It's been widely reported that BPA, a hormone-disrupting chemical (biologically active estrogen mimic) that is linked to cancer, infertility and early puberty, is found in high levels on some thermal paper cash register receipts. So, the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition conducted a study to see if our money was contaminated as well. Turns out, it is.
The BPA on receipts is found in a powdery film on the paper's surface, unlike the bound BPA in plastics, and can readily spread to anything it comes in contact with... our skin, money, and the insides of our purses and wallets. There's really no way to easily tell if a receipt contains BPA unless you have access to a lab, so if you're out shopping, make sure you wash your hands. (A good practice anyway, since it's cold and flu season, and sick people are everywhere!)
If you happen to work in, or know someone who works in, a retail store, you can ask the owner or manager if he/she can check with their paper supplier to see if it contains BPA. (If the supplier happens to be Appleton Paper, they acknowledged safety concerns about BPA and went completely BPA-free in 2006.) And if receipts do contain BPA, you may want to try to wash your hands more frequently, or even don some gloves or finger cots, which are like latex gloves, but only the finger. Limiting exposure may be especially important for teenage employees who are still growing, or pregnant/nursing women.
I've got to get back to work (it's Wilava's busy season!), so I'll leave you with a link to the press release from the Washington Toxics Coalition -- they even list stores where they found both BPA-laced and BPA-free receipts -- and additional links to the full report.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Small Business Saturday Coupon Code -10% off EVERYTHING!
Use coupon code: SBS2010 at checkout for 10% off your ENTIRE order at http://wilava.com. All Wilava products make great gifts and stocking stuffers, but go ahead, stock up on the best natural skincare for yourself! (Expires 11/28/10). And, Free Shipping on all orders over $85! (no coupon needed for that perk. It'll be automatic at checkout).
Step Away From the Pie!
It's no secret that I have a weakness for desserts. I didn't want to pass that trait along to my kids, so I've worked hard since they were babies to teach them to stop eating when they're full. This means that I end up finishing all the pies. I finished the Lemon Pie first, and the Pumpkin one is left. Luckily for me, Pumpkin -- in both its puree or pie form -- makes a great spa facial.
Here's the recipe:
Mix 2 Tbs pumpkin puree with 1/2 tsp honey, then add, depending on skin type, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of (milk, cream, or yogurt for dry skin) or (apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice for oily skin). Apply to cleansed face, avoiding eye area and rest for 10 minutes. Rinse with water and moisturize. If you have a lot of leftover pie, make up a larger batch, and add some Brown Sugar for a great body scrub.
Friday, November 5, 2010
All About Aspartame
Well, really not ALL about it, just the parts I don't like. I avoid eating/drinking/buying foods or drinks with aspartame in them when I can, and one of my friends just asked me why, so I told her I'd blog about it. To tell the truth, I'm not really sure if she really wants to know, or if she just thinks I'm a crazy person and is trying to call me out, but I'll be emailing her a link to this post either way.
Where to start? Well, 78% of all consumer complaints to the FDA are about aspartame.
Aspartame (found in NutraSweet and Equal) is comprised of phenylalanine (50% - an amino acid), aspartic acid (40% - an amino acid, nonessential), and methanol (10% wood alcohol, as in "moonshine"). These break down into formaldehyde, formic acid (like the venom in insect stings) and DKP (may cause brain tumors), and this breakdown is accelerated when products containing it are stored at 85 degrees for a period of days or stored for longer periods (over 250 days).
These are all things I don't want in my body.
Now, some of these components are also found in food items like fruits and vegetables. For instance, pears and bananas are on the high-end of those containing naturally-occurring formaldehyde, but fruits also contain ethanol, which stablilizes it. Also, fruits contain natural pectins and enzymes which help to stabilize the compound.
And, before you ask, we all hear about the essential amino acids we need in our diet, right? Well, the synthetic ones in aspartame are incomplete, and as our bodies go to work to break them down, it causes an imbalance in the brain. "What?" our brains ask. "Where's the nutrition?" This contributes to the idea that drinking diet sodas will increase hunger, causing you to gain weight. Ummm, I think I can do without.
Another interesting tidbit: In 1996, there are about 164 peer-reviewed studies relevant to aspartame safety. Seventy-four deemed it safe, and 90 deemed it unsafe. Seventy-four studies were industry-funded, and 90 studies were independently funded. Hmmm.
And I wish more people knew about this, but ask a pilot, and he/she will tell you that aspartame is bad. Pilots are actually told to avoid aspartame in order to pass their yearly medical exam. And in 1992, the US Air Force issued an alert to its pilots in its Flying Safety magazine. In the past, many pilots have passed out in the cockpit while flying and eating/drinking products with aspartame, thus putting the entire flight at risk. (Possibly due to the elevation causing increased symptoms, not unlike how people from sea level can get drunk really fast in the high altitute places like Colorado). Not to mention, aspartame can adversely affect EKGs and the methanol in it can impair vision.
There's lots of anecdotal evidence on the effects of aspartame, too, which you can google if you're interested. But for me, I avoid it simply because it's not something I need, it provides no health benefit, and it may actually be quite harmful. I don't miss it.
For further 'easy' reading:
Summary of symptoms, with references: http://www.ceri.com/aspart2.htm
Article written by a pilot: http://www.aspartamesafety.com/Article4.htm
An Email from Operation Mission Possible re: pilots and aspartame: http://www.dorway.com/betty/avmags.html
Research:
1 Jensen J. Aspartame – The World’s Best Ant Poison. The Idaho
Observer. June 2006.
2 Gold M. The Bitter Truth about Artificial Sweeteners. NEXUS
Magazine. Oct/Nov 1995.
3 Soffritti M. Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukemias in rats. Eur.
J. Oncol., vol. 10, n. 2, 2005
4 Martini B. Aspartame proven to cause cancer. Mission Possible, Jul
21, 2005. http://www.wnho.net
Where to start? Well, 78% of all consumer complaints to the FDA are about aspartame.
Aspartame (found in NutraSweet and Equal) is comprised of phenylalanine (50% - an amino acid), aspartic acid (40% - an amino acid, nonessential), and methanol (10% wood alcohol, as in "moonshine"). These break down into formaldehyde, formic acid (like the venom in insect stings) and DKP (may cause brain tumors), and this breakdown is accelerated when products containing it are stored at 85 degrees for a period of days or stored for longer periods (over 250 days).
These are all things I don't want in my body.
Now, some of these components are also found in food items like fruits and vegetables. For instance, pears and bananas are on the high-end of those containing naturally-occurring formaldehyde, but fruits also contain ethanol, which stablilizes it. Also, fruits contain natural pectins and enzymes which help to stabilize the compound.
And, before you ask, we all hear about the essential amino acids we need in our diet, right? Well, the synthetic ones in aspartame are incomplete, and as our bodies go to work to break them down, it causes an imbalance in the brain. "What?" our brains ask. "Where's the nutrition?" This contributes to the idea that drinking diet sodas will increase hunger, causing you to gain weight. Ummm, I think I can do without.
Another interesting tidbit: In 1996, there are about 164 peer-reviewed studies relevant to aspartame safety. Seventy-four deemed it safe, and 90 deemed it unsafe. Seventy-four studies were industry-funded, and 90 studies were independently funded. Hmmm.
And I wish more people knew about this, but ask a pilot, and he/she will tell you that aspartame is bad. Pilots are actually told to avoid aspartame in order to pass their yearly medical exam. And in 1992, the US Air Force issued an alert to its pilots in its Flying Safety magazine. In the past, many pilots have passed out in the cockpit while flying and eating/drinking products with aspartame, thus putting the entire flight at risk. (Possibly due to the elevation causing increased symptoms, not unlike how people from sea level can get drunk really fast in the high altitute places like Colorado). Not to mention, aspartame can adversely affect EKGs and the methanol in it can impair vision.
There's lots of anecdotal evidence on the effects of aspartame, too, which you can google if you're interested. But for me, I avoid it simply because it's not something I need, it provides no health benefit, and it may actually be quite harmful. I don't miss it.
For further 'easy' reading:
Summary of symptoms, with references: http://www.ceri.com/aspart2.htm
Article written by a pilot: http://www.aspartamesafety.com/Article4.htm
An Email from Operation Mission Possible re: pilots and aspartame: http://www.dorway.com/betty/avmags.html
Research:
1 Jensen J. Aspartame – The World’s Best Ant Poison. The Idaho
Observer. June 2006.
2 Gold M. The Bitter Truth about Artificial Sweeteners. NEXUS
Magazine. Oct/Nov 1995.
3 Soffritti M. Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukemias in rats. Eur.
J. Oncol., vol. 10, n. 2, 2005
4 Martini B. Aspartame proven to cause cancer. Mission Possible, Jul
21, 2005. http://www.wnho.net
Brag Alert -- Wilava's a Top 12 Must-Have!
I was so excited to learn that SheKnows.com chose one of my handmade products, Wilava Sugar Luxe Body Polish, as one of their Top 12 Must Have Skin Products! Here's what they wrote:
Sugar Luxe was just introduced on Wilava.com this past June, but it has fast become one of my best-selling products -- tied with Vitamin C Serum. So thanks, SheKnows.com!
"Goodbye flaky skin
The softest skin of your life could be just around the corner. After you resist the urge to eat this lucious lotion, spread Wilava's Sugar Luxe Body Polish ($10) over your skin in the shower and feel it melt away any dry, rough patches. Rice bran oil is suspended in a shea butter base to provide a satisfying skin buffing experience. You'll be left feeling silky smooth, not sticky, and smelling yummy too."
Sugar Luxe was just introduced on Wilava.com this past June, but it has fast become one of my best-selling products -- tied with Vitamin C Serum. So thanks, SheKnows.com!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Hand Drying 101
Last year the big news was that frequent handwashing with plain ol' soap and water is the best defense against germs. But today, a new study released in the Journal of Applied Microbiology (Snelling et al.) tells us that how we dry our hands matters, too. So what should we do? If you're given the option, the best method of hand drying is to use paper towels.
In the study, Snelling and her team looked at bacterial counts after drying with paper towels, traditional hand dryers, and a newer type of dryer that uses high velocity jets to dry hands faster than the traditional model. They also compared the use of hand dryers while either rubbing the hands together or keeping them still. Interestingly -- not at all what I would have thought -- rubbing the hands while using any type of dryer counteracted the initial reduction of germs from handwashing. Apparently, bacteria from deeper within the skin were brought to the surface. (Hand washing reduces the number of bacteria on the skin, but does not completely eliminate it. Keep in mind here that our bodies are naturally covered in commensal bacteria that are not harmful to us. It's the bacteria we come in contact with, say, after touching raw meat, that we really worry about).
To get back to the results, though, the reduction of bacteria was the same for all types of dryers when the hand washers did not rub their hands. And, of course, they found that the best way to keep bacterial counts low is to dry hands with paper towels.
So...
1) Wash hands with soap and warm water -- lather and scrub -- long enough to get through the entire alphabet song.
2) Rinse hands well.
3) Dry your hands -- until they're completely dry -- with a paper towel. And for those times you have to use a hand dryer, avoid rubbing your hands.
In the study, Snelling and her team looked at bacterial counts after drying with paper towels, traditional hand dryers, and a newer type of dryer that uses high velocity jets to dry hands faster than the traditional model. They also compared the use of hand dryers while either rubbing the hands together or keeping them still. Interestingly -- not at all what I would have thought -- rubbing the hands while using any type of dryer counteracted the initial reduction of germs from handwashing. Apparently, bacteria from deeper within the skin were brought to the surface. (Hand washing reduces the number of bacteria on the skin, but does not completely eliminate it. Keep in mind here that our bodies are naturally covered in commensal bacteria that are not harmful to us. It's the bacteria we come in contact with, say, after touching raw meat, that we really worry about).
To get back to the results, though, the reduction of bacteria was the same for all types of dryers when the hand washers did not rub their hands. And, of course, they found that the best way to keep bacterial counts low is to dry hands with paper towels.
So...
1) Wash hands with soap and warm water -- lather and scrub -- long enough to get through the entire alphabet song.
2) Rinse hands well.
3) Dry your hands -- until they're completely dry -- with a paper towel. And for those times you have to use a hand dryer, avoid rubbing your hands.
First Day of School
The kids were so excited to be heading off to school this morning. With the kids officially out of the house, today starts Wilava's busy season! So today I'm wrapping soaps, visiting a store or two to check on inventory, and making Whipped Shea Butter to sell at the Harvard Farmer's Market this weekend. Here's to a great school year!
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