Time For Some Anti-Cancer Housekeeping

We are surrounded by chemicals and toxins in our environment. Most of us are familiar with the skull and crossbones symbol which has come to indicate 'poison' on household products. We should read all the warning labels and make sure we are using the products properly, and then we will be safe from household toxins. Right?

Not necessarily.

Yes, we should read and follow all warning labels on anything we buy - I'm not saying we shouldn't do that. But there are other substances that are hazardous to your health. That can cause cancer. That are in everyday products. That are not part of the labeled warning.

Why is this? The warning system is set up for emergency situations. It provides first-aid instructions if the product is not handled safely, or if a child swallows it for example. In other words, it is set up to hand "acute" or immediate effects only. There is no information or warning about "chronic" or long term effects.

As someone who wants to prevent cancer, I do everything I can to follow a cancer-fighting lifestyle. I do all the things a doctor would recommend: I don't smoke, I try to eat healthy foods, I exercise, I get plenty of sleep...

There's something your doctor probably hasn't told you: BPA, or bisphenol-A lines most cans used to package food. This substance is an endocrine disruptor, and is linked to cancer. Many people associate BPA with plastic bottles, but researchers are finding the levels from cans can be substantially higher. See this recent article from the New York Times.

So, the first step I took in my Anti-Cancer Housekeeping was to get rid of the canned goods. This past weekend I made a chili, which I always made with canned tomatoes and canned beans. This time I soaked dried beans, and used fresh plum tomatoes. The chili came out Awesome, and I was surprised to discover that the ingredients were CHEAPER (something that is really important to me these days).

Going without cans is going to be easier than I thought.

At one time, we were all warned about the dangers of antiperspirants and deodorants because the parabens they contained were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. But antiperspirants and deodorants no longer contain parabens.

Studies have found that parabens are still present in many breast cancers, and researchers think this may be caused from exposure to methylparabens that are found in other cosmetics.

So, I decided to proceed with my Anti-Cancer Housekeeping, and look for products in my home that might contain parabens, in particular: methylparabens.

Sure enough - it didn't take long before I found two lotions that contained methylparabens. These were on lotions that clearly wanted to appear 'natural' and healthful - Suave Vitamin E Body Lotion (notice the website calls it a natural moisturizer with antioxidants). The other was Neutrogena Moisture Wrap, a brand that I always associated with pure ingredients....

I was happy to find many other brands I love and trust were paraben free. As someone who wants to avoid a breast cancer recurrence, I am getting rid of anything associated with parabens. I will definitely toss out the ones I found, and check all labels before I buy anything new.

Of all the products we use in the home, especially the ones with the explicit warnings, we try to use them safely and reduce our exposure to toxins. Even used carefully, we are exposing ourselves needlessly to harmful toxins. In many cases, we don't need specialty cleaners, I have had great luck, with a quick google search, finding natural alternatives.

My most recent discovery was for removing pet stains from carpet. I have a new puppy, and the commercial spot remover was leaving behind a stain. I found this recipe, and it worked perfectly - NO stain left. Cheaper and more effective.

There is also an extensive list of homemade cleaners made by Michigan State University Extension. Making your own cleaners has become quite popular lately. It's fun, it's healthier, the house smells better, it's very satisfying to do it yourself, and you save money. Try a few out and let me know what you think.

My Anti-Cancer Housekeeping will continue. I will update this article as I discover new things that are hidden in our homes, without a warning about the long term health effects. More than ever, with cancer rates going up, it's up to us to reduce our exposure to anything that might increase our cancer risk. Prevention is always better than fighting the disease.