How can I not be totally paranoid???

We are passing on so much more than just our genes to our children..... a potentially harmful bioburden comes with growing up in America.

there is alot of recent scientific evidence that strongly links bioaccumulation of several toxins in our bodies to increases in allergies, asthma, male infertility, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. yes ALL the scourges of modern life in America. ALL things I would NOT want for my child or myself. But unfortunately it is virtually impossible to avoid repeated daily exposure to the toxic chemicals because they are used ubiquitously in many everyday products. there is little or NO government oversight AND the US government actually PROTECTS most of the companies that manufacture products with the toxins.


right now the top of the worst offender list are phthalates, bisphenol-A, and PDBEs (common flame retardants in baby pajamas and in almost ALL furniture and carpets sold in the US today).

THESE are NOT safe!!! no matter what anyone tells you or what you read. these are not safe and American's should be demanding government regulation and protection.

But no-not in America today. people just want to go to Walmart and consume low-priced items that make their everyday lives more convenient. not wanting to hear about or care about what this does to the environment or their bodies or what implications the "low prices" have on the world economy. THIS MAKES ME CRAZY!

If I let down my guard for 1 minute, I fall into a bottomless cavern of paranoia that takes me about 10 minutes to push back out of my mind so that I can continue to live a "normal" non-anxiety-ridden life.

In the last 10 years or so that I have had my own buying power and have been taking care of myself and then my husband, I have been a proponent of organic foods, "environmentally" friendly products and lifestyle, etc. but I have not been totally paranoid about everything. I have always believed in "moderation" for everything. If you walk around in your life constantly trying to avoid all toxins or "bad" things for your body and the environment then you will go crazy b/c life in america is so NOT set up for this kind of lifestyle. commercialism and capitalism and "convenience" have made semi-toxic products and sub-par flavorless food the norm in our lives and no one seems to care!!! there is NO consumer outrage or frustration. so lives just goes on and companies and the government keep getting away with more and more aggregious offenses against the health and welfare of people and the earth.

So this is basically how I have felt for a long time but NOW THAT I HAVE A CHILD. My ability to shut-down my paranoia about toxic products/lifestyle has seriously weakened. Almost everyday I have a small, quiet crisis/anxiety attack. then I breathe deep and move on with my life. Because otherwise this kind of thing would totally shut-me down and I would not be able to go to work or live my life until I had done every little thing to limit my child's exposure to chemical and environmental toxins that are horrifyingly common in today's American life/household. Unfortunately I am too busy to be this kind of mom right now. and I realize that in reality it is probably impossible even if I had the time to do it. partly b/c life as a consumer in America is basically toxic. additionally when safer product alternatives are available they are either significantly more expensive or so inconvenient to use that ti makes no sense to bother buying them. so in many cases my conclusion has been to either do without or use in moderation. however somehow moderation seems still seem like a bad compromise when it comes to my child's future.

So what is a mom to do???? I do my best everyday. and sometimes I get really mad and frustrated that a person should even have to "try hard" to not be exposed to potentially cancerous toxins.

So basically I have done quite a bit of research trying to come to some kind of consensus on what I can actually do in my daily life to limit my families exposure to these toxins and it is as follows:

-in general NEVER EVER microwave ANY plastic and then eat from it. NEVER. espoecially not baby bottles for godsake!
-this goes for microwave dinners-just don't eat them and if you have to then buy the ones in a cardboard container.
-limit use of kitchen plastic wrap for food and use glass containers to store food NOT plastic (eg tupperware, etc)

PDBEs
- don't buy new stuff but as this is not always realistic then if possible let new furniture or carpets air-out outside for at least a few hours to days before bringing in the house.

Bisphenol A
- don't drink water from disposable plastic water bottles or from translucent plastic bottles made of polycarbonate (recycle #7)
- if you must use #7 plastic then don't put in dishwasher and throw out when cloudy
- instead Choose plastics labeled #1, #2, or #5. which do not have PBA but Never heat food in plastic of any kind.
- avoid all canned food and drinks (BPA leaches from metal cans)
- Eden Foods claims to have BPA-free canned food. or alternatively buy food canned in glass bottles or in cardboard packages.
- Use #1, #2, or #5 plastic or lightweight stainless steel for sippy cups and water bottles.
- Use glass or polypropylene-based plastic baby bottles. Evenflo makes glass baby bottles [who knew?] and Medela makes polypropylene bottles.
- Use metal utensils and enamel or ceramic plates.

PHTHALATES
-read labels religiously. if it says phthalate anything then don't buy it.
-also anything PVC that is soft plastic should not be bought (evil, deadly baby toys, and rubber duckies!!!)
- do not buy or use vinyl products (shower curtains)
- Avoid PVC plastic in food containers, aka #3 plastic
- Avoid foods wrapped in plastic, especially cheeses and meats. [ed.: !]

This is a great article on the evils of phthalates and how the government does not care.

This is an exerpt which amazes me everytime I read it!!!

"Here in the US, concern about a product's safety is not enough to justify regulation; irrefutable evidence of harmful effects--a scientific standard that is elusive at best--is required, as is a cost-benefit analysis weighing the "benefits" to society against the "costs" to industry of making the change. The EU, in marked contrast, operates according to the "precautionary principle." As Robert Donkers, who served as the EU's environment counselor in Washington until September, explained to me, "Unlike in the United States, we don't wait until we have 100 percent proof. Rather, if there's fear, scientific suspicions that [a chemical] could cause irreversible damage in the future, we don't want to wait. By the time it's proven, it could be much too late."

It is times like these when I really wish I lived in Europe.

Dr. Shanna Swan et al recently published a very highly respected study that basically confirms a link between prenatal phthalate exposure and abnormal male sexual organ development!!! AHHHHH! this makes me crazy since I just had a son and I am sure my own bioburden of phthalates is high-even tho I avoid phthalates as much as possible and have tried to do so for years-this does not matter b/c I live in America!!! and the US government does not regulate the use of phthalates-they are pretty much ubiquitous and everywhere in our lives no matter how hard you try to stay away.

this website has more info on how to avoid phthalates and vinyl products in your home.

then there are INSANE websites from lobbyist groups that actually PROMOTE the use of phthalates and deny any health risks or toxic effects of the bioaccumulation in people. This is DISGUSTING-see below.

and look out-there are phthalates in sex toys. whether you admit it or not this is something no one would want to talk about on many levels. but the reason to avoid using sextoys with toxins is obvious-mucous membranes and toxin-leaching plastic should never ever mix!!

sadly this is something that people have known for a while (note this link is from 2005) but STILL no one is talking about it?? why not??