Volume 2, Issue 17
Welcome to Heartland's NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY newsletter. We are excited to share relevant news
about natural health topics and offer alternative and complimentary
options for you and your family. We are committed to helping
you find more complete answers to your health concerns,
and look forward to being a friend as you seek greater health
through innovative natural products, ideas, and educational
resources. For personalized direction, call our helpline
at 1-888-772-2345.
TOPICS IN TODAY'S ISSUE:
-Did You Know? One out of every six holiday
guests suffers from some degree of chemical sensitivity.
-In the News: Exposure to some fragrances
can adversely affect a person’s health.
-Alkalizing Your Body
-Recipes for Health
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Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
~ William James, 1842-1910, American Psychologist, Professor,
Author
We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our
hand – and melting like a snowflake.
~ Marie Beyon Ray
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DID YOU KNOW
One out of every six holiday guests suffers from some degree
of chemical sensitivity. They can get headaches and other
symptoms from all the “extra” holiday scents,
like residues from zealous cleaning in anticipation of guests,
scented holiday candles, perfumes that people wear on special
occasions, or freshly laundered bedding impregnated with
the fragrances of fabric softeners and scented detergents.
It can be a “sensitive” subject, so a lot of
people suffer silently – not wanting to offend their
host because they are uncomfortable or get sick around chemical
fragrances. Chemicals can also make some people more irritable
than normal, because neuro-toxins affect the brain first.
This may add to some of the unwanted but often anticipated
stress of extended family gatherings.
Here are some tips to consider:
HOLIDAY PREP TIP#1: Avoid chlorine bleach; bleach products,
ammonia, pine cleaners and disinfectant sprays. These smells
linger and are toxic for everyone. Substitute hydrogen peroxide
for whitening effects, vinegar for windows, Heartland All-Purpose
Solution for floors, toilets, etc. and baking soda for deodorizing.
A great formula for windows is a ½ teaspoon of Heartland
All-Purpose Solution in 31 ounces of distilled water.
HOLIDAY PREP TIP#2: Unplug the air fresheners and take
the artificial sprays out of the bathroom. Air fresheners
are akin to pesticides when it comes to toxicity! Create
holiday cheer with natural scents from the kitchen: Try
boiling cloves or all-natural potpourri. Use also aromatherapy
oils. This can help your extended family (and yourself!)
relax and enjoy the festivities even more.
HOLIDAY PREP TIP#3: Don’t burn scented candles –
leave them as decorations only. These scents are almost
always synthetic. Most candles are made from petroleum derivatives
and many lead wicks are still in the marketplace. Buy beeswax
candles for burning. They have a pleasant natural scent
and, while they are more expensive, they last three times
as long as regular candles, making them just as economical.
HOLIDAY PREP TIP#4: Offer an alternative to antibacterial
soap. More and more people are reducing their use of antibacterials
to first aid applications as opposed to everyday for “everything”.
Overuse of antibacterials is harming the integrity of antibiotic
treatments in general. Review your hand soaps and dish soaps.
Make sure your antibacterial option is also unscented!
HOLIDAY PREP TIP#5: Consider your guest list before carpet
cleaning. Babies and young children are especially vulnerable
to chemicals used for professional carpet cleaning. They
live and play a lot closer to the floor. To review your
home as a safe place for children, take the home tour at
the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition at www.checnet.org.
OPEN UP THE TOPIC by asking your guests if any chemicals
or fragrances bother them. They might not use the term “chemically
sensitive”, but they know if they get headaches or
nausea from certain perfumes or from cigarette smoke! Kids
are an excellent bridge to opening up the subject of chemical
sensitivities. Ask if any children have asthma, which has
become a common childhood ailment since the introduction
of over 80,000 chemicals into the environment since World
War II.
Many people don’t realize they are chemically sensitive
– they haven’t linked their symptoms to the
environment. They don’t realize that a heavily scented
laundry detergent exacerbates their child’s asthma.
They don’t know that chemical sensitivity is becoming
more prevalent every day, and that the symptoms range from
respiratory difficulties to flu-like symptoms to brain fog.
Have you? To learn more about chemical sensitivity and how
it may be affecting someone you love, read Dr. Sherry Roger,
MD’s materials. Review them at www.prestigepublishing.com
or check your local bookstore. The Nova Scotia Allergy and
Environmental Health Association has excellent articles
to read online. For teachers, click www.environmentalhealth.ca/w9394sherry.html;
for an index of all the NSAEHA articles, click www.environmentalhealth.ca/archives.html.
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Heartland Natural is a safe place to shop for the chemically
sensitive! While all of our products are naturally safe,
two of the favorites for people with multiple sensitivities
include our All-Purpose Solution (for laundry, hand washing,
dishwasher, general household cleaning, etc.) and Heartland
Natural Moisturizing Cream. Call 1-888-772-2345 or click
www.heartlandnatural.com.
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IN THE NEWS – IS THIS “OLD” NEWS NEW TO
YOU?
People are beginning to say that in the next decade indoor
air issues from perfumes and fragranced products will become
as big as second-hand smoke issues today. Environmental
Health Perspectives Volume 106, December 12, 1998 has an
excellent overview of the issue in an article called “Scents
& Sensitivity” by Brandy E. Fischer. Here is the
summary:
“Throughout history, humans have used natural fragrances
for a variety of purposes, from religious rituals to aphrodisiacs.
Today, fragrances use synthetic chemical ingredients extensively
to mimic scents from nature--and there is a growing outcry
from those who claim that exposure to some fragrances adversely
affects their health. They report symptoms such as headaches,
dizziness, and nausea. Several studies indicate that 15-30%
of the general population report some sensitivity to chemicals,
including fragrances, and 4-6% report that chemical intolerance
has a major impact on quality of life. Still, a study published
in the March-April 1998 issue of Archives of Environmental
Health found that certain fragrance fumes produced various
combinations of sensory irritation, pulmonary irritation,
decreases in expiratory airflow velocity, and possible neurotoxic
effects.
There are more than 5,000 chemicals used today in the manufacture
of fragrances, most of which are derived from petroleum.
A recent study that examined the ingredients of 31 selected
fragrance products identified known mutagens, such as pinene,
and other substances, such as camphor, that have known toxic
effects at high concentrations.
Currently, the fragrance industry is essentially self-regulated
in the United States. Internationally, many companies voluntarily
adhere to safety guidelines established by the International
Fragrance Association, but they are not required to follow
any recommendations or to limit the use of any fragrance
ingredients. Research into the effects of scents is complicated
by the fact that fragrance manufacturers are protected by
"trade secret" rules from disclosing the ingredients
of their products. In addition, little is known about the
human olfactory system and how fragrance molecules pass
into the body via this system.”
For the full article, click: http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/106-12/focus.html
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ALKALIZING YOUR BODY
Is it flu season or SUGAR SEASON?
Do people get colds and flu after overloading on sugar
from Halloween, Thanksgiving, December holidays, Valentines
Day or Easter, or just because it is colder or rainier outside?
Why do they give “seasonal” flu shots in Florida
if it doesn’t get “cold” and December
marks the beginning of the dry season? Why do people with
an alkaline lifestyle rarely get colds or flu? Here are
a few facts that show it may not be you catching a cold,
but a bug catching you in a weakened state.
FACT #1: A good human “host” for a bug is a
person with a weakened immune system, with mucus already
present and a good supply of toxins (that provide food for
the bug). Animal products, including milk and cheese, are
mucus forming foods. One common source of toxins is the
chemicals added to our foods (the “white” in
sugar and flour comes from a chemical bleaching process).
FACT #2: White sugar is a serious immune depressor. Only
42 teaspoons of sugar can completely shut down your immune
system for the day. One can of cola by itself has 12 teaspoons
of sugar.
FACT #3: White sugar is at the bottom of the alkaline –
acid chart with a highly acid-forming rating of 1.0. To
quote Dr. Theodore A. Baroody (Alkalize or Die), “An
aberrant virus, fungus or bacteria in the body can only
survive in an acid environment.”
FIGHTING THE HOLIDAY SUGAR BLUES
Using super-alkalizers like fresh lemon juice or cayenne
pepper can help neutralize holiday sugar indulgences. If
you do catch a cold or the flu, fight it by ALKALIZING YOUR
BODY! Use Echinacea, lemon juice and honey drinks, freshly
extracted fruit and vegetable juices, herbal teas, and lots
of pure water. Don’t forget to eat fruits high in
vitamin C – like the persimmons in this issue’s
recipe. Try also Heartland’s Spray-eeze vitamins.
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Heartland’s Spray Nutrition offers a natural solution
for keeping your family healthy over the holidays. For seasonal
cold and allergy relief, choose Spray-eeze, which contains
effective doses of vitamin C, Zinc and Echinacea for strengthening
the immune system. Zinc kills the rhinovirus on contact
and Echinacea has a powerful anti-viral effect.
Spray vitamins provide highest absorption rates and exceptional
convenience by using oral ingestion in a gentle spray. Choose
also multi-vitamin, energy, anti-aging and weight loss formulas.
Each one is an excellent value at $9.95. To order, click
www.heartlandnatural.com/sprynut.htm or call 1-888-772-2345.
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A RECIPE FOR HEALTH
If you bite into a piece of fruit that looks like an orange
tomato and your lips pucker because of the bitter taste,
you may be chewing on an unripe persimmon. When Captain
John Smith was not busy with Pocahontas, he is quoted as
saying, "If it be not ripe it will drawe a mans mouth
awrie with much torment; but when it is ripe, it is as delicious
as an Apricock." Persimmons are a unique fall fruit
whose botanical name diasporas means “food of the
gods”. A perfectly ripened Hachiya Persimmon has an
unmatchable sweetness that some liken to ambrosia. If we’ve
piqued your interest about a fruit that may have been present
in the earliest Thanksgivings, read on at http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch210.html,
where you will also find the following recipe:
PERSIMMON FRUIT CONFETTI
This unique fruit combination is one of the sugarplums of
the autumn season. It's so rich in colors and flavors, you
can serve it often as a meal accompaniment throughout the
holidays.
1 lb. (453 gr) Red flame grapes, cut in half
3 large Fuyu persimmons, diced
2 large sweet apples, cored and chopped
2 C. (480 ml) black raisins
30 dates, pitted and chopped
1 C. (237 ml) pecans, toasted and chopped
2/3 C. (177 ml) toasted pine nuts
Combine all ingredients in a large, attractive serving bowl
and toss to distribute evenly. This fruit dish can be made
several hours ahead. Serves 8 - 10 as a side dish.
Note: Later in the season when cranberries are available,
you can add 2 cups (480 ml) of fresh cranberries, pulse
chopped in the food processor. Add these shortly before
serving to avoid loss of flavor.
MORE ON PERSIMMONS…
Nutritionally, persimmons provide a substantial amount of
Vitamin C, with the Hachiya rating slightly higher. Both
varieties can boast a high beta carotene content. The Fuyu
contains about six times as much Vitamin C as the Hachiya.
Both provide a small amount of protein, some trace B vitamins,
and moderate calcium. Potassium is their highpoint, boasting
270 milligrams for a medium persimmon.
Allow the Hachiya variety to ripen at room temperature,
a process that may take up to a week to reach a completely
soft state. Fuyu persimmons should be purchased when very
firm. Enjoy them as they are, crunchy and sweet, or allow
them to soften a bit at room temperature. There are several
varieties of Fuyu, some have sizeable black seeds inside
while others are seedless. The especially tasty Gosho variety
with its redish orange color and black seeds seems to turn
up at farmers' markets. Once ripe, persimmons don't keep
well. They should be eaten right away or refrigerated for
no more than a day or two.
Send us your own favorite recipes for keeping your family
healthy naturally! E-mail to recipes@heartlandnatural.com
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REFERENCES:
Quote sources thanks to Cyber-Nation.Com
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NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY is written, copyrighted
and produced by Heartland Products, Inc. All trademarks
are representative of the company that owns them and in
no way endorse Heartland Products, Inc. Additionally, Heartland
Products, Inc. provides this material for informational
purposes only and is not responsible for the use of the
information. For information about reprinting the NATURAL
SOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY newsletter please send
an email to info@heartlandnatural.com
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