Organic Living Guide

If you followed the Five Weeks to a Healthier Home, I have a sixth thing to add.

RELAX.

As scary as it can be to realize all the chemicals around us and in our food, it's also important to realize that the amount of exposure is an important factor as to whether or not we will experience ill effects. Also some immune systems are better at fighting off disease than others- you've all heard of people who smoke their entire life and never get lung cancer and the health conscious person who dies of it. But clearly the healthier our bodies are they better equipped they will be to fight off the toxins that are introduced daily.

I've created this Organic Living Guide which includes a lot of information about toxins in our food and environment and what you can do to avoid them. It's basically a reference of the most common exposures and what you can do about it. This information is not meant to scare or cause paranoia, but to inform so that you can make an educated choice rather than having these chemicals "forced" on you.

It's interesting to consider our lifestyle versus the lifestyle of say, the Amish. They live like our ancestors lived and are virtually free from the environmental toxins that plague the rest of American's. It's also interesting that diseases such as Autism are virtually non-existant among the Amish communities. They also have very low incidences of allergies, ADHD, obesity and cancer. It seems pretty clear to me that the soaring rates of these diseases are directly linked to our environment- the food we eat and the chemicals we use in our home.

I'm not suggesting we become Amish, but perhaps we should try and get a little closer to our roots. Plant a garden, turn off the tv and live a real life, try making things rather than buying everything, minimize the "stuff" in our lives, buy quality things rather than cheap plastic, eat real food that isn't laden with chemicals and genetically modified by scientists.

Our generation is supposed to be the first where parents will outlive their children. We CAN change that, at least in our own families. American disesases ARE preventable and many are even reversible. The first step is eating right and exercising. What are you waiting for? Grab some veggies and get outside!

A healthier home in 5 weeks {Week 5} + Giveaway

Before I jump into the topic of week 5, I want to announce a giveaway of Sweet Milk Handmade Lotion!

A few months ago I discovered this homemade lotion made by Mandy and asked her to send me three different scents of her choosing. I could not have been more happy with what I received! The lotion is so smooth and creamy (I can even apply it right after shaving and it doesn't burn my legs) and her scents are amazing! I have never used creamier better smelling lotion in my life. I'm so in love with it.

One lucky winner will receive three 2oz bottles of Sweet Milk Handmade Lotion! Just scroll to the bottom to enter. And if you aren't the winner, but still want amazing lotion, just email Mandy at tylermandyjack {at} hotmail {dot} com. You won't believe her prices- a 2oz bottle is just $2.50 and an 8oz bottle is $6.50, lip balm is $1.75!


Now, on to our last challenge... We know that pesticides have been linked to all sorts of nasty things. We don't want it on the food we feed our children and we don't want it on the grass they roll around in during the summer. Here are some resources for having a healthier outdoor space.

{Week 5 Challenge: A SaferYard}

1. Rather than spraying chemicals to kill bugs in the yard and garden, try these safer solutions.

• Organic Lawn Care & Maintenance
• Natural Pest Control
• 15 Homemade Organic Gardening Sprays and Concoctions that Actually Work

2. Try these gardening tips rather than insecticides:

• Garden pests and organic remedies
• Top Ten Garden Insect Pests

3. Natural bug spray (for you): I think we all are aware or have at least heard of the dangers of DEET. But if you live in tick and mosquito country the threat of lyme disease or west nile virus can be just as scary.

Here are a few homemade recipes you can try (I have not tried any of these):

• Ideas for safely repelling mosquitos
• Natural Tick Repellants
• Natural Bug Spray Recipes from Wellness Mama

Here are some safer alternatives to DEET (I have not tried any of these products), however if you live in a highly infested deer tick area, wear long clothes and spray the DEET only on clothes, do not make contact with skin and do not use on small children.

• Bubble and Bee Organic Insect Repellent
• Organic Bite Blocker
• Tropical Traditions All Natural Insect Repellent
• Botanical Solutions Tick Guard

If you have completed all 5 steps, Congratulations! You are on your way to a healthier environment for your family!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Did you miss week 4?

A healthier home in 5 weeks {Week 4}

Do you know what's in the shampoo you use on your hair every day? Would you be surprised to discover a chemical in your shampoo could put your unborn child at risk for abnormal brain development, and could contribute to Alzheimer's or other nervous system disorders? I sure was. I was even more surprised to learn that my baby shampoo had chemicals linked to cancer in them!

And shampoo is not the only concern. Anti-perspirants contain aluminum which is believed to contribute to breast cancer, sunscreen contain toxins that could contribute to cancer and reproductive problems, nail polish is linked to birth defects, and some makeup contains neurotixins, carcinogens and toxins linked to cancer.

{Week 4 Challenge: Safer Skin}

1. Go through your cosmetics and check the ingredients. Look for these toxic ingredients and these dirty dozen chemicals. Also, check the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to see how safe your cosmetics are. I think you'll be surprised how many things you use everyday contain toxic chemicals. I immediately tossed my anti-perspirant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, heat protectant, and hair spray and lotion after reading the labels.

2. Replace your cosmetics with safer alternatives, organic is best, or try making your own! This includes, but is not limited to:

• Shampoo/hair products: Food Babe has some great holistic hair care recommendations including several organic shampoo brands. Wellness Mama also has some great recipes on her website. Unfortunately for me, organic and homemade shampoos make my hair too oily, so I've settled for a midway product- Aveda- it has some chemicals but isn't as harmful as the shampoo I previously used and ranks a 5 on the Skin Deep database.
• Toothpaste: some questionable chemicals in toothpaste include fluoride , Triclosan (linked to damage to liver, kidneys, heart lungs, sterility and more), Sodium Hydroxide (used in drain cleaner), and artificial dyes, flavors and colors. Here are some alternative solutions: Weleda Tooth Gel, Kiss My Face Kids Toothpaste, Toms of Maine (I use this for me), Burts Bees, Green Beaver, Jason Natural Cosmetics (I use this for my kids), Natural dentist. See more at Healthy Child Healthy World.
• Deodorant: There are several organic/natural/aluminum-free options for deodorant. I tried using the crystal, but it didn’t work well for me on warm days (others have recommended the liquid version). After discovering the Wellness Mama site I was desperate and decided to try her deodorant recipe and it actually works for me!  You can also try natural brands such as Bubble and Bee, Jason, Alba, Kiss my Face, Burt’s Bees’ and Tom’s of Maine.
• Sunscreen: There are several safer options of sunscreen, here are a few: Skin Deep, Alba Botanica, Avalon Baby, Badger, Burt’s Bees’, California Baby, Kabana Green Screen, Dolphin Organics (the one I’m currently using).  
• Makeup: Check the skin deep website to see how safe your makeup is. Here are 12 non-toxic organic makeup products if you need to replace any of yours.
• Nail Polish: Nail Polish contains chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects such as toluene, DBP and formaldehyde, even if the bottle doesn’t list it, the state of California discovered many still contain them. Zoya is one of two companies in the CA nail polish study that did not contain the toxic trio. Some other safe brands of nail polish are PRITI NYC and Piggy Paint. 3.

Did you miss week 3? 

Continue to Week 5

A healthier home in 5 weeks {Week 3}

Look around your kitchen, playroom, and bathroom. What is the most common "substance" in each of these rooms? In my home it is PLASTIC. Plastic tupperware containers, plastic bottles, plastic toys... It is everwhere. Isn't it nice that the most common substance in our home contains chemicals that "promotes obesity, diabetes, testicular cancer, breast cancer-like changes (and resistance to life saving chemotherapy) and even reduce sperm counts"1?

This demon lurking in plastic is known as BPA (also found in canned food). It affects the brain, sex hormones, is linked to cancer, thyroid issues, infertility, obesity and more. It's a pretty bad dude. Read this article to find out more about BPA.

{Week 3 Challenge: Eliminate Toxic Plastics}

Fortunately, there are safer plastics out there. Ones that are labeled PET or HDPE are much safer than PVC as are those labeled #2, #4, and #5. This is a great guide to decoding those plastic numbers. Get rid of those containing BPA and replace with safer alternatives.

1. Stop microwaving and storing your food in plastic containers! Microwave safe means it's safe for the container, not safe for your body. Use safe alternatives such as glass or silicone.

2. Replace your hard plastic water bottles with a stainless steel version. I love our Klean Kanteen's!

3. Minimize plastics in the kitchen. Avoid using hard plastic stirring and measuring utensils, use wooden, stainless steel or glass instead. Stop eating off plastic. For those with small children, this is nearly impossible. Fortunately, there are a few safer alternatives:

Zoe b Organic Anti Plastic Dishes
Kids' Tempered Glass Kitchenware
Beaba Soft Dishes
CaliBowl Del Mar Stack Plastic Single Serving Bowls
Kids Lunch Buddy Tray
Kid Kanteen Baby Bottles

Additional Food Safe Alternatives:
Essential Safe Products
Green Cookware
The Ultimate Green Store
Reuseit.com
Pyrex
Anchor Hocking
Crate & Barrel
The Container Store

4. Check to see if any of your toys are on the most toxic toy list (the foam alphabet letters that all three of my boys chewed on in the bath were on this list!). Next, check the toxic toy database on HealthyStuff.org. Toss out the worst offenders. Check this website for tips on purchasing safer toys.

*I'm not including cookware in the challenge, however, Teflon and aluminum are less than desirable cooking options as their safety is continually in question. Here are some safer cooking alternatives (I hope to replace my teflon pans when we move!)

Did you miss week 2?

Continue to Week 4

A healthier home in 5 weeks {Week 2}

As a mother, one of my primary responsibilities is to keep a clean home. Though it might be difficult to tell since the moment I vacuum someone runs through with dirt and the moment I sweep and mop someone spills juice. I never stopped to consider that the things I am using to keep my house relatively clean could actually cause my children harm.

Many chemicals include toxins that can trigger respiratory infections, headaches (and my husband thought I was just making excuses for not cleaning ;)  cause damage to the brain or nervous system, decrease sperm count and yes, even cancer. This is a great article, How Toxic are Your Cleaning Supplies? Which outlines several of the dangers as well as good solutions.

These chemicals are not limited to cleaning solutions. How about antibacterial soap? Every good mom knows she needs to protect her children from bacteria. But what if your antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer were actually making your children more sick? Studies are showing that an ingredient found in most antibacterial products called Triclosan (yes it was in my soap) can actually do more harm than good. Instead of killing only bad bacteria, it kills ALL bacteria. Even the good guys that protect your immune system. This creates a bacterial resistance which in effect creates superbugs which our body cannot effectively combat against and is much worse than the germs the soap is supposedly protecting us against. Not good.

Even our laundry detergent contains chemicals that have nasty things linked to cancer and reproductive toxins. Check this article to see what chemicals are in your laundry detergent.


{Week 2 Challenge: Cleanup Household Cleaners}

1. Toss those toxic household cleaners. Replace them with organic versions or try making your own. There are many great websites out there with recipes, my favorite is Wellness Mama.

2. Toss the toxic soap and sanitizers. Replace them with organic soap (including body wash). I love the bath soap from Bubble and Bee and have replaced my liquid dish soap with Dr Bronner's (dilute with water) and thoroughly cleaned out my toxic foaming pump bottles and replaced them with a diluted mixture of Dr Bronners for foaming handwashing soap. I also use Dr Bronners hand sanitizer spray.

3. Replace laundry and dishwashing detergent with a non-toxic version or make your own. There are lots of options out there, I have not personally tried to make my own. I use the Seventh Generation brand.


For more information about household toxins, check out this article: Highly toxic chemicals are found in laundry detergents, dryer sheets, deodorants, perfumes, soaps and other household products


Did you miss week 1? 

Continue to Week 3

A healthier home in 5 weeks: {week 1}

As I began searching for resources on organic eating, I came across information about chemicals that are all around us. I was surprised to learn how many of these toxins were in my home. In fact, it seems like almost all the products I use on a daily basis from tupperware to shampoo to sunscreen contain toxins that have damaging long-term effects anywhere from ADHD to cancer.

I made a goal to eliminate whatever toxins I could from my home immediately, and those that I can't do now, I will eliminate when we move this fall. I realize spring cleaning is over, but summer is a great time to prepare for the upcoming school year.

I've broken down the most frequent toxin exposures into 5 easy weekly steps. Obviously it's impossible to eliminate exposure to all harmful things, but there are small simple steps you can take to limit the risk to young (and unborn) children.

{Week 1 Challenge: Organic Food}

Buy organic produce, meats and dairy starting this week!

Chemicals directly sprayed on fruits and vegetables cannot simply be washed off, some residue will remain no matter how diligently you scrub. These pesticides have been linked to cancer, ADHD and autism.

If you cannot afford to buy 100% organic, then buy these dirty dozen as organics and the clean fifteen you can buy non-organic.

Dirty Dozen (contain the most pesticide residue- Buy Organic!)

celery

peaches

strawberries

apples

domestic blueberries

nectarines

sweet bell peppers

spinach, kale and collard greens

cherries

potatoes

imported grapes

lettuce

Clean Fifteen (little to no pesticide residue)

onions

avocados

sweet corn

pineapples

mango

sweet peas

asparagus

kiwi fruit

cabbage

eggplant

cantaloupe

watermelon

grapefruit

sweet potatoes

sweet onions

Why should you buy organic meat? The main reason is because 70% of antibiotics in this country go to farm animals. That's right, cows and chickens. Why? Because they are fed unnatural diets that fatten them up faster and live in cramped quarters- they are fed antibiotics to prevent them from dying before they go to market. Unfortunately, these antibiotics create superbugs (heard of MRSA?) which spread to humans from contaminated meats or crops (like spinach) contaminated by animal waste. Even chicken feed is found to contain high levels of arsenic that is passed on to our children.

Here's a great article about why it's worth it to buy organic eggs (try finding someone local!) and how buying hormone-free milk reduces your risk of cancer.

I know you're really not going to like this one, but I have to put it out there. Studies have shown that processed meats cause cancer. This includes lunch meat, hot dogs, sausage, pepperoni and my favorite, bacon. Fortunately, you CAN buy organic versions of these foods that do not include the cancer-causing nitrates! Applegate Farms is a favorite brand of mine, found at Whole Foods.

Week one is definitely going to be the most challenging week, but it will also have the greatest long-term impact on your family. You'll find that organic meats can be quite expensive, which is another great reason to base your meals primarily around vegetables and use meat sparingly. I have quite a few meatless meal ideas on my Fabulous Foods website. The thing to remember also is exposure amount- a tiny amount of chemicals won't cause immediate harm, but repeated exposure over time can, so don't feel guilty if you have to resort to fast food or "normal" food from time to time but try to limit exposure if you can.

Also, and this is my personal non-scientific opinion...I believe that a normal healthy body is designed to fight toxins including those used in pesticides and if we feed our body healthy foods most of the time then it will be prepared to combat the toxins we do introduce from time to time. However, if we are fueling our body primarily with junk, it won't have the tools to effectively combat the toxins and  then our body starts to break down and results in headaches, fatigue, weight gain, and possibly even cancer.

Continue to Week 2

Real Food: Decoding labels

Up until just a few months ago, I would shop like most other people, wandering up and down every aisle, occasionally checking the back of the box to see how much sugar or fat was in it, and not really paying attention to anything else. Now when I pick up a box, I see something totally different. Ingredients. Amazing how I never really noticed them before.

As I start to read the labels I see all sorts of strange things that I have never heard of before. Do I really want to eat those things? Um-no, I don't. But sometimes the lovely food companies try to trick you into thinking something is not there when it really is, or lure you into believing the claims written on the box like "fat free!" "no added sugar!" and "all natural!"

It is amazing to me when I shop at a "regular" grocery store now, almost every single thing (including canned fruit) contains one or more of these additives. I find that now, unless I'm at Whole Foods or similar store, I only shop the perimeter and never buy anything from the center aisles.

Here are three rules to help you decode the labels:

1. Ignore claims on the box: "All natural", "whole grain", "healthy" and "real fruit" mean nothing. They are simply marketing terms to draw you in. Unless it says USDA Certified Organic, it's not. Don't be fooled into buying something based on what the package says. And don't worry about calories and fat- worry about ingredients- your body knows how to process natural foods.

2. Read the ingredients: The best thing to remember when buying food from a box, can or jar is to look at the number of ingredients. The fewer the better. Then actually read the ingredients. Do you know what they all are? Now I whip out my iPhone and google any ingredient that I'm not familiar with to see if it's really something that's ok to eat, even in the health food store.

3. Look for sneaky ingredients:

"Sugar Free" claims usually mean they have substituted an artificial sweetener in place of sugar. Artificial sweeteners are NOT good for you, they will NOT make you skinny and they are NOT better for you than sugar. Instead they could make you obese, get breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, birth defects and more.

Brown Rice Syrup included in some "healthy" products in place of sugar, is actually linked to high levels of arsenic. Not good.

MSG is thought to have been removed from many products due to negative effects from headaches to nausea to sudden cardiac death. Instead, they disguise the name and keep it in the food. Here are common sneaky forms of MSG to watch out for (and yes, some form of msg is in nearly every fast food hamburger, bun and sandwich bread- if you look at the ingredients on their website- those brave enough to post them- you will see some of these listed). For the complete list click here and here.

Yeast Extract, Autolyzed Yeast, Textured Protein, Calcium/Sodium Caseinate, Gelatin, Glutamate/Glutamic Acid, Monosodium/Monopotassium Glutamate, Carrageenan.

Food Dyes are in many products, even ones you wouldn't think need food coloring. Unfortunately these dyes are linked to cancer, ADHD, allergies and tumors. Here is a great article outlining specific food dyes, what foods they're commonly added to and the effects.

Conventionally Grown in the produce section is a nice way of saying "we used pesticides and/or genetically modified seeds". Why does this matter? Pesticides have been linked to ADHD, Autism, Cancer and who knows what else... Here are the Dirty Dozen foods to definitely buy organic (buy in season produce for lowest prices). And here's why you want to avoid genetically modified corn, tomatoes and other "food". Buy USDA Certified Organic, or grow your own.

Here are 12 dangerous food additives to avoid Be sure to add these to the bottom of your shopping list so you aren't confused and misled.

Fish you should never eat, a great list of toxic fish as well as a list of clean fish you should look for instead.


Here's a great example of reading labels- what my husband and I chose for dessert when on vacation (he was completely shocked when he compared his to mine)

Homemade yogurt

After eliminating processed foods, I started buying plain yogurt. Having grown up on sugary store-bought yogurt, it was a BIG change. A hard one to swallow...literally. I tried adding honey and fruit and could manage it down, but I didn't love it, and neither did my boys. I had heard of people making yogurt before, and frankly thought they must be some kind of crazy to make something that really didn't taste that great. But lately I'm experimenting with crazy so I figured we'd give it a try...

You really don't need a yogurt maker, there is a crockpot method, but I kind of like having them in jars and it seemed like a yogurt maker would be more convenient, so I got this one from Cusinart for around $30. I was seriously intimidated by the thought of making yogurt and put it off for months after buying my yogurt maker. But, after getting our Magic School Bus Science Club Kit in the mail about bacteria, I figured it was now or never. After reading several websites on yogurt making, I wanted to just plunge in and do it the easiest way possible, even though it was slightly different than what the yogurt manual said.

9 hours later I removed the lid and stuck my finger in one of the jars for a taste. I was really surprised. It tasted more like whipping cream than sour cream. In fact, it was good. I put the jars in the fridge and waited impatiently for 30 to 40 minutes for it to cool more, finally just pulled it out and grabbed a spoon.

It had a slightly sweeter taste than the store-bought yogurt (I've tried regular and greek) and it was so creamy it reminded me of the heavenly European yogurt that I indulge in everytime I go to Germany (my first stop is always for yogurt, second for a döner and third chocolate). Earlier in the day I had pureed some strawberries, so I scooped a couple spoonfuls and mixed it in. YUM. I actually like it better warm than cold, there is still a learning curve for your tongue, but add a little maple syrup and some ripe fruit, the creaminess will overcome the bitterness.

When I came back from Germany the first time, I actually wrote Danon asking them why on earth couldn't they sell the same yogurt here that they sell in Germany? Their Obstgarten yogurt is to die for! Now I never have to crave European yogurt again, I can just make my own. I am so excited! Joshua snuck out of his bed and saw me indulging, so I gave him a spoon and his entire face lit up when he took a bite. He said "this is the best yogurt in the world!"

There are a dozen ways you can make yogurt. After viewing several recipes and techniques, it kind of seems like you can do it however you like. Here's how I make it with my yogurt maker.

5 cups whole milk (that's right, full fat, and no it doesn't have to be raw)
1-2 tablespoons plain greek or any yogurt with live active cultures

Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Everything I read indicated that boiling the milk produced a thicker yogurt, and that's what I wanted (another reason why I recommend whole milk rather than skim or 2%). The longer you boil, the thicker it will be. I don't have much patience so 20 minutes is my max- stir constantly once it starts to boil to prevent the milk from burning. It will be frothy and foamy (be careful it will boil over if you don't stir it!) Some people add powdered milk, but that kind of goes against my whole non-processed foods thing, so I wanted it to thicken the "natural" way.

Remove pot from heat and let cool until warm but not hot. Stir in a cupful of warm milk with your 1 to 2 tablespoons of yogurt (after your first batch use your own yogurt as a starter), mix and then stir back into the pot. *Do not forget this step! If you just stir your cold yogurt into the hot milk it will curdle and ruin your entire batch. Trust me.

Pour into glass jars and follow the instructions of the yogurt maker (i.e. plug in and turn on). The longer you heat it, the thicker it will be. I do mine for 9 to 10 hours and it's creamy and thick. If you wanted it extra thick like greek yogurt you'd have strain it with cheesecloth. I didn't and I'm pretty happy with how it turns out.

I highly recommend giving this a try, plus, the kids love to help.

The problem with learning...

is that it entails change.

As I started learning more about what is really in the food at the grocery store, actually reading the ingredients, not just how many calories or fat grams, it caused me to change. I remember my first grocery trip after learning to really decode ingredient labels, I felt like an alien. Like I was in a movie where everyone was walking around like zombies mindlessly putting things in their cart and I managed to break free of the trance. Only problem was I walked out of the store with less than 10 items because I couldn't bring myself to buy anything that had ingredients I now knew were not good for me (or more importantly, my children).

(Fortunately I soon discovered Harmon's just down the street- where organic food has it's very own section, so now shopping is relatively blissful- well minus the three rambunctious boys).

As I discovered other "weirdo's" I started to learn more about how our man-made environment is causing our health problems such as ADHD, Austism and Cancer. It seems that most of the wonderful things scientists have created were implemented quickly and now the negative effects are starting to emerge. Now that I know more, I must change more. Change is not only often unpleasant, it's expensive.

Here are a few things I've started changing or plan to change (most of these things I won't start until we move in 6 months). {warning} if you don't like change, you should stop reading now.

If you like change, then keep reading because I have a great list of articles that outline the specific chemicals that are in our food and home and what you can replace them with.

Sunscreen: I am a believer in sunscreen. I come from a long line of redheads who never wore sunscreen and who have skin cancer. I do not want my kids to have skin cancer. I use sunscreen religiously. However...I have read some disturbing things like this and this which have caused me to change and use a more natural sunscreen now. I will be ordering this Kabana organic sunscreen to protect my family.

Plastics: YIKES. 80% of my house is plastic and after reading some disturbing things about the chemicals leaching out of plastics, I plan on tossing it all when we move and storing my food in mason jars, purchasing a bunch of glass tupperware and these for food on the go. I ordered some Kleen Kanteen's for our water bottles and are tossing the old nalgene's and plastic straw cups.

Bedding: I have not made this change yet, but since we will be moving soon and will need new things, I plan on ordering new pillows and this organic cotton fabric and making my boys' bedding.

TV: We tossed our old tv and will be in need of a new one. Who would have thought the dust your tv produced would be harmful to your health? Our next tv will be PBDE free.

Cleaning: I've replaced my lysol with organic cleaners (although I do sometimes use lysol to kill bugs- it works great and is hopefully less toxic than bug spray...)

Plants: I've never been a fan of houseplants. I plant herbs outside but most houseplants are dusty and dirty and if I had one now my two year old would be digging in it and spreading dirt all over the carpet. Not to mention the fact that I can't remember to water anything that doesn't cry. However after reading this, I will be reforming my ways and hope to *try* my hand at a houseplant when we move.

Ditched the Gum: After reading this slightly disturbing article and this I've switched from gum to fennel seeds...strange, but safe.

Toothpaste: I am a firm believer in good dental hygiene, but I don't think I need things like propylene glycol or titanium dioxide in my toothpaste. Fortunately, there are several more natural toothpaste options available, especially for the little guy who regularly tries to eat toothpaste. And, since we're no longer eating corn syrup for every meal, we shouldn't be as cavity prone...

Deoderant: I've stopped using antiperspirant deoderant which is thought to be linked to breast cancer and since my underarms were wet even when using clinical strength antiperspirant, I figured I'd avoid the risk and stop ruing my shirts with yellow underarm circles. Instead, (after attempting to go au natural) I ordered a strange thing called Crystal.

Cosmetics: While I haven't made any of these changes yet, I'm definitely going to be re-evaluating what I have and what needs to go. Anything that crosses the red zone I'm tossing, but the others I'm still on the fence with. See the links below for toxins in your shampoo, hairspray and makeup.

Obviously you can't be paranoid about everything and to overhaul our life of man-made creations in a day would be quite expensive, but taking baby steps will help reverse the effects of many of these chemicals. And continuing to learn even when it may be scary and downright weird.

If you've read this far, it means you're interested in learning more. Here are a few resources to get you thinking. And maybe even the dreaded word {change}...

Food:

What is Real Food?

How Ultra Processed Foods are Killing Us

Is Sugar Toxic? 60 Minutes Video

Processed Meats Cause Cancer

Dangers of Modern Vegetable Oils

Decoding "All Natural" Claims: 9 Deceptive claims, Ridiculous Food Labels, Decode Food Packaging, Food Renegade Decodes Labels

Why Artificial Sweeteners are Bad for You

Why Genetically Modified Organisms are Bad For You

Hidden Sources of MSG

Dangers of Food Dyes


House & Home:

How Chemicals Change Us & Chemicals and our Health

Keeping your Children Safe Interactive home hazards tour & compelling video

Dangers of Plastics

Safe Bedding

Clean the Dust

Toxic America CNN series

Toxins in your Cosmetics, Dirty Dozen Chemicals to Avoid and Safe Cosmetics Database



Real Food/Organic lifestyle websites

Food Renegade

100 Days of Real Food  

Deliciously Organic

Food Babe

Organic Authority

Natural News

Jamie Oliver


Must Watch/Read

Food Inc

In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan

Jamie Oliver

A Wake up Story

Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser