Vandana Shiva, an eco-activist based in India, is a champion of non-GMO food and encourages global citizens to preserve seed biodiversity. Do what you can to propagate hardy seeds endemic to your area, and support local organic farmers. See Seeds .

Food Tip:

1. What is the name of the chemical added to plastics to make them soft and flexible, but that also mimics the hormone estrogen?

2.  What is the estrogenic chemical added to plastic to make it hard, found in the lining of canned foods, composite dental filings and some water bottles?

3. Name the heavy metals, called metalloestrogens, that are able to bind to the estrogen receptor? 

4. Which are the foods highest in PCBs?

5. Where are fire retardants most concentrated in our homes and what can we do about it?

6. Name the most important 5 supplements that help your liver detoxify environmental chemicals.

7. Name 3 herbs that support liver detoxification.

8. Which 2 foods taken together will help to decrease the harmful effects of pesticides on breast cells.

9. What is the best way to eliminate environmental chemicals from your fat cells?

10. What is the name of the estrogenic preservative added to cosmetics that we should avoid?

ANSWERS

Here is an information sheet on other  Common Environmental Contaminants

1. Read the labels of personal care products, taking care to avoid phthalates and parabens. 

2. Avoid artificial air fresheners and other scented products.

3. Store acidic, oily or liquid food in glass, stainless steel or lead-free ceramic containers rather than plastic ones. 

4. Purchase organic foods whenever possible. 

5. Use pots and pans that are steel clad, enamelled, cast iron, and avoid non-stick coatings. 

6. Use a solid-carbon-block water filter on your kitchen faucet to filter drinking and cooking water. 

7. Choose natural or less toxic cleaning products, and ensure that products are fragrance-free, such as baking soda and white vinegar. Avoid chlorine bleach. To whiten clothes naturally, rinse them in lemon juice and let them dry in the sunlight.

8. Select home furnishings made from natural fibres, avoiding fire retardants and Scotchguard.

9. Take your shoes off at the door to avoid tracking pollutants into your home.

10. Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting. Carcinogens such as brominated fire retardants tend to collect in dust and carpeting. 

11. Use building materials, blinds, flooring, and furniture made from wood, metal, or natural fabric. Avoid using PVC in siding, window frames, blinds, or furniture. 

12. Choose to paint rather than wallpaper your walls.

Choose building materials, paints, stains, and sealants that are identified as "low VOC" or "no VOC." 

13. Choose electronic equipment that does not contain PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers. 

14. Control household pests without resorting to pesticides. Seal the holes through which pests enter your home and control them by using borax, diatomaceous earth or sticky traps that do not contain pesticides.

15. Fight weeds without using herbicides. Instead, prevent weeds by planting ground-cover on open spaces and control weeds by pulling them out, mulching, spraying them with vinegar, or coating them with soapy water.

16. Choose toys and baby items that have no polyvinyl chloride, PVC, phthalates or bisphenol A. Untreated and unpainted wooden toys and untreated cloth toys are safe alternatives. 

Make your own natural sun screen, with practical guidelines here.using goji berries, olive oil, shea butter, zinc oxide and other safe and healthy ingredients.

"We have a responsibility to protect the rights of generations, of all species, that cannot speak for themselves today. The global challenge of climate change requires that we ask no less of our leaders, or ourselves." 

Wangari Maathai

One of the simplest yet most effective actions we can take to reduce climate change is to plant trees. Join thousands of women internationally who plant trees, inspired by Wangari Maathai and her Green Belt Movement. 

These are Sat Dharam's honey crisp apple trees, ready for planting this fall!

We'll be holding an annual fundraiser that our Healthy Breast Educators can initiate in their own communities. Two of our fundraising goals this year are to create scholarships for the Healthy Breast Foundations program and to generate funds to offer our programs free of charge in underserved communities and two Toronto hospitals in 2015.

In order for us to stay connected and develop and promote the Healthy Breast Program, the MammAlive Board of Directors and general members meet monthly "virtually". 

The monthly meetings will now be held Thursday evenings via Skype from 7:00-8:30pm EDT (Toronto time) on the following dates in 2014: Aug 14, Sept 11, Oct 16,  Nov 14 and Dec 11.

If you are a Healthy Breast Educator or Yoga Instructor, you are required to attend 4 annual virtual meetings (as an associate MammAlive member) or listen to their recordings.

You must be a member of the MammAlive Association to attend any of these meetings. Fill out the online membership form here and click "Submit " at the end. 

Our readers have been asking for a list of health care providers who are trained as Healthy Breast Practitioners. Here is a list of graduates from our January 2014 Healthy Breast Practitioner Program who are also naturopathic doctors.

Toronto

Mandy Seifi ND 

(North York)

Nadia Lamanna ND

(Richmond Hill)

Patrice de Peiza ND

(North York)

Stefanie Trowell ND

(East Toronto)

Stefanie Shaun ND  

Kitchener

Arla Kasaj ND

Ellie Fuke ND

Bracebridge

Caroline Bearss ND 

Waterdown

Melissa Howe ND

Owen Sound

Sat Dharam Kaur ND

Send us a recipe, research, personal Breast Story, or Community News to go into our newsletter. Please submit an email and photo and we'll try to include it in our next issue.