Posts filed under 'Kids'
A study of over 3,000 people in the United States and Canada, showed that “most citizens were very likely to have the greatest contact with potentially toxic pollutants . . . inside the places they usually consider to be essentially unpolluted, such as homes, offices and automobiles.” The chief sources of air pollution in homes were the fumes originating from ordinary products such as cleaning compounds, moth repellents, building materials, fuels, deodorizers, and disinfectants, as well as chemicals from dry-cleaned clothes and new synthetic upholstery.
“Space flu,” an illness experienced by astronauts until the cause was found, was due to such fumes, or “off-gassing.” You detect off-gassing when you sit in a new car or walk by shelves of cleaning products in a supermarket, even though they are in sealed containers. So when a house is shut tight to keep out, say, winter’s cold, off-gassing of various chemicals can contribute to a level of indoor pollution that is far in excess of pollution outside.
Children, especially toddlers, are the most vulnerable to indoor pollutants, says Canada’s Medical Post. They are closer to the floor than older people; they breathe more rapidly than adults do; they spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors; and because their organs have not yet matured, their bodies are more susceptible to toxins. They absorb some 40 percent of ingested lead, whereas adults absorb about 10 percent.
Maintaining a Balanced Attitude
Because the present generation of humans has experienced a level of exposure to chemicals that is without precedent, there is still much to learn about the effects, so scientists remain cautious. Chemical exposure does not automatically raise the specter of cancer or death. Reasonable precautions must be taken, especially if we have regular contact with potentially toxic chemicals.
The book Chemical Alert! says that “some chemicals are toxic in the sense that they interfere with the balance of [the body’s] processes and thereby produce vague symptoms that can best be described as just not feeling well.” Reducing our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals does not necessarily require major changes in life-style but only modest alterations in our daily routine.
In addition to taking reasonable precautions with chemicals, we help ourselves when we avoid being unduly anxious, especially in regard to things over which we have no control.
Still, many people do suffer and become ill, sometimes even terminally ill, because of chemical toxins.
In recent years a growing number of people have been suffering from a condition called multiple chemical sensitivity.
For a Healthier, Safer Home
Reducing your exposure to potential toxins often calls for only modest alterations in your life-style. Here are some suggestions that you might find helpful.
1. Try to store most chemicals that give off vapors where they will not contaminate the air in your home. These chemicals include formaldehyde and products containing volatile solvents, such as paint, varnish, adhesives, pesticides, and cleaning solutions. Volatile petroleum products give off toxic vapors. This group includes benzene, which in high concentrations for extended periods is known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm.
2. Have good ventilation in all rooms, including the bathroom. Showering volatilizes certain additives such as chlorine that may be in the water. This may lead to a buildup of chlorine and even chloroform.
3. Wipe your feet before you step indoors. This simple act, says Scientific American, can reduce the amount of lead in a typical carpet by a factor of six. It also cuts down on pesticides, some of which break down quickly outdoors in the sunlight but may last for years in carpets. Another option, which is a standard custom in some parts of the world, is to remove your shoes. A good vacuum cleaner, preferably one with a rotating brush, can also reduce pollution in carpets.
4. If you treat a room with a pesticide, keep toys out of that room for at least two weeks, even though the product label may say the room is safe hours after treatment. Scientists have recently found that certain plastics and foam found in toys literally soak up pesticide residues like a sponge. Children will absorb the toxins through the skin and mouth.
5. Minimize your use of pesticides. In his book Since Silent Spring, Frank Graham, Jr., writes that pesticides “have their place in home and garden, but sales campaigns have convinced the average suburban homeowner that he must keep at hand an arsenal of chemicals sufficient to stave off an African locust assault.”
6. Have flaking leaded paint removed from all surfaces, and repaint with unleaded paint. Do not allow children to play in dirt contaminated with leaded paint. If lead in plumbing is suspected, the cold-water tap should be flushed briefly until there is a noticeable change in water temperature, and water from the hot-water tap should not be used for drinking.
Frankie Goh is a full-time family counsellor and researcher. He manage a website - Earn Money Online http://www.ezy-cash.com He is also the Internet Marketing Co-ordinator of Ultra-Herbal Products.
Technorati Tags: home, tips, safe, protect, children, healthy, chemical sensitivity, toxins, lead, pesticides, gas, organic
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November 15th, 2007
[Editor’s note: Just because you’re living an Organic Lifestyle doesn’t mean you or the kids miss out. You can have healthy, fun food that is completely preservative free with these simple recipes.]
Bat Wings
1 dozen chicken wings
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon ginger, crushed and chopped
Mix together soy sauce, honey, and ginger. Marinate chicken overnight. Grill in oven or barbeque.
Blood and Guts with Eyeballs
1 package green spinach pasta (elbow macaroni is best)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
stuffed Spanish olives
Boil pasta according to package instructions. Heat spaghetti spaghetti sauce. Cut olives in half to make “eyeballs” and place on top of the “blood and guts.”
Easy Caramel Corn
3 quarts popping corn
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 stick of butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Put popcorn in a heavy paper bag. Melt butter in a saucepan and mix together sugar, syrup, and salt. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and stir well. Pour into paper bag and stir with a wooden spoon.
Put bag in microwave and cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Take out and shake well. Cook for another 1 1/2 minutes. Shake bag again and pour into a large container. Serve in paper baggies that kids can decorate.
PUMPKIN RECIPES
Yummy Pumpkin Dip
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softend
1 large 30-ounce can of pumpkin
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
Whip together and serve in hollowed out small pumpkin. Serve on a plate covered with black licorice “worms” or any Halloweenish candy such as candy corn. On the side place ginger snaps for dipping. Toasted Treats
pumpkins seeds
shredded coconut
slivered almonds
Rinse the pumpkin seeds and remove all pumpkin. Dry on paper towels. Spread pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, and coconut onto a shallow baking pan.
Bake at 350F degrees for 5 to 10 minutes until golden.
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 9-ounce Graham cracker pie crust
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 16-ounce can of pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Bake crust for 5 minutes in a 350F degree oven then set aside.
Mix together in a large bowl cream cheese, sugar, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger and mix until blended. Pour pumpkin mixture over pie crust.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350F degrees. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Plop a dollop of whipped cream on top of each slice and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup pecans, chopped
Mix together sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, add to pumpkin mixture, and stir well. Then add nuts. Bake in 2 loaf pans or coffee cans in a 350F degree oven for 1 hour 10 minutes.
This bread is always a hit!
Pumpkin Ice Cream
1 gallon vanilla ice cream
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Icing:
6 cups whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6-7 drops red food coloring
5-6 drops yellow food coloring
1/2 banana
chocolate syrup
Prepare this recipe the night before the party. Chill two 1/2 gallon freezer bags. Than put each freezer bag in a bowl. Let the ice cream soften a little, then scoop half the ice cream into each freezer bag and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on top of ice cream. Freeze overnight. Chill a large bowl and beat together whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, and food coloring to make a pumpkiny orange color. Refrigerate icing.
The next day remove ice cream from bags and place on a clean surface. Form into a pumpkin shape. Place it on a cookie sheet. Spread the orange icing around the ice cream. Use a spatula to make the pumpkin ridges. For the stem, take half a banana, dip it in chocolate syrup, and stick on top of the pumpkin.
Put the ice cream pumpkin in the freezer until ready to serve. Then transfer it to a serving tray. You can make jack-o-lantern eyes, nose, and mouth out of Halloween candies, too. Serve with chocolate syrup.
APPLE RECIPES
Apples are an important part of the Halloween festivities. Try this healthy apple on a stick recipe in place of caramel apples.
Healthy Apples on a Stick
12 apples (plus 12 popsicle sticks)
peanut butter
raisins
dried cranberries
shredded coconut
Rinse apples, pat dry, and remove apple stems and insert a popsicle stick into stem of each apple. Cover apples by spreading peanut butter. Roll in raisins, dried cranberries, and shredded coconut.
But, hey, if you love caramel apples, try this caramel apple recipe…
Caramel Apples
12 apples (plus 12 popsicle sticks)
4 14-ounce packages of caramels
8 tablespoons heavy cream
crushed nuts
Rinse apples, pat dry, and remove apple stems and insert a popsicle stick into stem of each apple. Combine the cream and caramels in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until caramel is melted and smooth. Dip the apples into the caramel until completely covered. Let the extra caramel drip back into the saucepan. Roll in crushed nuts.
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Place apples upside down on waxed paper and refrigerate.
Maple Baked Apples
6 apples
6 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
Maple Sauce:
1/2 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Rinse apples and pat dry. Core apples (remove the seeds) without piercing the bottom. Peel upper half of apples and place in a baking dish. Drop a spoonful of brown sugar in each apple. In sauce pan, dissolve cornstarch in cool cider. Add lemon juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, and spices. Stir well over medium heat until thickened.
Fill each apple with the maple sauce, then top apples with 1 tablespoon of butter each. Pour 1/2 cup water in baking dish and bake for 1 hour in a 375F degree oven. Top with raisins or chopped nuts. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream on the side. You can also pour the remaining maple sauce over the ice cream or sprinkle ice cream with cinnamon.
HALLOWEEN DRINK RECIPES
Orange Punch
1 gallon orange juice
1 liter ginger ale
1/2 gallon orange sherbert
Mix together orange juice and ginger ale. Scoop sherbert and add to punch.
Green Ghoul Punch
1/2 gallon limeade
1 liter ginger ale
1/2 gallon lime sherbert
Mix together juice and ginger ale. Scoop sherbert and add to punch. Add marshmallows and maraschino cherries to float in punch.
Easy Apple Cider
1 gallon apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
16 cloves
1/4 cup sugar
Mix together and boil for 10 minutes, then remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Serve in a black cauldron.
Technorati Tags: organic, healthy, halloween, alternative, recipes, organic lifestyle
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October 27th, 2007
Halloween is coming – that favorite holiday of all children across the U.S.A.! Children love Halloween for many reasons: they get to dress up in a fun costume, go out at night and knock on doors and greet people with ‘Trick or Treat’ – but especially they love Halloween because they get loaded down with many sugary treats. But there are ways that you can make Halloween a real Treat and not a Trick for your favorite little pumpkins in the long run, with some organic and sugar free candies or even with some candy-free treats.
The childhood obesity rates have been climbing over the years, and many families are concerned about giving their children more sugary treats – even on Halloween. One great idea is to offer your Trick or Treaters organic or sugar-free candy. Organic candy is made from natural ingredients, and is healthier than candy made from traditional ingredients such as artificial food colorings. Sugar free candy is also an excellent alternative as it tastes just as sweet as regular candy but there is no sugar.
Organic Lollipops could be an excellent choice for your Halloween Trick or Treaters. Most children like lollipops and they come in a variety of flavors. Consider Naturepops Lollipops for Halloween. They come in modern, cool flavors such as Citrus Blast and Chocolate. Ingredients include organic lime extract, organic orange extract and vegetable colors. The lollipops do have organic evaporated cane juice, which is a natural form of sugar.
If you’d like to offer chocolate treats to your Trick or Treaters, consider the College Farm brand Organic Chocolate Mint hard candies. These are organic and have no artificial colors or flavors. They have ingredients like Organic Chocolate Extract, Organic Vanilla, Sea Salt and Organic Peppermint Oil.
Another idea is to offer sugar free candies. One terrific benefit of sugar free candy is that they will not promote tooth decay. Also diabetic children may be permitted to have some candy (depending on their regimen).
Now there are many brands of candy available that are sugar free. One of them is the Serendipity Sugar Free ™ candies that come in many flavors, rootbeer rally, lemon sunshine, citrus blast, toffee tickle, strawberry smile, cherry jubilee, jumpin’ java and minty breeze. A three-pound bag has 96 candies, enough to cover an entire night of Trick or Treaters. The candies are also Kosher and vegetarian.
If you would like to move away from offering sweets or treats of any type, consider these alternatives: why not give out Halloween-themed stickers for the evening, pre-cut materials to make a Halloween craft (sealed) or a mini Halloween toy. You can buy little toys in bulk from teacher stores and from several online retailers. One of the great things about non-candy treats is that they will last long after Halloween is over.
Technorati Tags: organic, candy, halloween, healthy, sugar-free, diabetic, treats, tips, natural, alternative
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October 21st, 2007
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A study of over 3,000 people in the United States and Canada, showed that “most citizens were very likely to have the greatest contact with potentially toxic pollutants . . . inside the places they usually consider to be essentially unpolluted, such as homes, offices and automobiles.” The chief sources of air pollution in homes were the fumes originating from ordinary products such as cleaning compounds, moth repellents, building materials, fuels, deodorizers, and disinfectants, as well as chemicals from dry-cleaned clothes and new synthetic upholstery.
