We could all use a few less chemicals in our homes. A 2009 study showed that newborns come into the world with over 200 chemicals already in their bodies. Wonder how they got there? On a daily basis, we are exposed to hundreds of chemicals – through cleaning products, personal hygiene products, makeup, hair products, plastics and more. And children are the most vulnerable to the side effects of these chemicals because their fragile immune systems can’t fight off the foreign substances.
The chemicals found in newborn’s cord blood includ bisphenol A, or BPA, which mimics estrogen and has been shown to cause developmental problems and precancerous growth in animals. We can weed these chemicals out of our lives by using natural cleaning products, buying plastics that don’t contain BPA, eating organic meats, veggies and fruits, and being more careful with which consumer products we bring into our homes.
But this holiday season, we can help our friends and extended families begin the journey as well. The Environmental Working Group is offering a great gift package for a donation of $125 ($85 of which is tax deductible). The gift bag includes The Earthbound Cook filled with 250 great recipes, a reusable shopping bag, two produce bags, an organic chocolate bar, organic seeds, a Klean Kanteen, the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen shopping notepad to help you buy the right veggies and fruit, reusable bag tags with shopping tips and more than $20 in organic food coupons. Not a bad deal. I’d be happy to find it under my Christmas tree.
The Environmental Working Group works to reduce the chemicals in our world buy shedding light on the chemicals used in our products, banning BPA in baby products, and fighting for safer tap water. Their goals are to protect the most vulnerable of us – our children, both in and out of the womb, and to fix federal policies that cause harm to the environment.