Cheap Mattresses That Cause Cancer

Just came across this old footage of how Chinese and Taiwanese mattresses contain too much formaldehyde, which could lead to Cancer with prolonged use. Considering most people use their mattress for an average of 10 years then, most of the mattresses that have been sold over the last decade are still in use around the world. If you are still sleeping on the mattress you bought 7 years ago, and it was a cheapo one, then maybe you've not being doing your health much good as it's probably been off gassing chemicals all that time. So maybe it's time to chuck it out or invest in a safe organic mattress....

Man Hit By Falling Mattress

Calling all organic mattress shoppers…. just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets of New York without being mugged, you get hit by a mattress that falls 30 floors and lands on your head!!! Luckily the young student in question managed to walk away alive with minimal injuries, but of all the things to be struck down by… a mattress!!!

London Olympics Disrupting a Good Night’s Sleep For Millions!

So if you’re a Londoner, or from anywhere else in Europe, you can still sleep relatively well as the times you attend events or watch your team contend in their sports events is in line with your day and your body clock. However the situation is not so easy for millions of other viewers watching from all over the world. Take for example if you are watching from America! East coast timers will have to wake up at 4am, while west coasters will be burning the midnight oil!! Not so good for your REM sleep cycle. The best thing to do to really enjoy the Olympics, support your team and not damage your sleep cycle too much is TiVo !! Record what you really want to watch and make time for it in your ordinary day! If you really want to watch it LIVE, then don’t load up on caffeine to do so, otherwise you could be feeling the effects days after the Olympics have been and gone! By BuyOrganics - Organic Mattress Guide to Healthy Sleeping

3 Ways To Protect Yourself from Toxins In Your Conventional Mattress

Although ideally everyone should invest in an organic mattress, It’s not always possible to replace a mattress, especially if it’s fairly new and you’ve invested a lot of money in it. However when you are conscious of chemical smells or the effect of chemical fire retardants, heavy metals, or petrochemical foams, sleeping can also become stressful! So here’s 3 easy ways you can cut down the toxic effects of a conventional mattress. 1. Air your mattress thoroughly, open windows and let the air circulate round the room daily. 2. Invest in an organic mattress pad/topper. At a fraction of the cost of a complete organic mattress, it will give you great comfort as well as separate you from your mattress. 3. Invest in an Organic Mattress Protector. Use this over your topper to prolong your toppers life and also add another layer between you and your mattress.

10 Tips to Keep Your Bedroom in Optimal Condition

We spend approximately a third of our lives in our bedrooms, some even more than this so it’s not surprising that the state of this most precious space has a significant impact on your life. Your bedroom should be healthy, green as in environmentally so, and psychologically beneficial to your life. So we’ve put together a few pointers on how to really achieve a healthy bedroom. 1. Check for mould. Any dampness on the walls, windows or floors can lead to mould, even slight growth of different fungi that can trigger allergies such as wheezing, sneezing, eye complaints etc. Clean up any mould areas using a powerful cleaner such as bleach and ensure that the cause of dampness is removed. You may need to invest in a dehumidifier. 2. Get rid of dust mites. Mostly every bedroom has dust mites if you haven’t taken precautions to keep them out. Dust mites excrete a protein in their faeces that can trigger allergies such as sneezing and a runny nose, so it’s not very nice. In addition to this, the starling truth is that over a period of ten years your mattress will double in weight due to dust mite faeces, so you are literally just sleeping in bug poo! The ideal solution is to use hypoallergenic encasements on your mattresses. Natural solutions such as an organic wool mattress under sheet and over sheet are a good choice. Alternatively, you can use an organic cotton one that can be washed weekly on a 60 degrees wash. Wool naturally keeps dust mites out due to its high lanolin content, you can then air the wool in the sun to clean naturally, and washing cotton at 60 degrees kills dust mites also. Wash sheets weekly at 60 degrees and keep humidity low in rooms even through the winter. Use a HEPA filter hoover and clean with microfiber cloths that trap dust instead of launching it into the air. Keep humidity low in your bed, by folding the covers back every morning and leaving your bed to air. 3. Get Rid Of Light At Night. According to Samuel L. Krachman, D.O., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. "Light interferes with the production of Melatonin, (a hormone that controls your sleep wake cycle and is secreted at night in response to darkness), therefore making it harder to fall into a deep, restful sleep." Two new studies suggest that exposure to light at night could affect not only your snooze quality but also your blood pressure, glucose levels, ability to regulate body temperature -- even cancer risk. 4. Reduce Sleep Disruptions. It’s not always possible to do this if you have to frequently get up to go to the loo, see to young children or have a snoring partner! Help snoring partners by encouraging them to get a special mouth guard from the dentist, this keeps their jaw aligned as they sleep thereby reducing snoring. Keep toilet visits brief and quick, try not to turn on lights but use night lights in the bathroom to keep you still in a restful state. 5. De Clutter. Things that don’t belong in the bedroom are things like cell phones and laptops. The rest of it is personal and certain things will trigger stress responses in you. I can deal with a little mess, but not a lot, my husband can’t deal with anything that’s not neatly folded or stacked nicely! 6. Get Rid Of Toxic Bedding. Memory Foam pillows and mattresses are the worst offender as they are made of a petroleum-based synthetic foam which can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause headaches, nausea, eye and throat irritation and may even contribute to asthma. A better choice would be natural latex pillows and mattresses made from rubber trees also sometimes known as organic mattresses 7. Cut Your Exposure to EMF’s. Or otherwise known as Electromagnetic Fields! Avoid metal in your bed or mattress and move TV’s cordless phone bases, mobile phones, electric alarm clocks etc. out of your room. Some studies have linked EMF exposure to cancer. 8. Change the mood of your bedroom. If you’re a couple, then loose family pictures from the bedside table and replace with pictures of you as a couple. Switch cosy night clothes for sexier ones, and ensure you have locks on the door if you have kids. Dimmable lights and Soy candles which are VOC free in a safe place are all good ideas to re-light the passion! 9. Shoes Belong Outside. Don’t bring shoes in your bedroom; leave them in the porch as they carry germs and bacteria. 10. Loose The Decorative Pillows. Decorative pillows and soft toys can harbour dust mites, so go for a simple look instead. Otherwise air and wash them regularly at high temperatures. (Original article featured in the huffington post)

Is your Partner Fed Up Of You Being Crabby In The Morning?

If you’re anything like me, the morning always comes too soon! There are those like my husband who jump out of bed in the morning full of energy ready to go for a mile long run, and there are people like me who just can’t open their eyes!! I am after all, an Organic Pillow lover and so I love my bed! It can be quite disconcerting if you are up and ready and your partner just won’t budge! “What a waste of the day” he thinks! “Let me sleep” she thinks!! Disputes like this can lead to very irritated weekends. According to sleep researcher and Sleep for Success CEO James B. Mass, sleep cycles are genetically determined, and women are more likely than men to be larks. Although this is not the case in my house, James says "You can't blame a person, it's not environmental," "owls," function better at night, have a body temperature that doesn't begin to rise until later in the morning. In my quest to try and become a morning person is there anything I can do? James says “Yes, but it's not easy”. It helps to be exposed to daylight immediately after getting up. Take a 15-minute walk, or get an FDA-approved light for indoor use, he suggested. “Walk I say!!! I can barely drink my tea, without drooling!” As long as you and your partner remain in different time zones, the best you can do is learn to understand and respect each other's nature. "It's important to work this out because it's how your day starts and you don't want to be irritated every single morning," said Suzanne Berman, a psychotherapist in private practice in Fair Lawn, N.J., who has worked with couples for more than 25 years. She offered the following tips for couples: • Communicate with each other: Don't expect your partner to guess what you need or what you're feeling about your morning dynamics. • Make each other your priority: "If your behaviour is continuously irritating the other person, the statement you're making is that you don't care about their needs," Berman said. This might mean not being able to make that morning phone call while your husband is still sleeping, for instance, but it's important to realize that seemingly-small acts build up over time and can cause resentment and create distance between partners. • Learn to Compromise: If you want the alarm set for 6:40 a.m. so you can sleep as long as possible, but he wants it at 6 a.m. to have extra time to wake up, try setting it for 6:20. "The couple needs to work something out so that both people feel their needs in the morning are being respected," she said. • Have realistic expectations: "If your husband isn't going to make it to the breakfast table, maybe you need to stop making his breakfast," Berman suggested. And stop trying to have that deep conversation in the morning. "Don't keep pushing your own agenda. That won't get you anywhere; you’re wanting something your partner can't give you." • Except Reality: "People are who they are, with their habits and routines," Berman said. The notion that 'If you loved me, you'd change,' is fantasy. Instead, tune into what your partner is telling you about themselves, and take that seriously. • Accept Each Other As You Are: Accept that you are two separate individuals: "You're a couple, but you're not the same person," Berman said. "It's hard for couples to accept this, especially women. I can happily say that me and mine have overcome these morning issues and we understand each other’s morning routine now (most of the time ;) !)

Enhancing Your Memory While You Sleep

Organic Futon lovers will be interested to learn that researchers at the North western University have found evidence that existing memories may be reactivated and enhanced whilst you sleep. The study concentrates mainly on the learning of a musical instrument but has implications for a vast amount of other experiences that we have every day. The study took 2 groups of participants and taught them how to play 2 different musical tunes. The participants then took a 90-minute nap. During this time, researchers played one of the tunes that had been practiced as they slept. Using electroencephalography (EEG) methods to record the brain's electrical activity, the researchers ensured the soft musical ‘cues’ were played to participants during ‘slow-wave sleep’ (a stage of sleep previously linked to cementing memories). These are also known as Delta waves. When the participants woke up and resumed their instrument practice, researchers noted fewer errors were made when volunteers practised the melody they had heard while sleeping. This may be good news for people who love to listen to positive affirmations as they get their healthy sleep!!

Are There Flame Retardants in Your Sandwiches?

Organic mattress shoppers will be interested to know the latest news by the Huffington Post that has highlighted a study finding flame retardant chemicals in consumer’s sandwiches in the USA. The idea of toxic chemicals in your lunchtime sandwiches is quite a scary one, the new study of testing popular products from grocery stores in Dallas, Texas, found that nearly half of the sampled peanut butter and cold cuts, as well as turkey, fish, beef and other fatty foods, contained traces of a flame retardant commonly used in the foam insulation of building walls. "This is not good news. Here's yet another toxic chemical that can be found in many of the foods we buy at our supermarkets," said Dr. Arnold Schecter of the University of Texas School of Public Health and an author of the study published on Thursday. "Food does not need to have flame retardants." The flame retardant found by Schecter's team was hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), which is just the latest in a string of manmade chemicals that researchers are discovering in popular foods. Previous research has turned up DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, dioxins and other flame retardants. And this is in addition to the chemicals purposefully added to products during processing, or that leach into food from packaging. These chemicals pose health concerns that range from diabetes to cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, HBCD is "highly toxic" to marine life and may disrupt the proper function of human hormones and reproduction. Particularly worrying are the chemical's potentially damaging effects to a young child, even in the foetal stage of development. Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), noted that the chemical has been discovered in umbilical cord blood. "The prenatal period is an incredibly sensitive time," she said, adding that breastfeeding and toddlers' penchant for putting their hands (and other objects) in their mouths is likely to add to a body's early burden of the chemical. "Exposure starts before birth and may continue on in the diet for their entire life." These are the flame retardants that are pumped into conventional mattresses, sofa’s, car seats, carpeting, and building materials all around us. The worst offending piece of furniture is our mattress as we sleep on it for half our lives. Investment in an organic mattress is an investment in your health. P.s : Make your sandwiches at home!! EWG article: http://www.ewg.org/news/huff-post-flame-retardants-your-sandwich Huffington post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/fire-retardants-food-peanut-butter-meat_n_1559062.html?ref=green

Sleeping On A Wire!!

Organic mattress lovers will be grateful for their comfy beds when they see how Adrenaline junkie Brian Mosbaugh chose to sleep on a high wire 2000ft up in the air!! Either its complete madness or stunning bravery!! but i don;t really think he was sleeping, do you!? view the image at http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01522/high-wire_532_1522849a.jpg

10 Reasons Why Not to Buy a Conventional Mattress

Many people don’t really know the difference between an organic mattress and a conventional mattress, to the extent that some people even think it’s a scam. There are some very real and fundamental differences between a conventional mattress and an organic one. One thing it is definitely NOT is a scam! And it all has to do with the materials being used to make them. Get a quick snap shot here and do some independent research with reputable non-profits to get the full picture… 1. Conventional mattresses are mostly made of man-made materials that are not resistant to bed bugs, moulds, bacteria and fungi unless treated with some heavy chemical insecticides (which carry their own health problems). Over the years your conventional mattress can get infested, releasing spores and housing tonnes of dust mite faeces. Natural materials such as pure natural latex that has not been combined with synthetic additives has inherent anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties that are resistant to bacteria and fungi; organic wool is inherently dust mite repellent due to its high lanolin content, so a natural mattress such as the ones sold by buyOrganics are a lot healthier for you without having to add chemicals 2. Conventional mattresses are pumped full of hazardous chemicals such as fire retardants, boric acid, antimony and formaldehyde, and heavy metals to name a few. Walter Bader author of Toxic Bedrooms found in his research that an independently tested memory foam mattress contains over 61 VOC’s chemicals. Chemicals such as these can cause skin irritations, respiratory problems, hormone disruption, and problems with oxygen absorption and are even carcinogenic. When you smell a conventional mattress, you know it’s not good for you! 3. Sleep is adversely affected by sleeping on a toxic mattress. Sleep is the time our body rejuvenates, cell regeneration occurs and our body rests. Toxic chemicals in our mattress interfere with this delicate bio-rhythmic balance. 4. Sleeping on a conventional mattress could harm your children and their children. Scientists have confirmed that chemical fire retardants, such as those used in conventional mattresses, have been measured in pregnant mothers and passed through the placenta to their unborn babies. The danger of these chemicals is that they build up and remain in fatty tissue for years, waiting to be shared with your growing baby. Even if you aren’t experiencing any symptoms, there’s no way to know how three generations of built-up toxic chemicals will affect your grandchildren. 5. Babies are more vulnerable and sensitive to their environment, and placing your baby on a mattress that has a lot of chemicals in it, is not good for their early years of brain and physical development. The chemicals can interfere with healthy cell development and can cause learning difficulties as well as being implicated in SIDS 6. Conventional mattresses are made from cheap materials that wear out quickly. But after they do wear out and become very uncomfortable to sleep on, they do not bio degrade, in fact they continue to pollute the planet in toxic landfills and never break down. Unlike organic mattresses that are built to last for years and maintain their comfort, they can also be refurbished by adding layers of wool or another layer of latex or by changing the cover. And when you have finally have had enough of it, it will natural bio degrade without causing an ounce of pollution! 7. The production and manufacture of conventional products such as polyurethane based foams, petrochemicals and plastic based fillers are harmful for the environment and also contribute towards global warming. Conventionally grown cotton, wreaks havoc with the environment through pesticide pollution, and GMO crops are destroying natural ecosystems. Compared to the plantation that supplies our pure rubber latex for our organic mattresses that removes 143 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere year after year. The organic cotton we use is helping communities globally to live safer, more prosperous lives. A much sounder, sustainable choice. 8. Many conventional mattresses are built in third world countries using sweat shop labour that is exposed to unhealthy chemicals and poor working practices, poor pay and poor working conditions. 9. Conventional mattresses continue to off gas chemicals as they degrade over time, so you are constantly exposed to a stream of pollution as you sleep every night. A mattress you bought over 10 years ago would not even have had the current regulatory standards of present and may contain worse chemicals than currently allowed. 10. In a fire, a conventional mattress may not burn immediately, but it will start smoking and letting off toxic chemicals which will kill you even before the fire gets to you. So in a nutshell, be smart and invest in an organic mattress.

Fumes more dangerous than House Fires

Organic Mattress Lovers will be ecstatic to read about an article that came out on the Gizmodo website in Australia on 28th March. The Article "If Flames Don't Kill you, The Fumes Will" is an excellent article pointing out the dilemma faced by the American Chemical Society during their 243rd National Meting in San Diego.

Research being shared at the conference highlights that Bromine or 'Halogen based' fire treatments increase carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide in the air during combustion. The number one death in house fires is not from burns but instead from fumes.

Research by the University of Lancashire points out that Mineral based fire retardants maybe safer. which during a fire swell creating a barrier that flames cant penetrate.

Altough PBDE is being phased out in Europe, the alternative fire retardant of choice seems to be HBDE which is still a Halogen based fire retardant, in our opinion it seems wiser to spend more money researching mineral based and natural fire retardants and invest in fire safety education.

I personally would much rather my family be safe from fumes in their everyday life and thereby avoid long term illness or reduced quality of life than surround myself in chemicals in the fear that a one off fire may choke us to death rather than burn us to death anyway!

Not everyone's choice but at buyOrganics we understand that people want to invest as we do, in their families safety from unnecessary toxic chemicals!

Full article: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/03/if-the-flames-dont-get-you-the-flame-retardants-will/

Is Your Child Getting the Ideal Sleep for Optimal Learning?

The end of the Summer Holidays is already here and all those late nights and late risings are now heading out the window as the time fast approaches to get kids sleep habits and sleep schedule back on track. Not only is important for helping get them to school on time, but poor sleep can also lead to issues with school work, mood swings and health.
With help from Alberta’s Chiropractors in Canada we’ve compiled the following advice for helping kids back into that natural sleep routine for school.
1. Once you’ve set a sleep schedule, try and maintain it. Don’t use weekends to catch up on sleep, or slip out of the schedule, as it will have a jet lag effect and catch up with the kids on Monday.

2. Establish a relaxing bedtime ritual quiet time before bed to help them unwind, bath, story or reading time will help their mind settle down to sleep.

3. Maintain a relaxing sleeping environment, all electrical switched off or out of the room. The room should be dark, and video’s laptops, TV’s and Blackberry’s should be out of the room

4. Avoid large meals close to bedtime, as children may struggle to sleep as their body works to digest their food.

5. Avoid high sugary foods, snacks and drinks, including caffeinated ones like Fizzy drinks, up to 6 hours before they sleep.

6. Make sure you have the right pillow and mattress for your child, this is essential. A mattress should be comfortable supportive, and be flexible and adapt to the body’s shape whilst still providing firm support. An Organic mattress without harmful chemicals is important for longer term health benefits, so we recommend a natural latex mattress, which has no metal in and is therefore electromagnetically neutral. Pillows are also very important- for side sleepers, the head, neck and shoulders should remain level with the mid and lower spine. For back sleepers, the head and neck should remain level with the upper back and spine. Avoid pillows that are so thick or thin they angle the head and neck away from the body. We Recommend the Lana all Natural Latex Organic Mattress for children who sleep on their side or the Coco Lana for younger children or children who sleep on their back or stomach.

7. The best positions to sleep in are on the back and side which allows your head, neck and spine to relax into their natural alignment, sleeping on your stomach doesn’t allow you to do this and can cause stiffness in the morning.


8. Read more: http://www.thenownews.com/health/Help+your+child+well+rested+learning/5331844/story.html#ixzz1WbRhcxLq

Making Your Dorm Room Eco-friendly with Organic bedding

University is just round the corner now that your results are out and your places are in, the next step of the journey has to be getting ready to furnish your Dorm room. It doesn’t take much imagination or effort to get things environmentally friendly.
Here’s our top tips to getting your room GreenDon’t rush out to buy appliances, see if you can share appliances with room mates , you may be able to pay them towards the cost and share. Always look for energy efficient products

Reuse boxes when packing, if possible get them from your local shop and then recycle them, it will cost you less!
Pack your stuff in re-usable bags , you can use the bags later when you go shopping for groceries
Buy organic sheets for your bed and organic bedding if your parents can help out with the cost. They will stay with you for a long time and will make you feel special when you tuck into bed at night, plus you’ll be saving the planet from all the pesticide pollution that goes into non organic cotton. Make sure you order it early enough so that it gets to you in time for Uni.
Avoid plastic plates and cups, go for good old ceramic stuff that is better for the environment.
Shop for stuff at discount stores or second hand shops, you can pick up some real bargains and recycle them in the process too, such as rugs, furniture, desk stuff and decorative things , you just need a creative eye!
Use recycled paper notebooks and pens, and always use recycled copier paper for your assignments.
Buy Eco friendly cleaning products for your dorm room, so that when you have to clean up its still Green!
Buy your text books from second hand books shops if possible or even Amazon used. You can often get ones in very good condition.
Above all enjoy your-self, and study hard!! Good luck!

Switch to a Metal Free Bed for Perfect Sleep

Organic mattress lovers will be interested to know how they can improve their sleep.
We are surrounded by technology everywhere we go, and often it becomes a part of our bedroom too; mobile phones under the pillow as we sleep, or a stereo next to the bed, or even a laptop on the floor or TV on the wall! All of these products emit radiation as well as electronic pulses that can interfere with the subtle electronic pulses in our brain.
Constant use in our bedroom environment can leave our bedroom feeling charged with negative ions that also cause our body damage, add to that a metal bed or the metal springs in our mattress and we could be distorting the energy in our room to the extent that could put our immune system in a permanent state of stress, the long term effect on our health therefore being affected. Even Low levels of this electro-magnetic smog and radiation pollution can distort the impulses in our brain and cause things such as headaches, nausea, muscular tension, night sweats and in the worst case, heart palpitations.
The solution is to switch to a mattress that is metal free; a metal free mattress is electromagnetically neutral and will result in a more peaceful sleep. Switch to a wooden bed and if you can, remove as many electrical gadgets from your room at night and invest in a calming and peaceful bed time routine, such as a few moments of deep breathing, meditation or reading a book. A salt lamp is also excellent to burn to counteract negative ions in the air with positive ones. Even if you are already keeping your bedroom gadget free, an electronically neutral metal free mattress will ensure that you really do get away from the stresses of the day when you go to bed.

Top Tips for Creating a Healthy Bedroom

Organic mattress lovers will be interested in IBTimes UK’s top tips for making sure you have a healthy bedroom.

As they rightly point out you do spend half your life in your bedroom so making sure that it is ecologically good for your health is essential.
1. Pillows – IBTimes UK suggest that getting rid of artificial synthetic fabric pillows is essential such as petroleum based foam or polyester, as these emit VOC compounds that can cause headaches, nausea, eye, throat irritation and possibly asthma attacks. Choose natural products such as natural latex instead.

2. Mattress – Opt for a natural latex mattress or organic cotton mattress because normal mattresses contain over 71 chemicals. To begin with they contain fire retardants (polbrominated biphenyl ethers, or PBDE’s), they also contain stain and moisture resistant chemicals that are toxic to humans. They also contain Formaldehyde. PVC was also used in Baby mattresses but watch out when you buy a mattress that it is PVC free as it was banned in 2009. It’s also important to change your mattress every 10 years due to Dust mite faeces which can build up in an ordinary mattress. So if your mattress is aging, better change it soon. An organic mattress contains no VOC chemicals, PVC Phthalates or any of the other toxic chemicals present in normal mattresses.

3. Bed Linen – Buying normal cotton may sound like the healthiest option, next to synthetic materials, but cotton is considered the world’s dirtiest crop. 16% of the world’s pesticides and insecticides are used on growing cotton which is bad for human and animal health. Buying organic cotton is healthier for the whole plant and yourself. Organic cotton, sheets, or hemp ones are best, but make sure that ecological dies have been used otherwise it egates the point really!

4. Shoe free zone – Avoid wearing shoes in your bedroom as they bring toxins, germs and bacteria from the outside world into your room.

5. Electricals – Electronic devices in the bedroom can interfere with sleep, leave phones, laptops, ipads, and t.v’s out of there, or at least especially not near your bed>

6. Creating Ambience – Ambience is good, it gets you in the mood to relax and unwind, use Soy Candles instead of Paraffin wax which emits VOC’s!

For any help creating a greener bedroom contact us at www.buyorganics.co.uk. We have a complete range of bedding that will raise the health barometer in your bedroom instantaneously.

Men stop sharing your bed, oh and you too Ladies!

Organic matttress fans will be tickled to know that the latest research today suggests that men who share their bed with a partner do not get a good night sleep and their performance is reduced the next day. According to the study, women are not affected so much as they sleep more deeply at night.

At first I was scoffing in surprise but then realised that the study does acknowledge that both partners sleep poorly when sharing a bed, but men just fare worse off. Maybe it's a bit like man flu!

How to get chemicals out of your mattress

An article today in the San Francisco Chronicle shared some top tips to getting chemicals and poisons out of your mattress.

Choosing a chemical free organic mattress or organic futon should be a number one priority on every ones list because of the following facts

Polyurethane Foam is one of the number one ingredients in mattresses these days, and off gassing from polyurethane foam can release harmful petrochemicals into the air as you sleep. The Petroleum based chemicals used in making foam are polymers and urethane, which contains an Isocyanate compound. The Isocyanate compound is one of the main culprits that causes illness, asthma and other diseases. Memory foam mattresses use an Isocyanate called TDI (Toluene Di-Isocyanate), which has a strong odor and over time seeps through a mattress, and into the air. These chemicals in mattresses releases hydrocarbons that evaporate into the air we breath throughout a mattress' lifetime. These hydrocarbons are powerful carcinogenic chemicals, attacking and severely damaging the immune and nervous systems of adults and children. United States Department of Labour, claims that the health effects of an Isocyanate exposure include irritation to skin, mucous membranes, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.

Hidden fire retardants are the other issue as San Francisco Chronicle points out, The government here as well as in the U.S requires that mattresses must be flame retardant. PBDE, Polybrominated Dipheyl Ethers are commonly found in mattresses especially older ones and mattresses made in China. As the foam decomposes over time, harmful PBDE in older mattresses can pollute your bedroom. According to an EPA study in 2008, PBDE is especially toxic to brain development, leading to damage in learning and behaviour. This is not all that maybe in your mattress though. Melamine, TDCPP, APP and pentaBDE as well as cynanide may be sleeping with you at night.

Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey believes that Fire Retardants should be eliminated from all mattresses, he says, " America's system for regulating industrial chemicals is broken. Parents are afraid because hundreds of untested chemicals are found in their child's body." Many parents bring their newborn or toddler into their bed, unintentional harming their children. The EPA and the Agency of Toxic Substances and disease registry does claim that, " children do differ from adults in their susceptibility to hazardous chemicals, including carcinogens and neuro-developmental effects of the fire retardants commonly used in baby mattresses" This unfortunately doesn't just apply to America but to the UK too. But you don't get many high profile MP's fighting the case for consumer safety in the UK.

The latest advice from some bodies regarding cot mattresses recommends that we use ones with a pvc cover to avoid cot death, if nature intended us to cradle our babies in pvc, surely it would grow on trees! San Francisco chronicle points out that PVC waterproofs fabrics but has petroleum chlorine in it which is a known carcinogen.

At buyorganics we specialise in organic mattresses and organic futons without any chemicals toxins or poisons. We are trying to make your sleeping environment safer by recommending a safer choice of foam fill - botanical latex which comes specifically from plants, namely the rubber tree. The way it is formulated for us using the Dunlop method, nothing artificial, chemical, toxic or poisonous is added providing you with a 100% plant based mattress that is naturally hypo allergenic, and dust mite repellent. This combined with nothing but natural fibres and no chemical or toxic fire retardants is better for yours and your children's health all round.

 

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/06/14/prweb8554183.DTL#ixzz1PLQWNJOq

 

 

 

Do You Rest Enough?

Organic mattress lovers will be interested to know that proper rest is more than just a matter of getting a good night's sleep! Expert Dr Davidicus Wong advises that adequate rest is essential to our overall health, mental wellbeing, happiness and longevity.

 

Although 8 hours of sleep is essential to this formula, other forms of rest are also essential to help us cope with the pressures of multimedia, social networking, work and multi-tasking. Rest can take the form of spiritual rest such as yoga and meditation, physical and mental, rest such as taking a relaxing walk to the sound of pleasing music.

 

Make time every day to let your body re-coop or you could pay the price with your health later. Another great health tip, followed by many of our parents and a good lesson in life, go for a walk after having your dinner and before going to sleep. This maintains a healthy weight and fits with your body's natural rhythm.

Natural Beds in Un-Natural Positions Won’t bring you Good Sleep!

Room layout can be a tricky thing! The majority of rooms in British houses are quite small, so space is not always available to place your natural bed in the most ideal position.

The Position of your bed is however a very important factor to getting a good night's sleep. As a firm follower of Feng Shui principles, I have always been concerned about the placement of furniture in my home, much to my families' dismay; they are however used to it now, and also believe in it after seeing the results.

Feng Shui is the Chinese Art of Placement, it advocates that Chi Energy (the Energy of Life) if channelled correctly can enhance our lives and assist us to reach our goals.

Depending on how Chi Energy enters your bedroom mostly through doors and windows, and flows through the room, it will either hinder your sleep or enhance it. If for instance the Chi Energy enters your room very fast because it is flowing straight up the stairs and into your bedroom door without being slowed down by having to go round a corner for instance (a bit like this sentence!), then a natural bed anywhere in line of the doorway will receive fast flowing chi energy that is not conducive to sleep. Placing a natural bed directly facing the door (as if your feet are pointing out towards the door exit) is known as the coffin position for obvious reasons. This is not a good place to put your natural bed to get a good night's sleep. If it can't be helped, then place an object between the door and the bed such as a plant to slow down Chi Energy.

Also a bad idea is to place your natural bed in between two facing windows as this brings illness. As Chi Energy flows right through one window and out the other it takes positive Chi Energy away from you too quickly. If this position can't be helped then block one window by using something like room divider.

Wherever you place your natural bed, the number one rule is for you to be able to see the door; this is an empowered position that allows you to see what's coming into your life. If your natural bed is placed in a position where you can't see the door then ideally place a mirror on the wall in a position that allows you to see the doors reflection whilst you are lying in your bed. If this is impractical then you may be able to hang a gazing ball almost like a disco ball in your room that allows you to see its reflection that way.

 

 

 

 

 

Why an Organic Cot Mattress is Essential for a Green Baby!

 

An organic cot mattress is one of the must have essential items for parents trying to 'go green' according to an article yesterday by Fox News.

Alan Greene , author of Raising Baby Green The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care states that this is a must have item. "The first thing I would choose is an organic mattress because a baby's face is so close to the mattress all day."

This is because of chemicals present in conventional mattresses. Synthetic mattresses may include an array of chemicals including flame retardants, polyurethane, foam, polyester, plastic and formaldehyde. These are all absent in an organic cot mattress. Greene also stresses that children sleep on their mattress more than 12 hours a day so making sure that they are not exposed to chemicals that are not good for them is important.

Avoiding chemical exposure is also really important. "Things get exposed through the skin," Dr Benjamin Kligler a board-certified family practitioner and director of research at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York City says . "It's not just about what you eat."

Amongst other essential steps to Greening your baby are avoiding nursery decoration and construction work at home whilst pregnant, making sure you choose environmentally friendly cleaning products, watching what you eat by reducing fish consumption is also important, as Mercury in fish can be toxic to baby. Choose BPA free baby bottles and breastfeeding as much as possible, and also keep baby on an organic diet by avoiding non- organic beef, milk, potatoes, and apples.

Greene says "I do suggest using a bottle that is bisphenol-A (BPA) free. Studies in animals have found it's very clear that BPA is an endocrine disrupter."