Ginny
“The
greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will
make one.” ~Elbert Hubbard
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
When our own little tragedy struck over five years ago.. my research became my driving passion to help other moms and babies avoid what we went through. That led me to partner with my OB/GYN to share free pamphlets and literature with newly expecting moms.. I'm so thankful to finally see the voices of many of us moms reaching the ears of those who just might be able to help educate first time moms sooner. Feel free to share this article with those you care about. And tell them to put down the brush and roller... :-)
News
Laura Vandenberg worries whenever she hears a pregnant friend talk about painting a nursery. She gets even more concerned when she learns of a childbearing woman spraying chemical pesticides on her lawn. "It sounds like a no-brainer, but you see it," said Vandenberg, a postdoctoral fellow in biology at Tufts University.
"If there is a group of people that could inform these women about the dangers to an expected child," she added, "it is absolutely their OB/GYNs."
Many reproductive health doctors remain largely unaware of both the lengthening list of toxic chemicals their patients are exposed to every day and the widening range of risks the chemicals might pose to a vulnerable, developing baby -- from cancer to obesity to lower IQ.
A pair of papers published this month highlight this dilemma, as well as the public health benefits that could come with solving it. More babies would grow up healthy, researchers say, if more obstetricians and gynecologists use their unique positions to counsel women and inform policies that eliminate toxic chemicals from a woman's environment in the first place.
It took a patient asking if growing up in Love Canal, N.Y. -- home of the infamous toxic waste site -- could have anything to do with her recurrent miscarriages for Dr. Linda Giudice to connect environmental exposures and human health.
"I didn't know what to say," recalled Giudice, chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, and a researcher on one of the new papers.
Now, after educating themselves, Giudice and a growing number of reproductive health physicians are cautioning patients to avoid things like spraying pesticides while trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy.
"Every
mom wants to do the right thing for their baby," said Dr. Tanya Dailey,
an OB/GYN in Providence, R.I., and a researcher on the other paper.
"We don't want to scare women, but we also want to limit exposures," added Dailey, who said she received little-to-no training on environmental exposures during medical school, yet faces more and more questions on the issue from patients. Now, Dailey might advise a pregnant woman to eat only small fish, for example, explaining that marine life lower on the food chain will accumulate less mercury and other toxic chemicals.
Taking your shoes off before going inside the house is one of Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana's recommendations. That, and keeping carpets and windowsills clean, can cut down on the array of toxic chemicals carried by dust. Eating fresh foods, she added, avoids bisphenol A (BPA) and other chemicals commonly consumed via processed foods and leaching cans and plastic packaging.
"There are simple things you can do to reduce all of your exposures at once," said Sathyanarayana, a pediatric environmental health expert at Seattle Children's Hospital and lead researcher on the paper with Dailey. "But you can never get to zero exposure -- that's just not realistic."
Dr. Tracey Woodruff has found that virtually all pregnant women in the U.S. carry multiple chemicals in their body, including BPA, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Of the 163 chemicals analyzed in a study published last year, 43 were found in nearly all of the women tested.
"The burden is not just one or two chemicals -- it's actually many," said Woodruff, also a co-author on Giudice's paper. "And we know that these chemicals can act together," with combined effects that may be even greater than the sum of each acting alone.
A recent study led by Tuft's Vandenberg also shows that exposures to even small doses of a toxic chemical can prove hazardouss -- in some cases, the smaller dose actually poses the higher risk.
What's more, scientists are learning that the consequences can last a lifetime, even multiple generations. The groundbreaking evidence of this latter phenomenon -- now an emerging science called epigenetics -- is based on the popular use of a hormone drug by pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s. Touted at the time for preventing miscarriages, diethylstillbestrol (DES) has now been associated with cancers and reproductive defects in the exposed women's children, as well as their children's children.
"Genetics alone can't explain all the things we observe in terms of familial disease patterns," said Woodruff.
Largely under Woodruff's lead, obstetrics and gynecologists in California have weighed in on public policy matters including bans on BPA in baby bottles and flame retardants in furniture.
"As new legislation moves forward, we want the issue of pregnant women to be adequately incorporated," said Woodruff, noting that laws have not kept up with the deluge of chemicals in the marketplace or the pace of science.
"While there are things they can do to minimize chemical exposures, the burden should not all be on mothers," she added. "It should be on industry and government agencies to make sure chemicals have been tested and don't pose undue risks to children."
News
"If there is a group of people that could inform these women about the dangers to an expected child," she added, "it is absolutely their OB/GYNs."
Many reproductive health doctors remain largely unaware of both the lengthening list of toxic chemicals their patients are exposed to every day and the widening range of risks the chemicals might pose to a vulnerable, developing baby -- from cancer to obesity to lower IQ.
A pair of papers published this month highlight this dilemma, as well as the public health benefits that could come with solving it. More babies would grow up healthy, researchers say, if more obstetricians and gynecologists use their unique positions to counsel women and inform policies that eliminate toxic chemicals from a woman's environment in the first place.
It took a patient asking if growing up in Love Canal, N.Y. -- home of the infamous toxic waste site -- could have anything to do with her recurrent miscarriages for Dr. Linda Giudice to connect environmental exposures and human health.
"I didn't know what to say," recalled Giudice, chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, and a researcher on one of the new papers.
Now, after educating themselves, Giudice and a growing number of reproductive health physicians are cautioning patients to avoid things like spraying pesticides while trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy.
"We don't want to scare women, but we also want to limit exposures," added Dailey, who said she received little-to-no training on environmental exposures during medical school, yet faces more and more questions on the issue from patients. Now, Dailey might advise a pregnant woman to eat only small fish, for example, explaining that marine life lower on the food chain will accumulate less mercury and other toxic chemicals.
Taking your shoes off before going inside the house is one of Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana's recommendations. That, and keeping carpets and windowsills clean, can cut down on the array of toxic chemicals carried by dust. Eating fresh foods, she added, avoids bisphenol A (BPA) and other chemicals commonly consumed via processed foods and leaching cans and plastic packaging.
"There are simple things you can do to reduce all of your exposures at once," said Sathyanarayana, a pediatric environmental health expert at Seattle Children's Hospital and lead researcher on the paper with Dailey. "But you can never get to zero exposure -- that's just not realistic."
Dr. Tracey Woodruff has found that virtually all pregnant women in the U.S. carry multiple chemicals in their body, including BPA, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Of the 163 chemicals analyzed in a study published last year, 43 were found in nearly all of the women tested.
"The burden is not just one or two chemicals -- it's actually many," said Woodruff, also a co-author on Giudice's paper. "And we know that these chemicals can act together," with combined effects that may be even greater than the sum of each acting alone.
A recent study led by Tuft's Vandenberg also shows that exposures to even small doses of a toxic chemical can prove hazardouss -- in some cases, the smaller dose actually poses the higher risk.
What's more, scientists are learning that the consequences can last a lifetime, even multiple generations. The groundbreaking evidence of this latter phenomenon -- now an emerging science called epigenetics -- is based on the popular use of a hormone drug by pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s. Touted at the time for preventing miscarriages, diethylstillbestrol (DES) has now been associated with cancers and reproductive defects in the exposed women's children, as well as their children's children.
"Genetics alone can't explain all the things we observe in terms of familial disease patterns," said Woodruff.
Largely under Woodruff's lead, obstetrics and gynecologists in California have weighed in on public policy matters including bans on BPA in baby bottles and flame retardants in furniture.
"As new legislation moves forward, we want the issue of pregnant women to be adequately incorporated," said Woodruff, noting that laws have not kept up with the deluge of chemicals in the marketplace or the pace of science.
"While there are things they can do to minimize chemical exposures, the burden should not all be on mothers," she added. "It should be on industry and government agencies to make sure chemicals have been tested and don't pose undue risks to children."
Ginny
727-860-5313
“It is one of the most beautiful
compensations in life.., that no
man can sincerely try to help another without
helping himself.”(Ralph Waldo
Emerson)
Thursday, March 22, 2012
They say we each 'self talk' roughly 3000+ words a day. What are you saying to yourself? Is it positive? Is it limiting? Is it damaging? Is it stopping you from finding success in your job, your business, your relationships, your parenting? Take a few minutes to watch this video.. and then feel free to pass it along. You never know what a difference it could make in someone's life..
http://www.flickspire.com/m/HPP/MyBestSelf
"I shall make a Difference.. and a Difference I shall make.." :-)
http://www.flickspire.com/m/HPP/MyBestSelf
"I shall make a Difference.. and a Difference I shall make.." :-)
Ginny
727-860-5313
~Need a Reliable Plan
B? REAL Residual Income? Ask
me how!~
“It is one of the
most beautiful compensations in life.., that no man can sincerely try to help
another without helping himself.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
LIVE THE LIFE YOU DESERVE
Have you caught any reruns of 'Friends' lately? Humor is a GREAT stress reducer.. and we caught a few episodes this past week.. one got me thinking.. It was the episode where Monica found a 'fake' Monica had stolen her credit card and was ringing up a bunch of charges.. as she rattled off the list, she complained to Rachel that this girl was 'living my life' and doing a much better job of it than her.. she was admiring the 'fake' Monica for not having the fear to do all the things SHE would like to do, but did not have the guts to.. We got a good laugh out of the episode.. but it brought to mind Robin Sharma's list below, especially #8. As we finish up 2011 and move into 2012.. I challenge you to LIVE THE LIFE YOU DESERVE.. whether it is a new job, a new hobby, getting fit (er) or making a difference in other people's lives.. make a decision and DO IT! Sometimes we have to start out small.. but the power is in ~starting out~.
A gift from Robin Sharma:
1. Do important work vs. merely offering opinions.
2. Lift people up vs. tear others down.
3. Use the words of leadership vs. the language of victimhood.
4. Don’t worry about getting the credit for getting things done.
5. Become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
6. Take your health to a level called superfit.
7. Commit to mastery of your craft instead of accepting mediocrity in your work.
8. Associate with people whose lives you want to be living.
9. Study for an hour a day. Double your learning and you’ll triple your success.
10. Run your own race. “No one can possibly achieve real and lasting success by being a conformist,” wrote billionaire J. Paul Getty
11. Do something small yet scary every single day.
12. Lead Without a Title.
13. Focus on people’s strengths vs. obsessing around their weaknesses.
14. Remember that potential unused turns into pain. So dedicate yourself to expressing your best.
15. Smile more.
16. Listen more.
17. Read the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.
18. Reflect on the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who said: “Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.”
19. Persist longer than the critics suggest you should.
20. Say “please” and “thank you”.
21. Love your loved ones.
22. Do work that matters.
Blessings to you and yours,
A gift from Robin Sharma:
1. Do important work vs. merely offering opinions.
2. Lift people up vs. tear others down.
3. Use the words of leadership vs. the language of victimhood.
4. Don’t worry about getting the credit for getting things done.
5. Become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
6. Take your health to a level called superfit.
7. Commit to mastery of your craft instead of accepting mediocrity in your work.
8. Associate with people whose lives you want to be living.
9. Study for an hour a day. Double your learning and you’ll triple your success.
10. Run your own race. “No one can possibly achieve real and lasting success by being a conformist,” wrote billionaire J. Paul Getty
11. Do something small yet scary every single day.
12. Lead Without a Title.
13. Focus on people’s strengths vs. obsessing around their weaknesses.
14. Remember that potential unused turns into pain. So dedicate yourself to expressing your best.
15. Smile more.
16. Listen more.
17. Read the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.
18. Reflect on the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who said: “Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.”
19. Persist longer than the critics suggest you should.
20. Say “please” and “thank you”.
21. Love your loved ones.
22. Do work that matters.
Blessings to you and yours,
Ginny
“Care more than
is reasonable, achieve more than is possible, dream more than is normal.” ~
Robin Sharma
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The Cowboy Code
I was recently thumbing through a copy of American Cowboy's Collector's Edition.. LEGENDS of the West.. I don't know about you, but my siblings and I were raised on a steady diet of spagetti westerns and this particular issue focused on how much Hollywood's cowboy and western movies helped to shape our country. I was pleased to see that when they named 'The 10 Greatest Westerns of All-Time', my Dad's all time favorite classic (that he shared and passed on to all seven of his children) "Once Upon A Time In The West" was number ONE. But, something else caught my attention.. and as simple as it seems.. we seem to be missing it's common sense a lot now a days..
Gene Autry's Cowboy Code:
- A cowboy never shoots first, hits a smaller man, or takes an unfair advantage.
- A cowboy never goes back on his word or a trust confided in him.
- A cowboy always tells the truth.
- A cowboy is gentle with children, the elderly, and small animals.
- A cowboy does not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant views and ideas.
- A cowboy helps people in distress.
- A cowboy is a good worker.
- A cowboy keeps himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
- A cowboy respects women, parents, and his nation's views.
- A cowboy is a patriot.
Thanks for bringing it all into perspective Gene. :-)
To the code,
Ginny
Gene Autry's Cowboy Code:
- A cowboy never shoots first, hits a smaller man, or takes an unfair advantage.
- A cowboy never goes back on his word or a trust confided in him.
- A cowboy always tells the truth.
- A cowboy is gentle with children, the elderly, and small animals.
- A cowboy does not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant views and ideas.
- A cowboy helps people in distress.
- A cowboy is a good worker.
- A cowboy keeps himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
- A cowboy respects women, parents, and his nation's views.
- A cowboy is a patriot.
Thanks for bringing it all into perspective Gene. :-)
To the code,
Ginny
“It is
one of the most beautiful compensations in life..,
that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Decide.. to make a difference
Sometimes we find the news and situations in life wearing us down.. when I am tired I like to go back and read a little Max.. refreshing.. and thankful he just made a difference. :-)
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start anyone can start and make a brand new end." Author: Carl Bard
Today I Will Make A Difference
Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble...I will get up. It's OK to fail...I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.
Max Lucadot (Tyndale Publishing, 1985)
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start anyone can start and make a brand new end." Author: Carl Bard
Today I Will Make A Difference
Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble...I will get up. It's OK to fail...I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.
Max Lucadot (Tyndale Publishing, 1985)
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