Question from Deanna

I’m in search of a safe at home enema kit for my family.

I have narrowed it down to silicone or stainles steel bucket kits.

I called and spoke with the owner of optimalhealthnetwork.com— she said that their SS is the 300 series and is “coated with chrome containing oxide so that it does not leach metals into the enema fluid”. I knew that if SS is scratched it can leach so I dug in again and found your post on SS that goes into the details of this.

My question is, if we were to use sterilized water with an added powdered probiotic & kept care to not scratch the bucket, would this SS be a safe non toxic option for my family? The only other additives I would use may be coffee, plain chamomile tea or 24 hr yogurt.

With these I wonder if I should worry about leaching, even if it is not scratched.

My first thought was to just get silicone but it is sometimes hard to clean – the stains should be fine but it can get linty.

Debra’s Answer

It sounds like the manufacturer has done everything possible to make the stainless steel bucket as safe as possible. I would say there would be minimum leaching. It sounds like you would prefer the stainless steel.

My rule of thumb is to always do the least toxic thing, but then I balance it out by the benefits also. There may be a very large health benefit to doing enemas, and a very small toxic exposure.

We live in a world where toxic chemicals are all around. We cannot achieve zero toxic exposure. But reducing our toxic exposure in our homes and the toxic load in our bodies can greatly improve our health.

I personally don’t know of a better option, but my readers might have some suggestions. Readers?

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Question from Angelique

My husband took a new job at a company that uses a lot of auto-spray air “fresheners” in certain areas of the building. There was one in his office, but thankfully he was able to remove that.

He talked to HR, because he knows that they have a “no fragrance” policy, and if they’re worried about harming employees with fragrances, he wondered why they weren’t worried about harming them with air “fresheners.”

It turns out that the building is old and has poor ventilation, and some areas just get stale, stuffy and smelly, which is why they use the auto sprays. They told him to ask me what they could do instead of spray air fresheners. I asked him if they were trying to cover the odor of bodies, mold or something else, but he doesn’t know.

I’d love to talk to HR myself, but he’s brand new there and I don’t know if he wants me to ask them a bunch of questions. At least we have on opportunity to change the situation. Since it doesn’t sound like they’re about to improve the ventilation, I need suggestions!

Obviously I’m going to suggest air purifiers. But I know from experience that even the best purifiers — because I own $1500 Aller Airs — don’t get rid of all the odors an old building can produce. I’ve even thought of gentle fans, which help circulate stale air.

What natural, non-chemical thing would make a stuffy room seem less stuffy?

Debra’s Answer

Zeolite works very well for passive odor control, as it simply absorbs odors. Here’s a page with more information and some zeolite products: http://www.refreshinglyfree.com/Online-Catalog/Zeolite-Odor-and-Moisture-Control-Products

Also, talk to Daliya at Nirvana Safe Haven. She has a number of options for removing scents and odors.

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Question from Helen

Our teenaged son brought home a department store cologne. We went through the ingredient list on the Environmental Working Group website and found that most of the ingredients are a “moderate” hazard.” Is there a hip, manly, non-toxic scent out there that he might like?

Debra’s Answer

A hip, manly, non-toxic scent.

Hmmm. That’s not something I am looking for every day… Colognes are mostly alcohol with fragrance. Common colognes are made with alcohols and fragrances that are completely petrochemical and toxic to varying degrees.

The solution would be a natural alcohol (such as vodka) plus natural essential oils.

Try searching on organic cologne.

I found quite a few, but many had essential oils that might be problematic even if organic.

Here are a couple that sound nice to me.

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Question from Cats

Debra, Just found your site and love it. Learning so much it has got me thinking.

We have 2 indoor cats, 12 and 14 years old. Both have over active thyroid problems and take medication. My previous cat died of cancer.

Wondering, since you live a non-toxic life, do your animals fair better than the general population when it comes to health? I assume you keep them indoors?

Debra’s Answer

I currently don’t have any pets, but I have had cats in the past.

I had two cats who lived for well over ten years with no diseases. And they were outdoor cats, but I was living in a forest. Very healthy.

Of course, they were drinking filtered water and eating organic food. Real food, not cat food. But they were also living in a nontoxic enviornment.

I do think our modern lifestyle is affecting the health of our animal friends as well as our own human bodies.

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Question from Mattress Mama

Dear Debra, I would like to replace several coil spring mattresses at once , so cost is a big issue.

I have been looking at White Lotus Home and am deciding between the Green Cotton Mattress wrapped in wool with a non organic fabric cover and the Organic Cotton Mattress wrapped in wool.

The Organic Cotton version is double the price of the Green version so I was going to go with Green.

However you said in another post … “There are few, if any, pesticide residues in non-organic cotton FABRIC. This has been laboratory tested. However, there are pesticide residues in non-organic cotton BATTING. The processing of the cotton into fabric removes most, if not all, of the pesticides. The problem with pesticides on cotton is that they do go into the environment, where they pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil our food is grown in”

Isn’t cotton BATTING what makes up the core of the Green Cotton Mattress? What is a budget minded mom to do? Please advise. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Yes, cotton batting does make up the core of the Green Cotton Mattress, but it is a better choice than a synthetic mattress that is made from toxic materials and fire retardants.

You could ask them to make a mattress with non organic fabric and organic fill. That would reduce the price and still no pesticides.

I’m going to say something that I say a lot but it pertains here. Remember we live in a toxic world. What we are trying to do is REDUCE our toxic exposures because we cannot eliminate them entirely. So if you can’t afford all organic, do what you can afford. It will make a difference.

Or see if you can reduce your expenses on other items so you can buy the organic mattress. Or figure out how to get some extra money.

I always keep in mind that whatever I spend on eliminating toxics now will be fewer medical bills in the future. When I compare the cost of an organic bed now against the financial and personal cost of cancer in the future, I do what I need to do to get the money together.

Over the holidays I found I needed some money to make up for the holiday slump in my business and I just wrote emails to everyone I know locally and asked if they needed any help for the holidays. And the result was that I made a new friend and am helping him start a new business, while at the same time learning new marketing skills that are helping me in my business.

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Question from Mickie

Hi, I am looking for a non toxic hair color to color grey hair, I was wondering if you have heard of Apivita Hair Color, or if you can suggest something else. Thanks, Mickie

Debra’s Answer

This product looks good to me. Let us know how you like it after you try it.

Other suggestions are on various blog posts and Debra’s List. Just type “hair color” into the site search box.

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Question from Mickie

Is Sobakawn Cloud or buckwheat pillows o.k. for severe mcs? Bad neck and head pain from accident and no drs etc can help me can not take meds.

Mickie

Debra’s Answer

As I’ve said before, it’s difficult to evaluate anything to be safe for every individual with MCS because each has their own unique set of sensitivities.

I can tell you there is nothing I am aware of about buckwheat hull pillows that are toxic.

The Sobakawn Cloud pillow is full of “air beads” that appear to be some type of plastic. They don’t say the type of plastic and have no telephone number on their website, so I would pass on this one.

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Are you eating organic but using an ordinary over-the-counter laxative?

If you are, then read this article about polyethylene glycol in super-laxative products. The FDA has collected more than 2000 “adverse events” from such products, ranging from forgetfulness to death.

http://drkaayladaniel.com/the-poop-on-miralax/

Now if you need a laxative, that’s a sign you need to change your diet. Eat more vegetables. Drink more water. Green smoothies are fabulous. Take probiotics to repopulate your gut and enzymes to help digestive processes. Get your gut going again. Get professional help if you need to.

Digestion is vitally important to your health, to release and absorb nutrients from food and to move toxic chemicals out of your body.

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Question from sttlove

I have city water, and I recently found out that it is treated with Chloramine. I haven’t had it tested yet, but I can tell just by the smell that it is probably a high content. My family is suffering from it and it has become undesirable to bathe or shower. So, I would like to get a whole house Chloramine filter system. Does anyone know of a reputable company that specializes in this? I live in Pennyslvania. I know that Chloramine is much more complicated to remove than Chlorine, so it is important that I have the correct filtration. Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Yes, I do know of an excellent whole house chloramine filter. You are very wise to make sure you are getting the right one.

I’ve been recommending PureEffect Filters since I installed their undersink filter in my own home (read why I chose the PureEffect Ultra-UC filter to install in my own home…. They also have a whole house filter that removes these same pollutants (chloramines, fluoride, radiation, etc) from your entire house.

Go to PureEffect Filters then click on “Filter Units” in the menu. The whole house filter for city water is the last item on the page. And right at the moment they are on sale.

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Question from nicolette

Hi there. Are Debra and anyone else still recommending “ManPans” for cookware? I need a saucepan quickly. I burnt up my old Reverware pan, and I read reviews on amazon that the new Reverware is just not of good quality anymore. ManPans sound just what I’m looking for. Just so it is safe! Thank you all!

Debra’s Answer

I have a Man Pan skillet that I’ve been using for a couple of years now and it works very well. The only thing about it–and this is my personal preference, not something “wrong”–it the pan is very lightweight, and I prefer a thicker layer on the bottom. Otherwise I’m totally happy with it.

Readers? Any other comments on Man Pans?

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