Truth in labelling

My Toxic (and messy) Home

Posted by Leanne McCann

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I work hard to stay educated on nutrition and ways to maintain optimal health naturally.  After sifting through all the marketing, the studies, labels and latest trends, I don’t always  think about the environmental toxins that we encounter daily.

We try our best to clean up our diet,  lessen the burden on our bodies to stay healthy, and yet, many times, we forget that toxins are all around us.  We breath them in, bathe in them, slather them on, and wash our dishes, floors and clothes with them.  With our skin being the largest organ we have, this is a massive assault on our bodies.  Many allergies, skin issues, breathing issues, and other reactions to the chemicals in our everyday products,  can be remedied when the toxins are minimized.

So why not start at the obvious.  Your home. I’m particularly spending some time right now, detoxing my home and finding better cleaning products.  Because who doesn’t love cleaning, right? If you’re like me, you put it off until you finally admit it’s completely gross (which is actually about every 10 minutes, with 2 toddlers), you’re completely bored (a rarity), or you’re procrastinating on some other tedious task that needs to get done.  When I finally do get around to it, I at least want to make sure I’m not making my home a toxic war zone. Here are my 3 favorite resources for getting the chemicals out.

 

NORWEX

Which brings me to the most recent, exciting discovery I’ve had in the, chemical free home challenge. A friend invited me to her home to hear about Norwex.  Since I’m always interested in learning about natural products, I was happy to have the opportunity to hear about it. In about an hour, I was convinced that this company rocks. From antibacterial kitchen towels, to cleaning paste, veggie and window cloths and seriously amazing mops, I wanted it all.  They don’t just help you attain a chemical free home, they’re also concerned about reducing our waste and negative impact on our environment.  There are reusable straws, produce bags, and dryer balls (so you don’t need chemical laden dryer sheets) in their catalogues as well.  To be clear, I do not sell or have any affiliation with this company.  I researched their products and I’ve used them for about a month now, with great results.  I was open to the product line, because I was getting so frustrated going to a natural food store, thinking the products would be chemical free, only to be completely disappointed (and annoyed), when I realized many of them were garbage.  Then I either knowingly used products that I knew weren’t that good, or I wasted money on a product that I refused to use. I felt like I could breathe a sigh of relief seeing all of the clean norwex products, that weren’t trying to hide anything with false labeling and crafty marketing. To check them out and see for yourself, go to Norwex. Katie is such an amazing resource for these products and can answer any questions you have (trust me, I have asked her a ton!).

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My Favorites (so far)

1. The veggie cloth

2. The dryer balls

3. The Enviro Cloth

4. The window cloth

5. The cleaning paste

 

Product Reviews at EWG

The other place I have discovered is the Environmental Working Group. I go to this site at least a few times a month to check products.  This site covers tons of different products, from bath and kitchen products, to cosmetics, sunscreens, light bulbs, and produce.  They are well known for the dirty dozen, the list of the 12 most highly sprayed fruits and vegetables. The list has now become more encompassing and ranks 48 fruits and vegetables from the most sprayed, down to the least.  I highly recommend anyone that is looking to clean up their fridge, and their environment, to check them out and make them a regular resource.  Their rating guide for household cleaners is invaluable.  I was surprised at how many of the natural food stores carried products that didn’t make the grade.

4 Favorite Products ( all with an A rating)

1. Planet dishsoap

2. Aussan all purpose cleaner

3. Arm and Hammer baking soda (great on its’ own, or for making your own cleaners)

4. Simple Green glass and Surface

Make it Yourself

For those of you looking to save money and control all of your ingredients, making your own cleaning products is a great option.  Some lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar, go a long way in cleaning your home, saving you money, and reducing toxins. A great list of homemade recipes can be found here. The only downside (I see) to making your own cleaners, is the added time, but most of them are pretty simple to make. The monetary savings of making your own can be huge, so why not give some of them a try?

My 5 Favorite Recipes

1. Easy homemade laundry soap (#14)

2. The best stain remover (#16)

3. 1 Ingredient crayon remover (#25) I use Young Living oils

4. Wool dryer balls (#31) you can also order them from Norwex

5. Fruit and veggie wash (#43)

It only makes sense to start looking at the products you buy to clean, bathe with, slather on and breathe.  Caring about your environmental health is a natural progression from starting to pay attention to your food supply. It’s the logical next step in making positive changes for your health, and the ones you love!

Whatever you’re doing, to live a healthy life, you’re doing great.  It sometimes seems there’s always a new diet, a new study, or a new toxin that we need to know about and completely  eradicate from our lives.  It can get overwhelming and impossible at times.  Do what you can,  forget the rest (or at least don’t stress about it), reserve judgment, and keep on moving. Don’t forget to enjoy the journey!

Seize Every Moment!

 

Anyone have a product line you love and swear by? I’m always open to new ideas and information!

 

The GMO debate. Why is it so confusing?

Posted by Leanne McCann

 

organic tomato         skulltomato

 

This post is inspired by my husband, who loves to debate.  Since this topic goes back and forth in my home, maybe it does in yours as well.  I’ll go over what GMOs are, why some people think they are going to feed the world…, why I think they’re wrong, and how the food industry is sneaking them into your food.

First off, lets discuss what Genetically Modified Organism actually means. To put it simply, it is injecting plants and animals with alternate DNA to change its genetic makeup through biotechnology (genetic engineering). Most often, the genetic modifications involve resistance to pesticides and herbicides,  growing crops to be  larger in size, or making it resistant to typical diseases or issues of a particular crop. Doesn’t sound all bad, does it?

The case FOR GMOs

Continue reading →

Naturally, this word drives me crazy

Posted by Leanne McCann

 

natural logo Natural, it makes you think of the outdoors, of things that are pure and clean and good for you, doesn’t it? It reminds me of being a little kid, running through my yard to pick raspberries from our garden.  That’s exactly what many manufacturers are banking on, to get you to choose their product.

So what does natural mean? The word is ubiquitous in the food industry, yet signifies nothing, except maybe a marketing scam.  Those of us looking to eat a healthier diet, and improve the health of the ones we love, look at the word “natural”, and think we’re paying for something that must be good for us.  Yet the word has absolutely no standard and denotes nothing about what you’re purchasing. Those of us that are unaware of this are fooled every day into buying junk products with this label.

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Natural and Naturally flavored, tell you nothing about the quality of your food 
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The fruits and vegetables used in these products are going to be conventional, having pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides used on them. Many times, they contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and the conventional dairy will often contain antibiotics and rbst (growth hormones). How much more unnatural can you get?! Unless it specifically says organic, or non-GMO, you can safely assume this is what you’re getting. For more about organic vs. conventional, look here.  Additionally, many additives (sugars, MSG, gluten, and preservatives), will likely be included in your item of choice.

As for “natural” cleaning products, these may contain the same sodium laurel sulfates and parabens found in the competing containers next to it. While I plan to do an entire piece about cleaning products, I wanted to touch on those that use the term “natural” to further illustrate how misleading and overused it is. I was saddened to see that seventh generationdish soap, labeled “natural”, has the exact chemicals I have been trying to avoid.

IMG_5328 so I started using this >planet-dishwash-soap_thumb.png

* For a comprehensive list of other clean household products, look here

This label drives me crazy, more than any other misleading term on the shelves.  It is used solely for the purpose of duping a public trying to do better.  It’s enraging that the food industry has such lax laws regarding false and misleading advertising.  They are unchallenged, while continuing to ruin peoples’ health by selling them cheap, subpar product, in order to line their pockets. I know that  there are some groups trying to change this. Foodbabe has done a great job in pushing companies to reveal their ingredients (her current push is for Anheuser-Busch and Miller Coors, to reveal the ingredients in their beer).  While things will shift with the increasing awareness of the public, and conscious choices on what our money supports, it’s going to be a constant batter to sift through the garbage.

In my opinion, it’s currently the biggest lie in the industry right now.  I was complaining about this atrocity to my husband the other day (who hears about food and nutrition constantly), and he immediately (yet sheepishly) admitted that when he ran out to the store to grab something for me, out of his options, he chose the one with the word natural on it.  And he knows about this stuff!

These companies spend millions to find out what makes people tick….and then they exploit it. They know our psychology, what words, and visuals make us feel confident in what we’re purchasing.  However, most of it out there is a lie.  They play on our hope that things are what they say they are, play on our desire to be healthy, or lose weight, or eat less fat, sugar, or calories.  So, what’s the solution? Read every label of every product you buy. Seriously.  It takes some time at first, but you’ll soon begin to know what products are worth your money.  Buy organic and non GMO whenever possible.  Buy local, pesticide free food (this is also a great way to buy food on the cheap).  Your health, and that of those in your life, are worth the time.  you’re worth the effort it takes to become aware of lies being sold to you.  You have an opportunity, and a right, to know the truth. This is food after all, we have to deal with it (and hopefully enjoy it!)  everyday, several times a day,  your entire life.  It only makes sense to make be proactive in something so integral to our survival.  I’ll be honest though, I don’t just want to survive, I want to thrive.  So I made a choice a long time ago, to arm myself with every bit of the truth I could get my hands on.  I made a choice to become an expert in nutrition. I challenge to you to make this transition a priority.  To get angry or sad, or whatever it is that makes you want to take action, and then do it. set aside the false claims and the easy answers, and do the work.  Make the time to read the labels, prepare meals, and make better choices.

What’s the biggest surprise you’ve come across regarding labels and ingredient lists?

Seize Every Moment!