Choose the Safest Personal Care Products for your Children

Image from Flickr by kali

It is such an uphill battle to keep up with the safest products to buy for your children.  I am always amazed with how deceiving some of the marketing language can be.  I love it when the packaging says “All Natural” only to find that the product contains some of the worst chemicals around.

That’s why I was thrilled to find that the Cosmetic Database had published “The Parent’s Buying Guide: Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products”.

It outlines which ingredients to always avoid and which you should avoid when possible.   The guide also gives some specific product suggestions by brand.

Check it out!

The Mother List is Going Gluten Free!

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About 4 weeks ago, I started thinking more about my family’s diet.  How well are we eating?  What is my 2 year old learning about food?

One of the first steps this family has taken is going Gluten Free.  As a side note: I was and always have been a HEAVY gluten eater.  The thought of cutting out my pastas and breads made me quake in my boots.

However, after lots of research and realizing we needed some dietary changes, we dove in.  Many people have a gluten intolerance and don’t even know it.  And even more important to me: some studies link gluten to ADHD and autism – we’ll look at that more in depth later.  But seriously, can it hurt to introduce less grains and more veggies and colorful foods into your diet?

I happen to have a great friend that is a naturopathic doctor – Courtney Jackson, N.D., of Summit Natural Health in Colorado.  I went to her for the skinny on Gluten and Gluten Intolerances:

GLUTEN INTOLERANCES AND YOUR HEALTH

Gluten is a sticky protein found in wheat, rye, kamut, spelt, and barley that makes bread and baked goods springy.  A gluten intolerance is common in our country (1/133 Americans) and can be the cause of numerous health concerns.  Most people can connect digestive problems like bloating, diarrhea, and constipation to a food intolerance However, a gluten intolerance will commonly cause weight gain, headaches, moodiness, acne, difficulty conceiving, joint pain, and increased susceptibility to illness in adults.  In children, a gluten intolerance can cause increased irritability, attention deficit, and failure to thrive.

Things to know about a food intolerance:

1.  A food intolerance is the result of an abnormal reaction of the immune system and symptoms may not appear FOR HOURS TO DAYS after ingesting the food.

2.  A food intolerance differs from a food allergy, which is a specific response of the immune system that produces an IgE antibody.  Wheat happens to be one of the most common causes of food allergies.

3. In some people, gluten intolerance may be so severe as to cause an autoimmune response that destroys the small intestine called Celiac disease.  Even without true Celiac disease, people can still react negatively to gluten.

Blood tests are available to help you discover if you are intolerant to gluten.  Or, you can take all gluten out of your diet for 4 weeks and see if your symptoms resolve and your sense of well-being improves.  There are many gluten-free grains available to enjoy, including rice, corn, oatmeal, potato, quinoa, and amaranth so those who are gluten-intolerant do not have to feel deprived.

Benefits of getting off your food intolerance include increased energy, improved mood, weight loss, improved skin, and healthy bowel function.

Summit Natural Health uses naturopathic medicine to help people discover and treat food intolerances.  They provide a comprehensive evaluation to our patients that places a food intolerance in the context of their total health history.  Removing a food intolerance and supporting the body with whole foods and appropriate nutritional supplements can significantly improve well-being.

Pesticides Linked to ADHD

Image by santiago nicolau

As a mom, I have been encountering more and more parents whose children have recently been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder).   Parents are feeling pretty helpless when they receive the diagnosis and often wonder, “Why my kid?”

Interestingly, a new study was just published in the Pediatrics Journal that links pesticides to ADHD in children ages 8-15.  The study tested urine samples of 1139 children and found children with “higher than the median of detectable concentrations had twice the odds of ADHD.”

We are finding more reasons to avoid pesticides and we recently published a list of the foods with the most pesticides (foods to always buy organic) and the foods with the lowest level of pesticides.

Find more information on the study in the Pediatrics Journal website and seriously consider avoiding pesticides in your household!

Mommy Meditations – Meditate Postpartum

A friend of mine pointed me in the direction of Mommy Meditations: Life After Birth, a CD developed for new moms that encourages them to meditate and refocus on their own well-being.

The creator of Mommy Meditations is Dr. Kerri Parks, an ObGyn and a mother to four children.  Dr. Parks had battled postpartum after losing her husband in a car accident just days before having her 4th child.  With a combination of medical help and meditative practices, she was able to overcome her depression and is now trying to help other women with Mommy Meditations.

Personally, I think this is a fabulous idea.  It is so hard for new moms to recenter themselves after birth.  Life simply does not stop.  Setting aside the time to listen to something like this CD is probably one of the best things I could have done to help in my own recovery.  So many moms don’t allow themselves the time to relax, even when baby is finally napping.  There is just always something to do!

I plan on buying this for my next pregnancy in an effort to get myself to slow down and have some moments of clarity!  Wouldn’t that be nice?

You can check it out on the Mommy Meditations website and read more about Dr. Parks’ story.

Thanks Lindsay!

Greening the Laundry Room

I’ve tried a lot of different green detergents after waving goodbye to Tide, All, and the rest of the mainstream detergents years ago.  After some research, I realized that laundry detergents contain some seriously harsh chemicals I decided my family did not need on their skin all day long.

I’m always looking for something new and recently tried Vaska.

Here is why I like them – from their website:

“Vaska is among a select number of companies that have earned recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Design for the Environment Program (DfE). As a DfE partner, we have voluntarily committed to developing products that break down quickly to non-polluting compounds and help protect aquatic life in both fresh and salt water. In 2008, Vaska was awarded “champion” status – the highest level of recognition under the EPA’s Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative.”

This stuff is so good that South San Francisco’s Royal Laundry, which serves more than 100 Bay Area hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton, recently switched to Vaska.

And, I won’t mind my son running around in his freshly laundered clothes!  And don’t you just love the the packaging that is 50 percent post-consumer material?

You can use the Vaska store finder to find it near you, or purchase on their site and get free shipping with Alice.com.

7 Steps to Getting Green: Our Earth Day Round Up

Image by FlyingSinger

Just a quick review of what we’ve learned over the past week celebrating Earth Day.

7 (easy) Steps to Getting Green:

1. Consider Carbon Fund to offset some of that carbon footprint of yours.
2. Stay eco-conscious during your holiday celebrations.
3. Go local – buy as much food as possible locally.
4. Save money on earth-friendly products with green categories on coupon sites like Coupon Craze.
5. Educate your children about the environment and promote recycled crafts.
6. Use resources like the Green Business Bureau to find and support local green businesses.
7. Locate recycling centers near you for difficult items like paint, household chemical,  batteries and more.

Pretty easy to get a littler greener, don’t you think?

What other green resources you have discovered?  Please share in the comments!

Find Your Nearest Recycling Center for Everything

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I have yet another GREAT resource for you: 1-800-Recycling.com.  This extremely user-friendly website is a free service that helps you locate your nearest recycling center for all the things you wonder how to recycle.   Read about your state’s guidelines and educate yourself on what can be recycled.

About:

1-800-Recycling.com features comprehensive recycling location database that gives the user the ability to easily assemble a recycling to-do list. The database is location based, and aims to make your recycling needs as easy as possible, whether you’re clearing out the house during spring cleaning or simply looking to recycle a few shopping bags.

You can search for recycling batteries, mobile phones, unused paint, mattresses, fire extinguishers, those compact fluorescent lights, and even refilling printer cartridges!

They also have a fantastic blog that is full of “green” education.

Ooh ooh! And since I always love a freebie: they will mail you a set of free recycling stickers so you can turn anything into a recycling bin!

I could spend all day on this site!

And, I would like to announce our lucky CarbonFund.org $50 credit winners: Angela, David and Miranda!  Congrats!

Shop Green: Green Business Bureau

Looking for ways to support “green” businesses, but not sure where to start?  Check out Green Business Bureau.

The Green Business Bureau is a nationally-recognized third-party program that provides certification for businesses that follow environmentally responsible practices.  When a business becomes a member, they take an online survey of their existing green practices.  Once the GBB has that information, a tailored set of environmental initiatives are created specifically for that member.

You can use their website to search for any green business in your area that upholds the GBB’s strict standards for inclusion.  Search for apparel shops to cleaners, and even law firms!

The GBB was started by a group of environmental and business professionals who recognized a need in the marketplace for a trusted green certification for small- to medium-sized businesses, GBB fosters environmental awareness among businesses and promotes business practices that are both environmentally responsible and commercially beneficial.

Happy Earth Day!

Celebrate Green! Great Book for the Eco-Conscious

I’ve been here many a time, I am throwing a holiday get together and in the middle of the party, I glance around and realize how much waste is happening. And then I heard about Celebrate Green!, a fabulous book that is full of resources for easy, quick, affordable ways to turn every celebration from birthday parties to Christmas, into a more meaningful, eco-event.

This book has it all: tips, strategies, activities, gift ideas, and recipes that are eco-friendly. Most importantly, once you incorporate some (or all!) of these fantastic ideas, you bet your children will catch on. This is a way of life, and as you make some small steps, others will fall into place easily.

Celebrate Green! is packed with useful information. It also includes a “The Greensmart Glossary”, which explains some of the new eco-terms we all struggle to understand, and an extensive list of resources, including websites for hundreds of green businesses.

Great news for you! If you want your own copy of Celebrate Green!, The Mother List readers get 40% off! Just visit Celebrate Green! and use promo code: MotherList1

Trust me, this is a wonderful book!

Anna Sova Food Paint – Safe Household Paints

As we prep for Earth Day, I had to share one of my favorite companies, Anna Sova.  The home of organic and eco-friendly textiles and Anna Sova Food Paint.

Anna Sova Food Paint is something every parent should know about.  The paint is produced using up to 94% food ingredients and has zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds – trust me, those are bad).  They are the perfect solution for painting a nursery, painting anything while pregnant, or for those with asthma or allergies.  If I had my way, your entire house would be painted with zero VOC paint, as well as every other house out there.

Think your color choices will be limited? Think again – Anna Sova offers every color you can imagine and can also make custom tints and bases.

Good news: Use promo code April10 and receive 10% off AND free shipping on any paint order!

I am also the proud owner of Anna Sova 900 GSM Organic Cotton Spa Towels – which happen to be on sale right now. I have to tell you, I bought these towels 3+ years ago and have found them to hold up much better than any other towels I have owned.  They are ultra plush and . . . organic!  If you hurry, they are offering free monogramming through April 1o.