You. Me. Your parents. Your siblings. Your kids. We all have toxins such as BPA, Phthalates, and PFOA inside our bodies, some more than others, it just all depends on how conscious we are of the products we use and the things we eat. But since they are in our bodies, how do we get them out?
Authors Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith, authors of Toxin Toxout: Getting Harmful Chemicals Out Of Our Bodies And Our World, the follow up to their popular the popular Slow Death by Rubber Duck (another great read!), show us the effect of toxins in our body through experiments done on themselves and volunteers. The experiments and their results are really thought-provoking and though the results may not be shocking to you, they will still make you stop to think even more about the things you bring into your home.
I was hooked to this book right from the introduction. This section in particular:
Here in Canada, Environmental Defence released a report in the summer of 2013 that involved testing the umbilical cord blood of three newborns for the presence of 310 different synthetic chemicals. In total, 137 different chemicals (including things like DDT, PCBs and flame retardants) were detected in the three newborns. The report was the first published Canadian data of this kind, and the startling results demonstrated that Canadian children are born pre-polluted.
"Canadian children are born pre-polluted."
That last sentence is an eye-opener. A little scary, but the book goes on to show us exactly how we are all being polluted and how we can reverse it. At the end of the book, there is an entire chapter dedicated to the 10 things we can all do to get rid of the toxins in our homes and our bodies and guess what? They are all easy and definitely doable.
The subject of toxins in the body is by no means a light subject, but Lourie and Smith use humour, interviews with experts, and experiments such as comparing the levels of toxins in the body while using conventional skin care products and then while using organic skin care products. In another experiment, they measure the increase of chemicals in their bodies after sitting in a car and inhaling "new car small" for an extended amount of time. The book is a quick, entertaining read and you will learn lots, I guarantee it.
Whether you are already doing a great job in eliminating products with toxins from your home, if you haven't started, but are thinking about it, or if you are a skeptic when it comes to organics and the effects of toxins on the body, Toxin Toxout is for all of you. No matter what stage you are in, you will pull a lot of helpful info from this book and it will definitely change the way you think about toxins and the shop.
Learn why you should make sure that triclosan is not in any of the products you buy and how you can make your own safe body lotion by using just one ingredient from your kitchen.
Blueberry muffins have always been a favourite of mine, but with all the modifications I usually make to my recipes, I had not found one that worked for me—until now.
If you read my blog regularly, you know that coconut is one of my favourite ingredients, so when I found a blueberry muffin recipe that contained coconut, I was all over it. I made a few changes to the original recipe and came up with these delicious gems. They don't last long when I make them, and I'm pretty sure it will be the same when you make them.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup melted coconut oil (plus extra for greasing muffin tin)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup warm non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 large ripe, mashed banana
3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup wild blueberries (if using frozen, partially thawed*)
* While partially thawing blueberries, place them on paper towels to absorb the extra moisture.
Preheat oven to 375°F
Line a muffin tin with liners or generously grease the inside of each cup with coconut oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, flax seeds, salt, and xanthan gum.
In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, and non-dairy milk.
In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, mashed banana, shredded coconut.
Add the coconut oil mixture to the dry mixture stir until combined taking care not to over mix. Fold in banana mixture until incorporated. Fold in blueberries.
Divide batter into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean.
Makes 12 muffins
Adapted from Healthy. Happy. Life.
Looking for more gluten-free, vegan treats? Check out these Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies and these Zucchini Muffins.
Every day heroes are all around us. They do amazing things through their work each day and likely, they do it quietly seeking no recognition. Earth Day Canada’s Hometown Heroes Award Program 2014 is giving us the chance to recognize local environmental heroes for their extraordinary efforts in creating greener communities across Canada.
The Hometown Heroes Award Program, established in 2004 by Earth Day Canada, recognizes and celebrates environmental leaders who foster meaningful, long-term community awareness and action. This is your chance to help Canada recognize and celebrate environmental leaders—whether an individual, group or small business—who foster meaningful, long-term community awareness and action. You can read about past Hometown Hero winners here.
From now until March 31, 2014, you can nominate a local deserving individual, a local registered not-for-profit or charitable organization, volunteer group or school, or a local Canadian-owned and operated business working to support a healthier environment.
Here is what is up for grabs:
Individual Hometown Heroes Award – A $10,000 cash prize to donate to a local environmental group/cause of their choice
Group Hometown Heroes Award – A $10,000 cash prize to support their work or the Small Business
Hometown Heroes Award – A $5,000 cash prize that must be used by the business to make an operational change that results in the business lessening their environmental impact, and permission from EDC to use the award and the EDC logo for one year to help market and promote the business and/or an approved product.
There are just a few weeks left to get your nominations in, so download the nomination forms, and start nominating!
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