Meatless Monday: Eat More Vegetables

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

People are drawn to vegetarianism by all sorts of motives. Some of us want to live longer, healthier lives or do our part to reduce pollution. Others have made the switch because we want to preserve Earth’’s natural resources or because we've always loved animals and are ethically opposed to eating them.

Thanks to an abundance of scientific research that demonstrates the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet, even the federal government recommends that we consume most of our calories from grain products, vegetables and fruits. And no wonder: An estimated 70 percent of all diseases, including one-third of all cancers, are related to diet. A vegetarian diet reduces the risk for chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophageal cancer.

Here are a few reasons to go meatless one day a week:

• You’ll ward off disease. Vegetarian diets are more healthful than the average American diet, particularly in preventing, treating or reversing heart disease and reducing the risk of cancer. A low-fat vegetarian diet is the single most effective way to stop the progression of coronary artery disease or prevent it entirely. Cardiovascular disease kills 1 million Americans annually and is the leading cause of death in the United States. But the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is lower in vegetarians than in non vegetarians, says Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. A vegetarian diet is inherently healthful because vegetarians consume less animal fat and cholesterol (vegans consume no animal fat or cholesterol) and instead consume more fiber and more antioxidant-rich produce——another great reason to listen to Mom and eat your veggies!
• You’ll live longer. If you switch from the standard American diet to a vegetarian diet, you can add about 13 healthy years to your life, says Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat. ”People who consume saturated, four-legged fat have a shorter life span and more disability at the end of their lives. Animal products clog your arteries, zap your energy and slow down your immune system. Meat eaters also experience accelerated cognitive and sexual dysfunction at a younger age.”
• You’ll build strong bones. When there isn’’t enough calcium in the bloodstream, our bodies will leach it from existing bone. The metabolic result is that our skeletons will become porous and lose strength over time. Most health care practitioners recommend that we increase our intake of calcium the way nature intended——through foods. Foods also supply other nutrients such as phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D that are necessary for the body to absorb and use calcium.

People who are mildly lactose-intolerant can often enjoy small amounts of dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and lactose-free milk. But if you avoid dairy altogether, you can still get a healthful dose of calcium from dry beans, tofu, soymilk and dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collards and turnip greens.

• You’ll ease the symptoms of menopause. Many foods contain nutrients beneficial to perimenopausal and menopausal women. Certain foods are rich in phytoestrogens, the plant-based chemical compounds that mimic the behavior of estrogen. Since phytoestrogens can increase and decrease estrogen and progesterone levels, maintaining a balance of them in your diet helps ensure a more comfortable passage through menopause. Soy is by far the most abundant natural source of phytoestrogens, but these compounds also can be found in hundreds of other foods such as apples, beets, cherries, dates, garlic, olives, plums, raspberries, squash and yams. Because menopause is also associated with weight gain and a slowed metabolism, a low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian diet can help ward off extra pounds.
• You’ll be more ‘regular.’ Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming more fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Meat contains no fiber. People who eat lower on the food chain tend to have fewer instances of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis.
  Go Meatless one day a week; what do you have to lose.It's a breeze. It is almost effortless these days to find great-tasting and good-for-you vegetarian foods, whether you’re strolling the aisles of your local supermarket or walking down the street at lunchtime. If you need inspiration in the kitchen, look no further than the internet, your favorite bookseller or your local vegetarian society's newsletter for culinary tips and great recipes.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Crustless Spinach and Feta Pie

(Adapted from skinnytaste .com)

Ingredients:

• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) reduced fat crumbled feta
• 2 tbsp grated Asiago cheese (or Parmesan, Romano)
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup fat free milk
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray.
• Mix spinach, scallions, dill, parsley, feta cheese, and in the pie dish.
• Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and blend well.
• Pour into pie dish.
• Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center.
• Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.
• Serves 6-8.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating involves taking a minute to slow down to enjoy your food and includes the following:

• Sitting down to eat in a place where you can focus on your food (not in front of the TV or a newspaper).
• Slowing down and taking your time—put your fork down between bites.
• Thinking about the food: what does it smell like, look like, taste like?

• Enjoying it—regardless of whether you are having the perfectly-portioned, well-balanced meal or you are indulging in a piece of seven-layer chocolate cake—really enjoy it!

By contrast, mindless eating usually takes place when we’re on the go or distracted. It does not involve taking the time to really focus on and enjoy food. Our hectic, fast-paced society lends itself to mindless eating by providing us with many ways to eat on the go such as fast food, grab-and-go foods, and the ever popular “working lunch.” When we eat mindlessly, we often overeat for a couple of reasons. First, by eating fast, we are not giving our stomachs time to communicate with our brains that we are feeling full (this takes about twenty minutes). Second, we don’t think about the food, our minds are elsewhere, and we can easily forget that we just ate.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Five Green Hot Tips

1. Go into your bathroom and take stock of all your lotions and potions.
2. Read the labels. Start with your shampoo, makeup, or moisturizer.
3. Notice how much fragrance is in your products, and ask yourself, “Do I really need scent in these products?”
4. Pick one product a week to replace with a safer, greener choice, or make a clean sweep.
5. Look in the mirror and see yourself glow... just not from the chemicals!

Contact LQ Wellness for wonderful green, safe, natural personal care products.

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“To eat is a necessity but to eat intelligently is an art.”

~La Rochefoucauld~

Meatless Monday: Remember To Eat All Colors of the Rainbow

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Don’t Judge a Vegetable by its Lack of Color

“Eat the rainbow.” You’ve heard nutrition professionals say it over and over again when advising the public about making healthy choices in produce. What they’re really want to emphasize is variety and it is best to eat an array of colors in order to maximize nutrient intake. But, researchers are beginning to find that white vegetables often go overlooked, and color may not be the only indicator of nutritional quality. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate recognizes two vegetable subcategories on the basis of color... green and red/orange;no distinction is given to white vegetables, even though they also appear to play an important role in the phytochemical rainbow.

White Veggies Have Health Benefits

In June 2012, a group of scientists met at Purdue University to address the common misconceptions and fallacies surrounding white vegetables. The scientists concluded that increasing the intake of white vegetables such as cauliflower, kohlrabi, onions, white mushrooms, and white potatoes can notably increase the consumption of key nutrients lacking in the American diet, such as potassium, magnesium and fiber.

Not only that, intake of white vegetables has been linked to a variety of health benefits, ranging from reduced inflammation and “bad” cholesterol levels to promoting heart health and cancer protection.

Potatoes in Particular

Many misguided efforts to reduce the consumption of “white foods”—such as white bread and white sugar—in recent years have given potatoes a bad name. However, potatoes should not be relegated to a category of low-nutrient foods. Potatoes, the most popular American vegetable, serves as an important source of vegetable intake as a whole. And when they are heated and cooled, such as in potato salad, potatoes provide a good source of resistant starch, a form of fiber that can aid in weight and blood sugar control. The humble potato (along with beans) gives you the most nutritional bang for your buck when it comes to potassium and fiber content compared to dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables, according to a study published in May of 2013. However, potatoes are moderately high in carbohydrates (1 small baked potato has 29 grams, about the same amount found in a medium bagel half), so should be consumed in moderation.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

SB Vegetable Moussaka

(Adapted from Epicurious)

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 lbs), ends trimmed, cut widthwise into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15-oz) can lentils, drained
• 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Lightly coat eggplant slices with cooking spray and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until softened and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add lentils, tomatoes, and their juices, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• While eggplant and lentils are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together half-and-half, eggs, 2 tblsp of the cheese, and nutmeg.
• Lightly coat an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spread half of the lentil mixture over the top. Repeat with remaining eggplant and lentil mixture, ending with a layer of eggplant. Pour half-and-half mixture over vegetables and sprinkle with remaining 2 tblsp cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake moussaka, covered, 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until heated through and golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
• Serves 4.
  
  
  

Tasty Side Dish

Roasted Radishes

(Sent in by Patrick Quinn from Spoon Fork Bacon )

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches radishes, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
• 
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
• 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss together. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread radishes onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until radishes have crisped and browned around the edges and have become almost fork tender.
4. Lightly adjust seasonings and finish with lemon zest, if desired.
5. Serves 3-4.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Re-Think Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts are normal; however, it is a person’s response or reaction to these thoughts that is most important. Because our behaviors are often motivated by our thoughts, negative thoughts can undermine our efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The good news is that if we take the time to identify these thoughts, we can learn to “talk back” and react to them in a more positive way.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Go Green with Natural Products

Environmentally Friendly products from Melaleuca gives your family greater peace of mind through safer, more effective cleaning products, vitamin supplements, personal products, cosmetics, medicines and more! My other Wellness Company; contact me for more information.

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

~Winston Churchill~

Wellness Wednesday:Are You Poisoning Your Family?

What Are The Worst Household Cleaners for Your Health?

“Will burn skin and eyes.”

“Chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer.”

“Will penetrate skin and attack underlying tissues and bone.”

“Suspected of damaging the unborn child.”

Do these warnings look familiar? They are mandatory warnings on your standard household cleaners. What? Yup, theconcoctions of chemicals touted on commercials as safe for your family, with smiling mothers and babies, have thesewarnings.
These so-called safe cleaners are protected by law from having to admit too much. If we really knew what was in these products would we still use them and allow them on the shelves?

Spring cleaning is coming up. Are you using some of these cleaners? Cleaning house should be about making your environment safer, cleaner and healthier. How is that possible when using cleaners from the store puts more toxins into your environment than it clears out? Most of those products can “inflict serious harm on unwary users.”

I’ve been looking for a comprehensive list of dangerous household cleaners you shouldn’t use. Then the Environmental Working Group came out with their list of the “Cleaners Hall of Shame,”  They have released a review of the worst offenders.

Consumers often assume that the cleaning products industry is strongly regulated by the government, but EWG Senior Analyst Nneka Leiba tells Yahoo! Shine that this is a misconception. “Most hazardous ingredients are legal and many are unlabeled.” These include toxic compounds such as formaldehyde that are banned in other countries and are known to or suspected of causing cancer, blindness, asthma, burns, and other afflictions. There is also little information on how the hundreds of chemicals we are exposed to react together and what their cumulative effects on the body are.

Their research has turned up products loaded with extremely toxic compounds, some have even been banned in some countries. Yet, they are still on the shelf in America. Some of these “cleaners” cause cancer, asthma, blindness, and death among other things.
Even “green” cleaners are not exempt from this list. Some cleaners that claim they are environmentally safe are not. They use benign terms like “fragrance” to hide their true ingredients.
There are a number of products the EWG also says to avoid. This is a quick list. More information is below. Also look for EWG’s full list in the fall.

• Whink Rust Stain Remover
• Citra-Solv Cleaner and Degreaser
• Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner
• Scrubbing Bubbles Anti-Bacterial Bathroom Cleaner and Extend-a-Clean Mega Shower Foamer
• DampRid Mildew Stain Remover Plus Blocker
• Easy-Off Fume Free Over Cleaner
• Drano Extra Strength Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover
• Walmart Great Value Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner
• CVS Fume Free Oven Cleaner
• Easy-Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner Aerosol Spray
• Glade Air Freshener
• Air Wick Air Freshener
• Spot Shots Stain Remover
• Lysol Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• 2000 Flushes Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• X-14 Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Hagarty Liquid Jewel Clean
• Ajax, Dynamo, and Fab Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergents
• Static Guard
• Final Touch Ultra Liquid Fabric Softener
• Clorox, Fantastik, Febreze, Formula 409, Easy-Off, Lysol, Mr. Clean and Spic and Span spray cleaners
• Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder
• Lysol Neutra Air Freshmatic
• Air Wick Freshmatic Compact
• Febreze and Glade Automatic Air Fresheners

The Worst “Safe”, “Non-Toxic” and “Green” Cleaners

Cleaners labeled “safe,” “non-toxic” and “green” can contain hazardous ingredients. There should be a law against bogus claims, but there isn’t. Some companies are willing to bend the truth because they can.

Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner 

It’s labeled “non-toxic” and “biodegradable.” It contains:

• 2-butoxyethanol, a solvent absorbed through the skin that damages red blood cells and irritates eyes

• A secret blend of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants. Some members of this chemical family are banned in the European Union.

Worse, the company website instructs the user to dilute the product significantly for even the heaviest cleaning tasks. Yet it comes in a spray bottle that implies it should be sprayed full-strength. Such use would result in higher exposures.

Whink Rust Stain Remover 

Advertised for cleaning white porcelain sinks, toilet bowls and colorfast fabrics and carpet, the fine print warns:

• “May be fatal or cause permanent damage.”

• “Causes severe burns which may not be immediately painful or visible.”

• On technical information for workers, “will penetrate skin and attack underlying tissues and bone.”

Product literature advises workers to “use only with adequate ventilation” and to wear gloves, safety goggles and a face mask. Consumers are advised only to wear rubber gloves.

Citra-Solv Cleaner & Degreaser

These concentrated liquids and ready-to-use sprays contain d-limonene and orange oils from citrus peels. According to the company’s worker safety disclosure, Citra-Solv concentrate is 85 to 95 percent d-limonene. That the oils are derived from citrus implies safety, but sprayed into the air, they can react with trace levels of ozone air pollution to form ultra-fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and formaldehyde, which the U.S. government classifies as a known human carcinogen. The California Air Resources Board advises people to limit the use of citrus- or pine oil-based cleaners on smoggy days to avoid exposure to particulates and formaldehyde.

EWG Green Tip:

Read labels carefully and pay special attention to warnings. Don’t buy any products labeled “poison,” “danger” or “fatal” if swallowed or inhaled.

Banned Abroad

Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner 

This product contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, which the state of California has banned in cleaning products manufactured after 2012. Products containing this chemical cannot be sold in the European Union. It breaks down to nonylphenol, which can disrupt the hormone system, is toxic to aquatic life and persists in the environment.

Scrubbing Bubbles – Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner & Extend-A-Clean Mega Shower Foamer 

These products contain up to 10 percent DEGBE, also called butoxydiglycol, a solvent banned in the European Union at concentrations above 3 percent in aerosol cleaners. It can irritate and inflame the lungs.

Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner

It contains DEGME, also called methoxydiglycol, at up to 15 times the concentration allowed in cleaners sold in the European Union. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe says DEGME is “suspected of damaging the unborn child.” (This product is also sold as “Mop & Glo Triple Action Floor Shine.”)

DampRid Mildew Stain Remover Plus Blocker

It may contain up to 10 percent of a hazardous solvent called 2-butoxyethanol. Canada caps this chemical’s use in non-aerosol cleaners at 6 percent. It also contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, prohibited in cleaners sold in the E.U.

EASY-OFF Fume Free Oven Cleaner

This spray contains 5 to 10 percent DEGBE. The E.U. bars concentrations of DEGBE greater than 3 percent because it can harm the lungs.

EWG Green Tip:

Check your brands’ labels and websites for ingredient lists. Avoid products containing nonylphenol ethoxylates (look for “nonylphen” or “nonoxynol” within the ingredient name) and 2-butoxyethanol, butoxydiglycol, ethylene- or diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether or methoxydiglycol.

How About Drain Cleaners That Blind and Burn

Childproof packaging is just one clue that conventional drain cleaners are extremely dangerous.

Drano Professional Strength Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover

The label says this product can severely burn eyes and skin and cause blindness or even death. Drano Kitchen Crystals may remain in the drain after use, creating an extreme hazard. Using a plunger could cause caustic splashback.

Pouring any other product down the drain might trigger a dangerous chemical reaction. The label warns purchasers to “keep water out of can at all times to prevent contents from violently erupting or boiling out.” Yet unsuspecting consumers have been known to store it under the sink.

EWG Green Tip:

Use a drain snake and plunger, available in hardware stores. Store drain cleaner in high secure cabinets out of reach of children and away from water.

Toxic Fumes with Your Oven Cleaner

Conventional oven cleaners can contain substantial amounts of sodium or potassium hydroxide, meant to dissolve crusty, baked-on gunk. These chemicals can also burn skin, lungs and eyes.

Walmart Great Value Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner

The label warns: “Will burn skin and eyes. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, mucous membranes and clothing. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid inhaling spray mist. Wear long rubber gloves while using…”

CVS/pharmacy Fume-Free Oven Cleaner

Though claiming to be “fume-free,” the label warns: “Vapor harmful… open windows and doors or use other means to ensure fresh air entry during application and drying.” The label says the product contains an unidentified substance “known to the state of California to cause cancer.”

EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner Aerosol Spray

The label warns: “Warning: …DANGER: CORROSIVE…WILL BURN EYES AND SKIN. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, mucous membranes and clothing. DO NOT ingest. Use only with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing spray mist. Wear long rubber gloves when using…”

EWG Green Tip:

Sprinkle baking soda liberally to cover the bottom of the oven. Spray with water. Wait 8 hours, scrape and wipe clean.

Cleaner Roulette

Ingredient labels are mandatory for food, cosmetics and drugs – but not for cleaners. Bowing to pressure from customers and to the threat of federal regulation, most companies list some ingredients on labels and websites or in worker safety information. But a few companies disclose nothing. Others may list one or a few ingredients or use vague terms like “surfactant” or “solvent.”

Target’s Up & Up

This brand’s Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Glass and Surface Wipes do not list any ingredients on the product packaging. Other products sold under the Up & Up label list only one or two ingredients or use vague terms.

LA’s Totally Awesome

This brand divulges few ingredients. It lists just one ingredient for its Orange All Purpose Degreaser & Spot Remover, the hazardous solvent 2-butoxyethanol.

Walmart’s Great Value

This store brand does not list ingredients in its Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner and lemon-scented Furniture Polish, despite the company’s commitment “to sell products that sustain people and the environment.” Other items sold under the Great Value brand list few ingredients or use general terms for them.

EWG Green Tip:

Look for products listing most or all ingredients on the label or website. No information could mean something to hide.

Inhale This and Die

Some popular cleaning products contain addictive inhalants. Inhalants generally have been abused by 1 in 5 American teens and are considered “gateway drugs” that lead to drug and alcohol abuse (www.inhalent.org). They are potentially fatal in concentrated form. A few of the many inhalant products EWG found:

Glade Air Freshener Sprays, Air Wick automatic air fresheners, and Old English furniture polish

These products warn that “intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal.”

Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover

This product warns that “inhalation abuse of aerosol products may be harmful or fatal.”

EWG Green Tip:

Talk to your kids about the risks of inhalants (www.inhalant.org). Read warning labels and keep cleaners that are potentially fatal if inhaled out of your home.

Fatal if Swallowed

When is a clean house worth this risk?

Lysol Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Lime & Rust Remover

This corrosive acid concoction kills bacteria but is also labeled “harmful or fatal if swallowed.” The cleaner’s child-proof cap is an important safety feature. The label warns not to squeeze the container when opening and to wear safety goggles. A bit of this acid in the eye can cause “irreversible damage.”

2000 Flushes and X-14 toilet bowl cleaners

These chlorine-laden discs don’t harm plumbing or septic systems, but according to the label they “may be fatal if swallowed.” The boxes warn customers to wear rubber gloves when handling, hold the disc away from the face and avoid inhaling the fumes. A pet could confuse a disc with a plastic chew toy.

EWG Green Tip:

Don’t take a chance on products that are fatal if swallowed. Pets and children are most at risk, so read the warning labels. Stock your cabinet with safer choices, but keep them, too, out of children’s reach.

Highly hazardous ingredients

Hagerty Liquid Jewel Clean

It contains perchloroethylene, a toxic solvent classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Tarn-X Tarnish Remover

This “Wipe & Rinse” product contains up to 7 percent thiourea, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the state of California. The company’s technical information for workers says “prolonged or repeated exposure may cause reproductive and fetal effects.”

Ajax, Dynamo and Fab Ultra liquid laundry detergents (Phoenix Brands)

These contain formaldehyde, also known as formalin, classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. government and World Health Organization. Formaldehyde can cause asthma and allergies. The company divulges the presence of formaldehyde in the product only on technical disclosures for workers.

EWG Green Tip:

Try safer do-it-yourself options first, before heavier duty options.

Get Rid of Static Cling With Toxic Chemicals

Dryer sheets and anti-static sprays may free clinging fabrics and stop static sparks, but they usually do it with quaternary ammonium compounds that can irritate lungs and cause asthma as well as allergic contact dermatitis.

Static Guard

This product contains the chemical DTDMAC, or ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride, which is so persistent in the environment that it can’t be used as a cleaning ingredient in the European Union.

Final Touch Ultra Liquid Fabric Softener

This brand contains quaternium-18 (dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride or DHTDMAC), which also cannot be used in cleaning products sold in the European Union because of its persistence in the environment.

EWG Green Tip:

Use a humidifier if your indoor air is dry – more water in the air means less static electricity. Add vinegar to the rinse cycle to prevent static cling or run a damp cloth over clothing.

Asthma-Causing Ingredients in Spray Cleaners

Even though 1 in 10 U.S. children suffers from asthma, some companies make spray cleaners that fill the air with asthmagens, meaning ingredients that cause asthma.

Clorox, Fantastik, Febreze, Formula 409, Easy-Off, Lysol, Mr. Clean and Spic and Span.

Many of the spray cleaners sold under these brand names are laced with quaternary ammonium compounds or ethanolamine, ingredients classified as asthmagens by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics, a professional association of clinics and health experts. These chemicals can trigger asthma attacks and can cause new cases of the disease in people who are asthma-free. Ingredients classified as asthmagens don’t belong in spray products.

EWG Green Tip:

Skip spray products that contain ethanolamines (MEA, DEA and TEA) and “quats.” Beware of ADBAC, benzalkonium chloride or ingredients with “-monium chloride” in the name from the label or the company’s website. Do not use disinfecting sprays, since most of them contain asthmagens.

100+ hidden chemicals

EWG’s 2009 state-of-the-art air pollution tests of 21 common school cleaning products turned up a wide range of air contaminants linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity. Some of the worst offenders are in products also commonly used in the home.

Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder

This product emitted 146 different chemicals, including some thought to cause cancer, asthma and reproductive disorders. The most toxic chemicals detected – formaldehyde, benzene, chloroform and toluene – are not listed on the label. Little is known about the health risks of most of the contaminants found.

Febreze Air Effects

This product released 89 air contaminants.

EWG Green Tip:

Open windows or run a fan – or both – to clear the air during and after cleaning.

Undisclosed Chemicals in Your Air

Air fresheners do not clean or purify the air. They merely cover up odors by releasing undisclosed mixtures of fragrance chemicals. Common fragrance components include chemicals that spur allergies, trigger asthma attacks or impair reproduction.

Lysol Neutra Air Freshmatic

This product boasts that “your home will always smell fresh and clean” but cautions that the device should be placed “in well-ventilated rooms away from sleeping areas.” Among the label’s warnings: may be harmful if directly inhaled, may cause allergic reaction in some individuals, DO NOT spray towards face or body, DO NOT get in eyes, avoid content with skin, DO NOT spray directly onto surfaces.

Air Wick Freshmatic Compact

This product cautions to “use in well-ventilated rooms away from sleeping areas.”

Febreze and Glade automatic air fresheners

These products warn, “Do not use in small confined pet areas without adequate ventilation.”

EWG Green Tip:

If a room has an odor problem, track down the source and eliminate it instead of covering it up with fragrances. A bowl of baking soda in the bathroom can absorb odors.

“Dead Zone” Detergents

Most detergents claim they are “phosphate free.” And that’s a good thing, because phosphate compounds, formerly a mainstay for cleaning dishes and clothing, wash into waterways and spur rampant algae growth that leads to massive “Dead Zones” in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other water bodies. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia prohibit phosphates in household dishwashing and laundry detergents. But some companies exploit a legal loophole by selling phosphate-laden additives that are as harmful as banned detergents.

FINISH Glass Magic Hardwater Performance Booster

This product contains up to 21 percent phosphate by weight, according to the label.

EWG Green Tip:

Skip phosphate additives for dishwashers and clothes washers. Don’t use cleaners with ingredients that damage the environment.

LQ Wellness recommends Shaklee's Get Clean products rather than using toxic products in your home.Clean your home with the safe, powerful, green, smart clean and that is Shaklee.

LQ Wellness believes that health isn’t just about what you put in your body, it’s about everything around you. We bring you a full line of natural and nontoxic cleaning choices that are Safe for You, Your Home, and Your Planet®called Get Clean®.
No harmful fumes or hazardous chemicals.
Rivals or outperforms 20 national leading brands.
You would spend $3400 for ready to use cleaners to get the same amount of clean found in the Get Clean Starter Kit!*
Features Basic H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate – just 1/4 tsp. makes 16oz. of all-purpose cleaner for only 3 cents.

The Get Clean Starter Kit contains:

• Basic H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate, 16 oz. (1)
• Germ Off Disinfecting Wipes, 35 Wipes (1)
• Nature Bright® Laundry Booster and Stain Remover, 32 oz. (1)
• Dish Wash Concentrate, 16 oz. (1)
• Dish Washer Automatic Concentrate, 32 oz. (1)
• Fresh Laundry Concentrate HE Compatible, Fragrance Free  32 oz. (Liquid) (1)
• Soft Fabric Dryer Sheets, 80 sheets (1)
• Dish Washer Automatic Concentrate Dispenser (empty) (1)
• Nature Bright® Dispenser (empty) (1)

Including all the accessories you need to get really clean:

• Organizer Caddy (1)
• Spray Bottles (3)

1. Windows and Mirrors
2. All-Purpose
3. Degreasing

• Dropper Pipette (1)
• 1/4 oz. Dispenser Pump for 32 oz. Bottle (1)
• Laundry Measuring cup (1)
• Dual Measuring Spoon (1)

Cleaning Accessories (4)

1. Super Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
2. Super Microfiber Window Cloth
3. Super Microfiber Dish Sponge
4. Miracle Scrubber Pad

And when you purchase the Get Clean Starter Kit you also make a positive impact on the planet:
Keep 108 pounds of packaging waste from landfills.
Eliminate 248 pounds of greenhouse gas.
* Based on comparing number of uses as set forth on product labels of conventional, ready-to-use cleaners.

For more information click here.

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

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