Have you ever wondered what kind of cookware to buy? There are so many choices! Non-stick (Teflon), stainless steel/clad, copper, aluminum, cast iron, enamel/porcelain coated... I'm sure that there are others that I've missed. Not only is there the question of which kind will cook your food the best, but you also have to wonder which one is the safest. Here's what I've found:
Nonstick- this type of cookware is coated with Teflon or various other similar materials. Tests have been done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which indicate that within 2-5 minutes of heating nonstick pans, they begin emitting toxic fumes. Depending on the temperature, up to six chemicals can be released including two carcinogens. These fumes have been shown to cause an illness in domesticated birds called Teflon Toxicosis which causes their lungs to hemorrhage, fill up with fluid, and suffocate them. In humans, this illness is called polymer fume fever. It causes temporary flu-like symptoms, though no long-term effects have been studied to date. Equally horrible, when scratched, plastic and aluminum are leached into your food. In a study done at John Hopkins Medical Center, the toxic chemicals in nonstick pans were found in the umbilical cord blood of in 99% of the 300 babies tested. Do yourself a favor and get rid of these pans.
Aluminum- Aluminum is dangerous to humans. There is no question that aluminum pans leach into our food; however, it does seem to be a negligible amount - maybe 3mg per serving of food. The question is whether you are interested in ingesting even a small amount of aluminum if you don't have to. Aluminum accumulates in various tissues and organs of your body. It competes with calcium for absorption into your body which could contribute to osteoporosis-type issues. It has been shown to slow growth in infants. With effects like these, I wold recommend using another type of cookware.
Stainless Steel- This has been advocated as safer than aluminum, but it's still not perfect. If it becomes scratched, stainless steel can leech small amounts of nickel into your food. Nickel is not considered toxic in these small amounts, but can cause allergic reactions. It also doesn't generally conduct hear evenly, so you might be better off with copper lined or clad stainless steel.
Cast Iron- This is my personal favorite. Not only does it conduct heat very well, but it also keeps me from burning food on my gas stove (which is much hotter than my old electric one!) Cast Iron lasts basically forever, when treated well. It also leaches essential iron into your food. Cast iron is inexpensive and available everywhere.
Bottom line- get rid of your nonstick and aluminum cookware. If you don't want to spend a ton of money on a new stainless steel set, spend a little and buy a cast iron dutch oven and frying pan. Those two pieces will do almost everything for you!
References
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/01/healthy-cookware/
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-safest-cookware.html#
http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/01/safe-cookware-for-your-family.html
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Green Your Clean: Laundry Detergent
If you're anything like me, you probably want to limit your family's exposure to chemicals- especially in your own home. In trying to do this, one thing you have to consider is your laundry detergent. As lovely as freshly laundered towels smell and feel, have you ever stopped to look at what's in your detergent? Or your fabric softener? Or your dryer sheets? Or your stain lifter? Chemicals. That's what. Lots of them. But they don't want you to know that... do you know what it says on most laundry detergents?
You may think that the "Free and Clear" options out there are a safe bet. Wrong. It's true that they usually don't have the fragrances and dyes. Sometimes they are biodegradable or hypoallergenic... but that doesn't mean that they are free of dangerous chemicals. You MUST carefully read labels in order to be sure that your laundry products are safe.
What to look for:
Happy washday!
References:
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/06/the-toxic-dangers-of-typical-laundry-detergent.htm
http://www.ecos.com/pages/specsub/eliqsp.html
- Cleaning agents (anionic and nonionic surfactants)
- Buffering agent
- Stabilizer
- Brightening agent
- Fragrance
You may think that the "Free and Clear" options out there are a safe bet. Wrong. It's true that they usually don't have the fragrances and dyes. Sometimes they are biodegradable or hypoallergenic... but that doesn't mean that they are free of dangerous chemicals. You MUST carefully read labels in order to be sure that your laundry products are safe.
What to look for:
- Plant based surfactants
- Free of enzymes, phosphates, chlorine, and petroleum ingredients
- Sustainable ingredients
- Non-toxic
- Biodegradable
- Scented with essential oils (only).
Happy washday!
References:
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/06/the-toxic-dangers-of-typical-laundry-detergent.htm
http://www.ecos.com/pages/specsub/eliqsp.html
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Isn't everything you see on TV true?? As the commercial says, "whether it's corn sugar or cane sugar... sugar is sugar". These commercials which are paid for by the Corn Refiners Association (shocker) are absolutely false. According to a study by Princeton University here's why.
Chemically... High fructose corn syrup is chemically different than sucrose (table sugar). Sucrose is comprised of two simple sugars; 50% glucose and 50% fructose. HFCS is 55% fructose, 42% glucose, and 3% of larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides. A second chemical difference is that the fructose in HFCS is "free and unbound", meaning that it is ready to be absorbed and used by your body. In sucrose, the fructose molecules are each bound to a glucose molecule. Therefore, metabolically there is another step to absorbing the fructose in sucrose.
Nutritionally... In the Princeton study, they fed rats a diet of rat chow combined with water sweetened with either HFCS (half the concentration found in most soft drinks) or sucrose (the full concentration found in soft drinks). The researchers monitored weight gain, triglyceride levels, and body fat in the rats. The rats given HFCS gained 48% more weight, had significantly more triglycerides circulating in their blood stream, and put on large amounts of abdominal fat. One researcher stated, "These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides. In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes".
I'm not sure why there are still questions about whether this is a good alternative to sugar. Clearly, research has shown that HFCS causes obesity when sucrose does not. I'm not advocating a diet full of sugar, I'm advocating a diet free of HFCS. Unfortunately, the average American consumes 60 pounds of HFCS per year. gross. It is present in an alarming number of our foods/drinks: juices, sodas, ketchup, salad dressing, bread, yogurt, cereal, crackers, cookies... etc... etc... etc...
The positive thing is that people seem to be catching on and food manufacturers seem to be noticing. There are products out there without this garbage in it. If you must buy soda, try natural sodas or at least the throwback editions which are made with cane sugar. Organic products are obviously the best choice.
Be diligent about checking labels and know that you are making the right choice for you and your family.
Chemically... High fructose corn syrup is chemically different than sucrose (table sugar). Sucrose is comprised of two simple sugars; 50% glucose and 50% fructose. HFCS is 55% fructose, 42% glucose, and 3% of larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides. A second chemical difference is that the fructose in HFCS is "free and unbound", meaning that it is ready to be absorbed and used by your body. In sucrose, the fructose molecules are each bound to a glucose molecule. Therefore, metabolically there is another step to absorbing the fructose in sucrose.
Nutritionally... In the Princeton study, they fed rats a diet of rat chow combined with water sweetened with either HFCS (half the concentration found in most soft drinks) or sucrose (the full concentration found in soft drinks). The researchers monitored weight gain, triglyceride levels, and body fat in the rats. The rats given HFCS gained 48% more weight, had significantly more triglycerides circulating in their blood stream, and put on large amounts of abdominal fat. One researcher stated, "These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides. In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes".
I'm not sure why there are still questions about whether this is a good alternative to sugar. Clearly, research has shown that HFCS causes obesity when sucrose does not. I'm not advocating a diet full of sugar, I'm advocating a diet free of HFCS. Unfortunately, the average American consumes 60 pounds of HFCS per year. gross. It is present in an alarming number of our foods/drinks: juices, sodas, ketchup, salad dressing, bread, yogurt, cereal, crackers, cookies... etc... etc... etc...
The positive thing is that people seem to be catching on and food manufacturers seem to be noticing. There are products out there without this garbage in it. If you must buy soda, try natural sodas or at least the throwback editions which are made with cane sugar. Organic products are obviously the best choice.
Be diligent about checking labels and know that you are making the right choice for you and your family.
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. *
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Gluten... Friend or Foe?
This whole thing with gluten has gotten a little crazy, hasn't it? You can't go anywhere without seeing gluten-free options. I am not kidding when I tell you that we visited a church with a gluten-free communion table. I mean, seriously?
So what is gluten? And why the bad rap? Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley... it can be found in many of the foods we eat, including bread products, cereal, pasta, beer, salad dressing, cold cuts, etc...
Simple gluten intolerance is when eating gluten-rich foods causes symptoms like abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. This is not a food allergy and the symptoms pass after the food is digested and gone. Many people who suffer from this condition and if you regularly encounter this type of pain after eating gluten rich foods, the best course of action is to see a gastroenterologist. The advice that I've found is this: don't put yourself on a gluten-free diet to treat these symptoms because evidence won't be present in your body for a diagnosis of Celiac Disease if you do end up needing to see the doctor.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which triggers your body's immune system to attack the villi (the part of your intestines that absorb nutrients). Apparently, this is a pretty common disease- occurring in one out of every 133 Americans. If you are diagnosed with Celiac disease- you MUST eat gluten-free to protect your body's ability to nourish itself.
As far as the rest of us.. would we benefit from eating gluten free? The evidence is unclear. There are numerous people who say that they lose weight and feel more energetic when they cut gluten from their diet. The problem with that is that most people who eat a gluten free diet eat less refined carbohydrates and more fruits and vegetables. Obviously, anyone who does this (gluten-free or not) is going to feel healthier. Another problem with eating gluten-free if you don't have to is that you are missing out on the full benefits of eating whole grains. Whole grains are without question very good for you. Among their many benefits... They're full of fiber- which makes you feel fuller longer and prevents overeating and snacking, and they lower your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
I'm not going to go into this fully, but there is some evidence to suggest that a gluten-free diet can be beneficial to people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. These people tend to have something called a "leaky gut" which means that things in their stomach can be passed into their bloodstream. Gluten and also milk protein (casein) become peptides in the intestine and can pass into the bloodstream and through the blood brain barrier. This may cause some of the neurological issues associated with autism spectrum disorders. You can find much more information on this on the web.
Bottom line. Gluten free diets are not a weight loss plan! If you are experiencing symptoms of gluten intolerance, see a doctor and consider going gluten-free. If you're not, reconsider forgoing on those healthy whole grains.
So what is gluten? And why the bad rap? Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley... it can be found in many of the foods we eat, including bread products, cereal, pasta, beer, salad dressing, cold cuts, etc...
Simple gluten intolerance is when eating gluten-rich foods causes symptoms like abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. This is not a food allergy and the symptoms pass after the food is digested and gone. Many people who suffer from this condition and if you regularly encounter this type of pain after eating gluten rich foods, the best course of action is to see a gastroenterologist. The advice that I've found is this: don't put yourself on a gluten-free diet to treat these symptoms because evidence won't be present in your body for a diagnosis of Celiac Disease if you do end up needing to see the doctor.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which triggers your body's immune system to attack the villi (the part of your intestines that absorb nutrients). Apparently, this is a pretty common disease- occurring in one out of every 133 Americans. If you are diagnosed with Celiac disease- you MUST eat gluten-free to protect your body's ability to nourish itself.
As far as the rest of us.. would we benefit from eating gluten free? The evidence is unclear. There are numerous people who say that they lose weight and feel more energetic when they cut gluten from their diet. The problem with that is that most people who eat a gluten free diet eat less refined carbohydrates and more fruits and vegetables. Obviously, anyone who does this (gluten-free or not) is going to feel healthier. Another problem with eating gluten-free if you don't have to is that you are missing out on the full benefits of eating whole grains. Whole grains are without question very good for you. Among their many benefits... They're full of fiber- which makes you feel fuller longer and prevents overeating and snacking, and they lower your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
I'm not going to go into this fully, but there is some evidence to suggest that a gluten-free diet can be beneficial to people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. These people tend to have something called a "leaky gut" which means that things in their stomach can be passed into their bloodstream. Gluten and also milk protein (casein) become peptides in the intestine and can pass into the bloodstream and through the blood brain barrier. This may cause some of the neurological issues associated with autism spectrum disorders. You can find much more information on this on the web.
Bottom line. Gluten free diets are not a weight loss plan! If you are experiencing symptoms of gluten intolerance, see a doctor and consider going gluten-free. If you're not, reconsider forgoing on those healthy whole grains.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Nutritional Yeast
One of my favorite health food store products is nutritional yeast. Delicious little yellow flakes with a salty, cheesy flavor. I was first introduced to this wonderfood by my birthing class instructor, Holly. She suggested it as a healthful topping for popcorn. As a lover of popcorn I, of course, had to try it right away. Tried it. Loved it. Can't live without it.
Nutritional yeast should not be confused with brewers yeast (a by-product of beer) or baking yeast (a leavening agent). According to bestnaturalfoods.com, "Each batch of nutritional yeast is grown on a mixture of cane and beet molasses for a period of seven days. B-vitamins are added during the process to provide the yeast with the nutrients it needs to grow. When harvested, the yeast is washed, pasteurized, and dried on roller drum dryers before it is ready for market". Nutritional yeast is produced specifically to be a nutritional food supplement. Speaking of the nutritional benefits of nutritional yeast, here they are:
| Nutrients | Per 1 heaping tablespoon |
| Calories | 60 |
| Total Fat | 1 gram |
| Carbohydrate | 7 grams |
| Fiber | 4 grams |
| Protein | 8 grams |
| Sodium | 5 milligrams |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamin) | 640% Daily Value (DV) |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | 560% DV |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | 280% DV |
| Vitamin B6 | 480% DV |
| Folic Acid | 60% DV |
| Vitamin B12 | 130% DV |
| Selenium | 30% DV |
| Zinc | 20% DV |
Clearly, nutritional yeast is an excellent source of B vitamins. According to associatedcontent.com, nutritional yeast is "one of the only non-animal sources of B12. B12 is important for healthy red blood cell production and is vital for normal nerve function since it maintains the myelin sheath that insulates nerve cells. A deficiency in B12 can cause irreversible nerve damage". It's also an excellent source of protein and fiber while low in fat, calories, and sodium.
So how can you include this superfood in your diet? Try it in place of parmesan cheese or salt... on top of vegetables, popcorn, pizza, salad, chicken, pasta, soup, chili, etc... The possibilities are endless. Put some in a shaker and put it out with the salt and pepper. Make it accessible to yourself and your family and you'll find that you use it all the time!
the myelin sheath that insulates nerve cells. A deficiency in B12 can cause irreversible nerve damage. One caveat. Not all nutritional yeast is a good source of B12, so it's important to do a little investigation before buying it". So how do you include this super food in your diet? Use it in the place of salt on things like popcorn, vegetables, eggs, rice, chicken, or potatoes. Put it in salad dressings, on toast or english muffins, or in soup or chili.
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