ginghamandgrace

I recently started an online course called The Anticancer Environment. It is offered for free at www.anticancerlifestyle.org.  It is very interesting. And, disturbing at the same time.

It’s amazing/terrifying how many (known) carcinogens and EDCs (endocrine disrupting chemicals or hormone disrupters) are floating around our homes. Especially our kitchens. One area of concern for me is plastic. I have plastic kids dishes, serving spoons, food storage, cutting boards, to-go-cups…most of my juice and water is bought in plastic…I use plastic wrap…the list is long and plenty.

Although plastic items are convenient and inexpensive, they pose potential health risks. The chemicals used in manufacturing plastic can leach into food and beverages, particularly when food is hot. Fatty and acidic foods can also promote leaching.  There are three main types of plastic used in food containers and anticancerlifestyle.org describes them as this:

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – Known as plastic #3, PVC can release dioxins, a known human carcinogen (READ: substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue) when it is manufactured or burned. PVC can also release phthalates. Many types of phthalates are of chemical concern and are EDCs. PVC can contain many additives, stabilizers and colorants that are chemicals of concern and can be absorbed. It is considered the most toxic plastic.

Polystyrene – used to make plastic #6, including Styrofoam. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has recently classified styrene, the liquid used to make polystyrene, as a substance “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”. Styrene has been shown to have estrogenic activity. Styrofoam coffee cups and take out containers do leach styrene, particularly with heat and contact with fatty foods.

BPA (bisphenol A) – An endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) Although opinions vary greatly about the health effects, BPA has been shown to interfere with the effectiveness of drugs, in particular ones used to treat breast cancer, like Tamoxifen and Rapamycin. BPA is not bio accumulative and is excreted quickly. However, because there is so much BPA (93 percent of Americans have it in their blood), it poses serious health concerns. BPA is a common component of hard plastics and is used to line nearly all canned foods and all aluminum drink cans. (It’s also found in cash register receipts and money, which can be a significant source of BPA exposure through the skin.) BPA has been shown to leach under all conditions, especially when heated. BPA-free plastics are becoming more available, but the replacements (BPS and BPF) are also proving to be chemicals of concern and potential EDCs. Although many countries and several US states have banned BPA, the banning process is slow and has not to date included the replacement chemicals, such as BPS. Canada has labeled BPA a toxin and the FDA recently banned BPA in baby bottles.

Wow, that’s some heavy info on plastic. It’s especially concerning to me, a recent breast cancer patient, who lives in a house filled with plastic. It’s instances like this, where I need to step back, take a breath and remind myself that I can’t live in a bubble.

Unfortunately, the “real world” is filled with toxic chemicals –  sold to us by large corporations who seem to be more concerned with their bottom line rather than the health and wellness of their consumers…hmmmmm

Change can be a long and challenging process. It may be years before more regulation and laws are passed regarding unsafe chemicals in consumer products. But, I trust in the mantra, “When people know better, they do better”.  I find great comfort and hope as my own awareness increases.

Hope that by making small changes, I can create a healthier home for my family and me.

alternatives to plastic

• use glass or ceramic or stainless steel for heating food and storing it. Plastic lids are okay if the food does not touch the lid.
• if you use plastic wrap, look for polyethylene instead of vinyl cling wraps and be sure that the wrap does not touch the food. You may want to consider using beeswax food wrap. These natural sheets can cover dishes, wrap food; and here’s the best part – they are reusable. Simply hand wash and dry. Most last up to a year. They are available on Amazon. (See pictures below)
• use wood cutting boards. Plastic has been shown to harbor bacteria, and to some extent, bamboo and hard woods are naturally antibacterial.
• avoid Styrofoam-type containers. Choose paper products when available, but beware that paper products are often lined with BPA or Teflon-type chemicals.
• use unbleached parchment paper for baking and wrapping food. Aluminum foil is also an option, although best used for dry foods. When foil comes into contact with wet or acidic food it is more likely to leach.
• use a glass pitcher for storing beverages.

 

On a completely different note, I made a delicious salad dressing the other day. It was surprisingly simple and tasted pretty good. I mixed extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, a few squeezes of lemon and salt and pepper. Whisk together in bowl and add to salad. It was excellent! Usually, I read the ingredient list on the back of my salad dressing (or something else) and see too many unknown words. This was a simple way to create a healthy dressing option – I just had to pass it along 😉

Finally, I want to introduce you all to a brand that I have discovered and been using lately called Beautycounter. It is an awesome skincare and makeup company –  whose mission is to get safe and effective products into the hands of every woman! Their products are not completely chemical free, but they have banned 1,500 of the most toxic chemicals from their products. (The U.S. currently only bans eleven?!?!?) The EWG gives their products the highest ratings of safety, and I personally, have been loving them. If you are interested in learning more about the brand, let me know! I am a new consultant for the company! 🙂

 

happy, healthy week to everyone xoxo