Foods to Buy Organic – From Delicious Organics
May 29, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition
This is a list that I really like, it’s from Delicious Organics and their philosophy is a little more stringent.
FRUIT
Peaches – listed as the worst with the highest levels of pesticides of all conventional produce
Strawberries – one of the most pesticide laden food of all and so scrumptious and not easy to wash because they are small and sweet, like Raspberries, so choose organic to be safe and keep your family safe
Raspberries
Apples
Grapes (& therefore Raisins)
Nectarines
Apricots
Pears
Cherries
Lemons – especially if zesting, should definitely use organic
Limes
Bananas – heavy chemicals for the trip to America including Thiabendazole which Damages the Brain and Nervous System. Especially troubling since this is the first food we can feed our babies! Not on EWG list anymore but we’re keeping them on ours.
Kiwis – off the latest lists
Pineapple depending from where
Cantaloupe from Mexico
Tomatoes – yes, they’re a fruit, but they were recently taken off the top tend list. Of course, grape and cherry tomatoes are difficult to wash giving reason to get those organic. And organic tomatoes just taste better!
Juice! – many kinds of juices have Grape Juice in them)
VEGETABLES
Potatoes
Corn – kids love it and so do bugs plus most corn is now genetically modified! Many products contain corn syrup too so choose organic when you can for those items as well. Off some lists but we’re keeping it.
Celery
Cucumbers
Spinach
Lettuce
Green & Red Bell Peppers
Lettuce – some more than others
Hot Peppers
Green Beans – Acephate, Benomyl, Chlorothalonil, Methamidophos – Damages Brain and Nervous System, Cause Birth Defects
Winter or Hard Squash – recently taken off the top 10 list.
Carrots – newly added to the list!
Also important to buy organic:
Rice – loaded with pesticides!
Oats – read those cereal boxes!
Milk – antibiotics and hormones are forced into America’s conventional dairy cow to increase profits without regard on our children’s health or that of the cow’s – see Not in My Milk
Baby Foods- babies are particularly sensitive to pesticides to make your own or go Organic!
Wild Salmon – okay, so it’s not officially “organic” but Wild is the right choice for many reasons
Foods that are GE like Corn – there are more pesticides on genetically engineered foods so avoid GMO Foods
Nuts – because of the high fat content, they hold on to pesticides more than others
Anything you or your kids eat a lot of – since pesticides accumulate, if you eat a lot of something that may not be listed here, lets say your kids eat peanut butter every day, then you should certainly avoid an excess of toxins by choosing organic for those items.
Foods to Buy Organic – From Consumer Reports
May 29, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition, Greener Living, Health & Wellness, Infant & Childcare, Parenting
If you are a fan of consumer reports – here is what they recommend:
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
Meat
Poultry
Eggs
Dairy
Baby food
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/diet-nutrition/organic-products/organic-foods/overview/when-to-buy-organic-ov.htm
Foods to Buy Organic – From EWG
May 29, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Food & Nutrition, Greener Living, Preservatives & Additives
The Environmental Working Group has compiled the following list on the pesticide load of fruits and vegetables:
Starting with Worst Offenders:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Pepper
Celery – for some reason this one surprised me.
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Imported Grapes – yes the domestic rank better with a lower pesticide load.
Click to view the entire list.
Foods to Buy Organic – From EWGNatural First Finger Foods for Infants
May 29, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Infant & Childcare, Parenting
The Dangers of Cigar Smoking
May 29, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Health & Wellness
If you know me – you know about my battle with my husbands little cigar smoking hobby. I can’t argue with him about it anymore… but at least I can blog about a few of the facts!
The informations that most surprised me was how addictive Cigars are – nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes. Cigarette’s contain 1-2 mg while a Cigar contains 100-200 mg.
Don’t be mislead by thinking because you don’t inhale you are safe. The nicotine is absorbed in your mouth through your saliva.
This is from About.com – Written by Terry Martin
It’s a common misconception that cigar smoking is less dangerous than cigarette smoking. Not true. Cigars are not safer than cigarettes, but because they are used differently, the health hazards differ somewhat as well.How does cigar smoking differ from cigarette smoking?
- Approximately 75 percent of cigar smokers don’t inhale and don’t smoke cigars on a daily basis.
- Cigarette smokers do inhale, and most smoke 20, 30 or more cigarettes every day.
These differences in smoking habit explain why cigar smokers are generally exposed to less of the poisonsand carcinogens present in cigars than cigarette smokers are to similar toxins in cigarettes, and why there are fewer instances of cigar smoking-related disease and death than we see with cigarettes.Let’s take a look at a few facts about cigars and cigar smoking — some of them might surprise you.
Facts About Cigar Smoking
1. One cigar may contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes.
A single cigarette typically has less than a gram of tobacco, while a single cigar may contain as much as 5 to 17 grams of tobacco.2. Cigars are addictive.
Cigar smoke breaks down in saliva, allowing the smoker to easily absorb nicotine through the lining of the mouth in quantities sufficient to causeaddiction, even if the smoke is not inhaled. And, the amount of nicotine in a single cigar is many times greater than what is found in a cigarette. A typical cigarette contains one to two milligrams of nicotine, while the nicotine content of a cigar is 100 to 200 milligrams, with some as high as 400 milligrams.
3. Cigar smoke is more concentrated and toxic than cigarette smoke.
Secondhand smoke from cigars varies from that of cigarettes for a couple of reasons. First, the manufacturing process for cigars requires a fermentation period. During this time, high concentrations of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are produced. TSNAs are some of the most carcinogenic compounds known to man. Secondly, cigar wrappers are not as porous as cigarette wrappers, making the combustion of a cigar less complete. These two factors result in higher concentrations some of the toxic chemicals in cigars than in cigarettes.
4. Smoking as little as one cigar a day increases the risk for cancer.
Cigar smoking has been linked to several different cancers, most notably those of the oral cavity, which include lip, tongue, mouth, throat and larynx. Cigar smokers who inhale are also at an increased risk for lung cancer, cancers of the pancreas and bladder, as well as heart and lungdisease.
5. Cigar and pipe smokers are at risk for early tooth loss.
In a study published in the January 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, it was discovered that cigar and pipe smokers are at an increased risk for early tooth loss, compared to that of their nonsmoking counterparts. Cigar and pipe smokers are also at an increased risk for alveolar bone(the bone that holds the tooth in place) loss.
6. Cigar smoking has been linked to erectile dysfunction in men.
Smokers are twice as likely to be impotent as nonsmokers due to the adverse effects smoking has on circulation, hormones and the nervous system. Cigar smoking and exposure to second hand smoke in particular have been shown to be significant risk factors for erectile dysfunction.
All forms of tobacco have risks associated with them, and cigars are no different. Steer clear of cigars, and avoid the secondhand smoke they produce.
There is no such thing as a “safe” tobacco product.
<a href=”http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cigarspipesandsmokeless/a/CigarSmokeFacts.htm”></a><a href=”http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cigarspipesandsmokeless/a/CigarSmokeFacts.htm”></a>http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cigarspipesandsmokeless/a/CigarSmokeFacts.htm
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
May 27, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Better Beauty, Health & Wellness
More than 1000 companies have signed The Compact for Safe Cosmetics, companies like Burt’s Bees, Avalon Organics and Giovanni.
If you are looking for a simple tool in helping to make a safer choice look on the label to see if the company is a signor. If they are, you can feel confident that you are choosing a safer alternative.
To Learn More:
http://safecosmetics.org/index.php
Campaign for Safe CosmeticsThe European Union Cosmetics Directive
May 27, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Better Beauty, Health & Wellness
The European Union Cosmetics Directive sets standards for personal care products that are much more strident than those set by the FDA – A quick way to look for products that will contain a safer list of ingredients is to look for EU Compliant on the labels. You will find this listed on labels of many products and it’s a good start.
For more information on the Directive:
http://www.european-cosmetics.info/site/index.cfm?SID=14075&SEL=14091&OBJ=14117
In January 2003, the European Union amended the cosmetics directive (76/768/EEC) to ban the use of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects. The amendment bans carcinogens, reproductive toxins and mutagens from cosmetics, and companies are required to remove these chemicals from cosmetic products sold in the EU by September 2004.
Since the EU directive requires that all cosmetic products containing toxic chemicals be reformulated for the EU market, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is asking U.S. companies to make those reformulated products readily available in every market they serve – both domestically and globally.
Council Directive 76/768/EEC of 1976-07-27 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cosmetic products[2] (as amended) is the main European Union law on the safety of cosmetics. It was made under Art. 100 (ex Art. 94) of the Treaty of Rome. By agreement, it is also applicable in the EEA.[3]
The directive defines a “cosmetic product” as “any substance or preparation intended for placing in contact with the various external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or principally to cleaning them, perfuming them or protecting them in order to keep them in good condition, change their appearance or correct body odours.” (Art. 1.1)
The main part of the directive is the different lists of substances in the annexes:
substances that are banned from use in cosmetics (Annex II)
substances that are subject to restrictions on their use (Annex III): such substances might only be permitted for certain types of cosmetics, or in certain concentrations, or subject to warning labels, etc.
permitted colourings (Annex IV)
permitted preservatives (Annex VI)
permitted UV filters (Annex VII)
The annexes are regularly amended (57 times up until April 2008) to take account of new data on the safety of particular substances.[4]
Technorati
May 8, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Diva Musings
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Safer Nail Polish
May 5, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Better Beauty
Recently I gave my daughter her first manicure and pedicure.
Previously – I had heard about opting for greener polish – but wasn’t compelled to try them until my daughter asked to have her nails painted. And I didn’t know what the problem was with regular polish.
So why should you consider switching?
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene – big words right?
What makes them bad… well they are know to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
All three ingredients are banned by the European Union, but not by the FDA.
The good news – there are many companies making nail polish without these harmful ingredients.
Zoya will even exchange an old bottles for new at $3 per bottle (minimum of 6 bottle – but no max through June 9). Zoya retails for $6 per bottle at my local store.
Coming Soon – Diva Review: Zoya Nail Polish.
Sally hansen has also removed the harmful ingredients.
Opi and Orly are continuing to use some of the ingredients, while removing others.
Avoid the Ick Factor in Bar Soap – the cleaner side of green.
May 5, 2009 by Tania Reuben
Filed under Diva Solutions, Home
By now you’ve likely heard that bar soap is the greener choice washing options – it requires less packaging, people use less, there is no container to dispose of at the end, and it’s formulated with less harsh ingredients.
Did you know that liquid soap bottles account for over 2 millions pounds of plastic in our landfills annually and this product didn’t even exist until the 1980’s!
A small amount of bacteria can live on the soap and there’s the icky mess – so I don’t know about you – but this has stopped me from embracing the bar. Now, I have the answer!
Take your lovely bar of soap and a potato peeler, to create individual sized pieces of soap and set them in a lovely dish. Be sure to take your individual sized piece before wetting your hands.
You can enjoy the benefits of the bar without the gooey mess. You’ll also likely to wash longer as you wait scrub using your own little soap strip.
If you can’t break away from the liquid – find a green brand and buy the gallon size to refill your small containers. I’ve sometimes found the gallon sized method at Costco and Pangea Organics also makes a large bottle but you’ll need to order it.
So make the switch – save some money and be kinder to the environment.
Avoid the Ick Factor in Bar Soap – the cleaner side of green.
