Organic Foods
Of course, it's best to buy organic foods and materials whenever possible as there is more and more findings of long-term effects of chemicals used to treat all foods and materials. Buy Local
- doesn't travel thousands of miles to reach you
- less expensive when buying directly from farmers
- better on local economy
- in-season foods --> tastes better and is more fresh
- con: unless it's certified organic, you have to do work to figure out what went into it's production
- what to ask the farmers:
- have farmers grown produce themselves?
- is farm open to general public to visit? famers who have nothing to hide would be happy to have public visit
- are they trying to grow organically? if no, usually no need to continue questioning
- what practices do they use to control pests, disease and weeds? example good answers: bat and owl houses, bees, beneficial insects, diversify crops, planting flowers and complimentary crops, rotating crops, hand-hoeing weeds, applying over-the-counter chemicals when they have real problem but not harvesting for 3-4 days after
- does animal feed have antibiotics in it? answer should be no
- type of feed for animals? best answer: cracked corn for chickens, pasture and hay for beef; do not want feed from grain mill
- are hens caged? do they have room to take dirt baths and get grass outside? eggs lack beneficial omega-3 fats unless chickens able to peck dirt
- find your local farmers market: www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets or http://www.localharvest.org/
Environmental Working Group states following fruits and vegetables have most pesticides, so buying these organic can lower pesticide exposure by 90%
Most pesticide contamination:
- peaches
- apples
- sweet bell peppers
- celery
- nectarines
- strawberries
- cherries
- lettuce
- imported grapes
- pears
- spinach
- strawberries
- cherries
- green beans
- hot peppers
- cucumbers
onions
- avacado
- frozen sweet corn
- pineapple
- mango
- frozen sweet peas
- asparagus
- kiwi
- banana
- cabbage
- broccoli
- eggplant
Water
Quality of tap water depends on where you live
Small list of common tap-water contaminants:
- Arsenic: may result in skin damage, circulatory problems, increase risk of cancer
- charcoal filters, reverse osmosis filtration systems, distillers can remove arsenic
- Atrazine: may afffect cardiovascular system or cause reproductive problems
- charcoal filters can remove atrazine
- Haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes: increase risk of cancer
- charcoal filters can remove them
- Lead (from corrosion of pipes): delays in physical or mental development in children
- simple carbon filter, reverse osmosis and distillation can remove lead
- Pathogens (comes from human and animal fecal wastes): gastrointestinal illness
- carbon filters and reverse osmosis can remove pathogens
- Perchlorate (primary ingredient of rocket fuel): presence is not regulated by EPA; report it's in 26 million American's water, primarily in TX, CA, MN, and PA
- reverse osmosis filters perchlorate
- Many experts concur most tap water is safe and preferable to bottle water
- Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense, states tap water is best as long as it's clean b/c it saves money and isn't transported long distances, and municipal water supplies are oftentimes cleaner than bottled water
- 4-year intensive study showed no assurance that bottled water is cleaner or safer than tap. In fact, 25% of bottled water is tap water
- Consumer Report's test in 2000 concluded 8/10 bottled water left residues of BPA (potent hormone-disrupting chemical) in water.
- Bottled water negatively impacts environment
- America's demand requires 1.5 million barrels of oil/year = enough to fuel 100,000 cars/year
- Bottled water can cost up to 10,000 times more than tap (costs more than gasoline)
Babies and Children
"Research and statistics confirm chronic childhood diseases and disorders such as autism, allergies, birth defects, obesity, learbing and developmental disabilities, early puberty and some childhood cancers are on rise"
"You're not going to be able to protect your baby from every threat, and most of the time it's going to be okay. It's crucial to remember several factors come into play - timing, exposure levels and duration, and genetic predisposition"
Babies and children more vulnerable to toxic chemicals:
weigh less than adults but eat and drink more per pound of body weight
- have faster respiratory rates- breathe in more air
- pound for pound, they receive proprtionately larger doses of toxic chemicals than adults
- body systems and brains are still developing
** In 2004, Environmental Working Group and Commonweath found average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutatnts in baby's umbilical cord
Ideas:
- avoid polycarbonate drinking bottons (try those labeled with code 5, 1, 2, or 4 found on bottom of bottle),
- use stainless steel sippy cups (http://www.kleankanteen.com/)
- more expensive, but more durable --> last longer
- buy bottles made from safer plastics or use glass bottles
- make own baby food
- steam or boil organic produce and puree in blender
- make large batches and freeze individual portions in ice cube trays
- do not warm plastic bottles in microwave
- heat liquids separately and pour into bottle when cooled at comfortable temp.
- choose clear nipples made from silicone
