LilSugar

4 Toxic Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

Prevention — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:37:36 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Is your food loaded with toxins and chemicals? Here, simple swaps to protect yourself
By Anne Underwood

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing.

Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe - or not - to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health - and peace of mind.

The Best Packaged Foods to Shop For

1. Canned Tomatoes

Fredrick Vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A, gives us the scoop:

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

Low-Sodium Alternative Dinner Options

Keep reading to three more foods to avoid.

Hidden Nursery Toxins, Test Your Knowledge!

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:07:00 PDT

Your lil one's car seat may have passed a crash test, but would it pass a chemical test? A new study reported in the Environmental Science and Technology journal has found "potentially toxic" flame retardants in more than 80 of the 101 common baby products tested, including car seats, nursing pillows, and highchairs.

By now, most moms and mamas-to-be are well aware of the dangers that lurk in older baby bottles. We know to look for BPA-free labels on the products our lil ones use, but BPA is only one of the toxins that lurks in nurseries. Take this quiz to see what you know about creating a safe space for your wee one.

Take the Quiz

BPA Now Linked to Asthma: Test Your BPA Knowledge

LilSugar — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:06:05 PDT

Step away from your bottles! The concern over bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA, has been on the rise for the past few years leading many baby product companies to change their manufacturing procedures. Earlier this week, at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting, researchers presented information tying the prenatal exposure to the plastics byproduct with childhood asthma. While many states are in the process of banning BPA from baby and kids products, how much do you understand about this chemical and its effects on the human body? Take this quiz to test your BPA knowledge.

Take the Quiz

Best Tips of 2010: Parenting Advice From Dr. Oz!

LilSugar — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 06:00:00 PST

Let children live! That's what Dr. Mehmet Oz advises new parents to do. The cardiac surgeon and author, whose latest book You: Raising Your Child (The Owner's Manual From First Breath to First Grade) is a must read, speaks from experience, as he is also a father of four! I had the chance to interview him and ask his expert opinion on popular parenting issues. Check out all he had to say.

Ever wonder which foods are worth the fight? Dr. Oz tells us the five foods every child should eat!
Parents have their baby...and then what? Dr. Oz offers his guidelines for a newborn's first month of life.
There are lots of things mothers worry about, but Dr. Oz told us what he thinks are the top three concerns for new parents.
To drive-thru or keep driving: a parent's dilemma. Dr. Oz gave us his thoughts on fast food.
From whooping cough to peanut allergies to vaccines, Dr. Oz chimed in on hot topics!

Fit Tip: Wash Up If There's a Sink, Use Hand Santizer as Backup

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:00:37 PST

It's a grimy world out there, but are we fighting bacteria too hard? According to a new study, overuse of antibacterial products can hurt the immune system.

Researchers compared triclosan and BPA antibody levels to allergies or hay fever cases in a sample of US adults and children over age six. Children and teens overexposed to triclosan, an ingredient found in many antibacterial products, were at a higher risk for hay fever and other allergies, while adults exposed to high levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), found in plastics, were also found to have weaker immune systems.

What should you do? Don't throw all your antibacterial products out just yet. The FDA has acknowledged safety concerns over triclosan, but is still studying it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you work soap into a full lather and wash hands for 20 seconds, and use hand sanitizer as backup if a sink isn't available. As for the BPA, invest in BPA-free containers.

Dr. Oz Gives His Expert Opinion on Parenting Issues

Heather Maddan — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 06:00:38 PST

Let children live! That's what Dr. Mehmet Oz advises new parents to do. The cardiac surgeon and author, whose latest book You: Raising Your Child (The Owner's Manual From First Breath to First Grade) ($14) is a must read, speaks from experience, as he is also a father of four! I recently had the chance to interview him and ask his expert opinion on popular parenting issues. Check out all he had to say.

Dr. Oz on Whooping Cough, Peanut Allergies, and Cloth Diapers

Heather Maddan — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 06:00:00 PDT

Most kids turn out all right! That's something Dr. Mehmet Oz says nervous new parents should be reminded of. It's important to let children live! The cardiac surgeon and author, whose latest book You: Raising Your Child (The Owner's Manual From First Breath to First Grade) ($14) is a must read, speaks from experience, as he is also a father of four! But, I recently had the chance to chat with him about hot topics from vaccines to diapering.

LilSugar: Is the threat of whooping cough a huge issue or a highly publicized issue?
Dr. Mehmet Oz: Well, I'm worried about it. These are Victorian era illnesses that we hadn't seen in a long time. My father who is 85 had siblings who died of Whooping cough - these are not rare events in the 20s and 30s. In NYC, there was a huge outbreak of adults and whooping cough, so I got vaccinated because I'm around patients a lot, and I don't want to give them something that could potentially be lethal to them if they were getting heart surgery. I think it also makes sense for children.

My wife and I were very cautious about vaccines. Lisa is very skeptical of a lot of the information that is in support of vaccines. I tend to believe it because it's my cultural background - to look at the information and tend to trust it, but there's schisms within families like mine (let alone in society). But, I do think that if you make sure your child is healthy when they get the vaccine, keep them nutritionally up-to-date, and keep them sleeping well when they get the vaccine, they will tolerate the inflammatory condition which is caused by a vaccine because there will be some inflammation around it. The majority of kids tolerate vaccines well, and for the majority of their life (if not their entire life), they are then immune from an illness that could be life-threatening. It turns out that whooping cough vaccine does not give you life-long immunity for a lot of people, which is why you have to get revaccinated. Certainly as a child, I would get vaccinated; that's not one of these new color vaccines that people moan and groan about. These are old time vaccines that have been in use before I was born (and I'm 50) with a pretty good track record.

To see Dr. Oz's comments on peanut allergies and the cloth versus disposable diaper debate,

read more. LS: Why are peanut allergies so prevalent now? Is there anything an expectant mother can do to prevent her child from getting a peanut allergy? MO: There are more peanut allergies now. We think part of it might be because peanut oil is found in so much stuff. I'd be cautious as a mom eating peanuts for concern that you might create some awkward inter-uterine response, but the bigger issue now when kids are young is to let them eat it by itself until you are sure they don't have an issue, because its cause is an immune weakness in the gut - that is really where the reaction happens. And, I'm unaware of a solution for that. I don't know why it's so common, but it has increased a lot. LS: Are cloth diapers better? MO: We had this debate in my house, and my wife said the amount of chemicals used to clean the cloth diapers was the same as the headache of having landfills filled (with the disposable diapers). I don't have an answer. I don't think one is better than the other. You could let the kid run around naked, and I guess that's the best option I gather (laughs). Check out other portions of our interview with Dr. Oz here!

Interview With Dr. Oz: Top Three Concerns For New Parents

Heather Maddan — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 04:00:14 PDT

Most kids turn out all right! That's something Dr. Mehmet Oz says that nervous new parents should be reminded. It's important to let children live! The cardiac surgeon and author, whose latest book You: Raising Your Child (The Owner's Manual From First Breath to First Grade) ($14) is a must read, speaks from experience, as he is also a father of four! But, I recently had the chance to chat with him about a few important issues that should be of concern.

LilSugar: How conscious should parents be of Bisphenol-A (BPA) and how nervous should we be because it's in so many things from shampoo containers to dishes to bath toys?
Dr. Oz: I'm concerned about it. It's an estrogen disruptor. The younger the child is, the more concerned I am about it. As you get older, I'd probably relax a bit on the stuff because as an adult, it isn't all that important we don't think, but why would you take a chance? So hard plastics, I'd stay away from. Those receipts - those carbon receipts at the store - those have lots of BPA in them. Pay attention to the stuff. The big overarching concept is that you vote with your pocketbook every time you buy these things so if you are willing to buy stuff that isn't carefully prepared for you than people will keep making it! There's usually a reason why they are making it with BPA - it's cheaper.

LilSugar: Would you say BPA is in the top three concerns for a parent of a new baby?
Dr. Oz: Oh, yeah. I'd put it in top three. BPA and phthalates (in the plastics) and probably the hormones and pesticides and chemicals we find in our water and food supply now. I'd probably put those in the top three.

LilSugar: What do you think is the cause behind early on-set puberty?
Dr. Oz: I think the issue with early puberty is two things - obesity and chemicals released into the food supply because of pesticides and because of hormones given to animals. Those are the things I worry about. We throw away our prescription drugs into the toilet usually - we flush them away - but, they don't disappear, they just get dissolved into water. If you look at the water around big cities, there's almost no male fish anymore because there's estrogen compounds in all that junk and fish do not declare their gender until they are already born and maturing so they morph to that and you're getting all these female fish.

Check out other portions of our interview with Dr. Oz here!

Snack Safe: BPA-Free Lunchables

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:50:36 PDT

No one wants to drink out of a water bottle that contains the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), and because of the Nalgen bottle scare of '08, we all know about the dangers of BPA. The chemical, linked to all sorts of health problems (including cancer, urinary tract infections, and general mayhem on human hormones), can unfortunately be found in all sorts of places from canned goods to lunch boxes. Now that school is back in session, let's review some lunch box options that are BPA free to keep your food and your hormones safe.

Pura Kiki Offers a Stainless Steel Option to Plastic Bottles

babysugar — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:54 PDT

Could stainless steel replace plastic baby bottles? From stainless steel water bottle company Pura, Pura Kiki is a colorful line of baby bottles ($16 each) that convert into sippy cups. They're BPA-, phthalate-, and plastic-free, making them a seemingly safe option for new mamas. Unlike breakable glass bottles, stainless steel can be dropped or thrown and still be no worse for the wear. The bottles are compatible with most major brand's nipples (including Born Free, Dr. Browns, and Think Baby) and can be converted into sippy cups with a simple switch of the nipple. To monitor a lil one's liquid intake, the bottles feature interior markings rather than the traditional exterior versions. Would you switch to stainless?