As summer approaches, I always look forward to routine pedicures to show off my toes in my wide variety of sandals.

Before running off to the nail salon, I now have to think twice about the nail polish that will be utilized. Chemicals found in nail polish have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and several other negative health effects.

The National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance is working “to protect and improve the health and welfare of women working in the nation’s nail salons. To achieve this goal, the Alliance promotes further research on the health risks and impacts to nail salon workers.”

Emerging scientific research indicates that health problems in nail salon workers are linked to exposure from chemicals found in nail products.

The primary culprits are named the Toxic Trio.

Toxic Chemical 1: Toluene

Why is it in the Polish? Responsible for a nail finish that is smooth and prevents the pigment from separating from the liquid.

What is it? Clear liquid that is released into the air and can impact the Central Nervous System.

Potential Health Effects: Irritation of the eyes, throat and lungs and is a possible reproductive toxin. Low levels of exposure can cause confusion, tiredness, weakness, hearing loss, etc.

Toxic Chemical 2: Formaldehyde

Why is it in the Polish? A nail hardening agent.

What is it? Flammable, colorless gas with a pungent odor. It can evaporate into the air of a salon.

Potential Health Effects: Carcinogen (know to cause cancer). Irritation of eyes, nose, throat and skin.

Toxic Chemical 3: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

Why is it in the Polish? Provides flexibility to nail polish and acts as a moisturizing
sheen.

What is it? Fragrance ingredient, solvent & plasticizer (added to products to increase its fluidity)

Potential Health Effects: Women of childbearing age are very susceptible to the negative health effects of phthalates. In pregnant women, DBP has been linked to reproductive
problems in baby boys.  Decreased sperm count in adult men has also been shown.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is working diligently on changing the beauty & cosmetic industry to manufacturer non-toxic products.  Until then, here’s a list of “Three-Free” nail polish brands.  It’s important to Bring Your Own Polish to the Nail Salon if they do not carry these brands:

• Acquarella
• CHI
• NailTini
• Butter London
• Colorpops
• OPI Products
• Chanel
• Lippman Collection
• Orly International
• China Glaze
• L’oreal USA
• Rescue Beauty Lounge
• Revlon
• Seche
• SpaRitual
• Suncoat
• Zoya
• No-Miss

Several Data Elements Adapted from the National Health Nail Salon Alliance’s “Phasing out the Toxic Trio Report”

Image courtesy of technizzel.com

I fell deeply in love with sushi – I ate every type of roll from the newbie’s shrimp tempura to a sushi connoisseur’s barbeque eel roll.

I embarrassingly craved sushi all of the time and even began to pick up the small sushi platters that became popular in the chain grocery stores. Eating two sushi rolls and a cup of miso soup was so filling, tasty and healthy ~ or so I thought.

I stopped my sushi habit cold turkey when I began to learn about the high levels of contamination in seafood. Furthermore, I was consuming raw seafood from restaurants that most likely were not purchasing low-contamination, eco-friendly fish.

Information is now available that help us choose safer sushi which is awesome news for the green sushi lovers of the world. Seafood Watch®, a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has a vision for sustainability which is to “help sustain wild, diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems that will exist long into the future…..by encouraging consumers and businesses to purchase seafood that is fished or farmed in ways that don’t harm the environment. When there is scientific uncertainty, we err on the side of conservation.”

Seafood Watch developed a sushi guide to help consumers and restaurant owners choose the most eco-friendly and least contaminated seafood available. Seafood Watch also provides action items on What You Can Do to help solve these pollution problems:

• Order fish from the Best Choice and Good Alternatives List

• Talk with your Chef about sustainable seafood and slip them the seafood guide

• Spread the Word about Sustainable Seafood – Post a link on Twitter or Facebook

Seafood Watch also provides a fun quiz entitled “Not all sushi is created equal” which tests your Sustainable Sushi Smarts.

I now look forward to going to a good sushi restaurant to devour an Iwana roll dipped in wasabi and soy sauce, salad with ginger dressing and a shot of sake.

Images courtesy of Seafood Watch and library.thinkquest.org

The manufacturing of bottled water is not highly regulated which leads to unverified water quality issues. 10 major bottled water brands underwent a safety test conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Several toxins were discovered:

• · Disinfection by-products
• · Drugs
• · Chemicals that leach from Plastics
• · Bacterial Contamination
• · Arsenic
• · Radioactive pollutants
• · Fertilizer pollution: Nitrate & Ammonia

Each of these contaminants poses unique health risks including, but not limited to, cancer, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, neurotoxicity and birth defects.

Moreover, certain populations such as the elderly and infants may be more vulnerable to these effects.

Although some may argue that certain chemicals are present in low doses, the consistent exposure of each of the individual pollutants along with the combined intake of these chemicals throughout one’s lifetime justifies the need for precaution.

Filtered tap water is a healthier and greener option. However, if you are in a situation in which you have to drink bottled water, use the EWG Bottled Water Widget to help make the best choice.

Image courtesy of menupages.com

Haiti would not be the first place you think about when trying to regain health and vitality. Ironically, working on my computer day in and day out in my pursuit to bring the world green health resources, was slowly deteriorating my health! I was eager to break out of the daily grind to lend a hand to the Natural Health program in Leogane, Haiti (now, one of the most devastated cities due to the recent earthquake).

What could this developing country possibly offer a sophisticated westerner such as myself?

1). SLOW down to speed up Health.

The director of the NEGES foundation reminded me before I left that “Haitians aren’t in a hurry.” It takes time to adjust to NOT feeling like you have to wake up at a certain hour, early in the morning and work vigorously through a daily 9-5 routine. My body and mind needed a couple of weeks of a slower pace of living. Haiti was the perfect place.

2). A technology DETOX.

Haiti definitely has cell phones, computers, TVs and the like, however the fast speed connections, flatscreens in every room of the house (or even in every house) and the ability to stay wired 24 hours a day is not prevalent. What a blessing in disguise! Although I am deeply infatuated with my MAC computer and enjoy the novelty of iPhone apps, I had a fantasy filled, secret love affair with waking up to the cry of roosters, spending my days on a small farm with chickens scurrying and chillaxin’ to great face-to-face conversations increasing my fluency in French.

3) The SUN is the best antidote.

Vitamin D deficiency is a huge problem in the U.S and has been implicated in perpetuating many conditions such as cancer, viral infections, depression etc. My body was screaming for natural light and rebelled at me constantly allowing a computer screen to block its path to delight in the Sun’s rays. For two whole weeks, I spent a total of 5 minutes on a computer and 15 minutes on a cell phone in exchange for free doses of sunlight while working outdoors. My body, mind and spirit came into full agreement that this was the smartest move I made since my pact to naturally heal the three of them several years ago.

4) Don’t forget ENJOYMENT & PEOPLE in your pursuit of Healthy Eating.

The observations of the French eating highly fattening foods without suffering from obesity or heart disease led to the theory of “The French Paradox.” The French paradox alludes to the fact that the enjoyment of food and slow eating can’t be left out of the equation of a healthy diet. While spending time in France’s former colonial conquest, I was able to spend several of my meal times eating with my newfound Haitian family (I admit that I am notorious for eating in a hurry and it is rare that I have the opportunity to dine with someone). This led me to write a poem entitled “Manger avec Moi” (translates to Eating with Me) that captured how the Haitians provided me with a deeper experience of Love & Health through our meal times together.

This is not an absolute truth, however; as anything you do to protect the environment ultimately produces positive effects on human health. Nonetheless, there are several green habits just 1° of separation from protecting your body and the earth.

1) Got Mercury? Mercury, a neurotoxin, is extremely hazardous to human health especially in children and developing fetuses. Use this calculator to make healthier seafood choices and AVOID mercury.

2) Pollution in my Neighborhood? It may be easier for you to take action if you understand just how bad pollution is on your street. Scorecard.org allows you to put in your zipcode to determine:

• Toxic Chemical Levels
• Air & Water pollution
• Companies that are the biggest environmental offenders

Don’t underestimate the impact of toxic substances (like lead), air and water pollution and their effects on your health. More importantly, don’t underestimate the health effects of all 3 of these combined!

3) Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Chemicals are in virtually all cosmetics and body care products even some of the ones claiming to be natural (exceptions exist only for a handful of truly Green beauty companies). These chemicals have been linked to cancer, birth defects and several other health problems. Consumers can search based on ingredients, cosmetic company and product name to determine potential toxic exposure. (Check out our post on this subject: Chemicals in your cosmetics)

4) What’s on my food? This is a very profound, even prophetic question. If you are jaded about the organic revolution then run your conventional foods through this calculator and you may have a change in heart. The fact that a tool had to be developed to actually quantify pesticide levels along with listing the specific contaminants is a reality check of how far off balance we have become in producing pure foods – a master key for creating health.

5) Healthystuff.org has widgets to guide you when shopping for kids toys and other products so you won’t choose ones that are manufactured with high levels of lead, arsenic, PVC, cadmium, mercury and other chemicals (Kids Stuff & Chemicals). Needless to say, removing these chemicals from a child’s environment is a powerful green choice to make.

These gift ideas suit every price, taste and age range:

10. Choose organic chocolates like Endangered Species dark chocolate for stocking stuffers. Real chocolate (not the artificial, processed, high fructose flavored imitations) can actually create positive health benefits. The superior taste of organic chocolate equals a win-win situation.

9. Organic Gift Baskets from It’s only Natural Gifts. It is common protocol for companies to give gift baskets to clients during the holidays. Instead of the same old cheese, sausage and crackers box, you can “build-your-own organic gift basket” and choose from a wide variety of organic candy, coffee, herbs, soaps, etc. You also select a natural “basket” that is either an eco-friendly box or canvas bag with the option of adding your corporate logo. Prices range from $5.95 to $154, which is no different from the cost of conventional gift baskets. Now you can impress your clients by gifting the organic, healthy and glamorous!

8. Non-toxic makeup and bodycare products from Ava Anderson. Skip the over-hyped, fruity lotions and bath sprays that people swarm over at malls! If you still have some of those products left over from last year, quickly scan them through the skin deep cosmetics database to determine their toxic scores from a scale of 0-10. Ava Anderson products received the best score of ZERO unlike many of the purported “natural”” products on the market. Besides, Ava Anderson has an amazing story behind her non-toxic start-up ~ this is not your average 14-year old to give you a clue….

7. Gift Cards to local, sustainable, mom & pop restaurants and grocery stores in your community. Instead of giving gift cards from the chain restaurants, support small businesses that work hard to bring organic and green options to your neck of the woods.

6. My heart melts when I hear about kids being introduced to mind-body techniques that will support them through this wild adventure we call life. Very few of us learned how to cope with life challenges in non-toxic and healthy ways during childhood. The Chopra center offers a kids breathing CD entitled I Take a DEEEP Breath! (I Am a Lovable Me).Teaching children about healthy coping skills that will last throughout their lifetime is one easy way to change the world.

5. Remember those juicing infomercials with Jack LaLanne (for the Jack Lalanne Juicer)? I hope you weren’t laughing because the joke’s on you – he just turned 95 years old a couple months ago and is an active, vibrant member of society! Fresh juice made with organic fruits and vegetables cannot compare to anything you buy in grocery stores. Juicing can be a lot of fun when you experiment with different recipes and flavors. A good juicer (like this one – minimal clean up & superior extraction quality) can cost at least a hundred dollars, so give this to a loved one that will appreciate its true value (and to someone you want to enjoy for years to come)

4. A Double sustainable gift would be a subscription to a CSA (community supported agriculture) that will deliver seasonal, fresh-from-the-farm, locally-grown, organic foods throughout the year! Check out localharvest.org to see how it works:

Example: Full Share: $375 per harvest season – 4 harvest seasons per year. Full share members will receive a weekly produce basket for a family of 4. Half Share: $200.00 per season for a weekly basket for a family of 2.

3. Before I begin, Men – please purchase this gift for your significant other IN ADDITION to conflict free diamonds and trips to Patagonia. Water filters (like this one from Watts) aren’t the most endearing gift, nevertheless its short and long-term value is bar none – there is no controversy on the health benefits of pure water. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has an entire program dedicated to helping consumers learn about contaminants in water and tools to help purchase quality water filters (not an easy task). Most importantly, commit to relinquish the low-value-high-cost giving habit and use your holiday dollars to make investments in your health that are truly priceless.

2. Tech toys fly off store shelves on Black Friday but have you ever taken a moment to consider how these items might impact human and environmental health? The EWG developed a user-friendly online tool to present groundbreaking, scientific evidence linking cell phone radiation and its potential to cause cancer and other diseases. Dr. Mercola recommends the BlueTUBE (instead of blueTOOTH) headset technology to decrease cell phone radiation. So add a little precaution to your high-tech gift list.

1. The No-thing gift. If your budget can’t swing the Physical don’t discount the Metaphysical. It sounds corny and cliché but the greenest gift of all is to forgo the consumerism frenzy and give your time to people and organizations that you cherish. As long as you carry a great attitude – YOU can be the non-toxic and no-cost gift . Offer family, friends, charities and strangers your time, energy and joy this season.

Image courtesy of itsonlynaturalgifts.com