Paper, er, I mean biodegradable or plastic?

The Ideal Bite email newsletter today brought up the issue of what we, as dog owners, use to scoop up their poop.

If 10,000 dog owners switched to biodegradable bags or a scoop, we'll avoid the use of over 18 million plastic bags every year. That's a lot of plastic bags.

I know a local off-leash dog park that I go to provides bags like the ones you see in the grocery store for produce. It's great that they provide these - but next time, I'm bringing my own biodegradable bags.

I did a quick search and here are 3 possibilities:

• BioBag Dog Waste Bags


• Spike's Biodegradable Business Bags (made from corn)


• Dispoz-A-Scoop The Dog Walker's Pooper Scooper (available at Petco)
  

Soy isn't as healthy as a lot of us think

:: From Mercola.com ::

A fascinating report in the UK Guardian Limited details some of the earliest evidence collected by experts that consuming soy is harmful to your health. And, surprisingly, it focused partially on dead parrots fed soy some 15 years ago.

As the story goes, a multi-millionaire raising exotic birds became convinced they were dying due to the processed soy contained in their feed. Not long after researchers were put on the trail, they quickly discovered processed soy contained toxins and plant estrogens strong enough to disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and damage the thyroid.

An interesting factoid: Asians didn't eat as much soy as most people originally perceived. And when they did, it had been fermented -- not processed -- for months.

Makes you wonder why world soy production, according to the Chicago Board of Trade, has exploded to some 270 metric tons, a nine-fold increase over the past four decades alone. Perhaps, it's because American soy producers spend as much as $80 million to promote the joys of soy worldwide. Or, that American soybean farmers received some $13 billion in subsidies between 1998-2004.

Unfortunately, a new process recently launched by Solae LLC combines non-fermented soy, meat and vegetable protein in such a way that you may not be able to discern the fake food from the real thing, an important reason to stay far away from processed foods.

Sobering information

This article by Dr. Joyce M. Woods is all over the web. It is one that I've seen passed around by many of the people I work with. It does has some interesting and sobering statistics:

• An EPA survey concluded that indoor air was 3 to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.


• Another EPA study stated that the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air.


• National Cancer Association released results of a 15-year study concluding that women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home.


• Cancer rates have almost doubled since 1960.


• Cancer is the Number ONE cause of death in children.


• There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Breast cancer is the Number ONE killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54. Primary suspects are laundry detergents, household cleaners and pesticides.

There's lots more in the article - you can read the complete list of findings by Dr. Woods here.

Health Calculator

iVillage has health calculators for finding out your:

1) Body Mass Index
2) Healthy Weight
3) Waist-Hip Ratio
4) Daily Calorie Requirements
5) Daily Carb Requirements
6) Daily Protein Requirements
7) Daily Fat Requirements
8) Daily Calcium Requirements
9) Daily Iron Requirements
10) Target Heart Rate
11) Amount of Calories Burned

Pretty quick and easy source of where you are at and what you need for optimal health.

Organic.org

I found this site in my online travels yesterday. This site was created by a design firm (of all things). The goal of the site is to educate and help people take steps towards an organic lifestyle.

This site has great information including exactly why you should go organic, myths about organic products, and how to buy organic on a budget. There are product reviews and recipes (including special diet need recipes like gluten-free), store finders, and a section just for kids.

Finding a good (and healthy!) pan...

Most of you problem know the health concerns with Teflon pans. But, it's hard to leave behind those non-stick days, isn't it?

I've been researching for a while, looking for the best non-stick that isn't a non-stick pan. Today, I found this article written for the New York Times. Worth the read.

Their winner: Le Creuset enameled cast iron skillet.

Seeing "organic" on your label doesn't always mean what you hope or think...

Most 'Organic' Cosmetics Labels Mislead Public

This is from the Organic Consumers Association.

While most companies that sell increasingly popular "natural" soaps, shampoos and skin creams in natural supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Trader Joes do not claim their products are "organic," an increasing number of these brands, such as Avalon Natural Products, JASON, and Nature's Gate, are misleading consumers into thinking up to 70% of such products are in fact "organic."

One more reason that organic standards need to be put into place.
::read complete article at OrganicConsumers.org::

A great blog to read

About every other day, I check Dr. Mercola's health blog. For those of you who don't know Dr. Mercola - he is behind the number one natural health website, www.mercola.com. I appreciate his site for the wealth of free information that he provides.

I enjoy the blog because he touches on a variety of topics. I especially like that he takes on health news headlines and gives additional key information that isn't covered in mainstream reporting.

Product feedback

I was so excited to get this email from my friend, Ronni D this morning. She's been fighting a frustrating rash and hives and has been miserable. I made a quick order and brought over some products that I thought might help and robbed from my pantry for a few more.

I wanted to tell you how much I love the detergent - I'm actually not measuring, just using the tiniest amount, and it is working SO well! I don't know if it's that or not, but my itching has subsided and my 'scratch wounds' are finally healing. Out of the shower I used the bath oil all over and didn't dry off - it seemed to relieve the itching. Didn't care for the medicinal smell, but it didn't stick around so that's good. I didn't want to go through my day smelling like that! =-) I am so thankful for the relief!!! I stopped the antihistamines and acid reducers so I can only chalk it up to the products. During my last dr. visit, he prescribed Zyrtek, another allergy med. which my friend at work said made him SO drowsy he lost four months of his life! I don't want to even take it, and now it looks like I won't have to.

These kinds of emails make my day! It keeps me motivated knowing that the company I work for makes products that really help people!

Just one of the reasons that I'm grateful for my business

"When used indoors under certain conditions, many common household cleaners and air fresheners emit toxic pollutants at levels that may lead to health risks, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory." (05.22.06 UC Berkeley Press Release)

These kind of reports make me glad I use the products I do and work for the company I do. Why mess with these kinds of toxins and contaminants in the home? It doesn't make sense to me.

Drink Tea!

Green tea's rep keeps getting better and better. A study out of China shows that drinking tea helps protect against bile stones (did you know we could get bile stones?) and cancer. In this study, this was especially true for women. A cup of tea every day for six months -- cut the risk of gallbladder cancer by 44 percent, bile duct cancer by more than a third and bile stones by 27 percent. (Men derived similar benefits from tea, just not nearly as much as women did.)

Green tea research has shown that its health benefits include helping and healing:

* Atherosclerosis
* High cholesterol
* Cancer, including bladder, breast, colorectal, esophageal, lung, pancreatic, prostate, skin and stomach.
* Inflammatory bowel disease
* Diabetes
* Liver disease
* Weight loss (by improving fat metabolism)
* Cognitive impairment/Alzheimer's

I've never been much of a tea drinker until I discovered these guys. Now, I'm a positive addict. The company is Pure Inventions. It's not cheap (about $30/bottle - around 50 cents a glass)... but I don't care. I will pay for this addiction the way most people pay for their mocha addictions. I love it! My favorite flavors are peach, tropical, and raspberry (in that order). I'm still waiting to try the piña colada flavor. Yum, yum, and yum!

(Google search on the health benefits of green tea)

(found at SFGate)

12 Food Additives you and your body could do without

From SixWise.com's article 12 Dangerous Food Additives: The Dirty Dozen Food Additives You Really Need to be Aware Of:

In the United States, more than 3,000 substances can be added to foods for the purpose of preservation, coloring, texture, increasing flavor and more. While each of these substances is legal to use (at least here in the States), whether or not they are all something you want to be consuming is another story all together.

The 12 worst additives that you would do well to avoid are:

1) Propyl Gallate
2) BHA and BHT
3) Potassium Bromate
4) Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
5) Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
6) Acesulfame-K
7) Olestra
8) Sodium Nitrite (Sodium Nitrate)
9) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
10) Blue 1 and Blue 2
11) Red 3
12) Yellow 6

You can read the complete article and how the above ingredients can compromise your health here.

I've worked hard to have Amira's snacks not be easy, out-of-the-box kinds of foods. Sometimes I wish for something more "instant", especially when she's pulling at my pantleg and crying for food NOW! But, that added few minutes of peace and quiet aren't an equal exchange for her health.

We all know it - the closer to raw food we get - the better off we are. Fruits and vegetables are especially our friends. Organic produce is best. If you have to economize, these are contaminated produce items that you should buy organic if at all possible:

1) Apples
2) Bell Peppers
3) Celery
4) Cherries
5) Imported Grapes
6) Nectarines
7) Peaches
8) Pears
9) Potatoes
10) Red Raspberries
11) Spinach
12) Strawberries

These are the least contaminated, and if you have to pick which ones not to buy organic right now - these would be the ones:

1) Asparagus
2) Avocados
3) Bananas
4) Broccoli
5) Cauliflower
6) Corn (sweet)
7) Kiwi
8) Mangos
9) Onions
10)Papaya
11)Pineapples
12) Peas (sweet

Additional information/resources on organic foods:

--Handy walletguide to help you pick the most important organic foods to buy. ::Environmental Working Group || foodnews.org

--"Organic Produce - When it pays to buy organic" ::Consumer Reports, Feb '06 || consumerreports.org

--Buying organic on a budget ::Garden & Hearth || gardenandhearth.com

Obesity is the new smoking, if you know what I mean.

You want to be sobered up about your health? According to the American Medical Association, if you are overweight (and I am) your death risk rises with the amount of extra weight you carry.

As weight increases, so does the risk of death, but the risk is not statistically significant until one becomes obese, McTigue said. Compared with normal-weight women, she continued, "the risk of dying was increased 12 percent in all women in obesity category 1, while risk was increased 86 percent over seven years in women in obesity category 3."

article here

Me? Yeah, I'm in category 3. I have an increased risk of 86% over seven years of dying. That's no small number. 86%! Friends, those just aren't good odds.

I'm grateful that I've been working out 5x a week consistently for the last 5+ weeks. I was surprised and excited that while I haven't dropped pounds yet - I have lost inches. That's progress. But, after reading that article, the stakes are raised and I've have no room to be nonchalant or cavalier about my health weight loss goals.

Ode Magazine

Here's what they say:

"Ode is an independent magazine about the people and ideas that are changing the world.

Sometimes it’s difficult to see beyond the war, poverty, exploitation and pollution that the mainstream media use to fill our view of the world. But there is more to life. There are other stories to report. Stories of countless initiatives being launched around the globe by people devoted to justice, respect and equality. Stories that bridge the gap between thinking and doing, between rage and hope, and the painful gap between the rich and poor – and thus build peace and sustainability. That is the news that Ode promises to deliver. By reading Ode you connect to a network of positive change and inspiration. Ode points the way to knowing better, doing better and feeling better.

Ode publishes ‘the stories that are different from the ones we are brainwashed to believe’ (Arundhati Roy). Ode challenges us and invites us to change. We realise that change starts with information. We can only make a choice to change things for the better when we learn how it can be done. Similarly, we can only change our behaviour when we understand the harmful effects of what we do. Ode teaches and inspires us, helps us see how every one of us can contribute to a more just and sustainable world."

Here's what I say:

This magazine surprises me every issue. It always takes me a little bit to dig into it because its not casual, fluff, "flip-the-pages-and-skim" reading. But it's not overly academic or heady either. It's heartening and challenging.

The current issue articles are always online and available for reading. If you like what you see, buy a subscription. Publishers like this need to be kept in business.

#1 Cause of Child Poisonings

According to poison control centers, it's dishwasher detergent. Most detergents contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated. Getting a powdered form versus gel also makes it less easy to swallow. These products are akaline and should be considered caustic and corrosive. Skin irritation and/or burns can occur if you are exposed to dissolved detergents.

Common sense tip: The most common place for dishwasher detergent to be stored is under the sink. All detergents and cleaning agents should be carefully stored well away from the reach of children and pets. Better yet, switch to a brand that won't harm family, pets or the environment.

I have to confess, under the sink is exactly where our dishwasher detergent is. I feel better about this because I know that what I use is non-toxic and safe for the environment. This is important to me because I know Amira won't suffer terrible burns to her mouth, throat and GI system if she got a hold of it... but also because we have a septic and the drain field ultimately moves through the earth and into a salmon creek on our property.

However, this brings up the point of everything *else* that's under the sink that doesn't have such a claim. Guess I have a "to do" for tomorrow, don't I? -- "Clean out under the kitchen sink!"

«Categories: Safe - Home & Environment»

One more diaper option to consider

It's always been a cloth versus disposable debate. Now, it's a cloth verus disposable versus flushable. I'm an environmentally conscious person. Being a good steward of our planet is important to me. When Amira was born, I used cloth diapers. I had a great diaper service and it worked pretty well. As she got older, it began to work not as well. We had a harder and harder time having them fit well and preventing messes... and when we were out and about and traveling - they were a downright burden for me. So, I compromised and used disposables when we traveled or were away from the home for a long time.

Then came a vacation when we were away for a little over a week. When we got back, I "couldn't" go back to the cloth diapers. And then I did it, I compromised my own feelings and switched to disposables. Sigh. I still feel guilty about it if I think about it too long.

Well, today, learned about gDiapers! Like my beloved Amby, and Amira's beloved The Wiggles... these are from Australia. gDiapers are a disposable diaper that you flush. It's sort of a hybrid of cloth and disposables.



From their website:

Imagine taking your baby's soiled diaper and simply flushing it down the toilet. No more smell. No more diaper. No more diaper pail. You’re putting waste right where it belongs, in the toilet. Not in a landfill. That’s exactly how gDiapers work.

gDiapers are a two-part system. The flushable inner refill fits into a pair of colorful ‘little g’ pants. When the flushable becomes soiled, simply flush it down the toilet. gDiapers have no elemental chlorine, perfumes, smell, garbage or guilt. It's that easy.

gDiapers. Fashion and function on one cute bum.

I'm kinda geeked out on this, I have to admit. I just got my order today. I'll let you know what I think of them... but if you can't wait to check these out... you can order them online at their site - or they have a list of locations where they can be found.

Green Sass

I came across an email newsletter that focuses on some of these very things. It's called Ideal Bite. The tips and informational topics vary from the benefits of coconut to what to do with batteries. I've been enjoying it - and their vibe is fresh and light. I like that their focus and mission is that small changes add up to make a difference. Small changes will indeed make a difference for our personal health and wellness... as well as our environment. :)

If you decide to check it out and sign up for the email newsletter - check out the Bite Club (there's a link to it at the very bottom on the right). Here's what it is: "Once a month, you'll have the opportunity to participate in a 10 - 20 minute online survey to express your opinions and get lavished with free stuff or discounts." Sounds kind of fun to me. I signed up. If you are curious but want to let me be the guinea pig - let me know and I'll share with you what I think of it after I've done it for a while. ;)

Welcome to the Safe Happy Healthy Homes blog!

I threatened and now I'm delivering. This will be, what I hope to be, a great resource of information for any and all who stop by. I do a lot of research as a part of my business to help people build safe, happy and healthy homes. Passing on what I find, only makes sense. :)