baby food (week 3)

So I have decided to make all my own baby food for Myah. After reading some articles about all the preservatives and seasoning they put in baby food I just thought why not?? I already have to be in the kitchen most of the day whats a couple more hours:) No really its not that bad. I went to the farmers market and got carrots and squash. I also went to whole foods and got avocados. The carrots and squash I steamed and then purred them and stuck them in ice cube trays and froze them then put them in Ziploc bags in the freezer. I got a great book called "Every thing organic cooking for infants and toddlers" it is great and has some really good receipts in it. Right now is the best time to buy the fresh produce so I figured I will freeze as much as I can before winter comes. It makes me happy to start her out eating the right foods that are all natural and super healthy!

skin care data base

a good friend of mine told me about this awesome web site. It has great information on all the skin care products you use. I was amazed how many of the well known brands have such bad stuff in them!!

www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
check it you will be surprised.

Safe sunscreen

Here is a list of some of the safer sunscreens I have found:
TruKid’s SunnyDays sunscreen – Safe and affordable.
California Baby SPF 30 + Sunblock Stick – No Fragrance – This is a non chemical sunscreen. It uses non-penetrating titanium dioxide (no nano particles) to protect against the sun. It is also made with organic & sustainably grown ingredients.
Badger Face & Body Sunblock SPF 30 – It is known to be one of the safest sunscreens out there.
Soleo Organics – grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, green tea extract, roman chamomile extract, sunflower oil, beeswax, theobroma butter, candelilla wax, lecithin, vegetable oils, cucumber extract, good stuff…
Miessence Organics Reflect Outdoor Balm SPF 15 – I have some if this and I like it…very clean smelling and not sticky. It is also made by a great company with organic ingredients. It has added antioxidants and beta carotene to help nourish skin and protect it.
ThinkBaby Sunscreen – New for 2010! Free of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, No Nano particles, Paraben Free and PABA Free.
Lavera Baby and Children Sun Screen Lotion, SPF 30 – Contains organic peach seed, apricot seed oil and calendula and protects against UV A, B and C rays with waterproof protection.
Dermalogica Ultra Sensitive Faceblock SPF 25 – Another chemical free sunblock using non-penetrating titanium dioxide. This has a hint of color…most likely to hide the streaky whiteness of the natural titanium dioxide.

Week 2

Over the years we have had drilled into our head that too much sun exposure is bad for our health and the way to avoid damaging our skin is to lather ourselves in sunscreen. A study by The American Cancer Society has stated that 80% of our total lifetime sun exposure occurs within the first 18 years of life so children in particular are at risk. Children are probably the most likely to be to be smothered in sunscreens by well meaning parents too. But is the sunscreen helpful or harmful?
Over the years the skin care industry has had to increase the level of chemical compounds in sunscreen in order to raise the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) level. Researchers from the University of Southern California have, however, recently found that sunscreen can actually cause more harm than good once it is soaked into the skin.
Upon absorption into the skin, sunscreen can actually form the very dangerous compounds it was meant to block. Researchers found that some commonly used ultraviolet (UV) filters actually soak into the skin’s layers and from there can generate harmful components called reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are substances that can cause skin cancer.
Other research has shown that the greatest increases in the cancer melanoma has been experienced in countries where chemical sunscreens are promoted and used widely. Mike Adams of Naturalnews.com often claims that sunscreen is a scam and that we have zero need for it.
In addition to the cancer risk is the effect of sunscreen on children’s development. Many sunscreen chemicals also have estrogen-like effects. Estrogen is a hormone that affects many aspects of the female body development and functions. Too much exposure to toxic estrogenic chemical sunscreens can increase cancers and cause birth defects in children.
Here are some nasty ingredients you will want to stay away from if you can:
PABA: This is not widely used anymore, but just in case. Many people are very sensitive to this ingredient and can end up with red, itchy skin.
Benzophenone (benzophenone-3), homosalate, and octy-methoxycinnamate (octinoxate): These chemicals are bad news because they have shown estrogenic activity in lab tests. Oxybenzone is aderivative of benzophenone and it is linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. According to the CDC 97% of Americans are contaminated with this widely-used sunscreen ingredient.
Parabens:Parabens are common in sunscreens so avoiding them may prove difficult. They are preservatives that have estrogenic qualities. They have produced abnormal hormonal effects following on laboratory rodents, particularly male, resulting in decreased testosterone levels and other abnormalities. They have also been found to accumulate in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer.
Padimate-O and Parsol 1789 (Avobenzone): While on the surface of the skin these chemicals appear to prevent UV damage but when absorbed into the skin they can actually damage DNA. There is evidence that the sun’s light may cause these chemicals to become reactive and cause free-radical damage when they’re absorbed.
After reading a lot of resurch when it comes to sunscreen I have decided that this will be our goal this week. We will no longer use these harmful chemicals on ourselves or our children!

Refill Reuse!

Our first family change is: No more disposable water bottles. I was wanting to find a water bottle that was close to the same size as the disposable ones. I like using the little flavor packets so I needed one that was no more then 20 ounces. I found a great one at Hyvee it is Rubbermaid brand. It is leak proof, and fits into standard sized cup holders. I also found the boys really cute little stainless steel ones from whole foods. They are a little pricey but I figured if we use them everyday it will be worth it!
On average for a family of four we use around 1,460 water bottles a year! It is a small change but it adds up, I have to remember that even the small changes make a difference!

Women's triathlon

I am so excited, my sister and I are signing up for a women’s triathlon on August 28th. It will be a fun way to get active. This is out of my comfort zone, I am a little nervous about it. Especially because I only have a month to train for it. It sounds like it is a fun non-threatening introduction to the sport. It should be a fun experience. I will keep everyone updated!

Goals

Here are a few things we as a family would like to see happen this next year:

*We want to start eating more organic, natural foods.
*Neil and I have committed to run a half marathon May 2011
*Find ways to help those less fortunate
*teach our children the importance of recycling
*be active EVERYDAY
*Become greener
*totally cut processed foods
*be aware of what we are putting in our bodies
These are just some of the lifestyle changes we want to make over the next year.