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From Liquid To Pods: Does Convenience Come At A Price?

We all know laundry pods are far more convenient than traditional bottled detergent; you just put one in your washing machine and go on about your day. However, parents all over the world are learning the hard way that convenience comes at a very high cost.

In the eyes of a child, they appear as if they might be a tasty treat. They are also more heavily concentrated than traditional detergent. The combination of these two factors has lead to the sickening and even deaths of thousands of children across the United States who end up eating them.

The study on the dangers of laundry pods, published in the journal Pediatrics, discovered that 17,230 children younger than 6 years old, an average of one child every hour, swallowed, inhaled or suffered skin or eye injuries from the pods between 2012 and 2013. Another study conducted by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, found 769 children in the U.S. were hospitalized and one child died after ingesting a laundry detergent pod. Thirty of the children went into comas and 12 suffered seizures. Consumer safety groups started warning that laundry detergent packets could be easily eaten by children who might mistake them for candy.

In 2013, a 7 month old boy in Florida passed away after eating a packet of All detergent. More than 5,000 children have been sickened by the products since they appeared on the market, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. In response to the injuries, makers of laundry pods tried to make them safer in September 2015, the companies voluntarily agreed on a set of safety standards.

The pods now have a stronger film with an additive that makes them taste repulsive. The containers they come in are no longer see-through and require more skill to open. The product features warning labels and safety information about the dangers of ingesting the pods. The researchers say they’re keeping a close eye on how the new regulations affect the number of exposures.

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Flavored Water: What’s In Your Beverage?

Do you find the taste of water to be bland and gross? Are you guilty of using flavored water enhancers in order to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day? If you are you’ll want to keep reading to see what you’ve been really putting in your body.

Now for those who are unfamiliar with water enhancers, they are usually found as liquids or powders that can be added to water, most commonly water bottles, to change the flavor. Common ingredients in this product are sugar, various flavorings and even artificial flavors. Even though these are approved by the FDA does that consider them as safe? While a lot of those ingredients seem common in most foods you eat there are still other ingredients involved in this process that are most certainly NOT common.

A couple of things that can be found in water enhancers are Propylene glycol, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and artificial colors. Propylene glycol serves as a solvent in items with added colors and flavors. It’s also used in some paints and plastics, which raises some eyebrows about its safety. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener 600 times sweeter than table sugar. Some watchdog groups say “not so fast!” because of reports of negative effects in rodents (leukemia and effects on the thymus gland). Although lots of evidence says sucralose is safe for humans, these animal studies may lead some to prefer to shy away from it. Acesulfame potassium (a.k.a., “Ace-K”), an artificial sweetener that’s 200 times sweeter than sugar, was also approved as safe by the FDA after a review of nearly 100 studies. But, some food safety advocates have pointed out that a lot of those studies were done back in the ‘70s and had some serious design flaws. Artificial colors are used in a huge variety of foods and beverages, and each one ranks differently in terms of safety. A few key points: Blue-1 and Yellow-5 can cause allergic reactions in some people and it’s suspected that some dyes may cause hyperactivity in some children; more research on the safety of the dyes is needed, as they are so commonly used.

A few drops of water enhancer is UNLIKELY to expose you to enough of these harmful ingredients listed above, however why take the chance when there are safer alternatives out there that don’t run this risk! Making a decision about a water enhancer may come down to weighing the pros and cons of what matters most to you. Our health matters greatly to us and that is why we use Sustain® from Melaleuca to make our water taste delicious! What Makes It Different? Sustain® Sport is the only performance drink with four electrolytes and just 10 calories per serving to help you rehydrate, rebound, and recover. Why Is That Important? Electrolytes are crucial minerals that are lost when you sweat, and water alone can’t put them back. Electrolytes perform three key functions: help maintain proper muscle function, help ensure proper communication between the muscles and brain, and also supports energy and water absorption into the body.

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What Does Bleach Clean Really Mean?

You may think that you’re keeping your child safe by cleaning the counters and floors with bleach so as to kill the germs that could harm your child, meanwhile you’re the one harming them without meaning to. It’s not your fault, most of us are raised to reach for the bleach when cleaning is involved, but do you know what actually resides in that small bottle? We’re not saying bleach doesn’t clean stains like nobody’s business, because it does, but that does not by any means make it safe. Bleach is considered a chlorine-based CORROSIVE substance, and the label doesn’t try to hide that. You would assume with a chemical powerful enough to kill bacteria in it that it would be seen as a danger to anyone exposed to it. WRONG. It is actually one of the most common and most relied on cleaners.

The most obvious danger can be found right on the label as we brought up earlier. It is a heavy corrosive material capable of irritating and potentially burning the eyes, skin, and sometimes even your respiratory tract simply by inhaling the gas when using. It is important to note that as of right now there is no organization like the FDA that regulates the cleaning products you are bringing into your homes. Even diluted bleach can still cause burns. Another common household ingredient found is Ammonia, when combined with bleach the effects could be devastating resulting in nosebleeds, neurological disorders, headaches, shortness of breath and chest pains. Basically every parent’s worst nightmare is sitting underneath your sinks right now.

As helpful as the safety tips can be when using these products, why don’t we just stop using it all together? We are in the 21st century where you can find plenty of healthy alternatives to not only chlorine bleach but many of the other toxic chemicals found in your home as well. Our personal favorite is SOL-U-MEL. Set a bottle of SOL-U-MEL where your old cleaners used to sit and you’ll be getting rid of a lot more than just stains! Here’s a list of things SOL-U-MEL does NOT have in it like other products; NO ammonia, NO chlorine bleach, and NO petroleum distillates. In other words, NO gloves, NO toxic ventilation, and NO toxic ingredients!

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A Dramatic Health Trend

More and more people are using supplements to improve their health. This is a
massive move with the global supplement market expected to reach $60 billion by 2020.
This is a doubling from 2010.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the most commonly reported reasons for
using supplements were to improve or maintain overall health. For instance, over
one-third of women use calcium for bolstering bone health.
Suggested reasons for this increase are greater health awareness, rising medical costs
and the increase in chronic conditions. Geographic issues are a part of the picture, too.
In the U.S., rising medical costs are a major factor. In Asia, there is a growing geriatric
population and Europe is experiencing an increase in chronic disease.
Other interesting statistics show that there is increased usage based upon education;
the more educated the greater the use. Also, the greater the income, the higher the use
of supplements.
50% of Americans take vitamins regularly. Some of this is blind belief, for there is
evidence that many vitamin supplements are not properly absorbed by the body, so the
value of the supplement is reduced or lost.
Your goal should be to make sure your supplements provide the nutritional value you
are paying for. This is not an easy question to answer, for all supplements are not
created equal. The mere ingestion of vitamins and minerals is not enough. The body
must recognize and absorb the nutrients.
One American company has developed a patented process that allows the supplements
to mimic nutrients found in nature. For instance, when plants absorb nutrients from soil,
the vitamins and minerals are naturally integrated into the plant. This allows your body
to naturally absorb the ingredients. Without this, many minerals and nutrients are not properly absorbed and, in
fact, create a build-up of unabsorbed material in the intestinal tract.
In the final analysis, supplement usage is increasing, and everyone should consider it
as food supplies are processed and altered – no longer delivering the nutrition they
once did. But, make sure your supplements are working to give you the benefit you
need and not just passing through your body, not being properly absorbed. Seek supplements that are proven to be effective and body-friendly.