by Dr. Doris Rapp, MD
In a nutshell, if you want to become or stay healthy: Watch Your Water, Air, Food, Cookware, Pest Control, Cleaning Products, Home Furnishings and Personal Body Products.
1. For Water: Use a Water Purifier. Get a high quality water filter for kitchen use and get a filtered shower head to remove chemicals for showers and baths.
2. For House Air: Use a Good “active” Air Purifier. Get a High Quality Vacuum Cleaner with a HEPA filter. Clean Furnace and AC Filters often. Fix Gas Leaks. Use Electric/Solar Heat when possible.
3. For Food: Eat NO pesticided, genetically engineered or irradiated foods. Buy organic foods, especially lowest-fat, free-range, and hormone/pesticide-free meats.
4. For Cooking: Do not use or have a microwave.
• Use an electric toaster oven for fast heating. They can be found for about $20.00 but larger, high quality convection ovens can cost from $50 to over $100.
• Popcorn: Get an air popper or use a ceramic or glass pot with oil in bottom and pour in organic corn kernels. Cover, heat, stir and shake until no popping.
• Do Not Use Plastic Wrap: The chemicals in plastic wrap can leach into contents of foods and beverages.
5. For Sweeteners: Use a natural sweetener such as honey or pure maple syrup. Do Not use synthetic sweeteners as Aspartame or Saccharine. Try Stevia liquid for sweetener.
- For 1 cup sugar substitute 1/3 to 1/2 tsp powder or 1/2 to3/4 tsp of the liquid Stevia.
- For Xilitol use 3/4 cup for 1 cup sugar
- For honey use 1/2 cup but lower recipe liquid by 1/8 to 1/4 cup. (from “Beating Cancer with Nutrition”by Pat Quillin)
6. For Cookware: Use no aluminum (pots or rice cookers) or non-stick coated pans. Preferred is glass,
ceramic coated steel (find good used ones at estate sales) or heavy stainless steel. Use no aluminum foil
for food storage or cooking. Use no Styrofoam or soft plastic for storage of water, beverages or food.
7. For Plastic: Try not to eat or store anything in plastic. Try to buy foods, such as mayonnaise, catsup,
maple syrup, etc., in glass. Complain to the store manager if not available. Hard plastic is better than
soft. Look on bottom of container, #5 is best. Do not store cold liquids in plastic in the freezer. Do not
heat or store hot liquids or foods in plastic containers.
8. For Beverages: Use glass, as much as possible.
- Avoid benzoates with citric acid (vitamin C) in soda pop as benzenes have been reported to cause illness.
- Do not drink from aluminum cans (soda pop/beer). Aluminum is associated with Alzheimer’s.
9. For Household Cleaning: Avoid typical ammonia, dishwasher detergents, drain cleaners, toilet
cleaners, car wash, tar and grease removers. Avoid pine or products that contain toxic phenol. Air
fresheners can contain formaldehyde and this can cause cancer.
• Buy safer cleaning agents toxin-free and environmentally friendly
• Try grocers or try health food store products as these are getting more available. Read labels.
• For soap: Dr. Bronner’s soaps, Kiss My Face. Use no antibacterial Triclosan soaps (liver damage)
• For laundry bleach: (use hydrogen peroxide-35% from www lighth2o2use.com)
• For disinfectant: (use 35% H2O2), or resource through www.esgcarolinas.com
• For deodorizers: (as air fresheners, try a citrus essential oil, or spray that is natural and
• For scouring powder: Bon Ami (not the chlorine-smelling ones).
• For candles: use organic natural wax and wicks.
• Use no regular fabric softeners (problems because of fragrances, benzyl acetate, chloroform and pentane). These can damage lungs, brain and cause cancer – see www.sixwise.com. To soften fabrics add 1 cup plain baking soda to each wash.
10. For Furniture: Do not buy plywood or synthetic filled cushions. Use all natural wood, hard plastic, metal, glass and find natural stuffing and covers if possible.
11. For Mattresses and Bedding: Do not use urethane, polyester, form-fitting, synthetic or smelly pesticided mattresses or pillows. Do not use feather pillows or comforters because of allergy. Allow no boric acid, antimony, formaldehyde or glass fibers to be used in on any newly purchased mattresses as a flame retardant. This might be very challenging because the laws passed in ( July 2007) stating that toxic flame retardant chemicals such as (boric acid, antimony and formaldehyde) can be used in newer mattresses, and a new law is to be passed in 2008 which will include these same toxic chemicals in many other stuffed items such as furniture, pillows, comforters, etc.
• If you want an inexpensive safe pillow, try some 100% well-washed cotton towels in a pillow case.
• If you cannot afford a costly organic cotton mattress, make your own with thick layers of washed organic flannel sheets sown together. Put into a organic barrier cloth cotton mattress cover.
12. For Flooring: Avoid smelly linoleum, soft vinyl or synthetic (4 phenylcyclohexene, styrene and butyl rubber used as backing). Also, avoid moth or stain resistant carpets, use hard tile or ceramic tile, wood, natural cotton or woolen carpets. Use safe carpet pads and glue.
13. For Home Heating: Watch for natural gas leaks from stoves, water heaters or furnaces. Watch for oil leaks in garage and basement or when oil or kerosene is used for heating. Watch for illness while putting gasoline in the car. Avoid the fumes from all these heating materials because they contain hydrocarbons which can cause many forms of allergy, such as asthma, headaches, arthritis, fatigue as well as changes in behavior, activity and memory.
14. For Clothing: Buy no polyester (formaldehyde in this fabric can cause cancer), pesticide-free or GE fabrics. Wear all natural clothing (wool, silk, rami) and avoid all treated, wrinkle–free, stain resistant or pesticided cotton.
15. For Dry Cleaning: Chemicals (chloroethylenes) used in dry-cleaned clothes can cause cancer. Air out and store freshly dry cleaned clothing in a spare bedroom. Find “green” non-toxic cleaners.
16. For Moths: Use no mothballs or naphthalene. Try essential oils such as cedar, clove, mint or orange. Buy some vacuum zip garment plastic storage bags. Larger chain, grocery or linen stores usually carry these.
17. For Personal Care Products: Lotions, creams, lipstick moisturizers* can contain cancer causing ingredients. Beware of lauryl sulfate, DEA cocamide, Quaternium 15, PRG40, propylene glycol (antifreeze), glycerine & talc. Watch your perfumes (Read S. Epsteins “Unreasonable Risk” and “Cancer Gate”). Buy body products at Health stores and use organic coconut (www.mercola.com) or jojoba oil as a moisturizer. Use no regular fingernail polish or remover. They’re probably safer if purchased from Health Food Stores.
18. For Sanitary Products: Use only natural because some sanitary products can be bleached white with dioxin (like Agent Orange). Buy Essentials or other safer products from Health Food Stores because the bleach used to whiten some sanitary products has been reported to be related to rise in endometriosis.)
19. For Hair Coloring: Use no regular hair dyes. Some can cause cancer. Use natural hair dyes (health stores, such as VitalWave) or buy wigs.
20. For Toothpaste: Use no fluoridated toothpaste. A pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste has been reported to be unsafe for a 7 year old child if swallowed. Use only organic toothpaste from health food stores. (There are also reports that it is unwise to have it in our water supply.) Dr Robert Bernardini’s book, “Truth About Children’s Health”
21. For Diapers: Best, by far, is to use diaper service and natural cotton diapers. Disposable diapers contain plastic in the form of bisphenol-A which is reported to make male infants more effeminate. Use Tushies (Health Stores) for infants. Also beware of perfumed or excessively smelly baby wipes.
22. For Pests and Weeds: Use only organic pest and lawn control. See your local phone book for safer pest control companies.
• For safer pest control check, www.thebestcontrol.com with a free internet book -“The Bug Stops Here”.
• It is possible to become ill from the chemical (pyrethroids with piperonyl butoxide) used for fogging to kill infected mosquitoes. There are also some questions about the chemicals used to control the light brown apple moth in California. Chemicals which are claimed to be safe, plus those used for weed control, appear to cause asthma, rashes, tremors or spasms, headaches, problems thinking clearly, swollen painful lymph nodes, numbness and burning or skin and extremities, diabetes, thyroid problems and cancer. Some children become hyperactive, fatigued or act inappropriately if accidentally sprayed. These chemicals can sometimes be toxic to birds, fish,
mammals, and beneficial insects like bees.
• If they are spraying in your area, go to another sector of town the night they spray. Do not allow dogs outside on the lawn and keep children off the lawns for at least 24 hours. Turn off your home air-conditioner. If you must stay home, keep windows shut and sealed and use a fan in the bedroom (mosquitoes do not like a breeze.) Use safer insect skin repellents such as Bite Blocker, or All Terrain Herbal Armor (5 oils to deter bites). There are reports suggesting that preparations that contain high concentrations of Deet should be avoided and be careful if used on sunburned skin.
23. For Electromagnetic Exposures: Illness can be caused by exposures from computers, cell phones, nearby high power wires, TV cable or radio towers etc.
• You can put a button on your cell phone, Get from Naturx 480 361 8410 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 480 361 8410 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or Bio Pro (800) 660-7474
• You can wear of lovely necklace disc that will help protect you. Rene at (310) 821-4506
• If children are exposed near power lines to 2 milligauss (mG) or more, there are reports they can be more prone to leukemia and brain tumors. Get a meter and measure your home, school or work exposure or call an expert. See www.buildingbiology.net
• If very exposed, MOVE to a different safer location!
• No need to get a cover on your new computer. But if your computer is very old, you will need a screen for the monitor. They cost about $90.
24. For Art Materials: Avoid chemical marking pens, or smelly crayons that have a food aroma. Nontoxic ones are often available.
25. For Reading Materials: Avoid smelly, shiny, white paper in certain books or newspapers (especially the colored sectors) because the ink, dyes and chemicals in the paper can cause illness. Spread out books or papers and carefully heat items in oven to get rid of odor.
26. For Dental Care: Allow only ceramic, never mercury or metal fillings. There can be a problem later on because of the toxicity of the metals. Some believe the mercury on a mother’s teeth plus that found in vaccines has been a factor related to the alarming rise in autism. No root canals.
27. For a Safer Home, Consider This: Check with your health department for safe areas to live in your city. Never live in a moldy home, near an expressway or over a toxic dump site. Do not live, work or buy near high-power electric wires, TV stations and cell phone towers. Radiation can be very bad. Move, if your city or town is badly polluted with factory odors or if there are too many high power wires or sources of radiation. If you go away and are well and go back home and are continually sick, something in the home can be a factor. It can be less expensive and healthier to simply move.
28. For Infant, Child or Adult Vaccinations: Allow no immunizations until you have read the pros and cons of each type of vaccine. Spread the shots out and do not receive multiple ones at one time. Do not allow another vaccination if you have concerns about the previous one. Toxic metal-related brain damage has been reported since 1991. Less mercury in vaccines = less autism in the minds of many health professionals. The Amish, who do not vaccinate, have no autism. I personally believe it is one major factor related to autism. Read books and see videos 440 268 0897 – by Dr. S.Tenpenny. Call 703 938 0342 or Nat.Vacc.Imm.Comm. for more information.
29. Become Proactive. All of us must become much more active by sharing information with as many people as possible because we all can be seriously hurt by chemicals. Also, share what we can do about it. We must have an immense e-mail data base of aware and concerned people so we can notify politicians and decision makers all over the world if and when they are going to pollute in ways to harm everyone. The water and air know no borders. We can save this planet and our people, but only if we unite and insist on much less pollution or our air, water, foods, homes, schools and workplaces.
These tips will be available in an expanded book form in the future. Read “Our Toxic World, A Wake up Call” and “Is This Your Child’s World?”
Click to download our free, Indoor Air Quality Awareness Report now.
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