Hidden sources of BPA

 

Recent research indicates that the presence of BPA in food items can cause hyperactivity and other learning problems, particularly with girls. Bisphenol A (BPA) is also linked to a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver enzyme abnormalities in humans. Most parents today know enought to use baby bottles and sippy cups that are BPA free, but what about the hidden sources of this additive? Here are a few:

1. Thermally printed paper like receipts and movie tickets. Keep these away from your kids if they also use those hands to dip into a box of popcorn.
2. Dental Sealant. The sealants dentists use to protect teeth from cavities break down into BPA when in contact with saliva. Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital also advise pregnant women to avoid dental sealants.
3. Pizza boxes. Yep, they are recycled, sometimes from that thermally printed paper!
4. Soda cans. The plastic lining contains traces of BPA. Now both the can and the contents should be avoided.
5. Wine (those fermented in vats lined with plastic.) I know you won't give your children wine to drink, but you may use it in cooking.

To avoid or limit your own exposure, avoid plastic containers that have the number 7 printed on the bottom. Never microwave your food in any type of plastic container and never wash these plastics in the dishwasher with detergents that are harsh with very hot water. This combination of hot water and detergent can cause BPA to be deposited on your other dishes and even glassware.

As part of their study, the Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute enrolled five families, each consisting of two parents and two children, who had regularly consumed prepackaged, processed foods and drinks in cans, frozen dinners, bottled water and foods designed to be microwaved in their own containers. Then, for three days, these families were presented with fresh, organic food cooked by the research team and stored only in glass or stainless steel containers. To measure the direct and immediate impact of the change, researchers collected urine samples from all participants before, during and after the diet.

After just three days, everyone’s BPA level fell, with an average drop of two-thirds. BPA has a half-life of six hours in your body, notes Connie Engel, PhD, program coordinator at The Breast Cancer Fund. This means that six hours following exposure, half of what you’ve taken in is eliminated. When the families resumed their normal diets, their BPA levels returned to pre-intervention levels by the next urine sample. These findings were published in March in the online journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

So, the bottom line is: Natural is better and always question the quality of the plastics you use when feeding your family.

Happy Parenting!

When your friend needs help

We've all been there. We're sick, had an operation, had a baby, or are simply overwhelmed with life's demands. Then some unsuspecting family member asks, "What's for dinner?" and you lose all patience. When my daughter had her baby last month, a very kind relative started a meal delivery system after I left. Called Take Them a Meal, the website offers a sign-up system for meals for as long as the help is needed. Chelle got delicious home-cooked casseroles for two weeks, which fed her and her family for dinners and leftovers for lunches. The sign-up system prevented her having baked ziti every night, too! Some neighbors were disappointed that they couldn't sign up becuase all the spaces were filled for dinners, so they got together a Sunday brunch basket. What wonderful people! And since she delivered by C-section, my daughter was unable to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, so when she went to the grocery store, she only bought the necessary lighter items - bread, eggs, cheese, diapers, etc. So not only did the system provide wonderful meals, it lightened her burden for shopping.

The website also has a section for recipes and a section for ordering meals if you live far away from the friend or family member in need. In addition, if you belong to a group that holds potluck dinners, they have a companion site to sign up for a church supper as well.

What a boon for the person who needs help because she or he knows that she'll easily be able to reciprocate or "pay it forward" somehow.

Happy parenting!

Summer Science Sensations

I have borrowed some ideas from Penn State today to show you ways you can add some science education to your children's summer learning experiences. For extra fun, purchase some inexpensive safety goggles in kiddie size to make your young scientists feel more professional... and safe!


Smell the Difference - Mirror Molecules

Even though the same atoms combine to make mirror molecules, the left-handed and right-handed versions can have very different properties, such as smell. With a few items from around your house, you will be able to smell the difference between some stereoisomers like lemon and orange, or mint and caraway. National Museum of American History.

Finding the Speed of Light with Marshmallows - A Take-Home Lab

Requires a microwave oven, a microwave-safe casserole dish, a bag of marshmallows, and a ruler.

Burning Calories - The Energy in Food

How to make a simple calorimeter for measuring the energy content of food. UCSF, for grade 4 students.

Testing Foods for Glucose and Starch

Students practice safe laboratory methods while learning how to interpret results of chemical tests. They determine the foods to test and interpret and record their results. Based on the amount of glucose or starch present in the food, both tests will provide varying results. This gives students the chance to make decisions about results and helps them understand that scientists must repeat tests to confirm results. ---Countertop Chemistry.

Countertop Chemistry

Chemistry Activities that use chemicals you can find at the grocery or the hardware store. NC State University.

Edible/Inedible Experiments Archive

Science should be fun….and science should be edible! Food batteries, cabbage juice pH indicator, generating light by chewing, and more!

How Stuff Works – Foods

Beer, coffee, antioxidants, food preservation, etc.

Food Chemistry Experiments

A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling Web Site.

Plastic Bag Ice Cream

Illinois Farm Bureau - Ag ZipLocks & You - 10 plastic bag activities for kids. Also, check out this site from the University of Guelph, Ontario for information on the science and technology ice cream making.

 

Happy Parenting!

Burgers vs Childhood Asthma

I read in Reader's Digest that kids who eat three or more burgers per week are 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than kids who never or rarely eat burgers.  That study covered 50,000 children in 20 countries, so I label the findings very reliable.  So, I dug further to find the source. The study appears in the latest issue of the journal Thorax.  Look at this information in reverse, the researchers found that eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and fish was associated with a lower chance of developing asthma and wheezing.  That's because fruits and veggies are good sources of antioxidant vitamins, and fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Antioxidants and omega-3 both have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation in the airways triggers asthma-related breathing problems as well as wheezing and coughing. The saturated fat in burgers promotes asthma by causing inflammation, to say nothing of how the fat clogs young arteries and contributes to childhood obesity. 

Healthy Eating for Parents, Teachers, and Children

It's a fact - adults who eat right and exercise frequently have a more positive attitude and better behaved children than lethargic, overweight adults.  When you feel good about yourself and your body, you'll transfer that positive energy to your children.  You'll also teach them healthy eating habits.  When I was teaching, I had an orange for lunch every day.  I put the orange peels in a bowl right by the door.  This had several effects: It helped overcome the odors of a hundred teenagers going in and out of my room every day, it added an aromatic Feng Shui remedy, and it showed my students that I modeled healthy eating by having an orange every day.

Here are some suggestions for healthy eating that will make for happier, healthier parents, teachers, and children (click the hyperlinks for food choices):

• Drink at least four 8-ounce glasses of water each day.  This helps to flush out toxins and increases "regularity."
• Limit carbs to three small portions a day.  If you must have your morning bagel, it should be whole grain.  Want a potato for dinner?  Have half today and half tomorrow.
• Protein builds and holds muscle mass.  Eat lots of protein and dairy products, but limit the amount of fat-laden proteins.
• Fruits are good, but in moderation because they are high in natural sugar.  Limit to 3 servings a day.
• Veggies are wonderful for weight loss, helping you to feel full, and to supplement the vitamins and minerals in an otherwise balanced diet.

With a balanced diet and consistent exercise, you'll have enough energy for your children or students! Here is a helpful list of suggestions for weight loss: http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2008/07/foods-for-weight-loss?mbid=synd_yshine

Family-friendly meal times

Do your family meals turn into battlegrounds with children fighting adults for control of the plate?  Did you know that the single most frequent response when adults are asked what they remember as children involve family meals?  Think about your own family meal rituals.  What will your children remember in twenty-five years when they have your grandchildren sitting around their tables?  How will your legacy of happy family meals continue through the generations?  Here are a few suggestions for creating happier family meals:

1. Everyone does not have to eat the same thing as everyone else.  In other words, you don't need to force your children to eat peas if they don't like peas!
2. Encourage conversation by turning off the TV and iPods.
3. Have one family member help with the choice, preparation, and presentation of the dinner occasionally.
4. In a busy family, designate one day as family dinner day when everyone makes sure they are home at a specific time.
5. Develop unique family recipes, traditions, or grace before meals.

When you create happy meals for your family, research shows that children with asthma have fewer attacks, teens are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and all family members have a lower tendency for eating disorders.  What are you having for dinner tonight?  Meat loaf or family togetherness?

Watch the Sugar, Sugar!

You can find sugar in practically every food your child eats except meats.  That's why eating foods with added sugar can overload a young system.  Here are the naturally occurring sugars:

• Sucrose, which is common table or white sugar, is found naturally in sugar cane, sugar beets and, in smaller amounts, in some fruits.
• Fructose, the sweetest sugar, which combines with glucose to form sucrose. This is found in fruits.
• Glucose, which is slightly less sweet than sucrose.This is found in starches.
• Lactose, or milk sugar. 

So, you can see that if a child has a bowl of sweetened cereal with milk, strawberries, and a glass of orange juice for breakfast, he is overloaded on all kinds of sugar.  Eliminate added sugar from the cereal and you have decreased the amount of sugar somewhat, but not by much.  What can you feed your child instead?  Add a protein - peanut butter, eggs, or cheese.

Why is so much sugar bad for your child in the morning?  Because simple carbohydrates like refined sugars give your child a shot of energy, but then his body slows down by mid-morning.  In addition to adding protein, give your child complex carbohydrates, which will keep him going all morning long, such as whole wheat toast, bran cereal, and oatmeal.

Contrary to popular belief, too much sugar does not cause hyperactivity.  However, it does lead to obesity and the potential for diabetes.  If you want the best food for your child, cut out as much simple sugars as possible and add more complex carbohydrates.   Having a good breakfast has also been proven to prevent lead poisoning!

This would be a good breakfast for your child:
Strawberry smoothie made with frozen yogurt
Hard boiled egg
Whole wheat toast with peanut butter 

Enjoy!