BPA Free!

I've known since my baby girl was born that BPA is bad, but I didn't really know how bad, or even why. I've learned since then, and today I found an article from Seventh Generation that sums it up pretty well.

To quote from the article:

"There don't seem to be many health problems it doesn't cause -- hormone disruption, chromosome and reproductive changes, low sperm counts, impaired brain function, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, obesity, early puberty, cancer, and resistance to chemotherapy; you name it."

Read the entire article here.

Remember, it's all about taking steps, not leaps, toward a better lifestyle. Step one, as mentioned in the article, stay away from canned foods that have high citrus content. That's doable. One step at a time. You can do it!

Wednesday Walkthrough . . . sterilizing pt. 3

The way that I found out about changing the alkalinity (also known as ionizing) water was through a water filtration system demo done at my home. I'm not one to just jump in and buy something because it promises to fix all the problems in my life. Neither am I one to start selling it to all my friends for the same reasons.

So, in my quest to find other ionizing techniques, I've run across some interesting videos about the ionizing filtration systems available right now. Here are a couple that compare the leading brands available today. Take a deep breath; the price tag is steep. But, as I research this more, my goal is to find out if there's a principle here that can be generated at home without paying thousands of dollars. For now, I don't have an answer to that theory. But I will keep you posted.

What you need to know before you view this video: The first video tests three filtration systems for a high pH (rather than a low pH--which I was talking about to use for sterilization techniques). This will just give you an idea of the range that the machines are capable of. The value of a high pH water is the level of antioxidant power the water has. We all have heard how good antioxidants are for you, so you can see the value in that already.

The next video warns of scams and unbelievable (not in a good way) stats that a water filter seller may try to sell you. Buyer beware!

**Please note, this is in no way meant to sell you a product. I've only seen one of these three filters demoed, and I'm not even going to mention which one it was. Nor do I own any of these systems. My goal is only to familiarize you with the practical value of varying the pH level of water. How I will do that in my own home is still up for debate. More to come.

Wednesday Walkthrough . . . sterilizing pt. 2 con't

Ok, to continue from yesterday...

If you can get water down to a pH level of 2.5, it turns into a natural sterilizer (it actually smells similar to a mild chlorine). This can be used on a range of things, but the clearest example I've seen is soaking vegetables.

If you soak cherry tomatoes in a cup of normal filtered water (I use a Pur filter) and a cup of 2.5 water for a few minutes...the water from the Pur filtered cup comes out murky, but the water from the 2.5 water comes out bright green! It pulls all of the pesticides off of the tomato, and it makes the tomato taste 10 times better. When I saw that, I about gagged. We're talking BRIGHT green water. Ewww!

Supposedly, you could soak a raw chicken filled with salmonella for a minute in 2.5 water, and it would be safe to eat. Imagine what you can do with your house, your food, your body if you had 2.5 water! Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

2.5 water instantly cleans bottles...even ones that set out overnight with milk inside and have a rotten smell--eliminating the need for boiling, microwaving, etc.

My next step is to test the water and how if there's anything left to pull off if I wash the veggies in Veggie Wash first, or if I soak the veggies overnight. I'd really like to see what comes off after I use my normal washing methods. I will keep you posted!

Wednesday Walkthrough . . . sterilizing pt. 2

First, a quick apology for missing last week's walkthrough. So sorry, but I've got some good stuff to make up for it.

I've had a couple of people ask me about safe alternatives to bleach and sterilizing. At first I was at a loss for what to say because I hadn't found any, but I've found something really interesting this week that may answer a lot of questions:

To begin, a little biology. I'm not a scientist, so this will be basic: The body must be ph-balanced or else it will die. Too much acid or too much alkalinity and, sorry charlie.

Japanese scientists have discovered a way to change the molecular structure of water so that you can control the acidity or alkalinity of the water. . .this means a lot of different things, but it particularly relates to cleaning. . .

. . .but you'll have to wait until tomorrow because it's too late to explain now. Hey, at least I got the start of the Wednesday walkthrough out on Wednesday, right?

more to come....................

Wednesday Walkthrough . . . sterilizing

Recently one of my friends posted as their status: "Are u kidding? @ the entrance of the super market. What a great idea, lets wipe our hands with TOXIC Clorox bleach!"

Her first comment underneath was "'TOXIC' that sounds slightly dramatic..."

But is it? Clorox bleach wipes have always made me leery for a couple of reasons:

1) You can smell them from far away (even if they're tightly sealed in their container), and when you smell them up close, you tend to cough and choke involuntarily because the fragrance is so strong.

2) The smell doesn't go away for a long time after you use them. If my body's natural reaction is to eject those smells out of my body, I take that as a warning sign that I should stay away.

With that said, let's take a stroll through your sanitation and sterilization procedures...this will be a two-part journey.

Today, Clorox wipes. . .and the other wipes offered for you to clean your grocery carts, your desks, your counters, etc. My first google of "Clorox wipes toxic" brought up this report about household cleaners. The fact that it was done in Europe (where the toxicity standards are a lot higher than America, hence their toys are safer for your kids) doesn't surprise me. The findings are startling. You can read the entire report here, or I'll bullet point some of the more alarming stats below:

* The report examined three leading products: Clorox wipes, Pledge, and Lysol Disinfecting Spray.

* When the VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) were tested (keep in mind that anything above 500 is concern especially to those with sensitivities), Pledge registered at 273 ppb, Clorox at 1,000 ppb, and Lysol was 1,200 parts per million which means it was 1,000 times stronger than Clorox wipes--and we're using this to spray and "clean" our children's toys and play area?!

* Testing is going on now to determine the effect of these compounds in the workplace, and preliminary studies show that pregnant women are not only putting their own bodies at risk but also their babies'. Current findings are linking exposure to these chemicals with affecting the vision of their developing babies. (Compounds absorbed in the mother's body is transfered to the baby via the umbilical cord.)

* Clorox wipes had two primary hazardous ingredients: dimethyl benzyl ammonia chloride and dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonia chloride--both are pesticides!

* Ingredients for Clorox wipes directly from their home page:

	Water
	Substrate
	Isopropyl alcohol
	Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride
	Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride
	Alkyl polyglucoside
	Disodium EDTA
	Fragrance
	Preservative
	Propylene glycol propyl ether

* Pledge doesn't list its ingredients, but one researcher found that some of the ingredients are sillicones, butane gas and propane.

I know at my local Whole Foods, they offer a wipe for cleaning off your shopping cart, but I haven't read the label yet to see what exactly I would be wiping on my cart. Please, do your research before trusting a label simply because it's on the shelf (and many think that therefore it must have been tested for safety).

There are many, many safe cleaning options to replace your Clorox wipes. This article has comprehensive list of cleaning solutions for all areas in your home. The daily green is also a good source for alternative solutions.

Which cleaners have you found that cause you to cough and choke if you get too close and inhale a little too deeply?

Wednesday Walkthrough . . . IOU

It's 10:30 p.m. I'm up way later than I should be, and I owe you a Wednesday Walkthrough. I have a lot of ideas floating around concerning what to talk about, but, alas, dear readers, I must sleep. Please know, you are not forgotten, and I promise to make good on my IOU.

Until then...