Just before I was about to toss all of my son's plastic sippy cups in the trash, I decided to do a little digging to see just how toxic the ones he has really are.  I started contacting some of the major brands-Gerber, Playtex, Avent, etc.

Continue reading More On BPA and Sippy Cups-Which Ones to Avoid.

Despite some wacky warmer weather we've been having here in New York this month, as a recent snow storm just proved, winter is still in full effect.  The nights are still chilly and our house is brrrrr cold.  My son kicks off blankets in his sleep and wakes up with hands and feet like little icicles. We used to dress him in the typical polyester footed sleepers until we realized that doing so was possibly exposing him to dangerous flame retardants, PBDE's (polybrominated diphenyl ethers known to cause thyroid problems in lab rats and is linked to neurological damage) used to protect children from catching on fire. Unfortunately, initially intended as an precautionary additive to consumer products such as sofas, textiles, clothing and electronics to make us all safer, these dangerous chemicals are now in most of our bodies at alarmingly high levels, and with a structural similarity to PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenyls banned in the USA in 1977 but still present in the environment) which are known to have neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects.   

This is an issue that makes my head spin. 

Continue reading PCBE's and Finding Non-Flame Retardant Children's Sleepwear.

Most people are chronically dehydrated and don't even realize it.  Coffee, alcohol, caffeinated carbonated beverages and simply forgetting to drink enough during the day are major contributors to dehydration.  Subtle and not so subtle signs include fatigue, weakness, a "spacey" feeling, dry skin, nails and hair, constipation, poor digestion and absorption of foods.  Children can also get dehydrated easily, especially if they are sick, so it's important to make sure that they are drinking enough fluids throughout the day as well. 

One way to figure out how many cups of water you need to drink for your particular body is by multiplying your weight by .5- this will give you the number of fluid ounces your body needs- then take that number and divide by eight.  This last number will give you a good estimate of how many cups of fluid you need a day.  If you are pregnant, nursing, exercising vigorously or live in a warmer climate, it is always a good idea to drink a little more throughout the day.

Continue reading Are You Drinking Enough Water?.