You have probably heard that plastics contain dangerous chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which mimic hormones in your body. They have been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Hopefully you’ve taken steps to avoid BPA, like using only stainless steel drinking bottles or glass food storage containers.

But did you know that there is BPA in the lining of food and beverage cans as well? Yes, it’s true. The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A. Canned tomatoes are likely to have even higher levels of BPA; the high acidity of tomatoes causes more BPA to leach into food.

Can-Free Tomato Solution? Pomi Tomatoes in a Box are BPA Free

Thankfully there is an easy way to avoid BPA from canned tomatoes: Pomi tomatoes come in a BPA-free box!

Pomi tomatoes come straight from Italy and they contain one ingredient: tomatoes. Italy’s standards for tomatoes and farming all fresh produce are much stricter than here in the U.S. Here are some more great reasons to choose Pomi tomatoes:

Why Pomi Tomatoes are a Great Choice

• All natural: The only ingredient is tomatoes!
• Pesticide free: Pomi grows their tomatoes without pesticides; many consider it to be an organic product because of this.
• Non-GMO
• Grown in accordance to the EU’s regulations for eco-sustainable agriculture
• Packaging is recyclable and BPA free
• No preservatives, water, artificial flavor, additives, or citric acid
• Low in sodium

You can read more by going to www.pomionline.it and clicking on the British flag at the bottom.

My Thoughts

When I first opened the box, all I could smell was fresh tomatoes! If I didn’t know any better, I would have said they were straight from the garden. Seriously, they smelled that great. And when I used them in a meal, they tasted as good as the tomatoes my mom canned from her garden! I was very impressed!

Where to Buy Pomi Tomatoes

I have seen Pomi tomatoes in my local Whole Foods. But if you aren’t fortunate enough to have a store that carries Pomi tomatoes, you can always find them on my favorite online store: Amazon.com!

Go to Amazon.com now and buy Pomi’s Strained Tomatoes and Chopped Tomatoes. You will have peace of mind from buying a safe tomato product and you will be very happy with the taste! Enjoy!

[Disclosure: I received some samples of Pomi tomatoes from the marketing firm Think Cannon.  With that being said, the comments and opinions above are purely my own.]

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

Problems With Synthetic Vitamins

• Synthetic vitamins are not as readily absorbed by the body as whole food nutrients are. Your body can absorb vitamins when all parts of the complex are present. In the case of a synthetic, isolated nutrient (a fraction of a vitamin), your body must supply the other parts of the complex, thus creating more work and deficiencies.
• Synthetic vitamins (especially for children) often contain harmful ingredients, such as artificial flavors, artificial colorings, sugars, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, and preservatives. (For example, check out the ingredients for Flintstone’s Complete and Centrum Kids.)
• Synthetic vitamins often contain allergens.

Whole Food Supplements

Whole food supplements are made from concentrated whole foods. The vitamins in these supplements are not isolated; they combine a variety of enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, trace elements, activators, and many other unknown or undiscovered factors all working together synergistically to enable this vitamin complex to do its job in your body.

Dr. Mercola provides more information about whole food supplements vs synthetic.

Phytonutrients

We have all heard about the vitamins and minerals we need, like Vitamin A and C, but not much is talked about the phytonutrients in food. Phytonutrients come from plants and act as anti-oxidants, cancer inhibitors, immune system boosters, and reduce genetic damage due to pollution and environmental toxins. To get the thousands of phytonutrients, we need to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in all colors; a rainbow of nutrition.

Natural Whole Food-Based Vitamins for Kids

When I look for supplements, I look for ones that are as close as possible to its natural form. (I want to remind you to read my disclaimer. I am not a medical doctor and you should always consult your physician for medical advice and opinions before you try any of these ideas. I am providing this information for educational purposes and sharing what works for me.)

Here are a few children’s vitamins that I think are good:

New Chapter Organics EveryKid

This multivitamin is in powder form (in packets) and comes in three flavors: Brilliant Berries, Awesome Apple, and Goodness Grape (sold exclusively at Whole Foods). We use this vitamin for our three-year-old son. We open the packet and sprinkle half of it in some applesauce. You can also dissolve it in water or they can eat it plain, right out of the packet!

We love that New Chapter EveryKid is organic! They are also gluten free, vegetarian, and contain no artificial colors or flavors. The fruit powder blend includes organic strawberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

New Chapter provides some information on children’s health.

Amazing Grass Kidz SuperFood

Another whole food-based vitamin in powder form is the Amazing Grass Kidz SuperFood. It comes in two flavors, wild berry and chocolate, and you can buy it in a canister or a box of individual serving size packets. You can mix the chocolate powder with milk or water; you can mix the wild berry powder with water, juice, or in a smoothie.

Amazing Grass combines 33 rainbow colored fruits and vegetables to take advantage of all those phytonutrients. For example, here are some of the whole food ingredients: Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Asparagus, Lima Beans, Green Peas, Kale, Kiwi, Organic Spinach, Organic Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Zucchini – and those are just the Greens!

It contains so many nutrients from whole foods that just one 6 gram serving has the antioxidant equivalent to three servings of fruits and vegetables. Amazing Grass provides the list of ingredients and nutritional breakdown.

Here are some other great features:

• Low sugar
• No artificial colors, flavors, fillers, or other unnecessary ingredients.
• Non dairy, Gluten free, Decaffeinated
• Non-GMO, Vegan
• Certified Organic

Dr. Fuhrman Pixie-Vites

This is another vitamin that is in powder form (in a packet). The berry flavor is sure to be loved by kids; they can eat it right out of the package, or it can be mixed in food, water, or juice. Pixie–Vites contain no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors, no corn syrup, no preservatives, no wheat, no gluten, no soy, no dairy, and no aspartame. There is no isolated vitamin A or beta carotene.

They only use whole food extracts from over 30 high–nutrient vegetables and fruits with nature’s full spectrum of carotenoids and phytochemicals. Some of the ingredients are pineapple, broccoli, carrots, tomato, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, kale, spinach, strawberry, watermelon, radish, cantaloupe, cherry, onion, papaya, peach, pear, leek, yellow pepper, and pomegranate!

You can view the fact sheet for more information and to view the nutrition label.

For more information, you can read Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s thoughts on children’s health and see his vitamin advisor (for adults and kids).

Hero Nutritional Wholefood Yummi Bears

This vitamin comes in gummy form, which is sure to be a hit with kids. Of course, you’d want to be sure your child is able to chew and swallow safely and doesn’t treat them like candy (eating more than the daily amount).

Wholefood Yummi Bears are made with certified organic vegetable and fruit concentrate, which includes the following: Apples, Blackberry, Blueberry, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Papaya, Parsley, Plum, Purple Grape, Raspberry, Spinach, Tomatoes.

Yummi Bears are free of:

• Yeast, wheat, milk, egg, soy, salt
• Peanuts, shellfish, gluten, casein
• Artificial colors, artificial flavors, salicylates, and preservatives.

Yummi Bears also come in an Organic vitamin, but it is not whole food-based.

Food First

With all the talk of vitamins, it is important to remember that we really should be getting our nutrition from a wide variety of healthy, real foods; vitamins are not meant to be a replacement for food. I think we tend to rely too heavily on our supplements to provide what we need. While they are good to have, let’s not forget how important a healthy diet is.

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

After reviewing 7,000 studies covering links between diet and cancer, the World Cancer Research Fund came out with a bold conclusion: Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption.

What is Processed Meat?

Many people may not know the difference between processed meat and non-processed meat (fresh meat).

• Fresh meat has only one ingredient – the meat! Fresh meat is refrigerated, has a very short shelf life, and is usually packaged in simple wrappers.
• Processed meat has many ingredients and is usually packaged for long-tern shelf life. These products almost always contain sodium nitrite, a cancer-causing chemical additive.

Dangerous Chemicals in Processed Meat

Sodium nitrite is a chemical additive that meat companies use as a color fixer; it turns the meat bright red makes it look fresh.

• It is highly carcinogenic once it enters the human body, wreaking havoc on internal organs, especially the liver and pancreas.
• It is widely regarded as a toxic ingredient. The USDA actually tried to ban this additive in the 1970s but was vetoed by food manufacturers who complained they had no alternative for preserving packaged meat products.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is another dangerous chemical found in most processed meat products.

• It is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, which leads to neurological problems such as migraine headaches, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
• It also leads to loss of appetite control, obesity, infertility, and reproductive disorders.

In addition to these chemicals, the animal fat used to make processed meat contains toxic chemicals, heavy metals, environmental pollutants. Fat tissues tend to concentrate whatever pollutants are found in the diet of the animal.

Processed Meat Connected To Cancer

The link between consumption of processed meats and cancer is very strong. After a five-year project spanning 7,000 studies, cancer researchers published their conclusion in the World Cancer Research Fund’s report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective (2007). They declared that all people should immediately stop buying and eating processed meat products and that all processed meat should be avoided for life! The report can be downloaded free at dietandcancerreport.org.

The chemical additives in processed meats are known to greatly increase the risk of:

• Pancreatic cancer (67% increased risk)
• Colorectal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Leukemia (74% increased risk)
• Brain tumors
• Diabetes (40% increased risk)
• Heart disease

Do You Need a Visual Reason Not to Eat Processed Meat?

Mike Adams from NaturalNews.com provides some, um, interesting photos of processed meat in his Mystery Meat Macrophotography article.

How To Protect Yourself

1. Boycott processed meat for life. Do not buy it, eat it at a restaurant, or at social events. Do not let your kids eat it at school.
2. Read ingredient labels and do not buy meat that contains sodium nitrite or monosodium glutamate (MSG).
3. If you want to eat meat, choose only fresh, organic, free-range meat.
4. Educate yourself!

• You can read more about dangerous chemicals in the food supply in the book Grocery Warning System by Mike Adams. Or download his free Honest Food Guide from HonestFoodGuide.org.
• Check out the book The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the Chemicals That Are Destroying Your Health by Randall Fitzgerald.

As Mike Adams from NaturalNews.com says:

Processed meats promote cancer. There is simply no question about the scientific validity of that statement, and anyone who disagrees with it is either working for the meat industry or hopelessly behind the times on their nutritional research.

No industry wants to admit their product is unsafe. Remember tobacco companies insisting cigarettes weren’t bad for your health? The processed meat industry is no different. So you have to make your own decisions. Educate yourself so you can make the best decisions when you shop for food. Saving money now may be costly to your health in the future.

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

(photo courtesy Afonso Lima)

Read Labels

Read the ingredient labels of all the products you buy (not just food) and avoid artificial colorings. It may take a little time to figure out better options, but it is absolutely possible and really not too difficult. Health food stores are a great place to look for safer alternatives.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) has a Brain Food Selector that you can use to find information about the dyes in your child’s favorite foods. While you are there, check out their Smart Guide to Food Dyes for more information on health concerns for children from artificial food dyes.

If you need a medication and are not sure if it contains colors, you can check online at rxlist.com. If your medication is made with colors, contact a compounding pharmacy to see if they can do it without all the colors. A list of compounding pharmacies can be found at iacprx.org.

Natural Food Colorings Do Exist!

Natural food colorings are a way to add coloring to foods without the negative side-effects found in artificial colorings. Natural food colorings are derived from various fruits and vegetables and therefore high in bioflavonoids, antioxidants, and polyphenols which are beneficial when added to your diet. For example:

• Blue is often made from red cabbage and glycerin.
• Red is often made from red beets.
• Yellow is often made from turmeric.
• Orange is often made from beta carotene.

Where to Buy Natural Food Coloring

Here are a few brands I have found:

• India Tree Natural Decorating Colors come in a pack of three colors: red, yellow, and blue. They are sold at Whole Foods for about $20 and online at Amazon.com; however that link is for a set of two packages. Maybe you could split the order with a friend?
• Seelect Tea offers many colors in their line of natural food colorings; they even have some organic, vegan, and gluten-free colorings. Amazon.com carries a few colors and Nature’s Flavors carries quite a few more. Of course you can buy them from their website, too.
• Chefmaster has a line of natural food coloring which is also gluten-free. You can find them online at Baker’s Nook.
• Nature’s Flavors was one of the first companies to develop natural food colorings. Most of their food colorings are kosher, gluten-free, organic, and vegan.

I bought the India Tree pack of colors at Whole Foods when I made my son’s birthday cake; I was very happy with how well they worked!

Alternative Items for Parties and Events

When holidays and special events come around, it seems to also mean food with coloring! But there are ways to still have some sweet treats without the synthetic dyes.

• India Tree also makes many colors of decorating sugars (sprinkles) for the top of cakes and cupcakes. They even make some in the shape of snowflakes.
• Amy over at Crunchy Domestic Goddess wrote a great article with instructions on dyeing Easter eggs naturally.
• For more Easter egg dying tips, you can check out Organic.org.

I bought a pack of the India Tree natural colorings when I wanted to make my son’s birthday cakes this year. The following two cakes were made by me and the icing was colored naturally – even the painted-on flames!

How to Make Your Own Food Coloring

You can make your own natural food coloring by using certain foods. Some popular choices are:

• Avocado
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Turmeric

For my son’s birthday last year, I used frozen blueberries to color the icing. I was hoping for blue, but as you can see it turned out more like lavender.

Here are some ideas for homemade coloring, by color:

• Green: Juice some vegetables like kale, parsley, or spinach. For a lighter green blend in avocados. Matcha Green Tea Powder also works.
• Pink/Red: Juice berries, cherries, cranberries, red pepper, beets, dark red tomatoes, pomegranate juice, chili powder, or paprika powder.
• Purple/Blue: Juice blueberries, blackberries, juiced or boiled red cabbage, radicchio, eggplant skin, acai juice, black or purple grapes.
• Yellow/Orange: Juice yellow beets, yellow pepper, pineapple, carrots, or turmeric powder.
• Brown: Coffee powder, cocoa powder.

Choose produce that is dark or concentrated in color. And keep in mind those fruits and veggies that are known for staining; they are perfect for making food coloring!

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

In fact, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed foods because they are convenient and affordable, even though most Americans know that high-calorie junk foods lack in nutrition. But what is the real cost of this paradigm long-term? Americans spend less on food than many other developed nations but pay the price in fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, obesity, and other diseases.

If you are ready to take charge of your family’s health, one step you can take is to make more of your own meals with healthy, real, whole foods. Here are some tips to help you make time for healthy meals at home:

1. Make Healthy Food a Priority

No matter how busy you are, I’m guessing you still find time for some recreational activities for yourself. These activities may take the form of catching up on your favorite shows on DVR, surfing the internet, going to movies or watching them at home, shoe shopping, eating out, etc. In addition to these activities taking time they also cost money. Many people keep up with current trends in electronics, clothes, shoes, houses, toys, and gadgets, which also cost money.

If you are interested in the many benefits of eating healthy home-cooked meals, try spending some of this free time and extra money on healthy food. Make healthy food a priority in your life.

Here are a few things you can do instead of watching TV or while you are watching TV, especially if you have a TV in your kitchen:

• Plan your weekly menu.
• Prepare parts of a meal in advance.
• Prepare veggies in advance. (Wash the head of lettuce, peel and cut carrots, etc.)
• Make entire meals ahead of time and freeze.
• Get lunches ready the night before to help with crazy mornings. It’s better than eating out or school lunches.
• Search for new, quick, healthy recipes.

Consider cutting all TV out of your life (*gasp*) or at least limit TV to one or two shows. It really is a time hog. Take a look at how you spend the time in your days. Take a look at how you spend your money. What you spend time and money on is your priority. Isn’t it better to make healthy food a priority?

2. Plan Meals Ahead of Time

Menu planning is another essential aspect to ensuring home-cooked meals happen. I suggest planning meals for one week at a time and then shopping for those meals. Following this model saves you time because you only have to grocery shop once a week; no running to the store in the middle of the week to pick up this or that. And since you know exactly what you are having on any given night of the week, following this model saves you money from last-minute decisions to go out to eat.

I could probably write an entire article on menu planning tips alone (in fact, I think I will). Until then, here are a few key tips for meal planning:

• Plan ahead for all meals: Plan for breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Keep in mind any special occasions such as picnics or get-togethers with friends, extra food you may be making (for treats at school or for a friend who had a baby), or days you won’t need a meal (when you want to eat out or go to someone’s house). Don’t forget beverages, too. It’s no fun to have to make a special trip for a bottle of wine when it could have been on your list in the first place.
• Organize your recipes: I like to keep our favorite recipes in a small recipe box. If I find one we love in a cook book, I will copy it to an index card and add it to the recipe box. The recipe box contains dividers for our meal types: vegetarian, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, etc. I also have a tab in the front for “this week’s meals”. That’s where I put the recipes once I’ve decided they are in this cycle.

3. Learn to Love Leftovers

In fact, plan your meals so they create leftovers. Leftovers=easy preparation the next day. If you don’t like leftovers, get over it! This is one of the easiest ways to save time in the kitchen, which in turn creates time for YOU. A lasagna or hot dish is usually three meals for our family. In that case, sometimes we will eat our meal the first night and then package the leftovers into two containers; one for the refrigerator for the following night and the other for the freezer for the future. Or we will just eat it for three nights in a row. Easy.

Oh, and we only reheat meals using pots and pans on the stove top or in the oven; we do not use a microwave at all (and neither should you, but that’s another article.)

4. Have Staple Meal Supplies on Hand

To avoid the common question that can appear at the end of the day, “What am I going to  make for supper?” it is a good idea to always have on hand a few staple supplies for some of your family’s favorite healthy (and quick) meals. If you plan your meals for the week (see number 2 above) you should rarely encounter this situation. But things happen and if you have a backup plan like this, so to speak, you can avoid ordering pizza (again) or going out to eat (again) and can feel good about saving money and eating healthy.

One of our staple meals is risotto with asparagus, so I always have those ingredients on hand. Spaghetti is another easy one.

5. Make it Simple

No, I do not mean resorting to boxed or microwavable meals; even though those may be quick, they are definitely not healthy. I am talking about other ways to keep your home cooked meals simple:

• There is no need to make seven-course meals every night. As long as the meal contains basic healthy components like vegetables and protein, you are good!
• Keeping the ingredient list simple. I usually cringe when I see really long ingredient lists for recipes. Those meals can be nice for occasional meals or for when you have more time. You can always adapt a recipe for the amount of time you have.

6. Change Your Attitude About Food

Instead of thinking of food as a chore and therefore wanting to spend the least amount of thought, energy, time, and love in preparing it, try thinking of food as fuel for living. That’s what it is, after all. Bodies want and need the best ingredients to fuel its many processes. Fast food, restaurant food, boxed food, packaged food, junk food, and snack food are not what your body wants and needs.

You wouldn’t put water into your car’s gas tank just because it’s a liquid, cheap, and can fill up the tank, would you?

• Think about the effects that advertising and the food industries have on how we think about food and how we eat. Faster, cheaper, and more is not always better.

• Start thinking about why you should eat: sustenance (instead of boredom, socializing, pleasure). Then think about what foods provide the best sustenance/fuel: real, whole foods. Then start making it yourself.

Approach meal preparation with a new attitude of love, nourishment, and health. This is one of the most important points to understand for healthy eating.

Related Articles:

• How to Cook Whole Food from Scratch – and Keep Your Day Job! on Mercola.com
• It’s Time for a New Relationship with Food on ZenHabits.net

Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

This information led me to create a list of five foods your kids should NOT be eating:

1. Fruit Juice

Many people think fruit juice is healthy when in fact the complete opposite is true. Many parents offer juice as a healthier option to soda, but fruit juice still contains about eight teaspoons of sugar. Even though the sugar is from fruit, drinking fruit juice is not the same as eating fruit.

• Commercial fruit juices contain lots of simple sugars but not much fiber; they are made from fruit stripped of its skin and pulp, which slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream. Nutritionists say it is better to eat whole fresh fruit than to consume fruit juice.
• The sugars in fruit juice (fructose) cause a major increase in insulin levels, just like drinking a soda. A distortion of insulin balance leads to hormone and neurotransmitter shifts which increase a child’s risk for ear infections, ADHD, and allergies.
• With its sugar content, it’s no surprise that fruit juice also increases cavities in children. Every time juice washes over their teeth, they are exposed to the damaging effects of sugar.
• Be aware that other fruit drinks are mixtures; they do not contain 100% fruit juice but contain extra sweeteners, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and other ingredients that damage your health.

If your kids already drink a lot of juice it may be hard to switch them over to pure water cold turkey. To wean them off juice, dilute the juice with water. Start slowly by diluting slightly, perhaps 90% juice / 10% water, and keep increasing the water content over time.

The bottom line is that children do not need to eat large amounts of sugar. It is so important to cut sweet drinks out of your child’s diet and switch all of their fluids over to pure water. We are not meant to drink our calories!

2. Candy

Many people let their children eat candy regularly and most people think giving their child candy every now and then as a treat or a reward is OK; it’s all about moderation, right? Here are a few reasons why kids shouldn’t be eating candy at all.

Candy is:

• Extra calories that have no nutritional value and don’t do your body any good.
• Sugar overload. Children don’t need much sugar at all, and especially not from junk food. For more information, read about the 76 ways sugar can ruin your health.
• A mixture of chemicals and artificial flavors. Besides sugar, candy can contain trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and food coloring, all of which have their own health consequences and are among the 12 food additives to avoid.
• Not something to give to children, whose bodies are still developing and in need of great nutrients. Providing even an occasional taste of candy can affect their willingness to eat healthy food or their taste for it. Once they develop a ’sweet tooth’ it will be harder for them to eat blander, but nutritious, foods. Sugar is an addictive substance!
• Bad for teeth. Sugar can cause tooth decay and periodontal disease.

To help change your mindset, try thinking of candy as a waste of money and something that will lead to health problems, and try thinking of healthy food as fortifying your body with nutrients and fighting disease.

3. Hot Dogs

Hot dogs are made with processed meat parts, then preserved with sodium nitrite (or sodium nitrate), which is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer including brain tumors in children, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer.

Hotdogs can also contain MSG, a flavor enhancer used in many processed foods, which has been labeled as an “excitotoxin,” which, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, are “a group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die.”

Mike Adams, editor of NaturalNews.com, lists hot dogs as one of the top five cancer-causing foods. The Cancer Prevention Coalition actually recommends limiting the number of hot dogs that children eat.

4. Doughnuts

Along with hot dogs, doughnuts are also listed among the top five cancer-causing foods. Nutritionally speaking they are one of the worst ways to start your day. Eating a doughnut will throw off your blood sugar and it won’t stay with you so you will be hungry again soon.

Doughnuts contain:

• Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): Besides being a cancer factor, trans fats promote heart disease, interrupt metabolic processes, and cause belly fat that crowd the organs and strain the heart.
• White flour: As a refined grain, white flour has a high glycemic index which means that it will raise blood sugar levels more quickly. This will actually accelerate the growth of cancer cells and tumors.
• Sugar: As you’ve read above, sugar is an addictive substance and children do not need much of it. Read about the 76 ways sugar can ruin your health.
• Acrylamides: Formed during the frying process, acrylamides are a cancer-causing substance.
• No nutrients!

5. Fast Food

This quote from Naturalnews.com sums it up pretty well:

Fast food is extremely unhealthy for children. Not only are the foods often fried, homogenized, hydrogenated and otherwise altered, they’re also laced with chemical additives, taste enhancers, processed sugars, petrochemical food coloring, and other unhealthy substances. Strangely, many parents actually reward their children for good behavior by buying them unhealthy fast food meals, thereby creating a psychological association between good feelings and junk food.

I’ve talked about how fast food is loaded with MSG and high fructose corn syrup. But there are many other toxic chemicals added to fast food during processing.

For example, did you know that the beef sold to fast food restaurants and used in school lunches is injected with ammonia? Ammonia is a chemical commonly used in glass cleaning and window cleaning products and it also happens to kill e.coli – and the USDA endorses this procedure!

For more information, here are a few articles, books, and movies:

• Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser
• Food, Inc.
• Super Size Me
• Surprise Ingredients in Fast Food on Naturalnews.com
• Why You Should Avoid Fast Food at all Costs on Naturalnews.com

Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

Photo credits:
Orange juice: straymuse
Licorice: beverlytaz
Hot dog: Mike Johnson – TheBusyBrain.com
Doughnut: nazreth
Fast food: mckenna71

It is so important for everyone to know the dangers of MSG so if you only have a minute, please read the next section. For more detailed information on the dangers of MSG, keep reading.

Know It In A Minute

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in over-processed foods.
• It is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees, and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and more.
• It is found in canned soup, diet soda, salad dressing, breakfast sausage, chips, frozen entrees, restaurant food, some manufactured vegetarian or health foods, and even infant formulas and baby food!
• It can cause nausea, headaches (it is a migraine trigger), seizures, and infertility and reproductive disorders.
• It causes weight gain and obesity by damaging the appetite regulation center in the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus, causing leptin resistence.
• Processed food manufacturers add it to food because it’s dirt cheap and increases appetite, thus increasing sales.
• It is also hidden in food labels under the following names: yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, broth, casein, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, malted barley, textured whey protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and MORE.
  

What is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)?

MSG is a salt of the amino acid glutamic acid (glutamate). Glutamic acid is just one of many amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins. It occurs naturally in many foods such as tomatoes, milk, and mushrooms. Glutamic acid that comes from a natural source is a bound glutamic acid, and when broken down during the digestive process it’s harmless.

In making processed foods, however, bound glutamic acids are broken down or made ‘free’ (free glutamic acid) through various processes (hydrolyzed, autolyzed, modified or fermented with strong chemicals, bacteria, or enzymes) to make monosodium glutamate (MSG).

How Does MSG Affect Your Body?

Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills”, explains that MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees.

• Excitotoxins block the receptors in the brain that signals satiation.
• Excitotoxins have been found to dramatically promote cancer growth and metastasis.

From MSGtruth.org, here is a partial list of the body systems affected by MSG:

• Allergic response
• Blood pressure
• Brain
• Digestive system
• Endocrine system
• Hearing
• Hypothalamus
• Lungs
• Nervous system
• Pancreas
• Thyroid function
• Vision

From MSGtruth.org, here is a partial list of some disease states affected by MSG:

• ADD/ADHD
• ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Alzheimer’s
• Asthma
• Autism
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• Parkinson’s
• Migraine
• Multiple Sclerosis

Children Are at Higher Risk

A child’s brain is four times mores sensitive to damage by excitotoxins than is the brain of an adult.

Dr. Blaylock talks about damage from MSG:

The damage affects pregnant women, unborn babies and newborns. It produces changes in the brain that are irreversible. What we’ve found is that it reprograms the wiring of the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, so it doesn’t function normally. These children are abnormal for the rest of their lives in terms of their physiological function.

What Foods Contain MSG?

MSG (or one of its pseudo-ingredients) is found in:

• canned soup and dried soup mixes
• diet soda
• salad dressing
• breakfast sausage and other meats
• chips and other junk and snack food
• frozen entrees
• restaurant food and fast food
• Chinese food
• gravy
• chili
• canned beans
• seasoning blends and mixes
• bullion and broths
• prepared pasta products (like spaghetti Os)
• microwavable cups
• some manufactured vegetarian or health food
• infant formulas and baby food

MSG By Any Other Name – How MSG is Hidden in Other Ingredients

If you look at the labels of your processed food, you might not see the words ‘monosodium glutamate’ anymore – but don’t relax just yet. Once customers learned to avoid MSG/monosodium glutamate, food companies started using other ingredients that contain free glutamic acid, which is the main component of MSG, like:

• yeast extract
• autolyzed yeast extract
• autolyzed vegetable protein
• hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• hydrolyzed yeast extract
• torula yeast
• textured whey protein
• textured soy protein
• textured vegetable protein
• plant protein extract
• calcium caseinate
• sodium caseinate

You need to also be aware of the ingredients spice, natural flavor, and artificial flavor as they can designate the presence of MSG. For a bigger list of ingredients you need to be aware of in your food, check out this list provided by MSGmyth.com.

Read Labels Everywhere, Even in Natural Health Food Stores

Unfortunately, you are not completely safe just buying food from natural health stores like Whole Foods Market; you still need to read labels on all the food you buy. You may remember my dismay after noticing that my son’s (former) beloved snack, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, contained MSG in the form of yeast extract.

Why Do Food Companies Add MSG?

There are several reasons (from MSGtruth.org) why food manufacturers add MSG (by any name) to their products:

• Increase sales. MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. Blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood, and you are hungry an hour later. Hungry people eat more food. The food industry has found their own “anti-appetite suppressant”.  It’s a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more.
• Reduce cost of production. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food.  The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it.
• Make food taste better. MSG makes cheap ingredients taste better. MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a “meat tenderizer”.  It is not a “preservative”.

What Food to Avoid?

As you can see, MSG does a lot of damage to the body and is clearly something you need to avoid. It is not a necessary nutrient. Here is a list of how you can start avoiding MSG:

• Packaged or processed foods: As you can see above, processed foods are loaded with MSG.
• Fast Food: Fast food is loaded with MSG and many other chemicals that are unhealthy. For example, check out the ingredient lists at McDonald’s, Chick Fil A, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Burger King. You will see many listings of the “hidden MSG” ingredients as well as monosodium glutamate.
• Restaurant food: Restaurant food is also loaded with MSG. Be aware of the language restaurants use regarding MSG in their food. Some might say “We add no MSG”. But they are only saying that they, as in the restaurant staff, don’t add any. It’s probably already in the food they buy from their suppliers. Tricky, isn’t it?
• Infant formula, especially soy: Unfortunately infant formula does contain free glutamic acid (MSG).
• Toddler food that contains caseinate hydrolyzed protein broth

MSGtruth.org has a more comprehensive list of foods to avoid.

What Should I Do?

• The best way avoid MSG is by buying whole foods and preparing them at home.
• The next best thing is to become an expert at label reading and knowing the various disguises under which MSG travels. There are a few packaged prepared items at traditional grocery stores that do not contain MSG. At health food stores there are many more.
• Once you know how to read labels, you can find better alternatives. If you love an occasional snack of flavored chips (barbecue flavor, nacho cheese flavor, etc.) you now can see how MSG is an ingredient. Instead, try plain potato chips where the ingredients are potatoes, oil, and salt.

What Can I Eat?

• For cooking at home, MSGtruth.org provides a list of healthy items to eat.
• For eating out, we like Jason’s Deli. There is no MSG, high fructose corn syrup, or trans fats in any of their food.

A ‘Must Read’ Interview with Dr. Blaylock

Mike Adams from NaturalNews.com has a fantastic interview with Dr. Blaylock in which Dr. Blaylock explains in great detail the health effects of MSG, aspartame, and excitotoxins. The interview is full of great information and I highly recommend you read it all.

And if you want to watch a video, Dr. Blaylock presents a one hour lecture video with great information as well.

Even More Information:

• Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, by Dr. Russell Blaylock
• Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, by Dr. Russell Blaylock
• Russell Blaylock, MD
• Hidden Sources of MSG
• Truth in Labeling
• MSG Truth
• MSG Myth
• 12 Food Additives to Avoid
• Shocking Dangers of MSG You Don’t Know
• MSG: Is This Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets? on Mercola.com
• How to Find Hidden MSG on Food Labels on Mercola.com
• Grocery Warning by Truth Publishing

Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

Dangers of Chlorine

Chlorine is used as a disinfectant by the water treatment plants and it does not break down by the time it reaches our shower heads. The hot water coming from the shower opens your pores and your skin then functions like a sponge, soaking in all the water contaminants into your bloodstream. The hot water also creates steam which you inhale, bringing chlorine directly into your lungs. In a 10-minute shower, one will absorb and inhale more chlorine than by drinking eight glasses of the same water.

When chlorine enters the body as a result of breathing, swallowing, or skin contact, it reacts with water to produce acids. The acids are corrosive and damage cells in the body on contact.

Here is a short list of a few dangers of chlorinated water:

• Skin irritant (associated with rashes like eczema)
• Aggravates asthma
• Can destroy polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E in the body
• Generate toxins capable of free radical damage (oxidation)
• Linked to a greater incidence of bladder, breast, and bowel cancer as well as malignant melanoma
• Linked to congenital cardiac anomalies
• Combines with organic matter (like skin particles, hair follicles, sweat, urine) to create trihalomethanes (THMs), which are carcinogens
• Long-term risks include excessive free radical formation, which accelerates aging, increases vulnerability to genetic mutation and cancer development, hinders cholesterol metabolism, and promotes hardening of arteries

How to Remove Chlorine From Shower Water

Several companies make inexpensive shower head filters that remove chlorine and other impurities. They are easy to install and maintain, requiring filter replacement every six months to a year depending on the model.

Here is some information on what to look for and where to purchase:

• KDF appears to be the gold standard with respect to shower heads.
• A couple brands to look into are Sprite and Aquasana.
• Filters range in price from $40-$80.
• Filter replacements from in price from $20-$45.

We have used the Sprite High Output (HO) filters ($40-50) for about three years now and have been very happy. We have one installed in our master bathroom shower and one installed in our toddler son’s bathroom. (We fill his bathtub with water from the filtered shower head, not the tub nozzle.) The Sprite HO filter is a single stage filtration system. We like that filter replacement only needs to be done once per year ($20-25).

The Aquasana filter unit is a two stage system (will remove more impurities) and will go for about $68. The shower head is a bit bulkier since it has two stages so it is worth making sure it doesn’t cause any issues with your shower setup. This filter is recommended to be replaced every 6 months ($42).

Easy and Inexpensive Choice for Health

We are bombarded with many toxins daily, many of which we have no control over. But chlorine is a toxin we can choose to reduce in our lives in a simple and inexpensive way. Your health is worth it; your children’s health is worth it. Install shower filters in your house and be proud of taking charge of your health in one more way.

To learn more, visit Renegade Water Secrets and listen to the information provided by the top five water experts in the world about the importance of clean water to your health.

Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

Whatever we put on our skin is readily absorbed into our bloodstream where it can potentially cause some serious damage to our bodies. We all know how important it is to wash our hands, but does anyone ever really think about soap ingredients? Or think that they could be dangerous to our health? Doesn’t it make sense to use only the purest soap, especially for children? I’ve pulled some information together to make it easier for you to learn about the toxic ingredients in common hand soaps and hand sanitizers, and to learn some safer alternatives.

Don’t Use Antibacterial Soap

People have been told that regular soap isn’t good enough and that antibacterial soap is necessary to lower the risk of infection. Thus, antibacterial soaps have become so prevalent in households; it is estimated that 72% of liquid soap sold in the United States contains antibacterial ingredients. And it’s not just soap; it’s in toothpastes, laundry detergents, and dish soaps, too.

While it is very important to wash our hands regularly, chemical-free natural soap and water works just fine. In fact, the use of antibacterial soap is not only unnecessary but may cause more harm than good:

• Overuse of antibacterial soaps could promote the growth of drug-resistant “superbugs” that might otherwise be kept in check with little more than a vigorous scrub
• Triclosan, active ingredient in most antibacterial soap, not only kills bacteria, it has also been shown to kill human cells.
• When common bacteria are wiped out by antibacterial soap, children aren’t exposed to them and some exposure to bacteria in early childhood can strengthen their immune systems. Without exposure, children may be prone to allergies and asthma.

Chemicals to Avoid in Hand Soaps and Hand Sanitizers

The following is a list of some toxic ingredients common in hand soap, hand sanitizer, and other personal care products. This is not a complete list of all toxic ingredients, but will give you a start when you look at ingredient labels.

1. Triclosan

Here are a few more reasons to avoid products containing triclosan:

• When triclosan comes in contact with your skin, it stays there for many hours.
• Triclosan is similar to the pesticide Agent Orange and can cause decreased fertility, birth defects, and damage to major body organs.
• Triclosan can act as an endocrine disruptor, upsetting the delicate hormone balance of animals.
• Triclosan has been shown to bioaccumulate in fish and can be detected in human breast milk.
• Triclosan can combine with chlorine in our tap water to make chloroform gas. The EPA classifies this gas as a probable human carcinogen.

2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a common ingredient in shampoos, liquid soaps, and toothpaste; it is in approximately 90% of personal care products that foam.

• SLS is the active ingredient in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and industrial strength soaps.
• It can damage cell membranes and possibly cause hair loss.

3. Parabens

Parabens are in so many skin care products; they preserve other ingredients and extend a product’s shelf life. There are many types of parabens: methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, etc. They are also dangerous and something I avoid completely:

• Parabens have have hormone-disrupting effects.
• Parabens can cause diminished muscle mass and extra fat storing.
• Topical parabens have been detected in human breast tumors. This is concerning because parabens have been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen, which can encourage the growth of human breast tumors.

4. Ureas

Formerly known as Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl, DMDM hydantoin, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, these chemicals are hard to pronounce and have several concerns associated with them:

• Ureas can release formaldehyde and cause joint pain, heart irregularities, and a weakened immune system.
• Ureas are a primary cause of contact dermatitis.

5. Synthetic Colors

Synthetic colors are made from coal tar. They contain heavy metal salts that may deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic. They will be labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number.

6. Diethanolamine (DEA)

Diethanolamine (DEA) is used as a wetting agent in shampoos, lotions, creams, bubble bath, and other cosmetics. It is linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity.

7. Propylene Glycol, Propylene Oxide, Polyethylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is the main ingredient in anti freeze and is listed on the FDA government website as a known carcinogen.

• It is found in hand sanitizers, moisturizers, shaving creams, deodorants, and baby products.
• Propylene glycol weakens skin cells.
• It is linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity.

8. Synthetic Fragrance

Synthetic fragrances often contain phthalates, which are endocrine disrupters that mimic hormones and may alter genital development. Avoid products that list ‘fragrance‘ as an ingredient unless the label states that it’s derived from essentials oils, or look for a phthalate-free label on the packaging.

9. 1,4-Dioxane

1,4-Dioxane is considered a chemical “known to the State of California to cause cancer”, yet you won’t see it listed on an ingredient label on a product.

• It is considered a ‘contaminant’ or ‘by-product’ of the ethoxylation process, rather than an ingredient.
• Avoid synthetic ethoxylated ingredients, including those with myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, any other “eth,” PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol, in their names.

10. Ethyl Alcohol (Ethanol)

Ethyl alcohol is a common ingredient in hand sanitizer. It is linked to cancer, birth defects, developmental/reproductive toxicity, and organ system toxicity.

11. Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC)

BAC is used in hand sanitizers and belongs to a group of germicides knows as “quats“. It is linked to cancer, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity.

Always Read Labels – Even For ‘Natural’ or ‘Organic’ Products

After reading about all those toxic ingredients, you may decide to switch to a product labeled “natural” or “organic”. But you need to be aware that many toxic ingredients are still in products mislabeled natural or organic. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) released a study of personal care products claiming to be “natural” or “organic” and some of the leading brands were found to contain 1,4-dioxane. Products certified under the USDA National Organic Program did not contain this toxin.

No matter what brand you buy, you need to read the ingredient labels. Just because a product is “more natural” or “better” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) creating a huge database of cosmetics chemicals and ranked them, giving them a hazard score. On their site, you can:

• Enter specific chemical names to find information.
• Look up a specific product and see its ingredients.

So go grab your bottles of soap and hand sanitizers – and any other personal care items you have. Then go to the cosmetics database website and look up the ingredients and see for yourself their hazard score. It’s especially scary to read the ingredient labels for some of the children’s soap.

So What Products Can I Use?

After you’ve looked at the ingredients in your soaps and sanitizers, you are probably feeling hopeless. Those toxic chemicals are everywhere! But there are safer options for cleaning your hands. Here are a few things we use:

• Hand Sanitizer: We like the CleanWell hand sanitizer. The active ingredient is thyme oil, a natural antimicrobial. Having a small child, it was especially important to us that we find a hand sanitizer safe for kids; it is free of toxic chemicals like triclosan, alcohol, and Benzalkonium Chloride.
• Hand Soap: The best liquid hand soap I can find is Dr. Bronner’s. We pour their Organic Fair Trade Shikakai Soap into our “fancy” soap dispenser. For the rest of our house, we pour their liquid castile soap into self-foaming dispensers and add some water. Dr. Bronner’s also makes bar soap.

Where Do I Start?

This week, take the time to read the ingredient labels on your soaps and hand sanitizers. Look up their information in EWG’s Cosmetics Database. And then consider finding safer, non-toxic ways to clean your family’s hands. Come back and share with us what you do by leaving a comment!

Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.

(Two hands photo courtesy of demordian.)

You may agree that empty bottles are wasteful, but did you know all the resources that go into making those bottles of water? For instance, it takes about 3 liters of water and approximately 3.4 megajoules of energy to produce and sell a single liter of water in a plastic bottle.

Water is Important

It is so important to drink plenty of water to stay healthy; I’m so glad people want to drink water instead of soda. It is also important that the water we drink be clean and pure. Over the past few decades many people have switched to drinking bottled water exclusively, believing it to be better (safer) than tap water. But is it?

Problem: Source and Purity Deception of Bottled Water

Even though the bottled water industry claims purity, here are some interesting notes:

• A third of all bottled water in the U.S. actually comes from the tap! Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coke’s Dasani are two of the many brands that are really filtered tap water.
• The Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigated bottled water quality of 10 major brands and found 38 pollutants altogether, with an average of eight contaminants in each brand. Some of the pollutants are things such as disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication.

Problem: Environmental Impact of Bottled Water

People in the U.S. buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week. That’s enough to circle the globe more than five times!

• Production: Each year, making the plastic water bottles used in the U.S. takes enough oil and energy to fuel a million cars. It takes so much energy to make the bottle and even more to ship it around the planet – and then we drink it in about 10 minutes. That’s a lot of energy and resources to produce a plastic bottle that is meant to be used ONCE.
• Disposal: About 80% of these plastic water bottles will end up in landfills (where they will sit for thousands of years) or in incinerators (where they are burned, releasing toxic pollution.)

Great Video

To illustrate these points better, watch this eight minute video from storyofbottledwater.org.

Water Solutions: At Home

Instead of keeping cases of individual bottles of water in the fridge for drinking at home, consider drinking filtered tap water around the house. Even the best tap water contains many impurities and therefore it is important to filter it before drinking and cooking with it.

If interested, you can read your city’s water quality report by using EWG’s Tap Water Database.

There are several options for filtering your water at home.

• Carbon filters (pitcher or tap-mounted) are affordable and reduce many common water contaminants, like lead and byproducts of the disinfection process used to treat municipal tap water.
• Install a reverse osmosis filter if you can afford it, to remove contaminants that carbon filters can’t eliminate, like arsenic and perchlorate (rocket fuel).

Our RO faucet. The tank and filters are under the sink.

Another option for home is to refill big containers (2- and 3 gallon size) with self-serve Reverse Osmosis filtered water at a grocery store. We did this for years, refilling about 12 gallons/week at a cost of approximately $0.33/gallon, or $206/year. (We finally saw the benefit of installing a zero-waste reverse osmosis filter under our sink, thus saving trips to the store and money over time.)

two gallon jug with spigot (L) and three gallon jug (R)

Water Solutions: On The Go

Unfortunately, many people think that bottled water is the only convenient way to have good water on the go, perhaps confusing “disposability” with convenience. Thankfully there is an easy solution:

Buy a reusable bottle and fill it with filtered water before you head out the door, or fill it from public sources.

a few of our stainless steel bottles

It’s important that the reusable bottle be safe; hard plastic bottles (#7 plastic) can leach a harmful plastics chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) into water.

• If your reusable bottle is plastic, make sure that it’s BPA-free and phthalate-free.
• An even better option is to use a stainless steel water bottle. We have several big sizes for my husband and I and several small bottles for our son. We like the Klean Kanteen brand for ourselves and the Crocodile Creek brand for our son.
• Glass bottles are probably the best option due to no leaching (as far as I am aware) of contaminants into the water. But unfortunately it can’t be used in all situations due to its obvious ability to break. Love Bottle carries some designer bottles and you can create your own design to put on the bottle! Or be on the lookout for glass “food” bottles that you already purchase.
• Another safety tip: Don’t reuse bottled water bottles. The plastic can harbor bacteria and break down to release plastics chemicals.

a few of the glass bottles we reuse after we purchase the original beverage

When our “on the go” time will be longer than just one water bottle in length, we either fill up several bottles or we fill up our 2- and 3-gallon jugs with filtered water from our RO unit and bring them along, to fill up our stainless steel bottles.

Water Solutions: Party or Gathering

Whether you are entertaining a party of four or 40, you can still provide clean water without resorting to individual bottles of water.

• Fill a pitcher or jug with spigot (or other large container) with filtered water and then pour into glasses for your guests.
• If you don’t want to use glasses, especially if some of the guests are children, consider stocking up on reusable BPA-free plastic cups (instead of disposable cups). Kids Konserve makes a Party Pak which contains reusable cups, plates, and utensils. The Party Paks come in two sizes (25 of each piece or 12 of each piece).

a few water pitchers, fancy to casual

Thirsty for More Information?

If you want to read more about this subject, here are some resources:

• Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water, by Peter Gleick
• Inside The Bottle: An Expose of the Bottled Water Industry, by Tony Clarke
• Tapped (a film)
• A Lighter Footprint (a film)
• Environmental Working Group Bottled Water Research
• Pacific Institute Bottled Water and Energy Fact Sheet
• Learn the Facts from Filter For Good
• Bottled Water Myth Versus Reality from StoryofBottledWater.org
• Energy Footprint of Bottled Water from Livescience.com
• Water-Energy Connection from National Environmental Education Week

Inspiration to Make Changes

As you ponder the information I just shared, I will leave you with the following quote. Hopefully you will be inspired to do something.

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
— Helen Keller

Peace,

Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Read all the posts in the Healthy Living series by clicking on the icon on the left.