MG Food Dyes on Kids in the House
It’s an oldie but goodie, but Kids in the House recently shared this video—part of a series on eco parenting—and I thought I would share with you. Because despite the fact that we made this a while back—hence the super long lashes, thank you Mr. Makeup Artist—I’m still royally pissed about food dyes. The fact is, American kids eat snacks tainted with food dyes linked to hyperactivity, while in Europe—where food dyes are required to be labeled—the same food is manufactured without them. Does that seem fair to you? Here’s a link to the original video on Kids in the House, an amazing resource of expert videos for parents!
Why You Should Care About Chemical Safety
Autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies — increasingly, they’re all being linked to chemicals in our environment. Babies are now born pre-polluted with more than 200 industrial chemicals in their blood, just from pre-natal exposure. How can that not have an effect? Yet the manufacturing industry’s position remains firm, lobbying that regulating chemicals will hurt small businesses, leading to increased production costs and job losses. As a result, there are still 84,000 chemicals used in commerce that have never been tested for children’s safety. They are supposed to be regulated by the Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TSCA) but it doesn’t have a lot to do with chemical safety. Guess how many chemicals…
2 Steps to Eliminate Food Dyes Linked to ADHD
Do your kids get hyper after eating candy? It might not be the sugar—but could be the color. Studies have found a link between food dyes and hyperactivity in children. Some even see a link between food dyes—which trigger the release of histamines, part of the body’s immune system—and allergies, as well as ADHD, which affects 5.2 million American children. Yet in 2012, an FDA advisory committee determined that the science was too weak to support a ban on artificial food dyes or a warning label on foods that contain them. Apparently, that’s not the case in Europe, where regulations require such a warning label, forcing European companies to substitute natural…
Want a Natural Pregnancy? 12 Tips to Protect Your Baby for Life
Getting ready for baby—or pregnancy? Congratulations! Going green for your growing belly—or for when you bring that baby home—sounds good on paper, but is a natural pregnancy doable in reality? Yes! Here’s how: 1. Eat organic: The dangers of common pesticide exposure are equal to those of smoking during pregnancy: low birth weight and early labor. Studies have shown that eating organic for just five days can eliminate many of the pesticides—linked to cancer, among other health problems—in our bodies. Following the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen lists can reduce your family’s exposure by 80 percent.
Green Cleaning in 3 Easy Steps
When I was a kid, I knew the house was clean because it smelled like fake lemons and pine. But it may not have been as clean as my family thought: The EPA estimates that the air inside our homes can be as more polluted than the air outside, in part because of chemical cleaning products. Indoor air pollution can lead to serious health problems like allergies and asthma; childhood asthma rates are now at epidemic levels, with more than seven million children affected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s one in 10 kids. So I’ve spent the last few years replacing those familiar from childhood with green cleaning…
7 Steps to Avoid Autism Spectrum Triggers
Autism spectrum disorder is America’s fastest growing developmental disability. Rates have risen more than 600% in 20 years, to the point that now one out of every 88 children—or one out of every 70 boys—is statistically destined for diagnosis. Why the dramatic increase in the autism spectrum diagnosis? Increased identification of the condition comes into play when looking at a data spike. But six hundred percent? More and more, doctors and scientists are pointing the finger at the environment. In 2012, a group of autism experts published a list of chemicals and heavy metals believed to be behind the surge in autism and other neurological problems.
