Home Soda Maker Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of the Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker from Soda Stream?

It helps reduce the amount of waste generated from consuming soda, because instead of buying disposable 3-liter bottles or canned soda, you can continually re-use the same 2 Soda Stream containers for your soda needs.

You save money making your own soda at home, and, even better, this soda mix contains less sugar than pre-made sodas.

The bottles have a special seal so that your soda won't go flat.

The Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker uses regular water mixed with the Soda Stream flavoring of your choice to make your ideal drink.

I got the chance to review the Penguin Soda Maker, the classy version that uses glass bottles.

Sorry for the background noise, my niece was begging for jelly beans that she is forbidden to eat by my sister-in-law, who wasn't present.

1) Enter to win your very own Fountain Jet soda lover’s start-up kit which includes a Fountain Jet home soda maker, CO2 to make over 100 liters of soda, a variety sample pack of sodamix and MyWater trial-sized flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice. The retail value of this prize is $99.99!

1.) For a chance to win, visit the site and tell me your favorite sodamix flavor and what excites you about making soda at home!

1 winner will be chosen by random number generator.

This giveaway is open to those with a continental US mailing address. No PO Boxes.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

Want to subscribe? Just click here: Subscribe to Mom Most Traveled by Email (Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Twitter about this giveaway (include a link to this post, @SodaStreamUSA and@MomMostTraveled ) and comment here with your Twitter name. (once daily)

4.) Blog about this giveaway, including a link to this post. Leave me a comment with the link so I can check your post!

This contest will close on March 2, 2010, at midnight CST.

Winners will be notified by email and have 72 hours to respond.

SodaStream provided a review unit and is providing the prize for this giveaway!

Nalgene Goes BPA-Free!

I am a traveler. There was a time when no self-respecting backpacker would be caught without a Nalgene bottle dangling from a carabiner on the side of his or her pack.
If you were REALLY hip, you used the same Nalgene bottle ALL THE TIME and personalized it with stickers that referenced obscure places, bands, or eco-clubs.
When the news about the possibly harmful side effects of BPA in plastic food containers came out, I didn't want to take any risks with my health, so I tossed all of my BPA plastics, including offending sippy cups, baby bottles, and my beloved sports bottles.

I was so excited to learn that Nalgene has a line of BPA-free bottles! I am proud to say that we have a set for the whole family!

Nalgene bottles are made in the USA, are indestructible, and are taste & odor free, so you can enjoy your drinks without that yucky tainted plastic smell.

The BPA-free bottles include:

The 32-oz "everyday" bottle, that my husband drinks coffee out of (kind of weird, I know...).
The Everyday retails for $11.50.


The OTG has a handy flip-top lid and holds 24 ounces of BPA-free hydration! The Nalgene OTG retails for $11.99.


My FAVORITE new BPA-free offering from Nalgene are these adorable Grip-N-Gulp bottles! It is the convenience and spill-proof qualities of a sippy cup, but the Grip-N-Gulp looks a lot more "grown up" than a standard sippy.


Both of my boys love using the Grip-N-Gulp. When we first got it, I removed the valve because it was almost too difficult to drink through. Even without the valve, there is very little leakage. At $9.25, I think the Grip-N-Gulp is a great value for a BPA-free kid's cup!



The first day I took the Grip-n-Gulp out on the town with us to run some errands, I left it in on the counter of the grocery store while I was checking out!

Luckily a friend of mine had seen me in the grocery store and realized what had happened when they saw my abandoned bottle. I was glad to be reunited with our Grip-N-Gulp! I was so afraid my son would be devastated if it was lost!

Nalgene is giving away a set of all 3 BPA-Free bottles mentioned in this post (ARV 32.75)!

To enter, tell me another product you would like to have from Nalgene!

For a second entry, leave another comment telling me how you would use your 3 BPA-Free Nalgene bottles.

One winner will be chosen at random.

This giveaway will close on November 1, 12 midnight CST!


*Giveaway closed! Congrats to Olga!*

Homemade Granola Bars

Save packaging waste by making your own granola bars!

I made some extremely tasty "Harvest Granola Bars" (I just made up that name, what do you think?)
They contain pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds!

Recipe:
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 c. oats

1/2 cup mixture of flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (shelled)

1/2 cup chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together oil and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to oil mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats, seeds, and chocolate chips.

I ended up "massaging" this together with my hands to make it more homogeneous.

Press into bottom of ungreased cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (something with a slight lip). It is okay if it doesn't reach the edges of the pan. Mine were kind of free-form edges. They look nicer after you trim them off but they are still deeee-lish, so don't throw any of this away!

Bake about 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

I also like to eat the crumbs in milk, like cereal.

Store in a sealed container. I put mine in the fridge but I'm sure it would be fine at room temperature as well.

Eat Local

Deeds wants to remind you to eat locally! Go visit the Go Natural Baby Blog and read my guest post about what eating locally looks like in other countries!

You can read more about foods in Laos here!

Mexican Sugar Skulls

I have long been a fan of Mexican folk art that celebrates El Dia De Los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead. This special holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to remember friends and relatives who have died.

The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, cleaning graves, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

This week, a family owned company, Mexican Sugar Skulls (www.MexicanSugarSkull.com) is teaming up with my favorite source for organic baby clothes to offer a great Dia De Los Muertos prize pack at Go Natural Baby Blog!

You can enter to win $59 worth of prizes, including a sugar skull kit, complete with skull molds, and a Day of the Dead tote bag!

To enter, visit this post on the Go Natural Baby Blog and leave a comment according to the instructions provided!

The deadline is October 17th, so you will be receiving your prize in time for some Halloween fun with your family!

Great Moments in Homemade Veggie Burgers (recipe 1)

Inspired by Katydid and Kid and her recent vegetarian burger experiments, I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes.
I have been a vegetarian for over a decade. When I first "went veg" it was kind of hard to find vegetarian convenience foods. I went a little crazy when Bocca Burgers and Morning Star Farms started having options available in the freezer section of normal grocery stores! I ate their products so often that I was actually eating processed foods MORE than when before I became a vegetarian!

This is the first home made veggie burger recipe I ever tried, and I love it. It makes a lot and I freeze the leftovers in a ziplock bag and reheat them one at a time. You can also make "meat balls" out of this recipe. It comes from the Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook.

Oat Burgers

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 TBSP olive oil
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce, unfermented (I have used Braggs Liquid Amino for this)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 TBSP onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground dill seed (I leave this out because I have never bought it)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I got mine from www.BulkFoods.com, but I have also substituted 1/2 cup of sesame seeds when I was half way through a recipe and realized I was out of nutritional yeast!)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts
3/4 cup cracked wheat (I have used wheat germ as well)
3 1/2 cups regular rolled oats

In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients except oats. Stir together and boil for 5 minutes.
Add oats and mix briefly. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.
Cover, set aside and let sit 1 hour (this lets all of the liquid be absorbed by the oats)
Using 1/2 cup measure dipped into water, fill with oat mixture.
Place on greased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper)
To prevent sticking, dip hands into water before forming into burgers.
Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
Turn over and bake additional 15 minutes.

yield: about 15 burgers

I have also pureed all of the ingredients in my blender before boiling.

I did that so that I could feed bits of oatburger to my one-year-old who doesn't have many teeth. It gives it a more uniform texture, but isn't at all neccessary.

Wordless Wednesday: My Attempt at a Vegan Lunchbox

Top of my "bento" box I purchased in China several years ago. It says "An intellectual world. I like delicate nature." That pretty much describes me, so I bought it:



Fresh spring rolls filled with sprouts, home made peanut butter, glass noodles, thai basil, and lettuce. Dipping sauce (red bowl), crushed peanuts (blue bowl), and bell peppers.
The spotty white stuff is dragon fruit, the hairy looking things are a fruit called rambutans, and the hearts are home made roll-out oatmeal cookies.

Wrap-N-Mat for Waste Free Lunches

A long time ago when I wanted to be Green but I had no idea where to start, I discovered the mom-invented Wrap-N-Mat on a review blog. I thought it was a genius solution for lunch boxes everywhere. The Wrap-N-Mat is a reusable sandwich wrap that unfolds to become a travel-friendly place mat!

Before I bought 2 Wrap-N-Mats, I was using resealable plastic containers to transport my sandwiches. I didn't like how the containers were bulky and took up a lot of room whether there was a sandwich inside or not. Also, in the meantime, my preschooler started going to a Montessori school, and it was required that all of the students be able to open and close their lunch containers WITHOUT HELP.

My son can't manage a plastic container, but he can easily open and close his Wrap-N-Mat, even at age 3 1/2.

Wrap-N-Mats are recommended by www.MyHealthySchool.Com; they have lots of tips to help parents equip their children for a healthy school day!

We have four Wrap-N-Mats: two in the PEVA lined Eco Print and two in the PEVA lined Solid Kelly Green. My husband uses them when he packs his own lunch, and it never fails that someone expresses interest in the Wrap-N-Mat when they see him using one (or two).

Jojo used the Eco Print Wrap-N-Mat in a noodle shop in Laos. We brought his own sandwich because I was afraid the soup would be too spicy for him to eat.

The Wrap-N-Mat is a great place mat. Jojo is enjoying some watermelon that we transported in a sippy cup.

We have used our Wrap-N-Mat for sandwiches, bagels, hot dogs (actually a pb and j on a hot dog bun), and handfuls of chips. Our Wrap-N-Mats have been used at work, school, restaurants, in car trips, and airplane trips.

The Wrap-N-Mat is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce your waste, provide a germ-free surface for eating, and keep your sandwiches fresh!

The Wrap-N-Mat is available for purchase at www.Wrap-N-Mat.com .

Win your own Wrap-N-Mat! www.Wrap-N-mat.com is giving away one Wrap-N-Mat to a My Greening reader!

To enter, simply tell me what design (not mentioned on this post) that you like the best!

One winner will be chosen by random integer generator.

This giveaway will close on August 11th, 12 midnight CST.

*Congrats, Lisa!*

CamelBak delivers BPA-Free Hydration

If you are like me, you engaged in a major "drinking vessel" clean-out when the news broke about harmful BPA in plastics. I tossed out sippy cups, baby bottles, and my beloved sports bottle.

I was more than thrilled when I heard about the new BPA-Free CamelBak Better Bottle. This is the first ever CLEAR reusable water bottle that is BPA-Free.
It is stylish, safe, leak-proof, and fun to use! The very first morning I started using my BPA-Free CamelBak Better Bottle, my preschooler asked for a drink on the way to school. In about ten minutes he had consumed almost 16 ounces of water (which is A LOT for a 3-year-old). Finally he grunted, "muh tummy hurts!", but that was easily remedied by a visit to the bathroom.
After that incident, my child learned a little more temperance. But still, this neat little "flip, bite, and sip" valve is fun to drink out of, and it really is completely leak-proof (even when the straw is in the "up" position).
I also love that the BPA-Free CamelBak Better Bottle is dish washer safe and does not give the water a "plastic taste". It really is a Better Bottle! We love ours!

I have one to share with you!


CamelBak is allowing me to giveaway a CamelBak Better Bottle just like mine!

To enter, just look here and comment on this post telling me one other color of the Better Bottle you like.

If you would like to order a BPA free CamelBak Bottle from Lets Go Green!, use the coupon code "FRIEND" to receive 25% off your order! Wow!

This giveaway will close on July 6 at 9pm CST.

One winner will be chosen via random integer generator and will have 48 hours to claim his or her prize once notified.

*Congrats to ANNE S who said...Like the Ocean, thanks.*

Eco Filter Giveaway

If 25% of Los Angeles residents make 1 pot of coffee in the morning using a paper filter, (one used filter measures 5cu. Inches) this amounts to 81,159 cu. Ft. of trash per day. (approximately 10,000 sq. ft. in area, the size of two McDonald's buildings).

Going Green is about making small changes to lessen my impact on the planet. Something small and easy to change is the way I filter my coffee.

ECO FILTER is a gourmet coffee filter made form tightly-woven, unbleached cotton.
It can be used in the place of a paper coffee filter and needs only to be rinsed in between uses. However if you feel the need, ECO FILTER can be washed in the dish washer. ECO FILTER comes in a pack of two, so it is easy to rotate when one is being washed and dried.

ECO FILTER comes in a variety of sizes to fit most any coffee maker.

Eco Filter allows the diterpenes (found in the oil droplets) and coffee sediment to be filtered out. A Dutch study, cited in the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter March 1997, stated that if people trying to lower their blood cholesterol should not drink unfiltered European style coffee, such as that made in a French press.

So, if you would like to make great tasting, healthy, earth-friendly coffee, you should try an Eco Filter!

ECO FILTER is giving away a set of 2 Eco Filters in your choice of size to one lucky My Greening reader.
To enter, visit the Eco Filter website and comment here telling me something you like about Eco Filter.
Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win!

Contest will close on June 1, 9pm CST. One winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator.

Organic Snack Food Giveaway!

My 3 ½ year-old son, Jonas, helped me check out Snikiddy Snacks . I was a little worried because I have a great love of health food but my son has never been much of an eater. He has been this way his entire life. Really, he only likes marshmallows and would eat them all day if allowed.
I gave him a bag of the Snikiddy Chocolate Chippers while we were riding in the car. His response? “CHOCOLATE! When I get home, I can get another bag!” When I asked if I could taste one, he replied very sweetly, “No, thanks.” These cookies got the picky child seal of approval!

I did sneak a taste out of another bag when he wasn’t looking and they are very good. They don’t taste like something is missing as a lot of healthy prepared snacks do. I can usually pass on a packaged cookie, but I could definitely eat an entire bag of Snikiddy Snacks! And that would be okay, because the entire (.85 oz) bag only contains 5g of fat and 120 calories!

We also tried Snikiddy Grilled Cheese Puffs. You know how many puffed cheese snacks pale in comparison to the original? These are actually BETTER. They are the right density, have a good flavor, and don’t leave a greasy aftertaste. I have seen my child pass on processed cheese snacks after only a few bites, but he steadily munched on the Snikiddy Snacks until they were gone! I was also impressed that one (.06 oz) bag of Grilled Cheese Puffs contains only 3g of fat and 80 calories!

So while you can feel good about giving Snikiddy Snacks to your kids (and being sure that they will definitely eat it), Snikiddy Snacks are also good news to us snackin’ parents out there who need to watch our waist lines!

This is a review that I wrote for The Opinionated Parent, which ran on 5/3.


See also:

Z Recommends: They're Organic, But Are They Healthy? Sizing Up Snikiddy Kids' Snacks

Gardening with Matches

A few weeks ago I ran across a neat little invention called "matchstick garden". It is a little book of paper "matches" that contain seeds on the ends. When planted, they grow into herbs or wildflowers (as specified on the packaging).

This is info from their website:

There are two styles of Matchstick Garden available, either four herbs or wildflower seeds already mixed on the end of each matchstick. The Mixed Herb Matchstick Garden contents Basil, Chives, Parsley, and Thyme. The Wildflower Matchstick Garden contains Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Corn Marigold, and Field Poppy. Each matchbook is 3" W x 2" H with 10 matchsticks. Easy to follow instructions are printed inside. The Matchstick Garden a great party favor, stocking stuffer and surprising gift!

My preschool-aged son loves gardening, and I thought something like this would be a fun and manageable way for parents without gardening skills (myself included) to start growing with their children.

This is easily more useful than growing "magic rocks". Hydrated Silica, anyone? Most likely NOT organic.

Dining Out without Eating Resources

Last night my family went out to eat at a pizza restaurant. I hadn't been to this particular restaurant in about 3 years. The food was good, but I was really disappointed to find that:

• all of the plates were paper (no non-disposable plate option)
• our plastic (disposable) cups were made from #6 plastic (not food safe)
• all of the cutlery was plastic
• sauces were served in #6 plastic (disposable) containers

I told my husband that we need to start packing some kind of "emergency dining-out kit" that includes reusable plates, cups, cutlery, bowls, cloth napkins, and drinking straws.

If you are an entrepreneur, I would suggest you begin putting together some kind of kit like this in an organic cotton drawstring bag.

Here are the types of things you might include:

• bamboo or stainless steel drinking straws
• cloth napkins (serviettes). You could do a kids set or a classic set.
  
• Reusable unbreakable plates and/or bowls, in wood, stainless, or safe plastic. These are child-sized, and so is this one. Here are some cute child-sized snack bowls.
  
• bamboo or stainless utensils (for the children, too!)
  
• reusable cups. You could go cheap with some mason jars, or go exotic with some coconut cups, or go homestead and make some out of gourds...there are plenty of possibilities.
• maybe throw in a couple of bamboo condiment cups, to avoid using disposable containers for various sauces.

Viola! Green on the Go!

Pass the Beetles, Please

It is difficult to separate green living from green eating. After becoming conscious of pollutants in our environment, things that pollute the body are also cause for concern.
I am a vegetarian, but I am not an animal activist. However, I was still a little disturbed when I learned that a food additive called CARMINE, used to give red or pink color to foods like yogurt, ice cream, juice, and candy is made from the crushed exoskeletons of COCHINEAL BEETLES. This is completely true, and is even confirmed on Snopes! If you can't trust Snopes, who can you trust?
Here is a statement on a Messianic Jewish website declaring foods made with carmine to be unclean according to the TaNak. It gives a good scientific background:

Cochineal/Carmine is a red dye made from the dried bodies of females of a scale insect, order Homoptera, family Coccoidea (Dactylopius coccus). They have sucking mouthparts that arise from the extreme rear lower part of the head. The females commonly lose their legs and antennae at the first molt, becoming stationary and secreting scale, a waxy protective covering. Males become nonfeeding adults. The coloring agent in cochineal is carminic acid. The insects are brushed from the cacti into bags and then killed by agitation or by heat from hot water, steam, sunlight, or an oven. They are then crushed into powder and processed into a red dye.

Allow me to editorialize: EWWW!
The problem I have with this is not in the fact that insect parts are in our food. I take issue with the fact that this ingredient is typically NOT listed as "carmine" on food labels, but as "artificial coloring". I feel that we should know what we are eating. Aparently eating ground up beetles might even have some health benefits. But that doesn't excuse the sketchy labeling that is approved by the FDA.
Did you know that the FDA has approved the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals to consumers? Did you know that these foods will not have to be labeled as being from a cloned animal? Let the sunshine in, FDA!
Personally I have dined on deep-fried crickets while traveling in South East Asia. But I knew what they were. No one was trying to sell them to me as "deliciously salty brown coloring" or any such nonsense.
Bon Appetite!

Cloth Napkins

Let's talk about what Americans call cloth napkins, but every other English speaker refers to as "cloth serviettes".
My first motivation for switching to cloth serviettes was not entirely environmentally motivated. I had a problem with my then-two-year-old son using WAY too many paper napkins at meal times. He would also wad them up or shred them and the pieces would be all over the place.
I already had about 8 dark blue cloth napkins, made from soft cotton. They are hemmed on two sides and the remaining sides are kind of unraveled, like a pair of cut-off blue jean shorts.
After we started using them, I found that I preferred the softness and durability of cloth serviettes to paper. For one thing, you can get a lot of mileage out of a cloth napkin before you have to wash it. Paper napkins? You can really only use those once before they start falling apart or getting really nasty looking. And cloth napkins weren't as intimidating to use as I had pictured in my mind.
I guess I equated cloth napkins with extreme fanciness, like a nice restaurant or Christmas dinner. You CAN make it fancy and fold the napkins origami-style, but ours are just folded into squares and pilled in the middle of the table. Do I iron them? Never. Do I care if they get stained? Not at all.
I started to get a very casual attitude about my cloth serviettes. This led me to look around and see what else I could replace with cloth.
I came up with a solution for paper towel usage: I cut up some old white cotton undershirts and folded the resulting rags in a pile on the counter. Most of the pieces were cut into something resembling rectangles, but some of them cannot be geometrically defined. None of them are hemmed. Are the still capable of "wiping up stuff"? Definitely!
I also re-purposed a pair of holey flannel p.j. pants into some multi-purpose rags.
I can't sew. There, now you know. But if YOU can sew, even just a straight line, you can easily make your own cloth serviettes. You can even make them look cutesy, unlike my t-shirt rags. But the beauty is that you really can use any kind of cotton scraps (think old pj pants, curtains or pillow cases that are past their prime) and avoid purchasing NEW fabric from the hobby store.
If cloth napkins aren't pro-active enough for you, check out No Impact Man for more inspiration. He has sworn off even toilet paper for one year! I have no tips about that.

Buying BPA free Kids' Cups

The baby bottle collection at our house has been sorted. I tossed offending sippy cups and pacifiers.
For my 3 1/2 year old, I opted for a Sigg bottle. He got one 0.3 L size and one 0.4 L size.
He is so proud to take his little 0.3 L Sigg bottle to preschool. It has a cool look and it keeps his milk cold and free of toxins!

Our Sigg bottles were purchased from Reusable Bags.
ReusableBags.com have a nice selection of some of our favorite products...things that we have AND things that we wish we had!

The baby bottles that my 7-month-old was using were replaced with Nuby brand cups on the safe list at The Soft Landing.
I felt that he was too old for a glass bottle (since we are in the beginning of the self-feeding and throwing/dropping phase) but too young to handle a non-pliable sippy cup. The Nuby 10 oz 2 Handle Cup with Soft Silicone Spout:
Have you searched your sippy cup collection for unsafe plastics? If you are new to the BPA issue, check out Z Recommends: Catching Up on BPA to get yourself up to speed. Z Recommends: National Toxicology Program Concurs "Some Concern" with BPA Exposure.

Thanks to Z Recommends and The Soft Landing for making it easy to navigate this tangled web of plastic!

Read the Tupperware Plastics Information at Z Recs.

New BPA free Nalgene bottles!

Lots of help from The Soft Landing:

• The Soft Landing's Safer Kids Cup and Dish Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Pacifier Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Sippy Cup Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Baby Bottle Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Bath Toy Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Teether Guide
• The Soft Landing's BPA Free Sassy Product Guide
• another updated list of BPA-free kid's cups from The Soft Landing!

Maybe you can WIN a BPA-free sippy cup: Green & Clean Mom: WIN 2 BPA Sippy Cups- A review and a sippy good time!

BPA in Canned Foods

I am not really a "doomsday" or "conspiracy" kind of thinker, but I have wondered for a long time if there might be a connection between eating canned foods and cancer. Canned food was first massed produced in the US in 1812. In those days cans were made from wrought iron. Canned food became more popular after World War I, when companies who has produced tin cans of food for the army began to market to civilian consumers.
Today cans are made from tin-coated steel. Apparently, the inside of the can is often coated with Bisphenol A plastic.
The probability of an American being diagnosed with cancer has dramatically risen in recent history. Personally, every funeral I have ever been to in my life has been for a cancer victim. It is thought-provoking to note that cancer rates have been increasing in the years when America changed from a rural society to an urban society, which necessitated an increase in consumption of canned foods, since fresh foods were no longer so easily available.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in DEVELOPED countries (like the US, Canada, England, etc.) the probability of being diagnosed with cancer is TWICE as high as in developing countries! Cancer has been known as a "western" disease. Of course dozens of factors come in to play for that statistic. But it really makes one wonder exactly what we do differently in our more modern lifestyles that is so harmful to our bodies.


This is an excerpt about BPA in canned foods from an article on Medicine Net:

The Environmental Working Group reported the results of a study in which a national analytical laboratory tested 97 cans of food for BPA. The cans were purchased at supermarkets in Atlanta; Oakland, Calif.; and Clinton, Conn.

The study found that:

• Cans of chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli had the highest BPA levels.
• 1 in 3 cans of infant formula had BPA levels "200 times the government's traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals."
• Overall, 1 in 10 cans tested had high levels of BPA.
• Beverage cans have fewer BPA residues; canned pasta and canned soups have the highest levels.

Take Action:

Tips from The Green Guide for avoiding BPA contaminates:

• Choose soups, milk and soy milk packaged in cardboard "brick" cartons, by Tetra Pak and SIG Combibloc, which are made of safer layers of aluminum and polyethylene (#2) and also recyclable.
• Choose canned foods from makers who don't use BPA, such as Eden Foods (www.edenfoods.com), which sells certified organic canned beans and other foods.
• Eat fresh foods in season and save the canned foods for convenience or emergencies. The exception is some canned fruit such as that found in smaller fruit-cocktail cans, which do not require a liner, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute.
• Buy or can your own fruits and vegetables in safe glass jars. For more, see Amy's Green Kitchen "In a Summer Pickle".
• Some wines have been found to contain up to six times the BPA of canned foods. While most wines probably don't, it's another good reason to drink in moderation.

Recommendations from NaturalNews.com

• Never microwave foods in plastic containers. Heating plastics greatly increases the potential for leaching of chemicals into your food.
• Avoid drinking beverages out of plastic containers. This includes bottled water, juice drinks, and others. Drink out of glass or stainless steel.
• Greatly reduce or eliminate your consumption of canned food products. Canned foods typically contain BPA due to the lining inside the can.
• Avoid storing food in plastic containers. Instead, choose Pyrex or glass containers (stainless steel is also acceptable). Also avoid using plastic sandwich bags or plastic wrap products, wherever possible.
• Remember that if you are pregnant or nursing, BPA chemicals are passed through your bloodstream directly to your baby.

Also see this entry at Z Recommends to view a report by The Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Dangers of #7 Plastics: BPA

Number 7 plastics are categorized as "miscellaneous". They could be a mix of two or more of any of the other plastics categories. Some #7 plastics are made with polyactide, which is derived from plants and is very green, compostable, and safe.
Polycarbonate, which contains bisphenol A, or BPA, can also be in this category. Polycarbonate has been shown to leach "hormone disrupters", which has caused parents to question why polycarbonate is used to make cups and bottles, and food containers for children. Bisphenol A is also used to coat the inside of metal food cans, and can be present in the metal lids of glass baby food jars.
BPA has been shown to have the same effects as estrogen in the human body. Many people are exposed to BPA every day. A study by the Center for Disease Control detected BPA in the urine of 95% of the adults sampled.
Various studies have found that BPA can:

• stimulate growth of prostate cancer cells
• cause breast tissue changes similar to early stage breast cancer
• cause ovarian dysfunction
• cause miscarriage
• cause genetic damage when exposed early in life
• cause early onset puberty
• cause changes in hormones, like decreased testosterone
• decrease sperm production
• increase prostate size
• alter immune function
• cause behavioral effects like hyperactivity, aggressiveness, and learning impairment.

The confusing aspect of this is that not all #7 plastics are harmful, but maufacturers are not required to label whether their product contains BPA or not. The consumer must do his or her own research before buying something that might contain BPA.

According to this study by Environmental Working Group, BPA is present the containers and cans of these infant formulas,

I took the step and cleaned out my kids' bottle/sippy cup collection. Besides checking the bottoms of the cups for the plastics number (I found 2 that were marked #3! PVC!) I used many internet articles and blogs for information:

Safe Mama has a BPA free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet that is worth a look. There is also a BPA Free Pacifier and Teether Cheat Sheet.

Z Recommends has compiled a great resource, checking the safety of many MANY different sippy cups and baby bottles. Z Recommends created this printable BPA wallet card for quick reference. Here is the Z Recommends BPA in Pacifiers article. I'm throwing out the AVENT paci! If you are new to the BPA issue, check out Z Recommends: Catching Up on BPA to get yourself up to speed. Z Recommends: National Toxicology Program Concurs "Some Concern" with BPA Exposure.

The Soft Landing has compiled a comprehensive list about Nuby products. Many Nuby products are BPA free. There are many companies who offer BPA free baby bottles and training cups/sippy cups, but Nuby are inexpensive and widely available to big box stores if you need a quick fix. The Soft Landing has other great information on a variety of children's products:

• The Soft Landing's Safer Kids Cup and Dish Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Pacifier Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Sippy Cup Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Baby Bottle Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Bath Toy Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Teether Guide
• The Soft Landing's BPA Free Sassy Product Guide

Nature Mom's blog has recommendations for BPA Free Pacifiers and Teethers as well as an actual review of BPA Free Sippy Cups.

An informative printable (pdf) guide to plastics can be found here:
Smart Plastics Guide for parents and children

Dangers of #6 Plastics: Polystyrene

Styrene is a chemical in polystyrene plastics/Styrofoam. Prolonged exposure to styrene has been found to be toxic to the brain and nervous system. In scientific studies performed on animals :( , styrene was shown to be harmful to red blood cells, liver, kidneys and stomach.
Children can be exposed to styrene in food containers, second-hand smoke, car exhaust fumes, contaminated drinking water, and "off-gassing of building materials".
Some household items like floor wax, floor polish, paint, varnish, adhesive, carpet, and metal cleaner also contain styrene fumes.
Before buying or using products like these, it would be wise to read the labels or request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Avoid products labeled "poison" or "danger".
Avoid food packaging labeled with a "6" or "PS" (polystyrene). Polystyrene can be made into foam-like containers OR plastic containers. Clear "clam shell" deli conatiners, clear plastic cups, plastic forks, knives, and spoons are usually made of polystyrene. Styrene is prone to leach into hot foods, food with a high fat content, and foods containing alcohol.
Choose foods packaged in glass, paper, metal cans, or cardboard instead of these harmful plastics. Another solution would be to cut off the part of the food that was touching the PS container before eating.

View more information at Children's Environmental Health Coalition.