Lately, I hear this questions about 20 times a day! Apparently, both kids are going through growth spurts at the same time because their bellies are little bottomless pits these days. Someone is always asking me for food. And if one kid asks, the other comes running in to make sure they don't miss out.
Because of their huge appetites, I've had to expand what I have on hand for them to snack on. Therefore, I've loosened up a little on what I'm willing to buy to add a little variety in our lives. I've had to do a lot of digging & reading in the grocery store to find snacks with ingredient lists I approve of. I try not to buy anything with these ingredients:
* BHT
* MSG
* High Fructose Corn Syrup
* Artificial Dyes
What I have been buying for them:
* Popcorn ~ This is my favorite snack. It's good for you & the kids love it. I buy kernels & pop them myself. Just add a little melted butter & salt & it tastes delicious!
* Kettle chips ~ Everyone in the family loves these and no one can be trusted alone with an open bag.
* Organic apples ~ Sydney absolutely loves apples. But only if they are peeled, but not cut up. She's my picky child.
* Organic yogurt ~ Garrett loves yogurt. Sydney won't even try it. I wasn't kidding when I said she was picky.
* Organic granola bars ~ The kids like Cascadian Farms chocolate chip & peanut butter.
* Mini bagels ~ These are great! Sydney loves hers toasted with Nutella on top. Garrett & I like ours with cream cheese. They also make great mini sandwiches or pizza bites. They have become our new staple. They work great for breakfast, lunch or snack.
* Fresh bread drizzled with honey ~ The kids love my bread fresh out of the oven. It's tradition that we all eat a slice drizzled with honey or topped with Nutella right when it comes out of the oven.
* Fruit ~ Garrett loves apples, bananas, blueberries & strawberries. Sydney will only eat apples.
* Organic crackers ~ I buy Late July brand. I love mine topped with my new addiction...Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges.
* Annie's Cheddar Bunnies ~ The kids like them & Sydney finally quit asking me to buy Cheez-Its...after a year.
* Animal Crackers ~ Not too shabby.
* Cheese roll up ~ Melt cheese in a tortilla and roll it up. I used to eat these as a kid.
* Coco Roos ~ Here's where I've budged a little. These are the generic brand coco puffs. The kids are excited to get some "crap" food. I had to meet them in the middle a little. These double as breakfast or snack.
* Jello Pudding Cups ~ Again, not the greatest, but they are a good treat for the kids.
I also try to make homemade snacks pretty often. I usually make muffins, breads or cookies.
Sydney requested popsicles for summer. I spent 10 minutes in the grocery store looking at every box of popsicles. Let me tell ya folks, they're packed with all the horrible dyes. Red # 2, Blue # 2, Yellow #5...you get the idea. I refuse to buy them. I bought Blue Bell all natural strawberry fruit bars, but guess who doesn't like them? Yep, the picky kid who specifically requested popsicles. So I'm on a mission to find something we both agree on.
Life would be much easier not caring about the ingredients in their food. But I do care. So, I spend 10 minutes in the frozen food isle, freezing while carefully inspecting the popsicles. One day they will thank me. Right? Please tell me one day they will thank me! :)
Showing posts with label chemicals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemicals. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Avoiding Dangerous Chemicals in Our Everyday Products
When it comes to toxins, our food is not the only area to pay close attention. Many of our household products are pretty toxic. And on top of that, there's not much regulation like there is with food. Many advocates of these products claim that minimal exposure to the chemicals is not dangerous. But what if you use 10 products a day that all have minimal amounts of toxins? And you use those 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. That could be a problem.
Bath & Beauty Products
Many bath & beauty products contain carcinogens & they aren't always listed on the label. And just because children's bath products say "gentle or mild" does not mean it is true. Many of the ingredients in our bath products can cause numerous health problems, including skin allergies, cancer & hormone disruption. One year ago, Sydney developed a horrible rash all over her body. I took her to two pediatricians & two dermatologists and none of them could explain it to me. One doctor told me she must have been bitten by a bug. Seriously? I may never know exactly what caused her rash & it did go away after several months. But in all my online searches for answers, I found a world of information about chemicals in our bath products that I never realized existed.
Since that experience, I have thrown out a lot of our old bath products and replaced them with safer alternatives. Again, it's more expensive. But it seems that being cheap is what has led to a lot of our health problems in this country. I like Burt's Bees lip balm & Pomegranate & Soy shampoo & conditioner. I also use Tom's of Maine toothpaste, mouthwash & deodorant. J.R. Watkins lemon cream lotion is to die for! There are many other great products out there to choose from. I really like Yes to Cucumbers color care shampoo & conditioner. I shop at Target & there is an entire aisle devoted to these products. You have choices! You can also find more affordable products that are better alternatives, just read the labels.
Skin Deep Cosmetic Database is a great source for researching toxins in our everyday products. You can look up a specific product and clearly see if it's a hazard to your health, based on their ranking system.
I try to avoid these dangerous ingredients:
Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, ethyl, isobutyl & isopropyl)
BHT
Formaldehyde
Artificial fragrances & dyes
Petroleum (Petrolatum)
Pthalates
Sodium Lauryl Sulfates & Sodium Laureth Sulfates (SLS)
I will say that I have had a flare up of adult acne (yay me!) & natural products don't cut it when you're dealing with that. So unfortunately, I have no choice but to use strong chemicals on my face. And yes, I color my hair & use anti-aging eye cream. I am a WOMAN after all! For me, it's all about balance. I figure if I use non-toxic soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash & lip balm...what's a little hair dye every few months. Okay, who am I kidding, I'm the girl that waits 5 months until my roots look trashy. So my point is this - just switching a few products that you use daily could have a big impact on your health.
Cleaning Products
I use white distilled vinegar for most of my cleaning. It's non-toxic, kills bacteria & germs & is CHEAP! I buy a box of 2 1-gallon containers for just a few dollars at Sam's. I keep vinegar in a spray bottle to clean all my counter tops & cabinets. I also use it to clean out my oven, microwave, refrigerator, showers, bathtubs, toilets & hard wood floors. It also works great in cleaning windows & mirrors. Vinegar is perfect getting of rid tough calcium deposits like in your shower head. Just pour some vinegar in a dish & soak your shower head & kitchen spray nosil over night. I'll talk more one day about all the great uses for vinegar. That's a blog post all in itself!
I recently bought Seventh Generation dish soap, surface cleaner & laundry soap. I have been happy with all of them. They seem to be a great company that really cares about the environment. Their products aren't much more expensive than the toxic versions they sit next to at the stores. For 50 cents more, I'll take my products without carcinogens, please.
Plastics
We keep hearing more & more about the dangers of Bisphenol A (BPA) in our plastics. Now lets stop and think a minute about everything in our lives that is made out of plastic. Hmmmm. BPA is a chemical used to produce most of our plastics. In studies, traces of BPA have been found in the blood, urine & breast milk of humans. So we know it passes through our system. BPA has been linked to cancer & obesity, two of our biggest epidemics in America. What I find most alarming about BPA is that it seems to mimic our hormones, which can lead to numerous health problems, including infertility & early puberty.
BPA can be found in:
- the lining of canned foods
- baby bottles
- water bottles
- milk containers
- plastic food storage containers
I'm no scientist or doctor, but common sense says that the information out there is alarming. It would be impossible to avoid plastics completely. But I have started in the kitchen. I am in the process of replacing all my plastic food containers with glass ones. I threw out all of our plastic plates. I'm trying to replace the kids' cups with better alternatives. This one gets tricky since I have a two year old boy who probably wouldn't do well with a GLASS full of liquid. I am considering buying these. Pottery Barn Kids claim that all their new table top items are BPA free. There are a lot of companies now making BPA free plastics.
The bottom line is this: minimal exposure to toxins may be safe. But in one day, we use:
- shampoo & conditioner
- soap
- lotion
- deodorant
- hairspray
- make up
- toothpaste
- water bottles
- plastic plates
- baggies, plastic wrap & storage containers
- toys that our kids play with
- and the list goes on and on and on
That's not minimal. Just by switching half of your daily products to a safer version, you could dramatically change the course of your life. Don't let government regulation & standards decide what is safe for you and your family. Decide for yourself. It's your life. It's your choice.
Bath & Beauty Products
Many bath & beauty products contain carcinogens & they aren't always listed on the label. And just because children's bath products say "gentle or mild" does not mean it is true. Many of the ingredients in our bath products can cause numerous health problems, including skin allergies, cancer & hormone disruption. One year ago, Sydney developed a horrible rash all over her body. I took her to two pediatricians & two dermatologists and none of them could explain it to me. One doctor told me she must have been bitten by a bug. Seriously? I may never know exactly what caused her rash & it did go away after several months. But in all my online searches for answers, I found a world of information about chemicals in our bath products that I never realized existed.
Since that experience, I have thrown out a lot of our old bath products and replaced them with safer alternatives. Again, it's more expensive. But it seems that being cheap is what has led to a lot of our health problems in this country. I like Burt's Bees lip balm & Pomegranate & Soy shampoo & conditioner. I also use Tom's of Maine toothpaste, mouthwash & deodorant. J.R. Watkins lemon cream lotion is to die for! There are many other great products out there to choose from. I really like Yes to Cucumbers color care shampoo & conditioner. I shop at Target & there is an entire aisle devoted to these products. You have choices! You can also find more affordable products that are better alternatives, just read the labels.
Skin Deep Cosmetic Database is a great source for researching toxins in our everyday products. You can look up a specific product and clearly see if it's a hazard to your health, based on their ranking system.
I try to avoid these dangerous ingredients:
Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, ethyl, isobutyl & isopropyl)
BHT
Formaldehyde
Artificial fragrances & dyes
Petroleum (Petrolatum)
Pthalates
Sodium Lauryl Sulfates & Sodium Laureth Sulfates (SLS)
I will say that I have had a flare up of adult acne (yay me!) & natural products don't cut it when you're dealing with that. So unfortunately, I have no choice but to use strong chemicals on my face. And yes, I color my hair & use anti-aging eye cream. I am a WOMAN after all! For me, it's all about balance. I figure if I use non-toxic soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash & lip balm...what's a little hair dye every few months. Okay, who am I kidding, I'm the girl that waits 5 months until my roots look trashy. So my point is this - just switching a few products that you use daily could have a big impact on your health.
Cleaning Products
I use white distilled vinegar for most of my cleaning. It's non-toxic, kills bacteria & germs & is CHEAP! I buy a box of 2 1-gallon containers for just a few dollars at Sam's. I keep vinegar in a spray bottle to clean all my counter tops & cabinets. I also use it to clean out my oven, microwave, refrigerator, showers, bathtubs, toilets & hard wood floors. It also works great in cleaning windows & mirrors. Vinegar is perfect getting of rid tough calcium deposits like in your shower head. Just pour some vinegar in a dish & soak your shower head & kitchen spray nosil over night. I'll talk more one day about all the great uses for vinegar. That's a blog post all in itself!
I recently bought Seventh Generation dish soap, surface cleaner & laundry soap. I have been happy with all of them. They seem to be a great company that really cares about the environment. Their products aren't much more expensive than the toxic versions they sit next to at the stores. For 50 cents more, I'll take my products without carcinogens, please.
Plastics
We keep hearing more & more about the dangers of Bisphenol A (BPA) in our plastics. Now lets stop and think a minute about everything in our lives that is made out of plastic. Hmmmm. BPA is a chemical used to produce most of our plastics. In studies, traces of BPA have been found in the blood, urine & breast milk of humans. So we know it passes through our system. BPA has been linked to cancer & obesity, two of our biggest epidemics in America. What I find most alarming about BPA is that it seems to mimic our hormones, which can lead to numerous health problems, including infertility & early puberty.
BPA can be found in:
- the lining of canned foods
- baby bottles
- water bottles
- milk containers
- plastic food storage containers
I'm no scientist or doctor, but common sense says that the information out there is alarming. It would be impossible to avoid plastics completely. But I have started in the kitchen. I am in the process of replacing all my plastic food containers with glass ones. I threw out all of our plastic plates. I'm trying to replace the kids' cups with better alternatives. This one gets tricky since I have a two year old boy who probably wouldn't do well with a GLASS full of liquid. I am considering buying these. Pottery Barn Kids claim that all their new table top items are BPA free. There are a lot of companies now making BPA free plastics.
The bottom line is this: minimal exposure to toxins may be safe. But in one day, we use:
- shampoo & conditioner
- soap
- lotion
- deodorant
- hairspray
- make up
- toothpaste
- water bottles
- plastic plates
- baggies, plastic wrap & storage containers
- toys that our kids play with
- and the list goes on and on and on
That's not minimal. Just by switching half of your daily products to a safer version, you could dramatically change the course of your life. Don't let government regulation & standards decide what is safe for you and your family. Decide for yourself. It's your life. It's your choice.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Girl Has The Right To Change Her Mind
So it seems I have changed my mind on several topics.
First, I started blogging here at the first of the year. However, I have decided to move on over to Blogger! So if you'd like to read my story up to this point, feel free to check out my tumblr.
So here's my story thus far, in a nut shell. I'm a 32 year old stay at home mom to two kids. Sydney (almost 6) and Garrett (2). I've been married to Allen for almost 9 years. We dated for 4. And we became friends 18 years ago. Yikes! That makes me feel old! I love being home with my kids, I love cooking, I love music and I love a glass of wine from time to time!
Maybe it's my age or maybe it's the experience of seeing my Dad (my hero) die in my arms 3 years ago that has awakend a part of me that had been sleeping. I have completely changed my life in a very short time. It's amazing when you realize that certain things you always believed are no longer your truths.
I have detoxed my life one baby step at a time. It began with giving up all soda 1 1/2 years ago. I haven't had a drop since and will never drink it again. I gave it up because I didn't want my kids to drink it. It's best to lead by example, so it was time to be a grown up and start kicking my bad habits! Next, I went off birth control pills once I realized they were messing with my head and my body! After having Garrett, my body reacted differently to birth control and it wasn't pretty. I actually worried I was entering menopause at an extremely young age! Once I stopped taking the pills, the fog in my head lifted, the irritability ended, and I felt like myself for the first time in a long time. I will never take them again! In fact, I hope to never take any pills, except for the occasional Tylenol or Antibiotic. But only when absolutely necessary.
So once I made the connection that what we put in our bodies directly effects how we feel, think, sleep, treat others, etc. I began educating myself on organic & local eating. Now we eat REAL food, mostly organic and mostly local. My pantry used to be full of boxes of "food". Now the pantry is filled with beans, pasta, flour, sugar, etc. I make REAL food for my family to eat. You won't find a frozen chicken nugget in this house! And now I have moved to the bathroom cabinets and thrown out all products with toxic chemicals. All it takes is a little education to change the way you perceive the world around you.
So I have gone from an overweight, worn down, tired unhealthy girl to what I am today...which is still a work in progress! :) And although I still have some more weight to knock off, I feel, eat, sleep and think better than I have in a decade. I eat well, I exercise, I get plenty of sleep and I try not to sweat the small stuff now.
My motto for life now is a quote by George Eliot - "It's never too late to be what you might have been". And I am going to be everything I ever wanted to be in this life!
So, on the topic of changing my mind. I tried out making my own laundry soap for a while and I have now decided that I HATE doing it & it doesn't get our clothes clean enough. So I'm a Tide girl at the moment and it's pathetic how happy it makes me to sniff and feel our freshly washed clothes. I'm telling ya, the whites really are whiter & and everything is softer! No more clouds of borax & washing soda dust drifting in the air of my kitchen as I mix it all in my food processor! I'm so over it! Not to mention, I don't think it was great to be sniffing those powdery fumes. Now in my journey of non-toxic products, I'm sure I'll end up using Seventh Generation. But honestly, I had never bought Tide because it was so expensive and I just wanted to know what it was like! It's pretty awesome. And it's pretty pathetic that I have so much to say about laundry soap! :)
Lastly, I stated in the past that I didn't believe in organized religion. Well, just to clarify, I didn't really believe in it for about a decade. But recently I was feeling pulled in that direction. I made the leap and went to church and have been going ever since. It feels good, it feels right and I'm glad my kids are going to grow up with it. I have been realizing that part of what is wrong with our society today is the lack of church and God in people's lives. Believe me, I never would have been saying something like this a year ago. But remember, a girl always has a right to change her mind!
First, I started blogging here at the first of the year. However, I have decided to move on over to Blogger! So if you'd like to read my story up to this point, feel free to check out my tumblr.
So here's my story thus far, in a nut shell. I'm a 32 year old stay at home mom to two kids. Sydney (almost 6) and Garrett (2). I've been married to Allen for almost 9 years. We dated for 4. And we became friends 18 years ago. Yikes! That makes me feel old! I love being home with my kids, I love cooking, I love music and I love a glass of wine from time to time!
Maybe it's my age or maybe it's the experience of seeing my Dad (my hero) die in my arms 3 years ago that has awakend a part of me that had been sleeping. I have completely changed my life in a very short time. It's amazing when you realize that certain things you always believed are no longer your truths.
I have detoxed my life one baby step at a time. It began with giving up all soda 1 1/2 years ago. I haven't had a drop since and will never drink it again. I gave it up because I didn't want my kids to drink it. It's best to lead by example, so it was time to be a grown up and start kicking my bad habits! Next, I went off birth control pills once I realized they were messing with my head and my body! After having Garrett, my body reacted differently to birth control and it wasn't pretty. I actually worried I was entering menopause at an extremely young age! Once I stopped taking the pills, the fog in my head lifted, the irritability ended, and I felt like myself for the first time in a long time. I will never take them again! In fact, I hope to never take any pills, except for the occasional Tylenol or Antibiotic. But only when absolutely necessary.
So once I made the connection that what we put in our bodies directly effects how we feel, think, sleep, treat others, etc. I began educating myself on organic & local eating. Now we eat REAL food, mostly organic and mostly local. My pantry used to be full of boxes of "food". Now the pantry is filled with beans, pasta, flour, sugar, etc. I make REAL food for my family to eat. You won't find a frozen chicken nugget in this house! And now I have moved to the bathroom cabinets and thrown out all products with toxic chemicals. All it takes is a little education to change the way you perceive the world around you.
So I have gone from an overweight, worn down, tired unhealthy girl to what I am today...which is still a work in progress! :) And although I still have some more weight to knock off, I feel, eat, sleep and think better than I have in a decade. I eat well, I exercise, I get plenty of sleep and I try not to sweat the small stuff now.
My motto for life now is a quote by George Eliot - "It's never too late to be what you might have been". And I am going to be everything I ever wanted to be in this life!
So, on the topic of changing my mind. I tried out making my own laundry soap for a while and I have now decided that I HATE doing it & it doesn't get our clothes clean enough. So I'm a Tide girl at the moment and it's pathetic how happy it makes me to sniff and feel our freshly washed clothes. I'm telling ya, the whites really are whiter & and everything is softer! No more clouds of borax & washing soda dust drifting in the air of my kitchen as I mix it all in my food processor! I'm so over it! Not to mention, I don't think it was great to be sniffing those powdery fumes. Now in my journey of non-toxic products, I'm sure I'll end up using Seventh Generation. But honestly, I had never bought Tide because it was so expensive and I just wanted to know what it was like! It's pretty awesome. And it's pretty pathetic that I have so much to say about laundry soap! :)
Lastly, I stated in the past that I didn't believe in organized religion. Well, just to clarify, I didn't really believe in it for about a decade. But recently I was feeling pulled in that direction. I made the leap and went to church and have been going ever since. It feels good, it feels right and I'm glad my kids are going to grow up with it. I have been realizing that part of what is wrong with our society today is the lack of church and God in people's lives. Believe me, I never would have been saying something like this a year ago. But remember, a girl always has a right to change her mind!
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