Bookmark
Reducing pesticide exposure: which organics are best?
What do peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes and pears all have in common? Research done by the respected Environmental Working Group (EWG) determined from 45 produce items these 10 typically have the highest amounts of residual pesticides. So make them your priority when buying organic.
Alternatively, join one of the several organic farm-to-home delivery services such as Planet Organics
or Spud.
Here are the relevant links for more info:
http://www.foodnews.org
http://www.planetorganics.com
http://www.spud.com
http://livepower.org
Popularity: 1%
Pox Parties?
A pox party is a party held by parents for the purpose of infecting their children with childhood diseases, most commonly chicken pox.
Would you, could you infect your child with a disease, to avoid the controversial avoidance of childhood immunizations?
Popularity: 1%
Our intrepid mom and dad reviewers rate the Symmetry Sleep Positioner
In our careful watch to ensure our baby slept on his back to avoid SIDS, our newborn son started to develop a flat head. While only a cosmetic concern, our pediatrician recommended we put him on his side while sleeping to mitigate the potential problem. The challenge was, our active son actually rolled over by himself at 1 week, so was not likely to stay on his side.
We found the Symmetry Sleep Positioner useful to keep him on his side (and rotated sides). In the months before he was able to really move on his own, we place him in the SSP within his crib, and he slept comfortably. The device stopped being useful once he could roll himself off of it, but by then he was moving enough that the flat head syndrome was not an issue.
While we never used the caliper to actually measure change, the improvement was visible.
Popularity: 1%
More on BPA or Bisphenol-A.
Here is more information on eliminating what appears to be the worst plastic in your drawer: BPA or Bisphenol-A.
BPA is a chemical compound used to make polycarbonate plastic. BPA has been linked to cancer, infertility, obesity, and diabetes. In animal studies, BPA has been found to cause the early onset of puberty and stimulate mammary gland development in females (Richter et al., (2007) Reprod. Tox, Vol 24(2) p. 199).
Common items containing BPA are plastic food containers, reusable water bottles, baby bottles, and the linings of canned foods. These are usually marked with plastic number “7″. The “7″ identifies “other” plastics including all BPA-based items.
How can you reduce exposure to BPA without overly inconveniencing your family life?
1) Avoid microwaving plastic containers, which may cause BPA to break down and leach out more.
2) Avoid washing plastic containers in the dishwasher or with harsh detergents, which can also cause BPA to break down and leach out more. Hand wash them instead with a mild detergent.
3) Switch to BPA-free plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles. Look for plastics marked “1″ containing Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) which is considered safe.
4) Use wax paper instead of plastic wrap, especially when microwaving. If you must use plastic wrap,look for brands that are BPA-free such as Ziploc, Glad and Saran.
To learn more about BPA and plastics:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/300/11/1353
http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/03/bpa-questions-answered.htm
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/hiddendangers/a/0108_env_chmcls.htm
Thanks to the French American International School in San Francisco for this information and links.
We’ve been working on trying to throw out as much plastic as we can. We just got this set of Pyrex storage bowls - $29.95 at Amazon to replace all those old tupperware style plastic containers since microwaving and heating plastics appears to be the worst thing you can do. We still have not figured out how to send food to school with our four-year-old since glass will break and everything else will likely get lost within a week. Plastic is disposable and low cost, difficult benefits to give up.
Popularity: 1%
Throw out the TV – that’s what happy people do
Happy people spend a lot of time socializing, going to church and reading newspapers — but they don’t spend a lot of time watching television, a new study finds.
That’s what unhappy people do.
“We looked at 8 to 10 activities that happy people engage in, and for each one, the people who did the activities more — visiting others, going to church, all those things — were more happy,” Dr. Robinson said. “TV was the one activity that showed a negative relationship. Unhappy people did it more, and happy people did it less.”
While the study can’t definitively say it’s TV that makes people unhappy (versus “unhappy people watch a lot of TV), I think we all know all know it’s likely the former. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise since we all know that gorging on basically everything is bad for you. Gluttony, after all, is a deadly sin. Whether it’s too much steak, vodka, gambling, drugs, or just lying around the beach for years (AKA “sloth,” another deadly sin), too much of a good thing is, well, too much of a good thing.
Perhaps turning off the TV is hardest on us as parents. I know that this week, there will be more of our share of Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E than the kids need. We’ll need it however, if we ever hope to get anything other than canned cranberries on the table on Thursday. But reading this article, which can only confirm your suspicions, might help give me the strength to take the remote control in my hand and press OFF… well, maybe after just one more episode of the Backyardigans.
Popularity: 1%
