Yes, you read that right. Getting the perfect glow this summer can be hazardous to your health – and not because you may overdo it and get burned.  The sunblock you so liberally apply to yourself and your children – thinking that you’re protecting your skin – may be chock full of chemicals that can make you sick.

Thankfully, we can arm ourselves with some knowledge about which chemicals to avoid when we head to the store to stock up on sun protection this season.  The Environmental Working Group’s 2012 Sunscreen Report evaluates over 1,800 SPF products including sunblock, lip balms, moisturizers, and makeup and identifies potentially harmful toxins that you should avoid if possible.  Among the chief offenders to look for on the ingredient list of your favorite products:

Oxybenzone – This ingredient’s primary purpose is to absorb ultraviolet light.  However, some research studies indicate that the chemical is absorbed through the skin and is linked to hormone disruption. It is also known to trigger allergic reactions.  Even though the FDA rates this chemical as safe, I’d suggest that everyone –children and pregnant women especially – avoid it.  Why risk your health and the health of your family by introducing this controversial chemical into your body when safer alternatives are available?

Retinyl Palmitate – In 2009, a study by U.S. government scientists suggested that retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight.  While these studies were done on mice and not humans, and the results were inconclusive, many manufacturers began voluntarily removing the ingredient from their products. 

Sunscreens with greater than SPF 50 – these are simply a waste of your money.  The FDA is on the record as saying that products with SPF values higher than 50 would be “misleading to the consumer,” given the absence of proven efficacy beyond that number.  There is also a potential for harm to consumers who are led to believe that the higher SPF will protect them from burning and encourage them to stay in the sun longer.

So what ingredients offer a healthier choice for sun protection?

• Choose products labeled with broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. 
• Look for products that contain zinc and titanium minerals as key ingredients. These perform best when it comes to filtering UV rays.  These are also not considered hormone disruptors.
• Make sure that your kids wear a hat and shirt whenever possible to protect their delicate skin.  Moms and dads should follow suit!

For a complete list of the best beach and sport sunscreen products evaluated by the Environmental Working Group, click here.   And enjoy your summer – safely!

Detoxification is a process by which your body transforms toxins and medications into harmless molecules that can easily be eliminated from your body. In order to be healthy and achieve weight loss, your body has to have the ability to detoxify well. We’ve talked a lot about toxin exposure – BPA and pesticides in our food and phthalates and parabens in household and cosmetic products – and how to reduce exposure to these toxins. But how do you help your organs and body remove these toxins? That’s what we’ll discuss today.

It’s possible that toxic exposure is as big a contributor to obesity as poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Understanding the best way to keep your detoxification organs healthy and to overcome problems associated with exposure to high levels of toxic environmental chemicals will help with weight loss. With simple lifestyle choices and utilizing some appropriate nutrients, you can keep your detoxification organs working well and increase your body’s ability to remove toxins. Common symptoms of toxin buildup in your body include headache, fatigue, muscle aches, asthma, allergies, skin disorders, and chronic infections.

Your body has four main detoxification organs: the kidney, the liver, the skin, and your gastrointestinal tract. Each of these has a different ability to break down the toxins and to detoxify medications. These abilities are based on your genetic makeup but are also modified through your diet, lifestyle, and environmental exposures.

Detoxification is mainly accomplished in two phases in your liver. In phase I, enzymes change the toxic compounds or medications into intermediate metabolites, or compounds. This is the first line of defense, and if it’s not functioning well, you’ll have toxic buildup in your body. In phase II, other enzymes convert the intermediate metabolites created in phase I into molecules that dissolve in water and can easily be removed from your body. This is where the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract come into play. Your skin, the fourth detoxification organ, is the body’s largest absorptive organ. It lets water, minerals, medications, and toxins in and out of the body. Its main goal is to protect the body from invaders, let in water to maintain hydration, keep you cool by sweating and remove toxins.

There are many nutrients you can take in supplement form to aid detoxification, and those are listed in chapter 12 of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hormone Weight Loss. Some common nutrients like herbs, green tea, vitamin C and B vitamin complex can make a big difference in the health of your liver. Saunas and steam baths and colon hydrotherapy are also good ways to detoxify your body.

Spring has sprung and many of you may be getting ready to spring clean your home. Before you do so, it’s important to know that many household cleaning products contain chemicals that could be harmful to your family’s health. Phthalates are one class of these harmful chemicals. They are found in many types of cleaners, air fresheners and plastic products. As a matter of fact, “new car smell” and vinyl shower curtain smell are due to their phthalate content. On the label, phthalates are often listed as “fragrance”.

Phthalates are currently being studied as anti-androgens. This means that they work against hormones like testosterone. Low testosterone is connected to weight gain and decreased muscle mass in women and men. Studies have shown that the U.S. population has a chronic exposure to numerous phthalates. The studies have linked the chemicals to birth defects in boys, reproductive problems in men, and thyroid problems in both men and women. Low thyroid means lower metabolism with an increased chance for weight gain.

The immune system is affected by phthalates. They create an increase in inflammation in the body because of cell damage and hormone imbalance. This inflammation can also be associated with illnesses such as allergies, asthma and contact dermatitis. In addition, the increase in cortisol demand created by the inflammation causes an increased risk of belly fat, weight gain, and severe hormonal imbalances.

Now that we’ve discussed some of the problems these chemicals can cause, let’s cover a few options you can use to spring clean your home without toxins. Essential oils, derived from plants, are incredibly versatile: antibacterial, antifungal, wonderful air fresheners and excellent cleaners. In chapter 12 of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hormone Weight Loss I outline the different essential oils and their specific household uses.

It is also possible to make your cleaners at home with a minimal amount of energy, effort and cost while significantly reducing your family’s toxin exposure. A basic shopping list includes baking soda, distilled vinegar, organic liquid dish soap, hydrogen peroxide (35% food grade from a health food store), borax, lemons, spray bottles, white vinegar and essential oils. Chapter 12 also includes some recipes for making your own cleaners, and I’ve included one example for you below. An excellent source of organic dish soap and other organic cleaners is the Vermont Soap Company.

I would suggest that you throw away air freshener sprays and plug-ins; they’re loaded with phthalates. Instead, freshen your home naturally with essential oils, organic candles, potted plants and fresh cut flowers. You can mix an essential oil with distilled water and put it in a spray bottle to spritz on your carpet, drapes and linens for a fresher-smelling room.

Glass cleaner:
½ cup distilled white vinegar
2 to 3 drops lemon oil
Distilled water

Put the white vinegar and lemon oil into a 32-ounce spray bottle. Finish filling the bottle with distilled water. Shake to mix ingredients, and use.

Published in October 2011 issue of Experience Life magazine.
by Jessie Scholl

Dr. Stanton is quoted in this article discussing the dangers of phthalates, which are found in many fragranced household products including scented soaps and air fresheners.

Environmental toxins in our food and everyday household and beauty products not only impact our health and hormones, but they can also impact our ability to lose weight. We’ve already discussed how some toxins can mimic our hormones, which prevents our bodies from using our hormones as well as make hormones, but what you might not know is that all this exposure to toxins confuses our metabolisms.

Additives and processed foods with refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup strain our livers and interrupt our detoxifying systems. These additives as well as hydrogenated fats, preservatives and artificial sweeteners do not contain any nutrients; therefore they add empty calories and create a hormone imbalance. Pesticides in our food are stored in our fat tissue, which poisons our metabolism and prevents weight loss. On top of it all, processed foods increase inflammation in our bodies, which increases demand for cortisol and creates a hormone imbalance with progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, insulin and thyroid.

Toxins found in products we use everyday like Bisphenal A, parabens, phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can impact weight loss in a number of different ways. BPA acts like estrogen and contributes to weight loss. Phthalates work against testosterone and are connected to obesity and insulin resistance. If you’re insulin resistant your body stops using sugar as energy and stores it as fat.

By switching to a whole food diet, filtering water, avoiding processed foods and using products that are organic and/or fragrance free, you can reverse the effects these toxins cause. Your liver and thyroid will function normally, which will restore hormone balance, increase your metabolism, burn more fat and your liver will be clear to release toxins from fat cells so further weight loss is possible.

We come into contact with environmental toxins in our everyday lives, but the holiday season can bring additional toxins that can further wreak havoc on our hormones. Many of these toxins can mimic other hormones like estrogen and thyroid which lead to an imbalance with other hormones. Some toxins can accumulate in tissues of glands, which inhibits our hormone production.

Toxins can be found in some holiday decorations and products. Synthetic scents from holiday air fresheners and scented candles contain phthalates and parabens that can disrupt hormones. Instead, light candles made from soy or beeswax. They burn clean and don’t emit dangerous chemicals. Excess Christmas tree trim and cinnamon sticks also work well to make your house smell like the holidays.

Fake trees – especially older ones – decorations and gift wrap can contain lead. Instead of using artificial decorations, create centerpieces and holiday accents by placing poinsettias around your house and filling baskets and vases with natural ingredients like pinecones, whole walnuts and chestnuts, artichokes, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, organic pumpkins, squash and apples. If you prefer a fake tree, try to use a newer one as they generally contain lower levels of lead and make sure to wash your hands well after assembling and decorating.

I hope these tips have helped so you can protect your home and your health this holiday season with decorations that are both beautiful and healthful.

By Jenny Block
Published December 02, 2010 | FoxNews.com

We know where it comes from and what it does. But sperm is an amazing thing, with more secrets than most of us would have guessed.

And we’re not just talking trivia here (although these fast facts might help you win a bar bet or two…) But upping your sperm IQ can help you to protect your health and your reproductive interests. And, who knows, you just might impress your partner with your sperm know-how.

Dr. David Shin, the Chief at the Center for Sexual Health & Fertility in the Department of Urology at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, offers up 13 facts about the little swimmers that may surprise you.

1. Sperm are produced in the testes and take 10 weeks to mature.
2. Mature sperm can wait up to two weeks in a holding area called the epididymis before they make their debut. The epididymis is a storage reservoir for sperm. It is an organ that sits on top of the testicle.
3. Sperm only contribute 5 percent of the total semen volume. The rest is comprised of fluids, which provide nutrients and protective medium for the sperm as it travels through the female reproductive tract.
4. Healthy men make 70-150 million sperm a day.
5. Sperm can live up to five days in a woman’s uterus, which explains why women can get pregnant over several days each month based on when she ovulates.
6. The Y sperm, which are sperm that makes males, swim faster than X sperm, which are sperm that makes females. The Y chromosome is smaller and has less genetic material compared to the X chromosome, so the Y carrying sperm can swim faster because it has less weight to transport compared to the X carrying sperm.
7. Human sperm measures 55 microns (micrometers or one millionth of a meter)
   long. The average width of a human hair is 100 microns.
8. Sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma meaning “seed.”
9. Sperm can only swim forward and not backwards.
10. Normal sperm have a head, mid-piece and a tail. Abnormal sperm can have two
    heads or two tails.
11. In the United States, sperm counts (which refer to the number of sperm present per milliliter of semen at the time of any given ejaculation) are the highest in New York. This is according to a study published in the journal “Fertility and Sterility,” although researchers have no idea why. They do know that men in New York have 50 percent higher sperm counts than men in Los Angeles.
12. Extended time in hot tubs or saunas can decrease a man’s sperm count, as heat adversely affects sperm production.
13. Lubricants, lotions and saliva all result in decreased sperm motility. In a study published in “Fertility and Sterility,” researchers noted that many lubricants tended to be ‘toxic’ to sperm, despite labeling. The researchers found it was the ingredients in the lubricants, such as glycerin, and that the slight acidity created poor conditions for sperm.

According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, giving sperm a leg up can be achieved through:
* Taking a multi-vitamin daily
* Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
* Reducing stress
* Getting regular exercise
* Watching your weight
* Steering clear of toxins, tobacco use and illicit drugs
* Limiting alcohol

In other words, having a healthy body can help one to have healthy sperm. And, ladies, you want your man to have healthy sperm if you’re trying to get pregnant, which is a lot less precarious a feat than many think.

“Human reproduction is surprisingly inefficient and quite complex,” said Dr. Alicia Stanton, an OB-GYN based in Glastonbury, Conn.
Even fertile couples having unprotected sex only have a 25 percent chance of getting pregnant, according to Stanton.

Why you ask? Well, because sperm have a long journey to accomplish and the majority of the little guys simply are not up to it.

The average sperm travels about 1-4 millimeters per minute, which would make the 175mm trip to the egg in the fallopian tube take between 45 minutes to almost 3 hours.

“It can take up to three days before a sperm reaches the egg,” Shin added.

“Of all the sperm ejaculated, only 25-50 percent is actually moving forward well,” Stanton explained.

Add to that the fact that at the young age of 25 the quality of a man’s sperm begins to decline, it truly is a miracle that any of them ever reach the finish line.

Sperm are amazing. But they are only as good as the body who produces and takes care of them. So, you can use these tidbits to help you with your next game of Trivial Pursuit or maybe if you get the phone call from “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

But, you’d be better served to use it to inspire you to find out more about all things sex. As the old saying goes, knowledge is power.

Jenny Block is a freelance writer based in Dallas. She is the author of “Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage.” Her work appears in “One Big Happy Family,” edited by Rebecca Walker and “It’s a Girl: Women Writers on Raising Daughters,” edited by Andrea Buchanan. Visit her website at www.jennyonthepage.com or check out her blog at www.jennyonthepage.blogspot.com.

You can take back control of your hormones and restore harmony with these habits.

1. Give yourself a recess at least once a day.
2. Drink filtered water and green or other herbal teas instead of soda.
3. Stay away from sugary and/or starchy foods, especially in the mornings and after dinner.
4. Eat small meals frequently, with ample vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and legumes, and some raw nuts and fresh fruit.
5. Choose organic versions of your staple foods and beverages, and others as much as possible.
6. Keep your home well ventilated and avoid air fresheners with “fragrance.”
7. Avoid synthetic fragrance and antibacterial ingredients in soaps, beauty, grooming, laundry and household cleaning products.
8. Engage in enough physical activity, of the right type, for your body.
9. Take a good quality multivitamin, CoQ10 and fish oil.
10. If necessary, take additional supplements for specific situations.

Visit http://www.hormoneharmony.org/checklist/ to download a copy of the HH Habits Checklist so you can track your progress.

Dr. Stanton discusses her book, Hormone Harmony, on the lifestyle show Connecticut Style.