Today’s Health Tip

The Ugly Truth About Sunscreens

Our goal should be to limit exposure to the sun, wear protective clothing when we need to be in the sun for longer periods and if we are going to plan a day at the beach or some fishing or hiking in less clothes than cover our bodies, we will need to invest in a natural mineral based sunscreen with with Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide or a blend of the two. Read this: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/#.Ww21KkgvxPY Then share this information with the ones you love. PS. A tube or 2 of natural sunscreen makes a great hostess gift if you are visiting friends this summer. Our picks are here: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Sun Protection: What to Wear

If you are going to out in the mid-day sun for a longer period of time, like for a hike, fishing, a trip to the beach or gardening…you’ll want to think about sun protection and an easy way to do this is with clothing. Light colored, loose fitting, breathable fabrics work best and will provide an UltraViolet Protection Factor (UPF) of anywhere from 3-50 according to SKINCANCER.ORG Listen up for ways to protect yourself with out chemicals.

This Week: All things SUN!

There seems to be much confusion over Sun Exposure. To tan or not to tan. Are there toxins in our sunscreens? If we don’t get sun how do we synthesize VitaminD? How to prevent too much sun exposure? How to treat a sunburn? Protecting your eyes from the sun? Or should we just skip the sun and go for a self tanner? These questions and more will be answered this week. The book we mention today is by Dr. Michael Holick called "The Vitamin D Solution" and as always you can find it on our Wellness Warrior Checklist here: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Safer Personal Care Products: Natural Makeup Brands

Can you believe that the United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. But In Europe things are much different. Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned close to 1,400 chemicals in personal care products and restricted the levels of over 250 more. The United States has only partially banned 30 to date. This is unacceptable. Parabens, Phthalates, Polyethylene Glycols, Dyes, Fragrances....the same chemicals we have been talking about all week are lurking in your makeup bag. If you have bought mainstream brands like CoverGirl, Loreal, or Maybelline you are using toxic products. There are great brands out there that are all natural and perform as well as the bad stuff. Our three favorites: Dr Haushka Tata Harper Beauty Counter. Check them out. Get those toxins our of your personal care products for a healthier you! As always, please share this podcast with someone you love.

Shaving Cream - What Lurks Inside?

As I started research personal care products I wasn’t only interested in products that I use but products that I buy for my boys and my husband. I was really surprised that almost all commerically available shaving gels and creams are super toxic. Your skin is vulnerable during shaving. You’ve applied warm water to soften the hairs, which opens your pores, allowing more of whatever is resting on the surface of your skin to sink deeper into it. Then you shave, exfoliating the outer layer and revealing new, fresh skin underneath that is more tender and vulnerable to the elements outside—including your shaving cream and aftershave lotions. Many chemicals to be avoided at all costs. Instead, choose a shave soap, perhaps something that contains coconut oil which will give you a little lather. Please do your research. Here is the medline article I mention: http://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002717.htm And safer products here: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Safer Personal Care - What Lurks in Nail Polish

Everybody knows there are dangerous-sounding chemicals in nail polish, but many of us think our limited contact with wet polish is too minimal to cause much risk. After all, we’re not putting it on our skin or drinking it. But, a study led by Duke University suggests that we absorb at least one potentially hormone-disrupting chemical every time we get a polish. While the impact of this chemical on our health is still unclear, the fact that our body can absorb chemicals through nail polish is cause for concern. There are safe choices out there and you can find them at Whole Foods Markets or your local health food stores. Brands we like include Zoya, Smith+Cult and Deborah Lippman. A few of these are available on Amazon.com and on our Wellness Warrior Checklist here: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Personal Care Products = Skip the Fragrance

Perfumes are concoctions of many different toxic chemicals. “The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label,” reports EWG Fragrances commonly contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic musks that may cause hormone disruption, reproductive problems, or possibly cancer. The exact ingredients in synthetic fragrances are protected as “trade secrets” and therefore do not have to be disclosed on the label. Always a great choice to choose Fragrance Free products especially for babies and children and anyone with sensitive skin. A few links for your perusal: Campaign for Safe Cosmetics http://www.safecosmetics.org EWG’s “Not So Sexy” http://www.ewg.org/notsosexy Skin Deep http://www.ewg.org/skindeep.

Wellness Wednesday: Safer Toothpastes

Who would think that many commercially available toothpastes contain toxins. With the lining of the mouth being so very thin it is prone to irritation and even infection when coming into contact with toxins. Plus, the nature of scrubbing teeth with a toothbrush can irritate your gums causing even more absorption. Please take a minute to check your toothpaste for any of these toxic ingredients: DEA Flouride Propylene Glycol Triclosan SLS Saccharin & Aspartame You can check out the Environmental Working Group to see how your current toothpaste measures up here: https://www.ewg.org/ As always, products we love and approve are on our Amazon Wellness Warrior checklist here: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Safer Personal Care Products

This week we are talking about getting toxic chemicals our of products that you put on your body or skin. Anything from shampoo and soaps to deodorants, nail polish, lotions and perfumes needs to be reevaluated. Remember your skin is your largest organ and what ever goes on your skin is absorbed by your body. Would you believe that the average U.S. woman puts 168 chemicals on her body every day (men aren't much better with 85) There is much room for improvement and we are going to talk this week about the biggest culprits that may be lurking in your medicine cabinet. Remember - safe products that we love are over on our Amazon Wellness Warrior Checklist here: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Self Care Sunday: Massage

Ahh massage. If you have ever had a professional massage you know how great you feel after. If you haven't it's worth the splurge as it not only feels terrific but has many health benefits including stress reduction, decrease pain and boost your immune system If you can't make that happen then find a partner and work on each other. WHat say you? YOu've never given a massage? Look no further: How to give a neck and shoulder massage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocioXi-8TY4 How to give a foot rub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu6RlmvuDA4 How to give a full body massage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccd4TT18GCg Happy self-care sunday!

Alternative Medicine: Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine is a complete system of medicine where together the doctor and patient look to address the root cause of disease rather than treating symptoms. They offer testing that you won't find a regular physician's office. For instance, if your chief complaint is extreme fatigue their course of action for you might be to test your thyroid, test your red blood cells for nutritional deficiencies, test you for your heavy metal burden. They might suggest a combination of dietary changes, nutritional IVs or supplements, and pharmaceutical drugs to get your wellness to the next level. Patients need to be open to being very involved in their wellness. It's very powerful from a patient perspective to feel like you are working towards wellness TOGETHER towards a better state of health. More on Functional Medicine here: http://bit.ly/GuudFunctionalMed Find a Doc here: https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/

Alternative Medicine: Homeopathy

Homeopathy (homeopathic medicine) is a system of medicine founded in the early 19th century by a German physician, Dr. Samuel Christian Hahnemann (1775-1843). Remedies are given to patients when ill - however these remedies are so diluted that perhaps not a single molecule of the active compound remains in the final preparation This makes Homeopathy one of the more controversial of alternative medical therapies. Personally speaking our family has had great success with this form of medicine especially for our two sons. One for ear infections and ear aches and the other for sleep walking and snoring. I used it to treat some of my symptoms from Lyme Disease. We have a great homeopathist who even treats animals! Here is a link for finding a homeopathist http://bit.ly/GuudHomeopathy Here is a link to a few homeopathic products we like on our Wellness Warrior Checklist: http://bit.ly/GuudChecklist

Chiropractic Medicine

Chiropractic I a form of medicine that uses the hands to manipulate the body It is one of the most widely used forms of manual medicine that dates back to ancient systems of treatment in China, India, and Egypt. Chiropractors concentrate on spinal manipulation as a means of relieving pain. Many also encourage patients to take herbs or supplements to aid the body. Learn more about Chiropractic Medicine here: http://bit.ly/GuudChiropratic Find a Chiropractor in your area: http://bit.ly/FindChiro Awesome. And remember - sharing is caring. Share our audio with someone you know who needs to make Wellness a priority. Or take two minutes to give us a 5 star rating so others know to join us in this wellness fiesta. Ole!

Alternative Medicine: Exploring Ayurvedic Medicine

In this episode we explore India's 5,000 year old system of healing called Ayurvedic Medicine. They believe that health is not the absence of disease but instead a state of wellness and vigor and high energy. Functioning optimally is the goal. Do determine your dosha, check this out: http://bit.ly/GuudDosha To find an Ayurvedic practitioner: http://bit.ly/GuudAyurveda

Alternative Medicine: Exploring Herbal Medicine

Covering the how, what and why of Herbal Medicine. How to find a practitioner, what it can treat, what to avoid. Herbal Medicine can be just as potent and powerful as pharmaceutical drugs and should only be taken under the care of a practitioner who has studied Herbology.

Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the Orient's oldest healing practice. Fine needles are shallowly inserted into specific points on the body along meridians to help to move energy through the body. Pain and disease is thought to come from energy either being stagnant or deficient in one or more areas of the body. Finding an acupuncturist isn't difficult as it has become very popular in the United States. Your practitioner must be licensed per state laws. Find an Acupuncturist here: https://www.acufinder.com/ or http://www.acupages.com/ Want to dive a little deeper into acupuncture? Look no further: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction

Recap: Mindfulness

Being Mindful is a wonderful practice that can soothe the psyche. Whether you choose to practice working on your breath, a walking meditation or something more formal - here is the recap for being mindful and present in a world full of distraction.

Recap: More Movement!

What is your fitness level? Are you making time for movement? Even a move towards sitting less is a win. How do you make space in your life for dedicated movement? A yoga class, bar method, running, Cross Fit? Find things that feel more like play and less like "exercise" to incorporate into your routine. We were not built to be inactive!

Recap: Which supplements are you taking?

A review of our favorite supplements from multi-minerals to probiotics and fish oil. All of our picks are in the Wellness Warrior Checklist on Amazon to make it easy for you. http://a.co/bTVcHjo Talk to your doctor, do your research. Simple changes, better choices. Be empowered!