Who doesn't love a good candle? I love seasonal candles the best... pumpkin in the fall, evergreen in the winter, flowers in the spring, clean cotton in the summer... Smells are nostalgic; so many of us are suckers for a scent that brings us back to a certain time or place. Plus, it's nice to have a house that smells good instead of like last night's dinner, the dog, or one of the many (un)pleasant smells that comes from having children.
So what's the problem? ...
Soot that stains your walls and furniture and releases toxins and carcinogens into the air in your home. Most candles are made with paraffin wax which is a by-product of petroleum and releases a petro-carbon soot. That's what leaves black marks on your walls/furniture and also circulates through your air and home duct work. The American Lung Association reports that this soot contains 11 documented toxins including 2 carcinogens; toluene and benzene. yuck.
On top of the petroleum issue, there are also concerns with traditional candle wicks. Many candle companies are using lead core wicks. When heated, they release lead into the air. 100% of lead that is inhaled is released into the blood stream. gross. Even more horrible, chronic low-level lead exposure is related to neuro-psychological and behavioral problems in children.
Fragrance is another issue. Your best bet is to buy candles which are scented with essential oils. Synthetic fragrances are composed of chemicals with an unknown number of possible health risks. Some of the chemicals you are inhaling: acetone, ethanol, toluene, camphor, methylene chloride, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, limonene, linalool, g-terpinene, beta-phenethyl, musk amberette, musk xylene and musk keytone.
SO. Other options? Soy and beeswax candles are widely available and comparably priced. Be careful that what you are buying is pure beeswax or soy, since it is legal to advertise them that way even if they are mostly paraffin. Check labels carefully. As far as the wick, you want pure cotton, hemp, or wood. Undyed (or dyed with natural ingredients) and scented with essential oils (only) is the way to go. Natural food stores, environmental stores, and the internet are all good ways to find safe candles. I have found great candles at TJMaxx in the past, you just have to be diligent in your search!
Some webites to get you started:
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Wheat Germ List
Question: What is one of the healthiest foods in the world, inexpensive, tasty, and extremely versatile and easy to use?
Answer: Wheat Germ!!
So what is wheat germ? The wheat kernel can be separated into three distinct parts: the endosperm, the bran, and the germ. The endosperm makes up about 80% of the kernel; it is the foodsource for the plant. The bran is the outer layered shell of the kernel. The germ is the smallest only about 3% of the kernel and is the part of the seed that could sprout into a new plant. (FYI: whole wheat flour incorporates all three parts of the kernel, white flour uses only the endosperm). This tiny food packs a huge punch containing a whopping 23 nutrients; most notably folic acid, potassium, and iron. It is also a good source of B vitamins, protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc. It contains an immune system boosting antioxidant called L-ergothioneine, which is not destroyed by cooking. It looks like small, tan colored flakes and has a very mild nutty flavor. It can be purchased raw or toasted, but since raw wheat germ spoils very quickly, it's a good idea to be the toasted stuff. It can be found in any grocery store, usually in the cereal aisle for about $4. Keep it refrigerated to avoid spoilage.
Now you're convinced that it's amazing... so, how do you use it? Easy! Wheat germ has such a mild flavor and texture that it can be added to almost anything! Here's the list...
1. Sprinkled on hot or cold cereal
2. In pancake or waffle mix
3. In or on top of muffins
3. In place of or combined with bread crumbs
4. Sprinkled on top of casseroles as a crunchy topping (ex: mac and cheese)
5. Sprinkled on yogurt
6. In smoothies
7. In soups or stews
8. As a salad topping
9. In crumbles on top of desserts (ex:apple crisp)
10. Toss tofu or bananas in it as a snack for babies (or grown-ups!)
11. Use it to line brownie or bread pans instead of flour.
12. Sprinkled on cottage cheese
13. In oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies
14. On ice cream
15. In peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
16. In homemade granola
17. In place of flour in homemade bread (check online for exact substitutions)
etc... etc... etc...
This is something that you can really be creative with and use all the time. There are so many health benefits in adding wheat germ to your diet, you'd be crazy not to!
Bottom Line: Buy it and use it! You're going to love it!
Answer: Wheat Germ!!
So what is wheat germ? The wheat kernel can be separated into three distinct parts: the endosperm, the bran, and the germ. The endosperm makes up about 80% of the kernel; it is the foodsource for the plant. The bran is the outer layered shell of the kernel. The germ is the smallest only about 3% of the kernel and is the part of the seed that could sprout into a new plant. (FYI: whole wheat flour incorporates all three parts of the kernel, white flour uses only the endosperm). This tiny food packs a huge punch containing a whopping 23 nutrients; most notably folic acid, potassium, and iron. It is also a good source of B vitamins, protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc. It contains an immune system boosting antioxidant called L-ergothioneine, which is not destroyed by cooking. It looks like small, tan colored flakes and has a very mild nutty flavor. It can be purchased raw or toasted, but since raw wheat germ spoils very quickly, it's a good idea to be the toasted stuff. It can be found in any grocery store, usually in the cereal aisle for about $4. Keep it refrigerated to avoid spoilage.
Now you're convinced that it's amazing... so, how do you use it? Easy! Wheat germ has such a mild flavor and texture that it can be added to almost anything! Here's the list...
1. Sprinkled on hot or cold cereal
2. In pancake or waffle mix
3. In or on top of muffins
3. In place of or combined with bread crumbs
4. Sprinkled on top of casseroles as a crunchy topping (ex: mac and cheese)
5. Sprinkled on yogurt
6. In smoothies
7. In soups or stews
8. As a salad topping
9. In crumbles on top of desserts (ex:apple crisp)
10. Toss tofu or bananas in it as a snack for babies (or grown-ups!)
11. Use it to line brownie or bread pans instead of flour.
12. Sprinkled on cottage cheese
13. In oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies
14. On ice cream
15. In peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
16. In homemade granola
17. In place of flour in homemade bread (check online for exact substitutions)
etc... etc... etc...
This is something that you can really be creative with and use all the time. There are so many health benefits in adding wheat germ to your diet, you'd be crazy not to!
Bottom Line: Buy it and use it! You're going to love it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Parabens
"Paraben-free" health and beauty products are popping up all over the place. This raises the natural question, what are parabens? And why are they creating products with or without them? What kinds of concerns are there in using products that contain parabens?
Parabens are a preservative; an ester, which is a compound of alcohol and acid (in the case of parabens, p-hydroxybenzoic acid). They are used to preserve health and beauty products. The FDA does not regulate cosmetic ingredients as it does with medications and foods. The only safeguards are that companies can not mislabel their products, sell contaminated products, or sell products which have decomposed/spoiled. Thus, products are preserved to protect their shelf life.
One of the main concerns with parabens is that they are a xenoestrogen. This means that when they come in contact with your cells, they fit into little estrogen shaped receptor sites. Your cells then signal via neurotransmitters that they have received "estrogen". There are concerns that this could affect estrogen production or other parts of the endocrine system. Also, in laboratory studies, parabens have been shown to affect sperm count. Lastly, parabens have been found in cancerous breast tissue; this is obviously a huge red flag. (One disclaimer to that finding is that they did not study non-cancerous breast tissue to see if parabens are also present there). Only very small amounts of parabens are supposedly present in our health and beauty products. It is thought that this is a protective factor and this is one reason that the FDA has not banned the use of parabens. How this is regulated/tracked, I don't know, considering they are still not regulating cosmetic ingredients.
Bottom line: while there is not any hard, conclusive evidence that parabens are detrimental, there are studies showing some possible negative effects. It seems that it would be prudent to try to avoid them. This is especially true because of the abundance of paraben-free products. Read labels and avoid anything containing methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben, and benzylparaben.
Some paraben-free examples that I've found: St. Ive's Body Wash- inexpensive and easy to find, Burt's Bee's, Bare Escentuals, Sephora-approved products, Avalon Organics, Tom's of Maine, Method soaps, etc... There is a ton of stuff out there- you just have to be aware of what you're buying. I recently switched to Burt's Bee's facewash- same price as my old stuff and missing all the yucky chemicals. I love it!
* This article is focusing on parabens. There are several other concerning ingredients in beauty products which will be featured in later articles. Just wanted to let you know. *
Parabens are a preservative; an ester, which is a compound of alcohol and acid (in the case of parabens, p-hydroxybenzoic acid). They are used to preserve health and beauty products. The FDA does not regulate cosmetic ingredients as it does with medications and foods. The only safeguards are that companies can not mislabel their products, sell contaminated products, or sell products which have decomposed/spoiled. Thus, products are preserved to protect their shelf life.
One of the main concerns with parabens is that they are a xenoestrogen. This means that when they come in contact with your cells, they fit into little estrogen shaped receptor sites. Your cells then signal via neurotransmitters that they have received "estrogen". There are concerns that this could affect estrogen production or other parts of the endocrine system. Also, in laboratory studies, parabens have been shown to affect sperm count. Lastly, parabens have been found in cancerous breast tissue; this is obviously a huge red flag. (One disclaimer to that finding is that they did not study non-cancerous breast tissue to see if parabens are also present there). Only very small amounts of parabens are supposedly present in our health and beauty products. It is thought that this is a protective factor and this is one reason that the FDA has not banned the use of parabens. How this is regulated/tracked, I don't know, considering they are still not regulating cosmetic ingredients.
Bottom line: while there is not any hard, conclusive evidence that parabens are detrimental, there are studies showing some possible negative effects. It seems that it would be prudent to try to avoid them. This is especially true because of the abundance of paraben-free products. Read labels and avoid anything containing methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben, and benzylparaben.
Some paraben-free examples that I've found: St. Ive's Body Wash- inexpensive and easy to find, Burt's Bee's, Bare Escentuals, Sephora-approved products, Avalon Organics, Tom's of Maine, Method soaps, etc... There is a ton of stuff out there- you just have to be aware of what you're buying. I recently switched to Burt's Bee's facewash- same price as my old stuff and missing all the yucky chemicals. I love it!
* This article is focusing on parabens. There are several other concerning ingredients in beauty products which will be featured in later articles. Just wanted to let you know. *
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Weekly Menu and Recipes
The plan: eat meatless every other night... save money, save yourself.
Day One.
Vegetarian Asian Noodle Bowl (Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger)
Recipe
Ingredients
4oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 bunch scallions
1/2 TBSP minced peeled fresh ginger
15oz can baby corn drained
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/8 cup Braggs Amino Acids or Naturally fermented low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok. Add scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add veggies, broth, and soy sauce and cook until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add noodles and sesame oil and toss to combine. Garnish with reserved scallions.
Day Two.
Steak Tacos
Day Three.
Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce (Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger)
Recipe
IngredientsTBSP olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
8 oz roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, chopped
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (3oz)
8oz whole wheat fettuccine (or linguine)
salt and pepper
TBSP chopped flat leaf parsley
Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook, until softened about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook until heated through. Let cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender, add broth and all but 1 TBSP of feta. Process until combined and smooth. In the meantime, cook the pasta and drain reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce and add pasta water in small amounts as needed to thin the sauce. The sauce should cling nicely to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta.
Day Four.
Cobb Salad
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/healthy-appetite-with-ellie-krieger-/cobb-salad-recipe/index.html
Day Five.
Grilled Veggie Pizza
Day Six.
Salmon Cakes with Ginger Sesame Sauce
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