100 years of celebrating birthdays -- Sponsored video

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Cancer Society. 

 Cancer is all around us. We'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't been touched by cancer. At least in the United States, where we're surrounded by carcinogens daily. We're either breathing in toxic substances, consuming them, or rubbing them into our skin with carcinogen-packed products deemed "safe" by the FDA. It's beyond frustrating. 

I'm a proponent of cancer-prevention, but the fact remains that we also have to focus on cures and support for those who have this insidious disease. 

I've had my own brush with cancer twice in my life. In 1982, while pregnant with my second child, I had cervical cancer. Recently, I was diagnosed with skin cancer. Both were easily treatable. 

Several years ago, a family member was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Fortunately, it was found early, through a routine mammogram, and she is now cancer-free.

Other family members succumbed to asbestosis, a lung cancer stemming from working in my hometown's asbestos factory.

Cancer. Is it not one of the nastiest words in the English language?

There was a time when the word was rarely spoken aloud. It was whispered, or not said at all, perhaps in fear of the word itself being contagious. Some cancers maintain that stigma. But it's time to end the silence!

This year, on my birthday, the American Cancer Society will turn 100 years old (May 22, 2013). In 1913, 15 determined physicians and business leaders with a mutual desire to raise awareness of cancer, succeeded in starting an organization that is now the world's leader in the fight to end the disease. With a goal of creating more birthdays, the ACS has contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since the early 90s. During that time, they've played a role in saving nearly 1.2 million lives. 

While I believe they still have a long way to go to diminish the preventable cases of cancer due to the FDAs lenience about carcinogens in products, their work is partially responsible for the 50 percent drop in smoking since the 60s, which has contributed to a drop in overall lung cancer death rates (from first, second and third hand smoke).

By the end of this year, the American Cancer Society is hoping to enroll at least 300,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the country to participate in a historic research study called the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). It will be interesting to follow the developments related to this study. 

One of the things I appreciate about the ACS is the practical assistance they give to people during their treatment, such as providing them with a free place to stay and/or rides to and from the treatment facilities. 

What do we need to do? We need to keep fighting for everyone to have access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, toxin-free products, and food free from carcinogens.

And we need to stop whispering and hiding from the word. CANCER needs to be talked about. Silence won't finish the fight!

Thursday's Truths and Tidbits

I hate cancer.

Later today, we'll be going to my daughter's mother-in-law's viewing. She just turned 51 in the middle of June. Now she's gone. Cancer ate away at her until she could no longer fight it. And, plainly speaking, that sucks.

Cancer. That insidious disease that just worms its way in and wreaks havoc wherever it goes. Yet we still don't seem to get it. We surround ourselves with carcinogens and we joke about it, "Well, I'm gonna die sometime." Yeah, real funny.

For the most part, I've come to accept that we cannot rid our lives of carcinogens and other toxins completely. After all, no matter what we do in our own homes, once we step foot outside, we're exposed.

We eat at a restaurant on a table that's been cleaned with bleach. We go to the restroom and breathe in air freshener with naphthalene. We wash our hands with antibacterial soap with triclosan. We work in office buildings or schools full of formaldehyde and other toxins. Our neighbors douse their yards with Roundup. The list goes on and on. And on and on. And it's enough to make us ... well ... sick!

Recently, my husband and I stayed at a B&B. It was lovely, until I laid my head down on the pillow and breathed in a nice whiff of fabric softener!! Gasp. Gag. Gross.

We can't get away from it. Do you know why they label something as a carcinogen? Because it's been proven to cause cancer. What part of that do people not get?????

Do not use toxic shampoos on your baby's tender scalp. Do not use sunscreens on your kids that are high on the list of toxins on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Be a responsible parent and check these things out. Don't just assume that they are safe because they have the words "gentle" or "natural" or "safe for baby" on them. Advertisers lie. The FDA does not have your best interest in mind. Every day we learn of more and more hazardous products that the FDA deemed safe.

And while I'm on a rant ... it's about those stupid pink ribbons. I'm all for research. I'm all for finding a cure. What I'm not for is the fact that they slap the pink ribbons on anything that will accept them, without checking to see if any of the ingredients cause cancer ... and many of them do. There are no words.

Parents -- you have to be proactive in keeping your kids safe. Can you protect them completely from carcinogens? Unfortunately, no. But you can do your best, and I encourage you to do just that. For many of us, like my daughter's mother-in-law, it's too late. We are part of a generation that didn't know any better. We embraced innovation without regards to potential dangers. We ditched natural products for ones laden with chemicals we couldn't pronounce because they promised better results. Yikes.

You have some choices. Use them wisely.

And that's it for today's truths and tidbits. Any thoughts?

The government will keep you safe from toxins...NOT!

What does Europe have that American's don't? A union that is working for the health of its people and the environment. The European Union enforces recycling and safety regulations that are unheard of here in the U.S. Well, maybe not unheard of, but certainly widely ignored.

Did you know that the toxic products we use here in the States have health-friendly and eco-friendly alternatives, that we make here in the U.S. but are exported to countries that apparently care more about their citizens. These safer versions are being sold to Europeans, Japanese and -- are you ready for this -- Mexicans!

From personal care products (that you've heard me rant about before) to toys, automobiles, food and even computers, American companies are producing duplicate versions of each -- one loaded with toxins and environmentally-unfriendly gunk, and the other free of those things. Why? Because those other countries would stop buying our products otherwise. But here in the good ol' U.S. of A., our government continues to allow companies to poison the men, women, children and environment here.

This makes me angry. Unless you've already rid your home of the culprits, most of you will find dozens of things in your cupboards and cabinets that are known carcinogens. Doesn't that make you sick? It does me. But don't take my word for it. Take a virtual stroll over to the website for the Environmental Working Group and type in some of the ten-plus syllable ingredients in some of your personal care items...or disposable diapers, for that matter. We are unwittingly exposing our children to things that cause cancer everyday!!

According to Mark Schapiro, author of EXPOSED, other countries don't even want our stuff anymore...at least not the stuff we consumers are buying in the U.S. The reason? Because they refuse to expose their citizens to the toxins in our Made in America products. Ouch. Recycling and safety regulations are so stringent in other countries, compared to our lacksadasical ones. An example Schapiro cites in the book regards the components in electronic equipment. Travel outside of the U.S. and you'll find these items are lead- and mercury-free and are made of reusable materials.

While Europeans tend to try to avoid injury by eliminating toxins, American policy makers spend their time analyzing the cost/benefit -- i.e. How much will it cost to change over to non-toxic substances vs. What is the potential cost to human health.  Doesn't that just give you the warm fuzzies? So glad our government agencies care so much about us.

The fact is most of the toxins in our personal care products in the United States are banned in other countries. Yes, you read that correctly -- banned!! This news is beyond disturbing.

Proctor & Gamble was mentioned in the book after Schapiro met with one of their executives. He asked why phthalates were still in their nail polishes, despite the known fact that they are endocrine disruptors? Well, because, according to this unnamed executive, that's the way the consumers wanted it. Eventually, the phthalates were eliminated...but it was a hush-hush deal. P&G was afraid of lawsuits if the public knew they dragged their feet on this, despite what they knew for years. Well, we know now...anyone want to start a class action suit? Only kidding...kinda.

If we are honest and realistic, we know why toxic substances continue to pollute our products. It is all about the bottom line. It is always about the bottom line.

So read, read, read your labels. If you don't know what something is, look it up. If you are in the U.S., the government is not going to protect you. Face that fact now, and do all you can to protect yourself and your family. After all, what good is it if you only feed your children organic food, but you lather up their hair with baby shampoos packed full of carcinogens and other toxins?

If you are concerned about the products you use, buy from companies like Leaf & Bud Naturals, Earth Mama Angel Baby or As I Am Naturals. Of course, there are many other natural and safe products out there. Just make sure you do your research before exposing your family to one more unnecessary carcinogen or toxic substance. Their health depends on it!

Keeping it healthy,

Hana