7 Simple Tips for Healthy Holidays

Healthy Child Healthy World

Sometimes the stress from holidays can result in big headaches. But, a lot of other things about the holidays can impact your health as well. Follow these simple steps to make this year's holidays your healthiest ever.

1. Indulge in the only the best food by going organic. Special occasions call for scrumptious goodies. But indulging doesn't have to mean sacrificing your family's health. This year, strive for very special holiday meals made of the freshest organic foods. Today, you can find organic ingredients for every type of celebratory food, from free-range turkey to a mouth-watering apple pie. Look for the USDA Organic seal to be sure that you are buying foods produced without synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, genetic engineering, irradiation and petroleum- or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.


2. Watch out for those brightly colored foods and candy! Holiday treats like candy canes and other goodies can be hard to resist. But many of our favorite sweet treats are full of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, some of which have questionable safety records. Saccharin, for example, is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Serve your child a well-balanced diet of whole foods and let your child indulge in moderate amounts of candy and other holiday treats. Read "Limit Your Child's Intake of Food Additives" for a list of potentially dangerous food additives that should definitely be avoided.


3. To perfume the air with a holiday fragrance, simmer spices such as cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Special scents create a festive holiday mood. However, scented candles, incense, air fresheners and other fragrance products are filled with chemical cocktails that can pollute indoor air, causing headaches, fatigue and other symptoms. Scented candles tend to produce more black soot than nonscented candles. And some candles-particularly those made in foreign countries-are made with stiff, metal wicks, which often contain lead. When lit, these candles release lead dust. Both soot and lead can be inhaled or ingested by small children, which may lead to health problems. Soot contains suspected carcinogens and lead causes brain damage. Learn more about non-toxic holiday aromas.


4. Raid your kitchen pantry to make your house sparkle for holiday guests. Cleaning your house in preparation for guests is one holiday tradition no one cherishes. To make it less unpleasant to all concerned, use mild, nontoxic cleaners. Most cleaning can be accomplished with a few nontoxic items from your kitchen pantry such as baking soda, washing soda and vinegar (to name a few). These ingredients can even be used to polish the silver! Learn more Recipes for Safer Cleaners.


5. Be aware that holiday lights may contain lead. In many electronic products, wires and cords are coated with PVC plastic, which is where the lead is found. Lead is used in PVC wires and cords to make it more flexible and reduce the risk of fire. Lead is also used in many PVC products to stabilize the color. The amount of lead in the lights and other consumer products may vary considerably and it is not clear if the amount of lead that is released poses a risk to human health. Some tests show that lead could come off in the hands. It's best not to let children handle the lights. The adult that does handle them should wash his or her hands immediately afterwards.


6. Retire that old, plastic tree. Plastic Christmas trees may appear to make environmental sense, because they can be used for many years. And about 20 million households put up a tree that is 9 years old or older. But old Christmas trees, which are made of PVC, are a potential health threat to children. PVC has been dubbed the most toxic plastic. One reason is that PVC contains significant amounts of lead as a stabilizer. In 2002, Foundation E.A.R.T.H. discovered that as these plastic trees age, they release lead dust, which collects on tree branches and the floor beneath the tree. Most of the plastic trees come from China and they exceed U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations for lead levels in consumer products. Lead is an extremely toxic heavy metal capable of producing long-term behavioral and brain damage, even at low doses. To be extra safe, don't let your children touch or handle a plastic tree or crawl underneath it. Don't keep presents underneath it either, as they will collect any lead dust that falls. Better yet, purchase a fresh, organic tree this year - it's a renewable resource that can be recycled!


7. This holiday season, burn a safer fire. As you cozy up to the fireplace this winter, remember that particles and gases from fires can make breathing difficult, especially for asthmatics. Make sure you ventilate well. Dry wood burns hotter and cleaner than "green" wood and hardwoods are better than coniferous trees, or evergreens. (That includes your Christmas tree, which is better off recycled.) For more tips, see How To Build a Safer Fire. Note: Fires also emit carcinogens, so keep fires to a minimum.

How to Make Safer, Healthier Meat Choices

Healthy Child Healthy World

specialkrb / CC BY-ND 2.0

Meat and poultry can be part of a healthy well-balanced diet. They are good sources of protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients, but these foods also can contain toxic pollutants at varying levels, including dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), flame retardants, and arsenic. If your diet is largely based on meats, it's time to learn to moderate. There is such thing as too much of a good thing!

Here are some facts about meat and poultry:

• Meat and dairy products contain animal fat and, therefore, can contain higher levels of certain toxic chemicals that accumulate in fat, like dioxins, brominated flame retardants and PCBs. Besides being "fat - friendly," these chemicals persist in the environment and in living tissues.


• Daily meat consumption could put you at increased risk for a variety of cancers, according to U.S. government health researchers. The more red meat and processed meat you eat, the greater your risk may be.


• According to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy at least 70 percent of conventionally raised broiler chickens in the U.S. are fed arsenic. The most common additive is roxarsone, an "organic" form of arsenic, once thought medically benign. Once ingested by animals, however, roxarsone can degrade into cancer-causing inorganic forms of arsenic within the animal's digestive tract and in animal waste. Roxarsone is FDA-approved for growth promotion, feed efficiency and "improved pigmentation" of meat. Significantly, the 27 countries of the European Union have never approved this practice as safe.

You can reduce your family's exposure by making smarter choices:

1. 1. Select lean meat cuts and cut off visible fat before cooking. Use lower-fat cooking methods including broiling, grilling, roasting or pressure-cooking (cooking and preparation methods can reduce dioxin levels by up to half.)


2. Look for meats raised without synthetic hormones. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits the use of hormones in the raising of hogs or poultry in the United States. Therefore, there's no need to shell out extra money for pork and poultry products that carry the "no hormones administered." However, the USDA does allow the use of a number of hormones on beef. Beef that is labeled as "no hormones administered" is considered to be free from any added hormones over the lifetime of the animal and therefore does imply that the manufacturer has gone beyond USDA regulations for conventional meat production. Use of the term "hormone free" is considered "unapprovable" by USDA on any meat products.


3. Buy organic. Try to buy certified organic pork, beef and poultry from animals raised without use of antibiotics, genetic engineering, irradiation, sewage sludge and artificial ingredients.


4. Look for grass-fed beef. Beef from grass-fed cattle is leaner, lower in fat and calories, while higher in vitamin E16 and antioxidants than beef from cattle raised on a corn diet. It is also lower in saturated fats and higher in omega-3 fats. One study showed eating grass-fed beef helped reduce "bad" cholesterol and increased "good" cholesterol. Cattle raised on pasture rather than on corn-based diets also may be less susceptible to contamination with E. coli and other disease-causing bacteria.


5. Eat less! The easiest and most affordable way to reduce your exposure to the contaminants that may be in meat and poultry is to eat less of it. Try making some of your meals meat-free and when you do eat meat, try smaller portions.

Learn more at Eat Healthy.

Related Topics:

• Video: The Greener Refrigerator

Does Your Child's,Halloween Face Paint Contain Lead and Heavy Metals?

Healthy Child Healthy World

sara.atkins/
CC BY 2.0

According to recent product tests, many children's face paints contain lead, which can impact brain development at extremely low doses, as well as nickel, cobalt and chromium, which can cause rashes and lifelong skin sensitization. Because these substances are not listed on product labels, parents shopping for Halloween make-up have no way of knowing which products are safe. While this is particularly concerning for parents at this time of year, the lack of cosmetic safety standards is a problem that extends to all cosmetics sold in the United States.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental groups, sent 10 children's face paints to an independent lab to test for heavy metals, and also reviewed ingredient labels of Halloween products sold at a seasonal holiday store. The findings include:

• Ten out of 10 children's face paints contained lead at levels ranging from .05 to .65 parts per million (ppm)


• Six out of 10 children's face paints contained the potent skin allergens chromium, nickel and/or cobalt at levels ranging from 1.6 to 120 ppm - far exceeding safety recommendations of industry studies of 1 ppm


• Snazaroo Face Paint, labeled as "non-toxic" and "hypoallergenic," contained some of the highest levels of lead, nickel and cobalt found in the study

sara.atkins/
CC BY 2.0

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control specifically recommends that parents avoid using cosmetics on their children that could be contaminated with lead. "Lead is dangerous to the developing brains of children at any level. It is now widely accepted in the scientific community that there is no threshold level below which lead is safe," said Dr. Phil Landrigan, Director, Children's Environmental Health Center Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Nickel, cobalt and chromium are top allergens in children, and early-life exposures increase the chance that kids will become sensitized and develop contact dermatitis. None of the four heavy metals found in the face paints were listed on product labels because contaminants are exempt from labeling laws.

sara.atkins/
CC BY 2.0

The report also found several other hazardous ingredients in Halloween hair-color sprays and make-up products, including butane (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic), thiram (possible carcinogen), alumina (toxic to the brain), propylene glycol (possible carcinogen) and the dyes pigment green 7 and pigment blue 15, which are not approved by FDA for use in cosmetics.

"Parents should not have to worry that face paint contains lead and other hazardous substances. Companies are not making the safest products possible for children, even though children are particularly vulnerable to toxic exposures," said Lisa Archer, national coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics from the Breast Cancer Fund.

"It is clear the system is broken - we need to update the laws so that companies are required to remove lead and all other harmful substances from body-care products, and make the safest products possible." In the meantime, here are some tips for a safer Halloween:

Choose costumes without face paint or masks (which can also have toxicity problems, as well as safety concerns due to interference with vision and breathing), or make your own face paint from natural products and ingredients.

sara.atkins/
CC BY 2.0

Founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women's Voices for the Earth.

Take Action!
Support safety: Sign the Petition for Safe Cosmetics, which calls for the removal of toxic chemicals in all cosmetics and personal care products - from face paint to baby shampoo, and body lotion to deodorant.

Additional resources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Lead Prevention Tips
• FDA: Hypoallergenic Products

What's in Your Carpet? You May Not Want to Know

Healthy Child Healthy World

Andy Melton / CC BY-SA 2.0

Most homes have carpet in them somewhere, but one problem with carpeting is that it's a perfect home to microorganisms such as mold, mildew and dust mites. It is also a reservoir for everything you track indoors on your shoes: soil, lawn chemicals, lead dust, asbestos fibers from automotive brake linings, animal feces, and anything else found on the ground outdoors.
Wall-to wall carpeting is virtually impossible to clean thoroughly, but here are some tips to help:

1. Encourage family members to remove shoes upon entrance into the home. Pesticides, pollutants and dirt come indoors on shoes and are tracked onto carpets. If going shoeless is not acceptable to family members, suggest that they wear house shoes (that don't go outside), slippers or socks.


2. Vacuum two or more times per week. Frequent vacuuming helps reduce the level of dust mites, which trigger asthma and allergy attacks. It also means getting rid of surface dirt on carpets before it has a chance to get ground in. A vacuum cleaner with strong suction, rotating brushes and a HEPA filter, so the dirt and dust won't get blown back out in the exhaust, is best. Go back and forth over the same spot several times, especially in high traffic areas, to get all of the dirt and dust!


3. Clean up spills on carpets immediately to prevent stains. Soak up liquid spills by covering them with clean white (or light-colored) towels or paper towels. Scrape sticky substances off carpets with a spatula or spoon. Don't rub the spill. That will damage carpet fibers and make the stain spread. To clean the stain, mix 1 cup warm water and 1/2 teaspoon mild liquid soap, such as dishwashing liquid or fine fabric detergent. Apply a small amount, blot by pressing a clean white towel into the carpet and lift. Then repeat the process until the stain is removed. Don't scrub. Be patient. After stain is removed, rinse the area with a solution a few teaspoons of white vinegar to one cup water and blot with another clean towel.


4. Use household ingredients to clean carpet stains. Club soda removes red wine stains. Use an ice cube to harden gum and candle wax, then scrape off. Sprinkle greasy stains with baking soda, corn starch or corn meal. Let stand six hours or overnight. Then vacuum. Mix 1/3 cup vinegar with 2/3 cup warm water and apply to the stain. Then blot with a clean towel and repeat until the stain comes clean.


5. As a last resort carpet stain remover, try rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Test first on a hidden spot of the carpet as either substance may lighten or bleach the carpet. Apply a small amount to the stain, then blot with a clean, white towel. Repeat until the stain is gone.


6. Use baking soda to remove odor from carpets. Carpet deodorizers and fresheners often contain fragrances that merely mask the smell. Baking soda soaks up the odor. Just sprinkle baking soda over the surface of the carpet. Let it stand for 15 - 30 minutes. Then vacuum.


7. Steam clean carpets with plain water. Don't bother with the detergent. Just use water and operate the machine as directed. The hot water will remove a considerable amount of dirt, even without detergent. Alternatively, use a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar and 2-1/2 gallons of water. (Add another cup of vinegar for a stronger solution.) This is an effective way to remove shampoo residues from earlier cleaning attempts.


8. Ventilate well during and after carpet cleaning. To speed drying time and prevent mold growth, keep windows open and use fans. Avoid carpet cleaning on humid or damp days.

Related Topic:

• Video: Sofa and Carpet Choices
• The Best Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your Home

5 Non-toxic Tips for Getting Rid of Rodents

Healthy Child Healthy World

Photo: Healthy Child Healthy World

Mice aren't just unpleasant guests, they are dirty animals. They can be carriers of a disease called "ratbite fever" that people can catch from a mouse bite or from the bodily fluids of a sick mouse. Mice can also introduce mites, tapeworms, and ringworms into your home. And in homes where people have allergies or asthma, their dander and urine can trigger reactions.

The only way to permanently get rid of a mouse problem is to stop access to the food and shelter that you are providing.

Follow these tips to get rid of rodents:

1. Prevent Entry

• Block holes and cracks larger than 1/4-inch, which mice can pass through. Use a pencil (eraser end) to check size. Fill holes with steel wool and seal cracks in foundation. Close gaps around pipes and cables. Use hardware cloth to screen vents and floor drains. Don't use chewable materials, like plastic, rubber, vinyl or wood.


• Repair broken windows, doors, screens and make sure they close tightly. Replace worn weatherstripping and install door sweeps

2. Clear the Path to Your Door

• Remove or cut down tall grass and weeds, blackberries and other brush from the area near your home's foundation.


• Prune ground level branches off shrubs.


• Avoid ivy, which shelters mice.


• Keep bird feeders away from the house and sweep up seeds on the ground frequently.


• Use trash cans with tight lids.


• Clean up fallen fruits, seed pods, and nuts from trees.

3. Make Your Home Uninviting

• Use garbage cans with tight lids or take trash out daily.


• Use mouse-proof containers, such as coffee cans, jars with screw lids or plastic food containers with tight fitting lids for pantry items, such as grains, cookies, sugar, etc. Mice can chew through, plastic bags, cardboard and burlap.


• Keep pet food in mouse proof containers. Rather than leave food out for pets all day and night, feed them at specific times and then remove food bowls.


• Store lawn and garden seed, birdseed and organic fertilizers (such as bone meal) in mouse proof containers.


• Don't leave food or dirty dishes out overnight. Keep counters, stove top, broiler and the kitchen floor clean.

4. Determine Where The Mice Are

• Do a visual inspection for clues, such as chewed food boxes, etc. Mice do not usually travel far in search of food. Look for holes in which they may be entering.


• Coat the floor with flour in areas where you suspect activity. Look for mice tracks in the flour the next morning.

5. Trap Those Sneaky Critters.

• If mice move in, a highly effective way to deal with small infestations is to trap them.

• Use peanut butter, raisins, oats, or dried fruit for bait in snap and live traps.


• Use gloves when handling traps to prevent getting a human smell on the traps.


• Set out the traps unset and without bait for a few days to get the mice used to them. Place them five to ten feet apart near the wall, with the trigger closes to the wall. Behind objects and in dark corners are also good places to set the traps.


• Make sure you release mice caught in live traps far (1+ mile) from your house.


• Keep traps away from children and pets.

Rodent poison baits and powders are highly toxic!
Do not use in homes with children or pets!

Related Topics:

• Video: Keeping Home Pest Free
• The Best Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your Home

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

Healthy Child Healthy World

A new database was recently released which has the results on over 900 common products tested for toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium, mercury, bromine, chlorine (PVC) and arsenic. Using an XRF analyzer, researchers at the Ecology Center analyzed the ingredients of pet products, cars, women's handbags, children's car seats and more, creating the largest database yet of independent tests of toxic chemicals in consumer goods.

The results can be found on the user-friendly website, HealthyStuff.org. Visitors can look up products by manufacturer, brand, or product type and easily generate lists of highly rated and poorly rated products. HealthyStuff.org tested for chemicals based on their toxicity, persistence and tendency to build up in people and the environment. Such chemicals have been linked to reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, liver toxicity and cancer.??

"The more we test, the more we find that the presence of toxic chemicals is widespread in everyday consumer products," said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director at the Ecology Center, who created the site. "It should not be the responsibility of public health advocates to test these products. Product manufacturers and legislators must take the lead and replace dangerous substances with safe alternatives.

For the past several years the Ecology Center has spearheaded groundbreaking research on toxic chemicals in toys, cars and children's car seats at HealthyToys.org and HealthyCar.org. HealthyStuff.org is a compilation of all of these findings and more.

New Key Findings From HealthyStuff.org:

• Pet Products - HealthyStuff.org tested over 400 pet products, including beds, chew toys, collars and leashes. Since there are no government standards for hazardous chemicals in pet products, it is not surprising that alarming levels of toxic chemicals were found. One quarter of all pet products had detectable levels of lead, including seven percent with levels higher than 300 ppm - the current Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standard for lead in children's products.


• Automobiles - HealthyStuff.org tested nearly 700 new and used vehicles, from 1980 to 2010 model year vehicles. The US-made Pontiac G5 and Chevy Cobalt rated best overall 2009 vehicles. Levels of some chemicals found in vehicles are 5-10 times higher than in homes or offices. Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in their car every day, this can be a major source of toxic chemical exposure.


• Children's Car Seats - Infant and child car seats contain chemical additives that can have adverse health effects on babies and young children. Over half (58%) of car seats contain one or more hazardous chemicals, including PVC, BFRs and heavy metals. Three examples of car seats that had none of the chemicals tested for are: Baby Trend Flex-Loc; the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat; and the Graco Turbo Booster. Despite the toxic chemicals, it is vital to use a car seat for your child because they do save lives.


• Back-to-School Products - HealthyStuff.org screened over 60 common back-to-school supplies, including backpacks, pencil cases, binders and lunchboxes. Far too many of these supplies are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and 22% contained detectable levels of lead. Overall nearly 90% of back-to-school supplies contained one or more chemicals of concern.



• Women's Handbags - HealthyStuff.org tested over 100 women's handbags and detected lead in over 75% of the bags analyzed. Sixty-four percent (64%) of the bags contained lead over 300 ppm - the CPSC limit for lead in children's products. Over half of the handbags contain more than 1,000 ppm lead.

Read the original press release.

9 Things to Know About Building a Safer, Healthier Fire

Healthy Child Healthy World

Ted Percival / CC BY 2.0

Whether you have indoor fires for warmth or ambiance, it's important to know how to build a fire that prevents indoor air quality problems. Smoke is made up of fine particles that, when released, can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause irritations like burning eyes and a runny nose, and aggravate illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma. Follow these tips to build a safer, healthier fire.

1. Buy a wood stove made after 1992. Wood stoves made after 1992 meet tight U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards, so you can even buy a wood stove confidently on the used market if it dates from within a decade. The EPA recommends using a certified professional installer as the best way to ensure correct installation for ensured safety. A properly installed certified wood stove or fireplace insert always has a vent to the exterior and releases far less smoke through the chimney, overall emitting 60-80% less pollution into the environment.


2. Think about installing a catalyst. Many stoves are now fitted with catalysts - similar to catalytic converters on automobiles - that burn up smoke to reduce emissions to an absolute minimum. Older stoves can also be retrofitted with catalysts.


3. Burn dry wood. Wood that's been "seasoned," or dried for at least six months outside, burns hotter and cleaner than "green" wood. To season wood adequately, shield it from the elements with a cover on top but keep it well ventilated on the sides to allow airflow between the logs. "Green" wood (which has a thin, green layer under the bark) appears yellowish, and crackles from evaporating moisture when burned. Dry wood appears grayish and cracked at the ends, and weighs less than "wet" wood, as the heavy moisture has already evaporated.


4. Burn many logs at once. Once the fire is well stoked, fill the stove with largish, long-burning loads to reduce the number of times you need to open the stove door for reloading, the primary means of introducing smoky pollutants into the indoor air.


5. Burn hardwoods. Wood from deciduous trees, the kind that shed leaves in the fall, is harder than wood from coniferous trees, or evergreens, whose wood tends to be soft and sappy. Hardwoods - namely oak, maple, hickory, apple, and ash - burn hotter, longer, and cleaner than softwoods, such as pine, spruce, and fir. Hardwoods are not only environmentally safer, but also economically smarter: You can burn through a cord of softwood twice as quickly as a cord of hardwood.


6. Make hot fires. Catalysts burn smoke when they "light off," reaching temperatures of 350 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Most catalysts come equipped with a temperature monitor. Even without a catalyst, wood fires burn best hot, because they eat up all the carbon monoxide and other pollutants.


7. Install carbon monoxide alarms. When wood is not burned completely, the resulting smoke contains a number of chemicals, one of which is carbon monoxide (CO). CO is odorless and colorless, but exposure to it reduces your blood's ability to carry oxygen. The Underwriters Laboratory certifies carbon monoxide monitors, which beep in alarm if carbon monoxide levels increase. Carbon monoxide alarms should be placed on every floor of the house and near bedrooms.


8. Sweep chimneys. Creosote, a black, tar-like or flaky deposit, builds up on the chimney lining, blocking the proper exhaust of smoke and raising the risk of a chimney fire. Chimney sweeps certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Chimney Sweep Guild recommend a yearly chimney cleaning.


9. Burn only solid wood. Pressure-treated wood, particleboard, and plywood contain toxins, such as formaldehyde and arsenic, in their preservatives and adhesives, so never burn them. Also avoid burning plastics, newsprint and magazines in your stove or fireplace. Start the fire with newspaper, but get rid of your piles of read papers by recycling.

Related Topics:

• Video: Fireplace Toxins
• Breathe Easy: 5 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Cold and Flu Season Survival Guide: 10 Easy Steps

by Janelle Sorensen

'Tis the season of sniffles, sneezes, fevers, and flu. And, this year brings an epidemic that has every parent on high alert. At my house, we're in the midst of virus cycle number one and I just pulled out the vaporizer for the first time of the season. As my daughter and I waited for the little engine to warm up after months of sitting idly in the basement, we spoke glumly about how much we despise the string of illness and misery fall and winter inevitably brings. This winter we are fighting back, and you can too. Keep your family in tip-top shape by following these easy tips.

1. Get plenty of Zzzzz
Studies show that sleep deprivation can make you more susceptible to illness by reducing the number of cells in your body dedicated to fighting things like microbes. The average adult needs about 6-8 hours of sleep. A newborn may need up to 18 hours a day, toddlers require 12 to 13 hours, and preschoolers need about 10 hours. If your child doesn't nap, try putting him or her to bed earlier.

2. Bust a family move
Exercising increases your sickness-fighting cells. Get the whole family in the habit of exercising together to improve your health and to enjoy some quality time together. Try walking, hiking, biking, yoga, or just crank up some fun music and have a dance-off.

3. Engage in germ warfare

Pete Markham /
CC BY-SA 2.0

• Make sure everyone washes their hands often with soap. Ditch the antibacterials because research shows plain soap is just as effective. Sing the ABC's while vigorously lathering palms, between fingers, around nail beds, and the backs of hands. Pay particular attention to hand hygiene before and after each meal, after playing outside, using the bathroom, handling pets, blowing noses, and after being anywhere in public.


• When you're out and about, carry non-toxic wipes or hand sanitizer with you for quick cleanups. Check out CleanWell's plant-based, biodegradable products, All Terrain Hand Sanz Fragrance Free Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer, or EO Hand Sanitizer.


• If someone in the family gets sick, keep his toothbrush separate from everyone else's. Give it a good soak in boiling water or run it through the dishwasher after the illness isn't contagious anymore to get rid of any lingering germs or viruses.


• Wash your hand towels in hot water every three or four days during cold and flu season.


• Sneeze and cough into your arm or a tissue. Coughing into your hands puts the germs right where you can spread them to any object (or person) you touch.

4. Drink up
You have probably heard how important it is to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill, but it's just as important for preventing illness. Adequate hydration keeps the tissues of the respiratory system moist, which prevents microbes from settling in. Hydration also helps the immune system work properly. Opt for fresh, filtered water.

5. Air out
Open a window or two in your home just a crack for a few minutes each day. You'll let out indoor air pollutants that may be stressing your immune systems as well as chase away germs.

6. Keep it cool
An overheated home promotes dry air, the perfect environment for viruses to thrive. And when your mucous membranes (i.e., nose, mouth, and tonsils) dry out, they can't trap those germs very well. Lowering the heat in your house 5 degrees and using a room humidifier helps maintain a healthier level of humidity in the winter. Buy a hygrometer to measure humidity and keep your home at around 50 percent.

7. Relax
Declare a family time out each day. During these few minutes have everyone close their eyes, breathe deep, and think happy. Meditation reduces stress. Reduced stress means less susceptibility to illness.

8. Pump up with produce
Carrots, kiwis, raisins, green beans, oranges, strawberries: they all contain such immunity-boosting phytonutrients as vitamin C and carotenoids. Cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, are good sources of betacarotene and help protect against free-radical damage. They also contain vitamin C and calcium. Try to get your child to eat five servings of fruits and veggies a day. Eat at least half of them raw and when you do cook them, be careful not to overcook. Overcooking destroys the immune enhancing properties. Learn more about feeding your immune system.

9. Go easy on the sweets
Sugar makes the body acidic, just the way pathogens like it (they thrive on sugar). So especially during cold and flu season, reduce sugar intake (that includes corn syrup and HFCS, as well).

10. Take a supplement
According to Dr. Alan Greene, "most kids today do NOT get the micronutrients they need from what they eat. Not by a long shot. By some estimates, only 2% of kids regularly eat the recommended number of servings of different food groups. A daily multivitamin/mineral is more than just a safety net for occasional nutritional shortages, it is an important tool to support healthy growth and a healthy life for your child." Talk to your physician about your child's specific nutritional needs and check out Dr. Greene's Nutritional Supplements.

Related Topics:

• Healthier Hygiene
• Antibacterial Cleaners

Better Ways to Box Up Take Out

by Christopher Gavigan

I don't know about your neighborhood, but I've yet to find an Indian restaurant that delivers my curry take-out in compostable or sustainable containers. Ditto practically every other dining establishment in the country. Tons of plastic, paper and the dreaded Styrofoam are the norm for packing to-go items, with disastrous implications for the planet. In addition to the eco-consequences, disposable plastics and Styrofoam leach chemicals into food, and much disposable fast food packaging often contains chemicals called PFCs (often labeled as Teflon or Scotchguard) to control stains and grease.

So for the moment at least, its up to the consumer to reduce the footprint and any health risks our take-out habits create. Here's a list of small ways to make your take-out easier on the planet.

No Bag, Thank You.
The growing trend (now an ingrained habit for many) of bringing reusable canvas or cloth bags to the super market applies to all situations where you're leaving with a plastic bag in hand. Keep an eco-friendly sac at work or in your car, and make sure the cashier or server knows that you brought your own alternative!

I'll Drink to That!
Many coffee shops and cafes will gladly use your brought-from-home mug for your hot beverage. You won't even catch an odd look from a Starbucks barista since your good deed is saving them a few pennies on packaging! For everyday java fixes, pick up the stylishly sustainable I Am Not A Paper Cup, a ceramic version of the take-out coffee cup, made for day to day use. Another simple way to cut back on waste is by keeping a compact, handmade Cup Kozy attached to your key chain or bag. By replacing the single-use cardboard sleeves on any size of coffee cups, you're keeping something small out of the trash - but small items definitely build up!

Bring (or try at least) Your Own Containers
Few establishments will allow customers to bring their own to-go containers because of state health codes. It is allowed at some locations though, especially at serve-yourself delis or salad bars, so pack your glass or bamboo containers and give it a try. Another workaround is to keep some aluminum foil handy. While not always the right solution (soup, for example, is a no go), 100% recyclable foil can make a perfect carrier for bagels, sandwiches, and small snacks. And it can be washed and reused over and over before being recycled. If there's no way to get around the plastic or Styrofoam, encourage them to place a liner of tin foil between your food and the container, which will prevent chemical leaching, even when heated.

Utilize Your Own Utensils
This is one area of the take-out world you can dominate! Sometimes your to-go meal comes with a set of plastic utensils, whether they're needed or not, and a mountain of paper napkins. Cut back on this major waste by bringing your own utensils and a cloth napkin from home, and store them at your desk at work or in your bag when you're on the go. If you're constantly on the move, pick up a bamboo travel set from To-Go Ware. Be sure the restaurant leaves the plastic behind, and not in your bag!

Fill Up the Kanteen
We've been singing the praises of Klean Kanteens for ages, but having your own beverage with you during the day means you're less likely to purchase one that comes in a plastic or foam cup. When heading out to lunch or grabbing a snack on the road, refill your empty canteen with juice, tea, or milk for the kids. Another helpful addition is packing a glass or stainless steel straw so you can sip away sans plastic.

Related Topics:

• Safer Food For A Healthier You
• Pots, Pans, and Plastics: A Shopper’s Guide to Food Safety

10 Tips to Prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy

Healthy Child Healthy World

Bonbon / CC BY 2.0

1. Eat the healthiest, safest foods.

These eight simple steps will help you reduce your exposure to synthetic pesticides and guard against certain cancers and high dioxin intake. Increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes and fiber may help eliminate toxins.

2. Feast on folic acid before conceiving and while pregnant.

Sources include dried beans and peas, citrus fruit, spinach and broccoli. Adequate folic acid early in a baby's development helps prevent neurological defects, such as spina bifida. Note: too much folic acid may pose it's own risks, so talk with your doctor about how much you need.

3. Reduce consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and quit smoking.

Women who smoke during pregnancy (or are exposed to secondhand smoke) are more likely to give birth to small babies with low birth weight. Alcohol and caffeine lower overall health and can negatively impact a fetus.

4. Cut down your intake of animal fats and fish to reduce dioxin, PCB and mercury exposure.

Trim fat and skin from meats well. Limit consumption of fatty and predatory fish, such as tuna and salmon, to once a month at most; alternatives include flounder and sole. (Use Seafood Watch to learn about which fish are safest to eat.) Broil fish and meat, so that fat drips away from the food. Choose skim dairy products.

5. Drink pure water.

Test drinking water for lead, chlorine byproducts (trihalomethanes) and pesticides. If there are contaminants, install an appropriate water filter and use a stainless steel water bottle to keep yourself hydrated on the go.

6. Test old paint for lead while planning your pregnancy.

Lead is stored in the bones and can be passed to a developing baby through the placenta. The EPA maintains a list of certified labs where you can send paint samples. Removal of lead paint must only be done by a professional and pregnant women should stay away from the area until it is thoroughly cleaned. See Detecting and Removing Lead Paint for more information and resources.

7. Get smart about plastics.

Some plastics cause dangerous pollution during manufacturing and some contain chemicals suspected of causing harm - especially to kids. Avoid those numbered 3, 6, or 7 (PC). These resin codes are typically on the bottom of an item in a triangle of arrows. When using any plastic, be safe by not using in the microwave or with hot food (the heat promotes leaching). Discard or stop using for food and beverages when the product begins to have signs of wear and tear.

8. Use fewer personal care products.

Many personal care products contain chemicals that disrupt hormones your baby will rely on for proper development. And others contain carcinogens and neurotoxicants, among other things. The best thing for you and baby is to reduce how much you use and to use Skin Deep to find the safest products.

9. Clean without toxic chemicals.

You don't need a chemical arsenal to keep your home clean. Basic ingredients like baking soda and vinegar can tackle most household chores. Or, you can look for natural products at the store (don't be fooled by marketing, though. Check the label for ingredients and use Seventh Generation's Label Reading Guide.)

10. Find out what chemicals are in your local air, water and soil.

Start in your backyard, by finding out what's in the soil. Sign up for air quality alerts at AirNow.gov.

Related Topics:

• Give Your Baby the Best Start
• The Best Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your Home

Hand Washing Double Bonus

Our guest blogger is Alan Greene, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Attending Pediatrician at Packard Children's Hospital, and Senior Fellow at the University California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. He is also founder of DrGreene.com and author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care.

kokopinto / CC BY-SA 2.0

Hand washing does something cool that I bet most parents never think about. Most parents do know that hand washing before eating can greatly reduce the risk of bacterial and viral infections and is a cost-effective way to keep your family healthier. Hand washing can save your family tissue-strewn days dealing with runny noses or tummy-ache days dealing with with diarrhea. It can also help prevent pinworms, one of the most common parasitic infections in kids. But hand washing isn't just for reducing cooties and germs. It's an important step in protecting your child from toxic chemicals in the environment.

A recent study of chemical flame retardants known as PBDEs illuminated an important route of exposure in kids: dust to hand to mouth. PBDEs are known to disrupt hormones in people and other animals. These chemicals have been added to many household items - especially those made from petroleum products that would otherwise be very flammable. They are found in carpets, computers, and the foam in chairs, beds, and other furniture. The PBDEs are gradually released over time, where they end up in house dust.

The chemicals stick to their hands with dust or with direct contact. They get into their bodies when their hands come to their mouths when eating, especially with finger foods. Children average 10-fold higher estimated exposure than adults.

Clean hands before eating offers the invisible bonus of lowering exposure to PBDEs and other chemical pollutants. House dust and germs may be worse in the winter. Read more about arsenic and the importance of spring and summer hand washing.

Stapleton, HM, SM Kelley, JG Allen, MD McClean and TF Webster. Measurement of polybrominated diphenyl ethers on hand wipes: Estimating exposure from hand-to-mouth contact. Environmental Science and Technology. 2008; 42(9):3329-3334.

Last reviewed February 2009. As research is on-going, you may want to check several sources for the latest information.

Related Topics:

• Healthier Hygiene
• Antibacterial Soap: Do You Need It to Keep Your Home Clean?
  

New Resources to Help You Understand Toxic Flame Retardants

by Christopher Gavigan

There is a major battle underway in the State of California to amend a decades old provision requiring manufacturers to add flame retardants to children's products made using polyurethane foam (car seats, breastfeeding cushions, and much more). California is the only state in the country that requires this and it has led to the use of millions of pounds of halogenated flame retardants (which are the cheapest, but also pose a variety of health risks). Since manufacturers don't like making different products for different states, it means that children's products sold across the continent have flame retardants added to them - even if California is the only state to require it. This issue impacts all of us and many people think the practice is a completely unnecessary risk to children's health and development.

Two new fact sheets developed by the Consumer Federation of California help make the issue clear. Here are some highlights from what they've put together:

Toxic Flame Retardants Endanger Public Health
Halogenated fire retardants - the least expensive and most likely chemicals used to meet this regulation - have been linked to endocrine disruption, neurological and developmental impairments, cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities such as attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, and a host of other health disorders.

When certain fire retardant chemicals burn, they form highly toxic dioxins and furans. In November 2006, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published an analysis of 32 studies that found that fire fighters have significantly elevated rates of four types of cancer: multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate, and testicular cancer, likely resulting from chemical exposures. For that reason, many firefighter groups across the nation have been active in support of efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of certain toxic fire retardants in consumer products.

Low-income residents and communities of color are the most likely to be exposed to these chemicals and fall victim to these diseases as they purchase products laden with the toxins at the big box stores. Other communities can opt out by purchasing more expensive imported or toxic-free product lines of baby products. Furthermore older or second-hand products are more likely to have crumbly foam that will escape and cause the greatest health hazard.

As a result of these public health dangers, both the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the International Association of Firefighters have also opposed their use in favor of other, less toxic, but fire-safe, alternatives.

Toxic Flame Retardants and Fire Safety Alternatives
Children's products such as strollers and changing pads do not pose a fire hazard. According the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there is no evidence that these toxic chemicals actually reduce fire deaths in California; they just slow them for an estimated six to twelve seconds.

Fire deaths declined by 38% in California from 1980 to 1999; but the decline was similar or even greater in other states that don't have standards leading to the use of these toxic chemicals. Considering that most victims of fires die from smoke inhalation and not the actual flames, alternative fire-fighting measures like smoke detectors and sprinkler systems have proven more effective.

In fact, the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association has NEVER been sued by anyone, anywhere, because their "flame retardant free" products were associated with a fire hazard.

Related Topics:

• Video: Safer Bedding for Children
• Give Your Baby the Best Start
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

The opinions expressed in the WebMD Blogs are of the author and the author alone. They do not reflect the opinions of WebMD and they have not been reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance or objectivity. WebMD Blogs are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

6 Steps to Reduce Exposure to Synthetic Hormones in Food

by Janelle Sorensen

Hormones are responsible for much more than just acne in teenagers and mood swings in pregnant women. They are the messengers for much of your body's functioning, including growth and development, immune response, regulation of metabolism, and reproduction among other things.

The body creates its own hormones to take care of these vital duties, but many synthetic chemicals also mimic hormones. Some are intentionally developed to do so, like birth control pills or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) and others accidentally disrupt hormones, like bisphenol-A and phthalates.

And, whether natural or synthetic, hormones are powerful. It only takes a miniscule amount to cause big changes. That's why understanding hormones is extremely important.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) just released its latest "Smart Guide" covering the issue of hormones in the food system. And, there are a lot more than you were probably aware of. They include:

• hormone growth promoters given to food animals
• hormone-active pesticides sprayed on food crops
• hormone plastic additives in baby bottles, infant formula cans or other food packaging
• hormone disruptors that build up in the food chain (like brominated flame retardants)

Plenty of uncertainties still remain about the impacts associated with these substances, but preliminary studies paint a disturbing picture.

According to the Guide:

"[E]ver-strengthening science links exposure to many individual hormone disruptors-pesticides, Teflon chemicals, plasticizers and food contaminants with these common or rising chronic conditions, including:

• Breast and prostate cancer
• Thyroid disease
• Obesity and diabetes
• Endometriosis, uterine fibroids and infertility
• Immune-related disease, such as asthma or allergies

Increasingly, exposure in the womb to these same chemicals is implicated in serious problems found in newborns such as birth defects and low birth weight, as well as reduced odds of having a boy child.

A recent study links a mother's high beef consumption while pregnant (steroid growth promoter use is widespread in beef production) with lower sperm counts in her son."

While waiting for conclusive research, IATP advises consumers to take precautions and reduce exposure by following these steps:

1. Eat low-fat meats and dairy products.


2. Eat "certified" organic when possible.


3. Avoid pesticide hormones. Peel your fruits and vegetables, especially if they have been waxed, or wash them with a vegetable wash or diluted vinegar to remove surface pesticide residues.


4. Use hormone-free cans and bottles.


5. Demand that your elected officials support stronger efforts to keep synthetic hormones out of our food supply.


6. Read the "Smart Plastics Guide," the "Smart Guide on Sludge Use in Food Production," and IATP's other Smart Guides at healthobservatory.org.

Learn more about why these steps are important and exactly how to take them by reading the full Smart Guide to Hormones in the Food System.

Related Topics:

• Safer Food For A Healthier You
• Organic Foods Slideshow: To Buy or Not to Buy Organic
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

What's Your Favorite Eco-Friendly Toy?

by Christopher Gavigan

Tiffany Washko / CC BY 2.0

I think every parent has a favorite eco-friendly toy. The kind of toy that makes you feel so good watching your child play with it that you're desperate not to get rid of it the moment they grow out of it. The charming giraffe, the wood blocks from Grandpa, the cotton baby doll that either ends up as a decoration on a shelf or gifted to a close friend or relative. Well, now you can nominate it for the Second Annual Best Green Toys Contest sponsored by Eco-Child's Play and The Goddard Schools for Early Childhood Development.

Toys must meet the following criteria:

• the toy is eco friendly
• the toy is affordable (under $25)
• the toy encourages creative, social, and engaging play activities
• the toy is interactive and lends itself to child-initiated play
• the toy is appropriate for preschool to early elementary school-aged children

According to the Eco-Child's Play announcement the top green toys will be awarded the Eco Friendly Toy seal and listed in the Top Ten Eco Friendly Toys of 2009. In addition, preschoolers at participating Goddard Schools will get to play with the Top Ten and then name the "Local Preschoolers Picks" for the top kid's choices.

The contest is open to environmentally safe toy submissions until October 1, 2009, and the winners announced at the end of October. To enter, download the Eco Friendly Toy Test entry form and read the guidelines.

Now they need your help!

What's your favorite eco-friendly toy under $25? Please leave your nominations at EcoChild's Play. Personally, I nominate Green Toys, Inc and their "Indoor Gardening Kit". This earth, social, and health conscious company actually makes all toys in California from recycled milk jugs. No batteries here. The toys are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastic, tie downs, or cellophane. Of course they meet all safety requirements, as well has having NO traces of phthalates, lead, or BPA. Good for the earth, and great fun for you kids.

If you're on Twitter, please complete and Tweet this using the hashtag #bestgreentoys @EcoChildsPlay: I nominate ______ for the #bestgreentoys contest.

If you know a green toy company, reach out to them to enter the contest by sending them a link to this post.

There is a Flickr stream set up (bestgreentoys) for you to upload a picture of your child with their favorite green toy (tagged with #bestgreentoys) to suggest that the company should enter the contest. And we have a Best Green Toys Facebook Page (please become a fan and upload pictures and leave comments).

I can't wait to see all the nominations. Regardless who wins, I'm sure it'll be an awesome list of wonderful, safe, eco-friendly toys.

Related Topics:

• Video: Child-Safe Toys
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

Organic Lunchbox Challenge

Our guest blogger is Alan Greene, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Attending Pediatrician at Packard Children's Hospital, and Senior Fellow at the University California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. He is also founder of DrGreene.com and author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care.

Students I speak with observe that school food is often either unappetizing (overcooked cafeteria veggies) or unhealthy. Tasty junk food at school has become a magnet for kids across the nation, encouraging nutrition choices that hurt kids now, and build unhealthy habits for the long run.

Thankfully, a growing wave of school boards is starting to tackle the issue, one school district at a time. A quick phone call to your school board could help tip them into action.

But even when action is taken, there is usually a lag of a year or more before the menu actually changes. The Organic Lunchbox is something simple you can do in the meantime to provide your children delicious food that gives them energy for today and builds healthy, vibrant bodies for tomorrow. I'm encouraging parents everywhere to give their children at least one serving of organic food every day this year. Here's why, then how:

Background

Toxic chemicals are toxic.

We know that pesticides and other chemicals (such as mercury) that can contaminate our food supply cause serious health problems if the exposures to these chemicals are high enough. These problems include cancers (such as brain cancer, breast cancer, and childhood leukemia), behavior problems, ADHD, learning disabilities, genital abnormalities, and reproductive problems.

We know that the very problems that can be caused by these environmental chemicals are increasing in our society and in our children. We know that childhood brain cancer and leukemia have each increased by more than 50 percent since 1975. We know that autism diagnoses have increased 10 times since the 1980's.

We know that children have higher exposures to pesticides and other chemicals than do adults, and that even at the same exposures, they are at higher risk.

We've known from several good studies that pesticides and toxic chemicals aren't just in the environment - but get into our developing children's bodies. Some kids have high levels and others quite low. What's different between these kids? Is there anything simple and practical that parents can do to lower their own children's risks? A provocative study was published in October 2002 in the Environmental Health Perspectives, the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH. Here, children were divided into two groups: those who ate mostly conventional foods and those who ate mostly organic foods. All urine for 24 hours was collected from each child. Children who ate conventional diets had mean pesticide concentrations in their urine 9 times higher than the children who ate organic! Their levels indicated that they had exceeded safe exposure levels set by the EPA and were at increased risk to their health. By contrast, those children who ate organic foods were well within the EPA levels deemed to cause negligible risk. Feeding children organic foods is something simple and practical parents can do right now to protect their children and help them build healthy bodies.

The Organic Lunchbox

I recommend that children get a variety of healthy foods. Together, the foods below would make an ideal lunch, loaded with body-building vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients (perhaps some that haven't even been discovered yet). I'm asking parents to include at least one of these items every day. Even adding one of these a day could make a big difference for our children and our environment:

A Serving of Organic Fruit. This might be an organic apple, organic grapes, or a bag of organic cherries from the local farmers' market. Thankfully, organic produce is available at more and more grocery stores as well. And the more that people ask for organic produce, the more available it will be. There are so many types of delicious fruit! My kids love kiwi bowls. Take a kiwi, cut it in half, and scoop out the yummy treasure using the thick skin as a bowl.

A Serving of Organic Veggies. This might be a bag of small carrots from Earthbound Farms. Some kids like veggies (and even fruit) better if they are sent with a dip. A variety of dressings or yogurts can make tasty dips. Ants on a log are a perennial favorite (raisins on a peanut butter - or cream cheese - filled celery stick). My kids sometimes enjoy fresh sugar snap peas to munch, or English peas to shell and pop into the mouth - we get them both at the farmers' market. Or you might get veggies in as a snack food, such as Just Veggies, or in a drink (such as carrot orange or carrot berry juice).

A Serving of Organic Whole Grains. The easiest way to get this in is as a bread, a cereal, or a cracker. I like breads from Rudi's Organic Bakery. The French Meadow Bakery also makes some delicious organic breads. A simple sandwich can be a convenient centerpiece to a great lunch. Keep in mind, though, that not all lunches need a centerpiece. A hunk of bread along with the other items in the lunchbox can make a perfect lunch without a 'main dish'.

An Organic Calcium Source. Two out of three kids in the U.S. do not get enough calcium in their diets! School-age children need at least 800 mg daily through age 8, and 1300 mg daily from age 9 to 13. A glass of milk has about 300 mg; a serving of yogurt about 400 mg; a slice of cheese might have about 200 mg. Those who don't get calcium at lunch are unlikely to meet their daily needs. Lunch might include a serving of Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt - in a cup, as a fun Squeezer, or as an organic drinkable yogurt. Organic cheese is another good option. For kids who don't do dairy, there are many other calcium options, including green vegetables, or even calcium enriched juices.

An Organic Source of Lean Protein. You may have already provided your child with protein by giving them yogurt or a simple sandwich with Organic cheese. If there is not another protein source in the lunchbox yet, consider a hardboiled egg (perhaps an organic egg high in DHA), organic beans, or a sandwich with lean organic meats.

They DON'T Need: added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrups), added fats (especially partially hydrogenated fats), lots of artificial colors and other chemicals, or foods grown with pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones.

The Evil Twin

Let's compare the commonsense, tasty lunch above with a popular prepackaged combination lunch-in-a-box, the kinds some kids fight over in the grocery store aisles. The one in front of me contains hot dogs, with cola to drink, and candy for dessert.

The Organic Fruit? None. There is no fruit at all. 0% of the daily requirement for vitamin C (among many others).

The Organic Vegetable? None. There is no vegetable, unless you count the catsup. 0% of the recommended servings of vegetables. Less than 2% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A.

The Organic Whole Grain? None. There is no whole grain. Only highly processed, nutritionally depleted white bread, with insufficient fiber.

The Organic Calcium Source? There is a small amount of calcium, but not close to the amount needed at lunch to meet the day's requirements - it leaves them needing to catch up.

The Lean Protein Source? No lean protein source here. The saturated fats are artery-clogging and fattening even to kids. What protein there is comes from mechanically separated turkey and pork treated with sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, and nitrites. We know nothing about how the animals were raised.

It Also Contains: caffeine, chemical preservatives such as potassium sorbate and calcium proprionate, artificial chemical flavors, artificial chemical colors, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, added sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup - about 12 teaspoons of sugars, and more saturated fat than anyone should eat at a meal.

All of the vitamins or minerals whose levels are disclosed on the package are quite low. It would take 10 of these meals to give a day's supply of calcium or iron, 50 meals to get a day's supply of vitamin A, and you would never get enough vitamin C - no matter how many of these you ate. Ten of these meals would supply almost 5000 calories, almost 200 gm of fat, and 8500 mg of sodium. This is part of what we mean by empty calories.

This may seem like an unfair comparison, but children eat food like this evil twin every day - food that they purchase at school, or pack along with them. The number one food kids eat? French Fries!

The Lunchbox Challenge

Let this be the year where you give your child at least one serving of organic food a day. The Organic Lunchbox is one great option. If packing lunch doesn't work well for your family, consider starting the day right with a serving of organic food for breakfast. The research is clear that whether and what a child eats at breakfast makes a difference in learning, behavior, and test scores all morning long.

Isn't it great that choosing healthy delicious food can make a real difference for our children today - and in years to come when they have walked out their childhoods, out of our homes, out of our reach, but never out of our hearts!

Last reviewed January 2005. As research is on-going, you may want to check several sources for the latest information.

Related Topics:

• Organic Foods Slideshow: To Buy or Not to Buy Organic
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

Diaper Bag Eco-Makeover

by Janelle Sorensen

When you're the parent to a baby, your diaper bag is your lifeline. Without it, chaos ensues. Try this diaper bag eco-makeover to save your sanity, help your baby stay happy and healthy, and protect the Earth.

First off, start with a good bag. If you buy new, look for Earth-friendly textiles like organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, or recycled plastic. Check out Pristine Planet or Fleurville for some preferable options. If you're looking to re-use (the Earth-friendliest and most affordable option), avoid PVC which can leach phthalates and lead.

What should you fill it with?

Diaper Bag Must Haves	Look For
Diapers	Chlorine-free, flushable or cloth
Baby wipes	Chlorine-free, unscented, refillable tubs, homemade
Baby lotion	Botanical-based, certified organic
Diaper cream	Botanical-based, certified organic, zinc oxide for rashes
Bottle	BPA-free plastic or glass
Teething biscuits	Whole grains, organic
Snacks	Reusable containers; organic, whole foods
Baby food	Jarred, frozen, or homemade; organic whole foods
Toys & teethers	Natural materials like solid woods or organic textiles
Pacifier	Natural rubber or clear silicone
Burp rag	Organic cotton, reusable plastic bag or container for sanitary storage
Bib	Organic cotton or bamboo textiles
Blanket	Organic cotton, wool, or bamboo
Sunblock	Non-petroleum based, SPF 30 (or higher)
For Mom or Dad:
Water	Reusable, stainless steel bottle
Hand sanitizer	Botanical based options like tea tree oil or Cleanwell

Quick tips:

• Avoid care products with parabens, phthalates, DMDM hydantoin, fragrance, triclosan, sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate, toluene, formaldehyde, PEGs, anything with "glycol" or "methyl."
• Opt for products that are reusable or recyclable.
• Choose natural materials.
• Look for products with the least packaging.

This is a dream list just to get you thinking about things, so don't feel bad if you can't do everything. You should only be losing sleep because your baby keeps you up, not because you bought the wrong lotion.

Related Topics:

• Give Your Baby the Best Start
• Video: Diaper Baby Safely
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

Healthy Body Care Tip #5: Antibacterials Are Not the Answer

by Christopher Gavigan

There is no doubt that personal hygiene is important to good health, but how much is enough? Sales of personal care products for children have jumped significantly in the past decade in part because marketers continue to redefine the "needs" of children in order to increase profits. One of the biggest new "necessities" is antibacterial products. Marketers have done a brilliant job at making parents feel like they need a scrupulously sanitized home and if you scrub enough with enough antibacterials and disinfectants you can rid the world of germs and bacteria and keep your family safe and healthy.

Guess what? Antibacterials are not all they're cracked up to be. Consider these facts, shared with Healthy Child by Jay Feldman of Beyond Pesticides:

• The most common illnesses (colds, flu and gastrointestinal upsets) are caused by viruses. Antibacterials have little or no effect on viruses.
• Antibacterial products target good bacteria as well as bad, but our bodies need those good bacteria. They help us digest our food, for example, and keep harmful microorganisms from entering our bodies through our main orifices like our mouths and nose.


• The bad bacteria we encounter typically have no impact on a healthy immune system. In fact, only 1 percent to 2 percent of microbes are likely to make us sick.


• Bacteria are so prevalent and reproduce so fast that it's impossible to eliminate them anyway. In addition, a large number of recent studies have found substantial evidence that certain antibacterial products actually promote the emergence of bacteria resistant to antibiotic medications and antibacterial cleansers


• Research shows that plain soap and water is just as effective for hand washing as products containing triclosan. The Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee, which advises the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), voted 11-1 that antibacterial soaps and washes were no more effective than regular soap and water in fighting infections-both work equally as well.


• The overuse of triclosan (and other antibacterials) could potentially be increasing the incidence of allergies. The "hygiene hypothesis" theorizes that there is a correlation between too much hygiene and increased allergies and asthma. Studies have found an increase in the frequency of allergies, asthma and eczema in persons who have been raised in more sterile and hygienic environments. Through over-cleaning ourselves, The theory states, the body's immune system is not challenged, and thus it is prevented from developing and maturing.


• Even the American Medical Association concludes, "Despite their recent proliferation in consumer products, the use of antimicrobial agents such as triclosan in consumer products has not been studied extensively. No data exist to support their efficacy when used in such products or any need for them...it may be prudent to avoid the use of antimicrobial agents in consumer products."
  

Visit Healthy Child Healthy World to learn safer ways to keep germs at bay.

Related Topics:

• Antibacterial Soap: Do You Need It to Keep Your Home Clean?
• Health eHome
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

Healthy Body Care Tip #4: Make it Yourself

by Christopher Gavigan

With a growing awareness of the questionable chemical concoctions manufacturers are allowed to sell to unassuming consumers, kitchen cosmetics are increasingly in vogue. While there are certain things that don't translate well to homemade, there are plenty that you might find superior to their store bought counterparts.

Instead of relying upon synthetic chemicals to clean or soothe the skin, you can use natural ingredients that have been relied on for centuries. Things like extra virgin olive oil which attracts external moisture without clogging pores or compromising skin function, calendula which is an extremely gentle way to treat skin irritations and minor infections, and chamomile which is a useful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent.

Here are a few simple recipes to get you started.

Baby wipes:

1 1/2 - 2 cups distilled water
1/4 cup Aloe Vera gel
1 Tbsp. Calendula oil
2 tsp. organic liquid soap
2-3 drops tea tree oil
2-3 drops lavender oil
roll of paper towels (cut in half to make short rolls)
1 plastic container that the roll fits in

Cut roll in half and remove center cardboard. In plastic container, mix liquid ingredients, and place half of roll in container (cut side down). Put on lid and tip upside down until paper towels are fully saturated. To use, pull out from center.

Rash Soother: Protect skin and prevent rashes by rubbing a little olive oil on your baby's bum after each changing. At the first signs of redness, bathe your baby in warm water with a little baking soda or apply a small amount of aloe vera gel.

Oatmeal Baby Bath: 1 cup whole oats. Whirl in blender or food processor until they become powder. Mix as desired into bath water. The oatmeal softens the water and your baby's skin (you may be tempted to try it yourself!)

Baby Oil: Almond oil, olive oil, apricot oil, or calendula oil.

As with any product, the first time you use something on your child, watch closely for any type of reaction. For more recipes and tips pick up a copy of Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home or visit HealthyChild.org.

Related Topics:

• Healthier Hygiene
• Health eHome
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

Healthy Body Care Tip #3: Know What You Need to Get What You Want

by Christopher Gavigan

America is the land of impulse shopping and if you don't know what you want, you'll end up buying a lot of things you don't need. In the case of personal care products, if you don't know what you need, you can end up buying products with a laundry list of chemicals that you don't want.

The variety of personal care products and cosmetics available is quite stunning and Americans buy 11 billion every year. While it would be nice if you could trust marketer's claims and make purchases based on which products you liked the smell of or that had the most attractive container, it's not that easy. If you want the safest products, you have to know what you need and want.

Luckily, the internet provides a wealth of information right at your finger tips. Two places to begin your search for the safest products are GoodGuide.com and CosmeticsDatabase.com. These two sources detail the health and environmental performance of thousands of products. You can refer to these in order to create your own personal shopping list, so you know exactly what to look for at the store.

Still, the best products you find in these databases are not always the ones you'll find on your local store shelves. In that case, turn to the internet again and shop on-line. There are a growing number of mindful manufacturers offering pure personal care products that don't use chemicals, fillers, or preservatives. A few of Healthy Child Healthy World's favorites are: Perfect Organics, Weleda, California Baby, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Aubrey Organics, Dr. Bronner's, and Dr. Hauschka. And as for cosmetics for mom, my wife tells me Josie Maran Cosmetics and CARE Cosmetics are outstanding.

Be intentional. Buy intentional.

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• Healthier Hygiene
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• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health Newsletter

Healthy Body Care Tip #2: Learn Label Lingo

by Christopher Gavigan

"Natural," "Hypoallergenic," "Herbal," "Organic" - they all sound like exactly what any parent would want to apply to their child's delicate skin. But while these terms are tempting product descriptions, don't judge the book by its cover. Currently, there is only one clear-cut hallmark of safety and that is the USDA Certified Organic seal. This seal is the only one that has defined standards and is actually regulated.

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of Certified Organic body care products available and they typically cost much more than most families can afford. You can still make safer choices, but you have to be a savvy consumer. Use these two label-decoding tips to help you find the safest products:

1. Read the actual ingredients list. Even though marketing claims are largely unregulated, manufacturers are required to list the actual ingredients of products in order of volume. Still, reading product ingredients is like reading another language.
   
   Here are the top toxic ten to try to avoid: Parabens, Phthalates, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance, Triclosan, Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate, Formaldehyde, Toluene, Ceteareth and PEG compounds, Anything with "glycol" or "methyl."
   
   It may be difficult to always avoid everything in this list, but do your best to cut back as much as possible.


2. Go fragrance-free. The one loop-hole in ingredients lists is "fragrance" (aka "parfum"). Fragrances of products are considered industry secrets and that single component can actually be made up of over a hundred other ingredients that do not need to be spelled out in the ingredients list. Play it safe by avoiding it. And, again, it does not matter if the label says "unscented." Read the ingredients to ensure that this suspect element is not present.

Worried you won't remember what to watch for? Go to Healthy Child Healthy World to print a pocket guide to keep with you when you're shopping.

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The Golden Rule for Reducing Exposure to Chemicals from Personal Care Products

by Christopher Gavigan

I've considered myself green for many years, but becoming the CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World and then becoming a father has certainly increased the hue. Everyday is a learning experience, whether I'm researching issues that pertain directly to being a father or I'm watching the headlines for breaking news or the latest studies at work. One area of environmental health that never ceases to shock or exasperate me is personal care products.

Allow me to share some of the jaw dropping statistics about the products you rub into your scalp and skin and trust on your baby's body and even use to clean your mouth every day:

• Even though the average person uses about ten products a day constituting hundreds of individual ingredients, safety testing of these products is voluntary and conducted by the product manufacturers.


• Eighty-nine percent of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have never been evaluated for safety by any publicly accountable institution.


• The FDA has banned or restricted only nine personal care product ingredients. For comparison, the European Union has regulated over 1100.

For me, for my wife, for my son, this is entirely unacceptable. Luckily, we've found safer products we love and we know the tricks to reduce exposures in general. You can learn how to do exactly the same thing.

To kick things off, here is the Golden Rule to remember in order to reduce unnecessary exposures to chemicals in care products:

Use fewer products in smaller amounts.

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The 5 Most Important Things We Can Do to Protect the Planet

by Christopher Gavigan

I recently spoke with Julia Wasson of Blue Planet Green Living and she asked me what I think are the five most important things we can do to save the planet.

Saving the planet - let's just say, protecting the planet. I'd like to frame this whole thing as protecting the planet instead of saving the earth. The planet doesn't need to be saved. The planet will be around a lot longer than we will.

1. Really, we need to save ourselves and save our existence and our civilization as we know it. I believe that it's a humankind challenge in how we accept and interact with each other. Certainly, love and respect and the ability to listen and be collaborative is part of that process. I think we could learn to love ourselves, our families, and each other a little bit more and judge less. I think if you embrace the fact that we're all trying our best and really take that critical nature out of it, we would be less entrenched in our own opinions and more willing to listen and be collaborative.


2. We certainly all could eat less meat and rely less on land animals as food sources. There's no question about it that the amount of resource intensity required by meat and dairy production and the amount of land source degradation happen because of eating animals. And so, I would embrace the fact that we could protect the planet more if we all ate less meat. I've been doing this as a vegetarian for almost 15 years now.


3. We should use less toxic products in our daily lives, from our cleaners to our beauty care products to the mattresses and furniture we build. We need to be aware of the chemicals that exist in each one of those and understand that you don't have to live a chemically laden life. Reducing the amount of chemicals is more beneficial for the planet, for our waterways, and for land, our children's future, and also our own health.


4. Another thing we should think about is the "buying cycle," and put some intentional thinking around this. Every day, I realize that less really is more. Truly, I need less to have a fulfilled and happy life. Just buying less would be very anti-capitalistic and anti-consumptive, but the planet would breathe a big "Ahhh" of relief. Being less consumptive is a powerful thing. You're requiring less, you're demanding less of the earth. And you're reducing your impact on the planet, something that I think about. Certainly, it's a challenge of mine. I always can do better at it, but it's an intention of mine, and I do a little better every day.


5. The last thing is being grateful. I don't think, as a culture, as a species, we're grateful enough. Grateful for the moments that we have. Grateful for the people that are in our lives. And grateful for the resources that we have and the ease of the life that we have. I try to be very intentional every day when I wake up in the morning. I try to think of those things that I'm most grateful for, and I try to think of something new every day. Being more grateful is a way to recognize the magnitude and the importance of where we are and our lives. And embracing the fact that we have a limited time here and we should make the most of it for our children, for the people who are around us, and for the planet.

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Climate Change & Health

Our guest blogger is Mary Gant, Program Analyst, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences


Mankind is totally dependent on the Earth's natural systems for the essentials of life-air, water, food, and shelter. Over the coming decades, global climate change will have a significant impact on our atmosphere and our marine and terrestrial ecosystems and their ability to provide these essential elements. For some, e.g., the millions of people who live less than a meter above sea level or who eke out a living in already arid environments, the impact may be catastrophic.

The health consequences of climate change include disease (both physical and mental), injury, and the misery of poverty and dislocation:

• An increased frequency or severity of heat waves would cause an increase in cardiorespiratory diseases and mortality. The elderly and very young children would be most at risk.


• Extreme weather events (hurricanes, torrential rains, tornados, etc.) would occur more often and with greater intensity resulting in disruptions in locally available food, clean water, and shelter, in serious injury and death, and in devastating economic loss.


• Some regions of the world will become drier and plagued by serious drought forcing changes in agricultural, animal, and fisheries productivity and overall water usage. Drought may also increase the risk of meningitis in some regions.


• Sea level rise above various thresholds in different parts of the world will result in adverse impacts on economy, infrastructure, and resources, especially fresh water, and may force migrations and crowding with an increase risk of disease, psychological disorders, and injury.


• Increases in temperature and longer warm periods without frost will increase the ranges, numbers, and seasons for vectors that carry diseases, such as dengue, malaria, West Nile, Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and encephalitis. When temperatures rise, mosquitoes breed and mature more rapidly.


• Increased air pollution, especially ozone, would increase asthma and other acute and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.


• Increases in pollens and spores would exacerbate allergic disorders, especially asthma.


• The production and use of alternative fuels (methane, ethanol, biomass, etc.) calls for understanding the health effects of their emissions and exposures and other economic and environmental consequences.


• New technologies to mitigate or adapt to climate change may entail exposures during their manufacture, use, and disposal to materials and compounds whose health effects are little understood.


• The health consequences of the loss of biodiversity could be enormous. The alteration of the Earth's ecosystems and declines in species diversity could result in an irreversible loss in human well-being.

All of the impacts of climate change demand the attention of federal, state, and local officials and the public to provide the research to understand more fully these impacts and to develop the strategies to cope with them.

Learn how you can start preventing climate change today by taking simple steps in your home.

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Healthy Spoonfuls: 3 Ways to Feed Your Baby the Best

by Christopher Gavigan

Photo: LilySusie

A baby's first bites of solid foods are thoroughly entertaining to watch. New flavors and textures provoke faces that are both adorable and incredibly funny. What's not so funny is that in some instances, there are invisible contaminants, fillers, and unhealthy ingredients hiding in those tiny spoonfuls of food. And if your baby is eating non-organic food, he's also eating pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and synthetic preservatives and additives.

While traces of contaminants are tiny, they build up quickly in a child's diet as children eat more food pound for pound than adults. In fact, children one through five years of age eat three to four (or more) times as much food per pound of body weight as an average American adult. In addition, their developing bodies are more vulnerable and less able to detoxify.

Because there is a growing body of evidence showing these toxins can impair child health and development, common sense compels us to minimize exposure whenever possible. Especially during pregnancy and infancy when their bodies are most vulnerable, we need to take precautionary action - a "better safe than sorry" approach and choose an organic diet for our little ones. Not only does an organic diet reduce exposure to contaminants and synthetic additives, some studies also show that organic foods are healthier and have more antioxidants and added nutrition.

There are a variety of options and many opportunities to take toxins off the menu. Here are some easy ideas for feeding your baby an organic, safe and healthy diet:

1. Store bought. With the growing interest in organic foods, there is also an increase in availability of pre-made organic baby foods. Some are on the shelf right next to their conventional counterparts and other can be found in the refrigerated or frozen food sections. Look for names like Plum Organics, Happy Baby, Homemade Baby, Tasty Baby, or Sprout Baby Food.

2. Delivered. Referred to as "baby food catering", home delivery services are the pinnacle of convenience. Service providers include Bohemian Baby and Pomme Bebe.

3. Homemade. Not nearly as intimidating as it sounds, homemade baby food is the freshest and most inexpensive option (with the added benefit of having the least impact on the environment). My wife makes all of our son's food and has been super charged with how easy and enjoyable it's been. She uses fruits and veggies with a variety of colors and tastes then adds in probiotics and flax seed oil for additional nutritional benefit.

To make your own, pick one time a week to cook and puree selected foods and then freeze in an ice cube tray for handy serving sizes. WholesomeBabyFood.com offers age appropriate recipes, as well as tips for cooking and storing food. You can also get a handy, portable food grinder and freezer storage trays at Fresh Baby. Find local, organic food in your neighborhood using the Eat Well Guide, which lists not only grocery stores, but also co-ops, farmer's markets, and CSAs (where you buy a share of food from a local farm).

Photo: LilySusie

Organic on a Budget: For many parents, buying all organic all the time is a financial impossibility, so keep this in mind: certain foods have higher levels of chemical residues including meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, as well as apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries - so focus on getting the organic versions of these items. Some foods typically have very low levels of residues and are okay to purchase conventionally grown, including avocados, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwis, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant.

You can also invest selectively. We have committed to trying to feed our son 100% organic for at least his first year (yes, I said "trying," no one's perfect). When they get older, choose the foods they eat the most of. If they eat a ton of apples, make sure you're buying them organic even if you can't buy everything organic. Overall, just do the best you can and concentrate on consistently providing a healthy, fresh, well-balanced diet for baby and family. Bon Appetit!

Sources:

• Consumer Reports. Better for Baby? Our analysis finds organic food is safer for children. January 2006.
• Landrigan, P. et al. Children's Health and the Environment: A New Agenda for Prevention Research. Environmental Health Perspectives. June 1998, 106, 3, 787-794.
• Virginia Worthington. Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. April 1, 2001, 7(2): 161-173.
• Lombardi-Boccia, G. et al. Nutrients and Antioxidant Molecules in Yellow Plums from Conventional and Organic Productions: A Comparative Study. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2004, 52, 90-94.
• Asami, D. et al. Comparison of the Total Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Content of Freeze-Dried and Air-Dried Marionberry, Strawberry, and Corn Grown Using Conventional, Organic, and Sustainable Agricultural Practices. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2003, 51, 1237-1241.

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Fishing for Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Our guest blogger is Tara DelloIacono Thies, RD, LUNA Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company.

Photo Credit: FrenchDuck

Mothers-to-be are in a quandary when trying to make safe and sustainable choices when eating fish. Fish is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids, important to well-being and the developmental health of our babies. Yet, many fish are a source of mercury and other unfortunate contaminates. Fishing also takes a toll on the environment with fishing and farm methods that leave a fishy aftertaste in our mouths.

Complicated with contaminated and poor sourced fish choices many women are skipping out on fish all together. Our seafood deficient diets are leading to deficiencies in DHA, an important form of omega-3 fatty acids, which our bodies can not make and must be obtained through our food.

DHA is also important to your baby's developing brain and your psychiatric health. Research coming out of the most recent American Dietetic Association Annual Conference reported on studies that revealed a "no sea food diet" during pregnancy resulted in children with low verbal IQ, low social development, and poor peer interactions. Women who were DHA deficient were found to be more anxious and distressed.

Fish is one of the best sources of DHA. This leaves us with a complicated task of figuring which fish are good for our bodies and the planet. Thankfully someone has done the thinking for us and created a simple pocket tool that you can use while shopping to at the grocery store: the Seafood Watch Pocket Guide.

This is a great tool to guide you to the best choices for fish that are not contaminated and fished using sustainable methods. After referring to this guide you will see that there are a lot of good options, and you can even have some canned tuna often thought to be totally off limits.

How much omega-3 fatty acids do you need each day? The Dietary Recommended Intake for non-pregnant women is 1.1 grams per day, which can come from all three types of omega-3s' - EPA, ALA, & DHA. Pregnant and breast feeding women need an additional DHA boost of .2-.3 grams per day. You can meet your needs by eating about 6-12 ounces of fish per week.

Look for the three magic letters (DHA) on the front of the package too. Many foods such organic milk and organic yogurts are now fortifying with additional DHA omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition to all these great food sources there are some supplements both over the counter and prescription that you may want to consider:

Over the counter:

• Nordic Naturals
• Spectrum Fish Oil

Ask your doctor about:

• Natelle Plus
• Citranatal 90 DHA
• Duet DHA
• Prenate DHA

Fish is a great whole food source of DHA. I hope you can now head to the fish market more informed and also enjoy a tuna sandwich once again.

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Lead in Lipstick, Parabens in Perfume: What Are You And Your Teenager Wearing These Days?

Our guest blogger is Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, founder and CEO of EcoStiletto.com, "Mommy Greenest" blogger and mother of Gabriel, Julia and Chloe. Rachel is also working on book called Mommy Greenest: Changing the World, One Small Step At A Time.

Photo Credit: SpooSpa

Apply. Lick. Repeat. That's my mantra when it comes to lips. Before meeting, after eating and, dangerously, while driving, I spend a lot of time applying lipstick or lip gloss to my lips. And according to the Environmental Working Group, all that licking means that I, an average woman, will eat more than nine pounds of the stuff over my lifetime.

Nine. Pounds.

All grossness aside, this fact wouldn't be so alarming if it weren't for another: In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, found two-third of lipsticks contained lead, a known neurotoxin that has been linked to brain damage and miscarriages, among other horrors.

Nine. Pounds. Containing. Lead.

That's enough to make me sit up, take notice, and dump the contents of my makeup bags into the trash (fearful all the time that I should be disposing of the stuff as hazardous waste).

But the news has gotten better: This year, Canada banned lead in lipstick. In August of 2008, a single vote in the State Assembly barred a similar ban in California. With a new introduction of the bill on deck for 2009, the geniuses at Teens Turning Green launched a clever "Lips Against Lead" petition, in which people are encouraged to apply lead-free lipstick and kiss an organic cotton petition, that will then be sent to the Assembly when the teens show up to shame them into passing it.

Now my kids are a little young to appreciate the value of a bunch of girls kissing a petition to legislate for lead-free lipstick. My son is 10 and lipstick, to him, is ludicrous; my daughter is seven and I'm trying to limit her to petro-free lip balm. The Barnacle (read: baby) just thinks it's food.

But the whole experience made me think of my niece, an amazing Gen Y-er whom I watched come into the world and who is on the tail end of "tween," the generation of eight-to-12-year-olds who are 20 million strong today and projected to hit 23 million by 2020, according to the U.S. Census. With 10-year-old Malia and eight-year-old Sasha Obama currently our Washington tweens-in-residence, all eyes are upon this potentially powerful group - especially beauty marketers.

Being naturally gorgeous herself (and no, it's not just me who thinks so), C, as we'll call my niece (because she'd kill me if I used her full name), has not yet begun to rely on the pancake-base-powder-blush-eyeliner-mascara-lip-gloss makeup routine that many teenagers turn to each morning, "putting on their faces" in a way that I haven't seen since my grandmother refused to leave the house without her blue eye shadow.

But C has developed a serious penchant for lip gloss. And perfume. Not just any perfume, but the heavy, yummy-sweet stuff that you can only get from synthetic fragrances. Now this totally makes sense, as these are the scents that are marketed to her in the stores where she shops, like Forever 21, Claire's and the Gap. The marketing experts who work with these companies to sell perfume to teens and tweens prey on two factors: first, that these girls are incredibly insecure about how they smell as their body chemistries shift and change, and second, the fact that, to them, makeup is typically verboten, while fragrance is an acceptable step towards womanhood that won't raise eyebrows among their Gen X parents.

Perfume and lip gloss are just the tip of the iceberg. Once makeup is in the approved category, teen girls typically use more personal care products than women - an average of 17 as opposed to 12 - because they're experimenting with what they do and don't like. And because they're on limited budgets, typically these products are the least inexpensive in the category - think Bonnie Bell, Wet 'n Wild, Maybelline. Unfortunately, these cheap products are manufactured from the cheapest chemical ingredients.

In fact, the Environmental Working Group found that most American girls typically have 13 different hormone-altering chemicals in their bodies at any given time. Overwhelmingly, tests of a small sample of girls detected paraben preservatives - typically "methylparaben" and "propylparaben" - in their blood and urine. Parabens have been linked to an increase in prostate and breast cancer, genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men and early onset of puberty in girls.

They're also in perfume.

The EWG's study used a small sample group - only 20 girls. Obviously tests need to be done on a larger scale. But bigger studies have linked these chemicals to cancer and hormone disruption - both problems that have spiked in children in recent years. Childhood cancer rates are up 30% in the last 30 years, according to the Progressive Policy Institute. Girls today are menstruating as early as eight. And scientists like New York doctor Frank Lipman are starting to look at the links between health risks and chemicals in personal care products. Although each product might have a low level of potentially dangerous chemicals, the 17 mixed together can pack a potent toxic punch.

How is it possible that beauty companies manufacturing teen products create them with ingredients that have been linked to serious health problems-even cancer? Because - newsflash - the beauty industry is unregulated:

• Companies are not required to test products or ingredients for safety before they're sold, manufacturers can use whatever chemicals they want in their products, and are not required to disclose their ingredients.
• The Toxic Substances Control Act was passed over 30 years ago and takes as its premise that chemicals are safe until they have been proven unsafe.
• The panel of scientists that make up the self-policing Cosmetic Ingredient Review is funded by-you guessed it!-the beauty industry.

It's hard to prove an ingredient is unsafe when your review board is paid by the companies that use it.

Now teenagers aren't known for worrying about safety. They're just trying to get through the day without too much anxiety about fitting in. And much of that fitting in involves identifying with their peers - through makeup and fragrance.

But as my niece's perfume affinity increases, so have her frequent headaches. And although I've avoided getting all heavy on her with talk about cancer and early onset menstruation, I did gently suggest that she might consider cold-turkeying her perfume habit in an effort to ascertain if the synthetic perfumes might be contributing to a fragrance allergy manifesting itself in headaches.

She just politely ignored me.

So my activism on behalf of C has taken another turn. I'm sending her a full set of Teens Going Green chemical-free beauty products for her birthday this year. I'm founding the Los Angeles chapter of the organization this spring. And the next time a petition makes it to New Orleans, I'm going to send her some lead-free lipstick to kiss it with.

Because there's no reason why she should be hurt by an industry that cares more about her money than her welfare. And the only way to convince her otherwise is to show her that products which don't contain chemicals work just as well.

Now if Teens Turning Green would just come out with a perfume...

Have you looked at the ingredients in your lipstick lately? Check your brand at www.cosmeticdatabase.com, then tell me what you think!

Related Topics:

• Natural Cosmetics: Are They Healthier for Your Skin?
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• Health eHome
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• Get the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter in your inbox weekly

Leave Dirt at the Door: How Taking Off Your Shoes Can Improve Your Health

Our guest blogger is Laura Dern - Actress, Activist, and Mom to Ellery and Jaya.


In many cultures it's customary to remove your shoes before entering a home for spiritual or practical reasons. And as a mom, I encourage the practice because I want a clean home. But taking off your shoes not only helps keep your home cleaner, it also helps keep it healthier. Think about it. Where have the bottom of your shoes been? If you've stopped to fill up your car, you can track home gasoline on your feet. If you've walked through a freshly treated lawn or putting green, you can track home toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Seemingly benign dirt can have traces of lead in it. You walk through it, then you walk through your home leaving traces on your rug, your baby crawls past, and then stops to put her hand in her mouth. Get the picture?

The professional cleaning industry estimates that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes in from the outside on our shoes or paws of pets. In a recent warning about lead exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifically recommends that shoes remain outside the house. According to a report called The Door Mat Study, lead-contaminated soil from the outside causes almost all the lead dust inside homes. It notes that wiping shoes on a mat and removing them at the door cuts lead dust by 60 percent. The study explains that limiting the amount of dust and track-in may also help reduce exposure to lawn and garden pesticides, wood smoke and industrial toxins, mutagens, dust mites, and allergens.

Wiping our shoes off as we enter the home reduces the amount of contaminated dirt tracked in. Large mats, that cover two or three strides, will ensure that even those that refuse to wipe will leave most of the dirt clinging to their shoes on the mat rather than your carpet

The BEST solution is to take off your shoes as you enter your home. It is a good excuse to buy some great socks or slippers. And your flooring will stay clean as well as keep dirt and potential toxic threats from getting into carpets. If going shoeless is not acceptable to family members, suggest that they wear house shoes (that don't go outside), slippers or socks.

And walking around in soft slippers, socks, or barefoot does another wonderful thing - it helps us relax and unwind.

Sources:
EPA, Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil
Housekeeping Solutions, Floor Care: Rolling Out the Welcome Mat
Small Property Owners of America, The Door Mat Study

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Dose Doesn't Always Make the Poison

Our guest blogger is Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and internationally recognized leader in public health and preventive medicine. He is currently the Ethel H. Wise Professor of Pediatrics, Chair of Community and Preventative Medicine, and Director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

It goes without saying that it is imperative to know the appropriate dose of any medication you need to take. Take too little and you may feel no relief; too much and you could become sicker. In fact, it's actually quite marvelous that some things can be poisonous in large doses, but beneficial in small. Still, this rule does not always hold true.

For centuries, the basic tenet of toxicology has been "the dose makes the poison." Increasingly, scientists are finding "the timing makes the poison" - in other words, it's not just how much you are exposed to, but also when the exposure occurs. This new rule is especially important for fetuses who are uniquely susceptible to exquisitely small amounts due to their developing systems. In fact, many of these prenatal exposures leave the mother unscathed while causing injury to her fetus.

The growing brain appears to be the most sensitive, but scientists are also extremely concerned about the newest animal research suggesting that chemicals can alter gene expression. In essence, a single chemical exposure during a critical window of development can turn a gene on or off and subsequently predispose people to disease. Although the DNA is unchanged, isolated genetic alterations can be permanent, placing all subsequent generations at greater risk of diseases. Toxic exposures during these moments of heightened susceptibility can cause disease and disability in childhood and throughout life.

Though some chemicals connected to negative health or development impacts are now regulated in the United States, many remain unregulated Adverse health effects have been linked to chemicals at exposure levels commonly found in our everyday environments. Moreover, tests for developmental effects are not routinely required before a chemical is used in everyday products. So, we have an incredible gap in understanding because 80% of major chemicals in commerce have never been tested to see if they damage early development - the period of highest vulnerability.

What can you do to protect yourself and your children (whether you have kids now or are planning on having them in the future)? Prevent unnecessary exposures. Use the Health eHome and visit HealthyChild.org to find out how.

Related Topics:

• Health eHome
• Toxins and Pregnancy
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter in your inbox weekly

Environment and Cancer: Myths Vs Facts

Our guest blogger is Devra Lee Davis, PhD, MPH, Director, Center for Environmental Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and author of The Secret History of the War on Cancer.

At the Center for Environmental Oncology, our mission is helping to make prevention the cure for cancer. We translate scientific findings into educational materials and public policy recommendations to provide information on practical actions people can take to reduce the risk of cancer. Knowledge about cancer risks can empower people to make healthier choices for themselves their families and communities.

Myth: Chemical flame retardants in furniture and plastics are a "necessary evil" for preventing house fires.

Toxic flame retardants, long-lived chemicals that can accumulate in people and other animals, threaten the health of adults, children, the environment, and wildlife and are not proven to prevent fire deaths. Brominated Tris, a chemical used to make children's sleepwear fire resistant in the 70's, was banned in 1977 after it was found to damage DNA in laboratory tests and shown to leach into children's bodies. Its replacement, chlorinated Tris, was later banned after it was found to also damage DNA. (1)

Today, because of California law, much furniture and bedding foam is treated with a brominated chemical called poly brominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). PBDE's structurally resemble chlorinated Tris, which was a widely used fire retardant in furniture. Like chlorinated Tris, PBDE was recently deemed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be "a probable human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence in animals." (2) most chemicals in this family, when tested in animals, have been found to cause health problems like cancer, sterility, thyroid disorders, endocrine disruption, and developmental impairment or birth defects, even at very low doses. (3, 4) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that residues of these and other persistent organic chemicals are found in children and women of reproductive age and in breast milk. (5) An analysis of fire data from 1980 to 2002 showed that, among the eight most populated states in the U.S., the rate of reduction of fire deaths in California (the only state with regulations leading to the use of fire retardant chemicals) is similar to seven other states that do not regulate the flammability of furniture. (6)

Myth: Asbestos, a known carcinogen, has been banned in the US.

Although restricted in use, asbestos is not banned and can sometimes be found in old brakes, roofing tiles, cement and insulation. Asbestos, the name given to a number of naturally occurring, fibrous silicate minerals mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation and high tensile strength, is found in many products today, including roofing shingles, pipeline wrap, ceiling and floor tiles, paper and cement products, and in automobile parts such as the clutch, brake and transmission. Additionally, the EPA reports that 35 million American homes may be contaminated with asbestos in their attics in the form of Zonolite, the trade name for one specific type of insulation that was sold in the 1960s through 1980s and can contain an asbestos fiber called tremolite.

Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers that may become airborne when asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed. When inhaled, asbestos fibers can lead to serious lung diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. If it must be disturbed or removed, asbestos should be handled only by a licensed inspector. Children should never play in attics or other areas where asbestos products have been used. (7) According to reports from several national cancer institutes (8), one in three cases of mesothelioma—a lethal and rare cancer uniquely tied with asbestos exposure—occurs today in a person who has never worked with asbestos, indicating that environmental exposures may play a role.

Myth: Personal care products are always safe to use.

The FDA does not have the authority to require safety testing on personal care products. Many of the products that women, men, and children use every day contain known and suspected cancer-causing agents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has undertaken a human biomonitoring study, reports that some of the toxic chemicals found in personal care products - including those that can cause cancer, interfere with hormone function and cause birth defects - are ending up in our bodies. (9, 10) These toxic chemicals include: lead in lipstick, phthalates and formaldehyde in nail polish, and parabens, used as preservatives in many products. the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics created Skin Deep Database, which can be searched to evaluate make up; skin-, hair-, eye-, nail-, baby-, and oral-, care products; and products containing fragrance.

Myth: Diagnostic radiation is safe for adults or children.

In 2007, the American College of Radiology (ACR) noted that in the past quarter century, the amount of radiation the U.S. population receives each year from medical imaging has increased fivefold. (11) Just this past month, the FDA issued an advisory to physicians regarding the inappropriate use of diagnostic radiation in children (12), while the Image Gently national campaign is encouraging pediatricians to use as low as reasonable achievable doses. (13)
A single CT scan of a child's stomach or head can be equivalent to between 200 to 6,000 chest X-rays. (14) One group of researchers, recently estimated that in one year, 700 people will die from cancers associated with head CT's and 1,800 will die from radiation-induced cancer from abdominal examinations carried out when they were infants. (15) If a CT scan is recommended for a healthy individual, especially a child, it is important to consider whether another diagnostic tool, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or ultrasound (neither of which involve radiation) could be used, instead.

References

1. A. Blum and B.N. Ames, Flame Retardant Additives as Possible Cancer Hazards: The main flame retardant in children's pajamas is a mutagen and should not be used. Science 195, 17. (1977)
2. The National Academies, Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering and Medicine,"The Science Behind Today's News," [Website]
3. J.A. Dye, M. Venier, C.R. Ward, L.Y. Zhu, R.A. Hites, L.S. Flame retardants in animals: Pet cats in the U.S. have high polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) serum levels. Birnbaum Society of Toxicology. Annual meeting Abstract number 853. (2007)
4. Tomy, G. T.; Palace, V. P.; Halldorson, T.; Braekevelt, E.; Danell, R.; Wautier, K.; Evans, B.; Brinkworth, L.; Fisk, A. T., Bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and biochemical effects of brominated diphenyl ethers in juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Environmental Science & Technology, 38, (5), 1496-1504. (2004)
5. Schecter A, Pavuk M, Papke O, Ryan JJ, BirnbaumL, Rosen R. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's) in U.S. Mothers' Milk. EHP 111(14)1723-1729. (2003)
6. California fire deaths compared to other states: National Fire Protection Association, Fire Death Rates By State, [Website]
7. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html#pastandpresent http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html
8. Davis, Devra. The Secret History of the War on Cancer, Basic Books, New York. (October 2007), pps. 310, 471.
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals [Website] (2001-2004)
10. Malkan S. Not Just Another Pretty Face: The Ugly Truth about the Cosmetic Industry. New Society Publishers; 1 edition (November 1, 2007)
11. Amis, E S, Butler, P. F., and Applegate, K.E., et al. (2007) American College of Radiology White Paper on Radiation Dose in Medicine. J AM Coll Radiol, 4, 272-284.
12. US Food And Drug Administration: FDA Public Health Notification: Reducing Radiation Risk from Computed Tomography for Pediatric and Small Adult Patients [Website]
13. American College of Radiology, Image Gently Campaign, [Website]
14. Brenner D, Elliston C, Hall E, Berdon W. 2001."Estimated risks of radiation-induced fatal cancer from pediatric CT." AJR 176(2): 289-96.
15. Brenner, D, Elliston C, Hall E, Berdon W., "Estimated risks of radiation-induced fatal cancer from pediatric CT." AJR 176 (2): 289-96/

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Nutrition Pleasures & Precautions During Pregnancy

Our guest blogger is Tara DelloIacono Thies, RD, LUNA Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company.

As much as women share in the experiences of pregnancy and motherhood, we all have our own individual challenges and circumstances. Deciding what to eat when you're pregnant may seem like one of those challenges.

Sure, there are common guidelines and precautions we all pay attention to. I however found the number of resources available to women on "what to eat" overwhelming and confusing.

Nourishing your body during pregnancy IS very important but it doesn't have to be difficult. Let me try to simplify the information for you.

You can easily nourish your body and your baby by focusing on variety, proportion, and intention. Do this on the front end and the nutrients will come on the back end. But first, keep in mind a simple list of food precautions:

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

• Unpasteurized juice & dairy products
• Raw or undercooked meats
• Large-size fish high in mercury: Tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel (how often do you really eat this anyway?) Use a tool like Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.
• Artificial flavors and preservatives such as sodium nitrates (found in most deli, aged, & cured meats like salami or bacon), partially hydrogenated oils & high fructose corn syrup

With those precautions out of the way, the fun begins! Here are some foods you deserve to enjoy that will help ensure nourishment and feeling good:

Whole Food Guide

Whole Grains

Rule of thumb: Choose whole grains whenever possible.
Tara recommends: Quinoa, LUNA Cookie, & whole wheat ziti.
Green & Healthy Rx: Buy in bulk to save money and reduce packaging waste.

Vegetables

Rule of thumb: Eat in colorful abundance.
Tara recommends: Spinach sautéed with garlic and oil, steamed broccoli with cheese, buttered squash with brown sugar.
Green & Healthy Rx: Look for locally grown veggies or try growing your own.

Fruit

Rule of thumb: Great dessert and portable snack.
Tara recommends: Have an apple or an orange on hand.
Green & Healthy Rx: Use the Dirty Dozen Pocket Guide to find produce with the lowest levels of pesticide residues.

Dairy

Rule of thumb: Eat a food with calcium at least three times a day.
Tara recommends: Milk, yogurt, cheese, and LUNA Bars.
Green & Healthy Rx: Organic milk is one of the most important organic investments you can make.

Meat/Legumes

Rule of thumb: Satisfy your hunger by including protein at each meal.
Tara recommends: Chicken apple sausages, hummus on whole-grain crackers, and edamame.
Green & Healthy Rx: Eat less meat and more legumes to lower your carbon footprint.

Fat

Rule of thumb: Choose plant-based fats.
Tara recommends: Olive oil, nuts, avocados, and ground flax seed.
Green & Healthy Rx: Eat smaller portions. It takes between 7-10 calories of fossil fuel to bring 1 calorie to your plate.

Drinks

Rule of thumb: Sip water all day long to get in at least eight glasses a day.
Tara recommends: A mixture of sparking water and a splash of 100% fruit juice.
Green & Healthy Rx: Use a reusable stainless steel bottle.

Treats

Rule of thumb: Enjoy something delectable a few times a week.
Tara recommends: A few pieces of dark chocolate, rice pudding, and banana bread.
Green & Healthy Rx: Choose those with organic ingredients to support more sustainable agriculture practices.

Time Savers

Rule of thumb: Focus on healthy conveniences.
Tara recommends: Use fresh or frozen, pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables. Stock up on healthy lunch items such as soup, whole-grain crackers, sandwich meat without sodium nitrates, cheese, and pita bread.
Green & Healthy Rx: Use glass or stainless steel containers when you need to keep your snacks handy.

Give yourself a break by keeping "what to eat" simple. My hope is that this relieves you from any of the confusion and conflicting information I found out there. Strive for a "do the best you can" approach, take your prenatal vitamins, and save the rest of your energy for the new someone in your life, who will need it so much more.

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Kate Hudson Says You're in Charge!

Healthy Child Healthy World

What are you in charge of? Your life, your home, your purchases, and so much more. It's not as though you needed permission, but it's important to remember nonetheless - especially as you start to create a cleaner, greener, healthier home. You're going to encounter a lot of rules - do this, don't do that, avoid this, buy that - but you need to take charge and choose what's right for you.

As Kate Hudson says in our book, "When it comes to living a healthier life, I really feel you have to call your own shots. You have to begin by deciding to make positive changes. I started by making certain things myself. I've made lotions, candles, homeopathic remedies, and aromatherapy treatments, mainly as fun hobbies that then developed my interest in the types of ingredients used in products and their effects on us and the environment...It's all about taking charge...I can do something - quite a lot, actually."

She's right. You'll find that small actions quickly turn to habit and before you know it, you're feeling healthier and happier than ever. Many of the ideas will help you save money, too! Want to make your own lotion like Kate? For less than a dollar per bottle and with only three ingredients, you can make a natural moisturizing lotion. Replace that apple cinnamon plug-in air freshener with some real sliced apple and cinnamon - just simmer in some water on the stove to make the whole house smell like apple pie. Simple tricks like these save you money, reduce your exposure to unnecessary chemicals, and help protect the planet.

Where should YOU start creating a healthier home? Take the Health eHome quiz to find out.

*****

Kate Hudson's quote taken from Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home. Reprinted by arrangement with Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright (c) 2009 by Healthy Child Healthy World.

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No One Can Do Everything

by Christopher Gavigan

Eat your (local and seasonal) vegetables. Clean the kitchen. Pay your bills online. Life is filled with demands, tasks, and responsibilities. All these big and little things we're supposed to do everyday, and the list is always growing. Toss in loving and attending to your children's needs, and each day becomes a whirlwind of activity. There never seem to be enough minutes in the day.

As if you didn't have enough to worry about already, there is a constant onslaught of fear-based headlines about chemicals in plastics, toxics in toys, and contaminants in food - all of which can make you confused, overwhelmed, and near immobile. What are you supposed to do? What's important? What do you do first? Who has time to research all of these issues?

Every so often something comes along that actually makes your life easier. Right now is one of those times.

WebMD has aligned with Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit leader dedicated to inspiring parents to protect children from harmful chemicals, to bring you the all new Health eHome. This interactive, educational tool offers you the easy tips, practical solutions, and most trusted advice about healthy, safe, environmentally sensible living. (Life just got easier.)

Explore it, bookmark it, and refer to it whenever you read an alarming headline, hear a fellow parent express concern, or see a product claim that makes you wonder what you can realistically do to protect your health. We know you're busy and you have better things to do with your time, so we'll try to make it all quick, easy, and maybe even entertaining (RSS this blog for that part).

And if we inspired you to be even more interested about nontoxic options and safer products (it's ok to be an uber-greenie), there is MORE, much more, to discover at HealthyChild.org, our nonprofit's main site.

Please always remember, while trying to protect your health and the planet can seem very overwhelming, every little bit you do helps. Promise. Try to live with this mantra in mind: No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

So, visit the Health eHome when you can get those free 10 minutes and pick one thing to do today. It matters! And you'll be joining a movement of parents eager to create a healthier tomorrow for our children.

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Know Your Plastics

Our guest blogger is Alan Greene, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Attending Pediatrician at Packard Children's Hospital, and Senior Fellow at the University California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. He is also founder of DrGreene.com and author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care.

Plastics are everywhere. Some are eco-friendly and appear to be very safe for kids. Most are made from non-renewable petroleum, much of which needs to be imported. Some plastics cause dangerous pollution during manufacturing, and some contain chemicals suspected of causing harm - especially to kids.

You might choose to replace plastic water bottles with a refillable stainless steel version, or to replace plastic toy blocks with wooden ones, plastic teething chews with organic cotton, or plastic jars with glass. Even so, you'll probably find yourself using a lot of plastic.

To select the plastics that are best for your children and for the environment, get to know the easy-to-identify plastic recycling codes you'll usually find on the underside of the bottle or packaging. Look for these numbers and symbols before you buy. The safer plastic choices are coded 1, 2, 4, and 5. Try to avoid 3, 6, and most plastics labeled with number 7.

Code 1: PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate). You'll most commonly see this in the thin, clear plastic of bottled water (or bottled cooking oil, peanut butter, soda, etc.). It's appears safe for single use, but these bottles should not be reused, refilled, or heated. This plastic can be recycled once into new secondary products, such as textiles, parking lot bumpers, or plastic lumber.

Code 2: HDPE (high-density polyethylene). This is the thicker, milkier or opaque plastic found in milk and water jugs, juice bottles, detergent, shampoo, and motor oil containers, and toys. Unlike #1, these are safe to refill and reuse, even though they may not look as snazzy as #1 or #7. Recyclable once into products similar to those for # 1 plastics.

Code 3: PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Found in bibs, mattress covers, squeeze bottles, cling wrap, some peanut butter jars, and a few other food and detergent containers. The manufacture of PVC releases dioxin into the environment, a potent carcinogen that accumulates in animals and in us. It may also contain phthalates, chemicals used, among other things, to soften plastics. Some phthalates are hormone disruptors that have been linked to possible reproductive problems and birth defects, and even to smaller penis size in boys. PVC workers have higher cancer rates. May be discarded at the recycling plant. AVOID #3!

Code 4: LDPE (low-density polyethylene). Found in soft, flexible plastics such as those used in grocery story bags, plastic wrap, dry cleaning bags, shopping bags, and garbage bags. One of the safer plastics - but recycle, don't throw away. Many of these bags could be better replaced with reusable bags, especially when shopping.

Code 5: PP (polypropylene). Found in hard but flexible plastics, such as those used for ice cream and yogurt containers, drinking straws, syrup bottles, salad bar containers, and diapers. One of the safer plastics - but recycle, don't throw away.

Code 6: PS (polystyrene).Found in rigid plastics such as opaque plastic spoons and forks, and in Styrofoam, such as those found in coffee cups and meat trays. These plastics can leach styrene, a known neurotoxin with other negative health effects. AVOID #6.

Code 7: Other (including polycarbonate, nylon, and acrylic). This is a grab bag symbol. It includes polycarbonate, an important source of the endocrine disruptor BPA, found in many baby bottles. Polycarbonate is also common in 5-gallon water bottles, sports bottles, clear plastic cutlery, and in the lining of food and formula cans.

But code 7 also includes some of the newer, compostable green plastics, such as those made from corn, potatoes, rice, or tapioca. (I wish they would make a code 8 for these!) AVOID # 7, unless it is labeled as one of these new bio-based plastics.

Whatever plastics you choose, when microwaving food or drink, try to opt for glass or ceramic containers instead of plastic, where possible, and wax paper or a paper towel instead of plastic wrap. Hand wash plastics to make them last longer and recycle them or find a non-food use for them when they begin to show signs of wear and tear.

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Chemicals in Everyday Products and Children's Health: A Small Dose of the Facts

Our guest blogger is Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and internationally recognized leader in public health and preventive medicine. He is currently the Ethel H. Wise Professor of Pediatrics, Chair of Community and Preventative Medicine, and Director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Patterns of illness in American children have changed dramatically in this century. The ancient infectious diseases have largely been controlled. The major diseases confronting children now are chronic and disabling conditions:

• Asthma incidence has more than doubled;


• Leukemia and brain cancer have increased in incidence, brain cancer by nearly 40% over the past three decades;


• Neurodevelopmental dysfunction is widespread;


• Incidence of hypospadias, a birth defect of the reproductive organs in baby boys, has doubled.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Chemical toxicants are known and suspected to contribute to causation of these pediatric diseases. They deserve great attention because they are generally preventable sources of harm. Children are at risk of exposure to over 15,000 high-production-volume synthetic chemicals, nearly all of them developed in the past 50 years. These chemicals are used widely in consumer products and are dispersed in the environment. More than half are untested for toxicity.

Children are especially sensitive to environmental toxins.

• Pound for pound of body weight, children have greater exposure to pesticides because they drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air than adults.


• Their unique behaviors put them at higher risk. They live and play close to the floor; and they constantly put their fingers into their mouths.


• Children's metabolic pathways, especially in the first months after birth are immature. Generally they are less well able to metabolize, detoxify, and excrete toxicants than adults and thus are more vulnerable to them.


• Children are undergoing rapid growth and development, and their developmental processes are easily disrupted. From conception and throughout fetal development, exquisitely small toxin exposures can cause permanent impacts.


• Since children have more future years of life than most adults, they have more time to develop chronic diseases that may be triggered by early exposures.

Our children are our future. Our responsibility as the adults of our society is to care for our children, protect their health, and guide them to successful adulthood. One of the simplest steps parents can take is to create a healthy home. Get started today.

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Tackling the Toxic Table

Our guest blogger is David Wallinga, MD, Director of the Food and Health Program at The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

Public confidence in our food system has been shaken. Between recalls due to contamination with melamine, mercury, and salmonella and worries about antibiotics and hormones in meat and dairy products, it's hard to know what's safe to eat. Here are steps we can all take to tackle the growing problems of our global food system.

1. Buy pesticide-free produce.
There is growing scientific consensus that even very small doses of pesticides can adversely affect people, especially during the vulnerable periods of in utero and early childhood development. Exposure to pesticides is linked to chronic diseases including Parkinson's Disease, child and adult cancers and neurodevelopmental harm.

Recent studies suggest switching to an organic diet can eliminate residues of certain pesticides in children's urine in just a few days. Switching to certified organic produce for the "dirty dozen" - the 12 domestic and imported fruits and vegetables most routinely contaminated–will greatly reduce one's exposure, according to analysis by the Environmental Working Group.

2. Be a "locavore."
Buy locally produced foods, when possible, to support the economic health of your local foodshed, and to help reduce "food miles." The U.S. food production system accounts for an estimated 17 percent of the nation's fossil fuel use. Buying from the farmer (directly, on the internet, or via a Community Supported Agriculture program) allows you to know exactly where your food comes from and how it has been grown. Much non-certified, locally grown produce also uses few or no pesticides.

3. Know where your food comes from.
A single hamburger patty can comingle meat from a hundred different head of cattle, from four different countries. Or, looked at from another perspective, a single contaminated carcass shredded for hamburger can pollute eight tons of finished ground beef. Look for labels of origin on products.

4. Shop for safer, more sustainable fish.
Find fish good for you (high in healthful fats, low in environmental toxins), as well as good for the ocean. Fish are an important source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. But overfishing and unsustainable fish harvesting practices have left many seafood species depleted or on the brink of extinction. The most prudent approach for the health of our environment and the people in it is to eat safer, less polluted fish species from sustainable fisheries. Use the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.

5. Eat grass-fed meat and dairy products.
There is some evidence that grass-fed animals produce meat and dairy products higher in omega-3 fatty acids and other beneficial fats. The USDA's 2007 voluntary standard for meat marketed as ‘grass-fed' precludes these animals from getting routine antibiotics. Scientific consensus exists that these unnecessary agriculture antibiotics are helping create an epidemic of hard-to-treat (and sometimes untreatable) multi-drug resistant infections in humans.

6. Avoid chicken raised with arsenic.
Instead of conventional chicken, buy certified organic, which is arsenic-free, or from local producers who can assure arsenic was not used. In addition to routine antibiotics, at least 70 percent of conventionally raised broiler chickens in the U.S. are fed arsenic compounds. The 27 countries of the European Union have never approved this practice as safe. Meat from chickens fed arsenic can carry arsenic residues.

7. Buy dairy products from cows not given synthetic growth hormone (rBGH).
The FDA-required package insert for rBGH lists 17 adverse health impacts for cows treated with the hormone, including mastitis. Cattle treated with rBGH get more mastitis, and therefore receive more antibiotics, which contributes to antibiotic resistance. Animal and human health concerns have led most industrialized nations, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the European Union to ban rBGH use in dairy production.

8. Choose your foods wisely to prevent diseases linked to the toxic chemicals prevalent in our industrialized foods and farming systems.
Preferably eat whole, fresh foods. Minimize consumption of processed, refined and most fast food. And avoid partially hydrogenated oils - a source of trans fats - and high fructose corn syrup, both signs of low quality food.

Follow these steps and we not only improve our health, we send a strong signal to farmers, grocery stores, and policymakers as to the kinds of food we want to eat - at home, in our schools and in our hospitals. How we spend our food dollars can steer the future direction of our global food system in a healthier, more sustainable direction.

(Note: This is an abridged version of the original article found at IATP.)

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5 Easy Steps to Prevent Disease and Illness

by Christopher Gavigan

Photo: Healthy Child Healthy World

We live in a world vastly different from the one our grandparents grew up in, and I'm not referring to cell phones and air travel. The world we live in, especially our homes, is filled with industrial chemicals, most of which did not exist fifty years ago. Over 80,000 are registered for use in commercial products in the United States, and hundreds of new ones are introduced every year. Shockingly, many reach the marketplace and our dinner plates with little or no safety testing. These chemicals are used in everyday items such as foods, shampoos, toys, furniture, carpeting, air fresheners, electronics, cleaners, and lawn care products, just to name a few.

The effects of most of these chemicals on human health are unknown. Yet, a growing body of research is discovering that many of these chemicals we are regularly exposed to from everyday products are directly linked to chronic health conditions that are rising to epidemic levels; like asthma, reproductive disorders, cancer, allergies, learning and behavior disorders, allergies, obesity, and more. Like I said, a world vastly different than your Grandma and Grandpa.

Luckily, the more we learn, the more we find that there are many easy ways to reduce our exposure to chemicals and protect our health, especially for our children.

5 Easy Steps

Step 1: Manage Pests Safely. Exposure to common lawn care and indoor pesticides is linked to a range of health problems, including asthma, hyperactivity and behavior problems, cancer, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders, and compromised brain development. Use non-toxic or least toxic pest remedies like using soapy water to kill ants or boiling water to kill weeds. Prevent pests through good sanitation and food storage habits. Visit BeyondPesticides.org for details on the potential health impacts of pesticides and non-toxic remedies for almost every pest problem.

Step 2: Use Non-Toxic Products. We bring home a wide variety of products that contain potentially harmful toxicants. Cleaners are an obvious one; they often have warning labels on them because of their toxic make-up. You may be more surprised that body care items and even home furnishings can contain harmful chemicals like phthalates and formaldehyde. Buy cleaners that don't contain harsh chemicals or fumes or make your own. When selecting body care products, avoid parabens, synthetic fragrances, and sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates. Visit CosmeticsDatabase.com for detailed information about the ingredients of personal care products and to find safer alternatives. Opt for solid woods instead of pressed. Overall, trust your nose. If something has a chemically, perfume-y, or "new" smell, it likely contains volatile organic chemicals that can potentially have health impacts.

Step 3: Clean Up Indoor Air. Did you know that people in America spend 90 percent of their time indoors? It might seem safer and cleaner, but indoor air pollution is typically 2-5 times worse than outdoor air. Common indoor air pollutants include formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, secondhand smoke, asbestos, lead, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Not to worry, it's easy to reduce the risk. Start by replacing products that contribute to the problem, then try some other simple steps. Ventilate your home by opening windows. Regularly change the filters in your air conditioning and heating units. Naturally cleanse air with indoor plants. Vacuum weekly using a HEPA filtered vacuum.

Step 4: Eat Healthy. Opt for organic foods as much as possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides, hormones, and genetically modified organisms. Select fresh, dried, or frozen foods as most cans are lined with a resin containing bisphenol-A. Make foods from scratch when you can to avoid synthetic additives and preservatives.

Step 5: Be Wise with Plastics. Plastics are affordable and convenient, but we are increasingly finding that a hidden cost may be our health. Some plastics leach harmful chemicals, especially when they comes in contact with oily or fatty foods, during heating and microwaving, as a result of harsh cleaners, and when exposed to excessive moisture. Luckily, we can make safer choices. Avoid using plastic in the microwave or with warm foods and beverages. Avoid PVC/vinyl (#3), Polystyrene/styrofoam (#6), and polycarbonate/PC (#7). Choose safer plastics or opt for natural materials like glass, steel, solid wood, or cotton.

Learn more at Healthy Child Healthy World: 5 Easy Steps.

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