Just as our healthcare is lacking in the US, so are labeling laws on what companies can put in their products. I'm not saying we should tell them what to put in their products (I'm all about freedom) but they should have to disclose what the ingredients are so that as consumers, we're aware of what we're putting on or in our bodies and what the side effects of our choices could be.
I learned some powerful information in 2017, when I read Sarah Harnisch's book, "Fearless" and I want to share my biggest takeaways with you. My comments are in pink bold italics.
At the end, I'll share my life changing testimonial that happened in ONE MONTH, just by making a few simple changes to what I brought into our home.
Just because these are the statistics, doesn't mean this has to continue. Our government knows this is happening and allows it to happen, but we can fight back by voting with our dollars and taking our health into our own hands.
it's time to make a change
"Let me talk to you for a moment about the dangers in your house, and why it's so critical that you take this seriously. This isn't intended to scare or overwhelm you, just to make you aware of what's in your cabinets.
The number two cause of death in the United States is cancer. Cancer expenditures in 2011 were 88 billion dollars. 1,620 people a day die of cancer. There are 10,000 new cases a year among children. One in three cases in the U.S. is directly linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, weight, or chemical exposure.
The American Cancer Society says only five to ten percent of all cancer cases are from gene defects. Five percent. That means 90-95% of cancer cases are outside our genes. It's what we allow in our homes. (This was a HUGE ah ha for me! We are led to believe that we are powerless against cancer, disease, etc. - that it's just something that happens. I felt such a huge sense of relief knowing I could make simple yet powerful changes that can dramatically impact our health now and in the future!)
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health studied 2,983 ingredients in our products at home and found 884 toxic ingredients.
- 314 of them caused biological mutations
- 218 caused reproductive problems
- 778 were toxic to the human body
- 146 they knew caused cancer tumors - but were allowed in the United States, even though they were banned in other countries around the world.
- 376 caused eye and skin irritation
These chemicals are allowed in nearly every type of cleaning supplies in the United States - common things under your cabinets right now. Even organic cleaners have some known carcinogens that are just naturally derived. (Before reading this book, I had swapped out our toxic Tide Laundry Soap, Dawn Dish Soap, etc. with some organic options because I'd been learning about dangerous products sold on most store shelves. Well, when I dug deeper, my 'organic' options were just as toxic as the other stuff! FYI, in order for a company to slap an 'organic' label on a product, they just need ONE organic compound and the rest can be filled with toxins!)
26 seconds after exposure, chemicals are found in measurable amounts in the human body. The average woman applies 300 chemicals to her body a day; 80 before breakfast.
The top ten most dangerous chemicals in our home are found in: air fresheners, cleaning supplies, dishwasher detergent and dish soap. Other danger spots include beauty supplies and personal care products, hairspray, gel, shampoo, and deodorant. This information is from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Top 10 Killer Household Chemicals Study. (This ticked me off but shouldn't have surprised me. Of course they know this, have studied this and aren't stopping this!)
What happens when your body is chemically overloaded? You may see it in something as catastrophic as cancer. But, most of us feel it in other ways; lethargy, inability to focus, sleep trouble, chronic inflammation, unexplained pain, fibromyalgia, skin issues (adult acne), hormone imbalance, hot flashes, stress, anxiety, and fear. If you face any of these issues, it's time to kick toxic chemicals to the curb."
What the heck is safe to use if even organic products can be harmful?
Here's what we decided to do. First, I've learned that I want to be an informed and powerful consumer. I will not give my money to companies who are knowingly poisoning us, our families or our pets. If we collectively STOP buying their crappy products, they will stop selling them! Vote with your dollars!
The company I trust is Young Living.
1) Gary & Mary are freedom fighters which right there, they have my vote! They believe WE have the right to choose what goes on or in our bodies. No one else has the right to tell us what to do with OUR bodies.
2) They won't make anything they can't make safely. If our farms have a low yield, we may have something go out of stock vs them making up synthetic ingredients in a lab so they have something to sell us.
3) They make products that are safe for us and our environment and come from God. (essential oils are the lifeblood of a plant.)
4) They own their own farms, Gary was a farmer and loved horses. I love visiting the YL farms - seeing the barns full of beautiful horses, walking in the fields, visiting the distilleries, etc. (no other EO company does this)
5) They don't buy land that has had toxic chemicals in it for over 50 years - to put that in perspective, Round Up can stay in the soil for up to 20 years.
Good health is so important to me. I don't want to 'cheap out' on products that we use every single day of our lives as a little bit every day adds up. I also want to use products that are safe AND have added health benefits. Did you know we're exposed to more toxins in one month than our grandparents were in their lifetimes? (By design of course...)
why would you want oils in your home?
More from Sarah's book:
"Oils have no YUCK. They are just the steam distilled or cold pressed oils from a plant. There are millions of uses for oils and oil infused products: to support systems in the human body like your cardiovascular system or your endocrine system for hormones, to support your joints, or your brain, or liver. They are used to replace chemical cleaning supplies. Thieves Household Cleaner is all I use to wipe down my bathrooms, my stove, my kitchen, my floors and it's made of plans and six essential oils. Young Living makes Thieves Laundry Soap, dish soap, fruit & veggie wash, wipes, dishwasher soap.
There are 100,000 chemicals on the market today. The Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) grandfathered them in.
What does that mean to you? Simply put: these chemicals have not had any safety testing, and we know very little information about their side effects. Of the chemicals tested, toxic labeling is only required if 50% or more of the animals tested die. Under the TSCA, manufacturers are protected by trade laws that allow them to keep their ingredients list a secret. Dr. Samuel Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, says, "it is unthinkable that women would knowingly inflict such exposures on their infants and children and themselves if products were routinely labeled with explicit warnings of cancer risks. But they are not labeled."
Since the 1940's,
Prostate cancer is up 200%
Thyroid cancer, 155%
Brain cancer, 70%
Breast cancer, 60%
Childhood cancer, 35%
The American Cancer Society estimates a 50% rise in cancer rates by 2020.
There is a standard set for non-industrial buildings by OSHA for chemical exposure. The average home has an astonishing level of 50 parts per billion (ppb). That's 50 times what's allowed. The quality of air inside your home is five to seven times more toxic than outdoor air.
Chemical household cleaning products sales was a 7-billion-dollar industry in 2007."
How this information changed our lives
After I read this book in 2017, I realized I needed to get serious about what we were buying and bringing into our house & barn. It mattered for us and our cats, horses, etc.
Scott was working in Colorado for the fall, so it was simple for me to grab what we'd been using and throw it in the garbage. I thought about donating it but honestly couldn't in good faith give that toxic crap to another human being.
I logged into my Young Living online ordering site and grabbed Thieves Laundry Soap, Thieves Household Cleaner & Thieves Dish Soap.
Those 3 things replaced every other cleaner we had in our entire house! I couldn't believe it. No more cleaning the bathtub/shower with things I knew were bad so I'd turn on the bathroom fan, hold my shirt over my mouth when I was using and shut the door behind me while it 'cleaned'. WTH was I thinking?
I got my order in the mail and started using these safe options. Cleaning actually became fun because I could spray down the shower WHILE I WAS IN IT and get the health benefits from the essential oils in the Thieves Household Cleaner! I am big on getting more bang for my buck and multi-tasking so supporting my body systems while showering is right up my alley. Ha! About a month later, I was getting ready to go horse camping for the weekend. I happened to look at the calendar and realized it was almost that time of the month but I'd had no PMS symptoms.
None.
Since I was a teen, I'd had horrible PMS symptoms - a week or so prior, I'd have mood swings, sore breasts, horrible cramping, you name it, I got it. I had very heavy bleeding for almost a week that got worse after years of using birth control. It was awful and effected my life - I always had to plan ahead - have extra jeans, etc. in case I ended up needing them. Not attending certain events if I could change my schedule.
Well, here I was, happy, no cramps, no PMS symptoms of any kind. I had a what I'd call normal 3 day period and it was over. The first time in my life!!!
And, I'm still amazed I can say this, I've not had any PMS symptoms ever since.
That is the power in getting rid of products that have toxic ingredients in them such as hormone disruptors!
Since then, we've swapped out all our toxic products with safe options from Young Living and Scott and I have both noticed countless health benefits from doing so. Better sleep, less pain/inflammation, happier, sharper thinking, more productive, etc.
I'll be forever grateful to Sarah for writing this book and for Young Living for selling us what we want to be using. I'm grateful to have a choice to shop with them and after we had so many health benefits decided there was nothing more important for me to spend my time doing than sharing this with others so they would KNOW what we know. Once you know, you can't unknow! Ha!
If you want to ditch & switch like we did, I'd love to walk you through what we did and how you can do it on any budget.
If you already know what you want to try first, go ahead and grab a few things. Once I see your order come through, I'll get you plugged into my free YL member resources and you'll have me as your YL gal for life.
Leave a comment below and let me know ONE thing you didn't know from the Fearless book that really hit home for you.
FREE GIFT: Because I feel so strongly about educating families on safer options, I'll send you a free copy of Sarah's book if you'd like!
Blessings over your health!
Megan
Don't miss a single post! Sign up for the blog updates here.
Example: My mom has both genes for Alzheimer's. I have one. Our naturopath is not concerned that either of us will get it because 1) it's only 5% 2) we are being proactive by eating a Keto diet (great for brain health) and supplementing for extra brain/cognition support. What a relief. And, we know our thoughts are extremely powerful so I am intentional about being grateful for how healthy I am, how strong I am in every way and that I am in perfect health. Amen!