home-economics

Think you’re done with BPA? Think again

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:37:31 -0800

Even if you ditched the plastic water bottles, your family may still be exposed to BPA every single day. Here, tips to reduce the health risks

Like just about every parent, we did a big clean out of plastic water bottles and toys last year. Studies about BPA (Bisphenol A), a chemical linked to health problems, made it clear that the chemical’s risks (reproductive disorders and cancer) outweighed its benefits (creating shatterproof plastics).

I naively assumed that once BPA’s use was restricted in Canada, it would disappear from my family’s life. But according to a recent story in the Washington Post, it turns out I was wrong.

BPA is pretty much ubiquitous. It’s found in canned goods, used in consumer products (including compact discs, cars and credit cards) and often comprises the lining of metal water bottles. Studies estimate that the chemical has been found in the urine of more than 97 percent of the population.

The problem is the benefits of BPA are really hard to replace and we’ve become completely dependent on the stuff—making it almost impossible to ban. The biggest risk seems to be the fact it can leach into our food. And, considering it’s found in many of the plastic containers and in most metal cans found on supermarket shelves, chances are we’re still consuming a lot of the stuff.

While we wait for our government to figure out how to protect us, we’re pretty much on our own. I know the idea of avoiding something that is everywhere seems impossible, but I like this list of tips from the Environmental Working Group:

How mothers and families can avoid BPA

• Breastfeed. Recent tests by Environmental Working Group and the Canadian government show BPA leaching from metal cans into all brands of liquid formula.

• Look for BPA-free baby bottles. Glass is a great option.

• Avoid microwaving in plastic containers.

• Say no to canned goods. Most canned foods have BPA-based epoxy liners; the highest concentration of BPA is found in canned meats, pasta and soups.

• Buy fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.

• Choose soups and beverages in glass containers or cardboard "tetra bricks.”

• When possible, avoid polycarbonate plastic marked with the recycling code #7 or the letters “PC.” (Download a PDF of the David Suzuki Foundation’s ‘Plastic By the Numbers’ cheat sheet for other, non-BPA plastics to avoid.)

Great movies to sneeze and cough to

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:04:13 -0800

While TV time is usually kept to a minimum, Diane decides to indulge her sick daughter with a selection of nature-themed documentaries

We’re not big TV watchers. Initially we skipped the glowing rectangular orb, because new studies about its damaging effects on children younger than three (which include attention problems, sleep disruptions and weight gains) coincided with Maia’s babyhood.

After she passed through the vulnerable toddler years we decided we didn’t want to use TV as a crutch to help us navigate childhood. I didn’t want to turn on the TV to block out her inquisitive questions or keep her occupied and out of my hair. Instead I wanted Maia to learn how to keep herself busy and use her imagination to entertain herself, without zoning out.

Now that she’s 8, we find Maia isn’t terribly interested in movies or TV. She’s much more likely to pick up a book or build herself an elaborate stuffed animal city than to ask for a movie. When she does watch TV, she’s pretty selective about what she sees. And if she’s on a play date and the movies come out, she tends to find a book or a toy to keep herself busy, unless the movie is really good.

Pretty much the only time Maia watches movies is when we do it together, as a family, for a treat.

Or when she’s sick.

I know she can read or play when she’s sniffing and sniveling, but there is something wonderfully indulgent about curling up with a blanket (and a hot lemon drink or ginger tea) and watching something you love. I’ve always leaned toward old movies when I’m sick, but for Maia we’ve hunted out beautiful nature documentaries. Our thought was she feels happiest when we’re out in the natural world, so why not bring that (rather than some Disney thing with a dead mother) into our home when she feels yucky.

So, to go along with last week’s post on cold remedies, here are our recommendations for…

Great movies to sneeze and cough to:

BBC Planet Earth: The Complete Series
Nature's Most Amazing Events
Wild Pacific
Africa, The Serengeti
Alaska, Spirit of the Wild
Antarctica, An Adventure of a Different Nature
Ocean Oasis
Australia, Land Beyond Time
Coral Reef Adventure

Many of these are available from the Vancouver Public Library. We tend to borrow them first, and then if they are really well loved we’ll add them to birthday and Christmas wish lists. Makes it easy for the grandparents…

What are your thoughts on kids and TV?

Earth (and kid) friendly cold remedies

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:14:00 -0800

Skip the sugar-laden cough syrups for these natural cold remedies

I think Maia tried to keep it a secret from me, but it’s clear she has a cold (last time round I scarred her taste buds by giving her a Fisherman’s Friend when she coughed). Even if it were okay to dope her up on cold medicine and plunk her in front of the TV, I probably wouldn’t go that route. There just seems something counterproductive in feeding a child an organic diet, then liberally adding medicines full of sugar and artificial dyes…

She’s miserable though and as she snuffles, sneezes, coughs and whines I find myself trying to remember old folk remedies. Some of them make me suspicious (although I have perfectly rational friends who will pin a sock around their neck at the first tingle of a sore throat), and some of them make me laugh (chillies, especially jalapenos, may be effective against a cold, but there's no way Maia would tolerate being fed those spicy little peppers!).

These ones seem to work for my family, so maybe they'll work for yours:

Honey and lemon

This is our tried and true. Equal parts fresh squeezed lemon and local honey and hot (not boiling water). It’s not fancy but it’s awfully soothing.

Lemon sore throat spray

Lemon is a great soother of sore throats and peppermint numbs the pain a bit. In a small spray bottle mix:

• 15-20 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• 30 ml water
• 30 ml lemon juice

This can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. Shake it before each use, using as often as necessary to soothe sore throats.

Ginger tea

Ginger boosts the immune system and respiration. It provides relief for virtually all cold symptoms, like fever, sinus congestion, sore throat, stomach-ache and nausea.

• 1 litre water
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root
• honey and lemon slice

Slice ginger into thin slices add to pot of boiling water. Cover it and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey and lemon to taste.

Natural DIY vapor rub

When I was a kid I used to love when my mum applied Vicks Vapo-Rub to my chest and back help relieve congestion. Turns out the stuff is full of petroleum products. Here is a natural version of that rub (wear an old shirt after you apply it). Combine:

• 10-15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil
• 3 drops thyme essential oil
• 15 ml olive oil

Do you have any natural cold remedies that have worked with your family?

TED Prize-winner Jamie Oliver makes a wish

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:57:00 -0800

In winning the TED prize, Jamie Oliver wishes for kids to learn healthier, more sustainable eating habits

I’ve blogged before about how much I love to listen to TED talks when I need a jolt of inspiration. TED started in 1984 as a conference that brought together people and ideas from three areas: Technology, Entertainment, Design. It’s now expanded to a series of conferences where some of the world’s brightest thinkers share ideas and solutions.

One of the newer elements of TED is the TED prize. I think this may be one of the coolest awards I’ve ever heard of. If you’re selected as a winner you get two things: $100,000 and one wish to change the world.

I thought about the wish part as I waited for this year’s winner, chef Jamie Oliver, to unveil his wish. If I had 18 minutes and a worldwide audience, what one change would I like to make in the world? I found the question both awe inspiring and humbling.

Jamie Oliver: We’re killing our kids

Fortunately Oliver has given his wish a great deal of thought and his speech packed a pretty hard hit: If we continue to feed our kids the way we currently are, we’ll kill them 10 years early.

Forget all the things we do to protect them; the super-safe car seats, the recalls of dangerous products, the over-built playgrounds. We’re negating all that stuff every time we give in to those pleas for candy, pack a lunch that’s made up of processed food, or serve a dinner that came from the freezer aisle at the grocery story.
By feeding our kids unhealthy food we’re offering them a life of obesity, diabetes and heart problems and saddling them with increased healthcare costs. And in Canada the trend toward eating unhealthy food at home is on the rise, with one recent study noting the number of meals with dishes made from scratch that a typical household serves has fallen from 423 in 2003 to 380 in 2009.

To combat obesity, Oliver made a simple wish for, “a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, to inspire families to cook again and to empower people everywhere to fight obesity."

Jamie Oliver's wish list for changing the world

• Every child should learn to cook 10 meals before leaving high school.

• Supermarkets should appoint "food ambassadors" to explain to customers how they can prepare local, fresh and seasonal foods.

• Food companies should make education a central part of their business.

• Food labelling should be improved to accurately warn people about unhealthy food.

This is a wish that’s easy to support. And all those playgrounds full of huffing and puffing overweight kids is an easy reminder of its urgency.