For Those Over 40, Higher Levels of BPA in Urine Linked To Obesity
For those over 40 years of age (including this author), a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found higher levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in urine are associated with obesity, abdominal fat and insulin resistance. The study looked at 3,390 Chinese adults over the age of 40, and concluded that BPA was positively associated with generalized obesity, abdominal obesity, and insulin resistance in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. If you need some background on what is BPA, I've got a FAQ on it. The study is consistent with other epidemiological studies which have shown links between BPA ...
We’re killing birds with our bottle caps
I've blogged before about the horrific impact of disposable plastic on our oceans - from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to animals stuck in plastic soda rings. Well, now, we've got one more thing to consider - bottle caps. Yep, those plastic bottle caps are killing birds. Why? Because birds eat those plastic caps thinking they are food, and then starve when their bellies are too full of plastic things that aren't food. According to a recent article by the BBC, "about one-third of all albatross chicks die on Midway, many as the result of being mistakenly fed plastic by their ...
Book Review – Great book for kids – Curious Critters
I received a copy of the wonderful and enchanting Curious Critters as a donation for my kids' school. I'm the President of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for South Shores Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Our Harvest Festival (coming up on October 30, 2011) is our biggest fundraiser. In response to a PR pitch, I said basically thanks, but I don't usually do book reviews, but hey, would you want to donate a copy to the raffle for the PTO Harvest Festival? And the author and photographer, David FitzSimmons graciously said yes. So I got a copy. And it is ...
GreenHalloween Twitter Party Extravaganza! Great Info, Fantastic Prizes!
Get ready for a awesome Twitter Party on greening your Halloween with GreenHalloween.org. That's right - we are going to get eekofriendly on October 13, 2011 from 6 to 8 pm Pacific time! Green Halloween is a program of the non profit organization EcoMom Alliance. The concept is to make Halloween healthier and safer for our children and for the environment. In 2010, a record one millionpieces of candy were replaced with healthier and more sustainable treat options. This year, the revolution will continue, and the Twitter party will share information on just how to do that. Plus, of course, there are ...
Another reason to skip Triclosan – Microbes play a crucial role in human health?
I read a compelling article in the Washington Post discussing the advances in microbial research and human health. The article started with a sentence designed to make you reach for a hand sanitizer - of the average person's 100 trillion cells, only about 1 in 10 is human. It then went on to talk about the unique microbial ecosystems that help us live and may well explain why one person suffers from any number of diseases and another does not. The article discusses how our microbial systems - acquired beginning at birth - may help "steer normal development, molding immune sysetms and ...
Greenwashing – Westcott KleenEarth Scissors with Microban
I was trying to find some information on whether Microban shows up in recycled plastic items. If you aren't familiar with Microban, Microban is a tradename for various antimicrobial technologies used in consumer products. Microban in plastic used to mean triclosan, but many Microban technologies have been developed so whether the Microban is all triclosan in plastic is hard to tell. But, in any event, I was curious whether recycled plastic items can have Microban in them if Microban was in the source plastic used. In my searching, I came across Westcott's KleenEarth scissors for kids which use recycled plastic in ...
New Study Shows Eliminating Canned Foods & Plastic Food Packaging From Diet Significantly Reduces BPA Levels
A peer reviewed study published today in Environmental Health Perspectives provides evidence that eliminating canned foods and plastic food packaging from your diet can dramatically reduce the concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and DEHP metabolites in your urine. And what it really means that if you are concerned about exposure to BPA and DEHP, you can do something about it. The study was conducted by scientists at the Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute. BPA is used in virtually all canned food and beverage linings and is also the basic monomer of polycarbonate plastic, which is used for food ...
Non Toxic Homemade Halloween Makeup
Unfortunately, Halloween makeup can contain lots of not so nice chemicals. As you may know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal government agency responsible for overseeing cosmetics, does NOT conduct itself any pre-market testing, or require any pre-market testing, of cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients. In fact, as clearly stated on the FDA's website, cosmetic manufacturers are free to use almost any ingredient they want in their cosmetics, except for 9 ingredients that the FDA has banned and certain color additives are regulated. Compare this to the European Union, which has banned well over 1,100 ingredients from cosmetics or limited them. Then, on top of ...
Recent Articles from The Smart Mama
For Those Over 40, Higher Levels of BPA in Urine Linked To Obesity
For those over 40 years of age (including this author), a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found higher levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in urine are associated with obesity, abdominal fat and insulin resistance. The study looked at 3,390 Chinese adults over the age of 40, and concluded that BPA was positively associated with generalized... [Read More]
We’re killing birds with our bottle caps
I’ve blogged before about the horrific impact of disposable plastic on our oceans – from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to animals stuck in plastic soda rings. Well, now, we’ve got one more thing to consider – bottle caps. Yep, those plastic bottle caps are killing birds. Why? Because birds eat those plastic caps thinking they are food, and then starve when... [Read More]
Book Review – Great book for kids – Curious Critters
I received a copy of the wonderful and enchanting Curious Critters as a donation for my kids’ school. I’m the President of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for South Shores Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Our Harvest Festival (coming up on October 30, 2011) is our biggest fundraiser. In response to a PR pitch, I said basically thanks, but I don’t... [Read More]
GreenHalloween Twitter Party Extravaganza! Great Info, Fantastic Prizes!
Get ready for a awesome Twitter Party on greening your Halloween with GreenHalloween.org. That’s right – we are going to get eekofriendly on October 13, 2011 from 6 to 8 pm Pacific time! Green Halloween is a program of the non profit organization EcoMom Alliance. The concept is to make Halloween healthier and safer for our children and for the environment. In 2010,... [Read More]
Another reason to skip Triclosan – Microbes play a crucial role in human health?
I read a compelling article in the Washington Post discussing the advances in microbial research and human health. The article started with a sentence designed to make you reach for a hand sanitizer – of the average person’s 100 trillion cells, only about 1 in 10 is human. It then went on to talk about the unique microbial ecosystems that help us live and may well explain... [Read More]
Citizens for Health Launches New Website FoodIdentityTheft.Com
I received a PR pitch today from a company representing the national non profit Citizens for Health touting a newly launched website, FoodIdentityTheft.com, targeting deceptive packaging on food. And while I was a bit bummed I didn’t get the same pitch as The Bloggess, I did want to let you know about the new website. It is another resource to keep us informed about deceptive... [Read More]
Green Halloween National Costume Swap Day #CostumeSwap Twitter Party
I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. Dressing up, spooky decorations, candy and treats without the family drama of Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah. Whoot! But the costumes have sure gotten away from the homemade costumes of my youth. One year my mom my a red wing blackbird costume for me, and hand sewed individual black feathers on the wings. Another year my sister was... [Read More]
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