Friday, August 2, 2013

Do you smell that tingle?

Happy Friday, everyone! 

I hope you all had a fantastic week! 


Before I begin, I'd like to check in and follow up on my last post about GMO-free/safe diets. How is everyone doing? What "category" of your groceries did you decide to replace first? I've decided to work on produce first. This has been a serious challenge so far, especially living in such a small community with no organic or whole foods markets. But I'm still researching and trucking on. One little tidbit that was passed on to me recently was how to get all of that waxy chemical off of your produce safely. There are sprays that are sold for the purpose of "cleaning" your produce, but why would I want to introduce more chemical to the chemical that is already on it!? Anyway... I was told that you can soak your produce (probably not good for more porous things like carrots, broccoli or cauliflower) in white vinegar, rinse in water, scrub dry with a towel and you're good to go! I haven't gotten to try this yet, but I'm going to go pick up some white vinegar tomorrow and give it a shot with some fresh produce! 


Alright, let's move on to my next topic of discussion/research...


I'm going to start a sort of series on safe cosmetics. I want to break it into several parts though, because there is so much included in what is considered a "cosmetic" when researching all of this detailed information. In this segment, I'd like to sort of introduce what is going on in the campaign for safe cosmetics and what it's all about. 


The campaign for safe cosmetics started roughly ten years ago. It came to the attention of cosmetics developers and analysts that there are some seriously unhealthy chemicals being pumped into our shampoos, conditioners, baby wash, makeup and more and they wanted to understand why. What are all those big words on the back or side of bottle, listed in the ingredients section, and why are they necessary? Well, many of them are said to be used as preservatives so that fungi and bacteria don't grow in, say, your body lotion, for instance. One big chemical is called *paraben. Companies who utilize this chemical have done research on the effects of use of one product containing paraben, sure... and that's all well and good. However, paraben is a very common chemical, used in the majority of our cosmetic products. So, really, this research is of no use. They aren't looking at the use of multiple products containing paraben over several decades of life, only one product over maybe a few years. 


*find a summary on the effects of parabens here.


Now, as I mentioned, there are several chemicals that sort of send up a red flag among analysts. Here is a list of the main chemicals of concern:



Triclosan


Synthetic Musks


Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives


1,4-dioxane


Hydroquinone


Phthalates


Parabens


Lead and Other Heavy Metals


Nitrosamines*all listed on http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?list=type&type=46

Now, give that a gander. Notice anything you may have heard of before? Perhaps from high school science? That's right, I'm talking about formaldehyde. Remember this stuff? It's what your frog in biology class sat in so that it wouldn't decompose before you got to dissect it. Do you remember the smell of it? Do you perhaps recall how seriously your teacher warned you to be cautious and always wear your gloves and goggles while touching and handling the frog? That's because it's dangerous and a known probable carcinogen. So why in the world is it in my nail polish, and how can it impact my health?

Research done by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that it can lead to serious skin sensitivity and allergies, to begin with. Also, according to the 
National Cancer Institute, being a carcinogen (like those found in cigarettes), prolonged exposure to formaldehyde can possibly lead to the mutation of cells, eventually leading to the formation of cancerous cells.


Alright, so I think that I have established that formaldehyde is bad. However, there are so many more chemicals that I want to address, all of which are so potentially dangerous for us to have regular exposure to, and I plan to get into some good detail on all of that. But before I do that, I'd like to take a quick step back and talk about how I even got started in my research into safe cosmetics. I'm going to cut my blog short here and leave you with this video that really explains my concerns and why I even decided to look into the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.


I first saw this video about a year ago, while I was still pregnant and it really changed how I thought about shopping, bathing, using makeup and all cosmetics, even down to my deodorant and lip balm. 


Keep it crunchy! 

Ashley

Check in soon for part 2: Explaining the chemicals in your cosmetics

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

What the Food, GMO?

So what does GMO even stand for?

- Genetically Modified Organism

How does it apply to your diet and why is it important to avoid GMOs? That is exactly what I will be addressing in this post. And at the end of all of this information, I will be posing a challenge to all of you. 

I mentioned in my first post, that I am working and researching in order to take steps toward a non-GMO life and diet. I feel that this would lead to a healthier overall lifestyle for my entire family. Being a mom now, my views and opinions on diet and health have changed fairly drastically. Before even getting pregnant, I will admit that my diet was not the healthiest. It was one of convenience and I thought nothing of it, because I have honestly never had problems with eating whatever I want without gaining weight. But this didn't mean that I was healthy. Just because I was thin and the number on the scale was low, that did not equal the picture of health. And it's so strange to me that I would have had such a poor diet... I mean, I did grow up with great examples in my mom and dad! I remember at a fairly young age, my parents started our family on the Zone diet. If you have never heard of this concept, I will briefly explain. It is not necessarily a diet meant for weight loss, but for basic overall health, though I'm sure that weight loss did follow. Basically, The Zone (book) teaches you how to eat a balanced diet - making sure that you are eating enough carbs and proteins in relation to one another: carbs provide energy, protein is like the supporter of that energy, and helps it to last longer. 
(This is a very basic explanation. For more information, please visit: http://weightloss.about.com/od/nutrition/a/bl_carbs.htm; 
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196279.php; www.zonediet.com/). 

Anyway, we grew up not eating any sugar cereal, very limited candy and junk food, and learned to appreciate our fruits and vegetables. Soda wasn't really allowed in the house, except for special occasions, and personally, I was always big on water and apple juice, even when I was little. I guess when I "grew up" and moved out, I was excited to have more control over my own diet. But living on a college campus did not really encourage a healthy diet, especially when I was too busy most of the time to use the meals allotted to me by my "plan". There were more days than not that I would catch breakfast in the cafeteria, but eat Cup O' Noodles for lunch and dinner and random snacks from vending machines in between, and let's face it... healthy snacks aren't cheap for a school to offer in vending machines. Also... healthy snacks wouldn't really survive in a vending machine, would they? That dreaded "Freshman 15"? Eh... I would say I maybe gained about 5 pounds my Freshman year, but I was constantly on the go, with way too many classes, Cheerleading and more! Had I been more sedentary like the average college Freshman, I absolutely would have gained the full 15! Don't get me wrong... the options in the cafeteria and the SUB (Student Union Building) were tasty, but since when did something unhealthy taste badly or not make you feel good!? Now I'm sure you may be wondering why these foods make you feel good or happy, but I don't want to get into that right now. I want to focus on what's in most, if not all, of the foods that you consume daily, including your pets'! 




As I explained before, a GMO is a genetically modified organism. What it does for manufacturers and produce companies, is allow them to increase their output as well as the visual quality of the product. I say visual quality because the actual quality of the product is reduced by the use of the GMO. This is a form of genetic engineering, and it is dangerous. "By mixing genes from totally unrelated species, genetic engineering unleashes a host of unpredictable side effects. Moreover, irrespective of the type of genes that are inserted, the very process of creating a GM plant can result in massive collateral damage that produces new toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and nutritional deficiencies." 

Not to mention... 
"Numerous health problems increased after GMOs were introduced in 1996. The percentage of Americans with three or more chronic illnesses jumped from 7% to 13% in just 9 years; food allergies skyrocketed, and disorders such as autism, reproductive disorders, digestive problems, and others are on the rise. Although there is not sufficient research to confirm that GMOs are a contributing factor, doctors groups such as the AAEM tell us not to wait before we start protecting ourselves, and especially our children who are most at risk.

The American Public Health Association and American Nurses Association are among many medical groups that condemn the use of GM bovine growth hormone, because the milk from treated cows has more of the hormone IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1)―which is linked to cancer." [This hormone has also been found to cause young girls to experience menses as early as the age of 8, compared to the age of 16, in young women 20-30 years ago.] 


When I became pregnant, I'll admit that I definitely indulged in a few cravings here and there, but I did try to keep it as healthy as possible, and utilized the Bradley Method (http://www.bradleybirth.com/diet.aspx) for diet and nutrition. It was helpful for me to maintain a good, balanced diet and my Bradley instructor helped me to keep track of how much protein I was eating, which is very important during pregnancy. However, I had no idea that the brands of foods that I was eating could be just as important as the types of foods. We have already established that GMOs are dangerous for the general population, but they can be even more dangerous for pregnant women as well as a fetus. 

"The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) urges doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients. They cite animal studies showing organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility. Human studies show how genetically modified (GM) food can leave material behind inside us, possibly causing long-term problems. Genes inserted into GM soy, for example, can transfer into the DNA of bacteria living inside us, and that the toxic insecticide produced by GM corn was found in the blood of pregnant women and their unborn fetuses.""The organs of rats who ate genetically modified potatoes showed signs of chronic wasting, and female rats fed a diet of herbicide resistant soybeans, gave birth to stunted and sterile pups." [That's right, soy is another danger in our diet, but I won't get into that too much just quite yet.]  Now, my son is healthy, but it's a little unnerving to think of how differently things could have gone, or better yet, how bad things can be if we continue down this road. I will be curious to see how my husband and I start to feel once I am able to transition us to a non-GMO diet, and to see how our son thrives on it as well. 

So, a completely GMO-free diet would be ideal, but it's going to be a large challenge for me to undertake: living in a small community, it's no guarantee that I will be able to find the brands have been found to be free of all GMOs. You might wonder why that is. Well, it's because farmers believe that GMOs give them the security of yielding plentiful crops, since they are believed to give the farmers the control over the rate of production and quality of the crop. But this is simply not the truth. "Genetically engineered crops have shown no increase in yield and no decrease in pesticide use. In many cases, other farm technology has proven much more successful, and even Monsanto agreed that its genetically engineered crops yield less than conventional farming."  "Whereas sustainable non-GMO agricultural methods used in developing countries have conclusively resulted in yield increases of 79% and higher, GMOs do not, on average, increase yields at all. This was evident in the Union of Concerned Scientists' 2009 report Failure to Yield―the definitive study to date on GM crops and yield. 

The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) report, authored by more than 400 scientists and backed by 58 governments, stated that GM crop yields were 'highly variable' and in some cases, 'yields declined.' The report noted, 'Assessment of the technology lags behind its development, information is anecdotal and contradictory, and uncertainty about possible benefits and damage is unavoidable.' They determined that the current GMOs have nothing to offer the goals of reducing hunger and poverty, improving nutrition, health and rural livelihoods, and facilitating social and environmental sustainability.
On the contrary, GMOs divert money and resources that would otherwise be spent on more safe, reliable, and appropriate technologies"Still, because it is believed that GMOs can lead our world to security in crop yielding, most major manufacturers and farmers do utilize GMOs and GM seeds.

You might be wondering why so many foods and brands of foods have GMOs in them if they are really that bad for us. Well, you might be surprised to know that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is self-regulated. That's right, they are allowed to set their own rules and guidelines for what is acceptable and safe, and can change these guidelines and regulations as they see fit. I.e., they can make things convenient for themselves so that they don't have to do as much work. Don't you find this a little suspect? I know I sure do! Because of this, there is little to no accountability for the big biotech companies who are responsible for producing GMO-infused foods. According to Organic Authority, "Big biotech firms have sketchy track records, but then again what would you expect from organizations who want to patent the world's food supply? These massive biotech companies have a history of toxic contamination, deceiving the public and suing small farmers when their patented seeds blew across the fence. Biotech firms sell sterile seeds to African farmers - meaning the seeds are only good for one season, because the plants that grow up will not be able to reproduce. ... GMOs are not the farmer's friend." It can be especially frustrating that biotech companies will sue small farmers for something beyond their control. There are farmers who want nothing to do with these genetically engineered seeds. "GMOs cross pollinate and their seeds can travel. It is impossible to fully clean up our contaminated gene pool. Self-propagating GMO pollution will outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste. The potential impact is huge, threatening the health of future generations. GMO contamination has also caused economic losses for organic and non-GMO farmers who often struggle to keep their crops pure." 



So how can we avoid GMOs? Well, just like anything else in the "crunchy" life, it will take a little extra leg work than just stopping in at the grocery store to pick up your stash. Here are a few resources and shopping guides that provide the names of manufacturers who are known to reject the GMO standard:

- Fruits and Veggies: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/fruits-and-vegetables.html
Meats, Fish and eggs: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/meat-fish-and-eggs.html
- Pet Products: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/pet-products.html
- Baby: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/baby-food-and-infant-formula.html
Basic Shopping Guide: http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/

Now, this is my challenge to you..,
What is your goal for your family's future? I challenge you to visit these sites and take the next month to replace at least one of the categories listed with GMO-free brands. Record or journal the differences in your every day functioning and any benefits you feel physically. If you want to take it one step further, go to the doctor, get a physical and then begin to make the change. After you have made your chosen replacements, go back and see what has improved about your health. But don't stop at one category! Join me in this journey to replace everything in your cupboards! 

Resources:
http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/
http://www.nongmoproject.org/
http://touch.organicauthority.com/organicauthority/#!/toc/
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs
http://weightloss.about.com/od/nutrition/a/bl_carbs.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196279.php
www.zonediet.com/
https://www.google.com/

Additional article: http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html

I hope you have a very crunchy day!
Ashley 

This is The Snap Crackle Crunch

for next week's blog... 
What's in your cosmetics and what isn't the FDA telling us? What are we putting on (and in) our bodies and what is it doing to us?

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

You're Such a Hippie!

Yep... I've heard that before. I have also been told that the things I choose to do with my son are "weird". Sure... What my husband and I do with our son is not necessarily in the realm of "normal", in comparison to the rest of the world. Or maybe just this country... this United States is terribly wasteful. 

Just a little introduction, and a little bit about me: I am a 25 year old, stay at home mommy to a beautiful 7-month-old named Connor. He is the light of my life. My husband and I met 7 years ago as Freshmen in college. We were married in 2010, and welcomed our little boy last December, 7 days before our 2nd anniversary, on 12/12/12. 

Now, my husband's and my goal is to not be wasteful as we raise our son. For this reason, we cloth diaper. It is something that I love! We feel as though this is not only beneficial to our planet, but also to our wallets. I think it's important not to contribute to the landfills full of human waste. I feel that it's crucial to reduce paper waste. For this reason, I have also made my own cloth wipes and solution. I must admit that at first my husband was pretty skeptical. Hell, so was I. The first time I heard about people still using cloth diapers, I immediately thought of the little white get-ups with safety pins and thought "ew!". As I looked into cloth diapering more,  I was impressed with what I saw. I then brought all of this information to my husband, who said the same thing that I initially thought: "EW!" Haha! But then I showed him the up-front cost and helped him to understand that this was a one time expense for diapers! Admittedly, we did use disposables the first 2 weeks of our little man's life. But that was because I didn't quite understand how I would be able to make our diapers fit him so little. Later, I learned that there was an extra fold I could be doing, and we have used his cloth since he was 2 weeks old. I would love to get into much more detail, but right now I want you to get a "vibe" of what I am all about, here. So, I will come back to cloth diapers at a later date. 

I believe in breast feeding. I believe that breast is best. My son never as had formula, and it is my goal that he never will. I'm not sure when we will stop nursing, but we have been going strong now for 7 months, and have endured 3 bouts of mastits and 2 of them were back to back. It was not easy, but we were lucky to make it through without having to stop nursing. I love the nursing relationship that I have with my son and I adore the look on his face and the sound he makes when he is about to nurse! It sincerely cracks me up every time! 

More recently, we have begun implementing the baby-led weaning method of introducing solids. At first, little C wasn't so sure about all of it, but just over a month later, he regularly feeds himself very well, and it's so great to see him enjoying food! We still intend to avoid most meats, all dairy, all preservatives,  and processed sugars until at least a year old. I would like to go longer with most of these. And even more recently, I have been looking into the dangers of GMOs. I will post more about this later as well. And hope to share with you all, my journey to a GMO free diet. My husband and I are also about to start "juicing". For those of you who don't know what this is, juicing is when you take combinations of fruits and vegetables through a juicing machine. Different combinations of fruit and vegetable juices, are intended for different purposes, from weight loss, to helping you sleep, cholesterol health, heart health, and even lowering blood pressure. (There is so much more to it than this, I promise!) 

I have also been learning a lot about the dangers of basic cosmetics and household cleaners that we use everyday. I am working to move us toward truly all natural products that are safe in the home of a 7-month-old. 

Through my journeys, I will also be talking a lot about my chronic conditions, because they make me who I am. I hope to learn more and more about how to manage pain as a result of my EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) and my heart rate and blood pressure, as a result of my POTS (Postural Othosatic Tachycardia Syndrome). I can't wait to share more with you all! 

Have a beautiful day! 

Ashley

This is the Snap-Crackle-Crunch!