Earth Day and Your Health

Thursday is Earth Day. There is a point I'd like to drive home... totally separate from all the debate about Global Warming and saving the Polar Bears.

What harms the planet is destructive to our bodies as well. You will find that when you take steps to limit harmful environmental exposure for your family, you are, at the same time, being green. A good steward of our bodies is a good steward of this beautiful world.

Have you ever heard of Body Burden? If not, I encourage you to read the series I wrote on 10 Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden. Those 10 steps are a great start in being a good steward, of your health and, secondarily, your environment. In fact, taking even a few of those steps would be a definite move in the right direction. (Click here to see the series... you'll want to scroll to the bottom of the page and start with the video, working your way up through the ten steps. I've kept things simple, so don't worry... it's not that much reading!)

My Body Burden discussion stemmed from reading Sloan Barnett's book: Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Greener Planet. Last year I personally gave away a copy of the book. This year...

I have two fantastic giveaways sponsored by EcoSmart and CSN Stores. Both of the wonderful product packs I'll be giving away will enable you to reduce your Body Burden. I'll be posting one giveaway tomorrow and one on Thursday... I'm really looking forward to it! Hosting giveaways is a thrill for me because I love to send that email telling a reader they've won...

See you tomorrow,

Avoiding Nine Hidden Toxins

I'm posting another link to a great article today. Have you ever visited Dr. Mercola's website? While I don't agree with 100% of what he says, he does present a lot of really helpful, well-researched information... like today he posted an article on bacteria in our homes. His comments are really helpful. You might want to check out his thoughts on keeping our homes clean... but that wasn't the article I started to post about :D


I subscribe to Mercola's weekly newsletter, which you can do on the front page of his website. I don't always have time to read everything, but I always open it up and scan the topics. Every once in a while I find an article that would be really helpful for someone who is relatively new to healthy living. Today I read a great one! Click here for the full article.


In the article, Mercola comments on a list of nine hidden toxins we would all do well to avoid. Then, he lists four additional hidden toxins he would have added to the list, with his supporting thoughts. Lest you be overwhelmed at the list... he gives this encouragement:


"Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more difficult to avoid toxins.They’re in everything from personal care products to furniture and building materials....But there’s still plenty you can do, and one of the ways to significantly reduce your toxic load is to pay careful attention to what you eat. And, as an added bonus, when you eat right, you’re also optimizing your body’s natural detoxification system, which can help eliminate toxins your body encounters from other sources."


That's encouraging, isn't it? While we can't avoid all toxins everywhere, we can prime our body for naturally detoxifying from inevitable toxic exposure when we eat right. Sounds like a good reason to feed our families well.


If the list is daunting to you, start with selecting two or three of the listed foods to avoid. Start with a few and find a healthy replacement in your family's diet for those few. Then go back to the list and tackle a few more. Baby steps, right? It's worth it!

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Ten

The grand finale...

Step number ten in reducing the accumulation of toxins in your body:

10. When buying new stuff for your home, focus on green products, especially mattresses and carpets.

I could put a link list here containing sources for green products. But, Sloan Barnett already compiled them all into a handy dandy appendix in her book. It is quite long... and quite worth the cost of the book. If you are purchasing new things for your home, for a baby's nursery or for your children's rooms, please consider patronizing the businesses in Sloan's book. They'll thank you, Sloan will thank you for purchasing her book... and your body will thank you for choosing something green over something that adds to your body burden.

Now that we have covered ten ideas for reducing your body burden, make sure to mesh a few into your life. It doesn't help just reading about it : ) What things will you change for your future health AND for your children's future health. Comment and let me know your thoughts!

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Nine

Did you know that the EPA ranks indoor air pollution in their top five environmental risks to public health?

Did you know that in our modern culture, the average American spends 90% of a 24 hour day indoors?

Did you know that organic pollutants (like those found in household cleaning products, air fresheners, plastics, carpet and upholstery) are often 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out?

It's true. We're poisoning ourselves. I don't mean to be that dramatic. But, in looking at how to reduce our Body Burden, we should consider the air we breathe. Here's tip number nine...

9. For cleaner and healthier air, open your windows when the outside temperature is comfortable.

It may be a little cold where you are, but spring is coming. And when it does, let your home "air out!" Our homes are built so air tight these days. We really let the stale, chemical-laden air out.

Here are two more ideas to keep your air clean:

Buy houseplants. Not only do they brighten up your home, they filter your air and provide good,
pure oxygen. The rule of thumb is "the bigger the leaves, the better equipped for filtration a plant is." There are a few exceptions. Check out this website for specific plants to buy.

Consider purchasing an air purifier. You want one that gets particulate matter, microbes AND chemicals out of the air. This is the system we use. And we totally love it. We have noticed a huge difference in our home. I have had people with chronic sinus congestion come over and say, "Wow, I can breathe in your house."

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Eight

Along the same lines as getting rid of plastic storage containers, Step Eight calls for getting rid of plastic water bottles.

8. Make a vow to stop buying bottled water—NOW.

Yes, tap water is full of VOCs, microbes and even heavy metals. Yes, we need to drink purified water. For a long time, the craze has been to get this purer water from soda companies in nice, prepackaged bottles. Seems like a good thing, but evidence is mounting against this solution to the pure water question.

I mentioned in step seven about the toxic chemicals that plastics exude. Well, when water sits in a plastic bottle on the store shelf for an extended time, you can bet that water is full of chemicals leached out of its plastic enclosure. And, these toxins add to our Body Burden. We're looking for simple ways to reduce body burden... and ending our bottled water consumption is simple and easy.

You could do one of two things instead of buying bottled water.

Either you can buy a water filter pitcher to keep in your fridge at all times. Or you can purchase a water filtration system. Both present an up front cost, but both will save money in buying water bottles as the months rolls on. The benefit in purchasing a water filtration system over a pitcher is that you will have enough pure water for cooking as well. (Note on both of these products: Shaklee’s BestWater Pitcher AND MTS 2000 Water Filter were both rated #2 by Consumer Reports.)

We've done a lot of research in selecting our water filtration system. After lots of consideration, this is the water filter our family uses.

Once you've chosen how to purify your tap water, drink out of glasses when you're at home. When you're out, take your water with you in Stainless Steel Bottles.

And, while we're talking about water... have you had a glass today? Drink to your health!

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Seven

Have these steps to reduce Body Burden been helpful? I hope so. I know that no one can do it all... at least right away... but even making a few changes is ever-so-beneficial. If you haven't made any changes yet, today's the day! Review the previous six steps and choose at least one to implement in your family life.

Without further ado, here is Step Seven:

Try to get the plastic containers out of your kitchen and replace them with glass containers.

What's so bad about plastic? Did you know that plastic continuously gasses off toxic fumes? Not good. These chemical fumes have been shown to disrupt the endocrine system and increase risk of cancer. We can't stop the world's plastic dependency, but we can reduce the amount of plastic that we use in our kitchens (and the amount of plastic our children play with -- see Melissa and Doug's options). When we store food in plastic, the toxic fumes from our containers, plastic bags or plastic wrap soak into the food we will later ingest. Yes, these are small amounts. But, they do add up. And, over time, they become part of our total Body Burden, which can have a huge effect on our health.

What can you do? You can start by using old baby food jars, peanut butter jars and spaghetti sauce jars for keeping leftovers. You can also purchase a glass storage container set for food that doesn't easily store in jars. I found a pyrex storage set at a kitchenware outlet for an amazing deal. I have been very pleased with it. If you take a lunch to work or send a lunch with your kids to school, consider purchasing stainless steel containers for food and for water.

Bottom line. If you can't do an overhaul and replace all your plastic containers, you can at least stop heating food in plastic containers. This is a must. When plastic is heated, the chemicals leach out at a greater rate. Use pyrex or corningware for heating instead.

There is so much more to say about plastic. I encourage you to take five minutes to learn more. Read this exceptional quick-reference at LifeWithoutPlastic to learn what types of plastic to stay away from and to see more tips for living plastic-free in the kitchen.

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Six

Let's get back to reducing Body Burden. This is such an important topic. When we are looking at our future health we've got to take into consideration the cumulative effect of the toxin buildup in our bodies. This is especially important for our children who will be exposed to more toxins over their lifetime than any other generation to date. They will have to take on the repercussions of 80,000 new chemicals invented in the last three decades! If you haven't yet read about Body Burden and the first five steps to reducing it, read here.

Here's Step Six:

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid processed foods. Even better, choose organic and locally grown meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables.

Besides Steps One and Two (which are changing to toxin-free cleaning and laundry products), this is my favorite. How can I have a favorite step? Well, I mean that these particular steps are both highly effective and easily accomplished. Really, reducing the toxins in our homes and the toxins we directly ingest would significantly decrease our overall Body Burden. Buying toxin-free carpets, mattresses and electric cars may not be quite as doable.

Have you ever noticed that most of the REAL food in the grocery store is around the perimeter? The produce is on one side, the meats and dairy around the back. And usually the Natural Foods are next to the produce. For the most part, you'll find boxes and cans of highly processed foods in the middle aisles. Obviously, we find Toilet Paper, Brown Rice and Natural Peanut Butter on these aisles so we can't skip them all together, but here are a few tips for navigating the grocery store without bringing home toxins.

First, make a menu for the week and a shopping list to go with it. Take the time to write down snack options as well since this is an area where we reach for lots of processed foods.

Second, only buy the things on your list! This is good for your budget and good for your health.

Third, always peruse the perimeter for Manager's Specials. Even if I don't have beef on the menu, I will look at the organic meats section for discounted items. I make use of my freezer by purchasing organic meats and dairy when they are a day or two before sell-by date. I stock up when it is cheap so I won't have to pay full price when I need it right away. I have also found amazing deals this way in the Natural Foods section. Like I said, stock up when it is discounted and you won't have to pay full price later.

Last, don't just browse up and down the aisles. You don't find Manager's Specials there since highly processed food just doesn't seem to get to the far-off-sell-by date! For the aisle foods on your list, go directly to the item and on to the next. Seem simple? Maybe, but it saves a lot of extra buying.

In selecting whole foods, don't forget that all things do not have to be found in a store! I purchase eggs from a local friend (thanks T!), cheese from a wholesale Amish dairy (no website available, but email me for a phone number), chicken from a local friend (thanks B!), milk from a local food Co-Operative, produce from a different organic co-op, and bulk food from here. In doing so, I save money over buying these items at a grocery store, plus the food is fresher and contains none of the toxic processing additives.

To find your own resources, start with this website. Next, start making phone calls to locate your nearby farmers. You can start with the farms listed in the phone book and ask a lot of questions! Often you can find a magazine listing local farm resources at health food stores. In the summer, visit farmers markets and talk to the growers about where they get their year-round food. It takes a little work, but it will make a difference for your family's health (and for your budget!).

Last, but definitely NOT least, I want each of you to comment about your tips for finding healthy food. I know there are a lot of websites and resources I don't know about. Let's share them with each other!

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Five

I'm getting back to the subject of reducing Body Burden today. Remember, Body Burden is the total amount of chemicals and pollutants present in our body at any given time. Our goal here is to try to reduce the toxins we have control over... without becoming obsessive about all the ones we don't. We need to think about our children's futures. They will come into contact with all sorts of toxins. But we can reduce the cumulative effect of these toxins by making smart choices now. If you haven't yet, I recommend taking the Body Burden Quiz and reading the first four steps in reducing Body Burden.

Here's step Five:

Pay attention (without freaking out) to the toys you buy for your kids. Avoid lead paint and soft plastics that contain phthalates.

Didn't this one fall in a timely manner? Read here about one way to look at the CPSIA. I totally agree that children need to be protected from the proliferation of toxins in their toys, clothing, high chairs, and so on. But, I do see some faults in the proposed government regulation.

That being said, what should we parents be doing? Well, my favorite idea is to reduce the amount of toys the children have... plastic or otherwise : ) I see my children greatly benefit from an afternoon outside, totally free from toys of any kind. Given enough practice, children will come up will all sorts of pretend games. And, they'll even find the props they need to enliven their games. Creativity takes practice, but it breeds bright, content children as well. And, then there are books! My favorite job as a parent is reading aloud from exciting and stimulating children's literature.

A second idea is to search for locally-made or hand-made toys. The internet is replete with small eco-friendly toy businesses. Or, you could shop your local craft fairs.

In looking for toys, check to see what is made in the USA. We really enjoy Melissa and Doug products. (See our faves in my Amazon Store.) They make everything from Tool Sets to Puzzles, Dollhouses to Jewelry Kits. Really, you could keep your children entertained for their entire childhood just with M&D toys! Even when Thomas the Train was recalled for lead paint, M&D had a safe option. Read their Toy Safety Statement.

What's so bad about phthalates? Read about it on EWG's enviroblog.

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Four

Okay, so we've looked at eliminating the toxins from three sources: cleaning products, laundry products and personal care products. I know, it ain't easy... and as soon as you eliminate one source, you see another five that you can't do anything about, like your children's school desks or your neighbor's lawn care service. But remember, we are looking at reducing our total Body Burden and consequently the long-term cumulative effect of toxic chemicals. We may not live in a perfect world... but, be encouraged. As moms, we can do a huge part by eliminating dangerous chemicals where our children sleep, eat and live.

So here we go with Step Four:

4. Use BPA-free plastic baby bottles and fill them with breast milk or organic formula. Choose powdered formula over canned formula to avoid BPA leaching from the can lining.

This step is geared more toward moms of the very young, including me. We all have heard that nursing is the best way to nourish and nurture your baby. That said, I know that many complications can arise in the nursing relationship and many moms have to use bottles with their breastmilk or formula. If you do use bottles, please make sure that they are BPA-free. Might as well do this with your children's sippy cups as well.

But, the question follows, where do I stop? If I'm going to go BPA-free with some things, what about the plastic baby spoons, the plates and bowls or the disposable diapers for that matter! Start with what your baby drinks from. Why? Two reasons off the top of my head. First, as the milk or formula is warmed, the bottle will leach more chemicals. Second, babies and toddlers often keep sipping on their drinks throughout the day. The chemicals have a much longer time to leach into their drink.

Sure, if you have the resources, you can switch everything to BPA-free plastic. And, if you feel inspired, make the switch to cloth diapers. But definitely consider BPA-free bottles and sippy cups.

So what's the big deal about BPA? The chemical known as BPA (bisphenol-A) has been connected with early puberty in girls and with behavioral changes in babies. It's worth watching this video if you've never heard of it before. Find options for BPA-free bottles here.


(If you live in the Georgia area, you might want to take advantage of a sale that Kroger is having on their BPA-free sippy cups. I found them yesterday for $1.99 each and bought two for Tickle's stocking. Unfortunately, I can't testify to their spill-proof-ocity yet. But, all Kroger brand products have a satisfaction guarantee. So, if they aren't spill-proof as the label says, you can return it to the store for a refund.)

By the way, if you've been inspired to make a change, post a comment about it so that others who read this blog might share your inspiration. Thanks!

And, stay tuned for Steps Five through Ten. It may take a bit longer to comment on them since it's Christmas Time... but then if I don't have time to post, you probably don't have time to read either. We must live parallel lives ; )

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Three

I hope that Steps One and Two were helpful to you! Switching to safe cleaning and laundry products can reduce a huge amount of the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis. Starting here at home is our best strategy because this is where most of us spend the biggest part of our 24 hour day.

Now for Step Three:

3. Go to your bathroom and read the shampoo, makeup and moisturizer labels. Ask yourself, "Do I really need scent in these products?" Take stock of all of your other products and try to replace one a week with a safer, greener choice.

My introduction to healthy skin care began nine years ago when Burt's Bees first hit the market. For Christmas, my mom gave me a Burt's Bees gift pack with several skin care products. They all smelled so delicious! I guess that's because they are made with all-natural ingredients like foods, oils or other botanicals. I liked some of the products better than others but I really liked the fact that I wasn't absorbing toxic chemicals through my skin. The next year, my mom gave me their Baby Care Gift Package. This again was an extra special gift since I was really on the lookout for safe baby products.

Thanks to my mom, my transition into healthy skin care was pretty smooth. I know it's not always that simple. It can be downright scary to switch from a "real" antiperspirant to a natural product you have no idea will work!


Sloan recommends replacing one product per week. That certainly would be a good thing. Or, you could choose the three products you use most, like your face cleanser, toner and moisturizer or your shampoo, conditioner and bath gel. Switch these three main products with a non-toxic alternative. Then, add in the rest as you run out.


I've been in the "healthy skin care" market for nine years now. I've tried an abundance of products! Some have performed well, some beneath my expectations. This is what I've been using for the last two years. And I am very pleased.


So what's in personal care products that we want to stay away from? Check out the Environmental Working Group website. You'll find a list of the hazardous ingredients to lookout for, plus several articles about personal care products... or, just give me some time and I'll post my comments about the most significant ones.

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Steps One and Two

I posted early in my blogging life about Sloan Barnett and her book, Green Goes with Everything. (I re-uploaded the video in this link because it was not playing properly. So if you weren’t able to watch it the first time around, give it another go.) In her book, Sloan discusses our Body Burden, the "total amount of chemicals and pollutants that are present in our body at any given time." If you haven't taken her Body Burden Quiz yet, take a moment to do that.

In thinking about health for families, we need to address this excess baggage. Over time, our body burden can deal devastating blows to our wellness. Everything from Alzheimer's to cancer to chronic fatigue has been connected to our chemically burdened bodies. And, we need to pay close attention for our little girls’ sake, because all of these chemicals interfere with their own hormone signals and wreak havoc on their developing femininity.

In Green Goes With Everything, Sloan gives Ten Simple Steps for a Greener and Healthier Home. Over the next week, I’d like to present those steps and add in my humble comments. As moms, we play a huge role in creating healthy home environments. Creating health can be an overwhelming duty when we look at the our toxic world, but I think Sloan ten steps will give us each a doable action plan. And, the new year is coming up… perfect time for change!

Sloan's first two steps have to do with switching to safe, green cleaning products. Several of my posts this month have been on the same subject, so I'm going to group her first two steps together. Here they are:

1. Start by replacing a bunch of your cleaners (your general spray cleaner, glass cleaner, counter-top cleaner, floor and bathroom cleaners) with a natural, nontoxic all-purpose cleaner.

I don't want to be redundant, but eliminating cleaning product chemicals is one of the easiest things we can do. You will only need one product to replace almost all the standard cleaning products in your home. Really!

2. Replace your laundry detergent with a natural nontoxic one so the clothes you wear and the sheets you sleep on have no fumes for you to breathe.

Have you ever thought about why drug patches work? Your skin absorbs what is put on the surface. A portion of everything you put on your skin, including your clothes, will migrate into your blood stream. Scary thought. Like switching your cleaning products, making a laundry product change doesn't have to be scary. I've found something that works even better than my previous laundry products AND is safe for my kids' bodies. Here's what I use.

The next 8 steps steer away from replacing household toxins, so you have something new to look forward to! But I had to go ahead and mention these two, even though I've had a series of posts on Household Toxin Exposure, because this is such a simple and effective way to do something monumental for our family's health.

The Body Burden Quiz

Have you heard about Sloan Barnett's book Green Goes with Everything? It has been on the New York Times bestseller list. In it, she talks about our Body Burden. Interesting thought. As Sloan reports in her book, “Most Americans, and especially children, have dozens of pesticides and other toxic compounds in their bodies, many of them linked to health threats. A source of many of these toxins? Common, everyday, run of the mill household products. Experts call the total amount of chemicals and pollutants that are present in our body at any given time, our “Body Burden”."

While the body burden test run by a medical professional takes a dozen vials of blood and urine, you can take a quick look at what your Body Burden might be by taking the Body Burden Quiz on her website. It may be enlightening. It may help you decide just what your first steps toward a healthier life should be.

And, watch this video. Sloan herself can tell you what this book is all about.