EDITOR’S SUMMARY: When it comes to addressing body odor that can be embarrassing and hinder self-esteem, there are many options. Whole body deodorants are being marketed like crazy on social media, particularly aimed at women. Unfortunately, these products are part...
Hexane: The Chemical Solvent Seeping Into Your Food Without You Knowing
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: The more knowledge you have, the more choices you’ll become aware of. And while you can “pick your battles,” you can also “meet your opportunities.” So what is there to do about the minuscule amounts of hexane lurking in your food that you cannot...
Investigating Candle Toxicity: Creating Ambiance With Natural, Nontoxic Lighting
“Burning an aromatherapy candle made of paraffin is similar to preparing a healthy drink of fresh-squeezed juice and adding a shot of gasoline.” ~ Eric Johnson, wholesaler of nontoxic aromatherapy candles By Sarah Campise Hallier Candle use is steeped in tradition,...
Titanium Dioxide: Food Additive Runs Rampant as Nanoparticles Slip Through the Cracks
“We are eating hybridized and genetically modified (GMO) foods full of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and additives that were unknown to our immune systems just a generation or two ago. The result? Our immune system becomes unable to recognize friend or foe - to...
The Confusing Case of Hair Dye: Inconsistent Findings Leave Consumers Bewildered
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: Reversing the appearance of aging is big business in the United States. This is especially true for women. There are a plethora of products you can buy to attempt to turn back time; hair dye included. In some camps gray hair is seen as a health...
“ProduceMaxx”: The Disinfectant Sprayed on Your Fruit and Vegetables Without Your Consent
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: As a consumer, you have the right to know what’s going on with your food. And while speaking up to ask simple questions may sometimes feel intimidating, the choice to do so is yours. Whether you feel in alignment with this product or not, learning...
Tattoo Ink: Mislabeled, Minimally Regulated, and Permanent – Is There Cause for Concern?
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: Nobody has your tattoo, especially if you didn’t pick your design out of a notebook of stock images from your local tattoo shop. Your colors, the way it moves on your body, and the unique symbolism it represents are all yours. This is special; this...
Artificial vs. Natural Turf: Organically-Managed Grass Is the Healthier Option
“Every child needs nature. Not just the ones whose parents appreciate nature. Not only those of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. Every child.” ~ Richard Louv, journalist and author By Rick Rydell and Robyn Chittister The San Francisco Bay Area,...
Citric Acid Is Found in a Plethora of Products: Heck! It’s Even in Bubble Bath
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: How many times have you noticed an ingredient on a food or cosmetic package label, and not knowing what it was, “threw caution to the wind” and ingested it or used it topically regardless? Research has shown this preservative—citric acid—is...
The Wildly Unreasonable Toxicity of Plug-in Air Fresheners
“Loads of chemicals and hazardous wastes have been introduced into the atmosphere that didn't even exist in 1948. The environmental condition of the planet is far worse than it was 42 years ago.” ~Gaylord Nelson (1916–2005), American politician, environmentalist, and...
Nitrates and Nitrites: Synthetic and Naturally-Occurring Chemical Compounds Added to Processed Meats
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the “yes bacon” camp, or on the “no way, bacon go away” team. If you or those you care about eat processed meats—turkey, salami, chicken, hot dogs, or beef jerky, etc.,—cured or not—knowing the role that nitrates...
Fluoride From Your Water, Food, and Toothpaste May Be Disrupting Your Inner Ecosystem
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: Whether you came from the baby boom, Generation X, or millennial time period, from your first days to today, you’ve likely been consuming fluoride, in your water supply, your food, and in your toothpaste without your consent. Touted as prevention...
Heads-Up! The Commercially-Made Wine You Love to Drink Boasts a Cluster of Hidden Chemicals
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: It’s a human tendency to label, categorize, and make judgments. Living in a paradigm of good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, and positive vs. negative, etc., keeps you operating in a realm of duality. The missed opportunity with this perspective lies in...
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): The FDA’s Newest Health Food
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: For years, you’ve sought out Chinese food restaurants that don’t use MSG because you heard it was bad for your health. Whatever was in that mysterious “chemical” wasn’t as important as simply staying away from it. But what if this substance was...
Human Consumption of Microplastics: 2023 and Beyond
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: When has a society gone too far—opting for convenience first, driving so-called “advancements,” and allowing corporate greed to override the health of its people and environment? With innumerable particles of toxic plastics lining the streets,...
“Other Ingredients” in Your Nutritional Supplements? Drum Roll … “No, Thank You”
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: Here’s a tip that will save you time when sourcing your nutritional supplements: Skip straight away to the section on the facts label that says “other ingredients.” If you see fillers, binders, preservatives, additives, or sugars, etc., put them back...
Vaping AKA E-Cigarettes: How Your Body Receives These Substances
“All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn, American Professor of Medicine By Janey Bibolet Ward Chances are if you grew up in the United States in the 70’s, you munched on candy...
The Ingredients Lurking in Conventional Baby Formula Could Be Detrimental to Your Child’s Health
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: It’s a shame to have to worry about inferior ingredients unknowingly festering in your baby’s food source. Understandably, while you may feel overwhelmed, and would rather not have to traverse through the multiple nooks and crannies of the latest...
Conventional Insect Repellents: Bug Sprays That Pose a Danger to You and Your Environment
SUMMARY: Summer sun means exposed skin—happy news for mosquitos, their blood-sucking brethren, and other bug buddies. Under these conditions, you may be tempted to reach for that convenient bottle of insect repellent. However, after learning about the...
Ingredients That Cause “Side” Effects: Hold On to Your Hat!—It’s an Avalanche
EDITOR’S SUMMARY: “Side” effects. As in … not the main event. Like hors d'oeuvres or appetizers. No … better yet—a mere garnish, likened to a whimsical sprig of parsley laying on the side of your dish; certainly unworthy of your concern. This is the spell Big Food...




















