Congrats to Shaklee one of six charter companies – Amtrak, Ben & Jerry’s, Clif Bar, REI, Shaklee and Timberland who have signed on as charter members of the Climate Counts Industry Innovators (i2) project!
Posts Tagged ‘Healthy Living’
1 Feb
The Top 10 Toxic Products You Don’t Need
It seems to be the morning for lists of toxic things in your home as I saw lists on both Healthy Child Healthy World and WebMD. I read though the lists taking an evaluation of what I have in my home against the list and was relatively pleased with where I netted out (noted below so you can see). I’ve had really bad sinus issues since the weather turned cold in Boston so I’m feeling extra sensitive to lists like these right now as everything seems to set me off (sneezing attacks, etc) at the moment.
Here’s my breakdown from the list from Healthy Child Healthy World – how do you net out?
1. Air fresheners: Most air fresheners mask odors with a synthetic fragrance or numb your sense of smell with chemical anesthetics. But, they do nothing to eliminate the source of the odor. Also, aerosol air fresheners spew out tiny droplets of chemicals that are easily inhaled into the lungs. Instead, ventilate well and choose natural deodorizers, such as zeolite or baking soda, which contain minerals that absorb odors. How to Freshen Indoor Air Naturally includes recipes for other homemade remedies. Plants are also helpful for purifying your indoor air.
Gomeringer house – NONE, we don’t use air fresheners at all. Instead we use a Shaklee Airsource unit.
2. Drain, oven and toilet bowl cleaners: Yes, three products instead of one, but they all fit under the category of cleaners – and these are the three nastiest. Corrosive or caustic cleaners, such as the lye and acids found in drain cleaners, oven cleaners and acid-based toilet bowl cleaners, are the most dangerous cleaning products because they burn skin, eyes and internal tissue easily.
Gomeringer house – NONE, we use Shaklee Germ-Off Wipes and Basic-G to clean the toilets and the Shaklee Scour-Off paste to clean the oven.
3. Canned food: It’s probably shocking to find a food item on a toxic product list, but it’s no mistake. Food cans are lined with an epoxy resin that contains bisphenol-A (BPA). Most experts believe this is our main source of exposure to BPA, which has been linked to hormone disruption, obesity, heart disease, and much more. Eden Foods is currently the only company with BPA-free canned foods (other than the canned tomatoes, which they haven’t found an adequate substitute for given the acidity of the tomatoes). Opt for fresh, frozen, dried or jarred foods.
Gomeringer house – 1 can per week, we tend to eat at least one can of black beans a week. Every week I tell myself I’m going to cook a bach of black beans and every week I run of out time. We need to work on this one.
4. Pesticides: This is a huge category of products, but they deserve inclusion in their entirety because of how extremely toxic they are. They’re made to be. That’s how they kill things. But, solving your pest problem may leave you with another problem – residual poisons that linger on surfaces, contaminate air, and get tracked onto carpet from the bottom of shoes. There are so many non-toxic ways to eliminate pests and weeds – next time you need to get on the offense, check out the recommendations at Beyond Pesticides.
Gomeringer house – this one is hard to qualify as we wear our shoes outside the house – granted we try to leave them at the door but we’re not always successful.
5. Dry-cleaning: Okay, it’s a service and not a product per se, but the chemical used to do it, perchloroethylene, has been linked to cancer as well as nervous system, kidney, liver and reproductive disorders. Even bringing dry-cleaned clothes home is risky. EPA studies have found that people who reported visiting a dry-cleaning shop showed twice as much perc in their breath, on average, as other people. EPA also found that levels of perc remained elevated in a home for as long as one week after placing newly dry-cleaned clothes in a closet. A Consumers Union study found that people who wear freshly dry-cleaned clothes, like a jacket and shirt, every week over a 40-year period, could inhale enough perc “to measurably increase their risk of cancer” – by as much as 150 times what is considered “negligible risk.” Try wet-cleaning, CO2 technology, or even hand-washing.
Gomeringer house – NONE, we use Zoots so that we aren’t using harsh chemicals to dry clean our clothes.
6. Bottled water: Most people buy bottled water thinking they’re avoiding any contaminants that may be present in their tap water. For the most part, they’re wrong. Bottled water can be just as, or even more, contaminated than tap water. In fact, some bottled water IS tap water – just packaged (in plastic that can leach chemicals into the water) and over-priced. Also, from manufacture to disposal, bottled water creates an enormous amount of pollution – making our water even less drinkable. Do yourself and the world a favor and invest in a reusable stainless steel water bottle and a water filter.
Gomeringer house – NONE, we use SIGG bottles or glass bottles. This is especially challenging at work as they buy us bottled water but I now bring my own water from home to avoid the plastic.
7. Rubber duckies: How does such a cute toy end up on a toxic product list? When it’s made from PVC – the poison plastic. Banned in over 14 countries and the European Union, PVC, also known as vinyl, is still legally sold by U.S. retailers although it threatens environmental and consumer health at every stage of its product life cycle, according to the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ). When it’s in your home, PVC can leach phthalates (linked to hormone disruption) and lead (a potent neurotoxicant) – contaminating air, dust, and eventually you. Go PVC-free by reading packages and avoiding the #3 in the chasing arrows symbol (usually found on the bottom of a product). If a plastic is not labeled, call the manufacturer. Learn more.
Gomeringer house – NONE, but we don’t have kids yet 🙂 I’ll have to remember this one.
8. Couch cushions: No, you needn’t get rid of all your cushions and consign yourself to a future of discomfort. Just avoid cushions, pillows, and anything with foam labeled as meeting California TB 117, as it is likely to contain toxic fire retardants. These chemicals migrate from the foam to dust to people. In animal research, these chemicals are associated with cancer, birth defects, thyroid disruption, reproductive and neurological disorders such as hyperactivity and mental retardation. Don’t worry about increasing your fire risk, data does not show that this standard has resulted in increased fire safety. Look for foam and cushions made with polyester, down, wool, or cotton as they are unlikely to contain toxic fire retardants.
Gomeringer house – I have no idea. I need to go home and read what our couch is made of.
9. Perfume and cologne: Colognes and perfumes may make us more attractive. But mixed in with the colors and scents are a wide variety of unattractive chemicals. Perfumes and fragrances can consist of hundreds of chemicals. Testing of Calvin Klein’s Eternity by an independent lab, commissioned by Environmental Health Network (EHN), revealed that the perfume contained over 800 compounds. Among the chemicals of concern is diethyl phthalate (DEP) that is absorbed through the skin and can accumulate in human fat tissue. Phthalates are suspected carcinogens and hormone disruptors that are increasingly being linked to reproductive disorders.
Gomeringer house – NONE, since I’m allergic to most strong chemicals we don’t wear any of this.
10. Oil-based paints and finishes: There are 300 toxic chemicals and 150 carcinogens potentially present in oil-based paint, according to a John Hopkins University study. Still interested in coating your walls and furniture with this gunk? I hope not. Look for water-based options – ideally those that are low- or no-VOC. You could also explore natural finishes like milk paint and vegetable or wax based wood finishes.
Gomeringer house – We don’t use oil-based paints but did use an oil stain for our back deck this summer that was NASTY and not something I plan to ever use again.
6 Jan
Top 10 Gross Things in Your House
Someone shared this list of the top ten gross things in your house from Science Discovery and I had to share with all of you. It’s really gross but funny at the same time as most of the things on the list are common sense and easily avoided!
The one that really got to me was #10 “Books and Papers” as I am a huge fan of books and treat my books as old friends…well I guess now they are dirty old friends 🙂 For your reading pleasure….
Ever heard of book lice?
They live in paper, but they’re not particular: they’ll take flour, grain or cardboard if that’s all you got.
Also known as psocids, the small, colorless insects feed on the mold and mildew that grow on books. Relax, they don’t™ bite humans … but they are really disgusting and can reach infestation proportions pretty quickly. How quickly? Well, parthenogenesis isn’t unheard of in psocids, meaning the females can lay eggs without ever having mated.
It’s kind of a favorable trait, if you’re looking to build your population.
4 Jan
EPA Requires Disclosure of Secret Pesticide Ingredients
Here’s one for the New Year!
Reversing a decade-old decision, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose to the public the inert ingredients in their products.
An inert ingredient is anything added to a pesticide that does not kill or control a pest. In some cases, those ingredients are toxic compounds, but companies do not identify them on pesticide labels.
Nearly 4,000 inerts – including several hundred that are considered hazardous under other federal rules – are used in agricultural and residential pesticides.
The EPA’s announcement that it will initiate the rulemaking comes 11 years after it had first been petitioned by environmental groups and state officials seeking public disclosure of the ingredients. In 2001, the agency denied those petitions filed by ten state attorney generals and an environmental coalition, and its decision was upheld by a federal judge in 2004.
“EPA believes disclosure of inert ingredients on product labels is important to consumers who want to be aware of all potentially toxic chemicals, both active and inert ingredients, in pesticide products,” according to the agency’s website.
Formaldehyde, bisphenol A, sulfuric acid, toluene, benzene and styrene are among the ingredients that are allowed in pesticides but are not identified on labels. Some are carcinogens, while some may cause reproductive or respiratory problems if people are exposed. Other inerts seem benign, such as coffee grounds, sunflower oil and licorice extract.
One goal of the planned rule is that pesticide companies would be more likely to replace toxic chemicals if they must identify all ingredients on their labels.
This seems like a no-brainer to me…Tim and I were just talking yesterday as we watched the LOADS of salt go down on the roads that he’s heard on NPR that some towns are experimenting with Beet juice instead of salt as it’s better for all living things and doesn’t kill everything it touches…Sadly, until people are ready to expand their minds and think differently about problems (ie. red snow instead of white :-)) solutions are slow in coming.
27 Dec
WICKED!
Happy Holidays Everyone! My wonderful husband surprised me with tickets to see WICKED this afternoon! We’re headed down to Providence to have a lovely late lunch and see the show. I hope you are all enjoying your holiday weekend!!!
8 Dec
Portion Size, Then Vs. Now – Page 2 – DivineCaroline
As you can tell, I’ve been reading a lot today…. 🙂
13 Nov
What Does Green Mean to You?
I had the great opportunity to talk with a graduate class at Fordham University in New York on Wednesday night about Shaklee. The class is part of a Corporate Responsibility program and the focus of this class is on ‘Getting Green.’
My friend Kelley invited me to come in as many of the students have been wondering about the steps they can take to make their own lives healthier and more green. It was an interesting presentation as I’m still learning about how to share Shaklee and the types of questions that people will ask. I was asked three questions that I had a hard time answering (below) so I was looking around for data this morning to see if I can find the answers. If anyone has this data please do share and I’ve inserted under each question the data I could find.
1) how does Shaklee source their products? couldn’t find good data here so I sent a note to Cindy Latham about this one.
2) what is the supply chain model? I found this about Shaklee’s Green strategy, but I also included this in my note to Cindy.
3) where have the clinical studies been published? Here is a good link for studies.
30 Oct
Mom on a mission!
I’m not a mom yet but I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for women who listen to their own hearts about what’s good for their families and don’t accept status quo (see my post about labels). I follow a group called HEALTHY CHILD HEALTHY WORLD as the site provides a gold mine of information and perspective on living toxin free. As I am part of their Facebook group I saw a link pop up today which allows you to nominate any woman you know who is making a difference with the environment for their family and friends. The program is called Mom on a Mission and I encourage you to take a read at what these women are doing in their communities. The award started in 2009 so you have plenty of time to make a difference in 2010!
I know so many women making a difference but I wanted to share one small story that is dear to my heart – I have a friend who came to me as she wants to change over the toxic cleaning products in her house to Shaklee Get Clean products. Her reason? Her cat, who is a true member of the family, has been licking the inside of the bathtub and the hardwood floors and she was worried about what the chemicals are doing to the 10lb cat. We sat down on Monday and walked through the Get Clean kit and the steps she can take to rid her home of the ‘traditional’ cleaners she’s been using. While she’s making this change for her cat, I can’t wait to hear how she and her boyfriend feel once they stop using such harsh chemicals in their environment. I’m proud of her that she’s taking the initiative to listen to her family (yes, as a cat person I consider any cat and especially our cat Georgia to be 100% part of the family!) and make decisions based on what’s best for them.
12 Oct
How often do you actually like a TV commercial?
I guess I could also ask how often you actually watch a TV commercial since you can mostly TiVo your way out of them now. So upfront I should just note this is a bit of TV perspective…
I had gotten home last yesterday after attending an all day conference on the concept of inbound marketing and was finally taking my hour to relax to watch my favorite TV show – Top Chef – when one of the new Prius commercials came on. It’s the one where the sun comes up and the Earth turns green but in the process you realize that it’s actually people dressed as the colors of the Earth they represent (brown = dirt, yellow=sun, you get the idea).
I love the concept.
We’re all made of and part of our planet and we need to shift our thinking one house at a time to understand how everything we do affects our larger world system.
What do you do in your household to help our planet?
Our Healthy Living Adventure 