COMFORT IN KNOWING

One of the Safest Commercial Sunscreens

2009-07-20T09:40:00.001-04:00

This super safe sunscreen is called Green Screen by Kabana. It’s rated a 1 (out of 10—10 being the most hazardous) on the Skin Deep web site (which tests and rates the safety of personal care products--check it out!). We used it last year and it’s very effective, having about 8 ingredients—all of which are food grade. It includes non-nanoparticle zinc oxide to block UVA and UVB rays. And all the oils in it leave the skin feeling great! The only down side that I can see is that it probably has to be applied more often than it's chemical laden counterparts. Not a big deal considering the alternative. I would use Green Screen, if needed, on my less than 6 month old baby (most sunscreens say not to use on infants under 6 months--why? Why is 7 months then okay?). The current Green Guide issue discusses 'coral-reef friendly' sunscreen. Who knew it was an issue? Apparently it's a big one--all the tourists slathered in chemicals leave behind tons (literally 4 - 6 tons!) of sunscreen in the water. It affects the coral, leaving them bleached and susceptible to virus. Funny thing is that the chemicals that harm the coral are also harmful to us--parabens being one. Green Screen is the way to go--or possibly make your own sunscreen. There are tons of sites that sell zinc oxide. . .

Am looking into herbal sunscreens, of which you would be able to make your own. . .will update when that occurs.

UPDATE: An herbal sun protectant that I've effectively used is St. John's Wort Oil. Apply it every 2 hours. It's said not to block suns' rays, but to help your skin acclimate to sun exposure. Has the benefit of smelling wonderful and being completely natural--edible even!

Great Gift Ideas for Pregnant Women and New Moms

2008-08-09T00:04:00.006-04:00

* Gifts for Green Moms

BOOKS

Becoming a Baby by William F. Supple, Jr.

For the soon-to-be mom who is into her pregnancy, Becoming a Baby by William F. Supple, Jr., Ph.D is an informative book that has somehow flown under the radar. Sized to easily fit in a purse, this book is a day to day account of how your baby is developing from conception to birth.

Each day includes:

what the baby/fetus looks like described in words like 'about the size of a blueberry' for Day 36 or in inches, ounces and pounds;
a black and white image of the embryo/fetus/baby;
how the embryo/fetus/baby is developing--Day 110 reads, "As you can see [in the image] the baby's legs are developed and muscular enough to generate quite a kick. If you haven't felt kicks yet you will soon. Salivary glands are functional;"
tips for mom--Day 92 reads, "Scientists have shown that maternal sensitivity and affection have their roots in pregnancy. In other words, many mothers already love their babies--intensely--before they ever see them. . .").

We found this book by chance early in my first pregnancy. I ended up either scanning pages or typing info from each day and sending daily emails to all the eager soon-to-be grandparents, friends and family. The second time around I was able to give my oldest daughter a visual presentation of the invisible, kicking being in mommy's 'baby belly.'

Love this little book!

The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp, M.D.

This book was lent to me on a whim and ended up getting us through the first 3 months with daughter #1. It gives excellent, time-tested ideas for calming newborns and helping them sleep. One thought that made perfect sense is that newborns need a '4th trimester.' After being attached to mom for 9 months, there can be a definite separation anxiety. Every one of their senses is being stimulated in a different way than what they've been used to. It's this stimulation that perhaps causes stress and colic. Transitioning our infants into the world is a compassionate act which can ease the 'new addition' transition for the rest of the family as well. You wouldn't think you'd need someone to tell you these mothering secrets, but this book can be a real lifesaver. You get immediate results which in turn gives a post-partum mother great confidence in her new role.

*The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by Le Leche League International &

*The Nursing Mother’s Companion, by Kathleen Huggins, RN, MS

For the first-time, soon-to-be mom who’s planning to breastfeed or the seasoned nursing mother who is again adding to the family, these are must have reference books. I know that I opened them daily in those newborn months and then was relieved to have them months later as the breastfeeding relationship developed. Great for answering quick, ‘is this normal’ questions as well as giving strategies for more serious situations (i.e. breast infections, an infant with slow weight gain). Definite books to have on hand in the breastfeeding household!

Breastfeeding--can you get any more green?

*Mothering Magazine

For green moms, for older moms, for younger moms, for soon-to-be moms, for moms that think out of the box and for moms who just consider it, for moms that simultaneously love and hate motherhood—for moms that love their kids—this magazine is for you! Check out the website for articles, recipes, events and subscription information: www.mothering.com.

My Very First Years, A Baby Record Book, by Michal Sparks

Given to me by my mother, this book was not an exciting gift for me. It looked like work, which I had enough of at the time. I dutifully entered in family tree names, dates of first teeth, first words, and all the other traditional milestones. Eventually I really began enjoying adding to this book. I envisioned my daughter much older reading about her childhood (it records the first five years)—but honestly, my attention to detailed entries was motivated by the image of her as a mother looking to compare her infancy to her child’s. It wasn’t until my second daughter was born that I really began to appreciate this book. I tried to find one that I like better to no avail. I purchased My Very First Years for my second daughter and have enjoyed journaling her rites of passage. It’s well laid out and contains space for everything you can think of-–even for a lock of hair from the first hair cut!

BABY PRODUCTS

*g-Diapers

www.gdiapers.com

Discovered by my green friend, this hybrid diaper is what I like to call a ‘transitional solution’ to the diapering dilemma. Cloth or disposable? Cloth uses a lot of water, disposables take 500 years to decompose. But lets be frank, besides the environment, the issue is time and energy. Talk to the mother of a newborn and ask her if she’d like to soak, wash and double rinse cloth diapers everyday. She’ll probably laugh between nursing and nodding off. If she’s green she’ll probably say, ‘I hate it! But I do it.” G-diapers are better. Better than disposables. Better than cloth. They consist of a washable, cotton diaper cover (what they call ‘pants’), a snap in liner and a flushable—yes, flushable!—‘insert.’ What are they made of? This is copied from the g-diapers website:

The materials in ‘little g’ pants, liners and flushables are designed with comfort and dryness in mind. Flushables are made of a water resistant, breathable outer material that keep bottoms dry and wetness away. It is made of all natural fiber and is 100% biodegradable. The interior uses elemental chlorine-free tree farmed fluff pulp and Super Absorbing Poly-acrylate to absorb wetness. These super absorbing lock away cells hold up to 100 times their weight in liquid.

Snap-in liners are made of breathable polyurethane coated nylon, not pvc like many diaper covers. They are easy to change and rinse out. Our liners are also breathable which helps prevent diaper rash.

Our ‘little g’ pants are made of a soft, breathable outer cotton/elastene fabric giving them a slight stretch.

You’re hands get a little dirty fiddling around with the insert (but much less involved than with cloth diapers)—it isn’t as easy as just flushing it down. You have to open it (to do so is easy—and on the least messy parts of the insert) and break it up in the toilet (they come with a ‘swish stick’), then flush. The beauty of these inserts is that they compost! That cuts out a lot of time standing in front of the toilet ‘swishing.’ Swish the poopy, compost the pee pee. And the covers can be laundered normally—no special technique needed.

Like I said, a ‘transitional solution.’ Perfect for the motivated green soul—willing to put in some extra effort—even when downright exhausted. Until solutions become easy or mandatory, changes will be made only by those who feel convicted.

The G-diaper shop offers a 'g Baby Shower Gift' for $89.99. It includes 3 diapers (called 'pants' on the site), liners, a case (plus 10) of inserts, a swish stick and a users guide. Everything you'd need to get started!

*Bubble-B-Gone, by Nature's Answer

It’s inevitable, no matter how sharply you watch your diet, your newborn will get uncomfortably, perhaps painfully, gassy. A more natural alternative is this glycerite tincture of chamomile, fennel, catnip and lemon balm--all herbs traditionally used on infants to ease gas pains and colic. Bubble-B-Gone works wonders, but not as well as avoiding onions, broccoli, cabbage and cabbage family vegetables.

*Hyland’s Teething Tabs

Another beautiful, soothing product. Hyland’s Teething Tabs were my first introduction to homeopathy. I’ve seen results, repeatedly! So much so that product is always added to my baby shower gifts. Truly, within 10 minutes the baby is comfortable. And they’re all natural (get the tabs, the gel contains parabens).

*Little Sprouts, boar bristle hair brush

A really nice, non-plastic, gift for an infant to use throughout childhood. Can be passed down or saved for future generations. Made of all natural materials, boar bristles are known to keep scalp and hair naturally moisturized. Find at http://www.beautyneeds.com/beauty/boarbrush.html .

My daughter is almost 3 with hair past the middle of her back (and a super sensitive scalp!). I find this brush eases out the knots. I use it first and then comb gently. For my infant, it's just a perfect brush--soft but still stimulating to the skin.

*Ecobaby Kimono Onesies

My first baby was fussy! Completely and utterly. I had three of these onesies. I always knew where they were, too, making sure I had one on hand for the days/times I needed to buffer stressful situations (like over-the-head dressing). Lay the baby down, arms in, tie on the sides, snap the bottom, everyone is happy! And they’re wonderfully soft, organic cotton. I bought more for baby #2.

http://www.ecobaby.com/catalog/product.asp?pf_id=pc802wp

*Organic Moses Basket

If cost is not an option, the Organic Moses Basket is both practical and luxurious. Find one made in the USA to be sure it hasn’t been sprayed. Beautifully and naturally made, newborn baby will fit snuggly in this basket which can then be set near mom. Minimally cumbersome to move from room to room, this basket creates a worry-free space for a sleeping baby. Our little ones used it for the first 3 months (. . . it was a gift. I still don't know if the cost justifies the functionality--I'd be fine with setting my infants in a blanketed drawer for the few times a day they were set down!). With conscientious keeping, it may see our grandchildren.

Does Your Baby Get Eczema?

2008-06-25T11:06:00.019-04:00

In lieu of a mass campaign for a healthy, non-toxic, chemical-free lifestyle, my daughter developed itchy patches on her arms and wrists at age 3 months. The physician said that, because it was January, my baby's skin was affected by the difference in the humidity level inside versus the humidity level outside. His exact words were, 'put as much cream on as you want, it's not going to do anything. . .'

After 2 1/2 years of these 'itchy spots' getting progressively worse (it now being June and they are larger, stay for longer, and are much more irritating) I'm calling it eczema. As her itching has increased, so has my concern. What is causing this? Most cases respond to dietary changes such as avoiding wheat or pasteurized milk products--none of which she consumes. It was amid one of my researching spells that I was introduced to the book Clean Up Your Green Up.

Clean Up Your Green Up is written by a mother who found herself in a toxin-free home with a 2 month old infant suffering from eczema (sound familiar? You're not alone!!). She came upon a site called SolveEczema.org. This site is run by yet another mother in the same situation. This mother realized that detergents were causing her child's discomfort. Makes sense, right? That's why they have baby laundry detergents. Come to find out that it's not just laundry detergent. . .it's all detergents! . . .dish detergent, dishwasher powder, all cleaning detergents, bar 'soap,' shampoo, etc. And not just on baby--on mom, on dad, on pets. It has to do with the chemical composition of detergents.

This post formerly stated that "a detergent contains ingredients, like sodium laureth sulfate, which when examined under a microscope look like little needles. Soap examined in the same way looks like little round globules." This is in fact erroneous. A.J. Lumsdaine, the creator of SolveEczema.org, pointed out this error and kindly commented that, "The underlying reason that detergents cause the eczema, to my understanding, has to do with how detergents affect the permeability of the skin membrane. This essentially comes from the comparatively greater hydrophilic properties of detergents, not their shape."

I have since read an excerpt from Bioengineering of the Skin: Skin Surface Imaging and Analysis by Klaus-Peter that states the following:

"Detergents may affect the skin in various ways, and the targets [that] detergents attack are various kinds of skin cellular components. Detergents dissolve membranes of keratinocytes and lysosomes at higher doses, while they affect primarily the horny layer [of the skin] and produce drying and scaling at low doses. The former mechanism causes acute irritant dermatitis, while the latter causes chronic irritant dermatitis, or non-erythematous irritation."

"When detergents are applied repeatedly at low doses, the adsorbed [adsorb - accumulate on the surface] detergents remain on the surface of the skin even after repeated rinsing, and cause skin roughness."

"Although both detergency of surfactants [i.e. sodium lauryl sulfate] and skin irritancy are complex phenomenon, they are thought to be closely related, for example, penetration of detergents through a dirty substance and permeation. . . of them on the skin, emulsifying/dispersing effects to the removal of the soils and to the removal of lipids and hygroscopic materials from stratum corneum."[In other words, detergent will treat your skin the same way it'll treat a dirty shirt.]

It seems that the properties that make detergents so wonderful to clean our laundry wreak havoc on our skin. In essence, detergents strip away oils (again, great for clothes!) from the skin that naturally protect, at the same time negatively impacting components of the skin's structure. These factors increase skin permeability, making it ultrasensitive to minor irritants. Combined with the already sensitive immune system of a child, this is a perfect recipe for inflamed skin.

It's mentioned that women of the '60's were under extreme pressure to keep their houses spotless--much more so than women of today. Yet, with all their scrubbing and cleansing and sanitizing, why was the occurrence of eczema minimal? It wasn't until the late 1960's that detergents were introduced into household cleaning products. Unlike today, soap was still readily available to purchase for laundering baby clothes (surprise! Dreft is a detergent.) and detergents weren't yet added to personal care products.

If you're looking to find relief for your child's eczema, this might be an avenue to explore. To de-commercialize your cleaning supplies will be means enough to call yourself a GREEN PARENT! And bonus--it'll save tons of money.

I'm 3/4ths of the way through the transition. I've settled on a laundry soap recipe that works (even for my husband's stinky pits! Don't tell him I said that!) and am perfecting a dishwasher powder recipe. I haven't done the math, but it seems like I can get 4 times as much product for the same price as a box of the commercial product. And I find comfort in knowing exactly what's in my soaps.

Green Up Your Clean Up is a great guide to cleaning with non-toxic products. It's full of recipes, ideas, and green product suggestions. It's user friendly layout is helpful to use while working.

To give you an idea of what the recipes are like, here is my version of Laundry Soap, adapted from Green Up Your Clean Up:

LAUNDRY SOAP

1/8 cup liquid castile soap
2 tablespoons Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/4 cup vinegar

Turn on warm water cycle and add soap and washing soda. Let warm water run for a few minutes to help dissolve soap and soda. Change water temperature applicable to load. During the rinse cycle, add 1/4 cup of vinegar (which aids in rinsing residue as well as softening clothing). Hang clothes outside for a scent that commercial detergents can only dream to capture!

Make Your Own--Natural, Non-toxic, Herbal Lip Balm

2008-06-23T11:03:00.013-04:00

Did you know that cherry Chapstick contains ingredients linked to cancer? Check it out on Skin Deep's website.

Know what's protecting your lips by making your own lip balm. Kids will love it too! Be a GREEN PARENT and reuse old lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss containers while making this natural lip balm with the kids.

Got girls? Alkanet root imparts a pink to red coloring to the balm also offering protective, emollient properties. The longer it's simmered, the richer the red will be. Find it in a local herb shop or online (Mountain Rose Herbs). Perfect for little ladies!

Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar's recipe:

INGREDIENTS

makes approx. 4 oz

3/4 tsp alkanet root (optional)
any emollient herb (calendula blossom, chamomile blossom, plantain leaf, etc)
1/2 cup almond or grapeseed oil
1/8 cup beeswax
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
essential oil to taste, start with a few drops (vanilla, mints, orange are pleasant)
Containers - clean and recycle used lipstick, gloss, and/or chapstick tubes/tins or purchase new (The Ponte Vedra Soap Company). Will need roughly 16 - 1/4 oz containers.
a small funnel (not absolutely necessary, but very helpful for filling tubes)

If using alkanet, simmer the root in the oil over low heat in a double boiler (make one by using a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan filled with 1" - 2" of water. The bowl should be above the water, not in it.) for about 15-20 minutes or until the oil has become a reddish black color. The deeper the color the redder your lip balm. Strain through a double layer of cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer. If using other emollient herbs, simmer in oil in the double boiler over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

Add beeswax, honey and essential oil then taste test. Test for consistency by putting a dime size drop of the mixture on a plate and putting it in the freezer for 3 minutes. If the sample is too hard, add more oil; if it's too soft, add more beeswax.

Pour into containers. If the lip balm starts to cool and harden, clinging to the pot, just reheat. Let cool completely before capping containers.

Wheat-free Strawberry Cake

2008-06-22T21:06:00.018-04:00

This cake is surprisingly light for being whole-grain.

INGREDIENTS

makes one 10-inch cake

6 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar or maple sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch pie plate. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, cream together coconut oil and sugar with an electric beater, medium-high, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining two tablespoons sugar over the berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, 50 minutes - 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

Make Your Own--Rich Body Lotion

2008-06-21T23:26:00.008-04:00

This is my favorite lotion--and I've tried most pharmacy brands--for soothing my daughter's 'rough spots.' She gets bouts of eczema that, like her, has a mind of it's own. I also feel comfortable slathering it on, as I can pronounce all the ingredients! Plus it's very healing. I use it on myself and my skin is soft without regular use. No special storage needed; works well in a pump. Usually one can find supplies, like beeswax, in a local natural foods store or herb shop. If not, I like purchasing from Mountain Rose Herbs and The Ponte Vedra Soap Shoppe.

RICH BODY LOTION

1 cup aloe vera gel
1-2 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon pure vitamin E oil
1 teaspoon lanolin
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup beeswax
3/4 cup almond oil
Up to 1 1/2 teaspoons of essential oil of your choice

In a blender, mix aloe vera gel, rose water, and vitamin E oil. In a double boiler (or stainless steel bowl placed on top of a pot of boiling water), place lanolin, coconut oil, and beeswax. Stir until melted and mixed. Stir in almond oil. Start your blender running at low to medium speed and pour oils in, in a thin stream. As the 'oils' blend with the 'waters,' the mixture will turn white. When the mixture has a mayonnaise-like consistency, stop the motor, add essential oils, and pulse to blend. Transfer to jar or pump-top bottle while warm.

Roast Turkey Roulades

2008-06-21T18:06:00.012-04:00

So good, so gourmet, and so easy! Here's what I do:

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup loosely picked fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh lemon-thyme leaves
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
1 boneless, skinless turkey breast (1 1/2 pounds)
kitchen twine

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add thyme, lemon thyme, honey, oil, and salt; process until combined into a paste. Set aside 2 tablespoons of this mixture.

Horizontally halve the turkey and spread half of the herb mixture on each piece. Starting at a short end, roll up the turkey and tie with kitchen twine. Spread reserved herb paste over the top of each roulade; transfer to a shallow cast iron pan.

Roast for about 35 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 1/4" pieces.

Wheat-free Strawberry Bread

2008-06-19T09:59:00.023-04:00

This bread is a wonderful addition to breakfast spread with butter or cream cheese. It has a nice texture and isn't too 'crumbly,' an unfortunate side effect of most wheat-free breads. Use up those early summer strawberries!

makes 1 large loaf

INGREDIENTS

1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, quartered, and mashed with a fork
1 cup oat flour
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, Rapadura or light brown Muscovado
5 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter and/or coconut oil, softened
2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" x 4" loaf pan. In a small saucepan, bring strawberries to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with 1/3 cup water, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in reserved strawberries.

3. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. About 1 hour (tent with foil after 45 minutes if the top is getting too dark). Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around edges; invert onto rack. Reinvert; cool completely.

Food Allergies? This is the (Cook) Book for you!

2008-06-06T22:52:00.018-04:00

A few years ago I watched the author of this book, Cybele Pascal, on the Martha Stewart Show. It was a mildly awkward interview (has anyone else noticed that Martha gives the worst interviews??)--but my ears perked up when I heard ingredients like 'oat flour,' 'maple sugar' and the like. I ended up buying her Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook, which turned out to be phenomenal! The recipes are great--even for non-food-allergic guests--and can easily be shifted around depending on allergy (i.e. my kid isn't allergic to eggs, her kid is, so the recipes call for egg substitute. She gives 'reverse substitutions,' if you will.). I've made the Turkey Ancho Chili--a favorite, and easy!!--for two consecutive birthday parties. It gets rave reviews and requests to make it for the coming year. Pascal gives recipes for cakes, cookies, soups--and quite a few 'comfort' foods that food-allergic people tend to (are forced to?) stay away from (like shepherd's pie! like biscuits!). Considering the number of great recipes (regardless of their semi-hypoallergenic ingredients) this book is a bargain!

Wheat-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2008-06-04T08:08:00.025-04:00

Christmas 2007 was Barbara’s first true baking experience. At her great-grandmother's house, she made two kinds of cookies—one was a maple sugar cookie that she decorated with dried fruits and shredded coconut. The other cookie, the one she’s pointing to in the photo, turned out to be surprisingly more delicious than the original recipe. Here’s the recipe we used:

BARBARA’S OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES (WHEAT-FREE)

makes approx. 4 dozen

1 cup butter
1 cup maple sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oat flour
½ cup barley flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
3 cups oats (quick oats will hold together better, old fashioned oats give more texture)
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 11 minutes, until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

These might just be the best oatmeal raisin cookies you’ve ever had!

Giving Thanks, Sans Religion

2008-06-02T13:23:00.016-04:00

To be healthy we must nourish our mind, body and soul. Part of being human is being ceremonial, and throughout our existence ceremony has revolved around 'higher powers' whether Gods, Goddesses, or Nature itself. I have a need--it's not innate or instinctual, but very close to--to express my gratitude for those things that nourish my wellbeing.

These table blessings are non-religious and gathered with a child in mind. I intend to print them on index cards and bind them together with the intention of reading one with my daughter at each meal.

Non-Religious Table Blessings

With what we are about to receive, may we be ever mindful of the needs of others.

Sing praise to the Mother Earth, Sing praise to the Father Sun, Sing praise to the plants in the garden, Where Mother and Father are one.

Thanks for our health, thanks for our hearth, And the bounty that grows from the ground. With our loved ones near, we bless the year, That's brought us safely 'round.

Thank you for the world so sweet, Thank you for the food we eat, Thank you for the birds that sing, Thank you God for everything.

Thank you God for food and care. Teach us how to love and share.

God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for our food.

We thank Thee Lord, for happy hearts, For rain and sunny weather. We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food, And that we are together.

O Thou, Sustainer of our body, heart, and soul. Bless all we receive In thankfulness.

Thank thee for the night, And for the morning light. For rest and food and loving care, And all that makes the day so fair. Help us do the things we should To be to others kind and good, In all we do, in all we say, To grow more loving every day.

God, we thank you for this food, For rest and home and all things good; For wind and rain and sun above, But most of all for those we love.

Thank you God for all that grows, Thank you for the sky's rainbows, Thank you for the stars that shine, Thank you for these friends of mine, Thank you for the moon and sun, Thank you God for all you've done!

Thanks to the Earth, Thanks to the Sky, Thanks to the plants and animals That helped create this food divine.

We who sit to eat Know that more than our bodies will be fed. With this food Fill us with beauty, Fill us with joy, Fill us with peace.

We give thanks to all who've come before us, To those who dug the wells from which we drink, To those who built the house in which we live, To those who grew the food which we eat. May our lives be a blessing to those yet to come.

How beautiful this food. How beautiful these friends. We give thanks.

* * *

Lead Checked

2008-05-17T14:36:00.001-04:00

When my daughter was 9 months old, during a routine well-check appointment, her finger was pricked and her lead level tested. I was shocked to hear that it registered a 6 when 10 is considered 'elevated.'

Lead absorption in children is dangerous. It causes developmental delays and neurological problems. If nothing else, it lowers IQ.

After I blurted, 'how can it be so high?' The doctor laughed and said, 'breathe the air. Walk outside.' No way. It wasn't just environmental--it was too high for her not to be directly exposed. I began to look around--really look. It ended up that the battleship-gray thresholds of our exterior doors were worn and chipping. We were dragging lead in on our feet and our baby was rolling around in it. Needless to say, I was beside myself. I loaded up all the toys in bags, bought a play-pen, and began extensively researching lead dust clean up. Here's what I found:

Professional lead abatement is ridiculously expensive. EPA web sites actually give DIY lead clean up instructions. I read everything I could on the subject, integrated ideas, and began this overwhelming task. A forewarning: the entire process is completely anti-environmentally friendly. I was told by a friend, 'you have to temporarily set your ethics aside for the long term health and wellness of your family.' In retrospect I feel that to battle the unnatural (high concentrations of a non-plant based element) it takes unnatural means (vinegar and baking soda just aren't gonna cut it!). It's not a long term treatment, it's once and done.

To begin, I 'stopped the bleeding' by priming and painting worn areas on the thresholds. If the chipping was extensive, I covered the area with tape or butcher-paper (with the intention of correcting the problem in the near future). I then rolled up area rugs and butcher-papered carpeted areas. I went to the hardware store and purchased heavy-duty 'shop' paper towels (they're blue and come in a box--start with 3 boxes), rubber gloves, 2 buckets, and TriSodium Phosphate (TSP)--a heavy duty cleaner that is not environmentally friendly. I also bought extra HEPA filters and extra HEPA filter vacuum bags.

It's important in lead clean up to have a True HEPA vacuum cleaner. Some say that commercial HEPA vacuums are the only ones effective at picking up tiny lead particles and not redistributing them into the air. You can rent them. But who rented it before you?? Who knows what you could be distributing, even by wheeling it into your home. I have a Kenmore canister vacuum with True HEPA filters. When the lead clean up was finished I changed the filter, the bag, and cleaned the exterior of the vacuum, focusing on the wheels.

After clearing the floors, I HEPA vacuumed them. Then in one bucket I prepared my TSP solution, following the directions on the box. The other bucket had clean water. With shop towels and a trash bag in hand I went to work. I dipped the shop towel in the TSP solution and wiped. I flipped the towel and wiped again. You have to use some force as the nature of lead dust is 'sticky.' Then I trashed the paper towel. Next I got a clean paper towel, dipped it in clean water, rinsed the spot I just TSPed, and threw it out. I did all the hardwood, tile, and concrete in this way. After the initial TSP and rinse, I washed all the floors again with a general cleaner.

The chemistry between phosphates and lead allows the phosphate to bind to the lead which immobilizes it. It's then unable to be absorbed by the body.

We installed new exterior door jambs and thresholds. From there we replaced the child-accessible trim in our house. Since we weren't replacing interior doors, the door jambs became a problem, especially since they're in such high traffic areas. I found a product called Child Guard. It's made to cover, or encapsulate, lead paint. It goes on thick--you apply two coats and then paint over it.

Lead dust is heavy, so it doesn't travel very far. One lead abatement company said that they clean 5 feet out from the source of the dust.

After removing trim, I TSPed and rinsed from the trim's location to 2 feet out, thinking that if there was any dust created from removal, it'd be taken care of.

As far as the carpet--apparently lead dust is impossible to completely remove from textiles. Our decision was made easy considering the previous homeowner decided to carpet the kitchen floor. We tore it out (I had it cleaned first in an attempt to keep any dust particles down). Area rugs that aren't washable are still awaiting some sort of cleaning. There's something called STTP--sodium tripolyphosphate. It's what's been banned from consumer laundry detergents ("contains no phosphates"), however it is still found in commercial detergents. Said to work wonders in the wash, it softens hard water leaving clothes brighter and with less soap residue. It's the softening of the water that harms the environment by causing algae to proliferate in waterways. Regardless (I hate saying that!), it's useful in cleaning up lead dust containing, washable items--work clothes, area rugs, blankets that have been on the floor, stuffed animals, etc. I suppose one could use a solution of this (it comes granulated) to treat large area rugs and sofas since the phosphate binds to the lead, making the lead non-absorbing. The STTP has relatively no toxicity and has even been used as a food preservative. One website suggested using half the amount of laundry detergent and replacing the other half with STTP for lead dust soiled clothing.

Next, I focused on my baby.

The body views lead like calcium, so if there isn't enough calcium in the diet, the lead is stored in the bones. I also realized that the blood test only tells how much lead is in the blood, not how much, if any, is absorbed.

How can I help her body chelate the lead? I was nursing her and thought it better that any treatment she was given should go through me, and to her via breast milk. Off hand, I knew that seaweeds are naturally chelating and so help rid the body of heavy metals. I also found web sites citing a combination of chlorella and cilantro to speed excretion of lead. Chlorella is taken first, which frees the lead. A little while later, cilantro is eaten which flushes the lead. Chlorella and cilantro have been used as foods for many years and are nutrient rich. The body will naturally chelate the lead as long as a paint chip hasn't been swallowed. So the blood lead levels should drop anyway with decreased exposure.

Soon after our lead abatement project ended, there began the lead-paint toy recalls. A really great item that I found in a hardware store, then purchased in bulk online, is called Lead Check. It tests to see if there is lead present on almost any surface. It looks like a cigarette and contains two glass compartments. Break the compartments and shake to mix. Squeeze the tube until the tip shows a yellow liquid. The directions say to brush the tip directly onto the surface in question, however if the first item contains lead, the tip turns red ("if it's red, there's lead") and the tester is spent. Considering the amount of liquid given and the amount needed per test, I found I could get 5 - 6 tests out of one tester by squeezing the tester fluid onto cotton swabs. I tested porcelain, ceramic, plastic, paint, plaster, etc. They even have a procedure for testing fabric. You use tape to collect surface samples, then test what's on the tape.

And just to keep it in mind--there is lead ALL OVER the house. It's found in all electrical cords--it's part of the safety code since lead keeps plastic pliable and non-pliable plastic breaks, which would expose wires. In the same vein, lead is found in all PVC products, in plastic shopping bags, hoses (all those quick summertime drinks)--oh, and on holiday string lights. Just another reason to 'plastic-down.' Lead is also found in the paint of most ceramics, unless stated 'lead-free.' This includes dishes, pottery, and tile. The highest concentrations are found in the brightest colors. Not wanting my child to eat from plastic bowls, I first chose Corelle ware for her meals. I contacted the company repeatedly to finally be told that Corelle's lead content meets all safety requirements. So it does contain lead. May not seem like a problem since Corelle ware is known to be virtually unbreakable, however--look out!--when it does break it absolutely shatters. It splinters into a thousand pieces that end up 3 feet high and 6 feet wide! After that happened I switched all dishes to Fiestaware. Fiestaware is made in the USA and is marketed as lead-free. Even if it breaks, it doesn't shatter and there are no thoughts of lead dust looming. Seeming like an easy decision, I'm am now regretting it. Fiestaware, it's true, is not made with lead. Instead, it's made with alpha-Alumina. This is what I've found out about Alumina:

Alumina, or Aluminum oxide, a chemical compound of aluminum and oxygen (Al2O3) is made transparent through a process of fusing fine particles. It’s considered non-toxic and is abundantly distributed in nature. It’s responsible for metallic aluminum's resistance to weathering. It is not a metal, but is a soft, fluffy white powder which becomes transparent when mixed with oil. It’s used in the production of aluminum and does contain about 50% aluminum. The crystalline form of aluminum oxide is called corundum, one of the rock-forming minerals. Corundum is naturally clear, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent specimens are used as gems, called ruby if red, called sapphire if any other color. Aluminum oxide is also used for its strength. Most pre-finished wood flooring now uses aluminum oxide as a hard protective coating. It's also used as an ingredient in ceramic glazes. In 2004, 3M developed a technique for making a ceramic composed of aluminum oxide and rare earth elements to produce a strong glass called transparent alumina. Alumina can be grown as a coating on aluminum by anodising or by plasma electrolytic oxidation. Both its strength and abrasive characteristics are due to aluminum oxide's great hardness (position 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness).

Aluminum is a heavy metal and has been linked with disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Though leaching lead is much more serious, who wants to be eating off of potentially toxic dishes. It seems like the only safe dishware may be clear, non-decorative glass; wood; and heavy-metal free ceramics.

Lead accumulation in the body is a very real problem. Even though it's out of sight, it's not out mind. I have eased up quite a bit over the last year (though I do still wash my hands after handling the lamp cord). Still, I am much more conscious of invisibly toxic everyday items.