Mary


NOTE:
I have read a lot about various subjects and I feel everything on my site is true, but, I am only human. We can only see things from the view of our own eyes. Your view may be different, so if you have ways to get well that work for you, by all means keep doing it. I can only share my personal experiences.

If I throw something out there that is totally new to you, you might want to research further before you act on that information.

MCS Sites ---- updated Dec 2004

Articles ---- updated December 2007

Miscellaneous Links ---- updated March 2006

Toxic Chemical Lists ---- updated November 2005


Coping with MCS

Non Toxic Products that I Use ---- updated May 2008 updated or added these products: Bentonite Clay, Toms of Maine dental floss, sea salt, jojoba oil,

Guides to Non Toxic Products ---- updated March 2005

Catalog Lists ---- updated May 2005

MCS Pamphlets, Posters, T-shirts, Etc. ---- updated November 2007

Non Toxic Homemade Recipes ---- updated December 2005


Healing the Body

Healing Recipes ---- updated November 2007

Body Diagnosis ---- updated December 2005

Cause of my MCS ---- updated 2007

My Journey to Wellness ---- updated May 2008

What I Am Doing to Heal My Body ---- updated ---- May 2008

The Moral of this Story if there is One ---- updated May 2008


Jan 2007

Following my progress

here is my most recent progress with getting off z*oloft

all references to prescription drugs will contain a *. This is because drug companies are spamming my guest books. When searching for a drug related term, insert a * as the second letter and you will find it. You will need to do that for the words z*oloft, a*ntidepressant, and S*SRI.


Other Pages on This Site

MCS Organizations
Many of these organizations have websites that contain tons of links.

Non Toxic Recipes --- updated December 30, 2007 ---
cleaning and personal care recipes that I use

Non Toxic Catalogs --- updated Feb 2006 ---
Cotton clothes, gardening supplies, household items, wood toys, cotton mattresses, kitchen supplies, organic food, organic fabric, etc.

My Shopping Mall --- updated March 2006 ---
These are web stores where I personally shop.

MCS Product Discount Page
discount coupons for selected non toxic products

Kid' Fun Stuff --- updated Jan 2006 ---
Recipes for play dough, clay and that sort of thing

Recycling --- updated Feb 2007 ---
How to reduce buying, reuse items and where to recycle things

Reference Section --- added April 2006 ---
One of the things I miss about not being able to go into public, is going to the library. I use the web now to look up what I need to know. This page has links to reference materials that you would find in the reference section of the library. I have also included other useful information sites. Feel free to let me know about your favorite informational sites.

Home Improvement --- updated Sept 2007 ---
I have added this page back. It is a mostly list of items I should have done to my house because of having MCS. Some for health reasons, others for aesthetic reasons, the rest are just regular maintenance items. I believe if one spends all their time at home, the home should be a relaxing place. Someone once criticized me for asking for donations of any of these items. I offered to test the items for tolerability by a severely chemically sensitive person, ME. I would report results on my site, positive or negative. I can not deal well with criticism, so I removed the page. No one ever took me up on the offer so it is a mute point. I mostly added this page back to give you an idea how many items need to be replaced due to MCS. This is financially impossible for most, including me. I am sure I have missed a lot of items too. Some are for my sanity (like reading material and aesthetic items), since I am homebound. Being homebound is MCS related, so sanity items are still pertinent. Feel free to submit me to one of those fix it up shows. I see no other way of ever getting wood floors throughout the whole house, and replacing all particle board furniture.

Gardening --- updated September 2007 ---
I have listed some of the sites that have helped me the most with my new hobby of gardening. This page is a work in progress. I will mark this page as updated when I add more gardening links. Maybe one day if I get motivated, I will add some pictures of my garden, which is mostly winter squash and black eyed peas.

My Seed Trade List --- added July 2008 ---
Here is where you will find seeds I have to trade. The trade does not have to be one for one. I will send as many seeds as you think you can grow with in the next year or two for one of your seed packets. Seeds don't last forever. So best to use your seeds or trade them within a few years. Next year, I plan on concentrating on cowpeas, beans, Lima beans, peanuts, winter squash, carrots, and radishes. Not much else does well here. E-mail me if something interests you. If you don't have anything I need, perhaps you can just refund my postage.


If you need to Contact Me

Read or sign My Guest book

or just send me an e-mail

If my site has helped you in any way I would love to here about it.

If you just want to chat, I am here for that too. I don't get all that much e-mail so do not feel you are bothering me. Actually, I get rather lonely as I am sure you do, if you are ill enough to be homebound too. I usually answer within a few days, but if I am not feeling well, it could be longer.

I am no expert on anything. I am just a sick person just like you. So my opinion is not worth anymore than yours is.

November 9, 2007

I checked for and corrected all dead links found through the foxfire 'linkchecker' addon. So, there should not be as many dead links for a while. But sometimes, someone buys out an old website address, to take advange of all the free links to that site that already exist. Unfortunately, who knows where it will lead you. Sometimes it leads you to a page of advertisement links. Once on my sewing site, the unexpected link was a non family oriented adult site. UG! Not my fault. There really ott (lord I can't spell that word) to be a law against such things. Recently, I deleted a link that used to go to "The Omnivore" site. That is a bummer since that was a great site. Now the site is trying to sell a book. The new site has the old site blocked through archive so I can't even get to it that way. Anyway, the point is if a link goes some strange place, please let me know and I will remove it, or try to find it on archive.org.

When I add new links to a section, I take that opportunity to check all the links in that section for dead links, or links that go someplace other than where they are supposed to go. This is the only way I know of to even attempt to keep up with the constantly changing web world.


How to remove internet ads
I am sending you to my sewing stuff site, so that I don't have to repeat the same information twice.
Please hit back arrow to get back to this page.

Environmental Illness - Our Little Place
Definition, coping, fragrance info, detox baths, articles, resources, book list, non-toxic guidelines, tons of helpful links, etc

MCS for Beginners
Definition, symptoms, triggers, resources, coping, personal tips and ideas, etc

The Wall of Personal Testimony - HERC
Personal stories of many that have MCS

Resources for the Chemically Injured, Chemically Sensitive or Environmentally Ill - Lassen Technology
Articles, books, building info, carpet, catalogs, clothing, definitions, doctor and dental resource list, food, making a safe room, labs, lawyers, support groups, pest control, product lists, etc.

4 Stages of MCS - MCS Homepage
Gives progressing levels of the stages of this illness. I am in stage 3.

Chemical Injury Survivors of Minnesota
Great description of MCS and what we go through. Their photos are worth a thousand words. A great link to introduce the un-informed to MCS.

May 2004

Chronic Neuroimmune Diseases Information
Articles, info about fragrances, cosmetics, latex allergies, MCS, housing, etc.

MCS Resources - Rocky Mountain Environmental Health Association
Support resources, housing + travel info, product resources, health + disability info, etc.

Nova Scotia Allergy and Environmental Health Association
Coping with MCS, allergy cooking recipes, book reviews, advice on making your home and garden less toxic, disability issues, articles, fragrance info, pesticide info, etc.

Share Care, and Prayer
Book and product resources, guide on what products to avoid, definition and symptoms of MCS, an on-line prayer for the sufferers of MCS. Members have access to an extensive book lending library. It is helpful to homebound that can not enter libraries.

Dec 2004

Atlanta Heal
MCS definition, electrical sensitivity information, product list, personal stories, links to more info on the topic, coping.


More MCS links can be found on my MCS Organization List

Invisible Cripples - Do No Harm (archived)
- You won't see them at the store, or anywhere...

Scents Are Not What They Seem - NEAEHA
- "Fragrance Chemicals as Toxic Substances"

Poison in the Grass - chem-tox
- The Hazards And Consequences of Lawn Pesticides

Birds at Risk from Garden Pesticides - Rachel Carson Council
- "Are individuals responsible for "taking" or killing migratory birds with (lawn) pesticides guilty of breaking the law?"

Radiation Ovens - Association for freedom of choice and Free information
- The Proven Dangers of Microwaves

MCS Under Siege - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- Chemical companies paying big bucks to try to get MCS to go away

Toxic Ingredients - Vaccine Information, Wendy's Story
- Vaccine's Toxic Ingredients and how they affect us.

Environmental Chemicals and Environmental Illness - Weston A Price Foundation
- " ...lack of vitamin A is a precondition for the development of many if not all autoimmune diseases"

The Next Industrial Revolution - Environmental Wellness
- "The model may be in our own backyard" --nature.

Why Shoes Make a Normal Gait Impossible - Parents for Barefoot Children
- Well see, there is one good thing about having MCS!

May 2004

Sodium Fluoride used in Fluoridation is NOT Pharmaceutical Grade - Fluoride Action Network
- "...obtained from the scrubbing system of the phosphate fertilizer industry"

Finding Tolerable Clothing or Fabric - NSAEHA
- "Sensitivity to clothing chemicals leaves many of us feeling like ragged Cinderellas waiting for a fairy godmother to appear!"

June 2004

School Environment - Healthy or Hazardous? - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- the toxic environment in which we expect our children to learn!

Drugs, Stoned by Prescription - KOS Publishing
- "In Canada and the US (drug) research is primarily funded by drug companies whose contracts always contain gag clauses preventing researchers from reporting negative findings, should these occur... Interestingly, these same companies also make the pesticides which cause all of the diseases in the first place, either directly by ingestion, skin contact or inhalation, or indirectly by dangerously depleting the nutrients in the foods. What an amazingly effective business strategy! ... Always assume the drug prescribed is toxic unless proven otherwise."

Salts that Heal and Salts that Kill - Cure Zone
- Unrefined Sea salt is good for you, denatured table salt is not.

July 2004

Economies for Life - "Yes" Magazine
- "Living economies are made up of human-scale enterprises locally owned by people who have a direct stake in the many impacts associated with the enterprise."

Billboard Control: Fighting Visual Pollution - Scenic America
- "While some may think billboards are harmless, their negative effects on our health and our safety have been documented."

August 2004

The Seven Essentials of Recovery - by Debra Lynn Dadd
-"You can recover from multiple chemical sensitivities on your own, without modern medicine. Indeed, the antidote for this illness is to remove your body from modern life, and let it heal naturally."

December 2004

How We Become Chemically Sensitive - Health and Certainty (archived)
-"...Simply by overloading the waste management system."

the more link on the bottom on the above page does not work, click below to read that page...
How We Become Chemically Sensitive, page 2- Health and Certainty (archived)

the "safe cleaning tips" on the above page does not work, click below to read that page...
safe cleaning tips (archived)

Electromagnetic Field Poisoning - Craig Reese
-"Some of the worse offenders are: computers, T.V., stereos, clocks, electric blankets, hair dryers, electric ranges, microwaves, fans, heaters, any electric motor, florescent lights, etc."

Moldy Material - Health and Certainty (archived)
- What to do about mold

March 2005

The Problem with Pressure Treated Wood - Raw Food Info
-"Pressure treated wood, also known as copper chromium arsenate (CCA) wood is a wood that has been placed in a vacuum where all the water and air is removed, then the wood is injected under pressure with chemicals."

Formaldehyde Toxicity - Grisanti
-"Symptoms associated with exposure to formaldehyde fumes include mucous membrane irritation, upper respiratory tract irritation, eye irritation, skin rashes, itching, nausea, stuffy nose, headaches, dizziness, and general fatigue."

How to Legally Avoid Unwanted Immunizations of All Kinds - Mercola
- It is actually very simple. Just write a letter stating you object to immunizations for religious reasons, get it notarized and give it to the school nurse. This has to be done each year. This works as I have done it with my daughter.

The Oiling of America - Weston A Price Foundation
- "Animal foods containing saturated fat and cholesterol provide vital nutrients necessary for growth, energy and protection from degenerative disease ..."

I would call MCS a degenerative disease.

The Fluoridation Fiasco - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- "We would not purposely add arsenic to the water supply. And we would not purposely add lead. But we do add fluoride. The fact is that fluoride is more toxic than lead and just slightly less toxic than arsenic.""

May 2005

Polio: The virus and the disease
- There is evidence that polio is actually caused by pesticides. Polio is now occurring more and more in third world countries where we ship the now US banned pesticides. Polio is still occurring in the US, but doctors just diagnose it as something else to make patients think the vaccine is working. They make tons of money on vaccines.

The SARS Epidemic - Are Viruses Taking the Rap for Industrial Poisons?
- "SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) disease symptoms are identical to pesticide and air pollution disease symptoms. And these poisons correlate in time and place with SARS epidemics..."

...WNV (west Nile Virus) epidemics occur annually in air-polluted petrochemical regions (such as eastern New Jersey and St. Louis) during the warm spring and summer months... and these epidemics don't spread infectiously to other regions."

Food For Thought: Malcolm Beck (archived)
- Some Observations on the Relationships Between Soil Health and the Physical and Mental Health of Humans

Pushing up Daisies: Malcolm Beck (archived)
- We used to decompose into the earth from which we came, but sadly, not any more!

Other Malcolm Beck articles (archived)

Hospitalization for the Chemically Sensitive Patient - A MCS site
- guidelines for hospital staff

Facts of Light - Price Pottenger
-Light is like food. The wrong kind can make us ill and the right kind can keep us healthy.

Seeing the Light - Price Pottenger
- "...stories of spontaneous remissions from cancer, achieved soon after patients threw away their sunglasses or tinted lenses and soaked up the healing rays of the sun."

The Murky World of High Fructose Corn Syrup - Weston A Price
- " HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) has the exact same sweetness and taste as an equal amount of sucrose from cane or beet sugar but it is obviously much more complicated to make, involving vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus and chemical tweaking..."

"Consumers trying to avoid genetically modified foods should avoid HFCS. It is almost certainly made from genetically modified corn and then it is processed with genetically modified enzymes."

Agriculture and Nutrition - Weston A Price
- " When crops grown for high production produce less nutrition, it would be logical to think that animals bred for high production would also produce less nutrition."

Finding Health Close to Home - Weston A Price
- "Anonymity tends to bring out the worst in people. It is much easier to put out inferior products, even unhealthy products, when you cannot see the people they affect."

Dec 2005

Natural Gas and People with Chemical Sensitivities - Medical-Environmental Report
- "The use of natural gas is recognized as one of the most important sources of indoor air pollution and sensitizing agents. There is evidence that the use of natural gas appliances has an adverse effect on human health. Furthermore, it is known that individuals with environmental sensitivities react adversely in the presence of natural gas and its combustion products. Natural gas contributes to the development and exacerbation of chemical and environmental sensitivities."

How Nature Cures - Doctor Yourself
- "When we begin to see germs more as scavengers trying to clean up refuse, as opposed to being little deadly gremlins out to get us, we can begin to take confidence that nature does heal and that our body will clean itself of the roots of illness. If your body is clean and healthy, germs are irrelevant. There is a lack of conclusive proof that germs are the primary cause of any disease. The bibliography in this book lists references that show that malnutrition, medicines and wrong living are more basic, underlying roots of disease. "

Hidden Allergens in Foods - Allergy Advisor
- lists ingredients that may indicate the presence of eggs, dairy, soy, wheat, peanuts, or fish

Poison for Profit - Red Flags Weekly
- " The same chemical companies that produce toxic chemicals also produce prescription drugs, veterinary medicines, a wide array of medical products and imaging technologies, hold cancer treatment and medical device patents, and a produce a staggering assortment of over-the-counter palliatives. "

What's Wrong with Food Irradiation? - Organic Consumers
-Irradiation covers up the increased fecal contamination that results from speeded up slaughter and decreased federal inspection, both of which allow meat and poultry to be produced more cheaply. HERE

Dec 2006

People With Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Are Becoming the New Homeless - E Magazine
- Stories of those that have to live in their cars or mobile trailers, to try to escape toxins.

I thought hyperbaric oxygen might be a good idea until I read this article
Problems associated with use of the hyperbaric chamber in sports - Project Air
-" Why would there be problems using the hyperbaric system? The system is totally cut off from the outside atmosphere. A natural ion count of 5000 ions per cubic centimeter can be measured in nature. This count can fluctuate but no matter where we go, there are ions. In the hyperbaric tank the ion count would be zero. There is no natural or artificial way to produce ionization in the chamber since the corona discharge from an ionizer would cause the oxygen to ignite. Every human being must have ions to survive. It is this reason why the hyperbaric system is so dangerous."

Teflon – Is it Good or Bad - Dr Rapp (archived)
- "It lasts indefinitely in the environment and it never breaks down, even in the human body."
- "here are thousands of substances that can be found in typical sewage sludge, including any of the 100,000 or so chemicals produced and used in industrialized nations, many of which illegally end up in sewers. "

Dec 2007

Sludge - anarac (archived)
- "...the municipal waste industry hired a public relations firm named Powell Tate, who re-named the waste as "beneficial biosolids", to be used for fertilizers, and dust suppressants to be spread on farmers' fields and country roads. The EPA then reclassified sludge from "hazardous material" to "compost"."

The Sludge Scam: Should Sewage Sludge Fertilize Your Vegetables - riles
- " In Rutland Vermont, 24 months after spreading sludge on his 99 acre farm, dairyman Robert Ruane's cow's started getting arthritis and milk production dropped from 18,000 pound per year to 14,000 pounds per year. Over a two year period, 66 cows died. "They told me how much money it was going to save me on fertilizer.""

healing power of sunlight - shirley's wellness cafe
- "The sun is the source of energy for all plants, and indirectly, for all animals. If the sun causes cancer, man wouldn't be here today. Contrary to popular belief, sunbathing actually helps heal cancer of the skin while sunblock increases cancer risk. "

fasting to cure depression - health freedom news
- " There may be other ways to cure depression, but if any of them work, I’m sure its because they are close to the “give nature a chance” school of thought." Words of the author

I know I feel emotionally better after a short fast of very light veggie fare, but I feel a water only fast must be used with caution.


I know this article has little to due with MCS, but it is very informative.
True cause of world hunger - Anuradha Mittal
- " There was no shortage of food, but the people were too poor to buy it. So what did the U.S. and other countries, like Australia, do? Smelling an opportunity to unload their own surplus wheat in the name of "food aid," they gave loans to Indonesia upon the condition that it buy wheat from them. And Indonesians don’t even eat wheat."

Safe House Tips - CHEC

Healthy House Check Lists - CHEC

Resource List for Pesticide Alternatives - A Better way - IPM Solutions
- list or resources for alternatives to pesticides (books, periodicals, sources of beneficial insects, organizations, articles), MCS links, safer products, affects on wildlife, list of safer places to stay while traveling

Web Sites Pertaining to Housing and MCS - The Garden (archived)
Places to live or vacation, safer building ideas

November 2004

Burning Issues
- "Burning Issues provides public education about the medical hazards of exposure to wood smoke and other fine particulate pollution. Smoke from residential burning of wood and coal, wood burning restaurants and outdoor burning of wood, leaves, crops, tires and debris is permeating our neighborhoods, resulting in high ground-level concentrations of toxic air pollution."

March 2005

Plastic: A Problem of Global Proportions - International Plastics Task Force
- "As plastic is non-biodegradable, toxic and not recyclable in the true sense of the word, the need for an international coalition against plastic waste is paramount."

Trade Secrets - PBS Program
- "Trade Secrets reveals how the public's right to know the truth about thousands of chemicals that surround us has been compromised."

Connective Disorder Site
- A well researched, easy to read site on ways she has found to overcome most of her health issues using natural means. I highly recommend this one. Contains info on the following conditions: scoliosis, fibromyalgia, muscle tension, insomnia, TMJ, pain, nose bleeds, MCS, etc.

Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living - ILRU
- An on-line MCS book

May 2005

Organic Directories - Organic Consumers
- web sites that list organic sites.

Score Card
- find out who is polluting in your area

March 2006

The Healthy Flooring Network Guide to Healthy Flooring
- lists flooring alternatives

Mercury and Nature - National Wildlife Foundation

Old Timers Page - Walton Feed
- the way folks used to do things

Food Cholesterol Chart
- to get more cholesterol in your diet - cholesterol helps to detoxify the body

The Safe Playgrounds Project (archived)
- is there arsenic treated wood in your back yard?

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home - EPA

California Department of Health Services Indoor Air Quality Info Sheet- Mold in My Home: What Do I Do?

Epilepsy and Diet - Dogtor J
- avoiding the offending foods helps epilepsy (in dogs and humans)

The Hypoglycemia Health Association of Australia
- articles about hypoglycemia, depression, food allergies, serotonin, diabetes, etc.

Food Sources of Various Nutrients - The Hypoglycemia Health Association of Australia

Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Foods - Food News (archived)
- lists foods that you should always buy organic

List of KOS Health Articles
- The inside story on various health topics including: asthma, the cancer industry, autism, prescription drugs, GMO foods, modern medicine, MCS, organic food, etc.

42 Common Toxic Chemicals and their Effects - Rowatworks

Glossary of Products with hazards A to Z - EPA

Chemical Glossary -Lifekind

Soy Alert! - Weston A Price Foundation

Health risks of chemicals labeled Danger, Warning or Caution - CHEC

Toxin Technical Information Index - Total Environment Centre (archived)

June 2004

MCS Chemistry For Non-Chemists - MCS for Beginners

List of Fragrance Chemicals- Immune Web

Household Product Database - National Institutes of Health

March 2005

Fabric Softeners Equal Health Risks from Dryer Exhaust and Treated Fabrics - MCS World

Nov 2005

Skin Deep - Have your personal care products been assessed for safety?

Dakota Free Lip Balm   non toxic - produced my a MCS person.

To get a 10% discount off any dakota free product:

go to Dakota Free order any product that you need, then enter 10%MCS into the comment area of the order page.

To get discounts for other products, please visit my Product Discount page.

The Solution    full strength as a shampoo and 1:3 with water to clean with

Widu Wooden Hair Brush    Has a wood handle, removable wood bristles, no glue.

Bentonite Clay

the baking soda, that I was using was beginning to give me a rash. I think it is because I am nigh in calcium according to my last hair analysis. Before baking soda, I used peelu powder. That gave me a rash as well.

When selecting a clay to use for my teeth I picked one that was higher in magnesium than calcium cine I was low in magnesium on my last blood test.

Silver Water Gel.   Used for burns, cuts, acne, sun burn, deodorant and feels nice on skin
   do a search for "silver water gel" on the site

Paper First Aid Tape   I use this with a cut piece of 100% cotton T-shirt as a bandage

Toms of Maine Unflavored Dental Floss    naturally waxed with beeswax, Carnauba and Jojoba waxes, also contains a few herbs

Natracare feminine products   The grocery store kind of feminine products are so irritating.
   The regular kind are made from synthetic fibers and usually have masking scents, UG!
   can be purchased from Goldmine Natural Foods

Organic Essentials Cotton Balls    normal cotton balls have added chemicals

Organic Essentials Cotton Swabs    ditto

Macadamia nut oil   for dry itchy skin
   any organic non-solvent extracted cooking oil or fat will do.

Nov 2005

Edge Unscented Shaving Gel    my hubby uses this.
   I am sure it has toxic stuff in it, but at least it is unscented.


Cleaning

The Solution   Very concentrated all purpose cleaner - works out to 9 cents an oz. great stuff!
   I use this for my laundry too.

Cal Ben Dish Washer Powder    Only kind of soap based dish powder that works and I have tried about all of them
   It contains some chlorine, so I hand wash most of the time.

Cal Ben Dish Soap   Has a hint of coconut, feels nice on hands

Bi-O-Kleen Glass Cleaner   This brand must have changed its formula because it steaks now. When this stuff runs out I will try to use a dilute tea solution.

20 Mule Team Borax   to clean the toilet
   can be purchased from Vermont Country Store


Food and Kitchen Stuff

Steel Wool   instead of the soapy steel wool pads

Sea Salt   instead of denatured table salt. I prefer the peruvian salt.

Natural Cellulose Sponges   For cleaning - normal ones are plastic and contain chemicals

Cellulose Bags   to store food - scroll to see them

DeLonghi Convection Oven   instead of microwave. It has an enameled finish.
   I am not sure it cooks any faster, but the food tastes better!

Frontier Organic Spices   instead the probably GMO, irradiated grocery store kind!

Pyrex Glass Food Storage   instead of plastic

Wide Mouth Glass Canning Jars   to store my homemade beef broth

1 Quart Wine Decanters   I use as a water pitcher, I bought mine at a thrift shop


Cotton Items

E G Smith Cotton Boot Socks   It says 100% cotton on the site, but the label says 99% cotton.

They are so yummy though. So thick and warm and go all the way up to my knees. They do not bother me despite the 1% spandex. I sleep in these because I get cold feet at night.

GAIAM Organic Cotton Sheets   to avoid formaldehyde (wrinkle guard) and toxic flame retardants

100% Cotton Barrier Cloth Mattress Encasement   to block some of the toxic bedding materials from reaching me
  can also be purchased from AEHF

100% Cotton Ironing Board Cover and Pad

Heating synthetic fabrics and foams release toxic fumes into the air, and deposit them into the clothes that you are ironing, and your lungs.

Cotton Bath Mats    instead of vinyl lined polyester


Household Stuff

Jojoba Oil

I used to use this stuff to lubricate my sewing machine, because I read that you could do that on a web site. But after a few years of doing this, the machine ran so slow, and the sewing machine guy said the machine was all gummed up. Let me know if you know of a good alternative.

BioShield Wood Stains and Finishes   Most of their products have a nice citrus scent.
   I am sensitive to citrus, I will get a different brand next time.

Dry Iron   Has a stainless sole plate without the toxic non-stick finish of most irons.

I love this iron. It does not has a steam feature. There are no steam holes to get clogged up. The iron seams to get hotter than normal irons, so I don't miss the steam. when I need steam I mist them. The iron is small, light and pointy, making is easier to get into small areas.

Leather fly swatter    flies

I got this one before I realized the toxic nature of tanning leather. If I were to get one now, I might buy a metal screen fly swatter in I could find one. If I do I will let you know.

Charcoal Chimney   instead of lighter fluid

Whole Foods Real Hardwood (lump) Charcoal   instead of charcoal brickettes with chemical additives

... it seems from the above review there might be a better brand out there. If you know of one, please let me know.


EZ Digger   instead of herbicides


Pet Stuff

April 2005

Swheat Scoop Natural Cat litter - clumping cat litter that is safe for kitty.

for more info:
cat litter a deadly convenience
list of clumping litter alternatives

Dry pet food is so not good for animals. It is as bad as dry breakfast cereal is for humans. But every attempt we have made to wean our cats from dry food, has resulted in one or both cats to stop eating entirely. Then they have to go to the vet to be re-hydrated and force fed. Both have almost died because of this. Both cats will eat the cooked meat/veggie based canned food, but is is has been trial and error trying to find the flavors and brands they will eat. Cats will starve themselves if they don't like the smell. If a kitten is started on raw meat to begin with, it won't be a problem getting them to eat it. Cats tend to like what ever they are weaned onto, and hate most everything else. Dogs, tend to eat anything you put in front of them, even if not food (shoes, carpet, their own poop, etc.).

November 2007 In the summer of 2005 we got a Corgi. He loves the ground organ meat sold by burgundy pasture beef. In the summer of 2007 our 9 year old cat named pumpkin, died of kidney failure. He was very fat. We tried to get him off the horrible cat food he and the other cat were on, but both both would have rather starved than the give up the highly addictive processed pet foods. The dog eats dry dog food in the morning since hubby feeds the dog at that time. He gets the raw organ meat at lunch and dinner. He and my daughter refuse to touch the raw pet food. It "is" on the gross side. I would rather the dog not eat breakfast cereal for dogs but, this is out of my control.

for more info:
do dogs and cats need grains?
the truth about dry pet food
what's really in pet food (archived)
all about raw pet food

Guide to Choosing Less Toxic Personal Care Products - HEAL.

Less Toxic Cleaning Products - HEAL

Resources for the Chemically Injured - Lassen Technology

Guide to Less Toxic Products - NSAEHA
homemade formulas sprinkled in

Unscented or Mildly Scented Products Generally Tolerated by Most Persons with MCS - CND.

Non-Toxic Alternatives to Common Household Products - CCAT.

March 2005

Safer Products for Home and Personal Care - HERC

Resources and Shopping for the Chemically Sensitive - MCS World

Non Toxic Catalog Lists

Non Toxic Product Catalogs
Cotton clothes, gardening supplies, household items, wood toys, cotton mattresses, kitchen supplies, organic food, etc. - I have not used most of these.

My Personal Non Toxic Shopping Mall
These are web stores where I personally shop. Most are family run and environmentally conscious.

Building Materials - Lassen Technologies

Various Catalogs - Lassen Technologies
Personal care, masks, curtains, bedding, tents, garden supplies, clothing, mattresses, supplements, building supplies, filters, kitchen stuff, etc.

Cotton Clothing Catalogs - Lassen Technologies

Organic Food Catalogs - Lassen Technologies

EI Resources - scroll about half way down - Share Care, and Prayer
exotic foods, air filters, masks, bedding, clothing, beds, heaters, etc.

MCS Resources - Our Little Place
Personal care, building materials, bedding, cleaning, garden products, pest control, cotton clothes, filters, furniture, masks, cloths, mattresses, etc.

MCS Product Resources - Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured
air filters, organic foods, bedding, fabric, furniture, clothing, masks, saunas, tents, etc.

Less Toxic Products - MCS NYC
Personal care, cotton clothes, household items, cleaning, bedding, building supplies,etc.

let's stop poisoning our children

please protect yourself from household toxins

fragrance free encounters


Buttons and Posters

no perfume buttons and a door poster

no fragrance - poster

beware of occupant! - chemically sensitive occupant known to bite stinky people! - poster

the sweetest smell is nothing at all - poster

MCS posters for sale


Other Stuff

MCS patches

MCS t-shirts

its the chemical stupid - bumpers stickers

Nov 2005

Organic Garden - do not spray sign

November 2007

pesticide free sign for the yard

pesticide free zone sign for the yard

pesticide free yard sign

pesticide free yard and garden

The way I did it, was to boil 2 oz of lightly pan roasted whole barley (not pearled) in 1 quart of water, then simmered for 20-30 minutes. Then I strained and tossed out the barley. I drank 1 cup of barley water about 4X a day.

Unroasted barley has a laxative effect. If you suffer constipation, do not roast it. The way to pan roast is to put the whole barley in a dry pan. Heat over burner, shaking the pan every now and then to keep from burning, 'til it is aromatic.

I drank it room temp and stored it in a glass container. I gained 12 pound in 3 months. It also improved my mood a bit. I feel the reason it helps you to gain weight is not the calories, but the mineral content of the water helps to heal the intestines and you absorb your nutrients better. I am gluten intolerant but this did not bug me. I think since the actual barley grains were discarded maybe the gluten got discarded too? I am only guessing on this, so if you are gluten intolerant, please ask your natural doctor.

Whole barley is not readily available in health food stores. So, I purchased mine from gold mine natural foods . I chose the buffalo black barley because it is an heirloom variety.

November 2007

I have been thinking just recently, that the carb content of barley, must be the reason that it helps you to gain weight. Grain is used to fatten up cows for market. I also think this barley water must have gluten in it, if barley has gluten. I think the reason that I was not bothered by the barley water was because, I have trouble with grains (due to my hypoglycemia), and am probably not gluten intolerant, per se.

Powers of the Taheebo tree

It is supposed to strengthen the liver, and be good for lots of other stuff, like infections, candida, cancer and parasites.

If you choose to try it, make it weak. Full strength, it can be too strong for folks like us. I make it with 1 teaspoon to 4 cups of water and low boil it for 20 minutes then take off heat an let sit for 1/2- 1 hour and strain. I drink room temp as it is supposed to be more effective this way. It can make you very tired due to detox effects, so start slow.

I only used this a few years ago when my candida was acting up. I stopped using it when it it began to make me loose weight. That is the last thing I need. I drank it daily for a few months.

The quality of the tea is so bad in health food stores, that is is totally ineffective, so look here to find a good source Purchasing notes...for Pau D'Arco (taheebo) .

May 2005

Natural Therapies - healthy living by annie

Tongue Diagnosis - Al Stone L. A. C.
- an introduction to how to diagnose health problems by looking at your tongue

Fingernail Diagnosis - Care2
- nails reflect the condition of the inner body

Diseases that show up in the fingernails - essortment
- "our fingernails are a window to our bodies' health"

What your face says about your health - bebest (archived)
- face diagnosis

Chinese Face Reading - positive health
- face diagnosis

December 2005

Foot Reflexology - Massage Craft

I believe that going down the wrong road has lead me down the road to illness. I feel by selecting better paths now, will send me on a journey to wellness. It has been a rocky road, but I am healing, slowly. I hope, some of my discoveries, might help you too.


PROBLEM:
When I was a baby and child, I suffered from almost daily leg pain, that the doctors could never figure out, ear, hearing problems, lots of horrible colds, nose bleeds, and I was a fussy eater, probably due to unknown food allergies.

Wrong Path #1

1. antibiotics
2. aspirin
3. ear tubes
4. tonsils out
5. leg braces

1. more aspirin
2. more antibiotics
3. cough medicine with codeine for 2 months
4. not fond of fast food, but learned to eat it

1. allergy medicine
2. p*axil
3. chiropractor
4. aspirin

1. more antibiotics
2. they doubled my z*oloft
3. food based supplements by way of a natural nutrition doctor

1. v*alium
2. n*eurontin
3. aspirin
4. neck brace
5. more chiropractic

1. more chiropractic
2. neck brace
3. TMJ splint
4. acupuncture
5. NAET allergy treatments
6. thought field therapy
7. NET (neuro emotional technique)
8. aspirin and tylenol alternating every 2 hours
9. physical therapy
10. colon, liver, and kidney cleanses
11. colonics

1. ditched all the doctors (traditional and alternative)
2. ditched all prescription drugs. (except the z*oloft. I will taper off that soon)
3. ditched all over the counter drugs (namely pain killers)
4. ditched all processed food and supplements (not that I could tolerate them at this point anyway)
5. I get rolfed when my muscles are tight and after dental appointments.
6. I only eat Real food.

   pasture raised beef, organic beets, green beans, broccoli, peas, winter squash, raw sauerkraut, spring water, home made beef broth, and sea salt
   (would eat more foods but allergies and digestion problems prevent it at this time)

1. I rarely have any pain, but I do get a little stiff sometimes (pain, a sign of poor circulation)
2. My scoliosis has improved --(My shoulders are even and I have almost no back or neck pain.)
3. My mood has improved (mood reflects liver health)
4. My muscles are no longer flabby
5. I gained the weight that I so desperately needed to gain. (up to 112 now)
6. I rarely get infections or colds
7. I do not get nose bleeds as often
8. I am not thoroughly exhausted all the time
9. I rarely have reflux (for me reflux is a sign of constipation)
10. My body is warmer
11. My feet no longer hurt all the time
12. I rarely get facial acne
13. My digestion is a lot better
14. BM's are better
15. My hair is growing back in since I stopped n*eurontin
16. I have gained the fat in my face that I lost tapering off n*eurontin
17. My skin tone and color is better (skin and hair reflects state of health)
18. My eyes are clearer
19. My vision is a little better (poor vision a sign of liver problems)
20. My lips are returning (thin lips means poor digestion)
21. The darkness between my lips and nose is going away (dark upper lip area, sign of poor digestion)
22. The acne on my back gone! (back acne, a sign of liver problems)
23. Way fewer rashes

1. MCS
2. food allergies
3. depression - much less (depression sign of poor liver health)
4. anxiety - not much though
5. obsessiveness - it is much less now
6. hypoglycemia - seems worse (hypoglycemia - adrenal glands weak)
7. insomnia - but much better now (insomnia - poor liver health)
8. hearing problems when background noise is present (poor hearing - weak kidneys)
9. buzzing noise in ears
10. poor peripheral vision in the right eye
11. poor eye coordination
12. memory problems - a little better now (poor memory - poor liver health)
13. confusion at times, but much less
14. receding gums - does not seem to be getting any worse (caused by n*eurontin and toxic body)
15. sensitive teeth - almost gone (caused by receding gums)
16. fast growing plaque (caused by n*eurontin)
17. rashes (caused by weak immune system)
18. constipation - not constant
19. fatigue - sometimes worse than others
20. I lost the moons on my fingernails - but not my thumbnails (no moons - weak thyroid)
21. Half my eyebrows are missing (a sign of weak thyroid)
22. Puffy under my eyes (a kidney thing)
23. Peripheral Neuropathy type symptoms
    Parts of my body go numb or are in pain, if I sleep on a seam or a sheet wrinkle
    I get nauseous
    I get very cold
    These symptoms started after I started n*eurontin

I'm still on z*oloft, so still have the same symptoms to overcome.

I believe processed food and medications are the major cause of MCS. Once weakened by poor nutrition and toxic drugs, the body is much more susceptible to the toxic chemicals the world throws our way. I believe this is why when exposed to the same chemicals, once person will get terribly ill and the other will seem unaffected.


Once I was weakened by processed foods, prescription and over the counter drugs, I was made worse by:

Man made chemicals in pesticides, cleaning potions, and personal care products
Not drinking enough pure water
Lack of exercise
Not enough sunshine
Not getting enough sleep
Dental work
Minor surgeries
Supplements
Eating food I did not know I was allergic to
Having a baby when too weak to do so - it drained me
Concussion

I slammed my finger in a car door, then I got tired and tried to lay down, but did not make it to the couch, (was trying to make it to the bed) and I fell head first into the corner of the coffee table. This is what my daughter tells me. I don't remember anything between the feeling tired and waking up a minute later on the floor. The day after the concussion, I was allergic to almost all foods!

Four car accidents in a row - I never had time to heal between accidents
Colon, kidney, parasite, candida, gall bladder cleansing
Colonics
More stress than I am capable of handling, given my depression, and weakened state .

Basically anything that depletes the body further. (poor nutrition, illness, injury, stress, and toxins)

In June 2004, I started to drink Mountain Valley Spring Water in glass bottles, instead of filtered water from BYOB Water Stores . I think Mountain Valley Spring Water tastes great! The first few days, it was like I could not get enough of this water. It was like this was what my body was looking for all along and it was making up for lost time. But I did level off after a while and now drink normal amount. The same thing happened to my husband. He drank a lot of it at first too. But now he thinks the water tastes too minerally for him and went back to the filtered water. I think this is common. Deficient people need minerally water and the more robust folks need the the cleansing qualities of filtered water.

I have read to avoid drinking distilled water, because it is toxic to the body. I think this is because it is totally devoid of minerals and leaches them from your body. Not good!

May 2008

Here are some articles about the dangers of drinking distilled water:

Early Death Comes from Drinking Distilled Water
Miraculous Messages from Water - scroll down to see a picture of ugly distilled water.

Personlly, I think even filtered water is depleting to the body. Even my husband, who used to like BYOB filtered water, is now drinking tap water. I have been told that filtered water is dead.

Back in 1997 I brought two bottles of water to be muscle tested at my kinesiologist. I did not label (except with a 1 and a 2 so I knew which was which) either bottle so he would not know which was which. I did not look while he tested so I did not know either. The highly filtered BYOB water tested weak for me, and the tap water tested strong. I was not going to drink "Tap" water! So I contunued to drink the empty water. I should have listened to my body, and stopped drinking the filtered water. In 1999, I began to drink "Rain fresh" brand water, after I tasted it my accupuncturist. It is reverse osmosis water with added oxygen, so still an empty dea water. We switched to mountain valley spring water, after we moved and rain fresh was no longer available. The water tastes great! It may take a while for my body to remineralize after 7 years of drinking dead water.

The earth provides water with the minerals a body needs, so I believe that is the best way to drink it. It is too bad that most don't have access to fresh mountain streams. If you can not afford spring water, please add a touch of sea salt to your water so you can at least be getting some electrolytes when you drink. Add the salt according to taste, your body will tell your when it is the right amount. Salted water has a softer feel in my mouth. I like it a lot better.

Given a choice, my dog prefers rain water, to tap, filtered or even spring water. Animals are usually wiser than we are. My potted plants and veggie garden also prefers rain water. Maybe one day I will take my dog's advice and get some rain barrels.

Country Water Action: Thailand Promoting Rainwater Harvesting, Preserving Rainwater Jar Culture
We have asphalt shingles, so roof collection would not be a great idea.

Recently, I discovered that I was not getting enough water. I thought that I was drinking plenty of water, but the only thing it seemed to acomplish was to make me pee. So I drank less, to see if I felt less tired and weak. I felt terrible. So I tried something else. Instead of drinking a full glass of water at a time when I felt thirsty, I drink 1/2 a glass every 1/2 hour. Oh my gosh, all the differnece in the world. Now, I digest my food way better and I am not running to the bathroom all the time. I think drinking too much at once was upseting my electrolyte balance. My kidneys were very busy dumping water to make things right again, and I was still dehydrated.

I found if I drink 2 cups on rising (sleep is dehydrating, and so is taking a bath), then I drink 1/2 cup of water every half hour, I feel the best. Also, I add 1/4 teaspoons of sea salt to each 4 cup pitcher. I read in these articles

summary of the book: Your Body's Many Cries For Water
Profound Life-Giving Therapeutic Himalayan Crystal Salt - shilrleys wellness cafe

that salt and water are needed to make Hydrochloric acid (HCL) for the body to make HCL, which is needed for digestion. I avoid drinking for at least 1 hour after meals so that HCL is not diluted. After supper, I only drink about 1/8 a cup around 7 pm, because I found it is hard on my kidneys to drink at night. Each person needs a different amount of water to to feel well, so use your own body as a guide. When the weather is hot, or I am more active, I drink more water than usual. When I garden, I get so tired and sometimes