Mom Goes Green

My recent post about avoiding antibacterial products actually got me thinking more about the issues of antibiotics, medications and even “superbugs”, as well as the proper disposal of unused medications. While we certainly want to avoid the products containing Triclosan (that can accumulate in our bodies and decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics), there are other important points about using antibiotics and medications that I want to be sure to share, so here goes…

When antibiotics ARE needed, it is very important to complete the dosage prescribed by your physician because failing to do so can also help create “superbugs”.  New term to you?  Well, by stopping antibiotic use BEFORE you have completed the full course means that the “stronger” of the bacteria can remain present in your body and they have the potential to rapidly multiply and cause you the same symptoms again.  This “survival” means they are more likely to become resistant to the drug and these “superbugs” are created.  (Kinda gives you the chills, huh?… me too!)

Along with this discussion it seems logical for us to remember about the proper disposal of unused drugs and medications.  In a post quite some time ago I talked about all the dangers of the common “flush factor”… those of us who flush medications down the toilet.  Baaaad practice!  This means they end up in our water sources since most water treatment facilities don’t have the ability to remove them.

That original post offered suggestions including contacting your local pharmacy to see if they have a program to properly dispose of medications or checking Earth911 to locate a drop-off in your community.

But, if you MUST dispose of them yourself, consider the greener, safer way to do it… to keep drugs out of our water sources and prevent soil contamination from landfills too:

• Keep them in the original container so they can be identified if they are found (but remove your personal information and identification).
• Add water to pills to start dissolving them.
• Add coffee grounds, sand or kitty litter to liquids to help absorb them.
• Put the original container in a secondary container and securely tape the lid closed.
• Put them deep in your trash.

The absolute best option is to find a safe disposal option, and as much as I dislike the idea of adding this trash to a landfill, it is certainly the option safer than adding them to the drinking water of you, me and… our kids!

In name and theory, the term “antibacterial” seems like a smart choice to prevent illness and inhibit bacterial growth, but these products contain a chemical antimicrobial called Triclosan.  So what’s the big deal?  Well…

Triclosan was originally created for medical uses and sterilization but, now that it has become outrageously common and “household”, consumers need to know that it is actually linked to health issues, including antibiotic resistance, allergy susceptibility and severe skin irritations (not to mention the destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems!).  Seems rather contradictory, doesn’t it?  While you are trying to keep germs and illnesses at bay, you are actually building a resistance to antibiotics and decreasing their effectiveness should you ever truly need them.

Triclosan is commonly found in soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, shampoos, disinfectants and even fabrics (also marketed as “Microban” or “Biofresh”).  What I also find disturbing is that Triclosan actually “reacts” with chlorinated water and produces a high level of chloroform… yes, I said chloroform…. classified, by the EPA, as a probable human carcinogen.

Another scary fact?  It literally accumulates in our bodies, and this is the reason we build the resistance to antibiotics.

The reality is simply that the harm far outweighs the benefit.  In fact, there is little evidence to support the use of antibacterials for home or personal use in the prevention of viruses or illnesses.

So why buy antibacterial products? Simply put, I cannot think of a single reason…

One of my most recent “switches” was when I started to buy only organic coffee a few months ago.  I don’t really have a reason for not buying organic coffee sooner, except that (while I was worried about my to-go cup) I really hadn’t given the content of the cup much thought… no, not a good excuse, but an honest one…

There are a multitude of reasons I’m happy that I finally made this change… and they’re big reasons, so consider these facts:

• Organic coffee is grown without herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic growth chemicals, therefore these chemicals will NOT be part of your morning java.  Avoiding these chemicals is also much safer for farmers and workers, and will prevent contamination of the soil, water sources and surrounding environment.

• Organic coffee prohibits the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer.  Yes, you heard that right… sewage sludge.  Every disgusting thing you can imagine that ends up in sewage can end up in the sludge that is added to coffee crops for fertilizer.

• Organic coffee cannot contain genetically modified organisms or use ionizing radiation (both common in non-organic coffee production!).

• Organic coffee can be shade grown, so large areas of trees do not need to be cleared for this crop, and wildlife and their habitat will also be spared.

If you think it might be easier to just give-up coffee (no, never!), remember that there are also health benefits of coffee… it actually contains powerful antioxidants and is believed to help protect a body against diabetes, liver disease, gallstones, and even the onset of dementia and/or Alzheimer’s…

I know there are times when we all think we might go a little crazy without our coffee(!), but the important thing is:  you want the benefit without the harmful “extras” and practices.

Organic coffee is the healthier, greener way to serve up a much better cup of joe.

(I typically don’t do “guest posts”, but sometimes there are important topics I simply know very little about… asbestos is one of those topics. Today I am allowing a guest post by Ben Stillwater, freelance writer for Asbestos News, an online resource on asbestos and mesothelioma cancer.  I believe you’ll find the information both informative and important.)

I remember that moving into the first home we bought, excited kids in tow, was a huge step towards the family stability that all of us trek toward one step at a time.  If you’re like most parents, there are fixer-upper projects that become on-the-job training for us and like many OJT tasks, research is the difference between an acceptable job and a restart.  In homes built before about 1975, remodeling can also be a safety issue because prior to that date, homes were built with many products that contain asbestos.  What tens of thousands of twentieth century industrial workers learned the hard way is that inhaling asbestos fibers can lead, decades later, to asbestos cancer, which in its most lethal form, is known as mesothelioma.

Asbestos fibers are generated in the form of microscopic particles that drift in those dust clouds we generate in projects that involve removing old housing materials.  They are generated by crumbling, deteriorating asbestos products or by the cutting, sanding, or scraping that goes on in any remodeling task.  If possible, the first thing you want to do is have tests done on any household product you intend to remove for asbestos content.  Most states have their own asbestos abatement programs, and they are a good source of information about removal and about getting materials tested.  A list of state agencies responsible for asbestos is a good place to start, as is this list of EPA regional offices.

Here are some products to be concerned about: ceiling tiles, floor tiles, old linoleum, floor adhesives, wall joint compound, roofing tiles, siding, cement, textured paint, spackling and home insulation.  Pipe insulation in older homes is often wrapped in asbestos blankets.  Here is some good general information from the EPA on household asbestos and also some suggestions for moms and families who are living in an older home going through a rejuvenation program:

Keep the dust from your remodeling under control. If you’re dismantling, scraping or cutting old, crumbling stuff, wear breathing protection and clean up the dust after every session in order to minimize exposure for your kids.  If your wall insulation is forty years old and adequate, leave it in place.  Undisturbed asbestos products won’t give off fibers. If you’re in a home with old, blown in insulation (particularly vermiculite) consider having a professional asbestos abatement company remove it.  Loose, deteriorating asbestos products require professional management.

The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, which finds its way into the body through inadvertent inhalation.  While most victims were exposed on multiple occasions on job sites, some cases have resulted from brief exposure.  The insidious thing about the disease is that mesothelioma symptoms don’t begin to manifest for decades after the exposure has occurred.  Protecting your household from asbestos dust today is really protecting your family from catastrophic health problems well into the future.

(Thanks for the terrific information, Ben!)

Every time I visit the organic dairy case, I get more and more overwhelmed by the classifications and categorizations of eggs.  Too many terms… too many confusing terms!

They can also be misleading and aren’t always as “dreamy” as they might seem, so take a look at the real deal on these most common terms in the   “egg world”:

• Organic – these eggs come from hens that are free of hormones, steroids and antibiotics.  They are fed an organic, vegetarian, pesticide-free diet.  Organic eggs are said to include three times more omega-3 fatty acids, twice as much vitamin E and 40% more vitamin A than non-organic eggs.  This label is regulated by the USDA.

• Cage-free – while cage-free sounds more humane, the reality isn’t always as great as it sounds.  While the hens aren’t confined to tiny individual cages, they are often placed in much larger common areas with other hens, but have no more individual space than a single cage… so no, cage-free does not mean they have ample space to spread their wings either.  Also keep in mind that this “label” is not regulated and cage-free does not mean organic unless it says so.

• Free-range – these hens are raised with “access” to the outdoors, but sadly it doesn’t mean they spend their life prancing around the grassy hillside.  The reality is that they still spend much of their life in a cage-free environment, but are supposed get some time outdoors.  Since this term isn’t regulated either, some reports say that free-range hens may actually spend little to NO time outdoors despite the claim.  Again, free-range does not mean organic unless it says so.

There are plenty of other terms –- “natural” which essentially means nothing (all eggs are natural!), “pasture-raised” which means they do peck around outdoors or “grass-fed” meaning they do get outdoors and eat grass, insects and all that nature intended (so these eggs contain the most nutrients, but you will pay for them… dearly!), “certified humane” meaning they live indoors, but are confined much less densely –- so all you can do is know what the terms mean and choose what matters to you.

I haven’t even touched on conventionally-raised hens but believe me, they are often fed cheap, disgusting grains and foods (including the by-products of other animals), kept in the smallest of cages with deplorable conditions, and have the tips of their beaks burned off so they don’t peck one another… sure, the dozen eggs you purchase may be 99 cents, but I cannot condone or support those practices.

We’re an “organic, free-range” family because, aside from raising my own chickens (no, not likely!) or knowing someone who does (unfortunately, I don’t!), I’m hoping that the eggs come from somewhat happy chickens that maintained a healthy diet and drug-free life!

(There you have it…  and I didn’t say “egg-cellent”, even once!…)

That’s a question I had always wondered about.  When we think about climate change, or global warming, we often visualize an image like a polar bear precariously balanced on a small floating patch of ice but, in the bigger picture, can it affect our own health?

The answer is absolutely.

Unfortunately, there are many ways that are often overlooked and never even discussed when we consider climate change.  The change in global temperature can have long-term effects on human health because it affects the food we eat, the diseases we get, the disorders we develop, the air we breathe and the water we drink… all the things essential to a healthy body.

Here are just a few concerns to consider if anyone ever thinks this is only an environmental issue:

• Greenhouse gasses can cause respiratory issues and more severe problems for asthma suffers because plants will actually produce more allergens when temperatures increase.

• Extra heat creates more ground-level ozone, and increases pollution, which creates added stress for our heart and lungs.

• Rising temperatures can increase the range of infectious parasites and therefore increase the rate and severity of infectious diseases.

• Weather extremes will increase, resulting in intense heat waves or bouts of bitter cold, resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.

• Crops can become compromised, decreasing the yield and reducing their nutritional quality.

• Water supplies are reduced along with the quality of water, coupled with an increase of water-borne illnesses.

Research has shown that bugs, plants, animals are all literally moving closer to the poles to escape the increases in heat.  Tropical fish have even been found off the coast of Long Island, New York, because of the rise in water temperature.

The next time someone rejects the idea of climate change affecting their lives, remind them that our environment can’t change without changing us too!

During the holidays we’ll all likely plan special meals along with doing our best to simply find ways to provide our families with daily nourishing meals… something that isn’t always easy, given the pace of life.  But what if I told you that, along with your healthy meals, you could be unknowingly serving up an unhealthy dose of “junk food and antibiotics” with it?

How, you ask?  Well, my dear friend, Kev, just sent me some information about a practice happening in livestock farming that really, really infuriates me (right along with my disgust for genetically modified food).  It seems farmers have turned to feeding their non-organic animals (pigs and cattle for food sources) things like expired junk food, including “cookies, licorice, cheese curls, candy bars, french fries, frosted wheat cereal and peanut-butter cups”.  This is their inexpensive solution to the rising prices of REAL feed because local manufacturers will sell their cheap cast-offs and expired products to farmers by the truckload.  Can you even imagine how unhealthy these animals must be and all of the literal garbage that is being stored in the meat we consume?

This repulsive practice is just as bad as farmers feeding their cattle corn.  Sure, it doesn’t sound as bad, but these poor animals’ digestive systems aren’t made for corn… they’re made to eat grass.  But when fed corn they often become very sick and susceptible to many diseases.  They are then treated with huge amounts of antibiotics to keep them alive and you guessed it…. those antibiotics get passed right along to all of us too.  (This is only the start of the story, but you can read more here.)

I just don’t even know where to begin with all of this.  I am on the verge of going vegan.  HOW can these practices be acceptable by the FDA?!?  But, sadly, they are.  And we all need to know it.  It is not regulated… at all. It’s also no wonder we have so many diseases, disorders and deficiencies in this country… our brains and our bodies are malnourished or fed with things we don’t even realize we’re eating.  Shameful.

I buy all organic meat, (a proposition that can be unbelievably expensive), but the more I learn, the more I realize that this is the only choice for my family.

We’ve always been told “you are what you eat”… well, let’s all remember, “you are {also} what you eat eats” too…

So, have you heard?  It’s flu season!!! Yea, I know. If you haven’t, you’ve been inhabiting another planet!  This year it’s especially “shoved in our faces” and it’s starting to make me a little crazy.

There’s no better preventative measure than washing your hands.  Soap and water, and plenty of it.  I used to hassle our kids about making sure they used the warmest water they could stand but, in reality, hot or warm water doesn’t cleanse a pair of hands any better than cold water… “it’s all about the friction, baby!”  So (when you have access) soap and a good scrubbing at any temperature does wonders.

I’ve also armed myself with some of Surya Brasil’s new Organic Hand Sanitizer while away from home.  It’s made of moisturizing botanicals, proteins and minerals instead of harsh chemicals and synthetic ingredients.  This happens to be one of the few, true organic hand sanitizers… not “greenwashed” like far too many others.

But, if all else fails and you do need to find a remedy for what ails you, I found a great post from Simple Mom.  Here is just a snippet of some great natural home remedies:

• Ginger – for congestion, throat irritation and nausea
• Garlic – for antibiotic and antioxidant properties, and cholesterol control
• Honey – for an energizing immunity boost, coughs and colds
• Turmeric – for antibiotic and antiseptic uses
• Pepper – for improved digestion
• Cloves – for antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral and aphrodisiac properties (woohoo!)

(For more details, check out her original post.)

If you’re like me, you have a very empty medicine cabinet.  I don’t like to take antibiotics, medicines or any prescriptions… for anything… ever.   I’m the crazy woman that rejected any painkillers less than 24 hours after my c-sections… both times. (You should have seen the nurses’ faces… their mouths dropped open and they all said “honey, are you suuuure?!?” Yes, I was sure!)

So, if the “bug of the season” gets your down, or you want to do a little preventative maintenance, STOP before you grab your car keys… and turn to your cupboards before your local pharmacy.

An essential part of maintaining good health is doing plenty of cooking at home, so we can control and select our own ingredients and food choices.  But what cook doesn’t love their collection of non-stick cookware?  Well, what if I told you those conveniences can be hazardous to our health?

(This is the part where we all sigh and our shoulders droop a little, I know!)

I just learned that non-stick pans can actually omit toxic fumes when they get too hot.  Yes, throw another log on the “disappointment fire”!  It seems these aluminum pans, coated in Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE (also known as Teflon), can emit fumes when subjected to high heat. Inhaling these fumes can actually cause flu-like symptoms. And although the long-term effects haven’t been extensively studied, we do know that exposure to PTFE can create problems like low birth-weight babies, thyroid and liver issues, elevated cholesterol levels, as well as weakened immune systems.

(A few years ago I remember one of my non-stick pans starting to flake away.  I tossed it out but, surprisingly, the flakes are actually inert.)

The better options for cookwares are actually stainless steel for stove-top cooking and glass bakeware for the oven. Cast iron is another safe choice. Unless you’re willing to replace all of your non-stick cookware, you can feel a little “stuck”, but there are guidelines (compliments of EWG) to lessen your exposure:

• Cook at lower temperatures and don’t pre-heat your pans at high temps.  It may take a little extra time, but it’s worth it.
• Never bake at over 500 degrees (some research even says not over 450 degrees).
• Use your exhaust fan.
• (A little side note too:  these fumes are highly toxic to birds, so keep your feathered friends far from the kitchen.)

If you’re like me, you’re probably not inclined or prepared to replace all of your non-stick cookware, but just use these tips to play it safe and the next time you’re in a position to buy replacements, make the wiser choices … and then invest in some good scrubbers!

I had a completely different post planned for today, but in light of a recent conversation, I just had to write this instead.

You might recall a post last spring when we were in the market for a mattress for our son.  We wanted an organic, chemical-free mattress so we could have peace of mind while he was getting a peaceful night’s rest.  The issue is the excessive chemicals sprayed on traditional mattresses to make them meet government standards for fire retardants.  They are so, so dangerous for everyone, since we inhale these toxic chemicals each and every night, but especially for children with developing bodies and systems.

Well, a friend of ours recently contacted us and wanted to know about the mattress we ended up buying.  When I sent him the information he told me that the mattress store he just visited told him that he was “unable to buy that type of mattress without a prescription” (presumably because they are also hypo-allergenic) and “they have to use chemical fire retardants to meet standards”.

This is where my blood started to boil.

The reality is that they were lying to our friend simply because they didn’t HAVE what he was looking for and, obviously, would go to any length to make a sale.

The truth of the matter is this:   Mattresses do NOT need to be sprayed with chemicals to make them fire retardant! They do, however, need to meet standards for BEING fire retardant.  There are other ways to meet this standard but unfortunately, for consumers, the cheapest way to do this is simply to spray on a load of dangerous chemicals.

The mattress we chose was from Savvy Rest (via Healthy Home Sleep Gallery).  Since organic wool is quilted to the inside of the organic cotton fabric cover, THIS is the non-flammable layer that inhibits burning and makes it pass these tests.

I absolutely hate the fact that a mattress retailer would tell such lies just for the sake of a sale.  But on top of that, they are completely misleading consumers about the truth.

Of course, there are honest retailers out there, but if you are in the market for a new mattress, don’t be misled.  You CAN buy a safe, non-toxic mattress… no prescription needed.