Accidentally Green

Making Healthy Decisions That Honor God and Happen to Help the Environment

My Breastfeeding Story

When I decided to breastfeed, I was thankful most of my friends had taken the breastfeeding route so I could turn to them with questions. Prince Charming and I took a breastfeeding class offered by our hospital that explained a lot of details. I also referenced a couple of books – “The Nursing Mother’s Companion” by Kathleen Huggins and “The Breastfeeding Book” by Martha and Dr. Williams Sears – but the most help I received was from lactation consultants at the hospital after I gave birth to my ... Read more

Accidentally Green’s Beginning

We’re in the middle of an in-depth look into formula and breast milk – thank you for your thoughtful comments so far! I'll post experiences from several readers on Saturday. I’d like to pause to share about the She Speaks Conference sponsored by Proverbs 31 Ministries. Ideal for women writers, speakers, and ministry leaders, this conference was integral in starting my Accidentally Green journey.While I had always hoped to write a book, my friend told me about She Speaks in 2009. I had just ... Read more

Can SIDS Be Prevented?

If Dr. Jim Sprott’s research is correct and toxic nerve gases in crib mattresses do cause SIDS, what can parents do? In New Zealand, Sprott began a campaign to wrap crib mattresses in high-grade polyethylene that’s impermeable to gas. Since New Zealand parents began to wrap their children’s crib mattresses in 1995, SIDS incidents have dropped by sixty-eight percent.In fact, more than 180,000 babies have slept on wrapped mattresses, but not a single child sleeping on a wrapped mattress ... Read more

Is There a Link Between Flame Retardants and SIDS?

Flame retardants may have a deadly side effect in children: the presence of flame retardants in crib mattresses have been linked as a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. As the number one cause of death in children twelve months old and younger, SIDS kills an average of 2,500 infants each year.1 Crib mattresses are made of vinyl and polyurethane foam, and are filled with toxic chemical additives like flame retardants phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony. The mattresses are then covered with ... Read more

What’s So Bad About Flame Retardants?

If the PBDEs in flame retardants weren’t so nasty, the exposure wouldn’t be a big issue. But they build up in humans as a body burden and disrupt hormones. Unfortunately, residents of the United States have greater exposure. In fact, due to lenient standards in the U.S., Americans have more PBDEs in their bloodstream than Europeans – American mothers have ten to one hundred times higher concentrations in their breast milk than European or Japanese mothers. 1 Risks to women For mothers, ... Read more

What Are PBDEs?

Last Friday, The Washington Post reported that Wal-Mart will stop selling all products that include polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. PBDEs, a popular flame retardant compound, were invented to slow the spread of fires. Unfortunately, the PBDEs don’t attach to polymers in products and end up spreading in the environment – either during the manufacturing process, or afterwards when the flame retardant product degrades or is disposed. That means when you lie on a mattress or sit on a ... Read more

Reducing Your Exposure to BPA

If you’ve read Accidentally Green over the past week, you now have a good understanding of bisphenol A – from the products that include the chemical and the health effects. But now what? While it’s virtually impossible to avoid exposure to BPA if you live in the United States, you definitely can limit your exposure. Here are a few fairly simple ways: Limit your use of canned foods, although it’s difficult. Trust me, trying to make your own homemade pizza sauce without using storebought ... Read more

Where in the World is BPA?

In the past few years, a huge push to eliminate bisphenol A (BPA) in producst has taken place. For those who don't know what BPA is or does, it may seem like a silly precaution. However, it's a fantastic attempt at preventing dangerous exposure. On Friday, I explained BPA's many health risks. But in order to avoid it, you need to know where to find it. So without further ado, here are common sources of BPA: Canned food The lining in canned food and beverages is made of BADGE-40H, a ... Read more

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Earlier this week, I confessed that I make my own laundry detergent. Not only is it easy to make, but it’s also super affordable and it cleans really well. As promised, I’m posting my favorite soap recipes, along with some helpful hints. I know many people aren’t interested in making their own soap. But, if you have a lot of laundry and are trying to save money, this is a cheap and easy solution. Editor's note: While this IS a cheap and easy laundry solution, I no longer believe it's the safest ... Read more

Thought You’d Like to Know about BPA

I’ve wanted to tell you about Bisphenol A, also called BPA, for a while. It’s one nasty toxin that accrues as a body burden  and is found in so many of today’s products. Created in 1891, BPA quickly became a staple in plastic production. But in 1938, researchers discovered that it acts as an artificial estrogen. Manufacturers continued using it and added the BPA byproduct, Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether metabolite (BADGE-40H), in the 1940s and 1950s to form epoxy resins that line food ... Read more

A Laundry List of Problems and Solutions

Last month I let you in on the dirty secret about cleaning products: many are pretty darn toxic. On Monday  I explained how artificial air fresheners do more harm than good. Today, let’s talk laundry. Problem spots Given some pretty hazardous ingredients like chlorine bleach and ammonia, laundry rooms have the potential to be very dangerous spaces. For starters, never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar. If you do, you’ll create deadly fumes. Also, don’t ever ingest chlorine ... Read more

Safe Ways to Set the Mood

It’s Valentine’s Day and you may have romantic plans for tonight. Before you get your heart set on a candlelit dinner, though, you might want to reconsider. Even though they’re great at setting a mood, many candles and incense are unhealthy. Some wicks are made with metals, like lead. Also, candles that are made of paraffin wax, a petroleum byproduct, give off toxic chemicals when burned. 1 The fumes from candles and other air freshening products actually create a lot of pollution inside a ... Read more

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