Antibacterial soap....Et cetera

Antibacterial soap is a better defense against infection than normal soap, right?

Unfortunately, that's false.

Three years ago, a University of Michigan team reviewed data and reported that antibacterial soap products in which TRICLOSAN is the active ingredient is no better than normal soaps at preventing infection. (triclosan is the big dog of antibacterial products)

According to a 2004 report in the journal Pesticides and You (yes, there really is a journal for everything!), triclosan is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that's used in hundreds of products. But not just soaps. The chemical also shows up in Colgate Total toothpaste, Right Guard Sport Deodorant, and Solarcaine First Aid Medicated Spray.

And here's where things take a very dark turn: Triclosan may promote antibiotic resistance, which would actually make you MORE vulnerable if exposed to infections and hospital superbugs like MRSA and C. diff.

Early this year, Representative Edward Markey (chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment) asked the FDA to update the scientific review of triclosan.

In their response, FDA officials noted that recent research raises "valid concerns" about triclosan safety. In addition to antibiotic resistance, concerns include animal studies that suggest the chemical may interfere with hormone regulation.

So the FDA has started a new review of triclosan safety. Ready for a laugh? Agency officials say they'll have their report ready in the spring of 2011. D'oh!

Want to avoid triclosan right now? Why not? It's apparently not doing anyone any good. Just Google "triclosan-free" and you'll come up with thousands of websites that carry soap and other products that leave triclosan out of the mix.

And if you're wondering just how serious the problem of antibiotic resistance really is, consider that this danger was first recognized more than 80 years ago by one of the foremost medical scientists of the 20th century. His name: Alexander Fleming.

---ABOVE ALL TAKEN FROM HSIALERT.COM (The Health Science Institute)

My thoughts:

If you look under Antibiotic Resistance in the Wikipedia, it says, "Household use of antibacterials in soaps and other products is discouraged (as not being effective at infection control)" Makes you wonder if the use of antibacterial agents in common household products is either effective or harmless?

I first became aware of the potential downsides of antibacterial soaps from Dr. Mercola (The world's number 1 free natural health Newsletter resource), here's a similar article to the one I first read: Dr. MERCOLA ANTIBACTEIAL DANGER NEWSLETTER.

So, everyone wants to keep their family and children safe from harmful bacteria that can cause illness, right? What's the SAFE alternative you ask?

NATURAL, God designed antibacterial agents which have NO NEGATIVE effects on the human body:

• VINEGAR -- as a spray on counter surfaces, toys, and bacteria-laden places. Article on vinegar's effectiveness: VINEGAR AS A BACTERIAL, MOLD, GERM KILLING PRODUCT. It's very inexpensive at the grocery store--give it a try!
• LIQUID SILVER -- Practitioners in burn wards have known for a very long time that soaking bandages in a low concentration silver solution inhibits infection in burn victims; it literally saves their skin. Silver has long been used as an anti-infection agent with bandages or other medical supplies all around the world. VIEW SILVER BAND-AID PRODUCTS. Silver is also coming out in cleaning products/cloths: NORWEX SILVER CLEANING PRODUCTS.

Here's what our family uses as a quick antibacterial handsanitizer when out and about: SILVER ANTIBACTERIAL GEL HAND GEL. A little more spendy...but saves you from taking a chance with using TRICLOSAN on your kiddos!! They also sell a liquid version for antibacterial washings and for using with eye infections: LIQUID SILVER.

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

The "EXTRAS" In Our Home

(In my BLOGS, PINKS are LINKS, click on them to find more info)
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
I struggled in trying to find a verse to relate to today's topic, and what came to mind was this one, only because of how common it is for people to have common things in their house that can be hazardous to their health....but taken in small amounts go virtually unnoticed. Just because a substance doesn't show IMMEDIATE effects, does that make it any safer? Well, in my book the answer would be "no". If someone told me that rat poison would not bother me when rubbed on my skin in small amounts, and instead would soften my skin, make it look younger and make me smell good--I'm still going to stick to my safe products, even if I never see vibrant or sweet-smelling skin!

Whether there is truth in the beauty comment or not, it is irrelevant since I know at what expense I would be obtaining this beauty at! I may not notice IMMEDIATE signs of the poison and I may get healthier "looking" skin! But taking what knowledge I know about poison, I am not going to take that chance. The same goes for any lotions, cleaners, lip balm, perfumes, antacid relievers, room fresheners, fabric softeners, etc.....if you can't pronounce the ingredients, or if they contain artificial ANYTHING, I would be hesitant to use it if you haven't done an in-depth study on the long-term effects YOURSELF. Yes, they say they tested them, and you would like to trust everyone, but it says in the BIBLE: Psalms 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. THERE ARE SAFE, NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO THESE THINGS, but you have to search for them!

• ROOM FRESHENERS, PERFUMES, LOTIONS: essential oils are natural, and were used in the BIBLE for several purposes: (Exodus 35:28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.) There are several pleasant smelling essential oils in nutrition stores that even have "testers" that you can smell before you buy: LAVENDER, JASMINE, ROMAN CHAMOMILE, and GRAPEFRUIT, are great for body scents as perfumes and for mixing into natural lotions; CINNAMON LEAF, PEPPERMINT, LEMON, work great in PLUG-IN ESSENTIAL OIL DIF FUSERS. Natures Sunshine even has an inexpensive CITRUS FRESH DIFFUSER KIT, that comes with 3 oils and a diffuser. The difference between essential oils and "common" room fresheners, perfumes and lotions is that they are not made out of chemicals that accumulate over the years to cause body function disruptions and health problems. They are used in the Bible, and are beneficial to the body. Here's a great ESSENTIAL OILS GUIDE!(click on words!)
• CLEANERS: I use clear, cheap/gallon Vinegar with my laundry in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener and to get out any chemicals that my natural laundry soap missed. This also works well as a window/glass cleaner or a paste mixed with baking soda to scrub grimy spots. I also use an ENZYME SPRAY that is plant-based and breaks down the molecular structure of food stains, deodorizes anything, and works great as a toilet cleaner by breaking down the "crud". We use SUNSHINE CONCENTRATE for basically all the rest because I absolutely love the fresh smell it has and the multiple uses it carries with it: a bubble bath that leaves no bathtub ring, a shampoo that doesn't irritate eyes by shutting off tear duct sensors like Johnson's "no tears", a cleaner for anything indoors or out, a dish soap, and a laundry booster and detergent. MIRACLE II SOAP is also a very versatile soap, being used from anything in the bath to the laundry to the dishes! It also was made with PRAYER as an ingredient, how cool is that.... Here's the link: MIRACLE II SOAP
• ACID RELIEF: Our girls and I love STOMACH COMFORT CHEWABLES, or TUMMY YUMMIES as our girls call it. It not only aids in digestion, but also promotes it by gradually building enzymes instead of breaking them down like commercial antacids do. Although, keep in mind that everyday heartburn is a warning sign God gives our bodies that we are lacking enzymes from eating processed foods.
• ENZYMES: Most people avoid these because they aren't sure how they work, or which ones to pick. In truth, they are essential to maintaining good health because you need enzymes in order to break down foods to get the nutrients out! Our body should naturally have these, but in many cases, these enzymes are destroyed by our processed food choices, so then have to be supplemented or else seek assistance in re-building them from a natural health practitioner. Natures sunshine offers an ENZYME BROCHURE to cover the types, and how each type of enzyme works. Basic FOOD ENZYMES provide a blend of these essential enzymes. Otherwise there are: PROTEASE for breaking down protein, HI LIPASE for breaking down lipids, or fats, and LACTASE for breaking down lactose. Viruses and bacteria can actually LIVE in our intestine for days at a time, thus keeping the symptoms around. When our 2 year old daughter was diagnosed with RSV by her doctor and was told she'd take 5-10 days to get over it, I began reading up on natural remedies. I gave her enzymes to break down the virus as I had read. By the next day she was feeling better and was fully recovered by day 3! Don't underestimate the power of Enzymes!
• SADNESS, EMOTIONS, TRAUMATIC EVENTS: I absolutely love my "EMOTIONAL SUPPORT" Drops and carry them in my purse everywhere, and when I travel. It helps with not being able to sleep due to too many thoughts and stress, it helps in coping with funerals and death (helped me immensely in my grandmother's death this past month!), it helps with not bawling like a baby over sappy movies, it helps in dealing with break-ups...basically anything that causes sadness! Try it out! Take 3-5 drops for a quick fix, take 5-10 drops hourly for traumatic events--made completely out of the herbs: Blackberry, Buckthorn Bark, Ginseng, Nettle, Oat Groats, and Violet flower essences.
• MUSCLE ACHES, HEAD ACHES, ANTISEPTICS: I love my Epsom salts, and always have a container in our bathroom cabinet to put in baths to relax and to soak painful extremeties! Pick them up for under $10 while you're grocery shopping or at any convenience store. Also, FORMULA 303, found at many nutrition stores, works as an aspirin would--muscle spasms, nervousness, stress headaches, back and body aches--only with safe and natural ingredients!
• SILVER SHIELD: helps with skin problems and itchy irritations or can be taken internally to assist with detoxification and cleansing to rid the body of allergens and sensitivities. We also use this as a spray-on moist, to kill moldy areas of our house since we live in a 1910 home.
• Chapped lips, cuts and scrapes, diaper rash, dry, irritated skin calls for: CALENDULA OINTMENT! Yes, you green thumbs will recognise that Calendula officinalis is actually the flower MARIGOLD, so YES this ointment is made out of something natural! Just be sure to check if has petroleum in it if you get it from somewhere other than the link!
• SNACKING, A SWEET TREAT and a MEAL REPLACEMENT: These wonderful "Quest" Protein Shakes have a permanent place on our kitchen cupboard shelf for a number of reasons! Our family loves these TASTY "treats" as a non-sugar snack replacement for ice cream shakes, for a quick high protein breakfast to keep tummies full for hours, and to substitute for when we are unable to have meat for a meal (just add a few fruits or veggies to give you your daily need!). Our bodies need such a large amount of protein daily to repair and maintain body tissues, and children need large amounts to grow well and develop proper body systems! I have compared it to commercial protein shakes, and it doesn't even compare! These shakes have a naturally low sugar content (check the label for "sugar grams": ours has 1.5, derived from a natural herb sweetener called stevia!), a large amount of protein, has a full spectrum of amino acids, is derived from WHEY--a product known to be used in past decades to heal a number of health ailements, and is low glycemic--so metabolically balanced! Right now they have a special of buy one container, get half off of the next...chocolate, vanilla, berry, banana and orange flavors. If you would like me to put in an order for you, I would love to combine shipping with mine to save us both money. Otherwise, call toll-free 1-877-543-3522 and ask for Harold as a new customer. I have had multiple conversations with Harold, the maker of "Quest", over the past months and have found him to be a very personable, professional and trustworthy person!

Well, I think that is a good start for now. I will be going into these more specifically over the next few months, but at least for now you have a list you can go over to see what changes you can afford or wish to make. One helpful hint that was passed on to me by a reader: they bookmark the different lists I have given to you as a resource for easy finding! Just click on the title, and then the individual http address for that particular BLOG pops up on the top. Add it to your favorite addresses to view later when you are ready to add another item to your herb drawer, medicine cabinet, childrens snack cupboard or extras closet! Enjoy and thank you for reading!!!

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

******The information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. It should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******