I haven't written in awhile. It isn't that I have nothing more to share with you, I'm simply exhausted --I've been back at work since mid October and these last weeks have been full time. I'm completely spent. Regardless, I read an article today that made me go completely mad, so I thought I'd share my thoughts about it with you. In fact, it is the perfect example to illustrate one of the subjects I've been wanting to talk about: prevention. I'll write about the anti-bacterial stuff next time.
If you've read my previous posts about chemicals, toxins, engineered foods, cosmetics and their devastating effects on our health, you might be thinking it's completely ridiculous. Why would our government not regulate or remove these toxins from all products, if we ingest them on a daily basis? Good question. Why isn't smoking illegal then? Or pesticide use? It's the same reason our government is considering adding cancer-fighting chemicals/ingredients to junk foods to counter the cancer-causing chemicals/ingredients they contain, instead of simply removing them. You can read today's Canada Post article to learn more.
Here's the situation. Like with the plastic industry, the pharmaceutical industry is very influential on an international scale, and has a lot riding on us getting sick. Think about it. There is an exuberant amount of profit to be made in drug and treatment development and licensing. Hell, my anti-nausea meds during chemo was 18$ a pill! Cholesterol meds, cancer treatments, heart disease meds are all very expensive if still under patent. There is no money to be made in prevention. That's all I'll say about it tonight, but I'll discuss it again is future posts. If you're skeptical, I encourage you to do your own research. But I promise, soon you'll be hearing parties who have vested interests in drug development crying about "the conspiracy against medicine".
December 22, 2009
October 16, 2009
Cosmetics. Part 1.
I've added "Part 1" to this post since, like food, there's so much to say about cosmetics. What I forget to mention here will be addressed in future posts.
The toxicity of cosmetics was one of the first facts to come out about toxins and chemicals in our environment. Stacey Malkan's book Not Just a Pretty Face. The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry published in 2007 contributed to the awareness.
So here it is folks. The truth none of us want to hear.
How fast you age and how you look depend solely on these factors: genetics, sleep, stress levels, exercise, water intake, alcohol and caffeine intake, and what you eat.
Unfortunately and regardless of what magazines make us believe, no product can replace these factors.
The truth is hard to hear, but very liberating.
As I mentioned in the introduction to this blog, I owe my friend M for telling me the nasty truth about cosmetics two years ago and opening my eyes for good. She started by telling me about the harmful effects of sodium laureth sulfates and other ingredients in products we use every day, and how many we use. Think about your morning routine. It's worse for women, but men are not exempt:
The basics:
soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer, makeup and remover, some sort of behave-yourself hair product (gel, moose, varnish, putty, spray, etc).
And maybe:
conditioner, face cleanser and toner, more makeup and lip balm, shaving cream or other hair removal product, mouthwash, lotion, nail polish and remover, bubble bath and other bath products, massage oils and lubricants, and hair colour.
Most of these products contain chemicals to avoid like sulfates, parabens, preservatives and if scented, phtalates that don't need to be listed in the ingredients. Actually, even unscented products can contain fragrances to mask the smell of chemicals. These chemicals act as emulsifiers and as penetrating agents, as well as prolong fragrance life.
If you're wondering which of your products contain chemicals, enter the product name in the Skin Deep database and see for yourself. It will give you the ingredients in the product, if it's been tested or not and give you a level of toxicity. It feels like playing Russian roulette. Johnson & Johnson baby products for example, are terrifying. Which is why there's also a safety guide for children's products. This site was created by American lobbyists who call themselves the Environment Working Group and are working on a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. It seems to be working since some companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics pledge, and American initiative. You can see the companies that have signed on here. In Canada and in the Europeean Union, cosmetics regulations are more strict, but there's still a long way to go to make them safe.
Changing your products can seem overwhelming. Start by thinking "multi-use". We don't need all these grooming products --their existence doesn't make them useful. In fact, some create problems we fix with other products. Take shampoo and conditioner for example. Most shampoos with sulfates strip you hair of its natural oils, which dries it out and makes it dull and unmanageable. We then use conditioner full of xenoestrogen to return its shine and softness. That's why our hair is in such bad condition when we stop --it's on hormonal withdrawal. That and we're still using stripping shampoo. Same goes for drying soap and hydrating lotions.
Here's what we really must use on a daily basis and the alternatives I've found:
a) Something to wash with. People used to wash with oil, and soap is made from lard so it shouldn't dry your skin. Also, our skin is the same everywhere so why use a different cleanser for your face? Here are soaps my family and I use.
Oatmeal baby soap. It's not just for babies and it lasts forever.
All in one cleanser. Mix one part soap with 4 parts water in a foaming bottle to make it last. I have it at every sink in the house.
Both these products come from the Ontario based company Bare Organics started by a mother who's child has overly sensitive skin. I order it through a friend or online. It's worth the shipping and if you have issues, questions or are not satisfied, you can talk to the owner directly.
I just ordered these handmade soaps from British-Columbia based Rocky Mountain Soap Company: the pumpkin (good for skin conditions), the goats milk (always very creamy), the Alpine and the Bar None. I'll let you know what I think of them.
b) Something to wash your hair with, and not every day. It's shampoos containing sulfates that force you to. Of course, if your hair gets stripped of it's natural oils every wash it will make it in excess to balance itself out. No conditioner is needed if your oils are left to work normally. This can take a week or longer. Hair withdrawal is hell but think of the freedom! In my case it's simple, I'm getting brand new undamaged hair. I use Burts Bees shampoo sold in most drugs stores.
c) Something to clean your teeth with. Toothpaste is filled with chemicals, yet alternatives are not great. Have you tried brushing your teeth with baking soda? It's absolutely disgusting. Nevertheless if you want, here's a homemade toothpaste recipe (scroll down to toothpaste). I'll let you know when I find something else.
d) Deodorant. Sweating is your body's natural way of getting rid of toxins. It's counter-productive to stop it considering the amount the toxins we ingest, but excessive stinky sweating is not acceptable. I started using Burst Bees deodorant instead of antiperspirant. It works most days unless I wear synthetic materials or if I'm dehydrated. It doesn't prevent sweating, so I ordered this one from Rocky Mountain, which was suggested by a friend.
e) Moisturizer (if your skin is dry). This is very simple. I use oil. When I go camping, I use olive oil. Why not? I need something to hydrate my skin and protect it from the elements. Oil does that very well. Since I know there's no product out there that will make my wrinkles disappear, I don't waste my money. If your skin is oily, good for you, it has it's own natural protection. Like with hair, if you stop stripping it, it might work well.
f) Make-up (if you're a women, or not). I've known for a long time that make-up is full of harsh somethings, since my face would break out and my eyes don't tolerate mascara. Think of waterproof mascara, what makes it waterproof? I rather not know. I found two brands of cosmetics without parabens or so I was told. One is Plant Love by Cargo and unfortunately, I don't remember the other one. I also use products from the new organic line from Cover girl (I can't find a link) and Burts Bees makes great lip glosses.
Of course, this list can get longer if you choose but you can use more natural alternatives and reduce your exposure to toxins and xenoestrogens. Really, that's a lot of products we use on your body every day, so if they all contain an "acceptable" amount of harmful toxins, how much are you absorbing then?
Sources
Campain for Safe Cosmetics
"Canadian Laws"
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
Rocky Mountain Soap Company
"Elements to avoid"
The toxicity of cosmetics was one of the first facts to come out about toxins and chemicals in our environment. Stacey Malkan's book Not Just a Pretty Face. The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry published in 2007 contributed to the awareness.
So here it is folks. The truth none of us want to hear.
How fast you age and how you look depend solely on these factors: genetics, sleep, stress levels, exercise, water intake, alcohol and caffeine intake, and what you eat.
Unfortunately and regardless of what magazines make us believe, no product can replace these factors.
The truth is hard to hear, but very liberating.
As I mentioned in the introduction to this blog, I owe my friend M for telling me the nasty truth about cosmetics two years ago and opening my eyes for good. She started by telling me about the harmful effects of sodium laureth sulfates and other ingredients in products we use every day, and how many we use. Think about your morning routine. It's worse for women, but men are not exempt:
The basics:
soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer, makeup and remover, some sort of behave-yourself hair product (gel, moose, varnish, putty, spray, etc).
And maybe:
conditioner, face cleanser and toner, more makeup and lip balm, shaving cream or other hair removal product, mouthwash, lotion, nail polish and remover, bubble bath and other bath products, massage oils and lubricants, and hair colour.
Most of these products contain chemicals to avoid like sulfates, parabens, preservatives and if scented, phtalates that don't need to be listed in the ingredients. Actually, even unscented products can contain fragrances to mask the smell of chemicals. These chemicals act as emulsifiers and as penetrating agents, as well as prolong fragrance life.
If you're wondering which of your products contain chemicals, enter the product name in the Skin Deep database and see for yourself. It will give you the ingredients in the product, if it's been tested or not and give you a level of toxicity. It feels like playing Russian roulette. Johnson & Johnson baby products for example, are terrifying. Which is why there's also a safety guide for children's products. This site was created by American lobbyists who call themselves the Environment Working Group and are working on a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. It seems to be working since some companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics pledge, and American initiative. You can see the companies that have signed on here. In Canada and in the Europeean Union, cosmetics regulations are more strict, but there's still a long way to go to make them safe.
Changing your products can seem overwhelming. Start by thinking "multi-use". We don't need all these grooming products --their existence doesn't make them useful. In fact, some create problems we fix with other products. Take shampoo and conditioner for example. Most shampoos with sulfates strip you hair of its natural oils, which dries it out and makes it dull and unmanageable. We then use conditioner full of xenoestrogen to return its shine and softness. That's why our hair is in such bad condition when we stop --it's on hormonal withdrawal. That and we're still using stripping shampoo. Same goes for drying soap and hydrating lotions.
Here's what we really must use on a daily basis and the alternatives I've found:
a) Something to wash with. People used to wash with oil, and soap is made from lard so it shouldn't dry your skin. Also, our skin is the same everywhere so why use a different cleanser for your face? Here are soaps my family and I use.
Oatmeal baby soap. It's not just for babies and it lasts forever.
All in one cleanser. Mix one part soap with 4 parts water in a foaming bottle to make it last. I have it at every sink in the house.
Both these products come from the Ontario based company Bare Organics started by a mother who's child has overly sensitive skin. I order it through a friend or online. It's worth the shipping and if you have issues, questions or are not satisfied, you can talk to the owner directly.
I just ordered these handmade soaps from British-Columbia based Rocky Mountain Soap Company: the pumpkin (good for skin conditions), the goats milk (always very creamy), the Alpine and the Bar None. I'll let you know what I think of them.
b) Something to wash your hair with, and not every day. It's shampoos containing sulfates that force you to. Of course, if your hair gets stripped of it's natural oils every wash it will make it in excess to balance itself out. No conditioner is needed if your oils are left to work normally. This can take a week or longer. Hair withdrawal is hell but think of the freedom! In my case it's simple, I'm getting brand new undamaged hair. I use Burts Bees shampoo sold in most drugs stores.
c) Something to clean your teeth with. Toothpaste is filled with chemicals, yet alternatives are not great. Have you tried brushing your teeth with baking soda? It's absolutely disgusting. Nevertheless if you want, here's a homemade toothpaste recipe (scroll down to toothpaste). I'll let you know when I find something else.
d) Deodorant. Sweating is your body's natural way of getting rid of toxins. It's counter-productive to stop it considering the amount the toxins we ingest, but excessive stinky sweating is not acceptable. I started using Burst Bees deodorant instead of antiperspirant. It works most days unless I wear synthetic materials or if I'm dehydrated. It doesn't prevent sweating, so I ordered this one from Rocky Mountain, which was suggested by a friend.
e) Moisturizer (if your skin is dry). This is very simple. I use oil. When I go camping, I use olive oil. Why not? I need something to hydrate my skin and protect it from the elements. Oil does that very well. Since I know there's no product out there that will make my wrinkles disappear, I don't waste my money. If your skin is oily, good for you, it has it's own natural protection. Like with hair, if you stop stripping it, it might work well.
f) Make-up (if you're a women, or not). I've known for a long time that make-up is full of harsh somethings, since my face would break out and my eyes don't tolerate mascara. Think of waterproof mascara, what makes it waterproof? I rather not know. I found two brands of cosmetics without parabens or so I was told. One is Plant Love by Cargo and unfortunately, I don't remember the other one. I also use products from the new organic line from Cover girl (I can't find a link) and Burts Bees makes great lip glosses.
Of course, this list can get longer if you choose but you can use more natural alternatives and reduce your exposure to toxins and xenoestrogens. Really, that's a lot of products we use on your body every day, so if they all contain an "acceptable" amount of harmful toxins, how much are you absorbing then?
Sources
Campain for Safe Cosmetics
"Canadian Laws"
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
Rocky Mountain Soap Company
"Elements to avoid"
October 09, 2009
Recipes for Real Food
It's breast cancer awareness month, hence the new pink hair profile photo, and all the more reason to be cooking and baking real food. I'm still eating it exclusively and it has changed my life --no drug or chemo-induced menopausal side effects at all. Amazing.
After my last food post, my friend A sent me a link to Food Renegade, a blog about real food. Although informative, the absence of references bothers me to no end. I believe the author since I've read a lot on food myself lately, but as my friend put it, the over zealousness gets in the way of the seriousness. I also don't like that she doesn't tell me where to get this real food. Regardless, it's worth taking a look, so I'll put the link in the resources section on the right column.
As I mentioned in my last post, I've been busy baking, even bread. If you're interested in making bread, don't buy a bread maker. It'll be more hassle to take it out and put it away than it is to make bread from scratch. Don't be scared off by the time it takes --that's just time the dough rises, while you live. Don't think you'll have to knead for hours either; who has time to knead? I found two no knead recipes. The only thing you have to remember is that it takes practice to get it right.
The first recipe is a no knead bread from Chuck Hugues, a Montreal chef on Food TV. It's easy and it doesn't hurt that Chuck is very nice to watch. I saw him make this bread on tv and you don't have to be careful about the details. I do let it rise for an hour or more though. It makes two loafs like this one.
The second is a recipe for a French boule. It only has 4 ingredients and is much easier to put together. The inconvenience is you have to let the dough rise for 12 to 24 hours, then another 2 hours after folding it a bit. I usually make the dough at the same time I'll want to bake it the next day and I don't wait the full two hours afterwards. I changed the shape of the last one:
I've also been baking all of C. de Lune's snacks. I use seasonal produce or what I've frozen this summer. I'm not very original in the kitchen and although I'm starting to bake well and make substitutions, I need recipes. Most of the time, I substitute half the flour with whole wheat flour, I add only half the sugar called for and I always use butter.
Blueberry muffins
I made these muffins in August, in the middle of blueberries season. They're quite healthy and the only thing I changed in the recipe was the amount of honey -- blueberries are so sweet and honey is expensive, so I used 1/4 cup. The yogurt makes them moist. C. de Lune didn't like the first batch because she doesn't like big chucks of cooked fruit, so I mushed the blueberries with the mortar and pestle until they looked like jam.
Peach muffins
I found this recipe on a blog when I was looking to make something with my fresh Ontario peaches. It's for a peach loaf, but muffins cook so much faster and C. de Lune prefers them. I made a few changes to this recipe since I felt I could make it healthier and still have popular muffins --which they were. I didn't add flaxseed meal, but I would next time.
Banana chocolate chip muffins and banana bread
This is a basic and simple banana bread recipe but I add lots of chocolate chips. I've made both a loaf and muffins with it and C. de Lune requested a make more last night.
Applesauce muffins
This recipe is pretty much the same as the banana one. I used applesauce I made from scratch because it's apple season, but that's not necessary.
Apple bread
Scroll down the page to find the recipe. The only change I made in this one is I reduced the sugar quantity.
Pear white chocolate cookies
In this case, used more butter instead of shortening and oats instead of granola. As usual I reduced the sugar quantity and substituted some flour. Next time though, I'll cook the oats a bit first since I think what I have is not quick rolled oats.
I'm very busy this week planning for C. de Lune's birthday and the holiday--that's my fault for giving birth on Thanksgiving day. Therefore, I'll stop there for now. More recipes soon.
References
Food Network Website
"Chucks Day Off No Knead Bread"
"French Food at Home Miracle Boule"
"Fresh with Anna Olsen, Anna's Blueberry Muffins"
A Life Less Sweet blog
Cat Can Cook blog
Salt and Chocolate blog
About.com
"White Chocolate Pear Cookies"
After my last food post, my friend A sent me a link to Food Renegade, a blog about real food. Although informative, the absence of references bothers me to no end. I believe the author since I've read a lot on food myself lately, but as my friend put it, the over zealousness gets in the way of the seriousness. I also don't like that she doesn't tell me where to get this real food. Regardless, it's worth taking a look, so I'll put the link in the resources section on the right column.
As I mentioned in my last post, I've been busy baking, even bread. If you're interested in making bread, don't buy a bread maker. It'll be more hassle to take it out and put it away than it is to make bread from scratch. Don't be scared off by the time it takes --that's just time the dough rises, while you live. Don't think you'll have to knead for hours either; who has time to knead? I found two no knead recipes. The only thing you have to remember is that it takes practice to get it right.
The first recipe is a no knead bread from Chuck Hugues, a Montreal chef on Food TV. It's easy and it doesn't hurt that Chuck is very nice to watch. I saw him make this bread on tv and you don't have to be careful about the details. I do let it rise for an hour or more though. It makes two loafs like this one.
The second is a recipe for a French boule. It only has 4 ingredients and is much easier to put together. The inconvenience is you have to let the dough rise for 12 to 24 hours, then another 2 hours after folding it a bit. I usually make the dough at the same time I'll want to bake it the next day and I don't wait the full two hours afterwards. I changed the shape of the last one:
I've also been baking all of C. de Lune's snacks. I use seasonal produce or what I've frozen this summer. I'm not very original in the kitchen and although I'm starting to bake well and make substitutions, I need recipes. Most of the time, I substitute half the flour with whole wheat flour, I add only half the sugar called for and I always use butter.
Blueberry muffins
I made these muffins in August, in the middle of blueberries season. They're quite healthy and the only thing I changed in the recipe was the amount of honey -- blueberries are so sweet and honey is expensive, so I used 1/4 cup. The yogurt makes them moist. C. de Lune didn't like the first batch because she doesn't like big chucks of cooked fruit, so I mushed the blueberries with the mortar and pestle until they looked like jam.
Peach muffins
I found this recipe on a blog when I was looking to make something with my fresh Ontario peaches. It's for a peach loaf, but muffins cook so much faster and C. de Lune prefers them. I made a few changes to this recipe since I felt I could make it healthier and still have popular muffins --which they were. I didn't add flaxseed meal, but I would next time.
Banana chocolate chip muffins and banana bread
This is a basic and simple banana bread recipe but I add lots of chocolate chips. I've made both a loaf and muffins with it and C. de Lune requested a make more last night.
Applesauce muffins
This recipe is pretty much the same as the banana one. I used applesauce I made from scratch because it's apple season, but that's not necessary.
Apple bread
Scroll down the page to find the recipe. The only change I made in this one is I reduced the sugar quantity.
Pear white chocolate cookies
In this case, used more butter instead of shortening and oats instead of granola. As usual I reduced the sugar quantity and substituted some flour. Next time though, I'll cook the oats a bit first since I think what I have is not quick rolled oats.
I'm very busy this week planning for C. de Lune's birthday and the holiday--that's my fault for giving birth on Thanksgiving day. Therefore, I'll stop there for now. More recipes soon.
References
Food Network Website
"Chucks Day Off No Knead Bread"
"French Food at Home Miracle Boule"
"Fresh with Anna Olsen, Anna's Blueberry Muffins"
A Life Less Sweet blog
Cat Can Cook blog
Salt and Chocolate blog
About.com
"White Chocolate Pear Cookies"
September 29, 2009
Food. Part 1
You'll see many posts about food on this blog since there's so much to learn, or more appropriately, unlearn. I always thought I ate well: choosing foods from all 4 food groups and varying produce, limiting red meats and junk food, looking out for sodium and fat levels, eating whole grains, drinking water, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and so on. D has been the chef in this house for the last 10 years and has fed us consciously well. I've always been interested in the chemistry of food (vitamins, minerals) and learning what we get out off it. That said, I never really looked at ingredients in store-bought products and never stopped myself from eating convenience foods as long as the salt and fat content was reasonable. There lies the mistake.
I was reading a book entitled Food Matters about the meat industry, and watching the 100 Mile Diet on FoodTV when a friend suggested I read In Defence of Food. This book is written by Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivor's Dilemma. The first sentence was one of the 3 factors that made me start a food revolution in my kitchen. It read "Eat food. Not to much. Mostly plants".
The second factor was finding out about soy. Studies conflict about the role of soy in hormonal receptive cancers and estrogen dominant conditions. Some say it contributes, some say it reduces. The issue is between fermented and unfermented soy, basically real soy versus processed. In North American, we eat soy mostly in processed form. It's by-products are found in most baked goods--soybean oil, soy lecithin, etc, and are xenoestrogen. That's also why Asian women don't get breast cancer more than we do --they eat real, fermented soy which is a good form of phytoestrogen, and helps balance hormones. It's all very convoluted.
The third factor was finding out what's in cheap mayonnaise and sour cream. I went to the grocery store one day this summer to get both. I was curious about the ingredient so I picked up the cheap store brand sour cream (price has always been my selection factor) and read. The first ingredient was soybean oil... in sour cream. I was shocked. Isn't sour cream, cream that's sour? Shouldn't it be cream or milk and bacterial culture? I searched and found some that were just that, so I was right. Then I checked the mayonnaise: same cheap store brand, same soybean oil. Mayonnaise should be oil, eggs and seasoning. Nothing else.
These experiences were very upsetting, but they got me thinking. What's good for us is only getting more complicated: low fat, low sodium, margarine/butter, Omega 3, fibre and flax, red food, green food, blue food, health check this and blue menu that. But really, if you think about it, there are only two types of foods on the planet. Not healthy food and junk food as I used to think. Besides, that division is subject to interpretation and debate. No, it's even simpler than that:
Real food and fake food.
Think about it for a moment: Does an apple need a label that tells us it's healthy? Of course not, we all know it is. So why do already-made goods have one? It seems the more they try to convince us the food in question is good for us, the faker it is. One of the most obvious examples of fake food is Cool Whip and the less obvious is non fat, sweetener added yogurt. Yogurt is supposed to contain live bacterial culture and fat by definition. In North American, we pasteurize all dairy products, and fruit juice for that matter, to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. It's the fear of food poisoning liability kicking in. But since we've realized probiotics are essential to good gut health, we've seen more expensive yogurt with "good" bacteria appear on the shelves. You could say that's how they control the bacteria we injest. But the odds of getting sick from yogurt and cheese is minimal compared to the benefits. That said, yogurt is healthy regardless and I still eat it --just the real, sugar added, fatty kind. My favourite is Liberté balkan, made in Québec. All this is why I choose butter over margarine and sugar over artificial sweeteners. Speaking of which, did you know that when heated, aspartame turns into formaldehyde? And sorbitol is a laxative, by the way.
Why do products have a million ingredients in them now? They can't all be preservatives. Do I need guar gum in my salad dressing? Do you know what goes into real salad dressing? A fat (oil), an acid (lemon, vinegar or wine) and a flavour (seasoning, garlic, raspberries). It definitely comes in handy to know what foods are supposed to be made of. Have you looked at the ingredients in store bought bread, our western diet staple? Too much of nothing if you ask me. Bread can be made with 4 ingredients: flour, yeast, salt and water. That's what I make* it with and it looks like this. I'm so proud.
Last night I had a craving for potato chips, so D whipped some up in 15 minutes with potatoes, oil, salt and a frying pan.
The point is, this is back to basics at it's best. Just like with plastic, why fix what's not broken? Making your own baked goods like muffins, loafs and cookies takes little time and effort, and you have the added bonus of choosing what goes in it. It also feels very rewarding to say the least. So far this school year, I've baked* for C. de Lune's lunches, all from fresh and mostly local produce:
Blueberry muffins;
Peach muffins;
Banana chocolate chip muffins and banana bread;
Applesauce muffins and apple loaf;
Gingerbread;
Oatmeal white chocolate cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies;
Carrots cookies.
*Recipes in future posts.
I freeze them until I pack them in her lunch. By the time she's ready to eats them, their thawed. You can also make your own tomato sauce, mayo, applesauce...the possibilities are endless.
The other advantage of eating real food is the reduction in options to choose from. Believe me, when you can't pop open a bag of cookies, you tend to go for the apple. I've been eating real foods exclusively for a month now and I've seen my chemo-induced-temporary-menopause symptoms practically disappeared. I've also been regular (I've had a problematic relationship with my gut all my life) and I feel like I'm doing something to prevent cancer from hitting me and my loved ones again.
If you're wondering how to recognize real food, here are a few hints:
If it's sold as convenient, it's fake;
If it's sold in the perimeter of the grocery store, it's real --there are exceptions of course;
If we had it 100 years ago, it's real;
If you can find it in the wild or in the garden, it's real;
If it only has more or less 5 ingredients, it's real.
There is so much more to be said about food, so keep checking. Recipes will be posted next time.
Sources
Bittman. Mark. Food Matters. A Guide to Conscious Eating. NY, Simon and Shuster, 2009.
Pollan. Michael. In Defence of Food. An Eater's Manifesto. NY, Penguin Books, 2008.
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
I was reading a book entitled Food Matters about the meat industry, and watching the 100 Mile Diet on FoodTV when a friend suggested I read In Defence of Food. This book is written by Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivor's Dilemma. The first sentence was one of the 3 factors that made me start a food revolution in my kitchen. It read "Eat food. Not to much. Mostly plants".
The second factor was finding out about soy. Studies conflict about the role of soy in hormonal receptive cancers and estrogen dominant conditions. Some say it contributes, some say it reduces. The issue is between fermented and unfermented soy, basically real soy versus processed. In North American, we eat soy mostly in processed form. It's by-products are found in most baked goods--soybean oil, soy lecithin, etc, and are xenoestrogen. That's also why Asian women don't get breast cancer more than we do --they eat real, fermented soy which is a good form of phytoestrogen, and helps balance hormones. It's all very convoluted.
The third factor was finding out what's in cheap mayonnaise and sour cream. I went to the grocery store one day this summer to get both. I was curious about the ingredient so I picked up the cheap store brand sour cream (price has always been my selection factor) and read. The first ingredient was soybean oil... in sour cream. I was shocked. Isn't sour cream, cream that's sour? Shouldn't it be cream or milk and bacterial culture? I searched and found some that were just that, so I was right. Then I checked the mayonnaise: same cheap store brand, same soybean oil. Mayonnaise should be oil, eggs and seasoning. Nothing else.
These experiences were very upsetting, but they got me thinking. What's good for us is only getting more complicated: low fat, low sodium, margarine/butter, Omega 3, fibre and flax, red food, green food, blue food, health check this and blue menu that. But really, if you think about it, there are only two types of foods on the planet. Not healthy food and junk food as I used to think. Besides, that division is subject to interpretation and debate. No, it's even simpler than that:
Real food and fake food.
Think about it for a moment: Does an apple need a label that tells us it's healthy? Of course not, we all know it is. So why do already-made goods have one? It seems the more they try to convince us the food in question is good for us, the faker it is. One of the most obvious examples of fake food is Cool Whip and the less obvious is non fat, sweetener added yogurt. Yogurt is supposed to contain live bacterial culture and fat by definition. In North American, we pasteurize all dairy products, and fruit juice for that matter, to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. It's the fear of food poisoning liability kicking in. But since we've realized probiotics are essential to good gut health, we've seen more expensive yogurt with "good" bacteria appear on the shelves. You could say that's how they control the bacteria we injest. But the odds of getting sick from yogurt and cheese is minimal compared to the benefits. That said, yogurt is healthy regardless and I still eat it --just the real, sugar added, fatty kind. My favourite is Liberté balkan, made in Québec. All this is why I choose butter over margarine and sugar over artificial sweeteners. Speaking of which, did you know that when heated, aspartame turns into formaldehyde? And sorbitol is a laxative, by the way.
Why do products have a million ingredients in them now? They can't all be preservatives. Do I need guar gum in my salad dressing? Do you know what goes into real salad dressing? A fat (oil), an acid (lemon, vinegar or wine) and a flavour (seasoning, garlic, raspberries). It definitely comes in handy to know what foods are supposed to be made of. Have you looked at the ingredients in store bought bread, our western diet staple? Too much of nothing if you ask me. Bread can be made with 4 ingredients: flour, yeast, salt and water. That's what I make* it with and it looks like this. I'm so proud.
Last night I had a craving for potato chips, so D whipped some up in 15 minutes with potatoes, oil, salt and a frying pan.
The point is, this is back to basics at it's best. Just like with plastic, why fix what's not broken? Making your own baked goods like muffins, loafs and cookies takes little time and effort, and you have the added bonus of choosing what goes in it. It also feels very rewarding to say the least. So far this school year, I've baked* for C. de Lune's lunches, all from fresh and mostly local produce:
Blueberry muffins;
Peach muffins;
Banana chocolate chip muffins and banana bread;
Applesauce muffins and apple loaf;
Gingerbread;
Oatmeal white chocolate cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies;
Carrots cookies.
*Recipes in future posts.
I freeze them until I pack them in her lunch. By the time she's ready to eats them, their thawed. You can also make your own tomato sauce, mayo, applesauce...the possibilities are endless.
The other advantage of eating real food is the reduction in options to choose from. Believe me, when you can't pop open a bag of cookies, you tend to go for the apple. I've been eating real foods exclusively for a month now and I've seen my chemo-induced-temporary-menopause symptoms practically disappeared. I've also been regular (I've had a problematic relationship with my gut all my life) and I feel like I'm doing something to prevent cancer from hitting me and my loved ones again.
If you're wondering how to recognize real food, here are a few hints:
If it's sold as convenient, it's fake;
If it's sold in the perimeter of the grocery store, it's real --there are exceptions of course;
If we had it 100 years ago, it's real;
If you can find it in the wild or in the garden, it's real;
If it only has more or less 5 ingredients, it's real.
There is so much more to be said about food, so keep checking. Recipes will be posted next time.
Sources
Bittman. Mark. Food Matters. A Guide to Conscious Eating. NY, Simon and Shuster, 2009.
Pollan. Michael. In Defence of Food. An Eater's Manifesto. NY, Penguin Books, 2008.
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
September 23, 2009
Plastic
Have a good look around your house and you'll see just how much we use plastic. It seems in the last 50 years all other materials have been replaced by the "better" plastic option --wood, steel, leather, glass, rubber, cotton and the list goes on. Plastic is used as the safer, lighter and of course, cheaper alternative. In addition, it breaks after a certain amount of use so the need to produce more is built in. It's still lighter, cheaper and still breaks, but it's obvious now that it isn't safe at all. Quite the contrary.
As mentioned in both my bisphenol A and phthalates posts, our beloved plastic (including vinyl) contains many different components that are toxic to our health, acting as extra hormones in our body. These components are used to make plastic soft, thin, flexible, strong, light --basically all the characteristics we like about it.
Heating up plastic has always been a bad idea --anyone who's melted it by mistake knows that chemical smell. We know it, yet as recently as last year my family and I were leaving water bottles in the sun and heating up food in the microwave in plastic containers or with cling wrap. A study at Dartmouth University found that a plastic wrap smeared in olive oil, heated up in the microwave had 500,000 times the amount of xenoestrogen needed for breast cancer cells to multiply in test tubes. Even worse, we now know there's no need to heat plastic (or freeze it for that matter) for it to leach --just touching it is enough. These toxins are absorbed through our skin as well as inhaled. They stay in dust bunnies in our homes and when our food comes in contact with plastic, we eat them.
To make you aware, here's a random selection of things made of plastic that originally weren't. Which makes me think that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it":
Fences and decks;
Windows, doors and house siding;
Tools for yard work and indoor cleaning (rakes, mops);
Furniture and lamps (in plastic and vinyl);
Window blinds, shower curtains and picture frames;
Kid's toys and books;
Pens and markers (as opposed to pencils);
Clothing (raincoats, shoes, belts);
CD cases (as opposed to LP pockets) and DVD cases (as opposed to VCR pockets);
Dishes and utensils (for cooking and eating) including ice trays;
Food storage and packed lunch containers;
Juice jugs, milk bags and wine bottles...and corks;
Yogurt and other wet dairy products sold in containers;
Meat and cheese sold in cling plastic (as opposed to paper);
Fresh fruit baskets (have you seen the new peach ones this year?)
When I looked around, I was horrified that my 3 beloved vintage chairs were all in vinyl --a material I choose when I got them reupholstered because it looks great and is so child and dog friendly (yeah...). And my beautiful Philip Stark Ghost chair, a piece of art, is, you said it, plastic. That's what it is! A plastic chair! I still love it...
In France, food is sold mostly in glass containers. I took a few photos to show you and I even brought the small jars back to reuse.
Mustard and mayonaise
Chocolate mousse (pudding was the same)
Yogurt
Plastic is everywhere and finding out it isn't safe is overwhelming to say the least. Making changes can seem intimidating, even impossible but it isn't. The key is to take one step at a time --any reduction of your exposure to it will make a difference. Remember that you're a pioneer in choosing alternatives and some things are just not available yet in anything but plastic. I started making changes last year and I'm far from being done. I admit, I had to start thinking differently and changing my habits. These are a few of the changes we've made:
For packed lunches:
I use:
the yellow LunchBot* for C. de Lune's lunches. It's just the right size to fit in her lunch bag, it closes well and the separator is attached to the bottom. However, it isn't watertight. The LunchBot without a separator works well too.
*LunchBots are made in China --you can read what they contain, and how they're made on their website.
a small Klean Kanteen for her beverage.
an airtight stainless steel container for fruit pieces and other small foods.
the same steel container or small canning containers for wet foods like yogurt or applesauce. The plastic liner in the lid could have BPA, so I turn it around.
parchment paper to wrap sandwiches, muffins and cookies. I twist each ends like I saw them do in Paris, which looks like a huge wrapped candy. Wax paper does the trick too, but remember it's made from petroleum.
bambo utensils (for fun).
For foods storage:
I use:
LunchBots without separators
glass container with lock and lock plastic lids (we asked and they don't contain BPA or phthalates). I still wouldn't heat them up.
pyrex containers with plastic lids. Same deal.
the bigger sized airtight stainless steel containers.
For food preparation and eating:
I use:
stainless steel cooking utensils only;
steel colandars and cheese graters;
steel or ceramic mixing bowls;
usual dishes and glasses, no plastic.
For food purchases (this one is difficult):
I choose oils, condiments and juices in glass jars;
I buy meats and fish at the counter (the paper has a plastic lining, but it hasn't sat in it for long;
I buy butter instead of margarine (and it's real food --more on that in future posts);
I buy ice cream in cardboard boxes (although now I like making my own).
I'm working on more...
Sources
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
As mentioned in both my bisphenol A and phthalates posts, our beloved plastic (including vinyl) contains many different components that are toxic to our health, acting as extra hormones in our body. These components are used to make plastic soft, thin, flexible, strong, light --basically all the characteristics we like about it.
Heating up plastic has always been a bad idea --anyone who's melted it by mistake knows that chemical smell. We know it, yet as recently as last year my family and I were leaving water bottles in the sun and heating up food in the microwave in plastic containers or with cling wrap. A study at Dartmouth University found that a plastic wrap smeared in olive oil, heated up in the microwave had 500,000 times the amount of xenoestrogen needed for breast cancer cells to multiply in test tubes. Even worse, we now know there's no need to heat plastic (or freeze it for that matter) for it to leach --just touching it is enough. These toxins are absorbed through our skin as well as inhaled. They stay in dust bunnies in our homes and when our food comes in contact with plastic, we eat them.
To make you aware, here's a random selection of things made of plastic that originally weren't. Which makes me think that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it":
Fences and decks;
Windows, doors and house siding;
Tools for yard work and indoor cleaning (rakes, mops);
Furniture and lamps (in plastic and vinyl);
Window blinds, shower curtains and picture frames;
Kid's toys and books;
Pens and markers (as opposed to pencils);
Clothing (raincoats, shoes, belts);
CD cases (as opposed to LP pockets) and DVD cases (as opposed to VCR pockets);
Dishes and utensils (for cooking and eating) including ice trays;
Food storage and packed lunch containers;
Juice jugs, milk bags and wine bottles...and corks;
Yogurt and other wet dairy products sold in containers;
Meat and cheese sold in cling plastic (as opposed to paper);
Fresh fruit baskets (have you seen the new peach ones this year?)
When I looked around, I was horrified that my 3 beloved vintage chairs were all in vinyl --a material I choose when I got them reupholstered because it looks great and is so child and dog friendly (yeah...). And my beautiful Philip Stark Ghost chair, a piece of art, is, you said it, plastic. That's what it is! A plastic chair! I still love it...
In France, food is sold mostly in glass containers. I took a few photos to show you and I even brought the small jars back to reuse.
Mustard and mayonaise
Chocolate mousse (pudding was the same)
Yogurt
Plastic is everywhere and finding out it isn't safe is overwhelming to say the least. Making changes can seem intimidating, even impossible but it isn't. The key is to take one step at a time --any reduction of your exposure to it will make a difference. Remember that you're a pioneer in choosing alternatives and some things are just not available yet in anything but plastic. I started making changes last year and I'm far from being done. I admit, I had to start thinking differently and changing my habits. These are a few of the changes we've made:
For packed lunches:
I use:
the yellow LunchBot* for C. de Lune's lunches. It's just the right size to fit in her lunch bag, it closes well and the separator is attached to the bottom. However, it isn't watertight. The LunchBot without a separator works well too.
*LunchBots are made in China --you can read what they contain, and how they're made on their website.
a small Klean Kanteen for her beverage.
an airtight stainless steel container for fruit pieces and other small foods.
the same steel container or small canning containers for wet foods like yogurt or applesauce. The plastic liner in the lid could have BPA, so I turn it around.
parchment paper to wrap sandwiches, muffins and cookies. I twist each ends like I saw them do in Paris, which looks like a huge wrapped candy. Wax paper does the trick too, but remember it's made from petroleum.
bambo utensils (for fun).
For foods storage:
I use:
LunchBots without separators
glass container with lock and lock plastic lids (we asked and they don't contain BPA or phthalates). I still wouldn't heat them up.
pyrex containers with plastic lids. Same deal.
the bigger sized airtight stainless steel containers.
For food preparation and eating:
I use:
stainless steel cooking utensils only;
steel colandars and cheese graters;
steel or ceramic mixing bowls;
usual dishes and glasses, no plastic.
For food purchases (this one is difficult):
I choose oils, condiments and juices in glass jars;
I buy meats and fish at the counter (the paper has a plastic lining, but it hasn't sat in it for long;
I buy butter instead of margarine (and it's real food --more on that in future posts);
I buy ice cream in cardboard boxes (although now I like making my own).
I'm working on more...
Sources
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
September 21, 2009
Phthalates
I like to think of phthalates as the Monica Cruz of toxic chemicals--less famous than the sibling but just as striking, if not more so.
Phthalates are a grouping of more than a dozen xenoestrogens that can be inhaled or absorbed through skin, hair and nails. They have the same hormonal effects as Bisphenol A such as hormonal receptive cancers and estrogen dominant conditions, yet most people are unaware of their existence. Lab tests have proven that they also damage lungs (asthma anyone?), liver and kidneys in rats. In 2005, a scientist by the name of Swan published a report showing how phthalates are responsible for what she calls "demasculinization". More specifically, they cause the "phthalate syndrom", a conditions where male rats are born with abnormal genitals --then she proved it in humans in the US. Similarly, other scientists have shown that phthalates cause "testicular dysgenesis syndrome", which includes impaired sperm quality and testicular cancer.
Phthalates are used mostly as plasticizers, making plastics soft and flexible. They're also use to extend the life of fragrances and used as solvents in cosmetics. I'll let that sink in for a moment...
There are 3 main types of phthalates --I quote this directly from the Canadian Cancer Society's website:
1) DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) is the most common and is used mostly in PVC plastics. It can be found in vinyl products and in many medical plastics such as IV bags and tubes;
2) DINP (di-isononyl phthalate) is sometimes used in PVC plastics, including children’s toys. In Canada, other phthalates are more likely to be used in children’s toys;
3) DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are most often used in cosmetics.
Although the Canadian Cancer Society is cautious about the information it provides on BPA as previously states in my BPA post, it's definitely taking a clearer stand against phthalates, even urging people to contact their member of Parliament about it. The reason is phthalates are in pretty much everything, from medical tubing and saline bags to children's toys and shampoos. The American Chemistry Council will not only tell you they're safe, but fun as well! I'm not kidding, the tag line on their home page with the nice healthy landscape in the banner is "Performance, Convenience, Fun". They even tell us that conclusions drawn from lab test on animals are not transferable to people. But go to their "About Us" page and you'll see that they are composed of corporations and companies who all have a financial stake in your use of phthalates. Phthalates.com tells us they're safe too, just as the Biphenol.com site did with BPA (did I mention it's an initiative of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates?). When it comes to cancer, the link between it and phthalates hasn't been proven without a shadow of a doubt yet but just like BPA, it fits in estrogen receptions in hormonal receptive cancers. So it's up to you to decide, but who are you going to trust, the Chemical Council or the Cancer Society?
Some of the products* that contain phthalates include:
All plastics #2, #4 and #5;
Cosmetics (make-up, deodorant, hair gel, shampoos and conditioners, body lotion, lubricants, soap, etc). "Fragrance" or "Perfumes" are often used for phthalates ingredients;
Toys (both the kid's kind and the sex kind);
Vinyl (shower curtains, furniture, clothing);
Flooring and building materials;
Medical supplies (blood and saline bags, drain tubes, picc lines, IVs);
Car interiors;
Fatty foods such as dairy, meats and processed foods (because they're fat soluble);
Laundry detergents,
Air fresheners;
Scented cleaning products;
Contaminated dust in your house (when they leach, they go in the air).
The danger is not only that phthalates are unavoidable, but that they easily leach out --they're not an integral part of the plastic or vinyl, but sit on top. Children are especially at risk of their effects with their developing cells and their nasty habit of putting everything in their mouth. Needless to say, this is all very terrifying. Think of how I feel about the picc line that was in my vein from my arm to my heart for 5 months, and the drains tubes under my skin after my mastectomy. So why is nothing being done about this real threat to our health? Well, the European Union has banned 6 phthalates in kids' toys and is working towards limiting their use in products coming in contact with foods. An anti-phthalate law will also come into effect in the US in 2009. It's a start.
The good news, like with BPA, is that phthalates leave the body very quickly so if we stopped being exposed to them tomorrow, we would be rid of them by the next day. There are a few things you can do to limit your exposure*:
Don't use plastic to store foods at all;
Choose foods that come in glass (oils, condiments, etc);
Dust you home, open your windows and change your furnace filter often;
Drive with the windows open;
Change your cosmetics;
Never use air fresheners;
Use frangrance free products as a rule.
The biggest thing you can do however is make noise about it --share what you know, ask companies about phthalates in their products and choose the alternatives.
*More on individual products and alternatives in future posts.
Sources
"Phthalates", Canadian Cancer Society
Phthalate Information Centre, The American Chemistry Council
Phthalates Information Centre Europe Website
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
Phthalates are a grouping of more than a dozen xenoestrogens that can be inhaled or absorbed through skin, hair and nails. They have the same hormonal effects as Bisphenol A such as hormonal receptive cancers and estrogen dominant conditions, yet most people are unaware of their existence. Lab tests have proven that they also damage lungs (asthma anyone?), liver and kidneys in rats. In 2005, a scientist by the name of Swan published a report showing how phthalates are responsible for what she calls "demasculinization". More specifically, they cause the "phthalate syndrom", a conditions where male rats are born with abnormal genitals --then she proved it in humans in the US. Similarly, other scientists have shown that phthalates cause "testicular dysgenesis syndrome", which includes impaired sperm quality and testicular cancer.
Phthalates are used mostly as plasticizers, making plastics soft and flexible. They're also use to extend the life of fragrances and used as solvents in cosmetics. I'll let that sink in for a moment...
There are 3 main types of phthalates --I quote this directly from the Canadian Cancer Society's website:
1) DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) is the most common and is used mostly in PVC plastics. It can be found in vinyl products and in many medical plastics such as IV bags and tubes;
2) DINP (di-isononyl phthalate) is sometimes used in PVC plastics, including children’s toys. In Canada, other phthalates are more likely to be used in children’s toys;
3) DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are most often used in cosmetics.
Although the Canadian Cancer Society is cautious about the information it provides on BPA as previously states in my BPA post, it's definitely taking a clearer stand against phthalates, even urging people to contact their member of Parliament about it. The reason is phthalates are in pretty much everything, from medical tubing and saline bags to children's toys and shampoos. The American Chemistry Council will not only tell you they're safe, but fun as well! I'm not kidding, the tag line on their home page with the nice healthy landscape in the banner is "Performance, Convenience, Fun". They even tell us that conclusions drawn from lab test on animals are not transferable to people. But go to their "About Us" page and you'll see that they are composed of corporations and companies who all have a financial stake in your use of phthalates. Phthalates.com tells us they're safe too, just as the Biphenol.com site did with BPA (did I mention it's an initiative of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates?). When it comes to cancer, the link between it and phthalates hasn't been proven without a shadow of a doubt yet but just like BPA, it fits in estrogen receptions in hormonal receptive cancers. So it's up to you to decide, but who are you going to trust, the Chemical Council or the Cancer Society?
Some of the products* that contain phthalates include:
All plastics #2, #4 and #5;
Cosmetics (make-up, deodorant, hair gel, shampoos and conditioners, body lotion, lubricants, soap, etc). "Fragrance" or "Perfumes" are often used for phthalates ingredients;
Toys (both the kid's kind and the sex kind);
Vinyl (shower curtains, furniture, clothing);
Flooring and building materials;
Medical supplies (blood and saline bags, drain tubes, picc lines, IVs);
Car interiors;
Fatty foods such as dairy, meats and processed foods (because they're fat soluble);
Laundry detergents,
Air fresheners;
Scented cleaning products;
Contaminated dust in your house (when they leach, they go in the air).
The danger is not only that phthalates are unavoidable, but that they easily leach out --they're not an integral part of the plastic or vinyl, but sit on top. Children are especially at risk of their effects with their developing cells and their nasty habit of putting everything in their mouth. Needless to say, this is all very terrifying. Think of how I feel about the picc line that was in my vein from my arm to my heart for 5 months, and the drains tubes under my skin after my mastectomy. So why is nothing being done about this real threat to our health? Well, the European Union has banned 6 phthalates in kids' toys and is working towards limiting their use in products coming in contact with foods. An anti-phthalate law will also come into effect in the US in 2009. It's a start.
The good news, like with BPA, is that phthalates leave the body very quickly so if we stopped being exposed to them tomorrow, we would be rid of them by the next day. There are a few things you can do to limit your exposure*:
Don't use plastic to store foods at all;
Choose foods that come in glass (oils, condiments, etc);
Dust you home, open your windows and change your furnace filter often;
Drive with the windows open;
Change your cosmetics;
Never use air fresheners;
Use frangrance free products as a rule.
The biggest thing you can do however is make noise about it --share what you know, ask companies about phthalates in their products and choose the alternatives.
*More on individual products and alternatives in future posts.
Sources
"Phthalates", Canadian Cancer Society
Phthalate Information Centre, The American Chemistry Council
Phthalates Information Centre Europe Website
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
September 09, 2009
Bisphenol A
Since last year, there's been a lot of talk about the harmful effects of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics #7. When news came out last summer we ditched our plastic bottles and started drinking tap water out of metal ones. Then a few weeks ago, we found out that the insides of SIGG aluminum bottles were coated with a BPA soaked resin. More on that in my August 26th post on MyCWord blog. We're only now realizing that this chemical isn't just used in water and baby bottles. And although Health Canada doesn't admit it yet, it's becoming obvious through laboratory tests that it's not only harmful to babies, but to adults as well as to the environment. This is why:
According to the Chemical Substances website of the Government of Canada, "bisphenol A is an industrial chemical used to make a hard, clear plastic known as polycarbonate." What this definition doesn't say is that BPA is a xenoestrogen. That's where my previous post The Hormone Story is helpful. Xenoestrogen fits in the same receptors in our body as good estrogen does, taking it's place in telling cells what to do and how to behave. By doing so, it causes havoc on our systems and is responsible for many diseases, disorders and conditions. It causes developmental issues, ADD, life-threatening arrhythmia, obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders in women and infertility in men --to name a few. As for cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society says it's unclear if BPA is a cause in humans (although lab rats who's mothers were exposed to it are often born with cancer). That said, it is now a known fact that BPA causes, feeds and accelerates hormonal receptive cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate. Which is why the statistics look like this.
The list of products* containing BPA is endless. I think these are the worse:
All plastic #7 and #3 (like Tupperware);
Reusable water bottles and spring water cooler bottles;
Baby bottles and hard plastic sippy cups;
Toys and sports equipment;
Epoxy resins which lines the inside of metal-based food and beverage cans;
Plastic liners of metal lids on glass jar;
Dental fillings and sealants;
Eye glasses;
Surface waters from the tap (but much less than water from a plastic bottle);
Paper receipts from cash register (in very high doses) and newspaper ink.
*More on individual products in future posts.
In the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck, the author wanted to see how much BPA he could absorb in a day: "I ate nothing [...] but canned foods heated in a polycarbonate Rubbermaid container in the microwave. Campbell's chicken noodle soup, canned pineapple, Heinz spaghetti and leftover tuna casserole [...]. I drank a few Cokes and made my coffee in a polycarbonate French press coffeemaker purchased at Starbucks. I then drank my coffee from an old Avent polycarbonate baby bottle..." (p.247) Funny and terrifying all at once, isn't it?
BPA's hormonal effects was discovered by accident in 1998 when geneticists in the US found estrogen in their lab rats when no estrogen was used in their study. It was the rodents' plastic cages and water bottles that leached after they had been cleaned with high pH cleansers by mistake. If you're wondering, all BPA-lined products and polycarbonates leach BPA, and they don't need to be heated to do so. If that's not bad enough, it takes a very low dose to affect us since our body metabolizes it very quickly. Take a minute to think of the amount of BPA you're consuming by eating, drinking, inhaling and touching every day. One source of it at a time "might" be safe, but it's never just one at a time.
Many source will tell you BPA is safe and the FDA hasn't banned it. For example, if you go on the Bisphenol.org, you will read that there's nothing to be worried about. But always ask yourself who's behind the source. In this case: "This web site is sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association." The chemicals and plastics industries are very powerful, not unlike the pharmaceutical industry and, shall I say it, the tobacco industry. Remember when smoking in hospitals was permitted? We all know smoking causes lung cancer, yet cigarettes are still available. The point is, these industries have their own interests and business to protect (think of all we use made out of plastic), and their lobby groups and very influential.
If there's any good news it's this:
1) you can detox yourself of BPA and reduce it's affects on your body by reducing your exposure to it.
2)in 2008, the Canadian government banned the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles, and by doing so set a precedent. Unfortunately, it's still considered safe for adults. Interesting. Were do babies come from and live for 9 months before they're born? If a baby isn't drinking milk from a bottle, what is it drinking it from?
Sources
"Bisphenol A", The Canadian Cancer Society
"BPA industry fights back", JS Online
Chemical Substances EcoAction Initiative, Government of Canada
NTP-CERHR Expert Panel Report on the Reproductive and Developmental Tocixity of Bisphhenol A, 2007
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
The Bisphenol A Website
Treehugger.com
"Bisphenol A Found in Baby Food in Glass Jars"
"Chemical Found in Plastic Linked to Reproductive Disorders"
"Time to Pack In the Polycarbonates"
"U.S. test contradicts Sigg's chemical-free claim", HeathZone.ca
According to the Chemical Substances website of the Government of Canada, "bisphenol A is an industrial chemical used to make a hard, clear plastic known as polycarbonate." What this definition doesn't say is that BPA is a xenoestrogen. That's where my previous post The Hormone Story is helpful. Xenoestrogen fits in the same receptors in our body as good estrogen does, taking it's place in telling cells what to do and how to behave. By doing so, it causes havoc on our systems and is responsible for many diseases, disorders and conditions. It causes developmental issues, ADD, life-threatening arrhythmia, obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders in women and infertility in men --to name a few. As for cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society says it's unclear if BPA is a cause in humans (although lab rats who's mothers were exposed to it are often born with cancer). That said, it is now a known fact that BPA causes, feeds and accelerates hormonal receptive cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate. Which is why the statistics look like this.
The list of products* containing BPA is endless. I think these are the worse:
All plastic #7 and #3 (like Tupperware);
Reusable water bottles and spring water cooler bottles;
Baby bottles and hard plastic sippy cups;
Toys and sports equipment;
Epoxy resins which lines the inside of metal-based food and beverage cans;
Plastic liners of metal lids on glass jar;
Dental fillings and sealants;
Eye glasses;
Surface waters from the tap (but much less than water from a plastic bottle);
Paper receipts from cash register (in very high doses) and newspaper ink.
*More on individual products in future posts.
In the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck, the author wanted to see how much BPA he could absorb in a day: "I ate nothing [...] but canned foods heated in a polycarbonate Rubbermaid container in the microwave. Campbell's chicken noodle soup, canned pineapple, Heinz spaghetti and leftover tuna casserole [...]. I drank a few Cokes and made my coffee in a polycarbonate French press coffeemaker purchased at Starbucks. I then drank my coffee from an old Avent polycarbonate baby bottle..." (p.247) Funny and terrifying all at once, isn't it?
BPA's hormonal effects was discovered by accident in 1998 when geneticists in the US found estrogen in their lab rats when no estrogen was used in their study. It was the rodents' plastic cages and water bottles that leached after they had been cleaned with high pH cleansers by mistake. If you're wondering, all BPA-lined products and polycarbonates leach BPA, and they don't need to be heated to do so. If that's not bad enough, it takes a very low dose to affect us since our body metabolizes it very quickly. Take a minute to think of the amount of BPA you're consuming by eating, drinking, inhaling and touching every day. One source of it at a time "might" be safe, but it's never just one at a time.
Many source will tell you BPA is safe and the FDA hasn't banned it. For example, if you go on the Bisphenol.org, you will read that there's nothing to be worried about. But always ask yourself who's behind the source. In this case: "This web site is sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association." The chemicals and plastics industries are very powerful, not unlike the pharmaceutical industry and, shall I say it, the tobacco industry. Remember when smoking in hospitals was permitted? We all know smoking causes lung cancer, yet cigarettes are still available. The point is, these industries have their own interests and business to protect (think of all we use made out of plastic), and their lobby groups and very influential.
If there's any good news it's this:
1) you can detox yourself of BPA and reduce it's affects on your body by reducing your exposure to it.
2)in 2008, the Canadian government banned the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles, and by doing so set a precedent. Unfortunately, it's still considered safe for adults. Interesting. Were do babies come from and live for 9 months before they're born? If a baby isn't drinking milk from a bottle, what is it drinking it from?
Sources
"Bisphenol A", The Canadian Cancer Society
"BPA industry fights back", JS Online
Chemical Substances EcoAction Initiative, Government of Canada
NTP-CERHR Expert Panel Report on the Reproductive and Developmental Tocixity of Bisphhenol A, 2007
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
The Bisphenol A Website
Treehugger.com
"Bisphenol A Found in Baby Food in Glass Jars"
"Chemical Found in Plastic Linked to Reproductive Disorders"
"Time to Pack In the Polycarbonates"
"U.S. test contradicts Sigg's chemical-free claim", HeathZone.ca
September 01, 2009
The Hormone Story
Remember biology class in high school? Me neither, so I've been catching up with a book called Sexy Hormones, among others. Trust me, when doctors say you have a life threatening disease that's fed by your own body functions, you want to know what went wrong. I'm not a doctor or a anatomy teacher (yeah yeah), but here are, I think, the basics to understand for this newly publicized food and toxins debates to make sense. There are many conflicting information and opinions out there depending on which interests are being protected, which is why it's important to stay critical. In my case, the interest I'm protecting is my life. This is what I'm digesting from all of it.
1. Our body has many glands and organs which secrete hormones by converting cholesterol.
2. Hormones direct our body's functions, some you know more that others: The thyroid controls metabolism, the pancreas produces insulin, the ovaries control fertility. But did you know some boosts our immune system, helps us deal with stress, even direct cell formation (and therefore helps prevent cancer)?
3. Hormones are interdependent and work together like an orchestra --I prefer the bees-in-a-beehive or ants-in-an-ant-hill metaphors myself. Even one out of whack unbalances all the others, and consequently is bad news.
4. The body creates 3 types of estrogen; some can potentially protect against cancer, some feed hormonal receptive cancers like breast, ovarian and (I think) prostate cancer. However, not all cases of these cancers are hormonal receptive --about 70 to 75% of breast cancers are. Two of the three types of estrogen can convert to harmful estrogen and revert back.
5. The male body also creates estrogen. In fact, testosterone is one chemical conversion away from being estrogen.
6. Estrogen in our environment is called xenoestrogen and is a harmful type. Estrogen in plants is called phytoestrogen and is generally safer, with a few exceptions.
7. Organs like the liver and the intestines play an important role in hormonal health. A healthy liver detoxes harmful estrogen and well functioning intestines eliminates them.
8. Too much estrogen (or serious hormonal imbalance) in men can cause infertility as well as ADHD, autism, Tourette's syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia. In women, it causes many conditions such as ovarian cysts, PMS, endometriosis and infertility, as well as feeds hormone receptive cancers.
Understand these facts/concepts and the Bisphenol A and Phthalate "discoveries" and debates present in the media right now will makes more sense. More on that in next posts.
Sources
These sources cite many others sources. I've inserted links in case you want to learn more, but I'm not suggesting you go out and buy these books over others.
The Dissapearing Male, CBC, 2009.
The Intelligent Patient Guide to Breast Cancer. Intelligent Patient Guide, Vancouver, 2006.
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
1. Our body has many glands and organs which secrete hormones by converting cholesterol.
2. Hormones direct our body's functions, some you know more that others: The thyroid controls metabolism, the pancreas produces insulin, the ovaries control fertility. But did you know some boosts our immune system, helps us deal with stress, even direct cell formation (and therefore helps prevent cancer)?
3. Hormones are interdependent and work together like an orchestra --I prefer the bees-in-a-beehive or ants-in-an-ant-hill metaphors myself. Even one out of whack unbalances all the others, and consequently is bad news.
4. The body creates 3 types of estrogen; some can potentially protect against cancer, some feed hormonal receptive cancers like breast, ovarian and (I think) prostate cancer. However, not all cases of these cancers are hormonal receptive --about 70 to 75% of breast cancers are. Two of the three types of estrogen can convert to harmful estrogen and revert back.
5. The male body also creates estrogen. In fact, testosterone is one chemical conversion away from being estrogen.
6. Estrogen in our environment is called xenoestrogen and is a harmful type. Estrogen in plants is called phytoestrogen and is generally safer, with a few exceptions.
7. Organs like the liver and the intestines play an important role in hormonal health. A healthy liver detoxes harmful estrogen and well functioning intestines eliminates them.
8. Too much estrogen (or serious hormonal imbalance) in men can cause infertility as well as ADHD, autism, Tourette's syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia. In women, it causes many conditions such as ovarian cysts, PMS, endometriosis and infertility, as well as feeds hormone receptive cancers.
Understand these facts/concepts and the Bisphenol A and Phthalate "discoveries" and debates present in the media right now will makes more sense. More on that in next posts.
Sources
These sources cite many others sources. I've inserted links in case you want to learn more, but I'm not suggesting you go out and buy these books over others.
The Dissapearing Male, CBC, 2009.
The Intelligent Patient Guide to Breast Cancer. Intelligent Patient Guide, Vancouver, 2006.
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
August 29, 2009
Introduction
While I attended university, I worked in a bath product store that set itself apart with “natural” products. I remember explaining to customers that Sodium Laureth Sulfate was simply the foaming agent in shampoos and shower gels. Little did I know that it’s a potential carcinogen. I remember my friend, a product developer for the company, telling me about her frustrating experiences developing a new bath milk. The chemist wasn’t getting the base formula quite as she wanted it, then her mother the naturopath suggested using, what else, powdered milk…
A few years ago, another friend told me about the harmful chemicals in cosmetics and hygiene products. The only knowledge I had at the time was how aluminum in deodorant was linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. What I learned was enough to make me ditch most of my products overnight. I hated thinking of the toxins my 3 year old daughter had been absorbing every day since gestation. During the following year, my cleaning products and fabric softeners were next to go, then lawn pesticides, then plastics #7. I started eating more organic fruit and vegetables. Then I found out I had cancer.
The past year has been all about surviving. You can read MyCWord blog if you’re interested in knowing more. Now that I’m in remission, I’m on a mission to protect myself and my loved ones from becoming victims of this disease, which 1 in 3 people will develop in their lifetime. You’re wondering why breast and prostate cancer instances are out of proportion? Simple: they're fed by hormones like estrogen present in our surroundings –in our food, in our tools, in our products. I started thinking of what we consume in a day and how it’s part of the cycle that’s making us unhealthy. I’ve always been a big recycler and thrifter, but I want to do more. I want to break out of the nasty cycle, free myself of fake needs, be more self sustainable and ultimately, live a simpler, healthier life. These are some of the many facts I'm learning and realizations I’m having that I wish to share. I hope you’ll comment and share what you know too.
A few years ago, another friend told me about the harmful chemicals in cosmetics and hygiene products. The only knowledge I had at the time was how aluminum in deodorant was linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. What I learned was enough to make me ditch most of my products overnight. I hated thinking of the toxins my 3 year old daughter had been absorbing every day since gestation. During the following year, my cleaning products and fabric softeners were next to go, then lawn pesticides, then plastics #7. I started eating more organic fruit and vegetables. Then I found out I had cancer.
The past year has been all about surviving. You can read MyCWord blog if you’re interested in knowing more. Now that I’m in remission, I’m on a mission to protect myself and my loved ones from becoming victims of this disease, which 1 in 3 people will develop in their lifetime. You’re wondering why breast and prostate cancer instances are out of proportion? Simple: they're fed by hormones like estrogen present in our surroundings –in our food, in our tools, in our products. I started thinking of what we consume in a day and how it’s part of the cycle that’s making us unhealthy. I’ve always been a big recycler and thrifter, but I want to do more. I want to break out of the nasty cycle, free myself of fake needs, be more self sustainable and ultimately, live a simpler, healthier life. These are some of the many facts I'm learning and realizations I’m having that I wish to share. I hope you’ll comment and share what you know too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
