The Road Less Travelled (Reflections on an "Extreme" diet)

Last night someone told me, “Your diet is extreme.”

At first I agreed.

At first.

Let me give a little background.

I've known this guy for over 20 years. He's seen many phases of evolution in me, and it's noteworthy that we have a banter-rich relationship. We've been friends for years, with long stretches of time between when we talk or see each other, but when we reconnect it's almost always easy - we get each other's sense of humor and have a long history of teasing each other about our differences.

In high school I left the "normal" public high school to go to an audition-based Arts High School. Predictably, I was in the music department. He's embarrassed that he used to call it Fag High School, as he fancies himself more open-minded and accepting now.

But when it comes to food, maybe not so much.

Many of you know, but for those who don't or those of you who want a refresher, I eat a diet that is, in fact, unique. Webster says: Unique: different from others in a way that makes something worthy of note.

Truth is, I probably eat a more diverse, but similar diet to our great-grandparents, in that the majority of my foods are home-cooked and based in ingredients that look very close to how they came off the vine, tree or out of the animal or ground.

In other words, about 99% of my diet consists of foods that are unaltered and unadulterated. Food from animals comes from happy animals - those who are free range, eat diets they were meant to eat (grass-fed cows, free-range chickens), and animals who are most definitely not tortured! When they are altered, they're usually done so in a specialized, non-toxic and low-temperature environment. Or they’re cooked by me or someone I know. A large portion are eaten raw (especially farm-fresh eggs, yes I eat them Rocky-style or in a blended protein shake). The cooked ones are usually foods that are hard-to-digest when raw (like potatoes cauliflower, and broccoli). Lately I’ve been grinding wheat and baking my own bread. In lieu of that, I buy organic bread that's higher in protein, and has fewer than 5 ingredients.

Sound confusing? Allow me to expound.

Here's a list of things you will find me enjoying on a regular basis. Everything is either organic or better. I don't care about the certification, I care about the integrity of the farmer and farming. No pesticides (other than natural measures like mint and hot peppers), non-depleting, often biodynamic, utilizing crop-rotation, no torture/mistreatment of humans (pesticide use it's side-effects & the sometimes resulting cancer) or animals.

Raw Milk

Raw Butter

Raw Cream

Raw Honey

Apples

Raw Cheese
Free-Range, Organic Eggs (kept at room temperature and eaten raw - like Rocky!)

Broccoli (lightly steamed or sautéed)

Cauliflower (lightly steamed or sautéed)

Seared, Hormone/Antibiotic-free, organic, grass-fed steak

Uncooked Hormone/Antibiotic-free Italian Ham (Prosciutto)

Potatoes

Cashews

Pumpkin Seeds

Almonds

Home-made Hummus

Carrots

Celery

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Lemons

Kale

Brown Rice

Brown Rice Pasta

Fresh-ground Wheat Bread

Grass-Fed Whey Protein (One World Whey)

Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries

Salads that include:

Spinach

Super-food Plus (Dr. Schulze, link)

Sprouts

Carrots

Onions

Olive Oil

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Cayenne Pepper

Raw Honey

Pink Himalayan Salt

How does this list seem to you? Extreme?

The conversation last night with my friend took place in front of a group of about seven people, all people I've known for more than 10 years. Three were most vocal and were saying things like: how do you know something’s really organic (i.e. why bother eating organic) and what about pollution in the air – isn’t that just as bad as pesticides? The main theme was... the food you eat is too expensive, too extreme, and I like my fast-food, cigarettes and soda-pop and if I die younger because of it, so what!?! It's worth noting that everyone, with the exception of two who have grown children, have children under the age of 13.

Of everyone present last night, I was the only one who eats any of the above foods on a regular basis. They’re all nice people, including the protagonist, but it felt like they were singling me out for being different. (Please refer to definition of unique above.)

This group eats a more standard American diet including regularly consuming fast-food, deep-fried foods, and a large daily dose of soda-pop, refined sugars, processed and hormone-treated meats, packaged foods, processed flours and all kinds of things you can’t pronounce. Two women in their thirties who were present (but mostly quiet, interestingly enough) probably eat a more health-conscious diet, but overall, they were a good representation of American people and how Americans eat.

I don’t really talk to or question any of them about the foods they eat, but they notice that I don’t usually partake in eating their food save a small taste now and then. Last night I shared many things with them, answering questions and trying to explain why I make the choices I do. I was pretty calm throughout and explained about my research into GMO (Genetically-Modified-Organisms) foods creating infertility and premature death in laboratory tests with hamsters after 3 or 4 generations. I also explained that pesticides are much more damaging to crops than pollution in the air; many pesticide farm workers have come down with cancer and diseases that their organic counterparts are free from. In fact, The National Cancer Institute note on their website that farm workers using certain pesticides have an increased rate of cancer (cancer.gov link). I also explained that I’m noticing a lot of women in their late 20s and early 30s who are having a difficult time getting pregnant. That is troubling to me.

I explained that my body feels good when I eat this way.

But I didn’t say the following:

I know what my food is.

I know the ingredients that go into my food.

I can pronounce all of the foods that I eat.

Can you?

I love the taste of my food.

I don’t feel heavy, bloated, stuffed or regret after I eat.

It has been two years since I've had a cold or flu. I've been distinctly eating this way for just over two years. (Prior to that I was into heath food and experimented with health, vegan and vegetarian eating, but feel the best on this food plan.)


I don’t have many of the ailments my peers have, including Obesity, Crohn’s Disease, Diabetes, Cancer and other digestive or autoimmune disorders. Statistically, I’m much less likely to have any of these things, additionally Strokes and Heart-Disease later in life. The age at which people are contracting these things is getting younger and younger.

Am I immune?

Probably not.

I cannot predict the future and don’t know what I may face in my own health. But I make choices based on research, observation, and my own life experience with what helps my body feel good, not my emotional state, but my body.

When I used to eat a more standard American diet, I often felt heavy, bloated, heartburn, constipated, stuffed or regret after eating.

Aren't Diabetes, Obesity, Crohn’s Disease, Cancer and Heat-Disease are extreme??

And I think it’s no coincidence that the above things have increased exponentially in the last 30 years, and are starting at a younger age, concurrent with the ubiquitous fast-food and heavily processed-packaged food industries.

We’ve never seen the amount of obesity or diabetes in children that we are seeing today.

Diabetes is so pervasive in children, the CDC renamed it Type 2 Diabetes:

Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make sufficient insulin, or properly utilize the insulin it makes; Type 2 is usually caused by poor diet, weight-gain and obesity. (Sources: health-doc.com and the CDC.com)

Think about this. Type 2 Diabetes used to be called Adult Onset Diabetes. They had to change the name because so  many children were coming down with it!

Never before have we seen children with obesity and diabetes to such an EXTREME amount, we not only had to rename the disease, it’s also likely our children will die at a younger age than their parents.

That, to me, is extreme.

EXTREME.

So I choose another path.

Last night, I really felt how much I’m on the road less traveled.

It was a bit lonely.

But the ground of my path is firm.

Asshole, Poser or Guru

I've been thinking lately about aggression, versus assertiveness, versus intensity.

Sometimes it's hard to discern the difference when someone is coming at you with decidedly intense energy. Are they being aggressive, assertive or intense? What's the difference? Well, from what I understand, aggressive has hostile intent, assertive can merely be someone sticking up for themselves without intent to be hurtful or harmful, and intense is purely that person's passion coming out in their interaction. That's my interpretation of the difference, though really, that's just semantics. If someone is being a threatening asshole, they can call themselves any of the above, but an asshole is an asshole, no matter how you color him or her. (Even though the term "asshole" is reserved for men usually, I like to use it ubiquitously for men and women - no discrimination. Just like men can be bitches or bitchy too - it all depends on the tone of their outburst/behavior.)

But anyway. This thinking of late brought me to a much-needed realization. You see I used to be more uncomfortable with intense, assertive or aggressive energy. This may be surprising to some of you who know me as a kick-ass kind of chic. (Or as my friend Koko says, "bad-ass.") I may have some fearless and bad-ass qualities, but in the past I still felt uncomfortable with aggressive people, especially aggressive men. I suppose my size and relative strength has helped me mask my inner feelings of fear and/or trepidation, and ultimately, I have usually had good boundaries for myself with people and have never found myself in an abusive (verbally or physically) relationship. I can also thank my parents and especially my father for that, as he illustrated for me a manly, tough-guy (he was a football coach, after all!) who is also affectionate, expressive of his love for his wife and children (and students and players), but was unflappable when it came to people being aggressive or posturing to him. Thanks, Dad.

But anyway. This all got me to wondering. What changed for me and what really is the difference between the different forms of intense energy people convey to each other?

Well, I think studying martial arts has helped me not feel intimidated by aggressive energy. Whew! Thanks, Marcus (and Transformational Fighting Arts). Though if I weren't taking classes from Marcus and subsequently dating him, I would've landed on another martial art as it was something I was really looking for.

More than that, however, I realized something about the way that people are intense. This is it:

The tell-tale for me is intent. But intent is often hard to find when we're stuck smack-dab in the middle of being triggered by someone or something so...here's how I've found to gauge intent.

When the intense person is met with intensity back at them, that's where their true colors show.

When met with equal or greater intensity, this is what happens:

The assholes get even more intense or even abusive. These are the people to diffuse as soon as possible unless you are a seriously advanced negotiator, martial artist or fighter.


The posers cower like a sheep in wolf's clothing, tucking their tail between their legs and whimpering.


The gurus celebrate a person finding their voice, speaking their truth and standing up for themselves.

You see, I saw this with Marcus and my Mother. Just over a year ago, my Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer or as Marcus likes to call it, a booby-lump. One of the things he picked up on in her was her fear of confrontation. This created in her a heightened state of anxiety about her interactions with people, especially intense (or aggressive or assertive) people. In walks Marcus. Now Marcus' maternal family argues as sport. They're from Jamaica and they make Italians look docile. No hard feelings, they just express themselves and usually loudly. But Marcus really is a big 'ol lovey puppy-bear. He likes to say he has a soft, creamy filling. The full statement is, I may have a hard exterior, but I have a soft, creamy filling.

Initially, my Mom was unsure of his intensity, but as he worked with her - on nutrition, spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological stuff - she found her voice. She even yelled at him about something she felt extremely passionate about.

I was watching all of this happen and I can be very protective of my loved ones, so I continually checked in with my higher-self to ensure this was unfolding in a harmonious and  "for-the-highest-good" way. (The answer was always yes.) Anyway, when my Mom raised her voice and cursed at Marcus, he said, Right on, Kay! Way to go! That's what I want to hear!

He celebrated. Celebrated my Mom finding her voice, cursing (she rarely used the f-word at that time so throwing down an f-bomb is a big deal for her), and speaking her truth.

So, to wrap all this up. If the person you're getting into a heated discussion with seems to celebrate you expressing your own truth and intensity, that's probably someone you want to keep around. Or at the very least, learn as much as you can from.

But if you need a quick little reminder, remember this simple formula and question:

When met with intensity back, is this person behaving like an asshole, poser or guru?

Another reason to eat organic/pesticide free

Here's the latest from Dr. Mercola.

As if we needed more reasons to eat organic/pesticide free. The most common excuse I hear is that it's expensive. Sure, it can be expensive, but so is cancer. And, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of pesticide.

A while back I saw a bumper sticker that was very telling about how pesticides have changed our food. Here's what it read:

Remember to eat ORGANIC FOOD, or as your grandparents called it, FOOD.

From Dr. Mercola's website, mercola.com:

Cancer will kill more than 13.2 million people a year by 2030, almost double the number who died from the disease in 2008. Only 7.6 million people died of cancer in 2008.



Around 56 percent of new cancer cases worldwide in 2008 were in developing countries and these regions also accounted for 63 percent of all cancer deaths.


According to Reuters:


"The projection for annual death rates of 13.2 million and annual diagnosis of 21.4 million were based on assumptions that underlying rates of cancer would remain the same over the next two decades".


The rate of men dying from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer has doubled over the past three decades. In the late 1970s, fewer than 1.5 per 100,000 men died from melanoma; that figure has now risen to over 3.1 per 100,000.


The death rates for women have also risen, from 1.5 per 100,000 to 2.2 per 100,000.
According to BBC News:


"The figures suggest men are either not aware of skin cancer symptoms or are ignoring them and putting off going to see their [doctor]".
In addition, a new study joins the evidence showing just how profound of an effect pesticide use can have on human health. Researchers found that women with a history of farming had a greater risk of developing breast cancer.
The scientists were attempting to find groups with heightened cancer risks because of their jobs. They assumed the most common group would be male industrial workers, but to their surprise, they found it was women with breast cancer who had a history of farming.

According to Sustainable Food:
"Researchers believe chemicals and pesticides are to blame for the increased breast cancer rates in female farm workers. Some pesticides and farm chemicals are carcinogens, while others mimic estrogen. Chemicals that mimic estrogen are linked to cancer and other diseases, particularly if exposure occurred during childhood."
Meanwhile, cancer research keeps discovering the power of foods against cancer.
For example, breast cancer cells, even those of the most aggressive type, died after treatments with peach and plum extracts in laboratory tests. Normal cells were not harmed in the process. Two phenolic compounds are responsible for the cancer cell deaths. Phenols are slightly acidic and may be associated with traits such as aroma, taste or color.
Eurekalert reports:
"According to the National Cancer Institute, there were 192,370 new cases of breast cancer in females and 1,910 cases in males in 2009. That year, 40,170 women and 440 men died from breast cancer. The World Health Organization reports that breast cancer accounts for 16 percent of the cancer deaths of women globally."
Sources:

Reuters June 1, 2010
BBC News May 30, 2010
Sustainable Food May 14, 2010

Eurekalert June 2, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:


There's quite a bit of news about cancer lately. Cancer rates for various types of cancer are on the rise, and pesticide exposure is increasingly being identified as a significant risk factor.



The good news is, studies are also emerging showing the powerful potential of food and lifestyle to prevent and combat cancer.



Cancer Rates on the Rise

According to the United Nations' cancer research agency, cancer rates are predicted to double by 2030 if the current trend continues. More than half of all new cancer cases are now occurring in developing countries, and 63 percent of worldwide cancer deaths also occur in these poorer nations.



The agency launched a database to track the global incidence of cancer in 2008. Based on the collected data, the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide in 2008 were:



Lung cancer

Breast cancer

Colorectal cancer

The deadliest cancers were lung cancer, which claimed 1.38 million lives worldwide that year, followed by stomach cancer and liver cancer, at 0.74 million and 0.69 million deaths respectively.



In addition, BBC News reports that the rate of men dying from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has also doubled over the past three decades.



In the late 1970s, the death rate from melanoma was less than 1.5 per 100,000 men. That figure has now risen to over 3.1 per 100,000. The death rates for women with melanoma have also risen, from 1.5 per 100,000 to 2.2 per 100,000.



According to BBC News:



"The figures suggest men are either not aware of skin cancer symptoms or are ignoring them and putting off going to see their [doctor]".



What Could Possibly Stop or Reverse This Troubling Trend?

If we begin with the rising incidence of skin cancer, a common presumption is that melanoma is caused by sun exposure. However, there's almost no evidence at all to support that stance. There is, however, plenty of evidence to the contrary.



Over the years, several studies have confirmed that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, while melanoma rates seem to rise with sunscreen use!



One such study discovered that melanoma patients that had higher levels of sun exposure were less likely to die than other melanoma patients, and patients who already had melanoma and got a lot of sun exposure were prone to a less aggressive tumor type.



In addition, melanoma strikes indoor workers more frequently than outdoor workers to begin with. It is also more common on regions of your body that are not exposed to the sun at all, so clearly the simplistic "sun equals cancer" theory is fundamentally flawed.



The missing piece of information that can explain this puzzle is the fact that melanoma rates are rising as sun exposure and vitamin D status is decreasing dramatically.



Although the sun does increase genetic damage in your skin, and can cause skin cancer, your body has a cleverly designed system to avert cancer growth. But when you avoid sun exposure entirely, you also circumvent your body's built-in system that helps prevent skin cancer naturally, because the key to unlock this mechanism is vitamin D.



As you probably know by now, vitamin D is formed in your skin from exposure to sunlight. The vitamin D then goes directly to the genes in your skin where it helps prevent the types of abnormalities that ultraviolet light causes.



Hence, when you avoid the sun entirely, or slather on sun block whenever you go out, your skin is not making any vitamin D, and you're left without this built-in cancer protection.



This is one of the primary reasons for the rise in melanoma!



Vitamin D – the Key to All Cancer Prevention?

Continuing on to address the rise in cancers of all kinds, you find that vitamin D is a MAJOR player here as well.



Researchers have discovered that at least 16 different types of cancer can be prevented by increasing vitamin D levels, including pancreatic, lung, breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancers. As you can see, these include the three most common cancers, as well as the most deadly.



Optimizing your vitamin D levels can cut your risk by as much as 60 percent, so just imagine the reduction in worldwide prevalence that could be accomplished if the importance of vitamin D became common knowledge!



As a reader of this newsletter, you are ahead of the game.



Just remember that to reap the benefits you need to make sure your vitamin D levels are within therapeutic range. For all the latest information on therapeutic vitamin D levels, and vital updates on testing and updated dosing recommendations, please review my article: Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.



Pesticide Use is Taking Its Toll

In addition to science finally discovering the impact of vitamin D deficiency on cancer rates, researchers are also finding strong links between pesticide exposure and cancer.



A new study illustrates how profound of an effect pesticide exposure during childhood can be on future health. Researchers found that women who worked on farms when growing up had a greater risk of developing breast cancer.



According to Sustainable Food:



"Some pesticides and farm chemicals are carcinogens, while others mimic estrogen. Chemicals that mimic estrogen are linked to cancer and other diseases, particularly if exposure occurred during childhood."



The answer, of course, is to promote organic farming and eat as much organically-grown foods as you can.



As Sustainable Food says, "those kinds of chemicals shouldn't be near our cucumbers, much less near our children." Keep in mind that although farmers are physically exposed to the pesticides they use during the course of their work, you and your children are consuming these same pesticides with every bite of conventionally-grown food you eat.



Although the level of exposure may be less than a farm worker, the chronic exposure from eating pesticide-laden food day in and day out for years can cause tremendous harm.



Healing Foods Come to the Fore

The good news is, cancer research keeps discovering the power of foods against cancer.



According to a Texas A&M AgriLife press release, their researchers have found that breast cancer cells, even those of the most aggressive type, can be killed with extracts of peach and plum, while leaving normal cells unharmed.



Two phenolic compounds, which occur naturally in fruits, are believed to be responsible for the cancer cell deaths.



The press release reads:



"It was a differential effect which is what you're looking for because in current cancer treatment with chemotherapy, the substance kills all cells, so it is really tough on the body," said Dr. David Byrne, AgriLife Research plant breeder who studies stone fruit.



"Here, there is a five-fold difference in the toxic intensity. You can put it at a level where it will kill the cancer cells - the very aggressive ones - and not the normal ones."



Byrne and Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos originally studied the antioxidants and phytonutrients in plums and found them to match or exceed the blueberry which had been considered superior to other fruits in those categories."



Again and again we see promising results such as these. A number of plants, fruits, herbs and spices have been identified as having potent anti-cancer properties that could offer effective prevention. Others show potential in the actual treatment of cancer.



Examples include:



Broccoli

Sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua L)

Black cohosh

Black raspberries

CLA from grass-fed beef and grass-fed dairy products

Huang qin

For even more examples, please review the related articles below, and for a comprehensive list of all my cancer prevention strategies, please see this previous article.



The signs are clear, there's plenty you can do to prevent cancer from happening to you, and it starts with living as purely as you can, and eating as healthy as possible.

Sunscreen may increase the risk of skin cancer!

Just over a year ago, I learned that sunscreen might actually increase the occurrence of skin cancer. My first thought was, No way! I thought sunscreen was one of the things that doctors and authorities had right. Remember that "Wear Sunscreen" thing Baz Luhrman did (written by Mary Schmich for the Chicago Sun Times) a few years back? I agreed at the time. If nothing else, wear sunscreen. Everybody agrees.

Apparently, I was wrong. As were most authorities about sunscreen.

My favorite internet M.D., Dr. Mercola, did a video on it to make my life easier because he explains it much more scientifically than I could. But I will mention these key points:

• The use of sunscreen blocks our body's natural production of vitamin D, which is an essential hormone (not actually a vitamin) that helps prevent cancer!
• Virtually all commercial sunscreens are made with toxins that absorb into the skin (think about it - why do pain & nicotine & birth-control patches work - because they ABSORB right into your system - sunscreen does the same thing and it's toxic!)
• Rule of thumb: If you wouldn't eat it, you shouldn't put it on your skin!
• It's good to avoid over-exposure from the sun so you don't damage your skin (watch for when skin turns slightly pink according to Dr. Mercola, or 10-30 minutes maximum light-skinned people during peak hours)...but
• Hats, clothing & shade (trees, umbrellas) are the go-to "screens" to protect skin against over-exposure. Sunscreen, it turns out, is not the ideal option.
• Some natural sunscreens are ok (but check the ingredients - Dr. Mercola explains this on his site as well)
• Preventing all cancer, but especially skin cancer, depends greatly upon what we eat. (Dr. Mercola talks about this on the video.) The more organic, raw (dairy, good fish/meat & low-cellulose vegetables), unprocessed (little to no: processed foods, GMOs, high-fructose corn syrup or anything on the ingredients list that sounds like a science experiment) foods we eat, the higher our chances of warding off cancer.  Since I've been eating a more raw and organic diet, I don't sunburn as easily even though I've been wearing absolutely no sunscreen! When I do get a little pink my skin turns tan much more quickly. I guess this healthy eating stuff really works... Just ask my skin (& hair).

Here's his video & link to Dr. Mercola's page on sunscreen. He does make and sell a non-toxic sunscreen, but it still contains titanium dioxide, which I don't really like, though his product is still probably better than most out there. (I must admit, anyone touting their own product makes me immediately suspicious, but after listening to this guy and reading through his website, I believe his intentions are positive. I also think he got tired of all the sub-par "natural" products out there and just decided to make his own. So whether or not you buy his sunscreen which contains that not-great titanium dioxide, I think his information and research are very sound. Enjoy the video and enjoy the sun and outdoors this summer, just enjoy it all well-informed and with conscious sun-exposure, large hats & shade!

"If You Use Sunscreen, This is Urgent Information You Must Have"
Sunscreen blocks your body's production of vitamin D. Most brands contain toxic free radical generators which I believe can increase your risk of disease. Here's the ultimate way to protect yourself this summer…

You may be one of those people for whom summer is far too short!
But like it or not, most of you only have a few short months to enjoy the great outdoors in most of the continental US. Why waste it dealing with the two most vexing hassles of the outdoor summer season?
After spending six or more months stuck inside buildings under cover from rain, snow and sleet, you rush out and spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday in the sun. Not only is the golf course beckoning, but so is yard work, the kids' sporting events, and the grill.
It's easy to overdo your sun exposure in your quest to finally spend some time outdoors... especially when your skin is lily-white from being inside for months -- and not used to the sun.
There are many simple lifestyle changes you can make to radically decrease your risk of sunburn, such as choosing your essential fatty acids wisely, increasing raw vegetables loaded with skin protecting antioxidant phytonutrients, and avoiding processed foods and sugars.
I go into more details in the video so be sure and watch it.
Clothing Can Protect You -- Especially Caps
Additionally you can use clothing wisely to avoid sun induced skin damage. My favorite is a cap which allows me to avoid wearing sunglasses and benefit from all of the 1500 wavelengths in sunshine. But the cap also keeps the sun off the very thin skin around my eyes which is particularly sensitive to photoaging damage from the sun.
However if you are looking for an additional level of protection beyond clothing then my team has come up with something that will really work for you and your family.
Daytime sun isn't the only summer headache you can have.
Ever been out on a beautiful summer evening enjoying the afterglow of sunset and onset of stars -- only to have it ruined by ten thousand pesky mosquitoes? Or was that ten million? In several states, mosquitoes have been dubbed the "state bird". Nasty little critters!
In a damp year, mosquitoes don't limit themselves to evening warfare either.
They love sultry, still, humid days ... and parks, campgrounds, wooded and swampy areas, and even your own backyard in broad daylight! Hard to escape them! Worse, they'll sneak into your house and buzz around your bedroom while you try to sleep.
Now, you could try solutions like DEET-based insect repellents -- but I certainly don't recommend it. In a moment, I'll tell you why that's a non-solution, and provide you with a viable all-natural alternative.
Equip yourself now to have a ton more fun this summer with this Summer Survival Kit ...

The Case AGAINST Using Sunscreen -- Even "Natural" Ones -- Except for This NEW Exclusive Lotion from Acapulco...

It's true.
I normally advise against using sunscreens. Even most "all-natural" sunscreens.  
As a subscriber to my weekly newsletters, you may already know this. And if you aren't familiar with the reasons, I'll share them with you in a moment. But first, I need to get something off my chest.
Natural sunlight's potential to harm you has really been blown out of proportion. This is thanks to many doctors, health officials, advertisements, beauty experts, corporations, and well-meaning friends. They basically tell you that you need to stay out of the sun because the sun will kill you. This simply isn't true.
For starters, there is little scientific evidence to justify the many health campaigns that urge you to completely avoid the sun. Avoiding the sun just doesn't make sense. And it certainly doesn't make any sense when study after study shows that ...

The Sun is Not Deadly

In fact, the sun is healthy for you. Think about it. How could it be any other way?
After all, your ancestors survived outdoors, working outside under the sun's rays far more often than they were indoors and out of the sun.
This brings up an obvious question.
How on earth would it be possible for your body to end up being configured in such a way that the sun is now a deadly threat to you, me, and the entire human race?
Like I said, it simply isn't true.
That's not to say sunlight can't be harmful. Of course, it can be...
For instance, long-term, excessive exposure to sunlight can increase the risk of certain types of skin cancer. Yet moderate sun exposure is less dangerous than sporadic sun exposure.
Plus, there's a good deal of evidence that sun exposure without sunburn significantly decreases the risk of melanoma (a more deadly form of skin cancer.) So safe sun exposure is key.

What You Should Know About UVA and UVB Rays

Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths -- UVA and UVB.  It's important for you to understand the difference between them, and your risk factors from each.
Consider UVB the 'good guy' -- though of course you can't de-select UVA if you're going to be in the sun.  UVB helps your skin produce vitamin D.
UVA is considered the 'bad guy' because it penetrates your skin more deeply and causes more free radical damage.  Not only that, but UVA rays are quite constant during all the hours of daylight throughout the entire year.
By comparison, UVB waves are low in morning and evening and high at midday.
So, if you're out early in the morning or late in the day, you get lots of UVA (bad guy) and not much UVB (good guy). Not a good way to produce vitamin D.  Plus you increase your risk of cancer if that's your only sun intake, and you fail to protect your skin.
What's more, have you ever gotten a scorching sunburn on a cloudy day?  You think you don't need to protect yourself and you wind up being really sorry you didn't. That's the UVA rays at work. They can break through cloud cover and pollution and do some real damage your skin.
Kind of a Catch 22. 

How Sunscreens Keep You from Enjoying the Many Benefits of the Sun's Healthy Rays

As you may know, wearing a sunscreen on your uncovered skin blocks your body's production of vitamin D. In fact, sunscreens reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9%. And interfering with your body's production of vitamin D by 97.5 to 99.9% may have dire health consequences.
After all, vitamin D plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being. For example, this superb vitamin is known to:

• Support your cardiovascular health
  
• Promote optimal cholesterol levels
  
• Enhance your muscle strength
  
• Help produce optimal blood pressure levels
  
• Help maintain a healthy immune system
  
• Support healthy kidney function
  
• Promote healthy teeth
  
• Help keep your bones strong and healthy
  

Please understand -- this list of important benefits represents a tiny fraction of the ways vitamin D keeps you healthy and fit. And, although you can get vitamin D from natural food sources, experts agree on one thing.

Natural Sunlight is Far and Away the Best Way to Get Your Vitamin D!

Sun: Good for you, so long as you don't burn. Protect your skin from overexposure with Natural Sunscreen today.

And it is the ultimate way. Why? Because as soon as the sun's ultraviolet rays strike your skin, your body is programmed to do something remarkable. It starts producing its own natural vitamin D.
Better yet, your body produces the most active form of vitamin D in existence -- calciferol. Also known as vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is actually the precise form your body needs for the proper functioning of your organs and cells.
And luckily for all of us, our bodies automatically generate enough of it with virtually no risk of overdose. They just know when to stop producing natural vitamin D before it can reach toxic levels.
However, elevated vitamin D levels obtained strictly from oral supplements can take six months or longer to normalize. That's why I don't recommend supplementing your vitamin D with pills. If you do take vitamin D supplements, you need to get your blood levels tested regularly to avoid toxicity.
With natural sunlight, you may be wondering what precautions you need to take...

Should You Use a Sunscreen to Guard Against SUNBURN?

Absolutely! But not any kind of commercial sunscreen. More on that in a moment -- but first, let me just say...
As much as I prefer you steer clear of sunscreens because they interfere with natural vitamin D production, there is one critical exception.
The exception is when it is impossible to limit full body exposure to sunlight! So if you can't limit your exposure for whatever reason, do use a safe sunscreen to protect your skin from sunburn. It is for YOUR own good.
Your risk of getting melanoma may increase in relationship to sunburn frequency and severity. Limiting sun exposure, wearing protective clothing, and using a 100% all-natural, non chemical sunscreen can reduce the risks of skin cancer and other harmful effects of the sun.
Studies revealed that people who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburn, actually decrease their risk of developing melanoma.
Now get this:
Safe sunlight exposure has also been shown to protect against as many as sixteen different types of cancer, including breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
So, yes, your body needs a bit of unprotected sun exposure. For all the benefits I've mentioned earlier. But if you can't avoid the following three scenarios:

• You're forced to be in the direct rays of the sun for a longer time than is safe...
  
• You must go into intense sunlight without having the opportunity to gradually build up to it...
  
• You're in a situation where blocking the sun with strategic clothing or sunshades is impractical...
  

...use a sunscreen to help guard against sunburn. But, don't just slap on any of the standard commercial brands you find on store shelves. With that in mind...

It's Time to Expose the Sunscreen Smokescreen!

In my opinion, corporate greed has created products that are harmful.
I'm talking hundreds of sunscreens that I believe are toxic because they contain man-made chemicals ... chemicals I believe can cause serious health problems and increase your risk of disease. Here's why.
The main chemical used in sunscreens to filter out ultraviolet B light is octyl methoxycinnamate. OMC for short. OMC was found to kill mouse cells even at low doses.  Plus, it was also shown to be particularly toxic when exposed to sunshine. And guess what?
OMC is present in 90 percent of sunscreen brands!
But that's not the half of it. A common ultraviolet A filter, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, has also demonstrated toxic properties.
Furthermore, several studies show that the chemicals commonly used in sunscreens are absorbed through the skin and end up circulating in your blood stream. Not good. So...

If Your Sunscreen Contains Any of These Chemicals That I Consider Dangerous and Potentially Life Threatening, Do Yourself a BIG Favor...

Dump it in the trash now .
Yes, that's right. Toss your sunscreen in the trash if it contains any of these questionable chemicals:

Toss your sunscreen in the trash if it contains any of these chemicals I consider to be potentially harmful.

• Para amino benzoic acid...
  
• Octyl salicyclate...
  
• Avobenzone...
  
• Oxybenzone...
  
• Cinoxate...
  
• Padimate O...
  
• Dioxybenzone...
  
• Phenylbenzimidazole...
  
• Homosalate...
  
• Sulisobenzone...
  
• Menthyl anthranilate...
  
• Trolamine salicyclate...
  
• Octocrylene...
  

And, oh yes, let me not forget...
Potentially harmful chemicals such as dioxybenzone and oxybenzone (two chemicals I just mentioned) are some of the most powerful free radical generators known to man!
So if your sunscreen contains dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, or any of the other chemicals I just revealed, I highly recommend you switch to a formula that is safe and healthy for your skin.
And a note to moms ... You are undoubtedly very conscientious about caring for your children.  But when you lather up your son or daughter with sunscreen thinking you're doing the right thing, you could in fact be doing more harm than good.
So check the labels on your sunscreen, and throw them out if they contain any of the potentially dangerous chemicals named above.  After all, your skin is your largest organ, as your child's skin is theirs.
Fortunately, there's a much better option than chemical-laden commercial sunscreens...

Introducing a Major Breakthrough in All-Natural Sunscreen Lotions

This is the story of an incredible product. So incredible that I know of no other sunscreen lotion that is as beneficial and healthy for your skin.

This highly concentrated lotion creates a powerful protective shield to reflect UV rays away from your skin.

The name of this 100% all-natural sunscreen is Natural Sunscreen. The formula used in this lotion was originally used by Acapulco natives.
In fact, each ingredient in this unique formula serves its own special purpose to nourish, protect, and moisturize your skin. One of those ingredients is GREEN TEA. I included green tea for a couple of good reasons.
First, many studies show that green tea is a powerful antioxidant. Second, recent studies also suggest that green tea may help you reduce the appearance of skin damage from sun radiation. In short, green tea helps protect your skin's cells by providing antioxidant protection.
Simply put, this highly concentrated lotion helps protect you by reflecting UV rays away from your skin. Plus, Natural Sunscreen is also water resistant, hypoallergenic, and:

• FREE of chemical fragrances...
  
• FREE of parabens (harsh chemical preservatives)...
  
• FREE of nanoparticles (allows sunscreen to be more cosmetically appealing as it's less visible, yet it remains on your skin's surface)...
  

Active Ingredients in Natural Sunscreen Are ALL Natural

Make no mistake: Natural Sunscreen meets the immediate need for a non-chemical sunscreen.
Each active ingredient in this outstanding product has been carefully chosen to specifically protect and nourish your skin. With that said, let's review together all the ingredients you'll find in this 100% all-natural sunscreen lotion starting with:
Titanium Dioxide (6.0%) & Zinc Oxide (6.0%):
These two active ingredients in Natural Sunscreen are natural minerals. Minerals that actually come from clay and beach sand deposits. This means, they are not harsh, synthetically-produced chemicals you'll often find in popular brands.
And it may surprise you to find out that zinc oxide has been used all over the world for over 75 years as a safe sunscreen to help you prevent excessive sun exposure.
Unlike chemical sunscreens that absorb ultraviolet light, nature provides us with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide ... two remarkable ingredients that remain on your skin to reflect and scatter away both UVA and UVB rays from your body. How do they do this?
Quite simply, they do it by forming a physical barrier, without irritating or clogging your pores.

Other Natural Ingredients Included in NEW Sunscreen that's Only Available at Mercola.com...

Sunflower oil:

Sunflower oil is a superior moisturizer. In addition, it also contains vitamins A, D and E. And this excellent ingredient is often used to moisturize dry, weathered, and aged skin.

Lecithin:

Lecithin is found in the membranes of plant cells (soy.) It is widely used in cosmetics as an emollient and water-binding agent.

Coconut oil:

Coconut oil has been used by the islanders for many hundreds of years to moisturize their skin. And it moisturized their skin while they attained a glowing, dark tan. Even better, if you have skin sensitivities, it is likely to be mild and gentle on your skin.

Glycerine:

Used as an emollient, glycerine improves your skin's natural moisture by attracting just the right amount of water to maintain your skin's homeostasis. Furthermore, research proves the presence of glycerine in the intercellular layer.

Jojoba oil:

Jojoba oil is a non-fragrant natural emollient that serves up superior moisturizing and skin conditioning properties.

Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E):

Vitamin E also acts as a natural preservative.

Shea butter:

Shea butter is a natural plant lipid used as both a thickener and an emulsifier. What's more, it also has effective moisturizing properties.

Eucalyptus oil:

Eucalyptus oil is an essential oil. And when it's mixed with other oils, it is more easily absorbed by your skin. Best of all, it assists other oils to be absorbed in your skin as well. This obviously supports the moisturizing process.

Bottom line, Natural Sunscreen's perfect blend of ingredients results in a pleasant-smelling sunscreen lotion without any chemical fragrances or dangerous artificial chemicals.
For this reason you can feel great about putting it on your skin, and your kids' skin too.
As with all safe sunscreen lotions, I recommend you re-apply frequently, especially after swimming, perspiring, or towel-drying.

Natural Sunscreen – Now Available in Three Strengths

My Natural Sunscreen SPF30 provides just the right amount of coverage for most activities. With a full 6% of both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, you know you’re covered.
But, I realize sometimes you would prefer less protection from the sun.

When you desire lighter protection – but the same safe and natural ingredients – my Natural Sunscreen SPF15 fits the bill. Providing medium protection, Natural Sunscreen SPF15 contains 3.5% Titanium Dioxide and 3.5% Zinc Oxide.
There are times when a stronger sunscreen is desirable. Perhaps for your children’s delicate skin as they play in the sand and surf. Or maybe  when you’re out boating or playing golf. You can enjoy the added assurance of maximum protection with the same safe, active and natural ingredients that I use for my Natural Sunscreen SPF30.
Sometimes, you may want a stronger sunscreen for your face, your children, if you have particularly fair skin or simply to handle more intense sun exposure. But at the same time, you want all the safe active and natural ingredients found in Natural Sunscreen.
For those occasions demanding even greater protection, my Natural Sunscreen SPF50 offers exceptional UVB and UVA protection.With a higher concentration of Zinc Oxide (22.5%) and 6% Titanium Dioxide, you’re getting the highest degree of protection possible. And it’s safe for kids and adults alike.
In fact, this SPF 50 natural sunscreen received an outstanding overall score of “1” from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG rates sunscreens as follows: 0-2 (low hazard), 3-6 (moderate hazard), 7-10 (high hazard).
This rating shows how meticulously this sunscreen formula was created – only natural, nontoxic ingredients are found in Natural Sunscreen SPF15, SPF30, and SPF 50.

Confident Protection -- Guaranteed

No doubt about it, Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 & SPF 50 remarkable products. After all, they help protect you and your family against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, while helping you achieve a beautiful, glowing, and healthy tan.
Many sunscreens protect against only UVB and offer no protection against UVA.
I'm so sure you'll be delighted with Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 & SPF 50.  However, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with either one, let me know at any time. Yes, you read that right. Any time. Of course, I will give you a prompt, courteous refund. No questions asked.
How can I make such a bold guarantee? It's simple: I'm betting that once you start using Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 & SPF 50, you'll enjoy them so much; you and your entire family will never want to be without either one during the warm weather months.
And there's more…
I'm now offering a 1.5 ounce travel bottle with carabiner (to clip on your belt or keychain).
This travel bottle   provides a convenient way to take Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 or SPF 50 along wherever you go. See order details below.
But read on, because sunburn isn't the only potential hazard of summer...

You may be one of those people for whom summer is far too short!
But like it or not, most of you only have a few short months to enjoy the great outdoors in most of the continental US. Why waste it dealing with the two most vexing hassles of the outdoor summer season?
After spending six or more months stuck inside buildings under cover from rain, snow and sleet, you rush out and spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday in the sun. Not only is the golf course beckoning, but so is yard work, the kids' sporting events, and the grill.
It's easy to overdo your sun exposure in your quest to finally spend some time outdoors... especially when your skin is lily-white from being inside for months -- and not used to the sun.
There are many simple lifestyle changes you can make to radically decrease your risk of sunburn, such as choosing your essential fatty acids wisely, increasing raw vegetables loaded with skin protecting antioxidant phytonutrients, and avoiding processed foods and sugars.
I go into more details in the video so be sure and watch it.
Clothing Can Protect You -- Especially Caps
Additionally you can use clothing wisely to avoid sun induced skin damage. My favorite is a cap which allows me to avoid wearing sunglasses and benefit from all of the 1500 wavelengths in sunshine. But the cap also keeps the sun off the very thin skin around my eyes which is particularly sensitive to photoaging damage from the sun.
However if you are looking for an additional level of protection beyond clothing then my team has come up with something that will really work for you and your family.
Daytime sun isn't the only summer headache you can have.
Ever been out on a beautiful summer evening enjoying the afterglow of sunset and onset of stars -- only to have it ruined by ten thousand pesky mosquitoes? Or was that ten million? In several states, mosquitoes have been dubbed the "state bird". Nasty little critters!
In a damp year, mosquitoes don't limit themselves to evening warfare either.
They love sultry, still, humid days ... and parks, campgrounds, wooded and swampy areas, and even your own backyard in broad daylight! Hard to escape them! Worse, they'll sneak into your house and buzz around your bedroom while you try to sleep.
Now, you could try solutions like DEET-based insect repellents -- but I certainly don't recommend it. In a moment, I'll tell you why that's a non-solution, and provide you with a viable all-natural alternative.
Equip yourself now to have a ton more fun this summer with this Summer Survival Kit ...

The Case AGAINST Using Sunscreen -- Even "Natural" Ones -- Except for This NEW Exclusive Lotion from Acapulco...

It's true.
I normally advise against using sunscreens. Even most "all-natural" sunscreens.  
As a subscriber to my weekly newsletters, you may already know this. And if you aren't familiar with the reasons, I'll share them with you in a moment. But first, I need to get something off my chest.
Natural sunlight's potential to harm you has really been blown out of proportion. This is thanks to many doctors, health officials, advertisements, beauty experts, corporations, and well-meaning friends. They basically tell you that you need to stay out of the sun because the sun will kill you. This simply isn't true.
For starters, there is little scientific evidence to justify the many health campaigns that urge you to completely avoid the sun. Avoiding the sun just doesn't make sense. And it certainly doesn't make any sense when study after study shows that ...

The Sun is Not Deadly

In fact, the sun is healthy for you. Think about it. How could it be any other way?
After all, your ancestors survived outdoors, working outside under the sun's rays far more often than they were indoors and out of the sun.
This brings up an obvious question.
How on earth would it be possible for your body to end up being configured in such a way that the sun is now a deadly threat to you, me, and the entire human race?
Like I said, it simply isn't true.
That's not to say sunlight can't be harmful. Of course, it can be...
For instance, long-term, excessive exposure to sunlight can increase the risk of certain types of skin cancer. Yet moderate sun exposure is less dangerous than sporadic sun exposure.
Plus, there's a good deal of evidence that sun exposure without sunburn significantly decreases the risk of melanoma (a more deadly form of skin cancer.) So safe sun exposure is key.

What You Should Know About UVA and UVB Rays

Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths -- UVA and UVB.  It's important for you to understand the difference between them, and your risk factors from each.
Consider UVB the 'good guy' -- though of course you can't de-select UVA if you're going to be in the sun.  UVB helps your skin produce vitamin D.
UVA is considered the 'bad guy' because it penetrates your skin more deeply and causes more free radical damage.  Not only that, but UVA rays are quite constant during all the hours of daylight throughout the entire year.
By comparison, UVB waves are low in morning and evening and high at midday.
So, if you're out early in the morning or late in the day, you get lots of UVA (bad guy) and not much UVB (good guy). Not a good way to produce vitamin D.  Plus you increase your risk of cancer if that's your only sun intake, and you fail to protect your skin.
What's more, have you ever gotten a scorching sunburn on a cloudy day?  You think you don't need to protect yourself and you wind up being really sorry you didn't. That's the UVA rays at work. They can break through cloud cover and pollution and do some real damage your skin.
Kind of a Catch 22. 

How Sunscreens Keep You from Enjoying the Many Benefits of the Sun's Healthy Rays

As you may know, wearing a sunscreen on your uncovered skin blocks your body's production of vitamin D. In fact, sunscreens reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9%. And interfering with your body's production of vitamin D by 97.5 to 99.9% may have dire health consequences.
After all, vitamin D plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being. For example, this superb vitamin is known to:

• Support your cardiovascular health
  
• Promote optimal cholesterol levels
  
• Enhance your muscle strength
  
• Help produce optimal blood pressure levels
  
• Help maintain a healthy immune system
  
• Support healthy kidney function
  
• Promote healthy teeth
  
• Help keep your bones strong and healthy
  

Please understand -- this list of important benefits represents a tiny fraction of the ways vitamin D keeps you healthy and fit. And, although you can get vitamin D from natural food sources, experts agree on one thing.

Natural Sunlight is Far and Away the Best Way to Get Your Vitamin D!

Sun: Good for you, so long as you don't burn. Protect your skin from overexposure with Natural Sunscreen today.

And it is the ultimate way. Why? Because as soon as the sun's ultraviolet rays strike your skin, your body is programmed to do something remarkable. It starts producing its own natural vitamin D.
Better yet, your body produces the most active form of vitamin D in existence -- calciferol. Also known as vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is actually the precise form your body needs for the proper functioning of your organs and cells.
And luckily for all of us, our bodies automatically generate enough of it with virtually no risk of overdose. They just know when to stop producing natural vitamin D before it can reach toxic levels.
However, elevated vitamin D levels obtained strictly from oral supplements can take six months or longer to normalize. That's why I don't recommend supplementing your vitamin D with pills. If you do take vitamin D supplements, you need to get your blood levels tested regularly to avoid toxicity.
With natural sunlight, you may be wondering what precautions you need to take...

Should You Use a Sunscreen to Guard Against SUNBURN?

Absolutely! But not any kind of commercial sunscreen. More on that in a moment -- but first, let me just say...
As much as I prefer you steer clear of sunscreens because they interfere with natural vitamin D production, there is one critical exception.
The exception is when it is impossible to limit full body exposure to sunlight! So if you can't limit your exposure for whatever reason, do use a safe sunscreen to protect your skin from sunburn. It is for YOUR own good.
Your risk of getting melanoma may increase in relationship to sunburn frequency and severity. Limiting sun exposure, wearing protective clothing, and using a 100% all-natural, non chemical sunscreen can reduce the risks of skin cancer and other harmful effects of the sun.
Studies revealed that people who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburn, actually decrease their risk of developing melanoma.
Now get this:
Safe sunlight exposure has also been shown to protect against as many as sixteen different types of cancer, including breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
So, yes, your body needs a bit of unprotected sun exposure. For all the benefits I've mentioned earlier. But if you can't avoid the following three scenarios:

• You're forced to be in the direct rays of the sun for a longer time than is safe...
  
• You must go into intense sunlight without having the opportunity to gradually build up to it...
  
• You're in a situation where blocking the sun with strategic clothing or sunshades is impractical...
  

...use a sunscreen to help guard against sunburn. But, don't just slap on any of the standard commercial brands you find on store shelves. With that in mind...

It's Time to Expose the Sunscreen Smokescreen!

In my opinion, corporate greed has created products that are harmful.
I'm talking hundreds of sunscreens that I believe are toxic because they contain man-made chemicals ... chemicals I believe can cause serious health problems and increase your risk of disease. Here's why.
The main chemical used in sunscreens to filter out ultraviolet B light is octyl methoxycinnamate. OMC for short. OMC was found to kill mouse cells even at low doses.  Plus, it was also shown to be particularly toxic when exposed to sunshine. And guess what?
OMC is present in 90 percent of sunscreen brands!
But that's not the half of it. A common ultraviolet A filter, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, has also demonstrated toxic properties.
Furthermore, several studies show that the chemicals commonly used in sunscreens are absorbed through the skin and end up circulating in your blood stream. Not good. So...

If Your Sunscreen Contains Any of These Chemicals That I Consider Dangerous and Potentially Life Threatening, Do Yourself a BIG Favor...

Dump it in the trash now .
Yes, that's right. Toss your sunscreen in the trash if it contains any of these questionable chemicals:

Toss your sunscreen in the trash if it contains any of these chemicals I consider to be potentially harmful.

• Para amino benzoic acid...
  
• Octyl salicyclate...
  
• Avobenzone...
  
• Oxybenzone...
  
• Cinoxate...
  
• Padimate O...
  
• Dioxybenzone...
  
• Phenylbenzimidazole...
  
• Homosalate...
  
• Sulisobenzone...
  
• Menthyl anthranilate...
  
• Trolamine salicyclate...
  
• Octocrylene...
  

And, oh yes, let me not forget...
Potentially harmful chemicals such as dioxybenzone and oxybenzone (two chemicals I just mentioned) are some of the most powerful free radical generators known to man!
So if your sunscreen contains dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, or any of the other chemicals I just revealed, I highly recommend you switch to a formula that is safe and healthy for your skin.
And a note to moms ... You are undoubtedly very conscientious about caring for your children.  But when you lather up your son or daughter with sunscreen thinking you're doing the right thing, you could in fact be doing more harm than good.
So check the labels on your sunscreen, and throw them out if they contain any of the potentially dangerous chemicals named above.  After all, your skin is your largest organ, as your child's skin is theirs.
Fortunately, there's a much better option than chemical-laden commercial sunscreens...

Introducing a Major Breakthrough in All-Natural Sunscreen Lotions

This is the story of an incredible product. So incredible that I know of no other sunscreen lotion that is as beneficial and healthy for your skin.

This highly concentrated lotion creates a powerful protective shield to reflect UV rays away from your skin.

The name of this 100% all-natural sunscreen is Natural Sunscreen. The formula used in this lotion was originally used by Acapulco natives.
In fact, each ingredient in this unique formula serves its own special purpose to nourish, protect, and moisturize your skin. One of those ingredients is GREEN TEA. I included green tea for a couple of good reasons.
First, many studies show that green tea is a powerful antioxidant. Second, recent studies also suggest that green tea may help you reduce the appearance of skin damage from sun radiation. In short, green tea helps protect your skin's cells by providing antioxidant protection.
Simply put, this highly concentrated lotion helps protect you by reflecting UV rays away from your skin. Plus, Natural Sunscreen is also water resistant, hypoallergenic, and:

• FREE of chemical fragrances...
  
• FREE of parabens (harsh chemical preservatives)...
  
• FREE of nanoparticles (allows sunscreen to be more cosmetically appealing as it's less visible, yet it remains on your skin's surface)...
  

Active Ingredients in Natural Sunscreen Are ALL Natural

Make no mistake: Natural Sunscreen meets the immediate need for a non-chemical sunscreen.
Each active ingredient in this outstanding product has been carefully chosen to specifically protect and nourish your skin. With that said, let's review together all the ingredients you'll find in this 100% all-natural sunscreen lotion starting with:
Titanium Dioxide (6.0%) & Zinc Oxide (6.0%):
These two active ingredients in Natural Sunscreen are natural minerals. Minerals that actually come from clay and beach sand deposits. This means, they are not harsh, synthetically-produced chemicals you'll often find in popular brands.
And it may surprise you to find out that zinc oxide has been used all over the world for over 75 years as a safe sunscreen to help you prevent excessive sun exposure.
Unlike chemical sunscreens that absorb ultraviolet light, nature provides us with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide ... two remarkable ingredients that remain on your skin to reflect and scatter away both UVA and UVB rays from your body. How do they do this?
Quite simply, they do it by forming a physical barrier, without irritating or clogging your pores.

Other Natural Ingredients Included in NEW Sunscreen that's Only Available at Mercola.com...

Sunflower oil:

Sunflower oil is a superior moisturizer. In addition, it also contains vitamins A, D and E. And this excellent ingredient is often used to moisturize dry, weathered, and aged skin.

Lecithin:

Lecithin is found in the membranes of plant cells (soy.) It is widely used in cosmetics as an emollient and water-binding agent.

Coconut oil:

Coconut oil has been used by the islanders for many hundreds of years to moisturize their skin. And it moisturized their skin while they attained a glowing, dark tan. Even better, if you have skin sensitivities, it is likely to be mild and gentle on your skin.

Glycerine:

Used as an emollient, glycerine improves your skin's natural moisture by attracting just the right amount of water to maintain your skin's homeostasis. Furthermore, research proves the presence of glycerine in the intercellular layer.

Jojoba oil:

Jojoba oil is a non-fragrant natural emollient that serves up superior moisturizing and skin conditioning properties.

Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E):

Vitamin E also acts as a natural preservative.

Shea butter:

Shea butter is a natural plant lipid used as both a thickener and an emulsifier. What's more, it also has effective moisturizing properties.

Eucalyptus oil:

Eucalyptus oil is an essential oil. And when it's mixed with other oils, it is more easily absorbed by your skin. Best of all, it assists other oils to be absorbed in your skin as well. This obviously supports the moisturizing process.

Bottom line, Natural Sunscreen's perfect blend of ingredients results in a pleasant-smelling sunscreen lotion without any chemical fragrances or dangerous artificial chemicals.
For this reason you can feel great about putting it on your skin, and your kids' skin too.
As with all safe sunscreen lotions, I recommend you re-apply frequently, especially after swimming, perspiring, or towel-drying.

Natural Sunscreen – Now Available in Three Strengths

My Natural Sunscreen SPF30 provides just the right amount of coverage for most activities. With a full 6% of both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, you know you’re covered.
But, I realize sometimes you would prefer less protection from the sun.

When you desire lighter protection – but the same safe and natural ingredients – my Natural Sunscreen SPF15 fits the bill. Providing medium protection, Natural Sunscreen SPF15 contains 3.5% Titanium Dioxide and 3.5% Zinc Oxide.
There are times when a stronger sunscreen is desirable. Perhaps for your children’s delicate skin as they play in the sand and surf. Or maybe  when you’re out boating or playing golf. You can enjoy the added assurance of maximum protection with the same safe, active and natural ingredients that I use for my Natural Sunscreen SPF30.
Sometimes, you may want a stronger sunscreen for your face, your children, if you have particularly fair skin or simply to handle more intense sun exposure. But at the same time, you want all the safe active and natural ingredients found in Natural Sunscreen.
For those occasions demanding even greater protection, my Natural Sunscreen SPF50 offers exceptional UVB and UVA protection.With a higher concentration of Zinc Oxide (22.5%) and 6% Titanium Dioxide, you’re getting the highest degree of protection possible. And it’s safe for kids and adults alike.
In fact, this SPF 50 natural sunscreen received an outstanding overall score of “1” from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG rates sunscreens as follows: 0-2 (low hazard), 3-6 (moderate hazard), 7-10 (high hazard).
This rating shows how meticulously this sunscreen formula was created – only natural, nontoxic ingredients are found in Natural Sunscreen SPF15, SPF30, and SPF 50.

Confident Protection -- Guaranteed

No doubt about it, Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 & SPF 50 remarkable products. After all, they help protect you and your family against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, while helping you achieve a beautiful, glowing, and healthy tan.
Many sunscreens protect against only UVB and offer no protection against UVA.
I'm so sure you'll be delighted with Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 & SPF 50.  However, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with either one, let me know at any time. Yes, you read that right. Any time. Of course, I will give you a prompt, courteous refund. No questions asked.
How can I make such a bold guarantee? It's simple: I'm betting that once you start using Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 & SPF 50, you'll enjoy them so much; you and your entire family will never want to be without either one during the warm weather months.
And there's more…
I'm now offering a 1.5 ounce travel bottle with carabiner (to clip on your belt or keychain).
This travel bottle   provides a convenient way to take Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 or SPF 50 along wherever you go. See order details below.
But read on, because sunburn isn't the only potential hazard of summer... (Link to Dr. Mercola's Summer Survival Kit page)

More Interesting Katie Strand World Posts

• What happened to Kathleen Turner?
• Hairiosity!
• And All the Cows Said Moo, TWO!
• A Luke-warm Mess
• Let Go! Your Children Know More Than You Think
• Are you hungry for change? So is Food, Inc.
• Liberating yourself from your own fears
• The smallest non-child, non-midget person I've ever seen
• Stupid trumps hot
• The 15 Things that Pasteurization Kills
• A hugging, laughing, happy mess
• The HPV vaccination could be more dangerous than what it "prevents"
• Is Jake Pavelka a douche bag?
• It's all about interpretation
• Have you forgotten how glorious you are?
• The best reason for DONUTS
• Dr. Mercola recommends raw milk!
• We'd all be pillars of salt
• James Cameron was robbed!
• What do you want?
• The Real British Invasion or...Hey there Brit, how's your American accent?
• Andre Agassi is now Open
• Farts
• Love & Hate. Drugs & Rebellion.
• Occam's Razor - It's a Life & Faith Principle
• If Richard Pryor had a period...
• If you're prone to nudeness...
• Hello, my name is Temple Grandin.
• Blog tease, yelling to no one & the secret to long...
• My Addendum to "Choose a Job You Love..."
• The Primal Diet & Running
• Chop Wood, Carry Water, Do Taxes
• The male member revealed
• Play with the Girls
• How to tame the psycho hose beast
• Oh boy, that's a good question! or How to Deal with the Census
• These boots were made for walking
• If I were a Ninja, I'd wear these shoes
• How my friend Sally became the new First Lady
• My Boyfriend has Autism...Maybe
• Raw Primal Papaya Custard - The Nectar of the Gods
  
• And All the Cows Said Moo!
• If you were John Mayer, you would too
• Tiredness - Varieties of and unforeseen side-effects
• Foreplay is overrated
• Food should be As God Intended or Why isn't everything we eat organic?
• Yelling - One of the Highest Forms of Compassion
  
• The Cove - Louie Psihoyos' Oscar speech & a guide on how to create change...
• My Favorite Things...Arrabiata Recipe - Fresh, Organic, Vegan or Primal
• My Favorite Shows on Television...or how David Duchovney & Jesus are likely Good in Bed
• The Hawaiian Islands and Washington D.C.’s sand-paper circle-jerk about Health Care
• My Buddha has Termites...A Lesson in Infinite Joy
• The One-Date-Wonders!
• I had to learn SIGN LANGUAGE when I moved to Los Angeles
• Guys can make a game out of anything
• Hello? The power of CONNECTING and how technology has changed things
• Popping the question is better than porn!
• Bravo, Stephen Colbert & Co! and your Olympic Vancouverage
• Songwriting is like SEX
• Born To Run by Christopher McDougall - Inspiring a inspiring all of us to be more in the FLOW
• A moment of silence for all the plastic surgery casualties
• Ricky Gervais should be the new Simon on American Idol
• Muscle SURPRISE! The key to physical, mental & emotional fitness
• I think my boyfriend's a snake...
• Release... Sweat & Power
• MY FAVORITE THINGS! - Vibram's Five Fingers
• Dick Morris... How do you sleep at night?
• Rusty DePass, Gorillas, and Obama, oh my!
• Michael Jackson - Troubled Genius

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