The Month of the Pink Ribbon

This post is my tribute to any person who has bravely battled cancer. Hopefully, this information will not fall on deaf ears like it once did mine. I can't believe I was so unwilling to make such little changes that could possibly save my life (and the life of my loved ones). Sadly, not every cancer is preventable, but some are. I used to think doing these "little" things (e.g., making healthy choices, using good products) didn't really matter. And then it hit close to home.

Last year, the amazing teacher who worked in the room next to mine was perfectly healthy one day and in chemotherapy the next for breast cancer. As I said, before that day I really didn't think much of making choices to prevent this awful disease as I ignorantly figured, "que sera, sera." But then, that teacher came back and told me that her cancer was caused by her environment. Of course, her doctor couldn't pinpoint exactly what agent caused her cancer, but there were a few factors that he mentioned. This time, I listened.

• Plastic Water Bottles. Throw out those old ones and get new ones that are BPA free, glass, or try our personal favorite, stainless steel. We try to avoid the aluminum ones too. Get rid of your plastic food containers and microwave food in glass only. Plastic + microwave= no no.

• Parabens. Throw out any lotions, shampoos, sunscreens, makeups that contain them and buy new. They come in many forms (e.g., methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl paraben), but if you see the word "paraben" at all, get rid of the product. Paraben is a preservative and I was SHOCKED by how often it is in a product (fancy things like "Bath and Body Works" and yummy scents are the worst culprits). My friend's doctor told her that paraben is very commonly found in breast lumps. Here is a snippet for you sciency-folk:

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their report "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?" reported that the chemical preservatives called parabens—methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates)—displayed estrogenic activity in several tests. This means that these chemicals mimic your body´s own hormones and can have endocrine-disrupting action when they are rubbed into your body or washed down the drain into your drinking water. These disruptors interfere with your body´s endocrine system: your hypothalamus, your ovaries, your thyroid—virtually every system in your body. The EPA also stated that "continual introduction of these benzoates (parabens) into sewage treatment systems and directly to recreational waters from the skin leads to the question of risk to aquatic organisms." Scientists in Europe found other endocrine-disrupting body care chemicals in the bodies of fish that humans are eating, and in human breast milk. Dr. Elizabeth Smith has written that "It is a known medical fact that estrogen stimulates breast cancer" and that "anything absorbed through the skin may be as high as 10 times the concentration of an oral dose." (Think about how nicotine and birth control/hormone patches work—the chemicals are absorbed through the skin!) She also reported that, in one study, a paraben was injected under the skin and was found to have an "estrogenic response on uterine tissues." Scientists observing these harmful effects on the uterus remarked that "it is suggested that the safety in use of these chemicals should be reassessed."

• Aluminum in Antiperspirants. I'm going to be very honest. I sweat. A lot.  And I often had to switch up my antiperspirants because I got "immune" to them, so you can imagine I wasn't really keen on getting rid of my underarm protection with aluminum. When I found out I was pregnant, I decided it was time, especially with breast feeding (hopefully) in the future. Ladies and gentlemen, I tried EVERY PRODUCT. I am not even kidding you. First of all, let me just say that there is only ONE ladies' deodorant on the market as compared to dozens of mens' deodorants. ONE!!!! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. Is it a coincidence that more women than men have breast cancer??? That's a thought to ponder. (Note: Deodorant does not contain aluminum. Deodorant/antiperspirant does). Sadly, the ladies' deodorant worked for like a week. I then tried about as many men's deodorants as I could tolerate (do not judge, I was a desperate woman!) and they failed. I tried Tom's Natural. I tried a lot. And then I heard of good ol' Arm and Hammer. It's not the regular kind, it's the Natural brand that is paraben and aluminum free. I looked EVERYWHERE for this. David finally found it at Rite Aid and it is worth every single penny it costs, which really isn't any more than any other brand. It comes in two scents. Make sure you get the unscented one (it smells like lemon). The other one has "fragrance" which I've read is no good for you either.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS. It takes a little more time to read the labels in order to figure out which foods don't have it, because basically every packaged food is loaded with it. However, many companies are now making their food without it and will advertise that fact right on the package (e.g., bread, Heinz Ketchup, Peanut Butter, etc.). Just make sure to read the labels. Studies have found (I like this interpretation best) that "cancer cells slurp up HFCS in order to multiply." Scare-y.

Of course, like I said before, not all cancer is preventable, and even if you take these and more precautions, cancer could still come knocking at your door. However, in honor of my friend, now cancer-free (praise God!!!!) I encourage you to take small steps toward your health and your future. May all your days be pink!