Is Your Couch Killing You?

It's time for us to get a new couch.  This has turned out to be no easy feat, since I obviously want a couch that does not contain hazardous chemicals.  I was aware of the dangers of flame retardants and I set out to find a sofa that was chemical free.  That shouldn't be too hard, should it?  Actually, it's nearly impossible.  And the reason why will blow your mind.

In the US, furniture manufacturers are required by law to treat their fabrics with flame retardants.   Seeing as flame retardants don't work, but merely release toxic smoke into the air in the event of an actual fire, and seeing as they contain carcinogens and chemicals that are extremely harmful to humans, this makes absolutely no sense.

I thought, this can't possibly be right, but it turns out the tendrils of this atrocity reach to some pretty dark places, namely the tobacco industry.  You read that right--the tobacco industry started the whole thing.  At some point a couple of decades ago, pressure was put on the tobacco industry to do something about making cigarettes less flammable since so many fires were started by them.  Ridiculous in and of itself, but the response was to come out with flame retardant chemicals.

When evidence emerged that these chemicals caused cancer, infertility, asthma, and a host of other health issues, the tobacco companies, ie producers of the flame retardants, came back with a bogus committee called Citizens for Fire Safety which consists only of three individuals--the producers of the chemicals!  They managed to get laws passed, in part by using false testimony from a physician detailing grisly fake fire deaths of children,  requiring that these chemicals be infused in our furniture. 

So now, because of this despicable farce propagated by the tobacco industry and no doubt corrupt politicians, you and I can't get a safe couch for our family.  Our children sit on this furniture, they breathe the off-gassing of these chemicals and the toxic dust they create in our homes.  This is so unacceptable!

What I am hoping, is that with growing awareness thanks to mainstream press like the New York Times and Chicago Tribune (click those links for a wealth of details on this subject), that something like the BPA movement will happen.  As consumers demand non-toxic furniture, change will happen.  I personally contacted several very popular furniture manufacturers and expressed concern and forwarded a link to that New York Times article so they could pass it along throughout their companies.  Luckily, the were receptive, but also very defeatist with the sentiment that, "our hands are tied because of the laws."  If you agreee this is an outrage, please help me pass this information along, we need to get those flame retardants out of our homes.

Image Credit: Sofas And Stuff

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The One Resolution I Wish Everyone Would Make

Okay I know I've posted a lot about New Year's Resolutions.  I just love them, I love making lists and goals and I guess I'm just nerdy that way.  I get excited that we all have this wonderful opportunity to set forth intention and go after our goals with a shiny new year in hand.  The last thing I shall say about this is that there is one resolution I wish everyone would make, and I believe this would change the world.

GO ORGANIC.  Just buy organic food, that's all.  This seems so simple and so intuitive to me that I cannot believe there is still the option--do you want your food with or without poison?  By purchasing organic food you are making a statement, you are voting, and you are insuring the most precious thing you have, your health and that of your family.  What is more important than that?

Not only is buying organic food benefiting you, it's doing something positive and necessary for the whole planet, people, and animals that live here.  Buying organic is protecting the farmers who often are forced to handle food laden with dangerous chemicals and suffer tremendous health consequences.  It's protecting our rivers, our oceans, our air quality.  It's voting against dangerous GMOs--when you buy organic, you buy GMO free.

"We can't afford it," is the excuse I hear most for why people don't buy organic.  This makes me a little crazy because the folks I hear this most from are people with bank accounts that I can only aspire to.  If I had to move my family into a one room efficiency apartment to be able to buy organic, I would, that's how important I think it is.  Of course, that is not necessary because organic food does Not cost that much more than conventional food and in some cases it's the same and even cheaper.  You just have to shop smart.  You buy what is in season, you buy in bulk, you buy local. Also, I firmly believe that you either pay now, or pay later in the form of hefty hospital bills and poor health.  You can't afford Not to buy organic.

Eating healthy is Not expensive!  There is nothing cheaper than beans and rice.  Throw in a little kale (which you can grow on a balcony year round for pennies) and you have yourself a hearty stick-to-your-ribs meal on the cheap.

The only reason not to eat organic is because it's not available.  I've been there before, living in a region where it was really hard to find.  If you are in this position, demand it.  Ask your grocer to carry it.  Be proactive, grow it, make it a priority.  For the last six years, I have eaten all organic food at home.  I have a major thing for Thai food and I know my take out is not organic, but as more and more people ask for it, it will become more and more available.

You can still eat whatever you want--cookies and junk food even, just make it organic and you are quantum leaps ahead. We are swimming in chemicals that are killing us and our planet.  If that sounds extreme, just have a look at the EWG and the ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION to get your passion ignited.  I believe that going organic is possibly the easiest and most powerful change people can make and it can start today.

I may be singing to the choir posting this here, but if anyone is reading this that has not made the switch, I hope you will consider it.  Good health to all in 2011!

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CHLORINE: should we swim in it?

We know that it's not a good idea to drink chlorine (one of the reasons we filter our drinking water) and we know it's not a good idea to bathe in it (hence the shower and bath filters), so what about swimming in it?

I LOVE swimming laps.  If I had my druthers (and a million bucks), I would wake up every single morning and swim a mile in my own indoor non-chlorinated pool.  Since I do not have my own pool, I have been going to a public pool to teach my son to swim and get in some laps every few days.  This has proved to be challenging in a big way and for one main reason--the chlorine.  My sinuses are fried after swimming, our swim clothes wreak even after multiple washes (so does our skin, even after brushing) and we both sneeze like crazy the rest of the entire day.  The whole thing has me thinking, are the benefits of swimming worth the dangers of chlorine?

Since we are not supposed to put anything on our skin that we wouldn't eat, it doesn't make much sense to marinate ourselves in chlorine, right?  Dioxin, one of the most toxic substances known to man, is a by-product of chlorine and is considered by the EPA to be 300,000 times more dangerous than the ultra-scary DDT.  Dioxin is the reason there are warnings about white coffee filters--while the coffee is brewing, dioxin is seeping into your coffee via the bleached filter!  This strikes me as very insidious.  Paper--toilet paper, even diapers contain dioxin!  All because some people associate sanitary and clean with bleached white.  Paradigm shift needed desperately.  At what point does common sense and reason become the norm?  Dioxin is also found in food products such as cheese, but more on that later.

There are all sorts of warnings due to Dioxin.  We are ingesting Dioxin every day to the tune of up to 600 times the EPA's suggested limit (as though any is okay).  This in turn leads to a ridiculous amount of health issues from allergies to cancer.

Pools that are indoors are worse than outdoor pools because you are breathing in so much chlorine along with what is being absorbed through the skin.  I've read that you could drink a quart of pool water and absorb less toxins than what you absorb by swimming in it for a half an hour.  Here's a link to some references specific to the hazards of chlorine pools.

Dr. Weil has a post about some of the dangers of swimming in chlorinated water but then goes on to suggest wearing a mask and snorkel as a solution--seriously?  I mean, thanks for addressing it, but surely we can do better than this.  To be fair, he does suggest lobbying and discussing the matter with managers at our local pools--this we can all do easily and maybe if they hear it enough, there will be change.

My conclusion:  at this point I do not have access to a non-chlorinated pool.  The danger of my son not knowing how to swim will for now outweigh the danger of the pool.  However, I will limit our exposure to once or twice per week and I will seek alternatives.

image credit: ecstaticist

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TOXIC AMERICA airs tonight on CNN

CNN is airing Toxic America today and tomorrow starting with Toxic Towns and following tomorrow with Toxic Childhood.  Here it airs twice tonight, check your local listings.

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A Perfume Organic

Most of my readers already know that most perfume is bad news.  I love fragrance--from the plant.  Essential oils can be very soothing, invigorating, and pleasing, evoking mood and atmosphere.  Synthetic perfumes and fragrance, on the other hand, send me right into migraineville and with good reason, they are comprised of dangerous chemicals.

A Perfume Organic is a healthy alternative.  It comes in a pretty bottle, is non toxic and smells great, I like the ylang ylang heavy Green.  There's no reason to buy toxic, carcinogenic perfumes when this is available.  Also--essential oils smell infinitely better than the toxic stuff.  A Perfume Organic is USDA certified organic, freshly hand made  and comes in a plantable eco friendly box.  Find it HERE.

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LaundryTree Soap Nuts

"Did you know there's a fruit that will get your laundry clean?" ask the folks at LaundryTree.  I LOVE this product.  No waste, no chemicals, no allergens, no fragrance. Perfect!  It's also ideal for the newer front loading HE machines and naturally softens fabric, so you don't have to use fabric softener either.

 Have you ever walked past a dryer vent and found yourself with an immediate headache?  Or had trouble being around certain people because of the laundry soaps they use?  I have.  I find most laundry detergents to be a complete assault on my senses causing headache and nausea, I also avoid that isle at the grocery store like the plague.

I'm okay with the fragrance free options such as Seventh Generation, but even with those you still have a giant plastic container to get rid of, what a waste.  Soap nuts are the solution to all of this.  And if you need a scent, LaundryTree offers a starter kit containing your choice of essential oils which are a non toxic alternative to the harsh carcinogenic fragrances found in your typical laundry soap.

Harvested in the Himalayas in a sustainable manner, providing fair trade wages to over 300 women each day, these soap nuts are a win-win, healthy for us, for the earth and local communities.  There is a ton of information on the LaundryTree website about how they are harvested and their many uses and benefits.  Earth Day is coming, an opportunity to make a change.  Maybe one change to consider is switching to soap nuts?  I'm already there, not buying laundry soap in those big bottles again! Find them HERE.

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Should you give your Valentine perfume?

When I think perfume, I think instant headache.  I'm okay with essential oils, in fact I love essential oils, the fragrance that comes directly from the plant.  But most perfumes are synthetic and contain carcinogenic substances.  More and more, people are realizing that chemicals don't actually smell that great, and that they are dangerous.  When something can cause cancer, it doesn't matter how pretty the bottle is or which celebrity endorses it.  Toxic does not equal sexy.  For more on this, the EWG is a great source, check their website and this video, detailing the dangers of fragrance.

(Image Credit: Katch)

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