Melaleuca Monday & Cancer Prevention Month

Hello everyone!

I've been away from the blog for WAY too long! February was a very busy month for us and things are just now starting to slow down (sort of). I kept thinking I would have time to squeeze in this post but it's now the beginning of March and here we are! Oh well, better late than never...

First, if you are new to the blog and haven't heard of Melaleuca, you can click here to read more about it. Each "Melaleuca Monday" post is meant to EDUCATE not to scare, even though the facts about ingredients found in name brand products can be down right scary sometimes!

In honor of February being Cancer Prevention month, I have a few facts for you today about cancer and ways to prevent it...

Melaleuca Cancer Prevention

According to cancer.gov, In 2016, an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 595,690 people will die from the disease.
The most common cancers in 2016 are projected to be breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma of the skin, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid cancer, kidney and renal pelvis cancer, leukemia, endometrial cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

As you may know, the latest statistics state that cancer is only 5-10% genetic, leaving 90-95% of cancer diagnosis left to environmental reasons.

NCBI.gov gives a great explanation below...

Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle. The lifestyle factors include cigarette smoking, diet (fried foods, red meat), alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity. The evidence indicates that of all cancer-related deaths, almost 25–30% are due to tobacco, as many as 30–35% are linked to diet, about 15–20% are due to infections, and the remaining percentage are due to other factors like radiation, stress, physical activity, environmental pollutants, etc. Therefore, cancer prevention requires smoking cessation, increased ingestion of fruits and vegetables, moderate use of alcohol, caloric restriction, exercise, avoidance of direct exposure to sunlight, minimal meat consumption, use of whole grains, use of vaccinations, and regular check-ups.

If that doesn't say it loud and clear, I don't know what does. We need to take care of ourselves and really watch what we allow in our environment! We have a lot of control over what goes into our bodies these days!

So what can we do to protect ourselves?

BE AWARE, BE DILIGENT, and CHOOSE NATURAL OVER SYNTHETIC!

In order to prevent these cancers mentioned above, here is a checklist from the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center...

Melaleuca Cancer Prevention

Image provided by MAACENTER.ORG

All of these are GREAT suggestions! Check out #2 in particular...

"Avoid Un-Natural Cleaning Products"

This time of year it is particularly important to use the right cleaning products when we are diligently "spring cleaning" our homes! I've mentioned this in a previous post when talking about some of Melaleuca's all natural cleaning products.

Sol-U-Guard, Melaleuca's disinfectant cleaner (similar to a 409 replacement but without toxic chemicals) is an all-natural cleaner that actually works but does not contain harmful ingredients that cause lung cancer. If you missed this particular post, you can read all of the details here.

It's important to use a SAFE all-natural cleaner such as Sol-Guard, because other cleaners like Clorox, Fantastic, Spic & Span, and Mr. Clean contain quaternary ammonium compounds or ethanolamine, ***compounds that can cause or trigger asthma. There are also cleaners out there such as "Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner" that are labeled "all natural" and "safe" but contain 2-butoxyethanol, a solvent that soaks through the skin and damages red blood cells; even more dangerous is that some people miss the fine print and don't dilute it.

In addition, a type of "glycol ether" is frequently found in popular cleaning products such as Windex Aerosol, Formula 409, Lemon Fresh Pine-Sol and Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner. The chemical, called ethylene glycol butyl ether or EGBE, is on California's list of toxic air contaminants. Some animal studies indicate that it produces reproductive problems, such as testicular damage, reduced fertility, death of embryos and birth defects. To read more click here.

Which brings me to the discussion of Windex and why we should not be using it in our homes! Windex contains an ingredient called "ammonium hydroxide". According to the New York Times...

Ammonium Hydroxide Poisoning

Overview

Ammonium hydroxide is a colorless liquid chemical solution that forms when ammonia dissolves in water. This article discusses poisoning due to ammonium hydroxide.

This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or a local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M.

Back to TopAlternative Names

Aqueous - ammonia

Back to TopPoisonous Ingredient

Ammonium hydroxide

Back to TopWhere Found

Ammonium hydroxide is found in many industrial products and cleaners such as flooring strippers, brick cleaners, and cements.

Ammonium hydroxide can also release ammonia gas into the air.

Ammonia alone (not ammonium hydroxide) can be found in many household items such as detergents, stain removers, bleaches, and dyes. The symptoms and treatment for ammonia exposure are similar to those for ammonium hydroxide.

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

This healthy way of living can help prevent other cancers as well!!!!!

Remember, when life hands you lemons, turn them into something lovely!
-Marci

Symptoms

Airways and lungs:

Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)
Coughing
Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)
Wheezing

Eyes, ears, nose, and throat:

Severe pain in the throat
Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
Vision loss

Esophagus, stomach, and intestines:

Blood in the stool
Burns of the esophagus (food pipe) and stomach
Severe abdominal pain
Vomiting, possibly with blood

Heart and blood:

Collapse
Low blood pressure (develops rapidly)
Severe change in pH (too much or too little acid in the blood, which leads to damage in all of the body organs)

Skin:

Burns
Holes in skin tissue (necrosis)
Irritation

WHY???

Why would we want to use a cleaning product with this ingredient in it when we don't have to???

Melaleuca has a Windex alternative that is safe, natural, and effective! It's called Clear Power...

Melaleuca Cancer Prevention

Melaleuca Cancer Prevention

Clear Power is a window and glass cleaner that will give you streak free clean without causing lung cancer, asthma, headaches, etc. Clear Power comes in a concentrated bottle that when mixed with water, makes the perfect solution for cleaning glass windows and mirrors. I LOVE the way it smells but my favorite part about it is how little you have to use to get the job done. In fact, I have found that when I use the same amount of Clear Power as it took to clean the same window with Windex, I end up with too much solution on my windows. Less is more with Melaleuca cleaning products which saves money in the end! Another plus you just can't get with name brand! For $5.69 I can make 6 bottles of Clear Power by Melaleuca and know that it's made with all natural ingredients, it's ammonia free, and the water in the solution came straight from my filtered refrigerator!!! Can't get any of that paying $2.99 per bottle of Windex! But really who can put a price on health?

Along with these environmental dangers asbestos is yet another toxin that can be found in our homes and schools, and is known to cause an aggressive, rare cancer called Mesothelioma when inhaled or ingested. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the heart, lungs, and abdomen. It's vital, along with all potential household toxins, to be aware of proper handling and use of asbestos. You can read more about this by clicking the link to the Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center.

If you or someone you know may have been affected by asbestos and/or mold exposure, asthma, and/or lung cancer, it's not too late to take the proper steps to improve your health!

Look through the checklist above and re-evaluate what you allow to come into your home!
Whether its cigarette smoke, toxic cleaners, air freshener, or asbestos insulation, you have the ability to change that and live a healthier life!

As I have mentioned before, we changed over all of our household products to Melaleuca shortly after our baby was born. We have been living in a "toxin free" home for exactly 1 year now and have been very satisfied with our decision to switch from name brand to Melaleuca.

If you would like more information and/or are interested in becoming a Melaleuca customer, email me at lemonstolovelys@gmail.com

This is a blog post written by me on behalf of Lemons to Lovelys for maac.org.

All opinions are 100% my own. For more information see my disclosures here.