Phthalates in premmies IV tubing

I wanted to share an article with you further to my Phthalate article,

~ http://www.aol.com.au/news/story/IV-tube-chemical-linked-to-preemie-liver-woes/2351067/index.html ~

which highlights the problems associated with phthalates in IV tubing in hospitals, and more specifically in premmies IV tubes. If you have watched the documentary "The disappearing Male" you will have noticed it mentioned in there also. I've written to the Australian Medical Association for their opinion on this, as some hospitals in Canada and the US are already banning phthalate containing IV tubing in hospitals, and for a list of hospitals who do not use phthalates in their IV tubes. If anyone else is interested in writing and asking them also, let me know.

Thanks Rachael

The Age of Stupid - A documentary on climate change

The Age of Stupid is a 90 minute documentary on climate change directed by British filmmaker Franny Armstrong. It starts with the state of our devastated world in 2055 when a world archivist goes back to the world video archives with the question: "Why did humanity not do anything about climate change when there was still time to avert disaster?"
See link: http://www.ageofstupid.net/

So what can we do? Join others at - http://notstupid.org/

Also have a look at where Australia stands on the UN climate summit due to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009, is this really where most Australians stand? We're at the back of the race with Nigeria and not far behind the United States, I'd rather see us up there with the Maldives, but then we know why the Maldives are up there don't we? If the sea level rises beyond predicted estimates the Maldives won't exist.

Join the cause and have a look at the documentary.

Phthalate - hard to even begin to pronounce, so what is it?

"The Phthalate Syndrome"

Most of us by now (I hope) have heard of BPA (Bisphenol A) a toxic chemical used in plastics, including, of all things babies bottles, which I'm pleased to announce Canada has actually done something about, banning BPA from babies bottles (Go Canada!). Australia on the other hand, "keeps a close eye on issues related to the migration of chemicals from packaging and into food" (Food standards Australia New Zealand, link - http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/factsheets/factsheets2008/bisphenolabpaandfood3898.cfm)

BPA is an "endocrine disruptor" - something that mimic's the bodies hormones and has been shown to cause reproductive and neurological damage.

Phthalates (Pronounced - THAL-ates) are organic chemicals produced from oil and predominantly used in PVC to make it soft and flexible (think children's toys, the soft, squidgy plastic type). Phthalates look like a clear liquid, much like oil, and have little or no smell and as such are ideal for adding to nail polish to help reduce chipping, perfumes to help the aroma linger longer and are, disturbingly, also used in pharmaceuticals to create an enteric coating on capsules or tablets, and this is just a few examples.

So you may be asking why I'm telling you about Phthalates? Mainly because, like BPA, phthalates are believed to be "gendeer bending" chemicals, chemicals that alter the hormone balance in our children and especially our little boys. See below for a description on phthalates;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICaUTRXn9P4

Also please have a read of the following two articles written about phthalates and the effect these chemicals are having on our boys, basically feminising them;

http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-men/2009/11/17/phthalates-threat-less-boy-more-girl.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/027514_phthalates_feminization.html

The reason I write about these things is to help make people aware of the detrimental affects of the "Industrial age" not only on the environment but on us humans. Knowledge gives us power, power to make choices. Choices that are definitely better for our children. Of the 80,000 chemicals we use today, 85% of them have NEVER been tested on the human body. That's staggering, and as a result we're starting to see the effects of that. The largest effect will be on us as a species, already there's a significant decline in male fertility, in women having male children and an increase in male babies being born with genital defects.

So please, if you have a male in your life (and we all do), watch the doco "The disappearing Male" it's FREE to watch online - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7530701744597358451#

Thanks Rachael

GLUTEN - An Introduction.

I have to tell you that I am always surprised when I meet people who don't know which foods contain gluten, but that's only because my life revolves around which food contains gluten and which doesn't. Sometimes I feel like there's a secret sub culture existing beneath the gaze of the rest of the world - the "Gluten Free" sub-culture of which I am a part.

My son, Adam, developed eczema at the grand old age of 6 weeks and for the next, almost, 2 years we spent time trialling both myself (whilst breastfeeding) and then Adam on elimination diets. Gluten is tricky, on our initial "Gluten free" elimination diet his eczema didn't improve and it was only on the second trial about a year later that we noticed a difference, the reason, gluten can take about 6 weeks to leave your system, and for some people it may take longer.

So what is gluten?

Gluten is the main protein found in many grains (see list below) and can be broken down into two parts: glutenin and gliadin, it is the gliadin, a prolamin, (simple protein) that causes adverse reactions in certain people. An intolerance to gluten may result in an inability to absorb essential nutrients in the small intestines.

Some of the initial signs and symptoms displayed by sufferers include; diarrhoea, constipation, cramping, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, gas and bloating. As damage to the intestinal lining continues through the continued consumption of gluten and lack of treatment allergies may appear and poor digestion and malabsorption can worsen potentially leading to a condition called "Leaky gut". Leaky gut is where the sensitive lining of the bowel wall is eroded allowing a passage of microbes, toxins and undigested food (including allergens) into your system which may again lead to further illness and immune disorders.

Many people associate Coeliac Disease with a gluten free diet and this is correct, Coeliac's disease is an auto-immune disorder caused by a digestive reaction to gluten, but, not everyone with a gluten intolerance has Coeliac disease, like my son. Adam has a gluten intolerance but does not have coeliac disease. A gluten intolerance for him displays as eczema predominately, along with pain in the belly and loose stools. His symptoms increase the longer he is exposed to gluten.

So what do you do if you discover you are gluten intolerant or have Coeliac disease, well the best thing to do is eliminate gluten from your diet, and, reading food labels is essential. Gluten is found in many common foods including bread, slices, pizza, cakes, pasta, biscuits and flour, and, can be found in a multitude of pre-packaged foods, condiments, sweets, drinks and even some supplements and vitamins. Eliminating gluten from your diet is the first step in the treatment, seeing a natural therapist to help repair the lining of your gut is also recommended.

Following is a list of grains that contain gluten -

- Wheat

- Rye

- Kamut

- Barley

- Couscous

- Bulgar

- Spelt

- Oats and Oatbran

- Malt

- Matzo

- Triticale

- Udon

- Semolina

Gluten, part 2, will continue with recommendations on food alternatives, dietary advice and recipes.

Food Labelling and the problem with additives

Do you read the labels on the food you buy?

Labels are available on all food packaging, and, are there to help you make an informed choice about the food you buy. Food labels give us a listing of the ingredients in the product, from greatest to smallest in weight. They also list any chemicals and additives that may also be present in the food. Labels are a great way of being aware of what you are eating and making an informed choice.

I'm a big label reader. I try not to buy anything that has preservatives in it and I choose not to buy foods that have too many "extra" ingredients in them that aren't actually food.

There has been scientific studies performed that suggest foods with additives may help contribute to A.D.D (Attention deficit disorder) and A.D.H.D (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) as well as general concentration and learning disorders, tiredness, irritability and stomach upsets. This is just the tip of the list though, potential problems also include asthma, eczema, allergies and food intolerances and as a result it's best to avoid as many of these additives as possible.

I'd like to share some websites with you that may be of interest for further reading;

This one is a great one for mum's and dad's -

http://www.additivealert.com.au/

How to read labels -

http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumers/food-labels/label-facts/how-to-use-a-food-label/

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/

And finally, this one gives you a run down on all the potential additives;

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodmatters/foodadditives.cfm

Food labels are a good thing to get educated about, especially when feeding your growing children.

The Future of Food - Introduction

Please have a look at this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNezTsrCY0Q

I found the doco frighteningly disturbing from start to finish, the idea that food can be patented is wrong in so many ways. please have a look, it will get you thinking at the very least.

The DVD is available at - http://www.thefutureoffood.com/

On the road to self sufficiency

I don't know about you guys but I like the idea of self-sufficiency. And I don't just mean being able to grow my own herbs and veggies and collect my own eggs each morning, I also mean being able to make my own yoghurt and pancakes, pasta sauce and cakes etc.

I like the fact that I don't need to buy a jar of pizza sauce or a tin of pineapple (not that I have a pineapple tree, but I do have a local organic shop that sells pineapples) when I make a pizza, I do still buy the base (a gluten free one), which I will work on changing soon.

When I used to make cakes I used to buy a packet mix and hey presto withing minutes I had a cake sitting in the oven cooking. Now when I make a cake it takes time, but I feel it also takes a lot more love. I remember years ago sitting in a Nutrition lecture and my lecturer talking about the idea of making your food with love, how when you take the time to make food you are also instilling the love within the food. "when you cook.... you are providing more nourishment than packaged food ever could" *

Self sufficiency also saves money, lots of money potentially. When I consider the money I used to spend on yoghurt per week compared to now, it's pretty staggering. I reckon I was in the ball park of about $15 a week, just on yoghurt. Now I pay about $3 a fortnight. Making yoghurt is so easy, and so worth the half an hour it takes and you don't need anything fancy to make it (well apart from a sweet thermometer, if you don't have one). Here's a recipe for you to make your own yoghurt -

YOGHURT

(Makes 1 Litre)

Ingredients

½ - ¾ Cup good quality commercial plan yoghurt, or ½ cup yoghurt from previous batch

1 litre pasteurised whole milk, unhomogenised

A sweet (candy) thermometer

Method

Gently heat the milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and then allow to cool to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir in yoghurt and place in a shallow glass, enamel or stainless steel container.
Cover the container (I use alfoil)and place in a warm oven (a gas oven with a pilot light or electric oven pre-heated to warm and then turned off) overnight.

In the morning transfer to the fridge, the longer the yoghurt is kept out of the fridge the tarter it will become. I think the longest I have left it out is 24 hours.

The final ingredient may be (is generally) thinner in consistency than commercial yoghurt.

Have a try, you can also add honey and pureed fruits if feeling a little more adventurous. This would be done at the adding yoghurt step.

So once a week, to start off with, try making something from scratch. You'll find out how much fun it can really be and if you have children, get them involved, an interest in healthy, wholesome, nourishing food from a young age is a fabulous thing.

* Quote is from a cookbook called Wholefood by Jude Blereau