Health, Taken Seriously

Tomorrow night, I am giving an hour long talk on “Green Parenting” for my neighborhood’s sustainability seminar series.  Basically, I’m trying to sum up what I think is important for parents to do if they’re concerned about their children’s and the environment’s health.  I’m sharing the outline for my talk below, if you’re interested.

Green Parenting

How to raise your children with their health and the environment’s health in mind.

August 18, 2009

1. Feed your children well.

• Perhaps the most important decision parents can make for their children’s and the environment’s health.

• Always choose whole foods over processed.

• Suggestions:

  • Change the way your whole family eats, not just your child.

  • Make snacks mostly fresh fruits and veggies, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

  • Drink water as your primary beverage.

  • Remember that it can take up to 15 tries before your child accepts a new food.

  • Put veggies/fruit on your child’s plate at every meal, even if they claim not to like them.

  • Eat much fewer animal products, including dairy and eggs.

• Breastfeed for as long as possible. Breastmilk is the ultimate healthy, natural, and local food for baby. You don’t need to stop at one year. You can nurse only 1-2x per day if that’s what it takes to keep it up.

• Choose organic foods whenever possible.

• Children’s bodies are not as equipped to handle toxins as adult bodies. They consume more food and breath more air per pound of body weight than adults.

• Many of the most common pesticides used today are classified as carcinogens.

• Children that eat mostly organic foods have significantly less pesticides in their bodies than children that eat conventional foods.

• Some studies suggest that organic foods have more nutrients than their conventional counterparts.

• Organic =

  • Grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers

  • Soil is free of sewage sludge

  • Cannot be genetically modified

  • Cannot be treated with irradiation

  • Animals used for meat, eggs, or milk must eat organically produced feed and can never be given growth hormones or antibiotics.

  • Organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors.

  • Stringent records have been kept and inspections have been performed by the USDA.

• The most important foods to buy organic are those high up on the food chain (meat, poultry, eggs, dairy).

• To avoid genetically modified foods, buy organic.

• Buy the following produce organic, since these have the highest pesticide residues: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrot, and pear. For more, see www.ewg.org.

• If you’re worried about cost, consider growing a garden, joining a CSA, or buying the foods your child primarily eats organic.

2. Make sure your kitchen is safe.

• Do not cook in non-stick (Teflon coated) pans. Only use stainless steal or cast iron.

• Never microwave plastic. Avoid storing fatty foods in plastic.

• Strictly avoid PC (often labeled #7, may contain BPA), PVC (#3, may contain phthalates), and PS (#6).

• Both BPA and phthalates have been shown to leach out of plastics, especially at extreme temps.

• One type of phthalate, diethyl hexylphthalate (DEHP), is labeled a probable human carcinogen by EPA. Phthalates are also endocrine disrupters, and may harm the developing male reproductive tract.

• BPA is also an endocrine disrupter (it mimics estrogen). Some studies show that it is carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and can affect fertility. Since 2004, we have known that detectable levels of BPA are found in the blood of 93% of Americans over age 6.

• When possible, do not use plastic containers. Try glass storage containers with plastic lids.

• Serve drinks in stainless steal bottles when possible.

• Consider using glass bottles for your baby. If you use plastic baby bottles, avoid PC.

• Safer plastics include #1, #2, #4, and #5.

3. Be aware of the products you put on your child’s body.

• The most recent legislation to protect us and our children from chemicals, the Toxic Substances Control Act, was passed in 1976, when it automatically declared all the chemicals already produced (62,000) safe. Since then, another 20,000 chemicals have been put into U.S. commerce.

• In the U.S., a chemical is assumed safe unless proven otherwise. Fewer than ¼ of 1% of the 80,000+ chemicals in commerce have been tested by the FDA for safety. 80% of chemicals are approved by the FDA in a mere 3 weeks.

• Err on the side of safety and be wary of body products.

• Always use less. Evaluate whether or not you really need bubble bath, conditioner, lotion, etc. Does your child really need to bathe daily, especially in the winter?

• Read labels of the products you buy. The fewer ingredients, the better.

• Avoid the following ingredients:

  • synthetic fragrance (may contain phthalates, which help fragrance linger)

  • dyes

  • DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea (preservatives that release formaldehyde)

  • quaternium-15 (preservative that release formaldehyde)

  • ingredients including PEG or ending in eth, such as sodium laureth sulfate (contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane)

  • parabens (preservatives that act like hormones in the body)

  • sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate (lathering agents that can contain toxic contaminants like 1,4-dioxane, and can irritate skin).

  • Triclosan (antibacterial with environmental concerns)

• Tips for greening up your body care:

  • Choose naturally made bar soap scented with essential oils instead of liquid.

  • Buy fragrance free, sensitive-skin formulas even if your child isn’t sensitive.

  • Never use nail polish or removers on/around children (contain formaldehyde and toluene).

  • Use a sunscreen that contains the physical blocker zinc oxide rather than chemicals UV blockers.

  • Consider using olive oil as a hair conditioner.

  • Check the EWG cosmetic database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com) for safety information on hundreds of body products.

  • Remember that just because the product claims to be natural, gentle, safe, or pediatrician recommended doesn’t mean it is. Check the ingredients and decide for yourself.

  • Always read labels and ingredient lists. Be an informed consumer.

4. Only clean your home with non-toxic cleaners.

• Never use chlorine bleach or ammonia in your home, especially if you have children with asthma.

• Try using natural cleaners, ones without harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances. Companies like Seventh Generation make safe, effective cleaners.

• Vinegar is very effective at killing germs, and is nontoxic. Consider using it to clean windows, disinfect, declog drains, soften fabrics, etc.

• Consider using cleaning cloths and water to wipe down mirrors, instead of ammonia containing glass cleaners and paper towels.

• Be wary of companies that don’t disclose ingredients.

• Always check labels and ingredients.

5. Buy fewer and safer toys.

• Do not buy plastic teething toys.

• Many soft plastic toys are made of PVC and may contain phthalates. Avoid them.

• Consider purchasing more sustainable toys, such as Plan Toys, made with rubber tree wood.

• Some online sites that sell wood toys (with nontoxic paints and finishes) include www.oompa.com and www.moolka.com.

• Choose longer lasting, high quality toys with greater play value over cheap plastic toys that will end up in the trash.

6. Consider using cloth diapers.

• The average child will use over 6000 diapers before becoming potty trained. This will cost between $1000-1500. I personally cloth diapered two children for $700.

• Disposable diapers contain the carcinogen dioxin (unless they are not bleached, such as Seventh Generation diapers), sodium polyacrylate gel (to increase absorbency), and the toxin tributyl tin (TBT, a plastics stabilizer).

• Each year, 18 billion diapers are thrown away. They are the 3^rd largest single item contributor to landfills.

• Cloth diapers today are often as easy as disposables, with built in water proof covers and snaps/velcro.

• Washing cloth diapers in a front load washer uses less water than your child will eventually use flushing the toilet (washing diapers 3x/week = 45 gallons/week, flushing a newer toilet 5x/day = 60-70 gallons/week).

• The best place to buy cloth diapers is online. Try www.cottonbabies.com, www.nurturedfamily.com, www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com. For diaper reviews, see http://www.diaperpin.com/diapers/diaperpages.asp.

7. Check out the following books from the library.

• Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care by Alan Greene, M.D.

• The Complete Organic Pregnancy by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu

• In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

• Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

• To Buy or Not to Buy Organic: What you need to know to choose the healthiest, safest, most earth-friendly food by Cindy Burke

• The Unhealthy Truth: How our food is making us sick and what we can do about it by Robyn O’Brien and Rachel Kranz

• Green Babies, Sage Moms: The ultimate guide to raising your organic baby by Lynda Fassa

• Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning by Deirdre Imus

• The Vaccine Book: Making the right decision for your child by Robert Sears, M.D.

• The China Study: The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.

8. See a film.

• Food, Inc.  (playing at select theaters now)

9. Read a blog.

• www.healthtakenseriously.com

• www.enviroblog.com

• www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/

• http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

Filed under: Children on August 17th, 2009