Hello Mommies and Daddies. Thank you for joining me today! As you know, I created
happyhealthychildren.org to help you, as parents, recognize some of the toxins that exist in our modern-day society so you can avoid them and reach your goal of raising happy, healthy children!
One of the main sources of toxins that we are exposed to today are plastics. And, unfortunately, toxic plastics are everywhere! You may be asking yourself: what is wrong with plastics?
Why are plastics a concern?
The reason to be concerned about plastics is that many of the individual chemicals that compose plastics are toxic to the human body. Plastics can cause problems with infertility, both in males and females; altered ovarian and testicular function; cancer; liver dysfunction; psychiatric problems, including anxiety and depression; and poor attention span.
As you can see, this is not good stuff!
Can you avoid toxic plastics and their harmful effects?
Unfortunately, getting completely away from toxic plastics is almost impossible. This stuff is EVERYWHERE! Many of you have heard of phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA). These two are by no means the only toxic chemicals found in plastics. But they have been more closely studied in terms of their relation to human health than other plastic components.
Let’s talk about solutions.
Babies are at highest risk from toxic plastics.
First, know your risk. These plastics are most harmful to the developing baby. So let’s start with protecting babies. Make sure not to heat any of their food, including solids or liquids, in plastic. The problem with heating foods in plastics is that the heat allows the chemicals from the plastics to leach into the food and then we consume the toxins directly into our bodies.
Moms and Dads, I know this means using more pots, pans and glass bowls, rather than just warming up baby’s food in the plastic container you are serving it in. And this means more dishes to wash. But using these safer surfaces to heat your baby’s foods will help keep these dangerous toxins out of your baby’s body, so it is worth it!
Pregnant and breast-feeding moms: remember that anything you put into your body, you will share with your developing baby. So make sure you are not heating your foods in plastic containers either.
Make sure to buy as many products as possible in BPA and phthalate-free containers. BPA-free is becoming easier to find every day. Phthalate-free can be a real challenge.
Remember to also think of plastics when you buy your baby’s toys. If you are already a parent, you know that everything goes in baby’s mouth. So look for toys that are free of these toxins, especially for teething toys and pacifiers.
Minimize toxic plastic exposure for all members of your family.
While the highest risk is for babies, older children and adults are by no means immune to the effects of these toxins. Think about what type of containers you are packing your children’s lunches in. You have probably seen very convenient, well-organized plastic Bento boxes that are marketed towards children’s lunches. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of these boxes are made out of plastics.
Instead, look for stainless-steel lunch containers. They are easy to use and plastic-free, so you can feel good about putting your children’s food in them.
Do not cook your food in plastic!
Finally, when cooking for your family, there are so many conveniences now in packaging. For example, you can go to the store and buy a bag of green beans and literally steam the green beans in its plastic packaging bag. While these methods of cooking for our families are super convenient, they involve bringing our food to very hot temperatures inside toxic plastic bags!
While it takes a few more steps and a little more time, please get your food out of its plastic packaging and cook it in a stainless-steel pot or pan. Some people also like to cook with wrought iron pans, which are a good option as well. They are a bit more challenging to care for, but they are safe. Avoid Teflon and other nonstick cookware. There is emerging evidence that Teflon is toxic to the human body.
Thank you so much for joining me today! Remember that simple changes in all of our lives can help keep our children happy and healthy. Please enter your email address below to subscribe to my blog, which will allow my future posts to come directly to your inbox. Write to me at dr.pamela@happyhealthychildren.org with any topics you would like to see me cover in the future. And please share my Gettr account, Facebook page, YouTube videos and Instagram with your friends and family. My goal is to help parents raise happy, healthy children!
