The Holistic Mama

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The Government says “Eat Less.” Really?

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Nutrition advice issued on Monday by Federal Regulators actually said, “Eat Less.” This is pretty amazing news being that the government is part of the reason why Americans eat too much. I am shocked to hear this from our government because its finally a step in the right direction.

For years and years the government continues to subsudize corn which is a huge reason why we have so many processed and refined “foods” available to us. The vast majority of them are made from corn becuase that is the only commodity that farmers can grow and still make a living due to the corn subsidy.

The government is suggesting that Americans drink less soda and more water and eat less pizza and desserts. I hope that this message will finally be recognized by Americans and that people will FINALLY make a change in their diet. This is a good first step – less soda, pizza, and dessert. For those of us who are holistic minded and already eat quinoa and kale, this may seem a bit obvious but for the general public this is a huge change.

Hopefully this will also trickle down to the food companies and force them to make changes on portion sizes and food quality. In the past a slice of tomato or even french fries and ketchup counted as a serving of vegtables but now it seems that they are pushing more fruits and veggies on the plate. I couldn't agree more with that statement – more fruits and veggies!

For more information see this article in the NY Times.

Will Food Safety Bill s510 Do More Harm Than Good?

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The Food Safety Bill will permit the FDA to increase inspections of food producers, track fruit and vegetable shipments and place stricter manufacturing standards attempting to avoid outbreaks of contamination.  This sounds like a really good thing.  The interesting thing is that there are well respected food experts that have opposing beliefs about this bill.  Michael Pollan (Omnivores Dilemma and Food Rules) publicly urged people to call their Senators to prevent the bill from passing, whereas Marion Nestle (Food Politics and What to Eat) thinks it’s about time for updated food safety regulations.

Opponents of the bill were concerned that the cost of compliance and large amount of paperwork required would put small businesses, smaller suppliers, and those who sell directly to consumers, like small family-owned farms or vendors at farmer’s markets, out of business. The effects of the bull could potentially interfere with organic and small scale food manufacturers as well as various natural supplements.

Small farms and small food suppliers are not part of the problem with food safety.  The problems occur with the large scale food corporations that supply large amounts of food to consumers.  The bill may have been pushed throught too quickly for this type of thing to be considered.

An interesting movie I watched recently talks a bit about this subject, I highly recommend watching Food Inc. whenever you get the chance.

Only time will tell if this bill will do any good at all or if it will just force small farms into bankruptcy – this is my biggest fear since I buy most of my food from small farmers.  Let's hope  that is not the case.


What are Phthalates and Why Should You Care?

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Phthalates are chemicals used to soften plastics in manufacturing.  It's also used to bind different chemicals together.  They are found in a lot of personal care products such as Shampoos, conditioners, body sprays, hair sprays, perfumes, colognes, soap,  and nail polish.  You will also find them in other plastic products like shower curtains, medical tubing, IV bags, vinyl flooring and wall coverings, food packaging and coatings on time-release pharmaceuticals.

Whenever you use personal care products that contain these chemicals they are absorbed into the body. The skin is the largest organ in our bodies and it absorbs anything that is put on it – basically just as if you were swallowing it.  This is the reason why its so important to be careful about any body products that you use.

Health Effects

There are some known health effects of using products with phthalates.  A new study by the Mount Sinai Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research found a statistical association between prenatal exposure to phthalates and incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder years later. Phthalates are considered endocrine disrupters, and studies have shown a statistical association between phthalate exposure and male sexual development. Research has also shown phthalates disrupt reproductive development of male laboratory animals.

How to Avoid or Reduce your Exposure to Phthalates

Avoid shampoos, body wash, lotions, and other personal care products that list “fragrance” in the list of ingredients.  These may contain phthalates. (Companies are not required to disclose the ingredients in their scents, and the industry says this phthalate is safe.)

Be careful with older plastic childrens toys becuase they may contain phthalates.  The federal government recently banned the sale of toys containing any of six phthalates.

Replace your personal care products with products that are safe.  Read all labels carefully.  Here are some products I trust…

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps

Burt's Bees Baby Bee

Weleda Baby

Make your own personal care products at home to ensure you know exactly what is in them. If you are interested in getting started making your own products check out my eBook, The Holistic Mama's Guide to Homemade Skin Care.

The Environmental Working Group is an awesome source for things of this nature.  They have a list of products on their site that do not contain phthalates visit here: EWG

What do you do to help reduce your family's exposure to these chemicals?

Six Ways to Reduce Your Family’s Exposure to BPA

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BPA is a building block of a lightweight, clear plastic called polycarbonate found in Water bottles, baby bottles, reusable food containers, plastic tableware, infant feeding cups, linings of infant formula cans and other cans, jar lids, CDs, electrical and electronic equipment, dental sealants.

We are exposed to BPA in many ways from all of these items.   One major way BPA gets into our bodies is by eating food or drinking liquids stored in containers containing BPA.  BPA also migrates from dental sealants into patients' mouths. Fetuses are exposed in the womb by what their mothers consume.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in the urine of 93 percent of the people it tested.

Studies have shown possible male sexual disfunction, disruption of endocrin system, and the brain and prostate glands in infants and small children. BPA poses a potential cancer risk and may mimic the female hormone estrogen and disrupt the extremely sensitive chemical signals in the body called the endocrine system.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, there are a number of studies that suggest BPA could affect “the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and young children.”

Ways to Reduce your Exposure:

  1. Using stainless steel water bottles like Klean Kanteen instead of buying plastic water bottles (added bonus is this save you money too!)
  2. Use glass food storage containers like the Pyrex Round Glass Storage Bowls.I use these for storage and for reheating food in the oven or the toaster oven.  Heating food in the microwave in plastic containers (or using a microwave at all) is a big no-no.
  3.  If you buy plastic, check for the recycle number on the bottom. If there is a number 7, assume the container contains BPA unless it explicitly says otherwise.
  4. Eliminate canned foods from your diet
  5. Get rid of any plastic containers with BPA especially baby bottles and children's containers
  6. Replace your baby's bottles and sippy cups with glass or stainless steel.  Try the BornFree Glass Bottles or the Safe Sippy which we LOVE.  It's a stainless steel sippy cup that is dishwasher safe.

Are you concerned about the risks of BPA?