Unsafe Plastics

From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

 
 

Is Your Kitchen Full of Unsafe Plastics?

If you've seen the movie The Graduate, you might remember the classic scene in which the main character is told that the future can be summed up in one word: Plastics. Unfortunately, the person giving that advice pretty much nailed it — plastics are now everywhere. Manufacturers use plastics more than any other material to create and package products. The bad news is, many types of plastic contain endocrine disruptors and other dangerous chemicals. If you use containers made of those types to store food, those chemicals can leach into your food and affect your metabolism and your overall health.

You can tell which plastics to avoid by checking the numbers printed on the bottom of the containers. Here are the ones you should stop using:

• #3 — Polyvinyl chloride (often abbreviated PVC or V): PVC is found in bottles that contain cooking oils, cling wrap, the clear wrap around deli meats and cheeses, plumbing pipes, shower curtains, and toys. This type of plastic contains hormone-disrupting phthalates and cancer-causing dioxins that can leach out when the plastic comes into contact with heat, food, water, air, or our bodies.
  Alternatives: Choose Glad wrap, Saran premium wrap, or Saran Cling Plus wrap (which do not contain PVC) or store your food in glass. Buy cooking oil in glass bottles. Don't ever microwave your food in plastic — instead, use parchment paper or wax paper.
  
• #6 — Polystyrene (Styrofoam; often abbreviated PS): Polystyrene is another big no. It's found in your typical take-out containers, disposable coffee cups, and egg cartons. The materials used to create polystyrene are all known or suspected carcinogens, and when PS gets hot, it can release chemicals into foods.
  Alternatives: Buy eggs in cardboard containers and don't drink your coffee from Styrofoam cups. If you can't avoid polystyrene packaging, transfer any food into a glass or ceramic container ASAP.
  
• #7 — Polycarbonate (often abbreviated PC): Polycarbonate is found in baby bottles, microwave ovenware, stain-resistant food storage containers, eating utensils, the plastic liners of almost all food and soft-drink cans, Lexan containers, old Nalgene or other hard-plastic drinking bottles, 5-gallon water jugs, and building materials. Hundreds of studies have linked bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical in polycarbonate plastic, with harmful endocrine-disrupting effects, such as early puberty in girls, abnormal breast tissue and prostate growth, and lower sperm count.
  Alternatives: Use glass baby bottles and switch to stainless steel or ceramic drinking bottles. Limit your exposure from canned foods like beans by rinsing the food thoroughly before you eat it.
  

A few types of plastic are okay to use because they don't contain as many toxins. These are PET or PETE (#1 plastic, the type used in many beverage bottles), HDPE (#2 plastic, used in some Tupperware products), LDPE (#4 plastic), and PP (#5 plastic, used in yogurt containers). While these types are okay, I say the fewer plastics in your life, the better. Whenever possible, look for alternatives such as glass, stainless steel, and ceramics.

 
 

Pasted from <http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/plastics-to-avoid>

 
 

Pray for our nation

Pray for our nation

Ridiculous Recall | Shout It | Powder Room Graffiti

Ridiculous Recall

The daily coffee grind

by Janie Emaus (Fri Jul 31, 2009)

I understand the necessity of recalling products. I'm all for taking back a stroller that folds up while walking your toddler. Car seats that don't stay buckled in place. Tainted milk. Poisoned dog food. Even a condom that has a faulty layer. But the other day when I learned about this new recall, I was taken aback: My Starbucks coffee grinder!

For God's Sake.

How can using this device possibly be harmful to my existence? For almost a year now it hasn't turned off while grinding. So, I let it grind while I fill the water in the pot, and put in the filter. I've sort of gotten used to that whirring sound. When it's done I just pull the plug from the wall. It's an annoyance, but certainly not anything life-threatening.

Starbucks says there is a danger of laceration from the blade. I suppose if you stick your finger in the grinder, but that's like putting your hand down the garbage disposal. Who in their right mind would do that?

What will be dangerous, especially to those around me, is not having fresh ground coffee in the morning.

So, I'm thinking, if I send this grinder back to Starbucks, then what? Are they going to give me a new one on the spot? No, absolutely not. I have to send in the old one (shipping box not provided, mind you) and then wait six to eight weeks for a new one to arrive. In the meantime, I can go into any Starbucks and they will grind my coffee, for free. Like I'm going to do that every day.

Is this a conspiracy? A ploy to get me into Starbucks every morning, where I'm certain to buy a cup of coffee, rather than grind my beans?

What's a coffee addicted person supposed to do in this situation?

 
 

Inserted from <http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/shout-it/ridiculous-recall.html>

In This Issue

 
 

Back in 1970's, "Bein' Green" was a famous song sung by Kermit the Frog.  In the song, Kermit first believes "it's not that easy bein' green" until he comes to the realization that being green is actually beautiful, and it is cool.   

 
 

Today, when you hear "Bein' Green", "Going Green", "Go Green" or "Green".  Whatever the name it's been given, it is the start of the revolution of saving our plant and saving our lives.  'Going green' means recycling, not being wasteful, saving money, eating healthy, and creating a safe home environment for our families and pets.  I call it "Going Back to Basics," when life was not compromised with harmful ingredients to clean our homes, or to make our food look pretty.  It was a time when the personal care products we used had ingredients that we could pronounce.

 
 

My journey of "Going Green" began when I had the opportunity to try a skin care line made of certified organic ingredients – it actually had the USDA ORGANIC symbol on the bottle.  It was non-toxic, made out of fruit and vegetable extracts, herbs and essential oils!  When I learned that these types of personal care products were available, my next step was to 'green' my home cleaning products including my laundry.

 
 

Why switch to green cleaning?  It is good for our family and for our environment.  The most compelling reason is that there are hardly any government regulations on what chemicals can be put in our cleaning or the personal care products millions of Americans buy and use on a daily basis.  How many times have you or someone you know, used a cleaning product that is so toxic, the label gives instruction to provide "proper ventilation" so as not to be overcome by the fumes?  In some instances, even with "proper ventilation," one may require time to collect their senses or may experience coughing attacks.

 
 

"Green" families benefit because they are not exposing their children to harmful chemicals that may contribute to asthma, allergies or autism.  They also are protecting their pets from the potential increase of infections or skin disease.  Young children and babies often spend time playing on floors where toxins have been used to 'sanitize' the area.  Frequently, these children innocently have their hands in their mouth, thus transferring certain amounts of toxins in to their body.  Pets also are exposed because they walk in the sanitized area and may have a tendency to lick their paws. 

 
 

What can be done to make a home clean and safe?  As a start, read the label on the product that is currently being used.  Get to know what is actually in the product.  Next, when the questionable brand or merchandise runs out, restock it with a non-toxic item.  In many instances, one may find these items in the store they currently shop in.  Many stores today are carrying green line products, particularly for the home.  Look for such brands as Earth Friendly, Seventh Generation, Bi-O-Kleen and other green companies.

 
 

To save even more money, cleaning products can be made at home, which is not only easy, but also fun!  Here is a recipe for creating an All-Purpose/Surface Spray Cleaner:

 
 

Here is a recipe for creating an All-Purpose/Surface Spray Cleaner:

2 teaspoon of washing soda or borax

¼ teaspoon of liquid castile soap

Hot water

Place the washing soda or borax in a 16 oz spray bottle, fill the bottle with hot water, shake until the washing soda or borax dissolved, and then at the soap.  Spray on surfaces, let it sit a minute or two, and wipe off with a sponge or microfiber cloth.   

 
 

Whether products are made at home or purchased in the store, Bein' Green is cool and really is easy!

 
 

References:

Green This – by Deirdre Imus

Green Up Your Cleanup by Jill Potvin Schoff

 
 

Renee Winston, founder of NuVision Wellness and The Detox Challenge, is a board certified holistic health counselor.  In her practice, she offers wellness programs, cooking classes, teleclasses and workshops to support and educate clients to create a relationship with food that supports their true health, well being and living a green lifestyle.  She is also one of the Senior Executive Directors for The Network of Business Women.

 
 

Inserted from <http://www.networkofbusinesswomencanada.com/In_This_Issue.html>

Girlie Wisdom

Girlie Wisdom!

1. A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she has 14 kids but doesn't really care.

2. One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

3. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

4. The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

5. The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

6. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

8. Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

9. I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knicker's.

10. Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

11. Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

12. The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

13. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast.. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!

LIVE SIMPLY.....LAUGH OFTEN....LOVE DEEPLY

Amazing Simple Home Remedies

Myspace Layouts

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED F OR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU HAVE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Clay Balls

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you.. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.

APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE

THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FRIENDS!

LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!

Pass this on to another Clay Ball!!!

Do not ask the Lord to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to MOVE your Feet'

The Red Head

A man is dining in a fancy restaurant and there is a gorgeous redhead sitting at the next table. He has been checking her out since he sat down, but lacks the nerve to talk with her.

Suddenly she sneezes, and her glass eye comes flying out of its socket toward the man. He reflexively reaches out, grabs it out of the air, and hands it back.

'Oh my, I am so sorry,' the woman says as she pops her eye back in place.

'Let me buy your dinner to make it up to you,' she says.

They enjoy a wonderful dinner together, and afterwards they go to the theatre followed by drinks. They talk, they laugh, she shares her deepest dreams and he shares his. She listens.

After paying for everything, she asks him if he would like to come to her place for a nightcap and stay for breakfast. They had a wonderful, wonderful time.

The next morning, she cooks a gourmet meal with all the trimmings. The guy is amazed. Everything had been SO incredible! 'You know,' he said, 'you are the perfect woman. Are you this nice to every guy you meet?'

'No,' she replies. . .

Wait for it. .

It's coming. .

The suspense is killing you, isn't it?

She says: 'You just happened to catch my eye.'

(Oh shut up, and just forward it!)

The Drunk

A drunk gets up from the bar and heads for the Bathroom. A few minutes later, a loud, blood curdling scream is heard coming from the bathroom.

A few minutes after that, another loud scream reverberates through the bar. The Bartender goes into the bathroom to investigate why the drunk is screaming.

"What's all the screaming about in there?" he yells. "You're scaring my Customers!"

"I'm just sitting here on the toilet," Slurs the drunk, "and every time I try to flush, Something comes up and squeezes the hell out of my nuts. The bartender opens the door, looks in, and says, "You idiot! You're sitting on the mop bucket!"

Comments from pYzam.com

Little Zachary

Little Zachary was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything...Tutors, Mentors, flash cards, Special Learning Centers... In short, they had tried everything they could think of to help with his math.

Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary down and enrolled him in the local Catholic school. After the first day, little Zachary came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't even kiss his mother & say 'Hello'. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying.

Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Zachary was hard at work. His mother was amazed.

She called him down to dinner but, to her shock, the minute he was done eating, he marched back to his room without a word. In no time at all, he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time. Day after day, while the mother tried, without success, to understand what made all the difference.

Finally, little Zachary brought home his report card. He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his room and hit the books. With great trepidation, his Mom looked at it and to her great surprise, Little Zachary got an 'A' in math! She could no longer hold her curiosity.

She went to his room and said, 'Son, what was it? What made the difference? Was it the nuns?' Little Zachary looked at her and shook his head, 'no'. 'Well, then,' she replied, 'was it the books, the discipline, the structure, the uniforms? ... WHAT WAS IT ALREADY?' Little Zachary looked at her and said: 'Well, on the first day of school when I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren't fooling around!!'

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Works For Ketchup

WORKS FOR KETCHUP



A LITTLE FOUR YEAR OLD BOY IS SITTING ON THE
TOILET. HIS MOTHER THINKS HE HAS BEEN IN THERE TOO LONG,
SO SHE GOES IN TO SEE WHAT'S UP.

THE LITTLE BOY IS GRIPPING ON TO THE TOILET SEAT WITH HIS
LEFT HAND AND HITTING HIMSELF ON TOP OF THE HEAD WITH
HIS RIGHT HAND.. HIS MOTHER SAYS: "BILLY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?
YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR AWHILE."

BILLY SAYS: "I'M FINE, MOMMY. I JUST HAVEN'T
GONE 'DOODY' YET."

MOTHER SAYS: "OK, YOU CAN STAY HERE A FEW MORE
MINUTES. BUT, BILLY, WHY ARE YOU HITTING YOURSELF ON THE
HEAD?"

BILLY SAYS: "WORKS FOR KETCHUP."

Amazing Sneeze

Amazing Sneeze

A man and a woman were sitting beside each other in the first class section of an airplane. The woman sneezed, took out a tissue, gently wiped her nose, then shuddered for ten to fifteen seconds.

The man went back to his reading. A few minutes later, the woman sneezed again, took a tissue, wiped her nose, then shuddered violently once more.

Assuming that the woman might have a cold, the man was still curious about the shuddering. A few more minutes passed when the woman sneezed again. As before she used a tissue, wiped her nose, her body shaking even more than before.

Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man turned to the woman and said, 'I couldn't help but notice that you've sneezed three times, wiped your nose, and then shuddered violently. Are you OK?

'I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I have a very rare medical condition. Whenever I sneeze I have an orgasm.'

The man, more than a bit embarrassed, was still curious. 'I have never heard of that condition before,' he said. 'Are you taking anything for it?'

The woman nodded.

'Pepper'.

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Gardening

Railroad Tie - Raised beds- For my information purposes only

Construction materials

The choice of framework to use for walls depends on the availability and expense of the construction material, as well as the desired appearance of the final product in the landscape. Treated landscape timbers and used railroad ties are popular materials. Naturally rot-resistant lumber, such as redwood or cedar, may also be used. Other possibilities include concrete blocks, bricks and stones, or synthetic lumber made of recycled plastic. A group of half barrels can make a convenient raised bed for use on a patio (Figure 2). For a consistent look, match materials to those used elsewhere in the landscape.

Generally, wood-based products are less expensive than stone or masonry materials. However, resourceful gardeners may be able to find used bricks, concrete blocks or other materials at little or no cost.

Certain national gardening publications have raised concerns about the safety of using treated lumber in food gardens. Pressure-treated lumber uses CCA (chromated copper arsenate) or ACA (ammoniacal copper arsenate) as a preservative. However, studies done by Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Service showed insignificant movement of these compounds into surrounding soil. Pressure-treated lumber has no proven effect on plant growth or food safety. However, on Feb.12, 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a voluntary decision by the lumber industry to move consumer use of treated lumber products away from a variety of pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic by Dec. 31, 2003, in favor of new, alternative wood preservatives. Alkaline cooper quaternary (ACQ) is a relatively new wood treatment that is available in some areas of the country. This product is higher in copper than CCA but is free of arsenic.

Creosote, which is used to treat railroad ties, may cause injury or death to plants that come into direct contact with it. After a few years the effect diminishes. Old, discarded ties do not injure plants (Figure 3). However, injury may occur if ties are still oozing black, sticky creosote or smell intensely. If you are uncertain about the safety of treated lumber, place a heavy plastic liner between the treated lumber and soil used for growing plants to prevent direct contact of plant roots with the treated lumber. Be careful not to tear the plastic when tilling the bed.

Figure 3

Old railroad ties make a satisfactory raised bed if they are not oozing creosote, which could injure plants.

Pasted from <http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=g6985>