A recent Consumer Reports story took a look at the safety of apple and grape juices, and the results were less-than-comforting. The organization tested a variety of juices including some organic options and found both arsenic and lead — neurotoxins that can cause a multitude of problems such as bladder, lung, and skin cancer as [...]
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Posted in Environment, Pissy mussings, Toxins on Sep 26th, 2011
We have had a rainy and therefore VERY buggy summer. The mosquitoes are so bad that, only a few weeks ago, I actually took Little Girl to the aftercare center thinking she was having an allergic reaction. I put her into her carseat in my car and drove three miles. By the time I got [...]
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We get all our ice cream cakes from a little, family-owned ice cream shop called Marshall’s Ice Cream Bar. They are heavenly. Different soft-serve flavors sandwiched in between hot fudge, crunchies, and whatever else you want. Our favorite is usually black raspberry and chocolate. The owners personally take your order. It’s always a nice experience [...]
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As of Saturday more than 2,200 people in Europe have become ill after contracting E.coli; 22 have died. Scary stuff. For those who are not familiar with the bug: E.coli is a bacteria that gets into the system via contaminated food. Once inside, it produces toxins that make its host sick. Usually symptoms include diarrhea, [...]
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Posted in Health, Safety, Toxins on Jun 3rd, 2011
Big Girl has a lot of clothing. A. Lot. A LOT. I went a little crazy when she was born, buying so much that many of her outfits were only worn once or twice. (Editorial note: I have calmed down a lot as my concern about the environment has grown.) Anyway, since so much of [...]
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I’ve been feeding my kids organic stuff forever. Since before they were born, really. I’m a real stickler when it comes to meat, veggies, dairy, and fruit, too. I have been a little more lenient when it comes to my own food, though. I’ll eat the non-organic comice pear — my absolute favorite snack. I’ll [...]
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Dear Woman at My Resort, I really appreciate you apologizing so profusely when, out of the blue, your 20-month-old went postal on my 2-year-old and smacked her as we passed by. I really do. I wasn’t that fazed by it, actually. Kids are kids. They do nutty things. And I didn’t think a second thought [...]
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Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA — an omega-3 fatty acid — has been in the news a lot in recent years. Getting enough omega-3 fatty acid has been linked to protecting the brain from Alzheimer’s and improving memory overall. It’s also been looked at for its antidepressant properties. One study found that men who don’t have [...]
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Posted in Environment, Health, Safety, Toxins on Nov 11th, 2010
A few years ago I wrote a story about lead poisoning for Parents Magazine. After my month of interviews I can tell you that almost half of the homes in the U.S. contain lead. Also, that most instances of lead poisoning go undetected. And that the most common age to become affected is between ages [...]
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A Facebook friend posted a link today. It was from The Today Show — a segment about early puberty. It was pretty shocking. The segment was based on a new Pediatrics study — Pubertal Assessment Method and Baseline Characteristics in a Mixed Longitudinal Study of Girls — looked at girls ages 6 to 8 who [...]
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