Toxin Number One: Household Cleaning Products Part 1

Believe it or not, but household cleaning products are among the worst for toxins and chemicals in the air. When I was asked which one had the most chemicals, indoors or outdoors, I automatically thought, "Outdoors!" Well, you know, all the exhaust and different chemicals and polutants in the air have got to make it the worst. But when I learned what all is in my home, I knew I had a serious toxin problem inside.

How could it be so bad in my home? "Dishwashing detergent, oven cleaners, laundry detergent, floor and furniture polishes, air fresheners, hard-surfce cleaners (especially kitchen cleaners), antibacterial cleaners and soaps, dry cleaning, carpet and upholstery cleaners, and toilet cleaners"1 to name a few. Kind of overwhelming, isn't it? Should I just throw all of it out and go buy the non-toxic stuff? I've seen the prices for those cleaning products. There is no way I can afford them. I know it's an investment in my health, but when you don't have the money, you don't have the money!

I have discovered, though, that it is not necessary to buy the expensive products. In my next post I'm going to go through the list and give alternatives for the horrible chemicals we practically spray in our faces! These alternatives are cheap!! You'll wonder, just like I did, why I ever used the bad stuff in the first place.


1. Maximized Living Makeover by Lerner, Loman, and Majors p. 40.

Maximized Living-Essential One: Toxins

How can we possibly avoid toxins in the world we live in today? Well, to be honest, we can't avoid them altogether, but we can eliminate the ones that do the most damage. These are not the toxins that come from factories, cars, and other outdoor factors. The inside of our homes is what is causing most of the damage. So how can we change this? I will talk about that extensively in my next post, but for now let's discuss the major causes of toxins.

Did you know that medication is the number one cause of toxicity? Forbes put out an article on this subject called: "Pharma's New Enemy: Clean Living." Here's what they said:

The results of pill dependence are insidious and devastating; billions of dollars in ever higher drug costs; millions of people enduring sometimes highly toxic side-effects; and close to two million cases each year of drug complications that result in 180,000 deaths of life-threatening illnesses in the elderly...Every few years the ultimate medical catastrophe; a miracle cure that turns out to be toxic.

The book that I'm studying on this topic, Maximized Living Makeover p.37, says this about breast and uterine cancer:

It used to be that an apple a day would keep the doctor away. The recommendation now is an aspirin a day. It turns out that an aspirin a day for at least five years increases a woman's chance of developing breast cancer by 80 percent...And if you get breast cancer, chances are the drugs prescribed for that cause more harm than good. Many women have been prescribed Tamoxifen. Research now shows that taking Tamoxifen increase the chance of incidence and death from uterine cancer.

Not only are drugs extremely toxic, but so are the vaccinations that the medical industry is trying to force on us. The truth is they are so bad for babies and adults alike. Here's what Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Institute says:

Vaccines can contain formaldehyde, phenoxyethanol, gluteraldehyde, sodium chloride, MSG, gelatin, hydrochloric acid, sodium acetate, hydrogen peroxide, yeast protein, lab-altered viruses and bacteria and unidentified contaminants...
There is more mercury in a flu shot than can be legally disposed of in most city garbage dumps...
A two-month old baby can be injected with four times the amount of aluminum in vaccines in one day than is considered safe.

Oh, but a friend of mine told me that her doctor said they don't put mercury in the vaccines anymore. This is not entirely true, but if it were, what about formaldehyde? MSG? Hydrochloric acid? Would you willingly inject your child with that stuff at home? I can bet you that each parent that gets the vaccines would say "no" to that question.

I said earlier the toxins we have in our homes are worse than what we encounter "out there." Why? Because we spray with them, clean with them, cook with them, "freshen" our houses with them. So many toxins. I will show us how we can clean up in the next post. And I will give solutions that won't break the bank.

Not only does the house have a lot of toxins, but so do other areas. These are all called "The Toxic Top Ten." I will discuss each one in detail in it's own post. Stay tuned!

All quotes and information comes from Maximized Living Makeover by Lerner, Loman,and Majors.

Do We Need a Shingles Vaccine?

It never ceases to amaze me how many vaccines there are! Everything is an epidemic or is a potential epidemic! For instance, if you had the chicken pox when you were a child, you have a life-long immunity, right? Well, that's what I always thought!

Yet, we are being told that if you have chicken pox as a child you're in more danger of getting shingles as an older person (60's and higher). Here's an article I read in Remedy magazine:

The chicken pox virus is still in your body. It can resurface as Shingles, a painful, blistering rash. The Shingles rash usually lasts up to 30 days, and for most the pain lessens as the rash heals. But some people who develop Shingles experience long-term pain that can last for months, even years.

But who's telling us this? Merck! This is their ad!! After they scare you with this "information", they then give you a "solution." It's a vaccine called Zostavax. No one can tell me this is a coincidence. It's all about their bottom line.

Soon I'll write a review on a video I watched regarding vaccines. The "bottom line" was discussed in length. Don't kid yourself. They're not that concerned about your health. It's about control and money.

Maximized Living-The Five Essentials

So what is Maximized Living? Is it just another diet? I know I said this before, but it is not just a diet. ML is made up of five essentials. These are not just good ideas or something you may want to do, but they are essential. You cannot have one without the other. Without wasting anymore time, let's look at them.

1. Minimize the use of drugs, other toxins, and surgery.
-Toxicity - Toxins and chemicals found, for example, in medications and refined foods affect hormone balance and glandular function.

2. Maximize nerve supply.
-Damage or misalignment of the spine and nervous system-Correcting vertebral alignment and posture has a marked effect on the central nervous system and how well it functions and produces well-balanced body chemistry.

3. Maximize quality nutrition.
-Poor Nutrition. Diets high in carbohydrates leave a constant level of insulin in the system, which lowers serotonin levels and causes inflammation.
-Imbalances in omega-3 and omega-6 ratios have been found to be the first factor to address regarding depression, according to professors at Harvard and Oxford universities.
-pH balance that is off can lead to inflammation. Stimulants, sugars, and artificial additives negatively affect brain function.
-Nutrient deficiency can be solved by the right food and supplementation.

4. Maximize oxygen and lean muscle.
-Sedentary lifestyle-Inactivity and a lack of intentional exercise has many damaging effects to body function and mental health. That's why exercise consistently matches or exceeds the benefits of antidepressants.

5. Maximize peace and strong relationships.
-Lack of sleep, poor time management, and stress-Identifying and resolving the effects of inadequate sleep, abundant stress, and negative attitude will slow down the neurotransmitter burnout that these issues cause.

Of course, this is just a synopsis of what ML is all about. In the following posts, we'll discuss each one in detail and find out why they are so important to living the best quality of life that you can.

Maximized Living Makeover by Lerner, Loman, and Majors. pp. 28-30

Maximized Living-The Healing Diet Day 5

Yes, it's day five in my journey to getting healthier. There is so much to ML; the healing diet is just a small part of it. What is the healing diet and what purpose does it serve? Is it just another diet?

These are questions I have asked myself. There are so many "diets" out there and it can be confusing. The healing diet is for people with these five factors:

1. High Triglycerides/Cholesterol
2. High Blood Pressure
3. Elevated Glucose/Insulin/Leptin
4. Neurotoxicity
5. Protein/Fat Genetic Type

This eating plan is designed to help your body heal itself, hence, the title. Of course there are many factors involved in that process. I'll talk about those in other posts.

Is this plan difficult? It depends on what is most important to you. If your main goal is to just lose weight, to look better, you'll probably be tempted to quit after the first day. But, if your focus is on getting healthy and living a high quality life, then it will be challenging, but not impossible. And of course, you most likely will lose weight. If you don't, you probably have other problems that need to be addressed.

Like the title of this post says, I'm on day five. And I'm surprised at how well I'm doing! You have to understand. I've always been the kind of person who looks for ways to cheat and get away with it. Well, cheating has never gotten me where I want to be. I have a terrible craving for sugar and when I eat it, I become a zombie. That seems extreme, but it's the truth. I feel drugged; I have the tired feeling that nobody likes. I was just tired of feeling this way. And I'm telling you, after just five days, my brain is clear! If nothing else happens from this experience, this improvement makes it all worth it!

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. What do we have to do to succeed?

The FIVE BASICS of the Healing Diet

The Basic Idea: We must eliminate all sugars and everything that turns to sugar to heal the hormone (leptin and insulin) receptors.

1. No Sugars - this includes all sugar forms!

2. No Grains - not even whole, healthy grains! (Read the ingredients).

3. Increase Fats - 2 - 3 weeks after beginning the program. (This is the typical time needed to become a fat burner).

4. No Fruits - berries in moderation

5. Protein Intake - on avg. 15-25 g per/meal

- On average 20g/meal for men or 15g/meal for women. Larger males and those performing resistive exercise can consume between 25-30g/meal.
- An egg typically contains 7 grams of protein.
- A piece of meat the siae of a deck of cards typically contains 15 grams of protein.

If you are not losing weight:
- Check your protein intake - too much protein?
- Consider toxicity.

I know this is a lot of information, but at the same time, it's pretty self-explanatory. What kind of protein and others foods can we eat? These will be topics of future posts.

I'm sure there are also alot of questions out there regarding fat intake. Should we or shouldn't we eat fat? Or should we be consumed with how many calories we're taking in? We'll talk about this in our next post. See you then!

*All the information in this post comes from the book, Extreme Makeover II Resource Guide, p.11

Maximized Living Makeover

I went to visit my family in Waterloo, Ont. and I began a journey that I want to last a lifetime because of this visit. My sister and parents go to a chiropractor in London, Ont. The reason they have picked him is because he works as a Maximized Living specialist and he doesn't just treat someone's back when it hurts. He works on the whole person.

While I was there, I had my x-ray done on my spine and neck and work needs to be done there. I was able to find a ML specialist close to where I live and I actually have my consultation with him next week. The question I'm sure you're asking is, "What's so special about Maximized Living?" The answer to that question will be addressed as I write about this journey.

In a nutshell, Maximized Living works to improve a person's quality of life. You can be healthy emotionally, but if you're not healthy physically, it won't do much good. You must work on it all. My main goal is to become healthy physically and lose some weight.

I will say this. I'm not willing to sacrifice my health just so I can be smaller. I know people who have lost weight, but they do it by abusing their bodies in the use of appetite suppressants. What's the use of being skinny if you're destroying your heart? Not for me. This will take a lot of work, because I crave sweets and it's difficult to say no to them. Yet with Jesus' help, I can do this. I want my life to be full and rich and lived with purpose for Him.

I hope you will join me on this journey. Go to the Maximized Living website and see if there's a practitioner near you and decide to make the life you have a life lived to the fullest!

Answer to Prayer

When you pray, do you ask God just for the "big" things? The "important" things? Or do you think He want us to ask Him about the "small" things? The things that make up our daily lives? Here is what He has been teaching me on prayer lately.

1. Believe Him.

2. Seek His face about what He wants you to pray for. By the way, this requires that you spend time with Him on a daily basis.

3. Pray for wisdom.

4. Ask for your needs, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem.

5. Believe Him. (No, that's not an error. I meant to repeat myself.)

I just have to share with you how the Lord answered a prayer today. Healthy eating is important to me, but we don't have the money to just go and buy everything organic. That would get expensive! I've tried to prioritize which foods are the most important. Organic milk is on top of the list. I've not been able to buy it, though, because of the cost. How do you buy it without breaking the bank? This has been my prayer. Actually, this morning I said this, "Lord, please show me how I can do this. I need you to do this for me!"

Well, guess what?!! He did! He showed me what I can do! Let me know what you think. Target often has deals where you can buy a couple of the products they have advertised and you'll get a $5 gift card towards your next purchase. It hit me today that I could use that gift card to get organic milk! Why have I not thought of this sooner? Of course, I won't buy something I don't need to just get the gift card, but many times I do need what they have on sale.

I wish I would have thought of this on Wednesday. I bought two containers of Downy fabric softener and got a $5 gift card. Oh, well. I'm just thankful God showed me this today.

Isn't the Lord so magnificent? Please write and share how the Lord has answered your prayer.