Eating for Breast Health

We’ve all been touched by breast cancer. With 1 in 8 women being diagnosed, the next one may be a woman next to you in yoga class or your neighbor or sister, friend or mom. Or it could be me. While there is a small genetic component (about 9% of breast cancers), the rest are linked predominantly to environmental exposures and lifestyle decisions that you make — and can therefore change.

In our conversation about prevention, let’s talk about the things we CAN control. We need to take action. Don’t get me wrong, awareness is good, and yes, we want a cure, but prevention needs to start now. So, what can we DO?

An anti-cancer lifestyle isn’t a rigid set of rules to follow, but a loving space to find ways to nourish health and discourage disease.

Can certain foods prevent cancer? No food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer. But some foods are active against cancer and others can make your body the healthiest it can be, boost your immune system, and help keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible. A woman can cut her chance of cancer by as much as two-thirds with good nutrition. We are going to focus on alkaline foods and anti-inflammatory foods.

Let’s focus on the foods you want to add more of. Like, daily!

Eat foods that battle toxins and always choose clean foods.

Phytochemicals (antioxidants, carotenoids, catechins, essential fatty acids, glutathione, selenium and more) found in certain plant foods are active against cancer, when eaten as a whole food so the compounds work synergistically, But here’s the rub, some of these fruits and vegetables won’t have the protective effect if they aren’t organic. Follow the Dirty Dozen list.

1. Eat more vegetables , specifically greens, cruciferous, garlic and onion. Broccoli and broccoli sprouts reign supreme!

2. Eat more fruit, specifically plums, peaches and berries.

3. Plant based protein, specifically whole soy* and beans.

4. Seeds and nuts, specifically walnuts and flax seeds . Researchers found that lignin in flax seeds shows promising results in fighting cancer, especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

The antioxidants in these foods are able to help fight cancer by neutralizing toxins and carcinogens. Not only do they reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, studies also found that they may also prevent breast cancer from returning among breast cancer survivors (both estrogen dependent and estrogen independent cancers).

** Note about soy: A diet consisting of moderate amounts of whole soy has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, including recurrence. The confusion is that soy is a phytoestrogen and many cancers feed on estrogen. Estrogens are absorbed in two ways, a safe path (short) or a cancer-promoting path (long way). When there are plenty of short path estrogens in the blood, the carcinogenic estrogens are virtually blocked and unable to promote cancer. Phytoestrogens and phytosterols take the short path and block the carcinogenic, estrogen-mimicking chemicals (endocrine disruptors); phytoestrogens also protect us from environmental chemicals (fuel, agriculture, household, personal care).

My favorite source of whole soy is the superfood powder I add to my smoothie every morning. Read below why it is superior to other powders. You can order here.

Ditch List:

1. Pesticides - Certain pesticides’ molecular structures mimic estrogen’s and attach to your cells’ hormone receptors (the long path). The Mayo Clinic reports women with elevated pesticide levels in their breast tissue to have greater cancer risk.

2. Trans fat - A study found that eating a lot of trans fats may increase breast cancer risk.

3. Refined sugar - There is scientific evidence that high sugar intake is at least indirectly responsible for increased cancer risk.

4. Processed foods - A diet high in processed foods has been linked to an increase in cancer, specifically breast cancers

Please share your questions in the comments and stay tuned this month. In the weeks ahead I’ll be sharing more resources for breast health and breast cancer prevention.

Everyone Needs to Detox. Here’s Why.

This past week I have been doing my favorite detox. Today is day 9 of the 10 day Shred10 program and I feel so freakin’ good! If you are in my Facebook group, you may seeing some of my wins (how about my chronic back pain vanishing?!)*

But let’s be honest, the word “detox” has become the umbrella term for a lot of different diets. That being said, everyone needs to do a true detox. It’s critical to our overall health.

What is a “True Detox”?

Our bodies are amazing, aren’t they? They have detoxification processes built in. When treated well, the liver does a great job of filtering out waste products, our lungs exhale pollutants, our kidneys filter out toxins, and our digestive systems let things pass through that we don’t need. The key phrase here is, “when treated well”. However, there is a breakdown in this process, and it’s twofold.

First, most of us do not treat our bodies well. Plain and simple. Most don’t eat a ratio of 70% fruits and veggies with every meal or have little to no added sugar, low stress, lots of movement and adequate water, etc. Second, we overwhelm our bodies with environmental toxins from our the chemicals in our food, skincare, air fresheners, fabric softeners and more. The result is that our natural detox pathways are unnecessarily clogged, exacerbating the impact of these environmental toxins.

A true detox is one that addresses this layered issue by eliminating the major contributors of our day-to-day intake of toxins, while simultaneously unclogging of the body’s natural pathways through concentrated nutrition as part of a focused, clean eating plan.

3 Steps for a True Detox:

1. ELIMINATE EVERYDAY TOXINS: Look around your house and purge the toxic crap. Join my Come Clean in 2019 group for steps.

2. CONCENTRATED NUTRITION: Nourish your gut and cells with phytonutrients from lots and lots of plant foods. Ask me for my simple strategy.

3. DETOX-SUPPORTIVE CLEAN EATING: Periodically support your body’s natural detoxification process through strategic food choices. Learn about Shred10.

Even self-proclaimed detox doubter, Andrea Giancoli (MPH, RD, dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics), agrees that treating our bodies well through clean eating aids in a detox:

“In reality, if you really want to detox your body the best thing to do is have a diet that has plenty of fiber, plenty of fruits and vegetables, a lot of whole grains, a lot of plant foods so that your immune system, your liver, kidneys, lungs and other organs in your body can naturally do their job to detox you on its own.”

If you were in the camp of detox doubter before, I hope you can agree that a focus on clean eating and removing the crap food for a period of time just makes good sense to reset and function at optimal performance. If you’ve already experienced the benefits of a good clean eating program, then no explanation needed. There’s no doubt you’ve enjoyed the benefits, and your body is functioning better as a result!

As I mentioned at the beginning, I am on day 9 of a 10-day True Detox and I have noticed:

• better sleep

• back pain is GONE

• better mood

• more energy in the evening

• under-eye area is brighter and less puffy

• significant reduction in cravings

• less belly bloat/fat

Now that we agree that the body could use some support in it’s natural ability to detox, let’s get one thing clear: the most important step in addressing toxicity is not simply doing a detox. Instead, it’s eliminating the toxins in your everyday products in the first place. Switch to safer! I’ve built my own health, my family’s health, and my business around this simple principle.

For the past 7 years I have helped makes sense of what’s most critical to avoid…without living in a bubble. I’ve been in the front row while the field of environmental toxins gets increased media attention and research. What we’re learning now is just the tip of the iceberg. We are going to look back on the foods we eat today and the products we mindlessly slather on our skin and grimace at what we did. Right now you have the chance to make better choices, so what are you waiting for?

Simple Steps to Get Started

1. Eliminate Toxins:

   Shop safe, Non-toxic Skincare

   Join my Come Clean in 2019 FB group

   Shop safer Household Cleaners (use promo code EMILYG15 for 15% your order)

2. Enhance Your Nutrition

3. Join the next Shred10

*Chronic Back Pain - this didn’t vanish overnight. It comes and goes for me, but what I’ve discovered, thanks to Shred10, is that my back becomes chronically achy and tight when I eat certain foods. When I eliminate those foods, my back returns to a pain-free state and I can return to all of the activities that I love.

Why Beautycounter? This Is About A Healthier Future For All

Six years ago when I learned about Beautycounter, I had no interest in selling products. In fact, I was happily building a vibrant health coaching practice and feeling maxxed with it. I was also spending hours standing in the aisles of Whole Foods reading labels and researching ingredients. When I discovered that my all natural, organic ingredients were not nearly as safe as I thought, I made the switch!

The next day I signed on to share Beautycounter’s education and mission. I had no idea what my little business would become, but I wanted my daughters to have a healthier tomorrow. I was excited about Beautycounter’s mission, but had no idea we would be leading the clean beauty movement and by 2018 be the #1 googled beauty brand!

Going out on a limb that day and saying yes to using my voice for clean beauty has led to so many unexpected benefits. First and foremost, my family and I are using products that I am 100% confident are not causing any health concerns. Most people cannot say that. (Do you know how to check? My favorite resource is the SkinDeep database) Sharing this important information with my friends and family feels invaluable. Also, I’ve gotten freedom back! As much as I loved coaching, I was paid directly for my time. Today I am building residual income and have more time and flexibility than ever…with a growing paycheck. And frankly, I believe that safe products and an honest, transparent industry should be the norm, and I love using my voice to speak up about this.

Here’s the skinny on skincare ->

• the personal care industry is highly unregulated

• the law does not require cosmetic products to have FDA approval before they go to market

• over 80,000 chemicals have been introduced into the market and less than 10% have ever been tested for safety

• the FDA does not have the power to recall or remove personal care products that have been proven to cause human health issues

• the EU has banned close to 1400 ingredients and the US has only banned 30

• a study found that teens who had switched to safer products had a 20-40% drop in harmful chemicals in their blood (UC Berkeley)

This is bigger than beauty. This is about a healthier future for all. The truth is that we saturate our bodies in hundreds of ingredients everyday and most have not been tested for safety. Even in very small doses (measured by parts per billion) these chemicals have been linked to: reproductive issues, endocrine issues, asthma, allergies, ADHD, autism, cancer, and more.

Quick facts about Beautycounter ->

• Beautycounter has banned over 1500 ingredients from their products

• Beautycounter is working with legislators in DC to advocate for stricter guidelines and regulations to shift the personal-care industry away from using harmful and questionable ingredients

• Beautycounter is a Certified B Corporation, and part of a global movement of brands using business as a force for positive change.

• Have I mentioned high-performance? Oooh-la-la this stuff rivals anything you’ve used previously. Seriously. Don’t believe me? Give it a try 🙂

• RETURN POLICY is amazing! You have 60 days after ordering to try everything. If you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund.

• The consultant opportunity is off the charts! If you are at all curious, please reach out. In just a short conversation, you can know if this is right for you.

People often ask me what’s my favorite product. Hands down, the business opportunity is Beautycounter’s #1 product. Curious about it? Feel free to ask my questions. I’m an open book.

When it comes to the skincare products, I am in love with the Overnight Resurfacing Peel. It’s like magic in a bottle. My skin felt smoother and looked brighter after just one use! The peel is currently the free gift for joining the perks program. I use all Beautycounter products, so I am happy to offer recommendations based on your own routine. Or, you can take the quick Skin Care Quiz and learn what’s best for your skin.

5 Steps for Raising Healthier Kids

We all want the very best for our kids. The best friends, best experiences, best teachers, best manners, and the best opportunities. Right?

This begins in the kitchen, believe it or not! The food we eat has been shown to play a significant role in our moods, our brain power, our physical health, and overall wellness. This is true for you and for your kids!

But just because we know we should be feeding our kids healthy, doesn’t mean we know how or want to fight that battle. I’m here to help you do it without a fight so that your kids beg for veggies.

1 - Raise a Grazer

Young kids do best when they eat balanced mini-meals every few hours. This way of eating drastically improves behavior, school performance, energy levels, and even sleep.

The best way to make this change is to rethink snack options. Snacks are often the time we grab the processed, refined carbohydrates. Instead, center the snack around a healthy fruit, vegetable, protein, and fat. With a bit of foresight, you can have healthy snacks at the ready.

2 - Feed Your Kids Growing Foods

In my family we use the term “growing foods” to denote healthy foods (the why is built right into it!). All young kids want to grow, after all. Just like you would probably be more likely to eat something called healthy food rather than sickening food, right?

What are Growing Foods?

First and foremost, growing foods are nutrient dense. That means they are rich in nutrients! Growing foods have straightforward ingredients, because they are whole foods or real foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, and proteins.

Growing foods fuel the body and brain for peak performance and development.

Best Growing Foods for Kids:

• Berries

• Nuts & seeds

• Greens

• Variety of Vegetables

• Beans

• Flaxseeds

• Oatmeal

• Avocados

• Eggs

• Salmon (wild)

3 - Boost Brain Power

Smart foods build smart brains. Our diet is our brain cells’ diet too! The food we eat feeds the trillion or so cells in our brains, called neurons.

To feed our neurons the best brain food, we need the right carbohydrates combined with the right fats and proteins so the brain can make healthy cells and operate like a well-oiled machine.

What are the right fats?

Eat smart, high quality fats for smart, high quality brain function. These are the Omega fatty acids included in seafood, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Coconut oil and organic butter are also high-quality fat options.

What are smart carbohydrates?

The smartest carbohydrates are those without ingredient lists. They are unrefined. Smart carbohydrates include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

What is smart protein?

The best protein comes from healthy, sustainably-raised animals, eggs, greek yogurt, tempeh, nuts, and seeds. High protein food perks up the brain and helps kids perform at their best.

Begin the day with a brainy breakfast. Many children skip breakfast or grab a junky carb on their way out the door. While this may fill their bellies for the short term, it does nothing to fuel their brains. Remember, a brainy breakfast is chock full of protein, healthy fat, and smart carbohydrates.

When your kid starts her day this way, she will be better behaved, a more adept learner, and alert throughout the day.

4 - Feed the Immune System

What you feed your kids makes a BIG difference in how often (and how severely) they get sick. There’s a reason your grandmother used to nag you to eat your fruits and vegetables. It turns out she knew best how to keep you healthy!

All of the phytonutrients in these foods fight the germs that bombard you and your kids. Healthy food is nature’s antibiotic! And the good news is that these foods have no negative side effects, unlike many prescription medicines.

Different foods contain different phytonutrients. To get the maximum medicinal benefit from foods, feed your child an array of colors. The darker the color and stronger the flavor, often the more phytonutrients it contains.

BONUS - Eating this way also manages inflammation, which is a buzz word these days in health and wellness. It turns out that inflammation is behind most age-related diseases. To protect your children from disease, feed them an anti-inflammatory diet now to keep their cells and immune system in tip-top shape.

5 - Teach Your Kids to Be Food Detectives

Empower your kids by teaching them how to be in control of eating for their health and wellness. They actually want to know...even your toddler!

When my kids were young we used the terms growing food, filler food, and occasional food. Some parents use the terms red light, yellow light, green light. The goal is to educate and empower your kids to want to make healthier choices and to know how. Start this early! It breaks my heart to meet teens who want to be healthy eaters, but don’t know how or where to start. This is where the vicious dieting cycle begins. Teach your kids specifically about foods that contribute to their health and about those that don’t add nutrients (such as pasta or bread) and then those that steal nutrients (like candy, soda, cupcakes and other junk).

Occasional food or red light food actually hurts the body. It leaches, or takes away, many of the vitamins and minerals that we work so hard to put in. That’s why we only eat it occasionally, if at all. These foods contain white flour, sugar, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, and preservatives.

Help your kids to understand that when they eat food with these ingredients, it makes their bodies slow and their brain not work well. On the other hand, growing food makes kids faster, stronger, and smarter!

The Truth Behind the Label

As consumers we are getting so much savvier, aren’t we? Many of us are practiced at reading food labels, but now we have to read our personal care and cleaning product labels too. We are very familiar with healthy, real food ingredients (eggs, corn, butter, oil), but product labels? Do you know if Arginine is a safe ingredient or not? Is it a plant or a chemical? And why should you care?

This may seem obvious, but think about it for a minute. Many of the ingredients that you slather on your skin — your largest organ — are absorbed directly into your bloodstream. And the most common of those are proving to interfere with your endocrine system, while other are allergens and carcinogens. (These are no bueno. Endocrine disruptors wreak havoc on your metabolism, fertility, waistline, diabetes, thyroid health, balance of immune system and propensity towards autoimmune diseases).

You may be wondering how in the world these ingredients make it into the marketplace? Frankly, the skincare industry is like the wild west. 1938 was the last time a major federal regulation was passed. That’s over 80 years ago!! Since then we’ve had a robust era for creating chemicals, deemed the Chemical Revolution. Thanks to this innovative era, over 80,000 chemicals have entered everyday products and most of these ingredients (an eyebrow raising 80%) have never been tested for safety. These ingredients are in our everyday products (the U.S. has only banned 30 ingredients, compared to the EU who’s banned over 1400). Many of these harmful, yet unbanned ingredients are in the everyday products we buy from drugstores or department stores and even our dermatologists.

If the available research proves these ingredients unsafe for people in the E.U., I’m pretty confident they are not doing anything helpful for your skin or your waistline, thyroid health, or long term cancer outcomes. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, genes load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger. These are some of the environmental toxins pulling that metaphorical trigger.

Your skin is your largest organ and a direct pathway to your blood and through it all other organs, cells, and even fat tissue. Many of the most harmful ingredients in these products are fat soluble...they attach to any little bit of fat you have and tell your fat cells to grow bigger and multiply. So cruel, right? If you aren’t shedding those pounds, you also aren’t releasing those toxins. Double unfair! They continue to multiply…as you continue to get fatter.

It’s a dirty, rotten cycle. You are playing russian roulette with your products.

Because it’s been over 80 years since a major law has passed, there are gaping loopholes. For example, cosmetics can be labeled “natural,” “sustainable,” and nearly any other word that comes to mind without containing ingredients that accurately meet those descriptions. Products certified as organic can contain as little as 10% organic ingredients, depending on the certifier. “Safe” is not a standardized term, either. The FDA’s Office of Cosmetics (the agency that is in charge of regulating all cosmetics) does not define safety. That's how carcinogens and other harmful ingredients can be in our products -- because they haven't been banned.

How to avoid harmful ingredients in your skincare products:

1. Be your own advocate!

2. Learn how to spot dozens, if not hundreds, of common ingredients you want to avoid

3. Find a few beauty brands you can trust.

4. Double-check your label reading skills. I rely on rankings in the Healthy Living database by The Environmental Working Group (EWG). They rate common beauty products on a scale of 1-10. You’ll notice several brands that are marketing themselves as “natural” have products that rank 7-10 on the hazard scale. I aim to choose products that score 3 or less.

Because I’m committed to safety, I used to assume that meant that my products wouldn’t work as well either. Maybe my lipstick wouldn’t be as bold or my mascara would not stay in place all day. When I discovered that my all natural, organic products from Whole Foods were not nearly as safe as I thought they should be, I was grateful to find a company that would do the hard work for me. I stumbled upon Beautycounter and was sold when I discovered that they have the most rigorous ingredient screening process, and don’t settle for anything less than high-performance products. I’ve used Beautycounter’s products for 6 years now and it’s one of just a few brands I would recommend to my friends and family.

BONUS TIP: For the next few days, shop Beautycounter Friends & Family Sale for 15% off!

Beautycounter’s Ingredient Screening Process

Greenwashing and What 5 Popular Terms on Beauty Products Mean

Mother’s Day Gifts Tailor-Made for the Conscious Consumer

Mother’s Day is upon us. For many, this holiday is very painful. It can also be a time filled with joy. 

Fun fact: Mother’s Day was founded in 1914 by Anna Jarvis, a childless aunt of many nieces and nephews.  

If this day brings you pain, know that you are loved and do what you need to do to take care of yourself, like reach out to a friend or take a day for yourself. You may enjoy this article in Huffington Post called, Sometimes Mother’s Day Hurts. 

If this is a day filled with joy, then I bow to you and the ways you are celebrating motherhood. Scroll below for some creative gifts for the women in your life.

It’s my hope that all the maternal women in children’s lives - all the aunts, great-aunts, godmothers and women in general who offer their love to children not-their-own —  are remembered this Mother’s Day.

7 Gifts Curated with Health and Happiness in Mind ❤️

Now let’s be honest, most of you reading this are women. If you see something below for yourself, share it with someone or go ahead and treat yo’ self! You deserve it.

For the Woman Who Needs a Spa Day:
She’ll love the simple indulgence of a Balancing Spa Set and Chakra Balancing Bath Salts

For the Woman Who Spends Her Days in Heels:
She’s been jamming her toes into tight spaces for too long. Let them get out and stretch with these Yoga Toes.

For the Woman Who Has Health Goals (or challenges) on Her Mind:
She’s busy caring for everyone else. Show her you care with this simple yet effective 10-day clean eating jumpstart. Email me for details and take a peek at some info here.

For the Book Worm:
Treat her to a fabulous book about a fabulous woman: Becoming, by Michelle Obama.

For the Multi-tasker Who Applies Makeup on the Run:
She will love this customizable makeup kit that provides flawless beauty in under 5 minutes.

For the Woman Who Has Everything:
Get her the gift she doesn’t know she needs — a blue light blocking screen protector for her phone. Help protect her eyes and her skin from blue light damage.

For the Beach Bum:
Treat her to the best when it comes to sun protection with award winning sunscreen, pretty nails (polish) without the toxins, and a sun hat with spf.

Most importantly, have a wonderful day and treat everyone you see as though it’s their own special day.

xo,
Emily

Clean Beauty Swaps

We all know what it feels like to fall in love with a product, only to discover that it’s being reformulated or just terrible for you. I know that the process of switching skincare lines can feel traumatic for some. Some people are VERY resistant to give up their tried and true favorites. My clients have been thrilled with the results after switching to Beautycounter!

Today I want to help make that change simple for you. Beautycounter’s line will WOW you! Truly. The performance is unparalleled and these are among the safest products on the market. You can feel good about using it on your own skin, your baby’s skin, and your pregnant belly. No warnings here.

For your perfect skincare match, take the skincare quiz and receive a 10% discount on your order. If you are looking to clean up your makeup bag, see my top swaps below.

1. Bare Minerals Tinted Moisturizer —> Beautycounter Dew Skin with SPF

2. Benefit Hoola Bronzer —> Bronzer in Dune

3. Drug Store Maybelline Mascara —> Volumizing Mascara

4. Tarte Eye Shadows —> Beautycounter Eye Shadow

5. Bare Minerals Blush —> Beautycounter Blush

6. Random Brands of Foundation —> Beautycounter Tint Skin Foundation

7. Mac Lipsticks —> Color Intense Lipsticks

8. Glossier Boy Brow —> Beautycounter Brow Gel

9. Random Make Up Removers —> Eye Make Up Remover and Make Up Remover Wipes

Clean Living 101

One of my favorite ways to clean my house? House plants!! House plants purify the air inside our homes and make it less toxic. Adding more plants (especially spider plants, peace lily, snake plant, and Boston fern). House plants are a simple tool for clean living. 

Although the concept of clean living is simple — it’s choosing to be an informed, conscious consumer when it comes to the toxicity of the foods you eat, the products you use on your skin, in your home environment, and the environmental footprint of these choices — it’s not necessarily easy to know where to begin.

For me, this journey started in high school with a focus on recycling and treading lightly on this earth (yes, I’ve been a minimalist since before it was trendy). Then I started paying attention to the food I was eating. I continued to learn and gradually upgraded my dietary choices. Later, I got interested in “greening” my cleaning products and skincare products. 

These days, I’m paying a lot more attention to endocrine disrupting chemicals (you should be too!). Honestly, raising teenagers just fuels my fire to reduce our exposure to as many of these chemicals as possible. Yet, as clean and green as we are, we still have some cleaner swaps to make. It’s about progress, not perfection. Am I right?! 

Some of you have asked me to share my tips for getting started with clean living. I’m going to give you my super simple approach below. For more actionable items, join my free 10-day challenge to get my specific swap recommendations.

Clean Living How-To:

1. Reduce your exposure to things that may be harming you, like endocrine disrupting chemicals

2. Support your body to be its healthiest, including a healthy endocrine system, nurturing health at the gut and cellular levels, while minimizing inflammation

If you want more information or a simple guide for certain clean swaps, join the Come Clean in 2019 group, where you can also dive deeper with the 10-day Clean Swap Challenge (starts April 1).

Let’s Talk About Sex

Let’s talk about sex. And fertility. And the fact that sperm count is on the decline. Even though men have waaaaay more sperm than they will ever need, if the decline continues at the same rate, a study suggests men may lose the ability to reproduce entirely. Within a generation!

Total sperm count is down 60% since 1973! But, low sperm count isn’t the only side effect of poor semen quality. Men with poor semen quality have a higher mortality rate and are more likely to have diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease than fertile men. Testosterone levels are dropping too, meaning that men are becoming, well, less male.

Curious what the culprit is? It’s a disruption in the development of the male fetus in the womb, which is caused primarily by the increase of chemicals in the environment. In other words, prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors. I’d call out phthalates as the worse of the worst, and read below to discover where they are lurking.

5 common sources of endocrine disruptors:

1. personal care products (soap, shaving cream, deodorant, after shave, beard oil, nail polish)

2. drinking water

3. food storage and packaging

4. cookware

5. cleaning products

Are You Sick of Being Sick?

A friend asked a simple question last week that really got me thinking. We had just finished our barre3 workout (my favorite workout studio btw), and she asked if my kids are sick less often now that they are older. This got me thinking...

No, but they were never really sick when they were younger either. It’s not luck. 

I've always paid attention to boosting their immune systems when necessary.

This got me wondering, though, about people’s understanding (or misunderstanding) about the immune system. Everyone seems onboard with the flu shot, but beyond that I wonder what you are doing to help your immune system be strong and resilient?

It’s true that there are innumerable factors corroding your immune system on a daily basis. In short, your air, water, food, perfume and personal care products contain a host of hidden, hazardous chemicals, that are dragging your immune system down, and interfering with your overall health, energy and mood.

But, what’s the cure? Beginning next week, some colleagues and I are going to break it down. During the Fall Immunity Challenge, we’ll be sharing our top strategies for building a robust immune system for your whole family.