I’m not a hysteric about making my house an organic haven, or making sure my kid can speak Tibetan by age 4, or worrying about the effects of Dora the Explorer’s shrill voice on my son’s eardrums.
But lately, I have taken to trying to eradicate certain ingredients from our food, like high fructose corn syryp, and after talking to my new BFF, Dr. Harvey Karp, making an effort to rid our lives as best as possible of endocrine disrupting chemicals.
What are EDCs, you ask? Good question. I wrote all about it today on Babble in an interview with the doc.
And he put the fear of freaking g-d in me about all the toxins in all the products we use on our bodies and in our house. Like phthalates in beauty products, insulating agents, chemicals in carpets and flooring. It’s not just the chemicals alone that are scary. It’s the research being done about how these chemicals compound in our bodies and may cause autism in our children. (The Ecology Center published a report yesterday showing test results on various household items in a similar vein. You can find their database of tested products on their site, healthystuff.org).
We all know BPA is the devil, but that’s just the one that gets all the buzz.
Luckily, though, there are things we can do. We can use “green cleaners.” (For a good list go to: Healthy Child Healthy World.) We can use natural beauty products on ourselves and kids (I listed a smattering of recommended products on my article.) We can buy organic foods.
We can vigilant without draping ourselves in hemp all day and living in a tent. And best, we can talk about it, create more awareness and try to get companies to get the toxins out of their products. (And try to get Sigg to give us a freaking explanation for what’s going on with their BPA-laced bottles!)
If you guys have any tips about this topic, I’d love to hear it as well.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article! I’m slowly trying to rid our household of as many of these chemical-laced products as I can as well be more picky when it comes to buying groceries. The video linked in this article http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/disappearingmale/ really got me thinking about toxins and chemicals and the long-term effects that they will have on us and our children. I suppose it kind of lit a fire under me.
Dr. Karp’s answer to your last question really hit home…I really like the idea that making these important changes now is an investment in our children’s future. Pretty powerful stuff.
I know, that was my favorite part of our conversation. It puts it all in perspective.
I’m such a Harvey Karp fan! How awesome.
There is good news in that I just got back from the ABC Kids trade show and there is a decided move away from BPA. Everyone was talking about it, and more and more manufacturers are using better processes and better materials – whether they believe in it or simply because there’s consumer demand now. Yeah!
Thank you so much for your interview with Dr. Harvey Karp and your post. I love him! The best thing we can do is increase awareness of potential toxins in our environment, and hopefully new govt. regulations along with the shift in purchasing power away from products containing these harmful chemicals will make it a safer place for us all to live! Its frustrating when Pediatricians/OB’s do not seem genuinely concerned with this issue. I have shifted towards buying European toys for my little baby, as they currently have stricter standards than the US. It’s a shame that the US is no longer the leader in safety standards. I hope you have a happy and healthy rest of your pregnancy!
One of my favorite cleaners is now vinegar. I thought it was nutty at first, but I really like how I can spray it on kitchen counter tops and not worry if a little accidentally sprays on something I’m going to drink/eat from that’s on the counter top. I use it to clean windows, counter tops, and the bathroom. I have a lot of green cleaning and money saving tips on my blog which might be helpful or just email me if you have any questions.