Triclosan: Not actually helping you stay healthy

Triclosan is a wonder chemical that is supposed to kill germs. It makes sense that it is such a success, what parent wants their children to be covered in germs. We live in a world that is very anti-germ, if there is a chemical out there that can make getting rid of germs even easier then people will want it.

Most people know about Triclosan being the active ingredient in many soaps. However, it is put into more then just soap. Triclosan is in almost everything; sponges, towels, toothpaste, dish detergent, clothes, shoes, shower curtains. Anything that is labeled as germ resistant or antibacterial will likely have Triclosan in it. Even from a non-crunchy point of view this seems a bit over board to me.

The funny thing is that Triclosan does not do a better job of getting rid of germs then just plain soap. If it is not any better why do we put Triclosan in everything?

The problem is that Triclosan is not only ineffective as an amazing germ killer but it is also bad for us. That’s right people, Triclosan is not making you healthier, it is potentially killing you. Triclosan has been linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, cancer, developmental defects and disrupted thyroid functions.

Triclosan is also not good for the environment. It is not fully removed from our water and therefore gets washed into rivers and oceans. Aquatic life is being harmed from our germ free fetish.

How do we avoid Triclosan? If it is in everything how are we possibly going to avoid it?

Do not buy anything that contains Triclosan or Triclocarban (Triclosan’s cousin). This is easy to do since it is required to list products active ingredients.

Avoid buying anything that is labeled as antibacterial, germ resistant, fights germs, protects against mold, fights odors, or keeps foods fresh longer. These products most likely contain Triclosan, although there are exceptions to the rule.

How do we avoid germs then?

Wash your hands in warm water and regular soap.

Honestly, wash anything in warm water and regular soap.

Making Yogurt in a Crock Pot

I have been feeding my boys yogurt for their breakfast lately. I have decided that they need some probiotics in their system to keep them healthy or should I say get them healthy; they have been sick for too long in my opinion. I set out to buy organic yogurt that contained all the good probiotics. However, organic yogurt is expensive! Even in bulk it is pricey. Naturally, I started thinking about making it myself.

The idea of making yogurt has always been very intimidating to me. There is a lot involved when it comes to making yogurt on the stove and oven. When I found this recipe for cooking yogurt in a crock pot, I figured I would give it a try.

Crock Pot Yogurt

What you will need:

1 Crock Pot

8 cups (1/2 gallon) milk (I use organic but you can use any type of milk, except milk that is ultra pasteurized, it does not work for yogurt. Some recommend starting with whole milk until you get the hang of it but I started with 1% and had no problem.)

1/2 - 1 cup cup natural, live culture, plain yogurt. (I find that 1 cup gives me thicker yogurt)

2 thick bath towels (4 if it's cold in your house)

Directions:

Turn your crock pot on low, add the milk, then cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug crock pot after the 2 1/2 hours. Leave the cover on and let it sit for 3 hours.

After the 3 hours, scoop out 2 cups of the warm milk and put in a bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of yogurt to the milk and whisk. After this is mixed well, add the mixture to the crock pot and stir it into the rest of the warm milk.

Put the lid back on. Keep crock pot unplugged. Wrap the towels all around the crock pot for insulation. Let it sit for 8 -12 hours. (This is great to do before bed so that this period of waiting can be done in your sleep.)

The yogurt is now done. It will thicken up as it cools in the refrigerator. However, it will be thinner then store bought yogurt. There are apparently a few ways to thicken yogurt: adding a bit of dried milk or adding some gelatin. I have yet to try either of these. I did try to use pectin once...it did not turn out right, don't use pectin. I have found that if you increase your yogurt starter from 1/2 cup to 1 cup that it will result in much thicker yogurt.

This will last for 7 -10 days in the refrigerator.

Save 1/2 - 1 cup yogurt from this new batch for the next time you make yogurt. This makes it even cheaper!


Price Comparison:

Store Bought:
Organic Yogurt 64 oz. - $7.78

Homemade:
1/2 cup of organic yogurt - $0.89
1/2 gallon organic milk - $3.00

Total cost for 64oz homemade yogurt - $3.89

This means that you get the same amount of yogurt but for HALF the price if you make it yourself! Think of it this way, many times you can buy non-organic yogurt at the store for $0.50/6 oz. When you make your own yogurt it ends up being $.36 and that is for ORGANIC yogurt.

Needless to say, I will definitely be making my own yogurt from now on!

Yes, This is my Natural Color!

Growing up, I had dark blonde hair, as I entered my teenage years it changed to a light brown. Horrified at the thought of not being a blonde, I started dying my hair. If I remember correctly, my first hair dye was done at age twelve. I continued on my blonde cycle for about a decade and then finally realized that keeping up with the roots was not worth my time and money. Thus, I switched to dying my hair brown. I was not happy with my natural shade of brunette and kept on dying my hair. A little over a year ago, I gave it all up. Originally, I stopped dying my hair simply because it was too expensive for me; I have more important things to spend my money on. However, as I started learning about all things crunchy, I came to realize that it was a VERY good thing that I had given up my hair dying.

Hair dye contains a host of horrible chemicals. Did you know that hairdressers are at a higher risk of getting cancer then the general public? Some of the hairdressers do not even use hair dyes personally but breathing in the fumes and touch the dye is enough to put them at such a higher risk.

Let's take a look at the chemicals in hair dye.

Coal Tar: Used in many hair dyes, especially the darker colored ones. A known carcinogen.

DMDM Hydantoin: An immunotoxin.

Resorcinol: immunotoxin and can cause cancer.

Formaldehyde: A know carcinogen. Can cause cancer and reproductive problems. Pregnant women should definitely stay away from this chemical as it can cause problems in a unborn child.

Phenyl methyl pyrazolone: Comes from coal tar. Can cause irritation, cough, headaches. Can also cause a high risk of learning disabilities to an unborn child. Once again, not good for pregnant women.

There are dozens more toxic chemicals in hair dyes. In fact, the EWG lists 400 hair dyes as hazardous.

My suggestion? Give up dying your hair. Go natural. If you feel like a little color, you can get it naturally through teas, coffee, and vegetable juices. If you find you absolutely cannot give up dying your hair, then go for henna as it is not hazardous.

Take a moment and evaluate if you REALLY need to dye your hair. Not dying your hair could save you from a lot of healthy problems.

Homemade Hairspray

Hairspray is full of nasty stuff. It is coating your hair in plastic, in reality. Would you coat any other part of your body in plastic? I think not. Why should your hair be any different? On my quest for natural hairsprays, I came accross this recipe. I tried it and was thouroughly impressed.

Hairspray Recipe:

1/2 cup water (boiled or just about boiled)

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or a few drops of vanilla essential oil (optional)

After heating the water, remove from heat, add sugar and the vanilla. Wait until cooled before pouring into a spray bottle. Old hairspray bottles work great as do old body splash bottles. (once cleaned obviously) Use like you would a normal hairspray. Replace when it no longer looks the same.

This stuff works great! If you need a stonger spray add more sugar. Although I can not imagine needing anything stronger as this stuff seems to work better then my old hairspray. If you want less hold then add less sugar. I do have one word of warning; as this is essentially sugar water, bees can be attracted to it. I have not had a problem yet but those with severe bee allergies should take care.

Ditching the Nail Polish

Yes, you read that right, I have given up nail polish. I have actually been nail polish free for quite a few months now. Why? The answer is because nail polish is toxic. Just smelling a bottle of nail polish or even walking buy a nail salon will tell you that stuff is not healthy.

What is in nail polish?

Toluene: a carcinogen and neurotoxin. Effects the nervous system.

Formaldehyde: a known carcinogen as well as a nose, throat, and eye irritant.

(DBP) Dibutyl Phthalate: a reproductive and developmental toxin and linked to the feminizing of boys. This should definitely not be used while pregnant.

Ethyl Acetate: a reproductive and developmental toxin. As well as a neurotoxin.

Aluminum Powder: can cause cancer. Also a reproductive and developmental toxin.

Yikes! Definitely not a good thing to put in our bodies. Yes, I said in, these chemicals get absorbed into the skin through the nails. The skin is not impenetrable, it absorbs chemicals everyday. It is our largest organ and the one most susceptible of toxins.

There are a few companies that are now free of the top three toxins: toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate, however they still contain other toxins. Even if you found one that was decent, you would still have the problem of the nail polish remover. My recommendation is to ditch the nail polish all together. It is really not that bad. If you trim and buff your nails, they will look quite nice and you will not be suffering any toxic consequences.

Pistachio Product: Klean Kanteen

Desiring a healthier alternative to plastic water bottles and plastic sippy cups, my family has switched to Klean Kanteens. These lovely water bottles are stainless steel. There are no worries about BPA at all because all you have is stainless steel. The caps and sippy cup attachments are made out of plastic but they are BPA-Free.



Pros:

Stainless steel. Recyclable and does not contain BPA.
Variety of sizes from 12 - 64 ounces.
Will not break.
Seems to keep liquid cooler.
Liquid tastes as it should; no plastic flavor being absorbed.
Lightweight.
Many different cap options, including the sippy cup attachment.
Sippy cups can be reused as water bottles, after your child is old enough. This is a good thing as paying $20 for a sippy seems crazy but if your child can continue using it for their entire lifetime, it is not a bad investment at all!

Cons:

More expensive. I won't lie to you, these bottles cost a bit more then a plastic one. However, they will last forever!
If you get a colored one, it will chip. The colors are beautiful but unless handled with extreme care, it will chip.


We love our Klean Kanteens! We drink more water now, simply because it is colder and tastes better. My children do great with their sippys and I am looking forward to the day when we can convert them to regular water bottles. I recommend this water bottle to everyone! Why buy a water bottle that you might break or might leach BPA? Klean Kanteen is a great way to go!

BPA

Just what is Bisphenol-A? Why do so many people want to avoid it? The FDA is finally changing their opinion on BPA, shouldn't you know what BPA is?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a hormone-mimicking chemical used in polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products.BPA mimics estrogen and in studies has shown to prostate cancer, breast cancer, reproductive problems, metabolic disorders, and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Most notably known for being used in baby bottles. However, it is in many other things as well; canned food, soda cans, plastic wrap, the lining or jar lids, baby formula, toys, and many other household plastics.


How to avoid BPA

Do not microwave anything that is plastic.

Do not freeze in anything that is plastic as even freezing can leach BPA.

Do not put hot food into plastic containers. If you must use plastic, wait until the food is cool.

Throw away any plastic that is scratched or broken as it can release BPA this way.

Do not drink out of a plastic bottle, use stainless steel or another alternative.

Do not buy canned foods. Eden Organics is one of the few BPA free can foods, however, even their tomatoes are in BPA cans because of no better alternative.

If you must use formula (obviously breastfeeding is preferred) then use the powdered formula as it absorbs less BPA then the liquid formula.

Look for plastics labeled BPA-Free.

What We Know in a 3 minute Video

Healthy Child Healthy World has put together an AMAZING video. It is very well done and is a great tool to share with friends who do not grasp the reality of the world our children live in. Watch it and share it!

A Wake-Up Story