by Alan Bell
• • •
It is my hope that you have found this book before becoming irreversibly injured by toxins in your environment. Whatever your situation, the fact that you’re reading these pages means that you’re looking for ways to protect your health—and your family’s—from the poisons all around us.
The truth has been exposed in many, many research studies about how man-made poisons are harming us. I’ve built a powerful case in this book for the need to protect ourselves because our government has not done its job to keep us safe by regulating what’s put into our environment.
Now it’s your turn. By following the easy lifestyle modifications listed below, you can defend yourself and your family against environmental injury and death—before it’s too late. If you’d like to download this list and other resources, visit my website (alanbell.me/resources).
TOP TWENTY-ONE LIFESTYLE TIPS
1. Food. Eat plants grown organically, with natural fertilizers, and make sure the meat you buy comes from animals not fed with chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. Avoid farm-raised fish. Eat wild-caught and smaller fish to minimize mercury exposure. Avoid tuna, sea bass, and swordfish. Cod, salmon, and pollack are better.
2. Water. Drink, bathe, and cook with filtered, chlorine-free water. Drink only water bottled in glass, not in plastic. Hundreds of contaminants have been found in tap water.
3. Indoor air quality. We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, where pollutants are up to five times higher than outdoors, so use ozone-free HEPA air purifiers. When vacuuming, use a HEPA-filtered unit. If you’re building or renovating a home, consider installing a central vacuum cleaning system with a HEPA filter. Buy a test kit to determine if mold, radon, or asbestos are present in your home. Asbestos and radon are leading causes of lung cancer. Regularly open the windows in your house to let fresh air dilute any radon gas that has built up. Use tight sealing glass doors on your fireplace to minimize the fumes (carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide) that could seep into your home. Never use any type of scented air fresheners because they contain many synthetic toxic chemicals.
4. Personal care products. Most personal care products with synthetic fragrances contain toxic chemicals. Avoid perfume, cologne, and products with added fragrance. Use nontoxic sunscreen. Most sunscreens are chemical based and those should never be used. Buy sunscreens containing zinc oxide as their active ingredient. Read labels and avoid products that include the following:
a. Words ending in “paraben”
b. DMDM hydantoin
c. Imidazolidinyl urea
d. Methylchloroisothiazolinone
e. Triclosan
f. Triclocarban
g. Triethanolamine (TEA)
5. Children. Don’t buy disposable, plastic baby diapers. They contain toxic chemicals that infiltrate children’s bodies. Use cloth diapers. When using personal care products for children:
a. Use fewer products and use them less often.
b. Don’t trust claims. Read all labels and check ingredients.
c. Buy fragrance-free products.
d. Avoid the use of synthetic baby powder on newborns and infants. Use organic cornstarch instead.
6. Cookware. Don’t cook with Teflon or nonstick pans. When cookware with nonstick coating is heated, the coating breaks down and leaches toxins into your food. Use cast-iron, stainless steel, or glass cookware.
7. Plastics. Avoid plastic baby bottles and food and drink containers made with bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a common ingredient found in plastic and is associated with many health problems including birth defects and cancer. Use BPA-free plastic, glass, or metal containers. Only use plastic containers labeled one through five for food.
8. Laundry products. Buy fragrance-free detergent and fabric softeners. Read product labels. An increasing number of companies manufacture scent- and dye-free products. Use natural alternatives. For example, white vinegar is a natural fabric softener.
9. Home cleaning products. Although toxic cleaners kill germs, they pose health hazards. Use nontoxic home cleaning products. Many nontoxic cleaning products can now be found at most markets and stores. Read all labels and look for fragrance-free, chemical-free, and preservative-free items or use safe substitutes such as vinegar and baking soda.
10. Clothing. Buy clothing made with natural fibers such as cotton and wool. Avoid synthetic materials that don’t breathe and are treated with flame retardants containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). When you enter your home, leave your shoes outside to reduce the amount of dust-bound pollutants (including lead) you track in. Brush off the soles and tops of your shoes before you bring them inside.
11. Dry cleaning. Avoid dry cleaning your clothes. At a minimum, find a dry cleaner that uses less toxic materials or wet or carbon dioxide cleaning processes. Hang your clothes on a clothesline after they are cleaned to air out before wearing. The sun is a powerful detoxifier.
12. Pesticides. Don’t use pesticides on your lawn or in your home. Use natural alternatives such as boric acid for ants and cockroaches and heat or microwaves to kill termites. Old-fashioned traps are great for eliminating mice and rats.
13. Furniture. Avoid glued particleboard furniture coated with toxic stain, flame retardants, and PDBEs. Use glass, metal, or solid wood furniture coated with nontoxic sealers and natural fabrics.
14. Bedding. Avoid materials treated with toxic flame retardants. Sleep on an organic cotton mattress and bedding instead of the standard toxic flame retardant–treated materials.
15. Paints. If you paint your home, use zero volatile organic compound (VOC) products.
16. Electromagnetic frequencies. Minimize exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). Stay a safe distance from your television set and use low-EMF, flat-screen computer monitors instead of cathode ray tube monitors. Don’t hold your cell phone to your ears. Use a wired earpiece. Bluetooth earpieces emit radiation, and Wi-Fi areas create unhealthy EMF levels.
17. Automobiles. Buy a healthy automobile with low VOC materials. Leathers, fabrics, and plastics inside your vehicle emit toxic chemical vapors.
18. Floor coverings. Install ceramic tile, stone, or solid wood on your floors, with washable area rugs. Avoid synthetic wall-to-wall carpet containing petrochemical fibers coated with toxic stain resisters.
19. Supplements. Iodine supplements provide protection against exposure to petrochemical, thyroid-disrupting residues contained in water and substances found in your everyday environment. Pregnant women should use iodized salt to reduce thyroid disruption caused by environmental exposure. Large daily doses of vitamin D (4,000 IU) and buffered vitamin C (4,000 mg) are also powerful ways to boost your immune system and resist environmental toxins.
20. Detoxify your body. Cardiovascular exercise, sauna, or hot sea salt baths help you sweat and excrete toxins absorbed on a daily basis.
21. Avoid scented products. Products of all kinds with fragrances often contain chemicals. My mantra is “If it has a scent, don’t spend a cent on it.” Buy a scent-free alternative. At the very least, read the labels of all scented products, but understand that the listings are not a guarantee. The best policy is to play it safe and avoid anything scented. If you must have a scented product, go for those that have natural herbal scents, such as vanilla extract or flower-based products.
TOP TEN CHEMICALS TO AVOID
1. Acrylamide. Used in gel and binding agents and found in food packaging, cosmetics, and disposable diapers. You will also find it at the summer barbecue or fast-food restaurants because it is created by frying or baking starchy foods like potatoes and grains. Acrylamide can also be ingested from tobacco smoke or drinking water, and by touching products that contain the chemical. High doses of acrylamide exposure can lead to skin, eye, and upper respiratory infections.
2. Atrazine. More than 70 million pounds of this agricultural pesticide are sprayed on our croplands each year, most of it to protect corn. Agricultural workers inhale and absorb this pesticide
, and it has also been found in ground and drinking water. High doses of atrazine found in animals have been linked to the delayed onset of puberty, impaired fertility, and reduced levels of the hormones prolactin and testosterone. The EPA is currently reviewing whether or not the chemical is carcinogenic in humans.
3. Benzene. This volatile chemical is a product of coal and petroleum production. It’s also added to unleaded gasoline and industrial solvents, and it’s a by-product of tobacco smoke. The compound offgasses from building materials and also occurs naturally. Humans typically inhale benzene in ambient air. The body absorbs it readily and sends particles to the brain, fatty tissue, and, in pregnant women, across the placenta. Exposure to high concentrations of benzene vapor can depress the central nervous system and lead to death.
4. Bisphenol A. Also known as BPA, this chemical is commonly used in plastics such as eyeglass lenses, auto parts, CDs, food containers, plastic dinnerware, and toys. Exposure to BPA is thought primarily to happen when we eat foods that have come into contact with the chemical. It is highly toxic to some animals, interfering with brain and reproductive organ development. Studies in humans are murky, but have found a variety of possible health effects, including a possible association between BPA and heart disease.
5. Long-chain perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). Fire-resistant PFCs are used in electronics, automotive parts, textiles, and in the construction and aerospace industries, not to mention nonstick cookware. It is unclear how the chemicals get into the human body, but one likely possibility is through diet. While scientists don’t know with certainty if PFCs are harmful to human health, studies have found that high doses cause liver damage in rodents and monkeys.
6. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). MTBE was once commonly used as an additive in gas, but was eventually banned or limited in most states when it became clear that it could adversely affect water quality. MTBE is found in groundwater and in the air of cities where use is still permitted. Human exposure has been associated with headaches, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory tract infections.
7. Percholate. Primarily used in the defense and aerospace industries for rocket and missile production, it is also found in consumer items like fireworks and matches. Though it was once used to treat hyperthyroidism, it has since been deemed a contaminant. Water, milk, and high-water-content vegetables are thought to be the main exposure source for humans. Both animal and human studies have shown that percholate inhibits thyroid hormone production.
8. Phthalates. These industrial chemicals are used to make plastics flexible and resilient. They show up in many everyday products, including detergent, vinyl tiles, deodorant, garden hoses, plastic raincoats, and hair spray. They end up in the body when we swallow and inhale them and, less frequently, when our skin comes into contact with certain products. The health impacts of phthalates haven’t yet been measured in humans, but they cause reproductive and liver disease in lab rats.
9. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Like PFCs, these chemicals are highly effective flame retardants and are used in plastics, wire insulation, and textiles. They’re also frequently found in furniture and mattresses. People are exposed to them by consuming fish, fatty foods, and breast milk. Once in the body, they accumulate in fat tissue and little is known about how they are metabolized. In animals, PBDEs adversely affect thyroid function, brain development, and reproductive organs. Scientists don’t yet know how PBDE exposure affects humans.
10. Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). After discovering that manufacturers had been using SCCPs without governmental approval, the EPA decided to investigate these chemicals. They are frequently used in plastics like PVC piping and as lubricants and coolants in metal manufacturing. SCCP levels have not been measured across the population, but according to the EPA, they have been detected in human breast milk and various Japanese and European food products. SCCPs have been shown to accumulate in animal tissue with a toxic effect.
APPENDIX B: RECOMMENDED READING
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (Houghton Mifflin, 1962, 2002). This groundbreaking bestseller alerted the world to the dangers of pesticides and their deadly, toxic effects. It is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century and for creating environmental awareness at a time when pesticides and other chemicals were hailed as major scientific advancements and thought to be harmless.
An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It by Al Gore (Rodale, 2006). This alarming book documents the effects of global warming on our planet and the consequences.
Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Rick Smith and Bruce Laurie (Counterpoint, 2011). The authors use a variety of methods to test individual body burdens of toxic chemicals. They describe, for instance, how the innocuous rubber duck is infused with poisonous phthalates as well as common toxins in everything from Teflon to nonflammable pajamas. The book reminds us that what we do to our Earth, we do to ourselves.
Dodging the Toxic Bullet: How to Protect Yourself from Everyday Health Hazards by David R. Boyd (Greystone Books, 2010). This book identifies chemicals and toxins found in our air, food, water, and the products we use. It explains how we can limit our exposure and protect our health. The author also compares environmental safety protections in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe and identifies areas that need improvement.
Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and Cleaner Planet by Sloan Barnett (Atria, 2008). An informative book by a mother and television consumer advocate on how to avoid toxic substances we use on a regular basis in our homes. It focuses on items that are harmful to children and how to avoid or substitute them. The book examines a wide range of products and reviews each one of their pros and cons.
Toxic Free: How to Protect Your Health and Home from the Chemicals That Are Making You Sick by Debra Lynn Dadd (TarcherPerigee, 2011). An informative, easy-to-read book that covers toxic substances contained in our everyday products, what they do to our health, and how you can cut back or even eliminate your exposure to toxic substances in your own home. The author’s website is also a great resource, listing manufacturers of toxin-free products of all kinds.
Raising Healthy Children in a Toxic World: 101 Smart Solutions for Every Family by Philip J. Landrigan, Herbert Needleman, and Mary Landrigan (Rodale, 2002). This book is filled with information and easy-to-follow checklists to help identify toxins in our homes, workplaces, and areas that children frequent. Each chapter includes questions that help readers zero in on the areas of importance to them. The book also gives practical recommendations on how readers can protect their families by reducing their exposure to toxins.
Our Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival? A Scientific Detective Story by Theo Colburn, Duanne Dumanoski, and John Peter Meyers (Plume, 1997). A scholarly and technical book that is also highly informative on how man-made contaminates have caused health problems such as infertility, immune-system breakdowns, autoimmune diseases, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities. It focuses on endocrine disruptors and identifies dangerous substances. This influential book is credited with encouraging the EPA to implement more stringent regulations.
How Everyday Products Make People Sick: Toxins at Home and in the Workplace by Paul Blane (University of California Press, 2007). The author’s main thesis is that industry has produced toxins and factory processes that have poisoned large populations. He chastises governments and businesses for historically denying, ignoring, and weakening protections. To support his positions, he cites studies involving specific products, including glue, rubber cement, shoes, phosphorous matches, asbestos, and rayon.
Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself by Alejandro Junger (Harper One, 2009, 2012). In this New York Times bestseller, Junger, a cardiologist, explains to readers how toxins accumulate in our bodies, disrupt our systems, and result
in physical ailments. He believes that our world is filled with toxins, and every day we take in more of them. The book provides a one-month detoxification and nutrition program to clean up our bodies and restore our vitality and health.
A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr (Vintage, 1996). This bestseller tells the true story of the battle of a young lawyer, Jan Schlichtmann, to obtain legal damages for leukemia patients and their families from a company that dumped carcinogens polluting the local water supply. This gripping book won the National Book Critics Circle Award, was made into a major motion picture, and created wide awareness about industrial pollution and its effects.
Tom’s River: A Story of Science and Salvation by Dan Fagan (Island Press, 2013). This story of a cluster of childhood cancers in a New Jersey town can be considered a continuation of the issues first raised in A Civil Action and involving some of the same individuals, including attorney Jan Schlichtmann. Publishers Weekly hailed the book as “a crisp, hard-nosed probe into corporate arrogance and the power of public resistance.” The story was a New York Times bestseller and won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction.
The Edge and Beyond by Lance Morris, ND (Resonant Sound Therapy, 2014). Dr. Morris explains his approach to healing through understanding fascial membrane and his development of Resonant Sound Therapy and Resonant Movement Meditation. His book combines philosophy and science and offers practical advice we can use in our daily lives.