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5 Potentially Toxic Ingredients in Your Shampoo and Conditioner

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:33:17 +0000

Watch out! The hair care products you use every day may contain potentially toxic ingredients.

Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola lists five risky chemicals in many shampoos and conditioners that could be robbing you and your family of better health.

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
The same ingredient producing all that foam and lather when you shampoo your hair is used in car washes and garages as a degreasing agent.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a penetration enhancer. It allows other potentially toxic ingredients to slip into your bloodstream.

The Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews” studies on SLS have also linked the chemical to:

Irritation of skin and eyes
Organ toxicity
Developmental / reproductive toxicity
Neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes
Possible mutations and cancer

2. Dioxane
In 2007, he medical journal, Cancer, reviewed mammary carcinogens and identified dioxane as one of the 216 chemicals linked to breast cancer in rodents.

“Back in 1985, the FDA recognized these dangers, and requested that manufacturers voluntarily limit dioxane levels in cosmetics and personal-care products to 10 parts per million. But it hasn’t happened,” says Dr. Mercola.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Marla Cone reported in February 2007 that all 18 personal care products (for both adults and children) tested by an independent laboratory were contaminated with high levels of dioxane.

3. Diethanolamine (DEA)
DEA readily reacts with nitrite preservatives and contaminants to create nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), a known potent carcinogen. In a recent FDA report, around 42% of all cosmetics were contaminated with NDEA.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Yes, this is the same MSG you should avoid in your food! It is often deceptively referred to as amino acids, yeast extract, nayad, glutamic acid, or glutamates in your shampoo.

According to the FDA, its side effects include numbness, burning sensations, tingling, facial pressure, headaches, nausea, drowsiness, and weakness.

5. Propylene Glycol
This active ingredient is found in engine coolants and antifreeze, airplane de-icers, tire sealants, rubber cleaners, polyurethane cushions, paints, adhesives, enamels and varnishes, and in many products as a solvent or surfactant.

“Propylene glycol is likely in your shampoo, despite the material safety data sheet warning users to avoid skin contact with it. It is a strong skin irritant and can also cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage,” reveals Dr. Mercola.

So what’s keeping you from going natural today?

Dr. Mercola recommends natural hair care options like Volumizing Shampoo and Revitalizing Conditioner that are free of these harmful toxins. Not only will they keep your scalp and long locks safe, but they also improve your hair’s texture and strength without stripping away essential oils.

Unlike other soap-based natural shampoos, they have a purifying formula that helps eliminates buildup from your hair and scalp.

The bottom line is you get the same excellent results for your hair without the harmful toxins. “Remember, what you place on your skin may end up going directly into your bloodstream,” Dr. Mercola says.

Nutritional Typing for Optimal Weight Management

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:40:24 +0000

Do you try to lose weight but miss your target? The kinds of foods you eat – not just the amount – might be the missing link in your successful weight loss attempts.

Devised by natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, Nutritional Typing (NT) teaches you how to eat according to your specific needs and biochemistry.

A foundational health tool in Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Breakthrough, Nutritional Typing classifies people into three nutritional types:

Protein Types operate best on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and a relatively high (healthy) fat diet.
Carb Types are at their best when most of their foods are made up of carbohydrates, primarily from vegetables.
Mixed Types require food combinations found among the carb and protein types. This is considered the most challenging nutritional type.

The good news, says Dr. Mercola, is that the online NT Test is now FREE!

How Can Nutritional Typing Help You Optimize Your Weight?

Dr. Mercola reveals that most diets fail miserably because of wrong food choices for one’s Nutritional Type.

“Do you call yourself an individual, but don’t ask for an individualized diet? Weight loss begins with what you eat, and Nutritional Typing is the first crucial step,” he says.

Nutritional Typing “customizes” nutrition based on your body’s reaction to food. It encourages you to adopt the right diet and food preferences.

Nutritional Typing Has Other Health Benefits

Besides weight management, there are other ways Nutritional Typing can help you to have:

Increased energy
Fighting disease
Improved emotional state
Youthfulness
Lack of hunger or cravings
Better mental focus
Possible cure for existing illnesses
Longer, better life

Dr. Mercola says that Nutritional Typing can help your metabolism move toward balance. This enables your body to prevent sickness and rebuild itself.

However, the best results also depend on the quality of foods you eat. Your best bet is fresh, locally grown, and organic food.

Eat as much of your food as you can raw. This will preserve the nutrients and minimize heat damage from cooking.

10 Tips to Be Skin-Smart This Summer

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:28:07 +0000

Summer is in full swing! It’s time for fun and recreation, and to bask under the glow of the sun! Summer is about good skin care, too. Many external factors could damage your skin and visible signs of aging could appear sooner than you think.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder of Mercola.com, the world’s most visited natural health web site, warns that skin damage doesn’t always involve “pain or immediate visible change” and can even go unnoticed at times. But if you start setting the groundwork for proactive, natural skin care now, you can see your skin improve slowly over time.

So how can you make summer a skin-smart season? Dr. Mercola provides these 10 simple tips:

1. Avoid or minimize harm from hot water and chlorine. Taking showers may appear to be relaxing and health-promoting, but your skin may not agree. Chlorine in tap water causes oxidative damage. Hot water can cause damage, too. The rate of chemical reactions increase along with temperature. So limit your showers to one per day, use a lower water temperature, and decrease your soak time in the bath.

2. Use gentle, organic skin care products. Don’t compromise the health of your skin with toxins masquerading as effective skin care products. As much as possible, your regimen should only include organic skincare products, preferably ones that use nourishing botanicals for that healthy glow.

3. Remove your makeup at night. You don’t want makeup and environmental grime on your skin when you sleep. Wash your face every night before you go to bed.

4. Sleep on your back. “Gravity creates a downward drag on your skin all day,” warns Dr. Mercola. To give your skin a break at night, he advises sleeping on your back to reduce gravitational pull on your face. Pressing your face on to the pillow can increase puffiness in the morning.

5. Don’t smoke! Free radicals, which accelerate the signs of aging, are produced when you smoke.

6. Use sunscreen with safe and effective ingredients. If you will be under the sun for extended periods of time, use a natural sunscreen, such as Mercola Natural Sunscreen.

7. Limit exfoliation to twice a week. Exfoliation refreshes and brightens appearance since it removes dead cells from the surface of your skin. But don’t overdo it, because you can risk damaging living cells. Use a gentle exfoliator.

8. Apply organic skincare products to warm skin. Your skin appears healthier this way, and absorption is maximized. If your skin is cold, a warm towel can do the trick.

9. Never pull or rub your skin! “Apply skincare products gently, and lightly tap for a few moments to help your skin absorb them,” suggests Dr. Mercola. Rubbing and stretching your skin can promote sagging and wrinkling. This principle includes leaning your face on your hand while sitting at a desk.

10. Don’t expect overnight changes. Rome, as they say, wasn’t built in a day. If you practice natural skin care daily, it may still take 1-3 months to see changes.

Why Green Tea is Good for Heart Health

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 06:01:10 +0000

Green tea may help protect you from heart disease, according to a study published by the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation in 2008.

The research showed that drinking a few cups of green tea every day can provide heart health benefits, such as improved blood flow and the ability to relax arteries. Compared to black tea, green tea has more flavonoids–which could explain why it has more cardiovascular benefits than black tea.

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Natural heath expert and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Joseph Mercola affirms that “high quality green tea is one of the most beneficial beverages you can consume.” He explains that natural green tea is composed of naturally occurring antioxidants called polyphenols. Compared to other tea varieties, green tea has the highest quantities of epilogallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG , the main active component of polyphenols, helps prevent:

High blood lipid levels
Arteriosclerosis
Heart attack and stroke

EGCG also provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral thrombus.

How to Select a High Quality Green Tea

Not all green teas are healthy, according to Dr. Mercola. Many green tea products on the market have been oxidized, and are not as potent as you would expect.

To get the highest quality of green tea, check its purity. Make sure that your green tea is not contaminated with high levels of fluoride, lead, and aluminum that can be present in low-grade green teas.

Second, check the color of the tea. An obvious indication that your tea has been oxidized is if it appears brown.

Dr. Mercola recommends that you drink tea that has a vibrant, bright green appearance, like that of Matcha Green Tea.

Matcha is said to be the least processed green tea variety because the leaves are ground into powder form. It is loaded with powerful antioxidants that shield your body against free radicals, among other benefits.

Related Links:

Green Tea Protects Against Heart Disease
Three Cups of Tea a Day Slashes Your Breast Cancer Risk

Chocolate Lovers’ Alert: Chocolate Can be Healthy and Guilt-Free

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:26:41 +0000

Many people find it hard to resist chocolate and consider it their favorite indulgence. This is despite the serious health risks associated with overindulgence, such as diabetes and weight gain.

The Dangers of Eating Chocolate

It’s not the cacao in chocolate that can make it unhealthy, but the added ingredients found in most chocolate bars and desserts. Some of these unhealthy ingredients are:

Trans Fat – Can clog your arteries.
Artificial Sweeteners – Have been associated with migraine headaches and weight gain.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – Can elevate your blood sugar to dangerous levels and lead to weight gain and insulin resistance.
Milk or milk byproducts – Can decrease absorption of antioxidants found in chocolate.
Soy Proteins – Weaken your immune system and may cause digestive stress.
Preservatives and stabilizers – Artificial ingredients increase your risk of diseases.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – Over-excites cells to the point of destruction.

With the many chocolate brands in the market, it is important to carefully choose a product that does not contain any of these harmful ingredients.

Dark Chocolate for Your Natural Health

Fortunately, finding healthy chocolate is no longer impossible. Dark chocolate contains trans-resveratrol, a potent antioxidant that helps your body neutralize free radicals and protects your nervous system.

Dark chocolate contains cacao, which supports your health by:

Helping improve blood flow in your arteries
Helping your cholesterol levels stay in the normal range
Promoting your brain health
Decreasing your C-reactive protein levels for enhanced heart protection
Sustaining your glucose metabolism

In order to take full advantage of these health benefits, Dr. Mercola suggests you only consume organic dark chocolate. USDA-certified organic dark chocolate, in particular, is carefully manufactured from all-natural, wholesome ingredients.

Fair Trade certification also helps ensure your chocolate uses only pure ingredients and is manufactured using environmentally sustainable practices.

Isn’t it great that you can actually give in to those chocolate cravings and still keep your body in optimal health?

Related Links:
Artificial Sweeteners — More Dangerous than You Ever Imagined
Why You MUST Stay Away From Processed Chocolate

How to Boost Your Natural Health & Energy with this Cocoa Cassava Bar

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:07:28 +0000

Nutritional bars, ready-to-eat energy foods, have always promised good health for you. Ideally, they are a good alternative to nutrient-dense, processed food that you can get anywhere. But don’t easily be fooled by the way they are packaged and advertised. Laboratory tests have revealed that most of them are not as nutritious as they are purported to be.

Beware of High Carbohydrate Nutritional Bars

In 2001, ConsumerLab.com examined 30 nutritional bars for their caloric, carbohydrate, fat, cholesterol, sugar, proteins, and sodium contents and discovered that 60 percent of the products had misleading claims. The bars contained more sugar, saturated fat and sodium than the amount indicated on their labels.

Other tests have also found that some health bars contain unhealthy ingredients such as soy proteins, which are a low-cost protein source, and high fructose corn syrup, which is an inexpensive sweetener.

Switch to a Nutritious Natural Health Bar

Fortunately, there has been a marked improvement in the quality of nutritional bars in the recent years. Dr. Joseph Mercola particularly strived to create his own natural health bar that is nutritious and delicious for everyone to eat.

Dr. Mercola’s Cocoa Cassava Bar provides you with a good balance of protein, fiber and healthy fats to give you an instant energy boost any time of the day. It is a chocolate bar, healthy protein bar, natural energy bar and meal replacement bar all in one product.

Finally, Here’s a Higher Quality & More Wholesome Cocoa Cassava Bar for You

Still determined to improve this nutritional bar, Dr. Mercola pursued further research to produce the most health-enhancing, energy-giving, and best-tasting natural health bar that is available today. Dr. Mercola’s New and Improved Organic Cocoa Cassava Bar supplies you with the same nutrients that the original product has with the addition of USDA-certified organic ingredients like:

Organic dark chocolate
Organic cassava flour
Organic raw chia seeds
Organic cacao powder
Organic unsweetened coconut

This natural energy bar contains lower sugar content than other bars in the market. It is truly a healthy way of eating chocolate without the guilt. Grab a bite of this super food, New and Improved Organic Cocoa, when it becomes available on Mercola.com this March 2010.

Related Links:
Nutrition Bar Labels Often Misleading
Energy Bars Not Your Best Option for Weight Loss

Omega-3 Krill Oil Supplements: Protection for Your Heart and Overall Health

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:29:25 +0000

February is American Heart Month and what a good way to celebrate this time than to take extra care of your heart. Eating healthy foods and getting adequate workout can certainly help you a lot. But there’s also another strategy, which often goes overlooked: increasing your intake of omega-3 supplements or oils.

Omega-3 supplements contain fatty acids that can enhance your heart health as well as overall wellness. These essential fats are DHA and EPA, which have been found to promote a healthy heart and support your immune system.

Get Omega-3 from Krill Oil and Boost Your Heart Health

Krill oil is a rich source of omega-3 fats, according to some natural health experts. Extracted from small shrimps, it can deliver many protective benefits for your body. Currently, the highest quality krill oil brand in the market is the New and Improved Krill Oil, says Dr. Joseph Mercola.

New and Improved Krill Oil, a natural health supplement, not only has omega-3 fats but also has superb antioxidant protection, which neutralize free radicals that damage the cells in your body. Both of these contents work hand-in-hand to ensure a healthy heart that’s free from disease potential.

Other Health Benefits* of This Krill Oil Supplement

In addition to keeping your heart in good condition, New and Improved Krill Oil also provides support for:

Normal blood sugar levels

Cholesterol and blood lipid health

Focus or concentration and memory

Nervous system function

Quality and health of your skin

These are just some of the many benefits of this krill oil supplement. Other features that make it good for health are its natural, pollution-free ingredients, better absorption ability than fish oil, and its long-lasting stability, which prevents it from easily oxidizing inside your body.

So what are you waiting for? Simply take two capliques of New and Improved Krill Oil with your first meal per day and start taking care of your heart. You will also begin feeling other health-enhancing benefits when you include this omega-3 supplement in your regular diet.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Handy and Tasty Probiotic Supplements to Aid Your Digestion

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:05:52 +0000

Your digestive system deserves the highest quality of support it needs. To sustain its optimal function, it requires microflora or good bacteria to carry out well its activities and provide for excellent immune system health. And where do you get these beneficial bacteria? They are present in high quality probiotic supplements, which come in the form of a capsule or a pill.

However, statistics show that a considerable percentage of American adults and kids have difficulty swallowing capsules of pills. That’s why to help fix this problem, a portable probiotic supplement has been created especially for you – Mercola Probiotic Packs.

Convenience and Appealing Taste of Probiotic Packs

Placed in handy single dose packets, the Probiotic Packs are an alternative to taking a pill. These dietary supplements come in powder form and provide utmost convenience. They can be carried whenever and wherever you want to get a dose of good bacteria for your gut. Simply grab a pack and take it anywhere and anytime you need a healthy boost.

Aside from its travel-friendly feature, Probiotic Packs also come with another attractive feature that will help your kids swallow these probiotic supplements. They have tasty natural fruit flavors (lemon, raspberry and strawberry) that will keep you and your kids asking for more.

Health Benefits of this Probiotic Supplement

Probiotic Packs have the complete benefits of a healthy probiotic supplement, according to top natural health expert, Dr. Joseph Mercola.

Each Probiotic Pack is loaded with multiple strains of good bacteria (66 billion), including the two highly researched ones (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium), to bring support to your digestive system. It also provides the following benefits*:

Protection and promotion of a healthy digestive tract

Aid for the survival of good bacteria (through the NutraFlora component)

Replenishment and nourishment of good bacteria

Critical support for your immune system

Help in the breakdown and elimination of harmful toxins

Maintenance of normal blood pressure levels

Increased resistance against disease

Boost for the production of B vitamins like folic acid, biotin and vitamin K

Support for mineral absorption

Production of lactic acid to sustain your colon’s pH balance and digestive processes

Promotion of your oral health

Keep your digestive health in check. Visit Mercolacatalog.com for natural health articles and product reviews that you should know about.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Learn How an Organic Bowel Care Formula Can Help Keep You Healthy

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:30:05 +0000

Keeping your colon in check should be done regularly. Toxins need to be removed from it to help it function well and provide support to your immune system. In between periodic cleansings, however, holistic health experts say that you must rely on a maintenance bowel care formula to sustain the wellness of your colon and your entire body.

Bowelcare Plus: A Cleansing Supplement That Comes with Many Health Benefits

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an American natural health expert, believes that a daily bowel care regimen is good for your colon health. He recommends Bowelcare Plus, an herbal supplement from Organic India (a leading Ayurvedic manufacturer) that offers intestinal cleansing support for you.

Bowelcare Plus delivers beneficial effects* to your health, such as:

Helps normalize your bowel movement

Relieves occasional elimination issues

Tones and supports your intestinal walls

Alleviates gas and cramping

Eases your abdominal discomfort and acidity

Soothes your intestinal tissues

Enhances your overall bowel system function

Gain from Organic Ingredients that Promote a Healthy Colon

Bowelcare Plus is 100% natural. It combines 7 organic ingredients in one herbal formula:

Amalaki fruit – rejuvenates and energizes your body.

Bel leaves – provide soothing relief to your abdomen

Haritaki fruit – eliminates potential toxins and nourishes your body tissues

Vibhitaki fruit – balances gastro-intestinal (GI) elimination and takes care of your hair

Chandrashoor seeds – lubricate the bowel

Isabgol husk – supports normal elimination and regular GI transit

Vegetable cellulose – a gluten-free capsule that is safe for vegans and vegetarians.

For a total intestinal cleansing program, Dr. Mercola suggests that you use Bowelcare Plus with New Start, a period cleansing regimen for your colon. Made of natural ingredients, New Start is a 3-step system that effectively refines, reduces and releases toxins from your body. In addition, Dr. Mercola recommends that you add Complete Probiotics, a natural supplement for digestive health support. Using all these three products will help you improve the functions of your entire system.

Why don’t you give yourself a cleansing boost right now? Take Bowelcare Plus and free your body from impurities that may be bringing your health down.

If you want to find out more information about natural health supplements, check the articles posted here.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Boost Your Body’s Defense All-Year Round with Immune Support

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:59:12 +0000

It’s almost New Year and it’s once again time to write your New Year’s resolutions. Can you remember which ones you were able to follow and which ones remained resolutions? In any case, it wouldn’t hurt to include the unfulfilled 2009 resolutions again for 2010, especially those that are related to improving your health.

Unfortunately, it’s so easy to fall off the healthy living wagon. Sugar and processed foods can be so tempting, and a less than optimal diet tastes better. Sleep can be taken for granted. Stressors are lurking in every corner. Opportunities to exercise may be few and far between.

These, among other factors, all play a part in weakening your immune system, your body’s natural defense against disease. So what can you do to boost your immunity?

Eat right, get enough exercise and sleep and stay away from stress – these things are all easier said than done. While there are no shortcuts to good health, it pays to have a “friend” who’s there to support you while you’re slowly working your way to your ultimate goal of healthy living.

Dr. Joseph Mercola introduces this new friend, one of the most important and powerful natural health supplements created in recent times: Immune Support.

Immune Support: 10 Powerful Agents in a Single Supplement

Dr. Mercola’s Immune Support helps boost your immune system by combining the health benefits of 10 natural and organic ingredients in one convenient and power-packed capsule.
         1. Boneset Powder – an herb widely used by Native Americans for its ability
             to help your body sweat, support respiration and form white blood corpuscles
         2. Elder Flower Extract – the Elder plant’s berries and flowers are rich in
             vitamin C and a number of flavonoids like anthocyanins and quercetin
         3. Olive Leaf Extract – helps contain viral infection and stimulate cells to
             ingest harmful microorganisms and foreign matter in the body
         4. Oregano Oil – helps fight skin infections and digestive problems, reduce
             pain and inflammation, enhance joint and muscle mobility, and improve
             respiratory health
         5. Peppermint Powder – helps retard the growth of bacteria and fungi, and
             encourages sweating
         6. Propolis Gum – helps stimulate your immune system to release substances
             that protect against normal cell deterioration
         7. Vitamin B16 or DMG – helps detoxify your body and enhance your
             cardiovascular and muscular systems
         8. Vitamin C from Organic Acerola Extract – the Acerola berry is the richest
             source of natural vitamin C or ascorbic acid in the world
         9. Vitamin D3 – is the most potent type of vitamin D, and is the same vitamin D
             produces when sunlight strikes your exposed skin
         10. Yarrow – an herb which helps encourage perspiration, increase blood
             circulation, and enhances the waste removal process in your body

Taking an Immune Support supplement saves you money and time because you don’t have to go to your local supermarket or a natural health store to find these 10 different preparations. It’s impossible to have a perfect immune system; your body’s defenses will get tested from time to time. It pays to have a backup plan.