One Big Reason Your Kids Are Sick
There are a number of factors that will contribute to the health of your children – including what they eat and how well they practice hygiene.
But here's a big, big thing that contributes to your child's health — or lack of it.
Chemicals. Lots of them.
Everywhere you go there are untested chemicals (or chemicals that are known in other countries to be unsafe) lurking in food, household products, beauty products, and in the very air you breathe.
Did you know…?
- There are more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S.
- Comprehensive pre-market safety testing of these chemicals is not required under any federal law.
- The primary U.S. law that regulates chemicals in every day products hasn’t been updated in more than 35 years.
- In the European Union (EU), 1,328 chemicals have been banned for use in personal care products. In the U.S., only 11 chemicals have been banned or restricted by the FDA.
- Scientific evidence continues to point to the chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives as causing or contributing to the rise in childhood behavioral disorders and diseases.
Every person's health is affected by these chemicals, and children are especially affected — even those still in the womb.
Hormone disruption, allergies, and cell damage are just a few of the consequences of repeated exposure to chemicals.
I recently attended a webinar with Healthy Child Healthy World where there were suggestions given of simple, affordable actions families can take to decrease chemical exposure.
1. Take off your shoes at the door: 85 percent of the dirt in our homes is
tracked inside on the bottom of our shoes. It’s not just dirt, but toxins like
lead, pesticides, gasoline residue and more. Keep your home safer by taking
off your shoes. It’s the public health equivalent of washing your hands.
2. Buy safer body care: Children are exposed to an average of 27 care product
ingredients on a daily basis that have not been found safe for developing
bodies. Protect your family’s health by avoiding products that ingredients
like parabens, synthetic fragrances, triclosan and more. For a list of the most
toxic offenders, download the free eBook, “Easy Steps to a Healthy & Safe
Nursery” at Healthychild.org/resource-center.
3. Open a window: People spend about 90 percent of their time inside,
but indoor air is typically far more polluted than outside. So, open those
windows! Even a few minutes a day can improve indoor air quality.
4. Eat more whole foods: Processed foods may be convenient, but they’re
also loaded with sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings, and synthetic
preservatives. These lack nutrients and many are also linked to health issues
like ADHD and even cancer. Reduce by eating more whole foods.
5. Ban the can: Bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone disruptor that has been linked
to everything from obesity to cancer, is in the plastic resin that lines most
canned goods—from soups to sodas. Avoiding canned food for significantly
lowers exposure. Look for foods packaged in glass or eat fresh, dried, and
frozen options.
Maybe you try to do these things in your home, but what can you do to help protect the children of your friends and family members?
1. Share this information by Hosting a Healthy Baby Home Party!
2. Alert them to the new NATIONAL availability of Seventh Generation
diapers, wipes and cleaning products at all Target stores. Now it’s
easier than ever to makeover the nursery and cleaning cabinet!
3. Urge Senators to strengthen and pass the Chemical Safety Improvement Act
(CSIA).