Gimme the Good Stuff

Toxins in Coffee: 8 Sources of Harmful Chemicals in Your Morning Brew

johnlockegoss — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 07:32:23 +0000

A few years ago we went on a quest to find the cleanest possible organic coffee in toxin-free packaging. As you probably know, organically grown coffee beans are widely available–this is great! Unfortunately, even organic beans are almost always roasted, packaged, and brewed in ways that can add all sorts of unwanted chemistry to your morning brew.

This means that by the time your organic coffee reaches your cup it would likely no longer qualify as “organic,” and definitely not as Good Stuff.

(By the way, did you know that coffee is a superfood?)

Written by John Goss, Healthy Home Director

Problem #1: Toxins in Coffee Growing

Coffee is one of the most intensively sprayed crops in the world. This is because coffee is no longer grown in the shade (where the plant evolved and thrives). It is now grown in ways that allow for maximum production, but that requires the use of large amounts of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers.

This is not only bad for us as consumers, but is also quite detrimental to the people who live and work in coffee-producing areas.

Here are just three of the pesticides commonly used on coffee beans:

Methyl Parathyion is one of the most vile pesticides ever created, and is toxic to a wide swath of all living things–including humans.
Endosulfan is toxic to most animals and takes a very long time to break down in the soil.
Chlorpyrifos has been banned for household use in the U.S. as it can cause birth defects.

All of the above, and more, can show up in your morning joe.

The solution to this problem is pretty simple: buy only certified organic coffee beans.

Problem #2: Toxins in Coffee Roasting

Organic coffee beans are a great start to a healthier cup of java, but it is important that the roasting process be free from harmful chemistry, too.

Roasting equipment needs to be cleaned on a regular basis to avoid chemical solvents showing up in your cup.

Flavoring agents are commonly used immediately after the roasting process, sometimes to mask the taste and smell of old or bad beans. Flavored coffee should be avoided as they are synthetic and often contain preservatives that are definitely not Good Stuff!

The solution here is a little more complicated: Find a roaster that is dedicated to a non-toxic process. (This is easier said than done—it took us a year to find one!)

The Worst Stuff: Coffee Pods

The environmental damage caused by coffee pods (AKA “k-cups”) can’t be overstated. In fact, their founder, John Sylvan, has said that he regrets inventing the pod!

Traditional coffee pods are neither biodegradable nor recyclable, and a whopping THIRD of American households have a k-cup brewer in their homes.

Equally concerning: coffee pods are made of plastic, and the hot water that passes through them increases the leaching of endocrine disruptors into your coffee. While k-cups are free of BPA, they’ve still tested positive for estrogenic activity.

To make matters worse, the top of coffee pods are usually made of aluminum, a heavy metal linked with a range of health problems.

Problem #3: Toxins in Coffee Bags & Packaging

Once the coffee beans are roasted, they go into a bag. These bags almost always contain plastics and other chemicals that can convey even more toxins to your beans.

Coffee bags typically have a lining of polypropylene to keep the coffee oils from making the bag unsightly. Simple brown paper bags may fool you by looking like they are made entirely of paper when this is basically never the case.

Polypropylene, while relatively inert, is the single most abundant micro-plastic found in all the waters of the world (and in seafood…and in every one of us!).
The effects of micro-plastics from this type of plastic are only beginning to be understood. Studies have found that polypropylene particles may stimulate the immune system, but human studies are lacking.

Some coffee beans come in glassine bags (pictured above). This seems better than plastic because glassine is essentially wood pulp. Unfortunately, glassine is almost always bleached with chlorine or other chemicals that stay in the paper fibers and are leached into the coffee beans.

We’ve solved this one for you! Until recently, there have been no alternatives to standard coffee bags, but we finally found a new, non-toxic, environmentally safe alternative. More on this below,

Problem #4: Toxins in Coffee Water

Obviously, brewing coffee starts with water. If you use typical municipal water you are adding chlorine, fluoride, and potentially substances like lead, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and others to you morning cup. Not only are these toxic, but they can also negatively affect the taste of your coffee.

The solution here is easy: We highly recommend using a robust water filtration system. Pitcher type filters are better than nothing, but true filtration essentially eliminates a very wide swath of biological agents and chemical toxins. Learn more about choosing a water filter here.

Problem #5: Toxins in Coffee Brewing Equipment

This Frankfurt coffee brewer is entirely free of plastic, so there’s no opportunity for endocrine disruptors to leach into the coffee.

Water is a potent solvent that breaks down many substances. Hot water is an especially intense solvent, and it extracts substances far faster than cold water does.

Whether you like cold-brew or hot, pour-over, drip, espresso, French press, or a plug-in brewer, it is a good idea to avoid brewing equipment that is composed of certain plastics, metals, or coatings that could introduce unwanted substances into your cup.

More specifically, you’ll want to avoid coffee brewers with plastic parts that come into contact with water. Also, avoid aluminum, nonstick surfaces, and any low-fire ceramics.

The good news is that there are several great ways to brew without any toxins. We like stainless steel filtration rather than plastic, paper, or even cloth. Stainless steel is rugged, easy to clean, imparts no flavor, and lasts almost forever—making it an Earth- and wallet-friendly choice.

As for coffee dispensers, cups, and storage, we like stainless steel, glass, and most ceramics. Medical grade silicone seals are acceptable and better than plastics.

The solution here is to vet your coffee accessories carefully. We have a selection of Good-Stuff approved, plastic-free brewing, storage, and dispensing solutions here.

Problem #7: Toxins in Coffee Cup

You may already know that styrofoam cups can mess with your hormones, especially when the liquid inside of them is hot! But even paper to-go coffee cups can be a problem, from the coating on the inside (polyethylene) to the glue at the seams–which partially dissolves when the coffee is poured into the cup. Moreover, wax-coated paper cups cannot be recycled because of their petroleum-derived paraffin coating.

Coffee lids made with #6 or #7 plastic likely contain BPA. The last few times I’ve ordered a to-go coffee I’ve noticed the lid is printed with a #7, and of course you’ve got hot liquid passing through this on it’s way to your mouth (like in the picture of Maia above!).

The solution here is to bring your own reusable coffee mug when stopping at a Starbucks. I like this one and this one.

Problem #8: Toxins in Decaf Coffee

If you are a drinker of decaf coffee, you have one more thing to worry about. There are three major decaffeination techniques, only one of which is Good Stuff.

1) Methylene Chloride Process (MCP)
Also known as “direct decaffeination,” MCP is the most common decaffeination technique. MCP decaffeination uses the solvent methylene chloride (commonly found in things like paint stripper), and it leaves behind trace amounts of this toxin. According to Consumer Reports, even small doses of methylene chloride can cause “coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. At higher doses, it can cause headache, confusion, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fatigue, and has been found to cause liver and lung cancer in animals.” It’s true that the amount of methyl chloride that remains in decaf coffee is restricted to not exceed 10 ppm, but I definitely want my coffee free of this decidedly Bad Stuff.

2) Swiss Water Process (SWP)
In this method, beans are soaked in near-boiling water, which extracts both the flavor oils and the caffeine from the coffee. The water is then separated into a tank, where it is forced through charcoal filters to remove the caffeine. The beans are then reintroduced to the swill, which reabsorbs the flavor. Since no chemicals are used, there’s nothing to worry about in terms of toxins with SWP decaf coffee. Unfortunately, coffee drinkers often find that bright, lively coffees can end up being rather flat after the SWP. (The term “Swiss water” is a branding term, by the way; there is not actually water from Switzerland used in this process.)

3) Mountain Water Process (MWP)
In this process, water from the glaciers of the mountains of Mexico is used to decaffeinate coffee in a similar manner as SWP. The water is used to float the coffee oils and caffeine in a solution, then the solution is filtered to remove the caffeine, and finally the the water soluble oils are returned to the coffee beans to restore the flavor. The big difference with MWP is that the resulting coffee tastes better. Coffee connoisseurs say that MWP decaf taste very close to premium regular coffees.

The bottom line if you drink decaf coffee: make sure it’s water-processed .

Introducing….Coffee, Not Chemicals

After a year of research and a lot of false starts (mostly around the bags!), we were so excited to launch Coffee, Not Chemicals in 2019. Our coffee bags are certified nontoxic and 100% compostable. This means that our coffee is not only non-toxic but also a zero waste product.

Why We Think Coffee, Not Chemicals Is the Best Stuff:

Our coffee is made of certified organic coffee beans that are fresh roasted in a dedicated non-toxic roastery. Each bag has a roast date.

Our packaging is certified non-toxic by an independent testing facility. This means that the bags, the valve, the labels, the ink, and even the adhesives are nontoxic and 100% compostable.

The packaging is free of BPA, phthalates, fossil fuel by-products, and bleach.

Coffee, Not Chemicals has gotten only 5-star reviews from our customers, and most people who order a bag decide to subscribe to keep it coming uninterrupted.

You guys asked (and asked and asked) for a decaf version. It’s here! And it’s Mountain Water Processed of course.

Please comment below with questions or comments about your own favorite coffees or brewers!

Stay sane,

P.S. What if coffee is something that you love but it doesn’t love you back? Coffee is delicious and I love the ritual of it after breakfast, in the afternoon, or after dinner. But caffeine makes some people, my wife included, agitated and impatient, and it can disrupt sleep or cause indigestion. Even decaf can sometimes bother some people’s stomachs. Suzanne recently discovered MUD/WTR, and it’s taken the place of her morning latte. It is full of superfoods, and is soothing, warming, and gives a little lift without any of the side effects that she experiences with coffee.

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The post Toxins in Coffee: 8 Sources of Harmful Chemicals in Your Morning Brew appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

How to Choose the Best Air Filter

johnlockegoss — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 13:56:52 +0000

1. Austin / 2. Amaircare / 3. Airpura / 4. IQAir

Last updated: May 2021

There are few things as elementally important as clean air.

Each of us takes up to 30,000 breaths a day. What our bodies want is oxygen, but what we actually inhale often contains all sorts of less-than-good stuff. This is especially true of our indoor air, where a wide variety of contaminants can accumulate.

Regarding the Coronavirus and Other Viruses

Right now, the thing we are probably most worried about breathing in is coronavirus! So, do air filters kill coronavirus?

Austin air filters contain true medical grade HEPA that removes 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 microns and 95% of all particles larger than 0.1 microns. Scientists say that the size of the new coronavirus is .125 microns, so yes, these filters do capture the virus. Moreover, experts say that the droplets the virus travels in measure at least 1 micron, which is easily captured by a HEPA filter.

We run two Austin filters in our home, and we have five in the warehouse.

Indoor Air is More Polluted Than Outdoor

Indoor air contaminants come in many forms, from floating particulates like pet dander and smoke to chemical vapors that off-gas from the materials our homes are built from and products we bring into them.

Because indoor air is essentially trapped, it cannot easily mix with fresh air and thus disperse these contaminants. Instead they tend to accumulate. (The same is true for viruses like the one that causes COVID-19; when the air is trapped inside, they accumulate.)

In cities, even the outdoor air can be laden with things like diesel particulates and other toxins. It eventually works its way indoors and mixes. That’s the bad news.

How to Clean Indoor Air

Moso bags passively purify indoor air.

The good news is that there are ways to clean the air of a range of contaminants. We’ve written in the past about a variety of these methods, ranging from Moso bags to wool rugs to houseplants.

Unfortunately, all of the methods are passive, only affecting air that happens to pass over the plant/rug/Moso bag. This doesn’t make them useless–they are certainly better than nothing, and in our home we have found Moso bags to be truly effective against odor from our garbage can.

Passive filters like Moso bags are also are good for gasses and VOCs but are essentially useless against particulates, which can be particularly bad for our lungs.

So if we want a more active filter, there are five basic types of technology.

Types of Air Filters

1) HEPA Filters

We’ve all heard this term (which stands for High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance), but probably don’t know exactly what it means.

To be certified as HEPA, a filter must trap at least 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 microns. Many of the particles caught in a HEPA filter (including many chemicals) are so tiny they can’t be seen with the naked eye.

HEPA filters also trap mold, viruses (including the coronavirus), and bacteria, so they create a more sanitary environment. HEPA filters also trap larger particles that can cause lung irritation. (Side note: Make sure your vacuum cleaner is a HEPA-sealed model, too.)

2) Activated Carbon Filters

Activated carbon filters are comprised of trillions of molecular-sized pores that have high absorbent and chemical bonding ability.

Activated carbon filters are highly effective at capturing pollutants like chemical emissions, gases, tobacco smoke, and odors. Once captured, these pollutants are not released back into the air.

Activated carbon filters are recommended for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) because they absorb formaldehyde, which is found in the adhesives used in carpeting, wood paneling, and upholstered furniture. They also trap fragrances as well as many chemicals found in household cleaning products.

3) Ultra Violet (UV) Filters

Air purifiers using this technology have a UV lamp installed inside of them. As microorganisms pass by the UV rays radiated from the lamp, cellular damage destroys the microorganism.

Although UV technology is effective at killing viruses and bacteria, it is best used with a filter system ahead of the lamps. Without a filter system, too many microorganisms get shaded from the light by particulates.

4) Negative Ion Filters

Negative ion air filtering technology has proven to be less effective than others because it simply masks the polluted air as opposed to actually cleaning it.

This type of air purifier does not have the ability to absorb or dispose of the harmful contaminants in the air. The negative ion simply takes the airborne particles out of the air and transfers them to walls and other solid things in the room. When stuck to walls and other surfaces, they have the ability to become re-circulated back into the air. For this reason, I do not recommend negative ion filters.

5) Ozone Filters

Ozone air purifiers produce the gas ozone (O₃). Health professionals have refuted the claims made that these devices are safe, and no agency of the federal government has approved of these devices.

Exposure to ozone may ignite asthma symptoms, and at high enough level can even scar the lungs. Many of the chemicals found in indoor environments take months or years for ozone to react, making them virtually ineffective. Ozone does not remove particles such as dust and pollen. Obviously, I do not recommend ozone filters.

The Most Effective Air Filters

While some individuals may have a specific reason for investing in an ultraviolet or negative ion filtering unit, the vast majority of us need the air-scrubbing power of HEPA and activated charcoal. Those two combined do an excellent job of eliminating almost all of the common irritants/pollutants found in most homes, as well as bacteria and viruses like the coronavirus.

Austin Air: The Best Air Filters on the Market

Austin Air offers a line of robust filters that employ HEPA and activated carbon technologies teamed with fans that get the job done quickly and super effectively.

For extra filtering power, Austin mixes their activated carbon with zeolite, a mineral with superior ability to trap toxic gases and odors such as formaldehyde, ammonias, and carbon monoxide.

Made in the U.S.A, Austin Air filters have garnered wide acceptance as one of the very best air filtration systems available. They are the only manufacturers to have their products designated as Medical Grade Air Purifiers, and the only manufacturer to successfully reduce asthma attacks and respiratory problems in a clinical trial. Johns Hopkins Hospital has chosen Austin Air medical grade air purifiers to conduct four clinical trials. Austin filters were selected by the Federal Government to provide the emergency air purifiers to the citizens of Anniston, Alabama, during the destruction of chemical weapons.

During the global pandemic of 2020, hundreds of hospitals, schools, and dental offices have relied on Austin Air to protect their spaces from the novel coronavirus.

The Noise Factor

An electric air filter works by moving air past the filters, and of course only the air that passes through a filter is affected. It’s a simple equation: the more air that passes through the filter, the cleaner the air stays.

While some companies make filter units that are super quiet, the fact is that moving air makes noise. To the extent that noise is lessened, filtering power is likewise lessened. This does not mean that filters need to be loud, but, especially when set on the high setting, filters sound exactly like what they are: a fan.

You can hear Maia’s Austin Air unit here.

Also Great: Amaircare Air Filters

Amaircare Roomaid filters are made in Canada and are perfect for actively reducing particulates and VOC’s inside of small spaces, like a nursery or inside your car. Amaircare filters can be purchased with a car-kit that let’s you plug into a lighter socket and hook the filter to a seat belt for extra safety.

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Toxins in Cars

Some of the most toxic air is inside of our cars. Automobile interiors are notoriously toxic and some of us are stuck in our cars for hours per day. Extra special care should be taken to detox the air inside a car; especially a new car.

Runners Up: Other Air Filters We Like

There are two other air filtration systems that we consider Good Stuff:

1) The Airpura T600 HEPA Air Purifier employs similar technology to Austin and is mostly targeted towards smoke, so if you’re a smoker or live with a smoker, this is one to consider. They are a bit pricier than Austin’s filters.

2) IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier is another filter that meets our criteria, but it is also more expensive than Austin, and made for smaller spaces. Without a doubt, the IQ Air has an aesthetically-pleaseing design, but on the whole, we think Austin offers more for less money.

About Other Air Filters

There are other decent air purification systems out there. Some are very slick looking, and some have interesting bells and whistles. But other than the ones that produce ozone, any filter is better than having no filter at all. We like the Austin because of the combination of proven robust filtering technology, quality construction, versatility, and price point.

Lots of you have asked about the Molekule air filter. While Molekule is marketed as a new technology, it’s roots go back quite a way. After taking a closer look at this brand, I remain concerned that the technology might not be as effective as the brands we’ve recommended above. In fact, Molekule recently was forced to retract most of their advertising claims.

Please ask your questions about air filters below.

Stay sane!

By John, Certified Holistic Health Coach

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iPad Radiation

Maia James — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:07:42 +0000

You guys, summer is really, finally here in our house–today was their first day out of school!

I always look forward to this 10-week stretch of spending more time with my boys…until about three days into summer when said boys are fighting, the house is a mess, it’s a gazillion degrees on the sticky streets of Brooklyn, and neither kid will fall asleep before 10:00 PM because it’s so light outside.

This summer we will be spending time in Vermont, Long Island, and Lancaster, PA. But, there will be some long days in the hot city, and while we take a lot of mini-adventures, the summer inevitably results in more screen time in our house.

(Side note: check out the Clean Travel section of our website for info on some of my favorite summer vacation destinations.)

Because of concerns about radiation from tablets, I put my kids’ iPads on airplane mode whenever possible. But sometimes they want to watch those weird YouTube videos of grown men unpacking boxes of Legos or Playdoh, and they start whining: “Turn on the wiiiiiii-fiiiiiii!” (I keep ours turned off during the day if we aren’t using it.)

If you’ve got a kid, an iPad or other tablet, and WiFi, you might want to invest in a Anti-radiation tablet case. When we initially reviewed anti-radiation devices for cell phones, we were really skeptical. It’s hard to prove that these devices work, and many tech reviews are negative.

Happy summer, everyone! Let’s see if I can make it a full week home with both kids before counting the days until school starts again!

Stay sane,

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September: Detox Your Mattress! Easy Toxin-Free Mattress Help

Maia James — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 00:55:53 +0000

By John, Certified Holistic Health Coach

In January of 2018, instead of making the usual resolutions that we’ve given up on by the end of the month, we decided to break it up by dividing some big goals into manageable chunks.

Each month, we invite you to overhaul one aspect of your life to reduce toxins, improve health, and increase your peace of mind. Our promise is that these changes will be easy to implement, helping you avoid resolution overwhelm.

If you’re just joining us, you’ll want to check out:

January’s mini resolution on upgrading junk foods
February’s with a medicine cabinet detox
March’s on improving indoor air quality
April’s five ways to clean up your cleaning products
May’s on making your yard non-toxic
June’s water safety tips
July’s guide to natural skincare products
August’s with seven ways to have a healthier pet.

September’s resolution is for those of you who are worried that your existing bed might be dangerous and want to get a toxin-free mattress.

You might be worried about some well-known contaminants, such as flame retardants, phthalates, and other VOCs. We’ve written and frequently updated a comprehensive Safe Mattress Guide, but maybe you still feel confused.

Below are the three scenarios we encounter most often when helping our readers find the best toxin-free mattress for their budget. If none of them fits your situation, comment below and I’ll be happy to help!

If you….

1) …want to have the safest toxin-free mattress on the market, and aren’t so worried about cost…

As of this writing, there are only three mattress manufacturers that have top-notch, independent, third-party certifications for their products. We categorize these mattresses as The Best Stuff, and they are:

Soaring Heart
Naturepedic (Use code Gimme15 for 15% off on Naturepedic’s site).
My Green Mattress ($125 off mattresses twin and larger and 15% off the Emily crib and accessories with code gtgs at checkout.)

(At Gimme the Good Stuff, we all sleep on Soaring Heart mattresses ourselves, as we found them to be the most luxurious in terms of comfort.)

2)…are worried about your mattress but can’t afford the ones recommended above…

The following four mattresses, while they do not have the very best certifications of non-toxicity, contain no chemical flame-retardants and seem to be fairly committed to non-toxicity.

What if these are still too expensive?

If you don’t like these four options, or the price is still too high, the next six mattress brands also do not have chemical flame-retardants, but they have even less reliable/rigorous certifications than the ones listed above.

3) …have a toxic mattress but cannot afford to replace it at all…

First, don’t bother trying to wrap the mattress to trap the toxins inside. Our extensive research shows that there is no non-toxic wrap or case for a mattress that can block toxic flame-retardants and VOCs.

Instead, if you are stuck with your potentially toxic mattress for the time being, you can do the following to significantly reduce your exposure to its problematic chemicals.

Invest in a high-quality portable air filter. Running one in the bedrooms will do a lot to not only reduce toxins (particles and VOC’s) from your mattress but will also knock back many other toxins found in your home. Having one on wheels will make moving it from a bedroom to a living area much easier. Start with kids’ rooms first if you’re worried about their mattresses—as you probably know, tiny bodies are more sensitive to a range of toxins!

$995.00Buy Now

Get a good true HEPA vacuum cleaner and use it daily in your bedrooms. Older mattresses can contain chemical flame retardants that shed from the mattress throughout its life. They are tiny particles (as opposed to a gas) so they constantly fall to the floor and are easily spread into the air throughout your home. Vacuuming daily with a true HEPA machine is the best solution. Don’t sweep; that will just spread the dust around.

Make sure the rest of your bed is toxin-free. Invest in some good natural pillows, organic sheets, and perhaps even a safer bed frame.

I hope that this helps simplify the process of buying a toxin-free mattress. (Here is another post on making your bedroom a true sanctuary from toxins and radiation.)

Feel free to ask questions below, and for more about why conventional mattresses are so dangerous, and what makes some certifications better than others, read our Safe Mattress Guide.

Stay sane,

P.S. We have codes for discounted rates on two of the mattresses mentioned above:

Use code SAVE50 at checkout for $50 off on LifeKind’s website.
Get 5% off your entire order at Metta Bed with code GOODSTUFF at checkout.

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4 Simple Ways to Reduce Pesticides in Your Diet (and Home)

Maia James — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 12:57:52 +0000

Written by Maia, President & Founder

We all grew up hearing that we should “eat more fruits and veggies.” Now, as parents, we often go to great lengths to get a “rainbow of color” into our kids’ diets.

Most of us struggle with this—when it comes to vegetables, my kids will only consistently eat broccoli and asparagus, so it’s hardly a rainbow!

As many of you know, there is a dark side to fruits and vegetables.

Conventionally grown produce is often laden with agricultural chemicals. This includes toxic pesticides that the government has yet to ban, despite incredibly strong scientific evidence of harm to human health.

(For more on this, check out “Poison Fruit,” Sharon Lerner’s recent article about Dow Chemical’s efforts to prevent the government from banning chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide linked to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Warning: Don’t read before bedtime—you may be too angry and scared to sleep!)

The good news is that there are simple (and affordable!) steps you can take to reduce the pesticides in your diet.

How to Reduce Pesticides in Your Family’s Diet

1. Buy organic produce—where it counts.

I know, I know…organic produce is often more expensive—like, much more expensive—than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.

I don’t recommend that you blow your monthly budget on organic fruits and vegetables. Instead, spend your fruit and veggie dollars strategically by using the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists.

Buy Organic to Reduce Pesticides

EWG’s 2016 Dirty Dozen List

Strawberries

Apples

Peaches
Nectarines

Celery
Grapes
Cherries

Spinach

Tomatoes

Sweet bell peppers

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumbers

These lists guide you to buy organic versions of the fruits and vegetables that tend to have the highest levels of pesticides, and buy conventional versions of the cleaner ones.

These changes matter. Switching to more organic produce has a positive effect on pesticide levels in the body, and this effect happens in a matter of days, according to research by Chensheng Lu and colleagues.

2. Wash produce wisely to reduce pesticides.

My clients ask me all the time how they can wash fruit to reduce pesticides in their kids’ diets.

Short answer: you can’t simply wash (or peel) away pesticides, but simple washing methods still matter.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) says that washing produce is not the best way to reduce pesticide exposure. Their pesticide risk rankings are based on tests of fruits and vegetables “as eaten,” or washed and peeled as appropriate for the specific type of produce. The EWG says that pesticides can be in the whole fruit, not just on the outside.

That said, you should still wash produce before eating it. Here are some tips:

Use cold, running water (soaking or dunking just re-exposes produce to the stuff you’re trying to wash away).
Scrub the surface of root vegetables and other firm-skinned produce.
Dry with a clean cloth.
Peel when appropriate, and remove the outer leaves of leafy produce.

What about fruit and veggie washes and DIY tricks like soaking produce in a vinegar solution to reduce pesticides?

I don’t generally think it’s worth the extra expense or effort. Store-bought produce washes often have sketchy ingredients, although this one is safe.

As for vinegar as a way to reduce pesticides, it has to be used in a pretty high concentration (like 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) to kill some microbes, and I couldn’t find compelling evidence that it reduces pesticide levels better than washing with water alone.

Unless you are dealing with a compromised immune system, the tips I offer above are the easiest and most effective ways to get your produce clean.

3. Filter your water.

Because agricultural chemicals have been so widely used for many decades, they are present in our environment, including our drinking water. This is one of the many reasons that I recommend that people use a comprehensive water filter in their homes.

4. Lose shoes at the door.

You’ve probably heard me say this before, but one of the simplest things you can do to decrease the toxic load in your house (and keep it a little cleaner!) is to make sure that everyone removes their shoes at the door.

Otherwise, you’re tracking in all kinds of gross stuff, including chemicals used in gardens, farms, lawns and parks; animal feces; lead-contaminated dust; etc.

If you have dogs or other indoor-outdoor animals, wipe down their paws at the door.

These habits are especially important if you have rugs and carpets (toxins can linger in the fibers for years, even if you clean diligently) and if you have young children who spend a lot of time on the floor.

Stay sane,

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July: Switch to the Best Natural Skincare Products

Maia James — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 16:56:08 +0000

Written by Maia, President & Founder

In January of 2018, instead of making the usual resolutions that we’ve given up on by the end of the month, we decided to break it up by dividing some big goals into manageable chunks.

(If you’re just joining us, here is January’s mini resolution on upgrading junk foods, February’s with a medicine cabinet detox, March’s on improving indoor air quality, April’s five ways to clean up your cleaning products, May’s on making your yard non-toxic, and June’s on water safety.)

Happy July! I want to dedicate this month to making over your collection of personal-care products. This is one of the our only mini resolutions that isn’t about your children; my bet is that most of you are much more careful about what you slather on their little bodies, and you are probably already using mostly Good Stuff on them.

So this month, I am going to recommend the best natural skincare products for the adults in your home.

Toxins in Skincare Products

As is the case with so many of the products we review on this site, synthetic fragrances are often the biggest offenders in skincare products.

Manufacturers don’t have to disclose exactly what’s in their fragrance blend. You’ll just see “fragrance” or “parfum” listed in the ingredients, but often this means dozens of chemicals, hormone-disrupting phthalates usually among them.

Other chemicals that you want to avoid in skincare products include:

Synthetic preservatives, like parabens (benzylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben etc.), which mimic estrogen and are implicated in breast cancer. Other toxic preservatives include BHT and methylisothiazolinone. Food grade preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate are somewhat controversial, but safer than their conventional counterparts.
Chemical sunscreen ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which are endocrine disruptors. Safer sunscreen ingredients include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
Foaming agents like cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which is often contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a suspected human carcinogen. Safer surfactants include lauramine oxide and sodium lauryl sulfate SLS).

(Read about the difference between sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate here.)

Best Natural Skincare for Babies & Kids

This post focuses on the best natural skincare products for adults, but due to their small size and developing immune systems, babies and children are even more sensitive to toxins.

Swap out conventional hair- and skincare products for truly nontoxic options. These Safe Product Guides can help:

Sunscreen

Kids’ body wash

Kids’ shampoo

Kids’ lotion

Diaper cream

Best Natural Skincare Products For Grownups

Here’s my strategy for upgrading to the best natural skincare products: start with the stuff that stays on your skin for extended periods, that you use on large areas of your body, and that you use daily or almost daily. You’ll then move on to the adult personal-care products that you rinse off immediately, such such as soap.

The list that follows is in order of importance (deodorant is first because your shaved armpits make for easy-entry of the many toxins found in conventional antiperspirant brands).

1. Deodorant
  
  Avoid these deodorant ingredients: parabens, fragrance, potassium alum
  
  Safest brands: Soapwalla, Schmidt’s, Native
  
  Read our Safe Deodorant Guide.
2. Body Lotion
  
  Avoid these lotion ingredients: PEG chemicals, parabens, fragrance, benzyl alcohol
  
  Favorite brands: All Good, Farmaesthetics, Seventh Generation
  
  Read our Safe Lotion Guide.
3. Shaving Cream/Soap
  
  Avoid these shaving cream ingredients: fragrance, PEG chemicals, benzyl alcohol, potassium hydroxide
  
  Favorite brands: Dr. Bronner’s, Badger
4. Body Wash
  
  Avoid these body wash ingredients: BHT, cocamidopropyl betaine, fragrance
  
  Favorite brands: Mama Suds, Dr. Bronner’s
5. Bar Soap
  
  Avoid these bar soap ingredients:
  
  fragrance, triclosanFavorite brands: Paleo Skincare, Christina Maser, FarmaestheticsRead our Safe Soap Guide.
6. Face lotions/toners/anti-aging products
  
  Avoid these anti-aging ingredients: avobenzone, PEG chemicals, BHT, fragrance
  
  Here’s my favorite anti-aging product, and this is the night cream I use.
7. Facial cleansers
  
  Avoid these face cleanser ingredients: PEG chemicals, fragrance, methylisothiazolinone
  
  Favorite brands: Acure, Beautycounter , Farmaesthetics

Stay Sane,

P.S. This month we focused on skincare since I think that’s most important when it comes to personal care. Check the following posts for help with other personal care products:

Shop This Story

Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant

Green Goo Body Lotion

$16.95 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Dr. Bronner’s Shaving Soap

$14.95Buy Now

Mama Suds Body Wash

Paleo Skincare Tallow Soap

$9.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Farmaesthetics Nourishing Herbal Cream

Acure Organics Facial Toner

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The post July: Switch to the Best Natural Skincare Products appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

June: Filtering Your Water

johnlockegoss — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 17:10:05 +0000

By John, Certified Holistic Health Coach

This January, instead of making the usual resolutions that we’ve given up on by the end of the month, we decided to break it up by dividing some big goals into manageable chunks.

A human can go for weeks without food, but without water we can only make it about a week, at best. Our bodies consist of about 70% water. Water that is free from a wide range of contaminants should be a high priority.

June marks the beginning of the warmest months of the year, and a time when we all (should!) drink more water. But even in places with “good water,” what comes out of our faucets is often contaminated with a wide range of toxins, heavy metals, and trace pharmaceuticals. This month, I invite you to invest in a filtration system that will improve your water, health, and peace of mind!

The sheer volume of water-treatment options is staggering. We offer only a limited number of filtration systems in our online store because most folks need only one of a few options. We see no need to make things more confusing!

You can learn more in our article, Do You Need a Water Filter?, but below I’ll tell you what you want to get out of your water, and then four filter options that will do that.

Filtering Your Water

The main things we want to get out of our water are as follows:

1) Chlorine

Chlorine is used to kill many biological agents, including bacterias like cryptosporidium, giardia, and cyclospora. Chlorine is incredibly effective, but chlorine in drinking water is implicated a wide variety of health problems, from cancer and heart disease to reproductive problems and more.

2) Heavy Metals

Lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, mercury, and more easily bio-accumulate in our bodies and can cause serious long-term health problems.

3) Pharmaceuticals

This is a relatively new source of toxins now found in water supplies throughout the world. Pharmaceuticals pass though those who take them and are eliminated through our urine. They are flushed and later show back up in drinking water.

4) Industrial products/byproducts

DDT, Dioxins, Percholate, Hexachlorobenzene, MtBE, PCB’s, Chromium VI and many others can now be found in the water of many towns.

5) Radioactive elements

These are now showing up in some locations. If you have them, you should of course filter them out. This usually requires reverse osmosis technology.

6) Fluoride

There is robust debate over the use of fluoride in drinking water. Some believe it to be okay while others can point to studies suggest it is a potent neurotoxin. I choose to filter it from my water.

Filtering Your Water: Choosing the Right Filter

We offer three basic types of filtration systems in our store.

Two-Stage KDF/GAC/carbon block filtration. These filters take care of most of the contaminants found in municipal drinking water, but they lack a fluoride filter. Choose an under-counter or counter-top model. Requirements: A hole in your countertop for the under-counter model, and a faucet with an aerator tip for the countertop model. Do you live in a city? If so, you should invest in a pre-filter for your system.
Three-Stage KDF/GAC/carbon block filtration. This model includes a fluoride filter. Choose an under-counter or countertop model. Requirements: A hole in your countertop for the under-counter model, and a faucet with an aerator tip for the countertop model. Do you live in a city? If so, you should invest in a pre-filter for your system.
ZIP Countertop Reverse Osmosis filter system. These filters are perfect for folks who cannot put a hole in their countertop and/or have the modern type faucet that will not connect to the KDF/GAC/carbon block countertop unit. They are also great for folks who may have radioactive elements in their water.

A Word About Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filtration

RO does a great job filtering water of just about everything. One of the downsides is that RO traditionally wastes 4-5 times as much water as they produce. The ZIP limits the amount of waste-water and even stores it in a special chamber so that it can be used elsewhere in the home (we use ours to water plants). RO filtration also removes beneficial dissolved minerals, so care should be taken to be sure that your diet contains these trace minerals. For most of us that is not a problem.

What About Charcoal Filtering Bottles?

Activated carbon is a great filter medium, but usually water is forced through the charcoal by the pressure in the system. When you just drop a stick of charcoal into your water bottle and head off to yoga, there is simply not enough time for any significant filtration to occur.

Finally, water also enters into our bodies when we shower and the chlorine that’s added to all municiple water sources enters with it. Chlorine can also become a gas when heated and thus get into our lungs when taking a steamy shower. To prevent this, it’s worth considering a shower and/or bath filter.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions.

Stay Sane,

Shop This Story

Three-Stage Under-Counter Filter (includes fluoride filtration)

$294.99Buy Now

Three-Stage Countertop Filter (includes fluoride filtration)

$220.99Buy Now

Two-Stage Under-Counter Filter (does not filter fluoride)

$220.99Buy Now

Two-Stage Countertop Water Filter (does not filter fluoride)

$140.00Buy Now

Reverse Osmosis Countertop Filter

$469.95Add to cart

Shower Filter

$69.95Buy Now

Bathtub Filter

$79.95Buy Now

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April: Five Ways to Clean Up Your Cleaning Products

Maia James — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 16:39:42 +0000

Written by Maia, President

This January, instead of making the usual resolutions that we’ve given up on by the end of the month, we decided to break it up by dividing some big goals into manageable chunks.

(If you’re just joining us, here is January’s mini resolution on upgrading junk foods, February’s with a medicine cabinet detox, and March’s on improving indoor air quality.)

By April, resolutions feel like a distant memory, don’t they? But stick with us, because this month we are taking on a SUPER important one: non-toxic cleaning products. For one thing, April is, in theory, when many of us take on spring cleaning projects. For another, there has been a recent flurry of news articles about how regular exposure to conventional cleaning products is as bad for you as smoking a pack a day. I believe it!

With all the greenwashing and Sneaky Stuff out there, how can you be sure you are using truly non-toxic cleaning products?

5 Ways to Find Effective Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

You don’t have to make your own cleaning products.

Of course, you can totally make your own non-toxic cleaning products–and there are tons of online resources that tell you how. I have finally, at nearly 40 years old, accepted that I am not a DIYer, in pretty much any aspect of my life (see: that time I tried to become a no-pooer.)

So, I’m still buying cleaning products and probably always will. The good news that is you can totally buy non-toxic cleaning products that are just as safe as what you can make at home.
Avoid the most toxic ingredients.

Rather than trying to memorize every single problematic ingredient out there, which gets overwhelming REALLY quickly (see: sodium lauryl sulfate vs. sodium laureth sulfate), focus on the ones that are often found in “natural” cleaning products.

Here are the three most common dangerous ingredients:
1) Fragrance, which can contain hundreds of undisclosed chemicals.
2) Methylisothiasolinone, a preservative favored by greenwashed brands.
3) Cocamidopropyl betaine, an endocrine-disrupting, “naturally derived” foaming agent.

(If you’re sticking to brands that are at least marketing themselves as being non-toxic, they aren’t going to have the most common Bad Stuff, such as parabens, BHA, chlorine bleach, and triclosan, so don’t worry about remembering those.)
Set it and forget it with subscription cleaning products.

One thing that’s so frustrating about trying to find non-toxic cleaning products is that there are very few brands that make across-the-board Good Stuff. Once you find something that you know is safe and that works well, I recommend subscribing so that you never find yourself in the cleaning aisle of Whole Foods, trying to remember which products are Sneaky Stuff.

Of course, you can always shop from our online store, where I’ve vetted every single item. We also offer subscription services for our non-toxic cleaning products, or you can set it up recurring deliveries on Amazon.
Sneaky Stuff is better than Bad Stuff!

When it comes to shopping for non-toxic cleaning products, the most important thing you can do is avoid the Bad Stuff. This means staying away from all conventional cleaning products–think Tide, Windex, Clorox, and Mr. Clean (with this exception).

Even brands that we have deemed Sneaky Stuff–like Mrs. Meyers, Babyganics, and Method–are way better than the ones that don’t even claim to make non-toxic cleaning products. So when in doubt, choose anything in a natural foods store over a drug store.
Remember these three brands.

In many cases, certain products by one brand will be Good Stuff, while others will be Sneaky (Seventh Generation is big with this). Here are three brands that make only truly non-toxic cleaning products: MamaSuds, Eco-Me, and Sonett. You can’t go wrong with anything made by these three.

I hope that these tips will make it easier to switch over to only non-toxic cleaning products. Please share your own favorite brands–or recipes if you are a DIYer–below.

Stay sane,

P.S. Download a cheat sheet of all my favorite cleaning products–from floor cleaners to dishwasher rinse aids–here.

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The post April: Five Ways to Clean Up Your Cleaning Products appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide

Maia James — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 18:19:36 +0000

Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide

1. Xtrema / 2. Lodge / 3. Cuisinox / 4. Le Creuset / 5. Wild Peak / 6. Visions / 7. Green Pan / 8. Always Pan

Your Comprehensive Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware

I’m lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of great restaurants that are “healthful.” I put that word in quotes because while organic French fries cooked in trans-fat free oil are better than what you’ll get at McDonald’s, they aren’t exactly kale chips.

So we try to cook at home most nights. My husband is actually much more of a chef than I am, so he is the one who purchases most of our pots and pans (and woks and stockpots and mandolins and 87 different knives…he loves kitchen gadgets!).

As with many products in our home (from toilet paper to shampoo), Daylon is primarily worried about the performance of his cookware, and I am mainly worried about the safety.

My Top Pick for Less-Stick Cookware

Xtrema‘s non-toxic cookware is my favorite, because while I can’t call it non-stick, it is “less stick.”
Buy now from Xtrema

Are There Toxins in Cookware?

Unfortunately, pots and pans might be introducing toxins into your food as you cook. The big takeaway from our research is that most types of cookware do infuse small amounts of material into our food. Some of those things are bad for us, some are good in the right quantity, and some are neutral.

And as much as we should avoid toxins in what we breathe and touch, we REALLY should avoid eating them! For this reason, many of you have asked about safe, non-toxic cookware.

I hope this guide helps you decide what cookware to eliminate, and what non-toxic cookware to buy when it’s time for new pots and pans.

(Please note: We will cover bakeware in a separate Safe Product Guide. Stay tuned!)

Safe Non-toxic Cookware: Types of Cookware

Pots and pans come in a wide range of materials. Part of the reason that this guide has been months in the making is that reviewing cookware for safety is complicated! Some cookware materials are okay, if you have the right variety, or if you don’t use them every day.

To simplify things, I’ve indicated by the color of the text if the material is always good (green), always bad (red), or more nuanced (orange) in my list below. Orange means that the material can be Good Stuff under certain circumstances, but caution should be exercised:

Carbon steel
Ceramic
Lava rock
Porcelain enamel
Tempered glass
Cast iron
Stainless steel
Titanium
Aluminum
Copper
Non-stick/Teflon
Plastic
Clay

For more details on these materials, and the brands we like most (and which brands should be avoided), check out the Good, Bad, and Sneaky brands here:

The Good Stuff

The Absolute Best in Non-Toxic Cookware

Cast Iron

For most of human history, people suffered from iron deficiencies, so cooking with cast iron helped to prevent anemia. In modern cultures, the opposite is true. Most of us get plenty of iron, and there’s a point at which ingesting too much can be problematic. In our kitchen, we try to switch between cast iron pans and pans made of other materials (mostly stainless steel) throughout the week, and if you wanted to be extra cautious you could avoid cast iron for recipes with long cooking durations or acidic foods, as this will cause increased leaching.Our favorite cast iron pan is this one from Lodge, and it’s made in America.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel pans are generally Good Stuff, but stainless steel is made with nickel. The more nickel in the mix, the more “stainless” it is. The problem is that our bodies can handle some nickel, but too much isn’t healthy. This means that high quality stainless steel cookware, which has higher percentages of nickel, is actually of more concern than lower quality stainless steel. We know that stainless steel pans do leach nickel (along with some chromium and iron), especially with longer cooking times and when cooking acidic foods such as tomatoes.

To minimize the potential for nickel leaching, you’d ideally want a pan that’s 18/4 or 18/0 stainless steel (that first number is the percentage of chromium; the second is nickel). This hard to find, so the best you can usually get is 18/8 and most of the ones we use are 18/10. Cuisinox is our favorite brand.

I wouldn’t be concerned about using stainless steel as long as you just switch up your cookware, sometimes using cast iron and enamel pots and pans. If you’re still worried, you could avoid stainless steel when cooking something for long time periods.

You could also try this pot from Uniware, which is 18/8.

Porcelain Enamel

In essence, enamel is a form of glass. Enameled cookware is most often cast iron with an enamel coating. I feel that this type of cookware is completely non-toxic and wonderful to cook with. Some people have worried about lead in the enamel cookware, since the enamel coating is often made of clay, which can leach lead. For peace of mind, we got this lead test kit and tested the Le Creuset cookware in two of our homes. No lead was detected. I cannot vouch for other brands of porcelain enamel cookware, but feel good about Le Creuset! One caveat: Le Creuset says that there are trace amounts of lead on the outside of the bright-colored Le Creuset pots (such as red and orange). They add that “these levels are very low, but the interior enamel is completely free of lead.” I have the orange pot, and the outside still tested negative, as you can see below.

No lead was detected in our Le Creuset pots, inside or out.

In addition to Le Creuset, I also like Staub, which hails from France as well.

Ceramic

True ceramic cookware is really great stuff. Unfortunately, there is some deceptive marketing around ceramic cookware. Most, including the big name brands (like Farberware and Calphalon) are coated with nonstick materials. We are only aware of one company that does it right, and that’s Xtrema.

Xtrema ceramic isn’t exactly like Teflon; it’s more “less-stick” than non-stick, but it’s worth getting used to!

Another upside to Xtrema pieces is that they are safe to use in the dishwasher, stove, and microwave and can be washed with steel wool.

For those of you who have asked about Dr. Mercola’s line of ceramic non-toxic cookware, it is Xtrema (with a private label!).

Buy Now from Xtrema

Crock Pots/Slow Cookers

Most crockpots/slow cookers contain a ceramic insert. There is a lot of debate about the possibility of lead leaching from the glazing on ceramic pots. In the U.S., all crockpots must pass FDA regulations for lead, but that still leaves the door ajar for small amounts of lead. Many slow cookers are manufactured in China and there is a general distrust for these products because it is difficult to know their practices.

The easiest way to detect lead is to purchase an inexpensive test kit.

One mom went to great lengths to know once and for all if her glazed crock pot might contain lead: The Skinny on Lead in Crock Pots. First she called several manufacturers and asked about lead in their glazing. Every one told her that there is no lead and their products comply with FDA rules. Not satisfied, she bought a wide variety of crockpots from a local thrift store. These included essentially all of the major manufacturers. She swabbed them with the test kit and found zero lead. She then took the crocks to a testing facility that uses a specific tool that is very sensitive to lead.

The results were that there was no lead found in any of the crocks. (I tested my own and had the same result.) So, if you’re a crockpot fan, we say it’s the Good Stuff!

All-Clad makes a really nice crock pot, but you can find others that are less expensive, too.

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is sometimes used for frying pans and woks. It’s similar to cast iron, and can leach small amounts of iron into food, which is great if you happen to have someone with slight anemia in your home!

We like this carbon steel wok on Amazon:

Titanium

It turns out that titanium is a non-toxic and biocompatible metal, so it’s used for medical instruments, dental implant devices, and joint replacements. Titanium is also lightweight and extremely strong. Titanium cookware uses an aluminum base for even heat transfer and distribution. The non-porous, non-stick titanium outer surface does not allow any aluminum to leach through.

The only reason to be cautious about titanium cookware is that it seems that most manufacturers now coat their titanium cookware with non-stick finishes, rendering it “Bad Stuff.” (See more on the problems with non-stick, below). I found one brand on Amazon, Health Pro that doesn’t appear to be coated with any non-stick chemicals.

Tempered Glass

Glass is probably the most inert of any cooking surface, and you can even get pots and pans made of this ultimate Good Stuff!

We like this set from Visions.

Lava Rock

These unusual cooking surfaces have been used for thousands of years. Based on our research, lava rock appears to be entirely non-toxic. You might try this cooking platter made of lava rock.

What About GreenPan and the Always Pan?

We originally called GreenPan Sneaky Stuff, because they don’t disclose exactly what they use in their nonstick cookware line. They’ve recently provided the results of independent tests, and these are hugely reassuring regarding contamination with heavy metals.

GreenPan’s nonstick coating is the proprietary Thermion, which is “made by a Sol-Gel process that results in forming a coating layer on the surface of the pan. This layer comprises mainly Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), which is the same composition as glass.” We are now comfortable calling GreenPan Good Stuff!

As for the Always Pan, they are slightly less transparent than GreenPan, but they have disclosed the independent testing that reveals that their pan doesn’t contain heavy metals. It looks to me like they are using the same exact technology (Sol-Gel) as GreenPan. While we’d love them to be more transparent, we can’t call them Bad Stuff or Sneaky Stuff.

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The Bad Stuff

Plastic

Believe it or not, you can actually get a plastic pot. Don’t buy one; all kinds of Bad Stuff—from phthalates to BPA to worse—leaches out of many types of plastic when heated. (You probably already know that you shouldn’t microwave food in plastic either, right?).

Aluminum

Various studies have linked elevated aluminum levels to everything from anemia and other blood disorders to ALS and Parkinson’s. Avoid all aluminum cookware. Note that pans with an aluminum core within cookware made of safer metals (such as stainless steel) are fine—you just want to make sure that no aluminum touches your food.

Unprotected Copper

Like iron, copper is an essential mineral. A healthy diet supplies plenty of copper, but elevated levels of copper in your body can be toxic.

Many foods can react with unprotected copper cookware (where the food comes in direct contact with the copper) and leach too much copper into your food. Copper-core cookware is fine, though copper cookware that is “protected” with a coating of stainless steel is subject to the same concerns as stainless steel (see above, under The Good Stuff).

Nonstick (Teflon)

The debate about nonstick cookware has been raging for decades. You can read many reports claiming that Teflon is harmless, but the studies showing it to be toxic are far more convincing. The EPA told companies in 2015 to phase out some of the chemicals in their formulations due to health concerns, and the EWG advises consumers to avoid Teflon.

Most nonstick pans are aluminum coated with polytetrafluoroetheylene (PTFE), otherwise known as Teflon. The big issue with Teflon isn’t ingesting it, but rather breathing it in when it gets hot (it’s actually toxic enough to kill pet birds!). Teflon-coated pans should be avoided.

And yes, even expensive, high-tech non-stick pans (such as Circulon) should be avoided.

If you want a good less-stick pan, check out this ceramic option.

The Sneaky Stuff

“Non-toxic” Nonstick Pans

Newer “safe” nonstick pans are increasingly available, but unless we’ve included them above, under The Good Stuff, we advise you to proceed with caution.

Any nonstick pan that says it’s “PFOA-Free” is really Sneaky, because no nonstick pans contain PFOA (it’s created during production but always burned off in the final product). Pans that specify that they are free of PFOA almost certainly contain PTFE. And even pans that are free of both often contain “proprietary” nonstick materials, which carry unknown risks.

Unglazed Clay Cookware (“Earthenware”)

Companies like Earthen Cookware and Vitaclay have gained in popularity because they contain no finish of any kind. However, the clay itself can provide a health risk, as it may contain harmful—albeit natural—things like aluminum, cadmium, and lead.

Without testing your pot for every possible contaminant, you have no way of knowing what might be leaching into your food—without a glaze on the pot, there is no protective barrier between what’s in the clay and your meal.

To me the risks of unglazed clay pots and pans outweigh the potential benefits of the good minerals that might leach into your food—calcium, iron, etc. While both Vitaclay and Miriams’s Earthen Cookware do provide testing showing their products free of specific heavy metals, the actual composition of the clay in both cases is “proprietary,” which is why I’m calling both of them Sneaky Stuff.

Coated Ceramic

Under The Good Stuff tab, I mentioned ceramic cookware; just remember to avoid any ceramic pots and pans that are treated with nonstick materials, which includes brands like Caphalon and Farberware. As I said above, we are only aware of one company making safe ceramic cookware, and that’s Xtrema.

The Best Nontoxic Teakettle

Lots of you have asked about the best non-toxic teakettle. Our picks are Xtrema, Staub, or Cuisinox, with the latter being the one we use in our own kitchens.

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Safe, Natural Laundry Detergent Guide

Maia James — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 23:10:51 +0000

UPDATED: FEBRUARY 2018

I remember fondly the days before I started using natural laundry detergents….While I was never was a big fan of cologne, I used to find a man who emitted the intoxicating scent of Tide to be irresistible.

For the last ten years, Daylon’s clothes have smelled like Tandi’s Naturals laundry soap—which is to say they smell like essentially nothing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Read on to learn more about why I made the switch the natural laundry soaps, what to look out for in conventional laundry products, and how to avoid the Sneaky Stuff.

My Top Pick for the Best Natural Laundry Soap

I thought I would never fall in love with a powder laundry soap, until I met Tandi’s. Try it. You’ll see. (Plus it has absolutely nothing concerning in the ingredients).

$19.99 – $28.99 — or subscribe and save up to 15%Buy Now

Toxins in Laundry Detergent

All laundry detergents leave a residue on clothing, which is absorbed by our skin (and inhaled). The ill effects of some of the chemicals in detergents range from skin or eye irritation to possibly much more serious, such as endocrine disruption (some ingredients are even considered potential carcinogens, but I’m not going to suggest that if you don’t give up your Tide you’ll get cancer).

Best Natural Laundry Soap for Cloth Diapers

If you’re a cloth-diapering mama, then you need to know about Mama Suds.

$17.99 – $18.50 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

What Are the Ingredients in Tide?

Because of “trade secrets,” manufacturers are not required to disclose what’s in their laundry detergent, so the ingredient list is usually vague and not very helpful. Conventional laundry detergent generally contain the following:

synthetic detergents, which are often made of petrochemicals
phenols (established endocrine disruptors, of which BPA is the most notorious)
beloved, delicious, and totally toxic fragrance (which usually contains phthalates)
optical brighteners, which are often made from benzene, a definite carcinogen
bleach, which contains chlorine (an environmental toxin–and possibly a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor)
phosphates, which break down minerals and render detergent more effective, but with harmful environmental ramifications

Dirty Detergents

A 2008 study found that of all the top selling laundry detergent brands tested, each contained at least one ingredient considered hazardous under federal law. None of these ingredients was listed on the label and the study didn’t disclose which brands were tested—annoying, I know!

Do You Need a Special Detergent for Baby Clothes?

When I was pregnant and setting up a nursery that would never be used (Felix slept with us), everyone told me to wash all of his clothes in Dreft. After a bit of research I decided against it (see below, under “The Bad Stuff”).

I’m sure there are people who separate baby linens from other household laundry–probably the same people who make their bed in the morning even if no one is coming over. While I envy such organization, I personally feel successful if a cloth diaper is washed separately from a cashmere sweater.

More importantly, if my laundry detergent is an irritant for my babies’ skin (or worse), I don’t want to use it on my clothes! My own health aside, when my boys were infants I spent about 30 percent of my day snuggling their little naked bodies to my clothed one, so I was determined to find a safe, natural laundry detergent.

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Tallow-based laundry soap works as well as detergent and may not trigger eczema.

Who Uses Powder Detergent?

I used to think no one did, but then I tried it and it turns out it works just as well as liquid. The only one I use now is Tandi’s natural laundry soap, since almost every “natural” laundry detergent brand is not natural at all. Tandi’s contains nothing concerning and works so much better than the Sneaky Stuff we used to use (I remember washing Felix’s bibs in Seventh Generation detergent and then pulling them out of the dryer and seeing food still stuck on the fronts). I didn’t think I could fall in love with a tallow-based, powder detergent, but there you go. Tandi’s is the best natural laundry detergent for babies’ clothes and mine.

Here’s a video of my dad demonstrating the super cool dispenser on his favorite brand of Good Stuff laundry soap, Pure.

The Good Stuff

Better Life Laundry Detergent

Although this laundry liquid has a great safety profile, with an A from EWG, we had a number of customers complain that it faded the colors of their laundry, so we have chosen to stop carrying it in our online store.

Christina Maser Vegan Concentrated Laundry Soap

This is a natural laundry soap rather than a detergent, and a perfect alternative to Tandi’s for those of you who want a vegan option for your laundry. Start with a glass jar, and then refill with eco-friendly bags.

$22.00 – $29.00 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Dropps Sensitive Skin & Baby Detergent

Dropps Sensitive Skin & Baby Detergent is a good eco-friendly option, without dyes, phosphates, phthalates, and optical brighteners. New customers can use code Gimme25 for 25% off and existing customers can use Gimme15 for 15% off.

Eco-Me Laundry Detergent

This is my favorite liquid natural laundry detergent–it’s got a safe ingredients list, works well, and smells nice. EWG score:

Fit Organic Laundry Detergent

You guys have been asking about this one for years, and I am pleased to say that–after reviewing the ingredients in Fit’s various lines of natural laundry detergents–it is definitely Good Stuff! The surfactant is saponified coconut oil, and Fit laundry detergent doesn’t contain any of the usual gross preservatives. EWG score: A

Grab Green Laundry Detergent

If you love a detergent pod, here is your safest bet. GrabGreen contains a few mildly concerning ingredients (such as sodium metasilicate, which may have respiratory effects), but only in small concentrations. EWG score: B

PLEASE NOTE: Grab Green recently switched to synthetic fragrance (phthalate-free), so we only recommend the unscented natural laundry detergent. And their dish soap and hand soap should be avoided as they both contain SLES.

GreenShield Laundry Detergent

This awesome natural laundry detergent has a totally safe ingredients list, with the main cleaning agent being saponified organic coconut oil. The unscented variety is great for even those with the most sensitive skin (like babies). EWG score: A

MamaSuds Liquid Laundry

MamaSuds is a deep cleaning, all natural laundry soap that is safe for cloth diapers. This is NOT a detergent, and therefore you will not need a fabric softener when using it. MamaSuds household cleaning products are simple, nontoxic, and eco-friendly. They are also incredibly effective and completely free of the Bad Stuff.

Note: This soap contains borax.

$17.99 – $18.50 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Molly’s Suds

Molly’s Suds line of laundry products are safe, and even include some organic ingredients, such as peppermint oil.

MyGreenFills Refillable Laundry Wash

MyGreenFills has a very cool concept (and would save a ton of plastic!). Their surfactant (sodium cocoate) is safe, but I wasn’t sure about the “fragrance from natural sources.” I did hear back from them and it’s 100% essential oils! I’m a convert:).

Pure Natural Laundry Detergent

This natural laundry liquid has quickly become one of our favorite new laundry soaps! It is made from soap berries and does a great job. A little bit goes a long way, and the container has an easy to use measuring chamber. They come in a 2-pack which will wash 128 loads in an HE machine! (Here’s a video that shows you how to use this natural laundry soap!)

From: $24.99 / monthBuy Now

Sonett Laundry Liquid

This is my favorite natural laundry detergent. It’s made in Germany, smells delish (although it’s also available in an unscented Neutral), and gets our clothes super clean. Of course, it contains none of the questionable ingredients listed above.

$29.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Tandi’s Naturals

Tandi’s concentrated laundry soap is suitable for regular and HE washers. Tandi uses tallow as the basis for this soap, which she blends with natural cleaners like baking soda, plus essential oils for a delicate scent. This soap does not contain borax or SLS/SLES, and is a very effective option.

$19.99 – $28.99 — or subscribe and save up to 15%Buy Now

Zum Clean Laundry Soap

Almost all of Zum’s formulas are safe, with three primary ingredients: vegetable glycerin, saponified coconut oil, and baking soda. Avoid the Frankincense & Myrrh formula as it contains synthetic fragrance (although it is free of phthalates). EWG score: B-C, depending on formula

The Okay Stuff

Attitude

Attitude laundry detergent contains a few mildly concerning ingredients, like allyl caproate and sodium coco-sulfate, but isn’t a terrible option if the Good Stuff is unavailable.

Planet Laundry Detergent

Planet’s laundry detergent is an okay choice if you can’t find any of the Good Stuff, but I’m not crazy about the fact that it contains laureth-7, which contains a bunch of contamination concerns.

The Bad Stuff

Most big name and generic laundry detergents have the same bad stuff in them; if a bottle doesn’t list its specific ingredients on the label, I wouldn’t use it.

Dreft, as we all know, is marketed as being special for babies and recommended by many pediatricians. Amazingly, nowhere on Dreft.com are ingredients mentioned. The closest they come is under their FAQ:

Q: How is Dreft formulated for my baby’s laundry needs?

A: The Dreft® formula is designed to not only help fight tough baby and toddler stains, but also provide a gentle clean for baby.

With a bit more sleuthing, I was at last able to dig up a list of Dreft ingredients. Fragrance, propylene glycol,ethanolamine, ethanol, sodium hydroxide, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 4000 (which Skin Deep scores as 5-8), and about a dozen other ingredients make up the “gentle” clean of Dreft. EWG score: D-F, depending on formula.

Tide has a section of its website devoted to product ingredients, and a quick scan reveals that it’s made up of lots of stuff that the EWG’s Skin Deep Database scores as moderately to highly hazardous—such as benzisothiazolinone, fragrance, FD&C Yellow 3, and laureth-9. EWG score: D-F, depending on formula.

The Sneaky Stuff

BabyGanics Loads of Love Laundry Detergent. Contains SLES and undisclosed conditioning agents. I like that they are relatively transparent about all of their ingredients, and while nothing sounds particularly horrid, when I asked for more details on what was meant by “naturally derived plant based cleaning agents,” they admitted: “Our products do not contain SLS however some our products do have SLES in them.” Yuck! I’ve often made my peace with SLS, but definitely not with its more sinister cousin, which is sometimes contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a well-established carcinogen. EWG Score: F.

BioKleen uses cocamidopropyl betaine as a surfactant, so I cannot call this Okay Stuff.

Caldrea Laundry Detergent. Also contains neurotoxic methylisothiazolinone and sodium laureth sulfate. EWG score: F.

Charlie’s Soap is the perennial favorite on tons of natural living blogs, and having used their powder formula, I can attest to its effectiveness. Like other producers, Charlie’s is unwilling to provide their exact ingredients, and would only say this when I probed them further: “Our formulas are what make us special. They have been fully tested for toxicity (Duke University) and biodegradability (Japan Food Research Labs) and effectiveness (SGS US Testing Labs). They are unique and (following the practices of Coca-Cola) secret. Their formula is secret too, but that doesn’t keep folks from drinking it.” Hmmm, comparing themselves to Coke probably isn’t Charlie’s savviest PR move—The Coca-Cola Company is not exactly exemplary when it comes to concern for the health of its consumers. While Charlie’s denies using SLS or SLES, one of the ingredients they disclosed is sodium metasilicate–which Skin Deeps considers moderately hazardous and which the Journal of Reproduction and Fertility found to show reproductive effects in animals at low doses. EWG Score: D

Citra-Suds has also been moved from Good Stuff to Sneaky Stuff. One of my readers suspected that their laundry detergent contains sodium laureth sulfate and I followed up to discover that it does. When doing the initial review, I had an email exchange with a company representative and I asked twice if their laundry detergent contained SLES. I was told that it did not. I suspect that the woman I talked to was just uniformed, but this is no excuse. In addition, some Citra products (laundry and otherwise) contain limonene, a potential carcinogen and definite respiratory irritant. I was told they used orange oil for fragrance, which is a misleading answer as orange oil is technically a different (and harmless) ingredient. It also contains neurotoxic methylisothiazolinon. EWG Score: C.

Dapple’s various laundry detergents contain tetrasodium iminodisuccinate (which gets a C from EWG), cocamidopropyl betaine (which also gets a C), and benzisothiazolinone, which is a concerning preservative.

Earth Friendly ECOS laundry detergents contain bad surfactants (like cocamidopropyl betaine) and preservatives (neurotoxic methylisothiazolinone).

Ecover gets an A from EWG, but because it contains sodium laureth sulfate, which is known to be contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane, I consider it to be Sneaky Stuff.

Green Works Free & Clear Detergent contains a number of bad ingredients, including synthetic preservatives. EWG score: F.

Looks like Green Works laundry detergent is discontinued.

Method laundry products contain a number of concerning ingredients, from synthetic fragrance to PEG chemicals.

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Laundry Detergent. Contains synthetic fragrance (though phthalate-free), and preservatives such as methylisothiazolinone, a suspected neurotoxin. EWG Score: F.

Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soap contains a number of ingredients of concern, including alcohol ethoxylates (which gets a D from EWG), sodium metasilicate (which gets an F), and cocomide DEA (another F).

Ology Laundry Liquid contains a bunch of ingredients that give me pause, from laureth-7 to cocamidopropyl betaine. I don’t know why EWG gives this laundry detergent an A, but I strongly disagree with this assessment.

Puracy laundry detergent contains borax, which doesn’t worry me, but which I know many of my readers would prefer to avoid. Worse, it uses cocamidopropyl betaine as a surfactant.

Sapadilla Lovely Liquid Laundry Liquid contains cocamidopropyl betaine.

Seventh Generation Liquid Formulas. Also contains methylisothiazolinone. The powder formulas are okay, but not quite Good Stuff. EWG Score: D.

Tide Free & Gentle contains optical brighteners and 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen. (A recent New York Times blog post discussed Tide Free & Gentle specifically.) EWG Score: F.

A Note on Drycleaning

Be wary of organic dry-cleaning establishments. These are almost always sneaky! Learn how to find truly safe professional cleaning services in our recent blog meh “The Truth About Organic Drycleaning.”

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Safe Baby Bottle Cheat Sheet

Maia James — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 21:23:00 +0000

All bottle-feeding moms want the best non-toxic baby bottles for their babies, whether the bottles are is filled with breastmilk or formula or even water. Here’s how to make sure you’re using truly non-toxic baby bottles.

1. Avoid Plastic Baby Bottles (including “BPA-free” ones!)

Plastic bottles are tempting—they are inexpensive, readily available, lightweight, and hard to break. But plastic leeches chemicals, some of which are known endocrine disruptors (hello, BPA!).

Don’t be fooled by “BPA-free” labels. BPA-free plastics that contain BPA substitutes like BPS are possibly just as bad, if not worse. Bottom line: If you want non-toxic baby bottles, you’ll never be buying any kind of plastic.

2. Choose Glass or Stainless Steel Baby Bottles

The safest baby bottle material is probably glass. Glass bottles won’t leech anything into milk or formula. Whenever possible, choose glass for breast milk storage, too.

Food-grade stainless steel is a close second to glass. Stainless steel bottles are lighter and less breakable than glass. We love Pura Kiki infant bottles because they are totally plastic-free, come in two sizes (5 oz and 11 oz), are available insulated and non-insulated, and can be converted into bottles for toddlers, kids, and adults.

3. Silicone Baby Bottles Are Okay

Silicone baby bottles are better than plastic, but probably not as safe as glass or stainless steel; research on the safety of silicone is relatively limited. We do know that silicone may leech at very low and high temperatures, so you might consider skipping silicone bottles for hot liquids and avoid putting them in the freezer. I like the Comotomo Natural Feel silicone bottle. (Note: (These silicone bags are better than storing breast milk in plastic.)

4. Don’t Forget the Nipples

Food-grade silicone is probably the safest, most durable and hygienic material for baby bottle nipples. A close second is natural rubber nipples from a credible company like Hevea or Natursutten. Definitely skip synthetic latex nipples (like these by Gerber), which can contain a number of concerning additives.

Because my babies rarely drank from bottles, I can’t recommend a favorite in terms of efficacy. That’s why I need you guys to comment below on your favorites glass, stainless steel, and silicone baby bottles and nipples–please do so below!

Stay sane,

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Detoxing Your Medicine Cabinet with Natural Remedies

Suzanne Weaver-Goss — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:55:55 +0000

Making Your Medicine Cabinet Healthier

I am sure that my medicine cabinet doesn’t look like many 67-year-olds! I have been on a health quest since my mother died early in life when I was just 17 years old. Unlike my mother, I have lived to see my children grow up and I am now a grandmother to five wonderful grandchildren. Certainly some of that is good luck but I often wondered how my genetics might have cut my life short had I not made the changes I did.

Natural Remedies

Still, even the most health-conscious of us will get illnesses and have health issues from time. I am not opposed to Western medicine, but it does almost always come with some side effects, so I usually start with natural remedies if the illness doesn’t seem serious.

This month, I invite you to take a look in your own medicine cabinet and exchange some of your conventional medications for natural remedies. Of course, I am not a doctor so check with yours before making these changes.

Here are some treatments you’d find in my medicine cabinet.

1) Vitamins & Supplements

Science clearly shows that vitamins and minerals themselves are important to health, but it has also shown that the best way to get vitamins is from our food. I look for vitamins and supplements that are made from organic sources and food-sourced. Here are three that we like. (And here’s another post on vitamins for kids.)

Rainbow Light Women’s Multivitamin.

Megafood Women’s One Daily

Naturelo Wholefood Multivitamin for Women

2) Natural Remedies for Colds & Flu

Urban Moonshine remedies (there are many of them!) are made from only herbs. My favorite is the elderberry Immune Zoom, which I take at the first sign of a cold. For more specific symptoms related to upper respiratory issues, Urban Moonshine makes a Throat Spray as well as a Clear Chest Syrup. All of these are effective and bring relief when you need to get through an illness.

Farmaesthetics Lavender Rub is a must-have if you want to stock your cabinet with natural remedies! It’s great for colds, asthma, and allergies, and for strained muscle relief. It utilizes the heat-producing essential oils of ginger, rosemary, and eucalyptus to relax and release upper respiratory tightness. We use this instead of Vicks and Maia’s oldest son always requests it when he’s sick.

Umcka Cold Care is the cold and flu remedy that Maia swears by. She uses Umcka and I use Urban Moonshine Immune Zoom when we get a cold and we both have had success so either one is helpful.

I also stock up on these Throat Lozenges whenever I have a cold. I use them as cough drops instead of sugar-laden lozenges you’ll find in most drugstores.

3) For Cuts, Bruises & Boo Boos

Cuts usually heal on their own, and recent evidence even suggests that dirt contains beneficial bacteria that may help them heal. However, I generally rinse my cuts with water. Sometimes the children won’t let me, they just want a bandaid.

I keep different containers of Green Goo in my medicine cabinet at all times for various issues and mishaps. My favorite are:

Green Good First Aid for treating dry, cracked hands and feet, insect bites, scrapes, chafing, poison ivy, sunburns, and cuts.

Green Goo Skin Repair for sunburns, sun spots, puffy eyes, wrinkles, scars, dark circles, and minor burns.

Green Goo Dry Skin for dry, cracked hands and feet, itchy flaky rashes, eczema, psoriasis, and dry red bumps.

If you have a baby in the house I recommend keeping:

Green Goo Baby Balm to relieve symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, cradle cap, cuts and scrapes, diaper rash, and dry skin. You can massage it into baby’s skin head to toe!

4) Strained Muscles

Farmaesthetics Deep Lavender Rub, which I mentioned above as a great natural remedy for chest colds, is also great for muscle aches. I use it as a lineament for stiff or strained muscles, as it contains tons of lavender with its relaxing, antiviral, antibacterial properties to quiet the whole system.

You can also try an arnica rub for sore muscles.

5) Pain Relievers & Fever Reducers

If I have pain from a headache or muscle strain that’s not tolerable, I reach for old-fashioned aspirin, since ibuprofen and acetaminophen seem to come with a greater chance of long-term side effects. Of course, you can’t give a child aspirin, so in general I try to avoid treating fevers at all. (Here is how Maia decides whether or not to treat a fever.)

6) Ear Aches

The natural remedies below aren’t found found in your medicine cabinet, but they are so effective that I want to share them with you.

When Maia was a baby I had a holistic doctor who helped me avoid antibiotics. There were three natural remedies for ear aches that I applied under his suggestion. One was a rocking chair because my doctor said that sometimes just by rocking a baby or child we move the fluid and stop the earache.

The second remedy was daikon radish tea. Maia hates daikon radish to this day because it reminds her of being a sick kid! You can grate daikon radish and pour hot water over it to make a tea. You can add a bit of Tamari for flavor.

The third natural remedy is one that Maia now employs for her own children. When she would get an earache, I would bake an onion that I had sliced in half until it was warm. I would then wrap the onion in a cloth and place it on the outside of her ear while rocking her in the chair.

A Note on Antibiotics

Just because I try to avoid antibiotics does not mean I think they are all bad. In fact, I think they are wonderful for bacterial illnesses, and am so grateful that we have them when we actually need them! However, I become concerned when people want to take antibiotics for the common cold virus, flu, or other viruses. I am sure I don’t need to tell you that antibiotics don’t do a thing for viruses, and of course come with side effects.

Finally, you might want to consider working with an MD who is certified in integrative holistic medicine. Our local doctor uses Western medicine, but his primary focus is on trying to adjust your lifestyle and diet to get you off medications and avoid surgery.

I look forward to hearing your comments and let’s all look forward to a healthy and happy 2018!

Shop This Story

Rainbow Light Women’s Multivitamin

Mega Food Women’s One Daily

Naturelo Whole Food Multivitamin for Women

Urban Moonshine Immune Zoom

$18.99 – $33.00 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Urban Moonshine Throat Spray

$13.00Buy Now

Urban Moonshine Clear Chest Syrup

$17.99Buy Now

Farmaesthetics Lavender Rub

$28.99Buy Now

Umcka Cold Care

$17.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Zand Herbalozenge

Green Goo First Aid

$7.95 – $14.95 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Green Goo Skin Repair

$17.99 — or subscribe and save up to 8%Buy Now

Green Goo Dry Skin

$17.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Green Goo Baby Balm

$17.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Arnica

To your health,

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3 Easy Ways to Have a Less Toxic Home

Maia James — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:02:59 +0000

Read our Safe Sofa Guide for a list of our favorite toxin-free sofas.

Even if you live in an urban location, the air inside your home is likely more polluted than the air on the city streets outside. If you’re a reader of this blog, you probably know that indoor air contamination comes from places like the paint on your walls, carpeting on your floors, and flame retardant treatments in the foam cushions of your upholstered furniture.

It’s true that these are all important sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are airborne chemicals implicated in a range of ill health effects. And while ideally we would all replace our sofas, tear out any carpeting in our homes, and repaint all our walls with milk paints, but this kind of overhaul isn’t realistic for most of us.

The good news is that there are three steps you can take right now—none of them overly costly or complicated–that will greatly improve the safety of your home.

Clean up your cleaning supplies (and choose the right vacuum cleaner).

A major source of indoor air pollution is, ironically, the stuff we use to keep our homes feeling fresh and clean. From glass cleaners to laundry detergent, most cleaning supplies contain ingredients that are caustic to our respiratory tracts and disrupting to our endocrine systems.

Mama Suds All-Purpose Cleaner is the Good Stuff.

It’s hard to know which “natural” cleaning products are truly non-toxic and which are just Sneaky Stuff, and unfortunately you often have to look product-by-product even within one brand. Mama Suds, Eco-Me, and Better Life, and Sonett are four brands that I trust across the board.

Flame retardants and other toxins build up in dust, so the more you vacuum, the more toxins you’ll clear from your home. But choosing the right vacuum is important: you’ll want a HEPA-sealed model, which ensures that dust and toxins stay sealed inside the filter. Furthermore, many vacuum cleaners are actually treated with flame retardant chemicals themselves, so look for one that’s RoHS-certified. Miele is one brand that fits the bill.

And by the way, sweeping isn’t such a great way to rid your home of toxins—instead, it sends dust into the air where it can be inhaled. Vacuuming or wet mopping are more effective ways of cleaning dirt and toxins.

Nontoxic Housekeeping from ecomaids of New York

If you live in New York and use a cleaning service, I can’t say enough things about ecomaids. Not only are they the most professional and thorough house cleaners I have ever experienced, but they bring all of their own 100% nontoxic cleaning products (I checked all the labels, believe me!). Even if your budget doesn’t allow for regular cleanings, you might consider treating yourself to ecomaids deep cleaning services once a season.

Purify your air.

The Austin Bedroom Machine is the most effective way to clear your air of VOCs.

There are a variety of ways to clear your air of any emissions coming from your existing furniture, paints, flooring, and so forth. Depending on how extensively you want to clean the air, your options range from very affordable to fairly expensive.

Here are some ideas:

Open the windows more to let in cleaner air.
Put out some charcoal air purifiers, which help with everything from odors to VOCs.
Fill your home with houseplants, which absorb airborne toxins while also producing clean oxygen.
Cover your floors with 100% wool rugs (wool naturally absorbs VOCs).
When it’s time to paint your walls, look into ECOS Pure paints and primers, which absorb a variety of VOCs, including formaldehyde.
If your budget allows, go for a top-of-the-line electronic air filter, which will remove everything from dust and pollens to VOCs. (I recently invested in the Austin Air Bedroom Machine myself, and have noticed an immediate difference in my own home.)

Filter your drinking water.

Even in places like New York City, where our water is known to be “really safe,” chlorine and controversial fluoride are added. Pitcher-style or refrigerator filters help a little, but mostly clean up the appearance and taste of water, rather than doing much to make it healthier. A more robust carbon-block water filtration system will deal with chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, hydrogen sulfide, VOCs, pharmaceutical products, and a range of other chemicals you haven’t heard of, but definitely don’t want to be drinking. We use this three-stage filter in our home

Extra credit: Be smart when replacing furnishings.

Clean Sleep bed frames are solid wood with toxin-free finishes.

When you are shopping for new furniture, be sure to seek out low-toxin or toxin-free pieces.

Most importantly, be sure to choose a mattress and sofa that are not treated with flame retardant chemicals.

As for desks, tables, beds, and bookcases: most “wooden” pieces are actually made of something called “composite wood,” which is bits of wood glued together to mimic a solid piece. Unfortunately, processed wood contains noxious glues that emit VOCs, include formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Composite wood may be called pressed wood, compressed wood, plywood, particle board, or medium density fiberboard (MDF). Look for furniture that’s 100% solid wood (but be prepared to pay more for it!). Our line of Clean Sleep bed frames are constructed of solid wood and finished with only linseed oil and beeswax.

What else do you worry about when it comes to toxins in your home? Ask your questions below!

Stay sane,

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50% Off Home Detox E-Book

Maia James — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:15:26 +0000

Written by Maia, President

“Spring cleaning” is the cliche, but I always feel motivated to clear out in the fall. This summer was a whirlwind, and I feel as scattered and disorganized as my house looks!

With the kids finally back in school, I’m spending some time purging toys and cleaning up our Brooklyn apartment (another reason it feels so neglected is probably because we’ve been putting all our home-improvement efforts into the non-toxic retreat project in Lancaster). Fall feels like a new beginning, and is always a time I implement resolutions (instead of in January).

All this organizing and resolution-making inspired me to update our four-week home detox guide. What I often hear from my private clients is something along the lines of: “I’m so overwhelmed trying to get rid of toxins in my home. I want to know what is most important to replace and what I don’t need to worry about…without spending tons of money and time!”

I wrote this e-book, Detox Your Home in 4 Weeks: A Good Stuff Guide, to address this conundrum. I’ve tackled the areas that I believe will give you the most bang for your buck–that is, have the greatest impact on the health of your home, while also being easy and inexpensive to implement.

This e-book features:

Easy, step-by-step instructions for detoxing the areas of your home where the largest concentrations of toxins are lurking (without replacing the furniture or throwing away all the toys).
Simple checklists that break the detox down by priority–you’ll do the most important clean-ups first, and each week entails no more than four easy steps.
Extra-credit tasks each month for those of you who have done the basics and want to take it to the next level.
The shopping guides people have come to rely on us for. You’ll get curated lists of products from lip balm to toilet cleaner–all of which meet our strictest standards for safety and effectiveness.

In this updated version, I’ve added a bunch of new tips and product suggestions.

If you’ve already purchased this e-book, email me and I’ll send over the updated version free of charge. If you want to download the e-book for the first time, please use code GIMMEDETOX for 50% off (the normal price is $14.99). The code is for our subscribers only (that’s you!) and is good through the end of September.

I hope you’re starting the fall feeling productive, centered, healthy, and most of all, sane!

Stay sane,

P.S. Remember, use code GIMMEDETOX at checkout to get this guide for just $7.50. Expires at the end of this month.

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How to Choose a Non-toxic Mattress or Futon (and What’s the Difference)

Maia James — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:40:50 +0000

Written by Maia, President

Happy New Year! Did you resolve to purge toxins from your home in 2016? If so, you will find our e-book, Detox Your Home in 4 Weeks, an easy guide. I hope it brings you improved indoor air quality, health, and peace of mind.

You’ve probably noticed that at Gimme the Good Stuff we talk a lot about the importance of sleeping on a non-toxic mattress. I’m also aware that all of the mattresses I recommend you purchase are at least a couple thousand dollars, and sometimes much more. Many of you have asked about getting a futon instead of a mattress, as futons tend to be less expensive.

I made this video to explain the difference between a natural, non-toxic mattress and a futon. I’ll also show you what these both look like, including a cross-section of the inside of some White Lotus models.

What You’ll Learn In This Video

When choosing a mattress or a futon you’ll want to avoid:

Polyurethane foam (Opt for 100% pure latex instead.)
Any mattress that’s treated with flame retardants (Wool acts as a natural flame barrier.)

The key difference between a natural futon and a natural mattress are:

The futon won’t have handles on the side, so they are harder to move around.
A futon will be slightly thinner than a mattress (usually around 5 inches think rather than 8 or 9 inches).
Futons should cost around 15% less than a mattress.

What you may be surprised to learn is that both organic mattresses and organic futons are made from the same materials (typically wool, cotton, and latex), and you can put a mattress on a futon frame and a futon on a bed.

I had a blast making this video, and am grateful to White Lotus for letting us shoot it in their super cool DUMBO store. You’ll notice my mom babysitting Wolfie in the background! I don’t totally love watching myself on camera, but we will be rolling out some more videos in the coming month, so I will have to get used to it. Let us know what you think!

Stay sane,

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5 Weird Places Toxins Are Lurking

Maia James — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 18:19:01 +0000

We all know the health risked posed by environmental toxins, and you probably do a pretty good job of avoiding many of them–you buy organic food, wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoo from the health food store, and serve your child filtered water from a BPA-free sippy cup. Annoyingly, toxins may be lurking even in some places you feel sure are safe. Don’t be duped by the following sneaky sources of chemicals:

BPA-free plastic. Almost all plastic items–from water bottles to toys–now boast that they are BPA-free. This is great since BPA is a known endocrine-disruptor, but unfortunately most BPA substitutes (such as BPS) may also wreak havoc on hormones, as reported in 2011 by The New York Times. Simple Solution: Avoid plastic water bottles, teethers, and food storage containers to the degree that is possible. Replace with stainless steel, glass, or silicone options.
Expensive skin/hair products. Most cheap cosmetics are full of established toxins, but salon brands are often worse. For instance, Frederic Fekkai shampoo ($39 a bottle) contains hormone-disrupting parabens and phthalates (hidden in “fragrance”). Department store lipsticks often are full of lead and other heavy metals that are linked to everything from cancer to neurological disorders. Simple Solution: Don’t assume that expensive means non-toxic. Find safe alternatives on Gimme the Good Stuff’s free Product Guides.
“Baby safe” cleaning and laundry products. Most cleaning supplies that are marketed as kid-safe contain all the same ingredients as the “adult” versions. Hormone- disrupting phthalates, carcinogenic propylene glycol, and a dozen other toxins make up the “gentle” clean of Dreft, for example. BabyGanics’ “naturally derived plant based cleaning agents” include sodium laureth sulfate, which is sometimes contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a well-established carcinogen. Simple Solution: Read ingredients on all cleaning products before buying, and opt for those that disclose specific ingredients (this is not required by law). Two truly safe lines: Sonett and GreenShield.
Organic mattresses. Conventional mattresses typically contain various petrochemicals as well as toxic flame retardants, which are implicated in lowered IQ, hormone disruption, and hyperactivity. But a so-called “organic” mattress may not be any better, thanks to a lack of industry regulation. Simple Solution: Learn which mattresses are truly non-toxic in our Safe Mattress Guide.
Water from a Brita filter. Tap water–even in communities that are known for “safe” water–may contain everything from chlorine to phthalates. Brita reduces (but doesn’t eliminate) select chemicals and metals, but is mostly in place to improve the appearance and taste of the water. Another downside–your water sits in plastic for hours before you drink it. Simple Solution: Invest in a more robust water filtration system for your sink. Affordable options abound in our store.

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The post 5 Weird Places Toxins Are Lurking appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

How to Avoid Phthalates (Even Though You Can’t Avoid Phthalates)

Maia James — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:50:48 +0000

Written by Maia, President

I recently wrote this article for my Huffington Post blog.

If you’re like me, you’re already failing at most of your New Year’s resolutions (I’m still not making my bed every day, and I haven’t been to a yoga class yet in January). One goal that I am tackling in earnest? Banishing phthalates from my home once and for all. I’ve always advised readers to avoid these chemicals, and this year it moved to the top of my resolution list. Unfortunately, ridding my house of phthalates is proving to be much, much more difficult than I’d hoped.

What Are Phthalates?

For several years now we’ve been hearing about the mysterious, ubiquitous, and hard to spell chemical compounds know as phthalates (pronounced f-THAL-lates), which are used to make plastics flexible and as lubricants in cosmetics.

There are many types of phthalates, among them DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate), DEP (diethyl phthalate), DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate), and DMP (dimethyl phthalate). You aren’t likely to see any of them listed on a label, so don’t bother memorizing these names.

Most of us have the general idea that we should avoid phthalates, but we aren’t certain why, and (more importantly) how.

Where Are Phthalates Used?

You’ve probably heard that phthalates are commonly found plastic food and beverage containers, but it turns out their presence extends far beyond that. In fact, about a billion pounds of phthalates are produced every year, and their use is so widespread that they are nearly impossible to avoid entirely. Indeed, ninety-five percent of us have detectable levels of phthalates in our urine.

You’ll find phthalates in perfume, hair spray, deodorant, almost anything fragranced (from shampoo to air fresheners to laundry detergent), nail polish, insect repellent, carpeting, vinyl flooring, the coating on wires and cables, shower curtains, raincoats, plastic toys, and your car’s steering wheel, dashboard, and gearshift (when you smell “new car,” you’re smelling phthalates). Medical devices are full of phthalates—they make IV drip bags and tubes soft, but unfortunately DEHP is being pumped directly into the bloodstream of ailing patients. Most plastic sex toys are softened with phthalates.

Phthalates are found in our food and water, too. They are in dairy products, possibly from the plastic tubing used to milk cows. They are in meats (some phthalates are attracted to fat, so meats and cheeses have high levels, although it’s not entirely clear how they are getting in to begin with). You’ll find phthalates in tap water that’s been tainted by industrial waste, and in the pesticides sprayed on conventional fruits and vegetables.

What Are the Effects of Phthalates?

As a result of this ubiquity, we are all ingesting, inhaling, and absorbing through our skin a significant phthalate load—which quickly moves to our bloodstream.

So why is this scary?

Well, if you ask the American Chemistry Council, a lobby group for phthalate manufacturers, phthalates are totally safe and “among the most thoroughly studied family of compounds in the world.” But what do some of these studies show?

The effect of phthalates, especially on male reproductive development, has been observed since the 1940’s, and phthalates are now widely known to be “endocrine disruptors.” So what does that mean? A Frontline special explained that:

“Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism, and fertility. They can influence the function of the immune system, and even alter behavior…In response to a signal from the brain, hormones are secreted directly into the blood by the glands that produce and store them. These glands make up what is known as the endocrine system. Chemicals that interfere with the function of hormones are therefore known as endocrine disruptors.”

Phthalates are thought to mimic and displace hormones and interrupt their production. This can have a range of unpleasant effects.

Some examples:

In 2009, a human study showed that phthalates passed from mother to fetus through the placenta affect female babies, sometimes resulting in abnormal sexual development.

Boys who are exposed to higher levels of certain types of phthalates in the womb show less masculine behavior

Pregnant women exposed to phthalates in the workplace were found to be two to three times more likely to deliver boys with the reproductive birth defect known as hypospadias.

A 2009 study determined that phthalate exposure correlated with premature breast development.

A 2007 study found that higher levels of phthalates detected in the urine of adult males was associated with increased waist circumference and insulin resistance.

Where Phthalates Are Not Found

Weirdly, not all soft plastic contains phthalates. Most plastic wraps, water bottles, and food containers are phthalate free. But don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Plastic wrap, for instance, typically contains DEHA (di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate), which while not technically a phthalate is chemically very close to DEHP and has been shown to cause liver tumors in rodent studies. My advice is to eschew plastic as much as possible (more on this below).

7 Ways to Avoid Phthalates

I don’t know about you, but I’m freaked out. Eliminating all phthalate exposure might be impossible, but we can certainly greatly reduce the burden with the following strategies.

1. Stay away from fragrance. Unfortunately, you will very rarely see phthalates listed on a product label — particularly if you’re worried about a rubber ducky or a vibrator. Luckily, there are clues. When it comes to cosmetics, the word “fragrance” or “parfum” on a label almost always means phthalates. What you want to see are claims like: “no synthetic fragrance” or “scented with only essential oils” or “phthalate-free.” And always use only natural air fresheners.

2. Crack the code. Plastic products with recycling codes 3 and 7 may contain phthalates or BPA. Look for plastic with recycling codes 1, 2, or 5.

3. Ditch hand-me-down plastic toys. Happily, several types of phthalates are now banned from children’s toys, teething toys, bottles, and feeding products. But these laws only took place in 2009, so anything made of soft plastic that was manufactured before that probably contains phthalates (think rubber duckies, not Legos).

4. Avoid plastic whenever possible, and never heat your food in plastic. Foods that are higher in fat — meats and cheeses, for instance — are particularly prone to chemical leaching. Even BPA or phthalate-free plastic may contain harmful chemicals. Opt for glass food storage containers, and choose bottles and sippy and snack cups that are mostly stainless steel, silicone, or glass.

5. Eat organic produce, meat, and dairy. Phthalates are used in pesticides and are also found in sewage sludge that is used in conventional agriculture. Neither is permitted on certified organic produce, and pesticide-treated animal feeds are not allowed in organic meat and dairy production.

6. Invest in a water filter. Granular activated carbon filters should remove DEHP, which is the type of phthalate used in water pipes. Unfortunately, some sources claim that a percentage of water may pass through the carbon without filtration. A nano-filtration system is more expensive but possibly more reliable way to filter out phthalates.

7. Use your dollars to make sense, not scents. Several manufacturers have sworn off the use of phthalates due to consumer pressure. Others have never used these chemicals. Nothing sold in our online store will ever contain phthalates, obviously!

Want to Know More?

Here are three places to get more info on phthalates.

A 60 Minutes segment

A good article on phthalates in food.

A list of phthalate levels in various food storage products.

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The post How to Avoid Phthalates (Even Though You Can’t Avoid Phthalates) appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Gimme the Good Stuff

Toxins in Coffee: 8 Sources of Harmful Chemicals in Your Morning Brew

Problem #1: Toxins in Coffee Growing

Problem #2: Toxins in Coffee Roasting

The Worst Stuff: Coffee Pods

Problem #3: Toxins in Coffee Bags & Packaging

Problem #4: Toxins in Coffee Water

Problem #5: Toxins in Coffee Brewing Equipment

Problem #7: Toxins in Coffee Cup

Problem #8: Toxins in Decaf Coffee

Introducing….Coffee, Not Chemicals

Why We Think Coffee, Not Chemicals Is the Best Stuff:

How to Choose the Best Air Filter

1. Austin / 2. Amaircare / 3. Airpura / 4. IQAir

Regarding the Coronavirus and Other Viruses

Indoor Air is More Polluted Than Outdoor

How to Clean Indoor Air

Types of Air Filters

The Most Effective Air Filters

Austin Air: The Best Air Filters on the Market

The Noise Factor

Also Great: Amaircare Air Filters

Toxins in Cars

Runners Up: Other Air Filters We Like

About Other Air Filters

iPad Radiation

September: Detox Your Mattress! Easy Toxin-Free Mattress Help

September’s resolution is for those of you who are worried that your existing bed might be dangerous and want to get a toxin-free mattress.

If you….

1) …want to have the safest toxin-free mattress on the market, and aren’t so worried about cost…

2)…are worried about your mattress but can’t afford the ones recommended above…

What if these are still too expensive?

3) …have a toxic mattress but cannot afford to replace it at all…

4 Simple Ways to Reduce Pesticides in Your Diet (and Home)

How to Reduce Pesticides in Your Family’s Diet

Buy Organic to Reduce Pesticides

EWG’s 2016 Dirty Dozen List

July: Switch to the Best Natural Skincare Products

Toxins in Skincare Products

Best Natural Skincare for Babies & Kids

Best Natural Skincare Products For Grownups

Deodorant

Body Lotion

Shaving Cream/Soap

Body Wash

Bar Soap

Face lotions/toners/anti-aging products

Facial cleansers

Shop This Story

June: Filtering Your Water

Filtering Your Water

1) Chlorine

2) Heavy Metals

3) Pharmaceuticals

4) Industrial products/byproducts

5) Radioactive elements

6) Fluoride

Filtering Your Water: Choosing the Right Filter

What About Charcoal Filtering Bottles?

Shop This Story

April: Five Ways to Clean Up Your Cleaning Products

5 Ways to Find Effective Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

You don’t have to make your own cleaning products.

Avoid the most toxic ingredients.

Set it and forget it with subscription cleaning products.

Sneaky Stuff is better than Bad Stuff!

Remember these three brands.

Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide

Your Comprehensive Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware

Are There Toxins in Cookware?

Safe Non-toxic Cookware: Types of Cookware

The Good Stuff

The Absolute Best in Non-Toxic Cookware

Cast Iron

Ceramic

Crock Pots/Slow Cookers

Carbon Steel

Titanium

Tempered Glass

Lava Rock