Love
being who you really are. Let love heal your hurts and
inspire your actions.
Have the courage, acceptance and humility to feel love
fully. Have the strength and confidence to give your love
freely.
Let love fill your thoughts with goodness and your
intentions with kindness. Let love brighten every corner of
your world.
Let love flow abundantly from you before you can even think
about it. Let love illuminate the unique and miraculous
richness in every unfolding moment.
Let love live within you, and spread beauty through all you do.
Let love be, with all you have and all you are.
Ralph Marston
For Those Who Thought They Knew Everything
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for
blood plasma.
No piece of paper can be folded in half
more than seven (7) times. Oh go ahead…I’ll wait…
Donkeys kill more people annually
than plane crashes or shark attacks.
You burn more calories sleeping
than you do watching television.
Oak trees do not produce acorns
until they are fifty (50) years of age or older.
The first product to have a bar code
was Wrigley’s gum.
The King of Hearts is the only king
WITHOUT A MOUSTACHE
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987
by eliminating one (1) olive
from each salad served in first-class.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
(Since Venus is normally associated with women, what does this tell you!)
(That women are going the ‘right’ direction…?)
Apples, not caffeine,
are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
Most dust particles in your house are made from
DEAD SKIN!
The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
So did the first ‘Marlboro Man’.
Walt Disney was afraid
OF MICE!
PEARLS MELT
IN VINEGAR!
The three most valuable brand names on earth:
Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs…
but, not downstairs.
A duck’s quack doesn’t echo,
and no one knows why.
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush
be kept at least six (6) feet away from
a toilet to avoid airborne particles
resulting from the flush.
(I keep my toothbrush in the living room now!)
And the best for last….
Turtles can breathe through their butts.
(I know some people like that, don’t YOU?)
So………………….
Now you know everything!
The Street Gangs of Canada
STREET GANGS IN ALBERTA
It’s gangs like these that the people of Alberta have to put up with..
A bit different from the problems in other cities…
It proves that every City has their own “unique” gang problems. They
roam the streets and yards night and day.
They hang out in even the best neighborhoods!
..and you CANNOT (legally) stop them.
AREN’T THEY MAGNIFICENT !!!!???
Health Care Reform – Video
Health care reform is a huge issue facing our country and the 1000 page health care reform law is complex. So how is one to understand this important piece of legislation? Below is a video that explains the health care reform bill in everyday language. It outlines the problems in our current health care system and explains how the health care reform law intents to remedy these. Finally, they address the pros and cons of this law so that you can make at least semi-informed decisions regarding it.
10 Simple Rules to Live By
Below are 10 simple rules to live by. Of course there are many pieces of good advice out there, but each of these is certainly good rules for your life. This article represents an opportunity for us to take wellness past food to the very thoughts and feelings that we experience every day. Learn these 10 simple rules and take them to heart.
Rule 1. Prayer is not a “spare wheel” that you pull out when in trouble; it is a “steering wheel” that directs us in the right path throughout life.
Rule 2. Do you know why a car’s WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.
Rule 3. Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.
Rule 4. All things in life are temporary. If going well enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong don’t worry, they can’t last long either.
Rule 5. Old friends are like Gold! New friends are Diamonds! If you get a Diamond, don’t forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold!
Rule 6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, “Relax, sweetheart, it’s just a bend, not the end!
Rule 7. When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn’t solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.
Rule 8. A blind person asked St. Anthony: “Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?” He replied: “Yes, losing your vision.”
Rule 9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them; and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.
Rule 10. WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES; it takes away today’s PEACE.
Husband of the Year Award
The honorable mention goes to: The United Kingdom
Followed closely by…The United States of America
and then… Poland
but 3rd Place must go to… Greece
it was very, very close but the runner up prize was awarded to…. Serbia
but the winner of the husband/partner of the year is. Ireland. Ya gotta love the Irish. The Irish are true romantics. Look, he’s even holding her hand…
Woman has Man in it;
Mrs. has Mr. in it;
Female has Male in it;
She has He in it;
Madam has Adam in it;
Okay, Okay, it all makes sense now…
I never looked at it this way before:
Ever notice how all of women’s problems start with MEN?
MENtal illness!
MENstrual cramps
MENtal breakdown
MENopause
GUYnecologist
AND
When we have REAL trouble, it’s a.. HISterectomy.
Send this to all the women you know to brighten their day.
Send this to all the men just to annoy them….
Remember You Don’t Stop Laughing Because You Grow Old, You Grow Old Because You Stop Laughing
Potentially Toxic Personal Care Ingredients
Personal care products regularly contain 20 or more ingredients many of which are unregulated toxic chemicals. Below are a list of potentially toxic personal care ingredients.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Isopropyl Alcohol (SD-40)
This synthetic solvent used in personal care products is very drying and irritating to the skin. It strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier. It is made from propylene and is found in many skin and hair care products. Fatal/coma: if one ounce or less is ingested.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monothanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine) Hormone
These personal care additives are hormone disrupting chemicals that can form cancer causing nitrates and nitrosamines. They are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects, but Americans may be exposed 10-20 times per day! These hormones are used to create foam in personal care products including shampoos, shaving creams, bubble baths.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is a petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores and interferes with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins (Baby oil is 100% mineral oil). This is among the top few most toxic personal care ingredients.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: DMDM Hydantoin & Urea
These are just two of many personal care preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may also irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: FD & C Color Pigments
These personal care ingredients are synthetic colors made from coal tar containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Fragrances
Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to four thousand separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic. This common personal care additive is thought to be the number one cause of allergies from personal care exposure.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Propyethylene Glycol (PEG)
Propyethylene Glycol is a potentially carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that can alter and reduce the skin’s natural moisture factor.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol
These are both petroleum by-products that act as surfactants (wetting agents) with solvent properties. They penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles to dispose of any PG solutions in toxic waste dumps.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
SLS and SLES are detergents and surfactants used in personal care products that pose serious health threats. Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and 90% of personal care products that foam. This is perhaps “public enemy number 1” in the battle agains toxic personal care ingredients.
Potentially Toxic Ingredient: Triclosan
This synthetic, “antibacterial” ingredient receives high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment by the EPA. Triclosan is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process can produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion; that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools!! Hormone disruptors pose enormous long term chronic health risks by interfering with the way hormones perform by changing genetic material, decreasing fertility and sexual function and fostering birth defects. Its use is widespread in popular antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes and household products.
Many personal care ingredients are completely unregulated with hundreds of new chemicals introduced each year. Each of these potentially toxic personal care ingredients can be found in all sorts of products, so be sure to know what you are putting on and in your body.
How do I Know if my Personal Care Products…
Personal care products help us clean, moisturize and care for our bodies. We put them on our hands, feet, faces, hair, arms, legs… well, you get the picture. They are an everyday part of so many people’s lives. Personal care products make us look, smell and feel great, but is the sense of personal security we get from these products worth it? Could the outer cleanliness gained from personal care products actually damage our health, leaving us toxic or “dirty” on the inside?
The Toxic Truth Behind Personal Care Products
The fact is that a large number of the chemicals used in personal care products are completely untested. In addition, one-third of personal care products contain known carcinogens and other toxic substances proven hazardous to ones health. So how is this legal you ask? The problem is that the personal care industry is largely regulated by the manufactures of personal care products. To be clear, I am not in favor of overly strict regulation, but granting self-regulation privileges to companies that knowingly use toxic substances in products designed for use on our children and ourselves seems to cross the line. These companies jump at the opportunity to highlight how one or two ingredients “promotes healthy skin” or “guarantees healthy looking hair” while the other 15 to 40 ingredients may be toxic to our health.
These companies justify the use of dangerous toxic chemicals by claiming that people are only getting very small doses of any given ingredient. What they don’t tell you is that the low levels of toxic chemicals you get from your shampoo may compound with those found in your lotion, perfume, cologne, face wash, body wash, toothpaste, hairspray, even our food and water. These small toxic doses build up to in your bodily tissues and may cause imbalances linked to host health issues including a wide range of diseases, weight gain and obesity.
What’s worse, there is little research as to the long-term health effects of exposure to the hundreds or even thousands of toxic chemicals that we come in contact with daily though personal care products. The good news is that all hope is not lost yet. We understand that personal care products are vital to your daily routine and have worked hard to find a resource that can solve this issue for you in a healthy way.
It’s Your Health. Choose Wisely.
We hope you now understand the possible dangers lurking within every personal care product in your house and encourage you to put even your favorite products to the test. Below is a link to the cosmetics database. It is a searchable resource comprising most personal care products available today. It will give you are really solid idea about how toxic products may be and their potential impact you your health. So go ahead, give it a try.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
Healthy, non-toxic personal care products can be found by using the dropdown navigation located on the cosmetics database website.
Related Post:
Potentially Toxic Personal Care Ingredients
Open Face Tuna Melt with Adobo Slaw (serves 2)
Tuna Melt Ingredients
2 cans of tuna 5oz
Old Bay seasoning
vinegar
soy sauce
pickle diced
roasted red pepper chopped
mayonnaise (healthier options: yogurt or sour cream)
olive oil
2 slices sourdough bread
smoked provolone cheese sliced
Adobo Slaw Ingredients
1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (purchase canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
1 t adobo sauce
½ cup mayonnaise (healthier options: yogurt or sour cream)
½ lime juiced
2 t honey
1 t ground cumin
2 T paprika
1 T vinegar
salt
pepper
1 medium head green cabbage chopped
2 cups red cabbage chopped (optional)
½ onion chopped thin
cilantro chopped
Adobo Slaw Prep
Combine cabbage and onion in a bowl. Set aside. Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, honey, cumin, paprika, vinegar, salt and pepper in a magic bullet or food processor and blend together (if you do not have a food processor, simply add an additional tablespoon of the adobo sauce and leave the pepper out). Pour this sauce over the cabbage and onion mixture. Add cilantro and mix well.
Tuna Melt Prep
Preheat oven to broil. Toast 2 slices of sourdough bread. Add tuna to a bowl. Use a fork to break tuna apart. Add 1 T. vinegar, 1 T. soy sauce and 2 t. old bay. This is just a starting point. Mix well and be sure to adjust ingredients to taste. Add a small amount of mayonnaise as needed. Once desired flavor is achieved, add 2 T diced pickles and 2 T roasted red peppers diced. Again, adjust these to your desired taste. Spread a small amount of olive oil on each slice of toasted bread and top each with tuna mixture. Cover amply with slices of smoked provolone cheese and broil until cheese begins to brown. Serve with Slaw and enjoy.