I flinched, waiting for it to sting, but it didn’t. I quickly rinsed my eye and felt fine.

Then I thought to myself, “Phew! That would have hurt like a M-ther F-er if that had been Clorox.”

But at least my eyeballs would have been ultra disinfected, right?

I haven’t used a harsh chemical cleaner in about five years. I think in that time, we might have used real bleach once or twice to get at some stubborn mold in our basement. But that’s it. For the most part, I clean with vinegar, baking soda, castile soap,  BonAmi, and a few Ecover products, particularly our dish soap, our floor cleaner, and a multi-purpose spray.

And, guess what?

You won’t believe it.

I promise you are in for a huge surprise.

Ready?

My house is just as clean, if not cleaner, than yours.

Yes, my house, wiped and sprayed with non-toxic, natural or plant-derived substances, is CLEAN.

In fact, I think my house is cleaner now than it’s ever been. Mostly, because now that I know what’s inside all those cleaning products my mom used when I was growing up and I used up until a few years ago (ie. Lysol, Pine Sol, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, etc.) I think of houses cleaned with those products as DIRTY.

Not the kind of dirty you can see or swipe with your hands across a cabinet, but the kind of dirty the clogs up your lungs when you breathe it in. That makes your asthma worse.

That burns your eyes when it splashes back into them.

Those products no longer “smell clean” to me.

They smell like poison.

I’ve been…reconditioned.

Yeah. Me, too.

On the one hand, it pisses me off pure and simple. Someone thinks I don’t make enough money to be able to “afford” the non-toxic products I buy (in my case, organic produce, gluten-free flours and pasta, non-toxic beauty care, and green cleaning products) or the out-of-network services I occasionally employ (chiropractic, yoga, osteopathy). The truth is: They’re right. I don’t make enough money.

But, rather than condem me for making bad choices, I’d much prefer your compassion. And, even moreso, would welcome your volunteer efforts at finding me a corporate sponsor to fuel my family’s needs.

If you know anyone in the biz, feel free to tip them off to my family. You know: Tinkyada, Udi’s, Stonyfield Farms, Ecover. I’d gladly place their banners on not only my blog, but also on my vehicle, house, and at least two of my children’s foreheads if they decide to sponsor our family.

In the meantime, instead of talking about me behind my back, perhaps you should consider the back pain/chronic cough/sinus infection/asthma/ADHD/ear infections, you and your offspring seem to suffer from quite often. Perhaps you should consider spending less time counting my money (or lack therof) and more time reading the books and articles that continue to show the links between lifestyle choices and illness.

Perhaps you have my best interest in mind (and at heart).

Perhaps you only want me to have the best and to succeed.

Perhaps you worry about me.

Perhaps.

But, perhaps you should consider that there are many elements that make up a happy and healthy life.

Perhaps, the organic produce makes me sick less often, so I don’t miss work.

Perhaps, the gluten-free diet gives me more energy, which allows me to pursue greater, and more lucrative opportunities.

Perhaps, the less toxic household cleaners keeps us away from the pediatrician and the steroids and the high pharmacy bills.

Perhaps…

I loved this movie.

I loved the energy of the newsroom. I fully related to Hunter’s character, Jane – even as an adolescent. I glimpsed a part of me in her erratic, emotional behavior. I had a little crush on both William Hurt (Tom) and Albert Brooks (Aaron). And like Jane, I could not fully commit to either.

One of the most memorable moments in the film for me, though, is when Jane, seemingly out of nowhere, decides to shut herself up in her motel room, unplug her phone from the wall, sit on the side of the bed and cry.

There is nothing tragic or frustrating that happens immediately in advance of her fit. She chooses to cry. As if its part of her daily routine (which we see later, it is). She then turns off the water works as suddenly as she began. She cleans herself up and moves on.

Wow, I remember thinking the first time I saw this.

Brilliant.

I didn’t have the word therapeutic in my vocabulary then, but I do now. And that’s how I interpreted Jane’s cry.

It was good for her. She needed it.

Release.

As I predicted even then, I do share that erratic energy and emotion with Jane. And just like Jane, every once in a while (and sometimes more often than not), I really, desperately need a good, hard, planned, decisive cry.

It clears my head and allows me to finally see the path to the other side.

Try to remember this in times of great stress, intense feeling, or even pent up anger. Maybe you’re not a cryer, but a screamer.

Go scream.

Maybe you’re a puncher.

Go find a punching bag.

Do your best to carry on in private, since the folks around you might not understand or appreciate that all you’re really looking for is the release.

You don’t want their hugs or their words of solace.

You just need to fucking cry, thank you very much.

And when you do, you’ll feel better.

You. The person who spends hours on the computer reading health, food and fitness blogs, but won’t show up in real life?

You. The mom who asks a million questions a day on Urban Mom, but won’t leave her house after dark to show up to an event where those questions might actually be answered?

You. The person who sits at home watching “Iron Chef America,” instead of trying out the “Cooking with Healing Spices” seminar at your local community center?

Where ARE you?

Where ARE you when the expert comes to the local health food store to talk about matters that are relevant to you and your family?

Where ARE you when there is a FREE Reiki Circle?

And, where ARE you when you’re invited to a panel discussion with wellness practitioners hosted at your church or synagogue?

Or a holistic health fair with FREE chair massage?

Or a FREE yoga for charity demonstration?

If all the people with undiagnosed chronic illness…

If all the people who parent children with…

If all the people who spend all their time bitching away on message boards and on Facebook fan pages actually came to REAL-LIFE, in person events, you might actually have one-on-one face time with someone who can answer your questions.

If all the people who complain that preventative wellness is too expensive actually picked up their pocketbooks and carried them to the FREE or low-cost community wellness events, they might have the conversation with someone who will change their life.

A conversation. Free. 

A wellness fair or workshop. $10

Finally meeting the person who has the solution to what ails you? Priceless.

The resources are out there. I know because I’m the person organizing these kinds of events.  Or sponsoring them. Or speaking at them. Or attending them. But I’m in the minority.

Where ARE you?

As someone who tries hard to make those resources available to you in an accessible, non-confrontational way, I have a simple request:

Show up.

Get off your butt. Leave your house. And show up.

Not all the time. But some time.

Show up. Try something new. Ask a question.

Show up. Just once. Show up.

RSVP. Bring a friend. Take a chance.

Show up.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

 Watch “Mompetition.”

Comic and post excerpted from the original by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

Humans are the only species on the planet who actually go out of their way to feed their children crap. All other animals instinctly seek out the best nutrition they can find. Birds find grubs, worms and insects to feed their young, honeybees painstakingly collect pollen and create a nutrient-rich superfood that gives rise to a living queen bee, and even dogs, cats and cows try to find the most nutrient-rich foods to offer their offspring.

But humans? Most of them “reward” their children with junk food, sugary sodas, candy laced with petrochemical coloring additives and refined sugars that promote obesity and diabetes. Most parents don’t even make any real effort to follow nutritional discipline at home — they simply buy whatever their children saw advertised on television, caving in to the all-powerful “nag factor” that junk food companies fully exploit when marketing to children.

As a result, human children are the least healthy youngsters of any species on the planet. Baby dolphins are healthier than baby humans, for example, and they are born with healthier nervous systems, fewer toxins and a lot more common sense…Read More.

By Maureen H. McDonnell R.N.

I know some people like to wait until all the medical research has been done, the evidence is indisputable, and their physician conveys guidelines endorsed by the American Cancer Society or the AMA before making any changes to their lifestyle or diet. 

Personally, I don’t have the time or the inclination to wait!   Not when 1 in every 8-9 women is developing breast cancer, and not when good friends, colleagues and neighbors are being diagnosed way too frequently.

My sister (who has lost several close friends to breast cancer) lamented recently “it’s not a matter of ‘if’ anymore, it’s a matter of ‘when!’”  Being Irish, stubborn, and a strong believer in the idea that there’s always more we can learn and do to optimize our health, I refuse to accept this doomsday philosophy.  Knowledge about health is power, and being proactive about preventing illness (even when we and our physicians don’t have all the answers) is the smartest choice we can spend our time and money on.

Before I review what we can do to prevent breast cancer, I’d like to say to those women who have already developed the disease …Please don’t feel guilty.  First of all, illness is not always  preventable and second, other than the typical suggestions we read about (such as don’t  smoke, drink less alcohol, eat healthy fats), much of the information that is coming out now for preventing breast cancer we just didn’t have access to a short time ago.  

Additionally, despite billions of dollars spent on research, the medical establishment still doesn’t know the exact causes of breast cancer nor do they understand the specific interplay between genetic factors, environmental toxicity, hormones and diet and why some women are more vulnerable than others.

What comes to mind when you think about breast cancer prevention besides monthly self-breast exams and routine mammograms?  

I, too, had to think for a moment when I asked myself that question. Because although the above screening techniques are essential methods for early detection of an already existing tumor (and therefore can improve the prognosis), they only find the abnormality or problem once it occurs.  They don’t actually prevent breast cancer.

Given the current statistics, the question that begs to be answered is: What more can we do to prevent breast cancer from forming in the first place?

Let’s look at risk factors. 

Although 50% of women who develop breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors, there are several that we know of that increase one’s chances of developing breast cancer. 

• Gender (obviously women develop it more often than men)
• Age: the older you are, the higher the risk (to a certain age),
• Family or personal history of breast cancer
• Having dense breast tissue,
• Long term estrogen exposure (meaning you started menstruation early and or experienced a late menopause),
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (of the non-bio-identical type)
• Not carrying pregnancy to term (When a woman carries to term, she has higher levels of progesterone in the last 2 trimesters which cause breast cells to mature.   The more mature breast cells are, the less likely they are to develop cancer).
• Radiation ( including chest xray and mammograms )
• Heritage Ashkenazi  Jews (1 in every 300-600).
• A heavy animal based non-organic diet
• Environmental pollution
• Stress
• Smoking
• Genetics:  BRCA-1 gene mutation: > risk by 57% risk  BRCA 2: > risk by 49%

Sounds a bit dismal, but here’s the good news:

The American Cancer Society says that 33 percent of all cancers are related to diet and physical activity issues.  Other studies, however, have found that 50 percent of cancers are preventable with regular exercise and healthy eating habits.  An even more optimistic view comes from Dr. Elizabeth Vaughn, MD, an integrative physician from Greensboro, NC who estimates up to 90% of cancers are preventable.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that the information coming out of our leading cancer institutes such as the American Cancer Society is too vague and focused on early detection and not prevention. 

It’s time for women to look beyond these conventional guidelines to more cutting-edge research and concepts in order to develop effective strategies for preventing this illness.  Let’s examine the difference between these two perspectives by comparing a few of the suggestions from the American Cancer Society with recommendations from credible alternative/progressive health care providers who advocate prevention.

Statements from the American Cancer Society regarding chemicals, pesticides and the relevance of organic and genetically modified food:

“Whether or not environmental chemicals that have estrogen-like properties (such as those found in some plastic bottles or certain cosmetics and personal care products) increase breast cancer risk is not clear at this time. If there is an increased risk, it is likely to be very small. Pesticides and herbicides can be toxic when used improperly in industrial, agricultural, or other occupational settings. Although vegetables and fruits sometimes contain low levels of these chemicals, overwhelming scientific evidence supports the overall health benefits and cancer-protective effects of eating vegetables and fruits. At present, there is no evidence that residues of pesticides and herbicides at the low doses found in foods increase the risk of cancer, but fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating.”
“No convincing evidence has shown that any additive at these levels causes human cancers.”
“At this time, no research exists to demonstrate whether (organic) foods are more effective in reducing cancer risk than are similar foods produced by other farming methods.”
“There is no evidence at this time that the substances found in bio-engineered (GMO) foods…. are harmful or that they would either increase or decrease cancer risk because of the added genes.”

Cutting Edge Approach: Compare this information with the concepts taught by James Biddle, MD (an integrative physician in Asheville, N.C.) in his presentation on breast health when he explained that there are over 80,000 chemicals in use in the US and less than 12% have been tested for safety in humans.  Some of these chemicals are referred to as Xeno-estrogens  (or “alien”) because they mimic our own estrogen in their capability to stimulate estrogen receptors in a dangerous way.  

Unlike the weak statement from the American Cancer Society, Dr. Biddle strongly suggests that women reduce their exposure to toxins (by using green cleaning and personal care products) and eating organically to avoid the damaging effects on breast tissue from hormone disrupting chemicals.

In addition to recommending adequate protein, he emphasizes the importance of eating more like a vegetarian (5 servings of veggies and fruit per day) along with healthy Omega 3 fats (flax oil, fish oil etc), high fibrous foods like whole grains and especially cruciferous vegetables including Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale.  He also suggests eating foods that have a lower glycemic-index (to avoid blood sugar spikes which can trigger an inflammatory response).  

It’s most important to eat organic dairy, Dr. Biddle, says because “every non-organic cow in this country has an estrogen pellet under the skin of its ear to get a 10 fold increase in milk production. The cows also excrete that estrogen into the milk.  To prevent infections of the udders, the cows are also given antibiotics.  So the resistant bacteria we are seeing that are not responding to even the strongest antibiotics are not just coming from antibiotics that physicians prescribe for humans, it’s due to the fact that 70-90% of the antibiotics used in the US are given to  livestock.”  (The overuse of antibiotics…that’s another article!)

Elizabeth Vaughn, MD suggests that the connection between toxins and breast cancer can’t be overemphasized: “Breast Cancer is the final stage of years of ongoing damage to the breasts from exposure to toxins and an impaired or overwhelmed immune system.”

The organizations we have placed in charge of our health are not responding quickly enough to the urgent need for cancer prevention solutions, and the recommendations they do give women are in many cases too weak, too vague, and too mainly focused on early detection.  It is up to us to reach beyond mainstream recommendations and seek out physicians, researchers and sources of information that emphasize prevention.   As women, we need to be better informed and proactive in our self-care so that more of us, as well as our sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts and friends, will be spared from developing this devastating disease.

This article is excerpted with permission from the author from “What More Can We Do Now to Prevent Breast Cancer?” originally published on www.sokhop.com

For those of you who don’t already know, I’m not just a wellness bitch, but I am also a mom to three young kids. I am a wife. And a business owner. And an active community member. I’m a daughter and a friend. I have a lot going on.

By choice, of course.

Most days, I’m thrilled with that choice. I like being active and involved. I see results in both my personal and professional lives by connecting with others.

But sometimes I just want to walk out the door, down the street, and hitch a ride to Jamaica.

Sometimes I want to bag my choices and stuff them in a drawer.

Sometimes I just want to get by.

You know what I mean, right?

For example:

I can’t deal with the noise level in the car so I let the kids watch the DVD player even though it’s reserved for long trips.

I let my kids fall asleep to the TV in my bed because I’m too exhausted to be the good mommy who reads stories and snuggles.

I pretend to be horny even when I’m not so it will go quickly and we can watch Mad Men together.

Breakfast for dinner.

Take out.

Tylenol.

Yelling.

Sweatpants.

Not really the woman I want to be.

When I was having a tough day the other day and made one of the above choices, my husband said, “Some days we need to just get by.”

He’s right.

But it’s too easy to get stuck in the habit of just getting by.

You’re going along, making choices simply to survive, simply to get through the moment or the day. And before you know it, all those ”just getting bys” turn into “the way it is.”

So, the WAKE UP CALL for today is: Go easy on yourself. Allow yourself time to get by. But when your days become littered with “getting bys,” you’re getting farther and farther away from the life you choose.

Declare an end date.

And begin again.

And it’s through my love and compassion for people that I bitch about wellness.

I don’t, however, confuse compassion with silence or censorship. Nor do I associate bitchiness with complaint and cruelty. This is why I don’t tell people to their faces that I think they need to lose weight. Nor do I call out particular individuals who are struggling with health-related issues.

Admittedly, what I do here is demand your attention. And often times, I demand action. And I fully understand it’s not what you’re used to hearing.

You’re used to hearing: “It’ll be ok. You’re doing a great job.”

Not WAKE UP! Educate yourself!

You’re used to hearing: “Baby steps.”

Not WAKE UP! You’re killing yourself.

You’re used to reading blogs and articles that stroke your ego, give you a virtual hug, or tell you once again, the twelve-step answer to your life long chronic problem.

Not WAKE UP! The time to make a change is now.

When I say WAKE UP, I intend for you to ask yourself, “Is this the life I want to be living? Is this the body I want to be walking around in? Is this the state of health I want to be in from now until I am in the grave?”

I intend for you to ask yourself, “Do I want to let pharmaceutical companies run my country, micromanage my health care system, and mess with my family’s health?”

Or, “Do I still want to be complaining about my sex life 10 years from now?”

Or, “Do I want my child growing up to be an addict? Or obese? Or Type 2 diabetic?”

And, trust me, if saying it nicely worked, you wouldn’t be still asking yourself (or your shrink) the same questions year after year, day after day.

The people who already get this are already wellness bitches just like me: Moms of autistic kids; Moms of vaccine-injured kids; Women who have been struggling with IBS for years; People who have been sent to the ER from side effects of prescription drugs; People who have been given inept and incorrect advice from their doctors; Parents of children who are experiencing puberty at age eight; People whose children are put on psychotropic drugs for behavioral issues.

And, maybe if you are so concerned about bad language, you have been fortunate enough to not yet have to be a wellness bitch.

Some of us aren’t so lucky.

Someday I will train for one those MS or AIDS rides.

Someday waking up at 6 am to work out will be easy.

Someday I will completely give up coffee for green tea.

Someday I will have enough money to hire a personal trainer.

Someday I will switch to a raw foods diet.

Someday I will have buff abs.

Someday I will have a buff ass.

Someday I will write a best-selling book.

Someday I will be on the Today Show (and for doing something GOOD, not criminal.)

Someday I will link back to this post and say “I told you so.”

Someday I will thank you for supporting me and loving me on the journey.

Love,

The Wellness Bitch

P.S. Someday will be sooner rather than later.