Back to School Guide | Seventh Generation

Back to School Guide

Back to School supplies the weather forecast may still say "summer," but in millions of homes around the country, the calendar has a different message: another school year is almost here, and with it the season for new clothes, fresh supplies, and all the other gear that kids will need to continue their adventures in learning.Though it's a time-honored ritual in many families, back-to-school shopping is a tradition ripe for reconsideration.

The purchasing choices we make for the new school year will have a lot to do with how safe our children stay and how healthy our world remains. Here's our lesson plan for making sure that your back-to-school experience is as sustainable as it is educational:• Lowering your back-to-school consumption will pay off both economically and ecologically. Consider just how much new stuff you really need to buy. Chances are it's less than you think! Look around your home to see what can be reused, re purposed, and recycled from older siblings.• Consider buying quality used clothing instead of brand new items.• For finding recycling and reuse ideas, New American Dream offers a useful back to School Reality Check and a separate Quiz that can help you reassess your needs.•
 New or used, beware of products made from soft vinyl plastics (a.k.a. PVC), including notebooks, pencil cases, backpacks, and lunch boxes. Vinyl manufacturing is one of the world's most toxic enterprises and PVC can contain lead and/or phthalates that leach out to harm our kids' health. Choose natural materials instead. You can also consult The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice's new Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.• Test for lead in lunch boxes. Homax Lead Check, Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit, and Lead Inspector are reliable options for finding out whether lunch boxes and other items contain lead.• Another contaminant to watch out for is bisphenol-A, or BPA, which is used to manufacture popular #7 polycarbonate plastic water bottles. BPA can leach out of materials that contain it and is a potent endocrine disruptor.
 Bottle your child's daily beverage supply in stainless steel water bottles to keep the BPA away.• When shopping for school supplies, avoid disposable products and look for sustainable options like refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, dispenser-less tape refills, and similar items.• Choose products that use the least amount of packaging.• Buy in bulk whenever you can. The price per piece is almost always lower, and you'll save on packaging and prevent multiple trips back to the store.By taking these ideas to school, you'll be teaching your kids to be smart caretakers of their health and good stewards of the world they'll inherit. And that's a lesson that we think everyone should learn!

Back to School Guide | Seventh Generation

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Benefits of using a SHOWER FILTER!

.Using a shower filter is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce harmful exposure to chlorine and other chemicals.2. Showering in filtered water results in greater respiratory health by reducing the risk of asthma and bronchitis from chlorine inhalation.3. Showering in chlorine-free, filtered water decreases the risks of bladder and breast cancer.4. Children, who are particularly at risk of the harmful effects of chlorine inhalation, benefit especially from the removal of chlorine from showering water.5. As chlorine is a leading cause of fatigue, showering in filtered, chlorine-free water results in higher energy levels and overall greater health.6. Removing chlorine from showering water results in better air quality throughout the house.7. Without the drying effects of chlorine, skin becomes softer, healthier, and younger looking.8. Removing chlorine from showering water reduces the presence of skin rashes and the appearance of wrinkles.9. Because the hair is able to preserve its natural moisturizing oils, it becomes softer and healthier when chlorine is removed from showering water.10. When the body is able to retain its natural moisturizers, the need for costly lotions and moisturizers is greatly reduced.

WELCOME to DERMA HAIR CARE LLC ::.

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Chlorine in our drinking water!!!

A few words about CHLORINE!

Chlorine is universally recognized and used as an effective chemical for purifying water. Water companies use chlorine because of its effectiveness in killing microorganisms. Chlorine attacks organic matter, making it a potent bleaching agent. Almost every home uses common household bleach in their laundry.Chlorine is also very hazardous. Even when diluted, it must be used with care. Read the label on any bottle of household bleach. If chlorine works so well in killing bacteria and bleaching and oxidizing organic food stains, what does it do to our skin, eyes, and lungs?Chlorine plays havoc with our skin and hair because it chemically bonds with the protein in our bodies. It makes hair brittle and dry; it can make sensitive skin dry; flaky; and itchy.It makes good sense to remove chlorine from drinking water. It is just as logical to remove it from our showers. Many authorities feel that we take in more chlorine from one shower than from drinking the same water in one day.Medical science considers the human skin surface as the largest body organ, weighing about 12 pounds for the average adult. It would not seem any wiser to expose that much skin to a chemical disinfectant like chlorine, than it would be to drink it.

WELCOME to DERMA HAIR CARE LLC ::.

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infants and formula

The deadly influence of baby formula in America

Breastfeeding is growing in popularity and this groundbreaking analysis from noted author, health educator and advocate Dr. Linda Folden Palmer may be a rude awakening for the millions of Americans who still buy into the myth that infant formula is a safe breast milk substitute. Dr. Palmer compared the death rates of formula-fed and breast-fed babies and found that using formula DOUBLES THE DEATH RATE for American infants. (2) For both condensed and full, referenced versions of Dr. Palmer's report, see Natural Family Online at:


http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/BF/200312-formula-report2.htm

Why organic baby food is safer

Children may be at risk of higher exposure to the toxins found in non organic food because baby food is often made up of condensed fruits or vegetables, potentially concentrating pesticide residues. While at least one company says their non organic baby food has pesticide and heavy-metal levels below government-recommended levels, that may be cold comfort for parents wanting the healthiest options for their baby.Consumer Reports video buying ADVICE Organic Baby food parents have good reason to be concerned. Children's developing immune, central-nervous, and hormonal systems are especially vulnerable to damage from toxic chemicals. "A lot of these pesticides are toxic to the brain," says Philip Landrigan, a professor of pediatrics and preventative medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "We have very good evidence that exposure of the fetus to organophosphorus pesticides produces babies with small head circumference, which is a risk factor for reduced intelligence and behavior disturbances."

ConsumerReports.org - Consumer Reports - Why organic baby food is safer 1/06

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Chemicals in our Baby Formula

While the benefits of breast milk over baby formula are old news, some important new research indicates that additional dangers may lurk in every can of baby formula on the market.

In a recent report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer health advocacy group, tests performed on liquid baby formulas found that they all contained bisphenol A (BPA). This leaching, hormone-mimicking chemical is used by all major baby formula manufacturers in the linings of the metal cans in which baby formula is sold.

BPA has been found to cause hyperactivity, reproductive abnormalities and pediatric brain cancer in lab animals. Increasingly, scientists suspect that BPA might be linked to several medical problems in humans, including breast and testicular cancer.

GREEN MOMMIES

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." ~ Native American Proverb

As moms we are the most influential person in the family, every step we take, no matter how small to help our "Mother Earth" helps preserve it for our children and their children. It is up to us to set the example. This section is devoted to eco-friendly ideas and tips for conscious moms.