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Going Green:  my newspaper column  |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 12:36:15 PM
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Starting the first week of September, I began writing a column for my local newspaper, The White River Current, and I'm working on syndicating among regional rural newspapers. The column is called "From the Ground Up: Simple Steps to Natural Health," and I'm posting it on my blog under "Other Topics" if you ever want to stop by & read it 
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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marybeth
outstepping
146 Posts
Marybeth
Washington
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2007 : 06:13:26 AM
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Good for you. It is great to see someone actually practicing their values. MB
Being outside is being |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2007 : 8:37:21 PM
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Congrats Jen! I am sure you will be an instant hit!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2007 : 12:23:47 PM
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I want to share my column this week because it's an issue that warrants mass distribution...
Buyer Beware: High Fructose Corn Syrup
I'm waging a boycott. It may not affect much in the grand scheme, but I'm doing it because it affects me and mine; I'm doing it to cast my vote. I refuse to buy ANYTHING from the grocery store that contains high fructose corn syrup, no exceptions. You might not have noticed, unless you're an obsessive label-reader like me, that our food supply has been hijacked. The packages and products look the same, but their ingredients are being chemically tweaked and twisted to save big business a buck. And high fructose corn syrup is one of the worst infiltrators out there.
Until the 1970s, most of the sugar in our foods was sucrose from sugar cane. Then came high fructose corn syrup—thanks to corporate chemists—which is cheaper to produce. Now it's everywhere; take a look for yourself. It's in almost all sweet stuff like soda, flavored water, tea, jelly, ice cream, yogurt, cookies, candy, juice, you name it. But it's also hiding in many brands of breads, cereals, crackers, processed meats, canned fruit, salad dressings, ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, applesauce, milk, and more.
Why is it so bad? To start with, high fructose corn syrup is made in a lab, much like Frankenstein's monster, using vats of murky fermenting liquid, fungus, and chemicals. And when fed to lab rats, fructose has nasty effects. Male rats don't reach adulthood due to anemia, high cholesterol, liver failure, and heart hypertrophy (that means their hearts enlarge until they explode). Females can't produce live young. Similar signs, over time, are being observed in humans. Because our bodies can't process it properly, nutrition experts blame high fructose for the skyrocketing levels of diabetes and obesity in America. Plus, it contributes to bone weakness and cancer. Paying a few cents more for sugar doesn't sound so bad, does it?
Okay, so the trick is to avoid high fructose. It's not easy at first, but it can be done, and soon it becomes second nature. Start reading labels, lots of labels, till you find items without it. If you can't find any, ask the grocer to offer better options.
Rule of thumb: The “Organic” label is an easy assurance that you're not getting high fructose corn syrup. For a list of high fructose-free products, go to http://no-hfcs.tripod.com/.
Sadly, in restaurants, you're going to eat high fructose corn syrup. Again, ask questions about ingredients and demand better.
Remember: Big business can't sell what we refuse to buy!
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Nov 28 2007 : 12:24:40 PM
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From the Ground Up
Simple Steps to Natural Health
By Jennifer Bové
“Turning Away From Plastic Toys”
It's that time of year again. Television commercials are blaring carols to whet our appetites for seasonal spending, catalogs crowd our mailboxes, and the halls of Walmart are decked with brightly colored boxes of...whatever. When I was in Walmart today, I steered my 4-year-old clear of the toy aisles which have erupted with gaudy gadgets begging to be ridden, cuddled, primped, and played. Still, her eyes glazed over with stuff-lust. She saw a world of wonder, and I wondered how much of it was laced with toxins, courtesy of China. How many of the cute, colorful choo-choo trains are hiding illegally high levels of lead and cadmium in their pretty paint, threatening my children's' neurological development? How many contain substances like the date rape drug—or worse?
Perhaps even more troubling than the recent toxic toy recalls are the LEGAL toxins present in plastic toys. The United States is one of the few remaining developed countries to permit the import of plastic toys made with scary additives called phthalates. Phthalates, which help make toys soft and flexible, are banned in 14 nations and the European Union because a mounting body of scientific evidence suggests that phthalates interfere with the production of testosterone and disrupt the sexual development of infant boys. Researchers are saying that regular contact with phthalates (like touching, smelling, and chewing plastic toys ) may cause hormonal damage in young children and increase the chances of serious illness later in life.
Phthalates can make up as much as half of the material used to make many plastic toys, and they're even used to make baby teethers. In the average home, phthalates are everywhere—in shower curtains, shoes, raincoats, toothbrushes, backpacks, makeup bags, kitchen linoleum, and more. Any plastic that has that distinct “new” smell likely contains phthalates.
As of October, California became the first state in the nation to ban the sale of toys containing phthalates to kids under the age of 3. Lawmakers in Texas, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, Maine, Connecticut, and New York are expected to introduce similar legislation in the coming months. Some progress is certainly better than none, but why wait for the government to regulate our purchasing options? We have the power to choose. This year, I refuse to buy any plastic toys that might contain phthalates, and I've requested that family members do the same. In doing so, we are not only safeguarding our kids, we are turning away from corporate America and seeking out smaller businesses who still care about quality and values. And we are buying gifts that can one day go back to the ground rather than littering a landfill.
Here are some plastic-proof toy ideas we've come up with:
-Wooden Planes, Trains, and Autos (look for solid wood toys with non-toxic paints and finishes).
-Cotton or Wool Stuffed Animals and Dolls
-Board Games (without a bunch of plastic parts)
-Non-toxic art supplies
And here are a few toys brands—even some plastics—that are phthalate-free:
Brio, Chicco, Early Start, Lego, Little Tykes, Primetime Playthings, Sassy, and Tiny Love
Happy and safe shopping!
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Edited by - Jen on Nov 28 2007 12:32:41 PM |
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Lily
outbound
28 Posts
Lily
Moss Landing
California
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2007 : 9:15:50 PM
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| Great, Jen! I love how your column doesn’t just talk about the problems, but gives readers some real solutions. I can’t wait to read more! |
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Going Green: my newspaper column |
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my newspaper column
