skin & body care, baby care, and hair care products, cloth diapers and menstural pads, all organic crib mattresses and bedding, and organic baby clothes, they now offer chemical-free cleaning products, made-in-America natural wood toys, and more. Blackberry Hill Maple is small mother and daughter sugaring operation that makes only 70 gallons of high quality maple syrup a year with their own hands, plus maple candy, maply sugar, and maple cream. Organic Baby Shower is fun site that carries everything from shower invitations and baby announcements printed on 100% recycled paper, to every natural and organic baby product a new mother could want. Evan's Garden offers bodycare products andcrafted by Evan herself in small, fresh batches. Her own "powerfully effective" formulations are made of live plants, pure essential oils, trace minerals and anti-oxidants (organic and biodynamic ingredients whenever possible). Her natural skin care products contain all known nutrients in whole food form, complete trace mineral complex and skin-rejuvenating anti-oxidants. She also handcrafts pure mineral make-up, aromatherapy perfumes, natural body care and home care products. Healing Scents handmakes natural aromatherapy bodycare products with theraputic grade essential oils. "95% of our raw materials are cold-processed, wild-crafted, or organic" and "We strive to provide these all-natural handcrafted products at the lowest possible prices." Check out their herbal insect repellant.
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DEBRA'S BOOKSTORE The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century is the most recent and up-to-date book on how sunlight contributes to health and happiness. Tells in great detail how sunlight and lack of sunlight affects mind and body, how adequate sunlight can prevent health problems (including cancer, diabetes, tooth decay, and others), how sunlight can be used to treat major illnesses, how to sunbathe safely, and how to bring sunlight indoors to make your home a healthier place in which to live. Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration for Harmony with Nature is a beautiful and inspiring book about swimming pools built in Europe that purify water using only the correct balance of plants and organisms to clean and purify the water. With full color photos and drawings on every page, this book gives the full history and background of natural pools as well as detailed instructions on how to construct one, how to convert an existing chemical pool, and how the whole biological system works. It's quite a different perspective on pools!
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Q & A: Reusing plastic food containers I was listening to a public radio programÊand it was mentioned that many plastic food containers--such as those used for things like salsa, hummus, etc--are designed for one use and reusing them for leftovers like I do is toxic, more than the first use. Is this true? I do not reuse the white plastic yogurt containers. Just the clear ones.ÊDo you know anything about this?
E. S.
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Q & A: Houseplants for Clean Air
You mentioned in your newsletter that houseplants help clear toxins out of the air. Do you have a list of plants that will help? Thank You! M. G.
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Q & A: Facial Hair Bleach
I am wondering if you know of anyÊnon-toxic facial hair bleachers.ÊAll of the bleachers that are found in stores contain toxic chemicals. I would appreciate any input that you might have on this. F. C. Read the answer...
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If you have a question of general interest, I am happy to answer free it in this newsletter and post it on my website for others to benefit from. If you have a question you would like to submit, please send me an email to debra@dld123.com with your question. It may take two to four weeks or longer for your question to appear in the newsletter. Usually I send an immediate quick answer to email questions, but then give a more detailed answer in the newsletter. All of the questions and answers, including those in the current issue, can be accessed through the Q&A index page at http://dld123.com/q&a/index.php. I also am available to answer your questions immediately and personally with a paid telephone consultation.
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CLASSIFIED ADS
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The new, revised, edition of
Home Safe Home
is now available
in bookstores nationwide.
Home Safe Home tells what toxic chemicals are generally found in specific household products of all types, and safe solutions you can buy or make at home. It's different from other books on toxic chemicals because the focus really is what you can do to protect yourself and your family and create a healthy home. I bring over twenty years of research and personal real-life experience to this book. * 10 Simple, Inexpensive Things You Can Do To Reduce Household Toxics * How Toxic is Your Home? Quiz (excerpt from the book)
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Debra's List
~
100s of links
to 1000s of nontoxic, natural & earthwise
products
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email:
debra@dld123.com
web:
http://dld123.com
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