This sort of news can cause a lot of fear, which can be paralyzing. Instead of worrying, we can take action to help protect ourselves and our families from chemical overload. Here are a few tips, gleaned from the report itself and the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) response to it.

Protect your children. Because of their smaller body size and fast metabolic rate, children are more at risk to damage from toxins than are adults. Choose foods, house and garden products, toys, and personal-care products that minimize your child’s exposure.

Filter your tap water. Tap water can contain toxins like arsenic, chromium, and chemical byproducts. Reduce the levels with a carbon tap-mounted filter or pitcher or reverse osmosis filter.

Remove your shoes before entering the house, particularly if you work with or around chemicals during the day. Consider also washing potentially contaminated clothing in a separate load.

Seal outdoor wooden decks and play sets. According to the EWG, those built before 2005 may be coated with an arsenic pesticide that can stick to hands and clothes.

Store and carry water in BPA-free containers, like stainless steel, glass, or BPA-free plastics, to prevent exposure to BPA that can leak into the water. Microwave food and beverages with similar cautions.

Skip the stain- and grease-proofing stuff. Fluorochemicals related to Teflon and Scotchgard are used in stain repellants on carpets and couches and in greaseproof coatings for packaged and fast foods. Say “no” to both.

Choose foods grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and otherwise, wash produce to reduce pesticide residue. Eat free-range meat grown without antibiotics and growth hormones, and limit your consumption of well-done meats. Check the EWG’s shopping guide for further guidance on pesticide-free choices.

Check your products. Personal care products can be checked against the Skin Deep Database for the presence of toxins. Household products can be checked against the Household Products Database.

Properly dispose of potentially dangerous items like pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, paints, and other materials to minimize drinking water and soil contamination. Choose products made with non-toxic or environmentally safe chemicals.

Discuss carefully with your medical providers any medical tests or procedures that involve radiation, and be sure these tests are needed before proceeding. Discuss your personal history of radiation exposure, the expected benefit of the test, and other ways you may obtain the same information.

Protect yourself from UV rays by using protective clothing and sunscreens when outdoors.

Limit your exposure to second-hand smoke in your home, car, and public places.

Are you living more chemical free? Do you have tips to share with our readers?

Photo courtesy vinzzzzzzzzzz via Flickr.com.

Most of the studies so far have taken place in the lab, so scientists still aren’t sure of the applications in humans. However, the preliminary research looks promising. In test-tube studies, resveratrol causes cancer cells to destroy themselves by inhibiting the activity of a protein that nourishes them. A University of Nebraska study found that resveratrol protected estrogen, keeping it from changing in a way that would trigger tumors. A Chinese study showed that resveratrol also inhibited the invasion and migration of breast-cancer cells—important because such spreading is often the reason for death from breast cancer.

In 2007, Science News reported that University of Alabama researchers fed mice resveratrol—and those mice showed an 87 percent reduction in their risk of developing prostate tumors. A study in Barcelona, Spain showed that resveratrol promoted the death of colon-cancer cells. The Kaiser California Men’s study found that men who drank red wine had a lower risk of lung cancer. And that’s just a small sampling of the results.

What if you want to add resveratrol to your daily diet? Must you drink red wine? Those who enjoy the beverage will have no problem following this prescription, but be careful—all red wines are not the same, particularly in their resveratrol content. There’s more resveratrol in red wine than in white wine in general, because red wine grapes are fermented with the skins intact, allowing the wine to absorb more of the health nutrients, while white wine grapes are fermented without the skins.

What if you’re not a wine drinker? Since resveratrol is found in the skin of grapes, including more grapes and grape-related foods like juices and jellies in your diet can increase your resveratrol intake. In fact, some research has shown stronger benefits using grape skin rather than isolating resveratrol. For instance, investigators from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that a certain type of grape-skin extract that does not contain significant amounts of resveratrol still helped prevent prostate cancer growth.

What about supplements? Since resveratrol degrades once exposed to the atmosphere, just how much you would get from supplements is questionable. More importantly, studies have shown that resveratrol is better absorbed through the mucus membranes in the mouth. If you take it in pill form, it is metabolized by the intestines where its potency and beneficial properties are reduced. Food is better—go for more grapes, blueberries, cranberries, mulberries, and dark chocolate. If you want to try supplements, ask your doctor, then look for high-quality brands.

Have you increased your intake of resveratrol? Please share your story.

Photo courtesy rogersmj via Flickr.com.

We know that fitting exercise into your day can be a big challenge. Still, the evidence continues to pile up—exercise is one of the best ways to keep cancer out of your life.

“We now believe physical activity is a primary component of preventing cancer,” says Abby Bloch, chairwoman of the American Cancer Society’s advisory committee on nutrition and physical activity.

Let’s examine a few study results: 1) men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer; 2) after the age of 30, exercising for more than an hour a week may help cut a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer; 3) regular exercise can help prevent intestinal cancer; 4) physical exercise prevents endometrial cancer; 5) exercise appears to improve survival and quality of life for lung cancer patients. And the list goes on and on. Have we convinced you yet?

What kind of exercise are we talking about, here? The majority of the studies were done on aerobic exercise—things like walking, biking, running, and swimming. (According to the cancer health center, taking the occasional flight of stairs or a short walk to the office isn’t good enough.) No doubt we’ll be hearing more about strength training in the future, but for now, if you can fit in at least 30 minutes of real, dedicated exercise five days a week, the American Cancer Society predicts you’ll be doing a lot to cut your cancer risk. But just how do you do that?

Starr Clearly, one of our experts, recommends you start by calling it something besides exercise, like movement, socializing, getting out, playing a game, anti-stress time, self-care, or what we like to call it—your daily dose of preventive medicine. Call it anything that brings up positive, good feelings. “I’m rollerblading with June today,” sounds a lot more fun than, “I have to exercise at 1:30.”

Join a class and you’re more likely to stick to your commitments. “Sorry, I have to get to my salsa class,” is the perfect excuse for getting out of other tasks. You can do the same with sports, if you’re on a softball, volleyball, bowling, tennis, racquetball, or soccer team.

The number one recommendation? Brisk walking. It has many benefits, is easy to do anywhere (especially if you’re going through chemo and don’t have a lot of energy), and you can do it alone or with friends. Take your headphones and listen to your favorite music or an audio book. Get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air and you’ll find yourself feeling more energized. Try it on your lunch hour (grab a few colleagues and call it a business meeting), or first thing in the morning.

In the end, it’s more about your commitment to your own health than it is about your free time. Get clear on what’s stopping you, examine the evidence, and find a way to make exercise a priority. When you think about it, a half hour is really not that much. What kind of exercise appeals to you? Try scheduling it for next week, and get started. Even if you only do 15 minutes a day, that’s better than nothing, and will likely grow into 30 as your body starts to crave it. Once you get in the habit, you’ll find you miss it when you don’t work out, because exercise, in addition to being good for you, has a tendency to be addictive. That’s one obsession we can live with!

Do you have a great way to fit exercise into your busy life? Please share your tips!

Photo courtesy of Stephen Mitchell via Flickr.com.

There’s nothing like a little garlic bread with an Italian meal, but flavoring food is just one of the many talents this little clove possesses. Scientists and nutritionists have long recommended it to detoxify the body, boost immune defenses, fortify the cardiovascular system, and kill fungi. But did you know that garlic is once again in the spotlight because of its ability to benefit the skin?

“The high sulfur content in garlic makes it able to tone up the skin and make hair more lustrous,” states a recent report by Natural News. “Garlic helps make skin smooth and supple, and strengthens nails.”

Actually, garlic has long had a reputation for curing skin ailments. The Herb Society of America reports that World War I military surgeons who lacked antibiotics used garlic to cleanse wounds, combat infections and protect against gangrene. To this day people use chopped garlic to cure common warts, nail fungus, boils, even reduce acne and acne scarring, simply by rubbing the herb onto the skin a few times a day. (A word to the wise—garlic can burn, so try a little first, and don’t use on compromised skin.) Some products have taken advantage of garlic’s anti-bacterial properties—Eminence Organic Skincare Garlic and Tomato Masque uses garlic to support its anti-blemish, clarifying and healing abilities.

Scientists credit “allicin,” garlic’s main biologically active component, for these beneficial effects. It works just as well from the inside out, so if you can’t use it directly on your skin, try adding more to your diet, or taking about 3 capsules a day. It will kill the bad guys inside you, helping your skin stay healthy.

What about fortifying and nurturing hair? (Chemotherapy not only causes hair loss, but once the hair grows back, makes it more thirsty for nourishment.) Garlic has long been used as a hair-loss remedy. Its ability to remove toxins and stimulate circulation is important to the health of the scalp. The Turkish hair-care brand “Nival” has recently released a shampoo for thinning hair that includes garlic, which they say will stimulate growth and prevent breakage.

Even better news: garlic has proven itself over and over again in cancer studies. The Iowa Women’s Health study found that women who regularly consumed garlic had 35% lower risk of developing colon cancer. A study in China found that smokers with high garlic intake had a lower risk of stomach cancer than smokers with low garlic intake. A series of studies by Pennsylvania State University’s J.A. Milner, and colleagues reported that aged garlic extract significantly prevented breast cancer in both the beginning (initiation) and later (promotion) stages. And the list goes on—28 out of 37 studies have been positive.

On top of that, recent studies are also showing some promise that garlic may help kill cancer cells. A report from the Republic of Korea found that an oil-soluble sulfur compound in garlic inhibited cell proliferation. And according to Indian researchers, ingesting garlic has been found to delay the formation and reduce the size of tumors in the skin.

If you want to prevent cancer, have healthier skin and hair, boost your immune system during treatment, or raise your odds of avoiding a recurrence, add a little more garlic in your life. To get the full benefit, doctors suggest you choose raw, and crush it up. (You can also buy crushed garlic in a jar.) Add to pasta sauces, meats, casseroles, stir fry, salads, and of course, as a topping for breads.

Have you upped your intake of garlic? Have any great home remedies? Let us know!

Photo courtesy of Snap Village