Jeneration Eden

Category: Kitchen

  • The Non-Toxic Feed

    The Non-Toxic Feed

     

     

    If you ask me what I remember most vividly from the first few months of each of my 4 children’s lives, I’d love to be able to tell you that I recall the supple feel of their new, smooth skin, their big blue eyes staring at me in fresh, daily wonder and the peaceful, almost imperceptible way their tiny backs rose and settled as they slept.

    I’d like to tell you all of that, but, in truth, what is sharpest in my mind to this very day is the around-the-clock nursing, the constant hovering over a stove watching bottles and breast pump parts bob around in hot water, the desperate freezer searches for bags of stored breast milk.

    Feeding babies is a full-time job and it requires physical and mental stamina. And, unless you’re straight-up breastfeeding 100% of the time, it also requires some non-toxic know-how. Don’t be concerned if the following is all news to you; any step you take going forward will benefit your baby in very important ways.

    So, without further ado – because, in about 10 minutes, someone’s gonna be wailing for liquid eats – an informative and practical guide to safely feeding your soft skinned, wide-eyed, little one…

    Choosing a safe baby bottle has become a loaded issue, what with myriad conversations about how plastics pollute our bodies and the world. The big topic for a long time was BPA – Bisphenol A – a known endocrine disruptor. Found in the bodies of 98% of Americans, it’s a worrisome synthetic chemical that’s tough to avoid.

    Most baby bottles haven’t been made with BPA for some years and the US government officially banned BPA from bottles in 2012. So, problem solved? Not so fast. There have been quite a few studies done about “regrettable substitutions,” chemicals that have replaced BPA but have either little health data or similarly concerning data, as well as reports, including this one from Mother Jones, which indicate that many other plastics, including the so called “safe” plastics, leach synthetic estrogens, which can affect many aspects of development.

    What’s a new mama to do? Two words: Go glass. And two more words: Go Stainless. Glass and stainless steel are as safe as you can get and the baby market is crawling with brands that make this an easy buy. Born Free, Weego Baby and Lifefactory are just some of the companies that offer glass bottles wrapped in silicone sleeves. These bottles can last a long time, but should be checked regularly for chips or cracks. Klean Kanteen’s child line, Kid Kanteen, makes stainless steel bottles, as does organickidz. Silicone nipples should top them all off.

    What about what you put in those bottles?  If you’re buying powdered or concentrated formula for regular use or supplementation, you have to mix it with water, but these days, options for water types flood our lives. It’s a good idea to talk to your child’s pediatrician early on to get information about your local water quality and what’s normally recommended in your area.

    According to the CDC, cold tap water, run for several minutes first, can be used to make infant formula, but because of concerns about mild fluorosis (white spots on permanent teeth), babies who are fed formula exclusively should have their formula alternately mixed with fluoride-free bottled water, often labeled as de-ionized, purified, demineralized, or distilled. A good option is Gerber Pure Water.

    In addition, The American Academy of Pediatrics more conservatively recommends that sterile water be used for infant formula, at least for the first few months, which often means boiling water for no more than one minute and letting it sit for thirty seconds before use.

    In either of the above cases, tap water should be filtered, especially for infants. Brita makes effective carbon filters, which are appropriate for many water supplies, and now offers stainless steel pitchers as well. GE also makes carbon filters, including faucet mount and under-sink filters, as well as reverse osmosis filtration systems which are important for certain water sources. For more detailed information, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Water Filter Buying Guide, which provides information about specific contaminants and the filters best suited to reduce those contaminants.

    Nursing moms have a few choices of their own to make. While milk straight from the breast is best in terms of vitamins, bacteria-killing properties and fat content, expressed milk has a place in our busy lives. Two popular breast pump companies, Medela and Hygeia, make BPA-free breast pumps and accessories. Hygeia prides itself on its “eco friendly breast pumps” that can be reused or recycled. Medela has responded to the call for plastic-free products by offering up certain glass pump parts, as well as glass bottles for pumping and storage.

    And, speaking of storage, because breast milk can last in the refrigerator for 5 to 8 days and in the back of a self-contained freezer for 3 to 6 months, both are good options for keeping milk on hand. Years ago, my freezer was filled with BPA-free plastic storage bags from Medela, but, if I was pumping away today, I’d more often use glass bottles or glass storage containers, like these from weangreen.com.

    When thawing and warming breast milk, avoid the microwave, as it can heat the milk unevenly and pull out nutrients. Bags of breast milk should be thawed overnight in the fridge, transferred to a non-toxic bottle, and then held under warm water. Glass bottles and containers can also be put in the fridge or placed directly from the freezer into a bowl of warm water.

    While the cycle of feeding/pumping/storing might have you running for a bed as soon as baby conks out, there’s still one more thing you have to do: clean it all up. If you live in an area with a safe water supply, you only need to sterilize your bottles and breast pump parts before the first use, by boiling them for 5 minutes in a pot of water or running them through an entire dishwasher cycle on the top rack. After that, however, you can regularly clean all the supplies in warm water with a non-toxic dish soap. My favorite is Better Life’s Dish it Out, but any mild plant-based soap that is free from synthetic chemicals will do the trick.

  • Winter Wisdom

    Winter Wisdom

     

     

     

    This blog first ran on the Premier Pediatrics website.

    Just when we’d finally gotten used to the fall weather, it seems that Old Man Winter is nipping at our toes. This will mean some chilly days playing outdoors, but, if your family is anything like mine, it also means plenty of hot chocolate and hanging out inside.

    While I’m hoping that my clan’s movie nights, card games and indoor basketball tournaments (yes, we have those) are all entertaining, I know that there’s another aspect of our experience indoors that is of utmost importance: the quality of the air in our home. The stuff we breathe in, day in and day out, affects our health and, considering how much time we’ll be spending indoors, the stuff better be clean. Southerners are not off the hook; even if your kids are often in bathing suits while others are in snowsuits, you still go home, sleep at home and spend lots of time in your home.

    According to the EPA, indoor air is many times more toxic than outdoor air — a result of products in our homes and toxics we bring in. So make it your business to defy those odds and make your home as sweet as it can be — naturally. These tips will help you do just that…

     

    TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF IN THE HOUSE

    I’ve always instinctively hated the idea of tracking whatever was on the bottom of my shoes into my kids’ bedrooms, but once I learned what might actually be on the bottom of said shoes, I realized I was factually on target. Bacteria is just the start; our soles can be laden with, among other things, pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals, gasoline and coal tar. These contaminants, which are linked to cancer and neurological problems, can be brought into the home where they become dust particles and are then breathed in, as well as absorbed through the skin. Young children are regularly on the floor and are therefore more apt to come into contact with whatever has settled there. Additionally, carpets are especially perfect resting grounds for these toxicants. So leave your shoes – and all the junk that’s on them – near the front door and keep your air and floors free from unhealthy substances.

    AVOID CONVENTIONAL AIR FRESHENERS

    Who doesn’t want a fresh-smelling home? But don’t hand me “Mountain Fresh Scent” in a can or any of those wall plug-ins. I’d go for pure cinnamon, coffee grinds or essential oils over hormone disruptors and respiratory toxicants any day…and you should too. Conventional air fresheners either mask smells by coating your nasal-passages (ugh) or spew out none other than endocrine disrupting phthalates, carcinogenic formaldehyde, unhealthy petroleum distillates and a host of other goodies. So ditch the synthetic chems for lavender sachets or bowls of odor-absorbing baking soda and the air in your home will be fresh…and healthy.

    SWITCH OVER ONE CLEANING PRODUCT

    It’s been many moons since my laundry room cabinet was stocked with bottles containing brightly colored liquids for all of the many cleaning jobs in my home. Long ago I did away with jugs that say “Caution” or “Harmful if Swallowed.” My secret weapon is now a vinegar and water combo. I use it for everything – kitchen, bathrooms, floors, you name it. But I appreciate that, although it’s effective and totally safe, not everyone feels comfortable using vinegar to clean an entire home. With that in mind, it would still be very worthwhile to choose one of your cleaners – say, your toilet bowl cleaner (which can be particularly caustic and dangerous) or your sink cleaner (which is likely full of respiratory toxicants) – and switch it over for a 1 cup vinegar to 1 cup water combo (you can even do a 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 cup water mix if you’re still a bit vinegar-shy). It’s effective, the smell dissipates within minutes and your kids will be breathing in many less toxicants even for this single change.

    AIR OUT YOUR DRY CLEANING

    The chemicals that are used for dry cleaning – specifically perchloroethylene (perc) – can be some nasty stuff. Perc can irritate the eye/nose/throat/skin and, with high levels of exposure, can lead to neurological problems, In addition, perc has been labeled a likely human carcinogen. If possible, dry clean your clothes at a “wet-cleaning” shop or one that utilizes CO2. If your dry-cleaner touts itself as organic, be sure to ask what they use in place of perc. But if a conventional dry cleaner is your only option, pull the plastic off of freshly dry-cleaned clothes and air them out for a few hours before bringing them inside. Otherwise the chemicals that might still be emitting underneath the plastic could contaminate the air in your home.

    OPEN YOUR WINDOWS

    You’d have to be at the mouth of a coal-burning factory for the air outside your home to be more toxic than the air indoors. Which is why opening windows, even for just a short time every day, can really improve the air quality in your home. Just as Mom always said, there really is a benefit to getting some “fresh air.” Even when the thermometer dips into those unhappy numbers, buck up and open up. It’s one of the great defenses against unhealthy air buildup in the home.

  • Toss the Triclosan

    Toss the Triclosan

    If you knew that the hand soap your kids used regularly, that the toothpaste you brushed with every day, that the cutting board on which you chopped all of your veggies contained a known endocrine disrupting chemical, would you consider switching to safer products?

    For the sake of this blog, I’m gonna assume that the answer is yes. So, if you’re using liquid antibacterial soaps, certain dental care items or any number of antibacterial home products, you’re likely being exposed to triclosan  – a hormone disrupting pesticide – and a product switch is next on your to-do list.

    What’s all the hoopla about? Haven’t we been told that antimicrobial agents are good things that help protect us from germs and illness? Unfortunately, yes; when it comes to triclosan – and the related triclocarbon, which is found in antibacterial bar soaps – the market has led us to believe that with their use, we’ve got germ-fighting all wrapped up.

    But the truth is dirtier than that. With the ubiquitousness of triclosan (it can be found in many liquid soaps, countertops, deodorants, shower curtains, sponges, blankets, clothing — the list goes on…), we’re regularly being exposed to an easily absorbed chemical that has been found in breast milk and that can interfere with thyroid hormones that control brain function as well as testosterone and estrogen which, respectively, regulate sperm function and the onset of puberty. It is also linked to liver and inhalation toxicity.

    When it comes to the very frightening concept of bacterial resistance, triclosan is a player in that game as well. And, as a kicker, wastewater treatment doesn’t remove the chemical entirely, so it gets into our waterways and is very toxic to aquatic life.

    But at least the stuff works, right? Well, I for one wouldn’t argue with a US FDA Advisory Committee that found that the use of antibacterial soaps was no more effective than the use of soap and water to kill bacteria and microbes. Furthermore, a study done at health care facilities found that when used at certain higher concentrations, triclosan killed gram positive bacteria and not gram negative bacteria – the very bacteria that cause many hospital acquired infections.

    So I’d say no, the stuff doesn’t work. And, considering all of its downsides, it’s pretty clear that the the American Medical Association’s and American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations that we use plain soap and water instead of antibacterial soap products is right on the mark.

    So how does a dedicated hand-washer avoid triclosan? For starters, read labels. Since triclosan is required to be listed as an ingredient in things like soaps (and mouthwash and toothpaste and body wash), there’s no mystery there. Just buy a safe, plant-based soap such as Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap or Babyganics Foaming Hand Soap, lather up under warm water and stay there for around 20 seconds. Voila! Safe and effective cleaning.

    And when it comes to other products, do you really need to don a shirt laced with a hormone disruptor or slice a pepper on a chemical filled cutting board? I thought not…so beware of the antibacterial label.

    Make your home triclosan-free and clean up the healthy way…

     

     

     

     

  • Untitled post 570

    When you tell your kids to wash their hands, you’re helping to ensure that chemicals and contaminants on their hands go down the drain. But if they’re washing with a chem-filled soap,

  • The Future of Nutrition is Now

    The Future of Nutrition is Now

     

     

    I’m coming off a very inspiring week. I was sitting in front of the computer with earphones on for much of each day, drowning out the sound of everything else going on around me. I wouldn’t normally tout this sort of antisocial, sedentary behavior, but as I was lucky enough to be listening to a 5 day online conference on the future of nutrition, I’d say this was an exception to the rule. From Monday through Friday I was the beneficiary of powerful and achievable life lessons, compelling insights and an explosion of plain, simple and tangible truths.

    The Future of Nutrition Conference was organized by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, founded by Marc David, a nationally recognized teacher, speaker and author who has made it his life’s mission to share his many decades worth of research and experience on eating, thinking and living healthfully.

    Throughout the week, attendees listened to over 50 established and respected doctors, nutritionists, scientists, healthy living advocates and ambitious entrepreneurs speak one-on-one with David, who, with his easy-going and relatable attitude, made the whole experience extremely enjoyable. All the experts spoke in great detail about how the right attitude and the most beneficial nutrients intertwine to create a healthy, happy, meaningful life.

    As you might imagine, the conversations bubbled over with scientific evidence, potent information and interesting ideas — waaaaay too much stuff for any one blog post.  But amidst all the talk of the benefits of veganism, the advantages of vegetarianism and the wonders of the paleo diet, there were many relevant, down to earth, agreed-upon insights that really moved me; they made perfect sense and were brilliant in their simplicity. My hope is that my family – and yours – can abide by many of these ideals.

    • “What we put in our body is information for every function of our body.” I know that. You know that. But how well do we actually live it? Functional nutritionist Andrea Nakayama made clear how important it is to really live by the notion that what we put into our bodies is absolutely connected to our health and happiness.
    • There is no one-size-fits-all diet, as we are all physiologically different and have different biological challenges. But the experts agree that our bodies should be full of colorful and green leafy vegetables, fruits such as berries, beans, healthy grains (although some really push for a gluten-free diet), lean sources of protein and healthy fats. Those categories should be the cornerstone of everyone’s diet.
    • If you choose to eat fish, it should be only certain wild varieties (like Alaskan salmon) and if you eat dairy and meat, it should be from grass fed animals, with a third party organic certification, in order to avoid pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.
    • Avoid refined sugar and processed foods as much as possible. This is important for everyone – adults and children alike. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride spoke specifically about children and how these products are literally addictive and extremely toxic to children’s bodies, leading to many serious physical and behavioral problems.
    • From Heather White, executive director of the Environmental Working Group – an organization that I love – came some important daily tidbits: Become a label reader and buy foods with the fewest ingredients; buy organic as much as possible – refer to EWG’s dirty dozen list for produce that should be purchased organic; avoid plastics and instead use stainless steel, glass and bamboo; buy a water filter for your tap water in order to clean it of many contaminants.
    • From Darya Rose, a neuroscientist and food writer, a few simple ideas: Focus on health, not weight. Eat a healthy breakfast. Pack your own lunch. Create a happy relationship with food, not a stressful one; do this by making little healthy changes in your diet and by understanding that there is a balance and you don’t have to be impeccable all the time.
    • “If you’re standing on a thumbtack, don’t take aspirin, get off the thumbtack!” Seems obvious, right? But, says Robyn O’Brein, tireless healthy food warrior, speaker and author, many people don’t realize that they’re taking aspirin when it comes to eating, dealing with symptoms rather than the source of the problems. But if you really want to change the way you feel, then you need to change the things that you eat. Take a hard look at your diet, speak to an expert if need be, and start eating more healthfully. Get off the thumbtack.
    • Dr. David Katz, founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, said many things that resonated with me. His basic premise? Life is more fun if you’re healthy. You can “add years to your life and life to your years” if you happily and properly prioritize your health. On that note, he spoke about how taste buds can become accustomed to anything you offer them and that you can “rehabilitate them” by swapping in healthier versions of the current foods that you eat (say, a tomato sauce with much less sugar than the one you’re currently buying). He also spoke about families. How to teach kids about healthy living? Just live it in your own home. Create an environment that is full of healthy foods and ideas and regularly serve yourself and your kids tasty, healthy whole foods – like many of those mentioned in this blog. Children will benefit enormously, emotionally and physically, from these actions. In creating this type of home, you will be implicitly giving your children the tools for lifelong health.
    • Advocating for healthy eating is not a moral argument and it’s not about being a good or bad person. It’s also not about being a perfect person, by any stretch. Many of the experts spoke about doing one’s best and knowing that indulgences, if they are right for you, can be part of life. But overall, it’s very important to look at your own body and health, to know that you really are what you eat, and to try and create an overall eating plan that consists of delicious, healthy foods. Take good care of yourself and the people you love and life will be a lot tastier…

     

     

     

     

     

  • Quick Kitchen Wisdom for 2014

    Quick Kitchen Wisdom for 2014

     

     

     

    This post first ran on igokids.com. 

    The kitchen is at the heart of my very busy life. My four children’s ample appetites guarantee that I’m a regular in that space, faithfully whipping up meals, snacks and drinks like a pro. And while I’ve learned that homemade whole wheat pizza is really tasty and that spinach can be secretively blended into a smoothie, I’ve also learned that the kitchen is ground zero for many common, synthetic chemicals that can find their way into children’s very vulnerable bodies. The best take-home lesson though, is that there’s quite a bit we can do to protect our families from these toxicants.

    Other than promising to shed unwanted pounds and vowing to spend less time on your cell phone, resolve to ring in 2014 with some easy actions that will banish certain chemicals from your kids’ diets and help green up your kitchen as well.

    Opt for organic: Pesticides – many of which are carcinogenic and neurotoxic – are a particular menace to children’s growing bodies. But fear not. You can reduce your child’s exposure to these synthetic chemicals without turning over your whole kitchen. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s list of the most contaminated produce – which includes many kid faves such as apples, grapes and strawberries – at http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php, choose you family’s mainstays from the list and buy them organic. This is a great way to protect your kids without breaking the bank.

    Score some stainless steel: Six years ago I snatched up a bunch of stainless steel water bottles from hwww.kleankanteen.com/ and, since then, my kids have rarely put a plastic bottle to their lips. And that’s a very good thing. Single use and reusable plastic bottles can leach endocrine disrupting chemicals and carcinogens and they further our reliance on petrochemicals. In addition, bottled water is often not regulated; filtered tap water is a better option.

    Nix the non-stick: Your might think that your non-stick pans are vital to Sunday brunch, but your weekends will look a lot healthier without them. The gasses that are released from brand name coatings like Teflon are highly toxic and linked to many health problems including developmental concerns and cancer. They’re nothing you want your kids breathing in. So start by swapping a few non-stick pans for stainless steel or cast iron ones; you can find some great stainless options at allcookwarefind.com. They are safe and, with a little EVOO warmed up, your omelets will slide off of them just beautifully.

     

     

  • How I Learned to Love Vinegar…

    How I Learned to Love Vinegar…

     

     

     

    If you think that cleaning your home with safe, non-toxic products means spending a bundle, well, you’ve got another blog coming…

    I’m a stickler for using only non-toxic ingredients to clean my kitchen and bathrooms and guess what? I bet I spend a heckuva lot less money cleaning house than you do.

    Don’t believe me? Well, at last go-round, a gallon of distilled white vinegar set me back $3.69, hydrogen peroxide cost me $1.49 and baking soda was a whopping $1.29. And tap water? I already owned that. And get this — the stuff really works. So my home is clean, I’m being crazy friendly to my health and my wallet and I’m being rather friendly to my other home as well — the one called earth. Whaddya say to that? (Evil eye in the direction of your Fantastik. Excellent, that’s a start…)

    First, let me tackle the ugly details. Other than the fact that your basic arsenal of cleaning products has you shelling out plenty of greenbacks regularly, the products are so full of respiratory toxicants, carcinogens and allergens like ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, lye and synthetic fragrances, that when you use them, you’re not only polluting the world, but you’re actually promoting chronic chemical exposure in your own home. As in: you’re doing some very nasty things to the air inside your home and the organs of your body.

    It’s oddly counterintuitive but totally true: the cleaner you try to make your home by routinely using ‘bottles of chemicals’ (as I affectionately call them), the more damage you’re doing to the health of the people who live there. (Doting eye in the direction of your baby in a high chair, the very chair you cleaned with Fantastik. Ugh.)

    Onto the good – no, great – news. Homemade kitchen and bathroom cleaning solutions are ridiculously easy to prepare, cheap, versatile (a single combo can work in many areas) and super safe. What’s the catch? Well, besides the fact that you might have to unlearn the pounded-into-your-head idea that chemical-based cleaners are necessary and that simple white vinegar can’t possibly clean your home (I admit, I had to make the leap), there is no catch. No downside. It’s all good. (And no excuses regarding the smell of vinegar — it dissipates in minutes.)

    Here are a bunch of easy cleaning concoctions that will change your life in so many fantastic (I like that word as long as it ends with a ‘c’) ways:

    • Kitchen counters/tiles/surfaces (and high chairs): Combine approximately 9 parts water with 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle (add some lemon if you want). Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Label the bottle and use it regularly. (In the case of marble countertops, don’t use acidic substances. Combine 1 tablespoon of natural liquid Castile soap with 1 quart of warm water. Spray and wipe.)
    • Disinfection (such as when there’s raw food remnants on a surface): After a little spot test, spray some hydrogen peroxide on the surface and then follow it with the above vinegar solution.
    • Drain cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda and then 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain. Plug for 30 minutes and then, as long as the pipes are metal, run hot water through to clean out the debris.
    • Bathroom counters/tiles/surfaces: See Kitchen counters/tiles/surfaces.
    • Bathroom scrub: Combine 1/2 cup baking soda with some non-toxic liquid soap (and a few drops of essential oil if you want a particular scent). Scrub away.
    • Basic mold cleaner: Combine 3 parts vinegar to 2 parts water and spray. Let it sit for about an hour. Wipe down with cloth or brush.
    • Toilet bowl cleaner: Spray in some vinegar. Let it sit. Finish with toilet brush.

    So there you have it. A lickety-split lesson on the amazing benefits of vinegar and its inexpensive, safe and effective pals.Unbelievably easy, right? No fuss, your home is clean and you protect the health of everyone who lives there. And that, as they say, is priceless.