When purchasing personal care products specifically made for babies most people do not even consider the fact that there may be potentially harmful ingredients in them. Especially when they are buying brands that have been around for more 100 years. Many believe that all baby products are created to be milder and gentler and that the government protects us as consumers from dangerous ingredients. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no power to require that personal care products be tested for safety before they are sold. There is a panel responsible for ensuring the safety of personal care product ingredients in the US called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). However, it is an industry-funded panel, not a government health agency and they do not seem to be too concerned with the issue. Based on a national survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), they have only reviewed 23% of ingredients in the 1,700 children’s products that were included in the study. Their survey also found that children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care product ingredients every day that have not been found safe for kids.

What we put on our children is equally as important as what we put in them. They are considerably more vulnerable than adults; their chemical exposures are greater pound-for-pound. Their developing organs are more susceptible to damage from chemical exposures and they are less able to detoxify and excrete chemicals. For example, an infants skin is much thinner than adult skin and it actually thickens as they age. It is believed that the thin skin of a newborn is more permeable to specific chemicals than the skin of an adult. Add to this that the surface area of a babies skin relative to body weight is greater than adults and the potential dose of a chemical from dermal exposure may be about 3 times greater in infants than in adults. We also need to consider the fact that they have more years of future life to develop diseases brought on by early exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Be diligent and read the ingredient list on the products that you are using on your children to be sure that they are safe. Below is a list of the most potentially dangerous ingredients in diaper cream, shampoo, conditioner, body wash/liquid soap, lotion and baby powder that you should avoid, according to EWG.

BHA: Commonly found in diaper cream. The European Union considers BHA unsafe for use in fragrance because it can cause skin depigmentation. It is a known human immune system toxicant and a possible human carcinogen. BHA also produces liver damage in lab animals at very low doses, and is a suspected hormone disruptor.

BORIC ACID and SODIUM BORATE: Commonly found in diaper cream. The cosmetic industry’s own safety panel states these chemicals are unsafe for infant or damaged skin because they are easily absorbed into the body. It accumulates in the brain and liver, and is eliminated very slowly.

CETEARETH and PEG Compounds: Commonly found in shampoo, conditioner and lotion. These may contain impurities including 1,4-dioxane, a possible human carcinogen, as well as ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogens. The cosmetic industry’s own safety panel ruled that many of these compounds are not safe for use on injured or damaged skin because they are easily absorbed into skin and make it easier for other chemicals to penetrate.

DMDM HYDANTOIN: Commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, body wash/liquid soap, lotion and baby powder. This preservative provokes allergic responses, and can be irritating and toxic to human skin. Degradation can lead to the formation of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing agent.

FRAGRANCE: Commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, body wash/liquid soap, lotion, diaper cream and baby powder. Fragrances are among the top 5 allergens in the world and are known to trigger asthma attacks. Fragrances can contain ingredients suspected of neurotoxicity, as well as known or suspected hormone disruptors.

PARABENS: Commonly found in body wash/liquid soap and lotion. The European Union banned use of sodium methylparaben in fragrance because it can depigment skin. Lab studies link parabens to cancer and reproductive or hormone-disrupting effects. Some are skin sensitizers or irritants.

TRICLOSAN: Commonly found in body wash/liquid soap. An animal study indicates triclosan may be a potent disruptor of the thyroid hormone system. Triclosan can be irritating to the eyes and skin, and breaks down into toxic chemicals in surface waters and chlorinated tap water.

If a product states to be pure, natural or organic, do not automatically assume they are free of these ingredients. Unfortunately, sometimes these statements are nothing more than a sales tactic since marketing claims on personal care products are not defined under the law. Of the children’s products studied by the EWG survey, 35% marked as “natural” on the label were not fully natural at all, but contained one or more ingredients linked to allergic reactions, hormone disruption, or nervous system problems. To be absolutely sure that the products you are purchasing are free of harmful ingredients, you must read the ingredient label.

There are some really great products on the market that you can feel confident in using on your little ones. The new Miessence range of baby care products by One Group is certified organic to food standards. All of the products are completely free of synthetic chemicals, allergens, perfumes and essential oils. All of the ingredients for each product are available for review on the website.

If you would like to learn more about this issue and the work that EWG is doing to make products safer for kids, please visit their website at www.ewg.org/kidsafe.

Michele Dupper is Mom to her 1 ½ year old son and the owner of Truly Organic Beauty. She lives in sunny FL and has been transitioning to a green lifestyle since starting a family. Michele enjoys educating others about living a more natural lifestyle that is beneficial for the health of our bodies as well as our planet. She can be reached via email at mdupper@trulyorganicbeauty.com .

This Recipe comes from our friend Emma at Usborne Books. This Children’s World Cookbook features lots of kid-friendly recipes with a little bit of useful info about each of the recipes. Enjoy!

Peanuts are known as groundnuts in Africa and are one of the main crops grown. This recipe uses chopped peanuts to make a type of heavy bread.

2oz. Unsalted, shelled peanuts
1 ½ cups flour
a pinch of salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar

A cake pan 7 x 11in. and 1 ½ in. deep

Oven temperature: 350 F

1. Put a little butter or oil onto some paper towels and rub it lightly over the bottom and sides of the cake pan.
2. Put the peanuts into a clean plastic bag and roll a rolling pin over them, or put them into a blender to chop them.
3. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Break the egg into a cup and beat it with a fork.
4. Add the milk, sugar, beaten egg and chopped peanuts to the flour. Mix everything together well.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cake pan. Smooth the top and then leave it for 20 minutes to settle.
6. Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let it cool a little, then cut it into squares.
7. Use a spatula to lift the squares onto a wire rack. Leave them to cool completely before eating them.

This is a fantastic project that started a few years ago in Peru using Arpillera Storybooks (storybooks made of tiny bits of fabric hand stitched together). That can be replicated anywhere, fostering awareness of different cultural traditions, allowing for creativity during storytelling time and supporting motor skills for the little ones.

Rosana Reategui, a professional storyteller works with 22 women that migrated to Lima (capital of Peru) from the countryside escaping from the poverty and violence terrorism brought to Peru in the 80’s. They started a workshop creating these storybooks and now are an integral part of the project. Their hands, tell the stories and the children add details or re-create the story drawing ideas from their daily lives.

Even though there are no “Arpilleras” in the US or other countries, we can certainly, with some patience and time, create a little storybook for our kids, including little characters or using finger puppets. Let them create a story for you and share a bit of what’s going on in their minds!

Hope you enjoy the video, it is in Spanish but you can certainly see the storybooks and the interest the kids show when browsing through the colorful pages!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnjnZNCTjng

Gigi Pedraza

http://www.incakids.org/

“The book is engaging as a read-aloud about an intergenerational relationship or as an introduction to the country.”
- School Library Journal

Written by: Theresa Heine
Illustrated by: Sheila Moxley

This month’s article is really geared towards mothers and fathers who have sons, but I encourage everyone to read the information contained here. I want to talk about a growing epidemic that is plaguing the young boys in this country. It is called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

BDD is defined as an excessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in the male subjects appearance. For example, guys may obsess over their calves being too small, their abs not being defined enough or feel as though their chests are not as bulky as they feel it should be. By everyone else’s standards the guys look physically impressive. Outside observers perceive these guys as being fit and healthy specimens and greatly admire the amount of effort it took to look the way they do. To the guy who perceives his body as being flawed in one way or another, these outside opinions do not matter. They silently detest their appearances and will most likely take drastic measures to fix the “problem.”

The first question we all need to ask ourselves is why is BDD becoming such an epic issue for the boys of the world? Thankfully I have at least part of the answer. Before the 1990’s, the main icons for boys were Superheroes like Batman, Superman, G.I. Joe, He-man and the Thundercats. Do you remember what they looked like? They were muscular but not in an unnatural way. Back then, their physiques were physically achievable without the use of steroids, growth hormones or fat burners. In 1991, the G.I. Joe action figures had the equivalent measurements to have a 30-inch waist and a 16.5-inch biceps/triceps circumference. Those are goals that could easily be achieved naturally by exercising and eating a healthy diet. The current G.I Joe figure would have the equivalent chest measurement of at least 55-inches and an arm circumference of roughly 27-inches. I have muscular legs and at the thickest part of my thighs I measure only 25-inches! The new G.I. Joe’s body type would be IMPOSSIBLE to achieve naturally and may not even reach those standards with the use of steroids or human growth hormones. I hear five-year-old boys saying they want to look like G.I. Joe one day, but no one tells them how unrealistic it is to look like that. They see themselves as being a grown up version of their plastic hero and are disappointed and frustrated when their bodies fail to look that way. Additionally, we as a culture have sensationalized the subject of doping in sports. It has become commonplace on the TV to hear stories about professional and Olympic level athletes being suspended or kicked out of their sports due to the use of banned, illicit substances. The sad thing is, we hear a great deal about the use of the drugs, but very little about the harmful effects they have on the body or the negative consequences they face years after the usage. This puts the idea in our kids heads that hard work and effort in the gym will not be sufficient to be a top performer and will need to subject themselves to using performance enhancing drugs. We all need to realize these things and help our children understand why those body types boys are admiring are not healthy expectations and with hard work they can be competitive without the use of any performance enhancing drugs. Kids need role models with naturally athletic physiques in order for them to see the difference between a healthy body type and one that cannot be achieved naturally. By no means am I saying you should take away all of your sons toys that represent unrealistic body images. What I am saying is that it is important to instill healthy body expectations in your sons while still supporting their personal health and fitness goals.

The effort to prevent our sons, nephews and students from developing the early signs of BDD starts at home. For the most part children learn by example. What I mean by that is, we as adults need to show our children that following a healthy exercise and diet plan will be sufficient enough to help them achieve healthy and impressive physiques. If we tell kids that working out and eating properly will be sufficient methods to achieve our goals and then we sit around without putting effort into exercising and eating well, then we have done them a great disservice. By not practicing what you preach, you are saying that kids need to follow the old adage “do as I say not as I do”. That philosophy never produces good results. Include your children in your personal health and wellness goals and allow them to participate in the activities that support the active lifestyle. Take them on jogs, walks and family hikes. If you are an avid weight lifter, keep a few weights and/or bands around the house so you can show your children what you do to keep yourself in shape. Children are infamous for asking the “Why” question and will most likely inundate you with countless questions regarding your workout regime. When they ask, make sure your explain to them why you think it is important to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Saying things like, “This is what mommy and daddy do to stay strong and keep up with you,” are comments that inspire kids to continue putting forth an effort to be active so you as parents have something to work towards. They see that working out is an essential part to being involved in their lives and will subsequently inspire similar actions in your kids.

When you are inspiring your children to be more active, make sure you are choosing age appropriate activities. For example, allowing a five year old to start a regimented weight lifting routine would be counterproductive. However, allowing that same five year old to partake in running or jogging activities with you would not be ill advised. Children develop abilities to run and improve cardiovascular fitness around age three. You may have a 13 or 14 year old male who decides he wants to embark on a rigorous weight lifting routine so he can emulate his favorite superhero. Do not discourage him from starting a weight lifting routine, but you should sit them down and explain to them the logistics. At that age, guys skeletons have not finished maturing. They still have another growth spurt or two to go through before they have reached their adult heights. This means their growth plates have not yet solidified and are at great risk for injury if they lift too much weight improperly before they are ready. Consult a fitness professional before allowing your sons to begin a weight lifting routine. If one is not available and unwilling to assist you, please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns. My advice is free and I would prefer that if your sons start a workout regime that they learn to do things the right way. I learned the hard way that doing too much too soon can cause you great amounts of trouble down the road.

There may come a time where your child starts asking for a variety of supplements from the vitamin stores. It is important not to just shrug your child’s interest in these items off to swiftly. Listen to their requests and tell them that you will check into the benefits and potential side effects that come along with starting a supplement program. By not telling them no right away, you will potentially prevent the child from defying you and purchasing the supplements without your consent. Many supplements are not age specific and can be sold to any customer regardless of their ages. Your best bet is to research the supplement your child is interested in taking and sharing all the information directly with your child. If you find they supplement may do more damage than good, try and find another supplement that offers similar benefits without the harmful side effects. Putting the effort into this will pay off in two ways. First it builds a circle of trust between you and your child by opening a healthy dialogue about which supplements are beneficial and which one will cause harm. Second, it will educate you and your child so that you both can pass on your wisdom to other who may be involved in similar discussions. We have all heard about the major league baseball players who have died from using excessive amounts of fat burners and creatine products. Don’t let your child become one of the victims of supplements side effects. Take an active role in their supplementation plans in order to reduce the risk of a potentially life threatening effect.

For years now we have given ample attention to eating and body image disorders that effect females on a daily basis, My reason for writing this article is not to detract from those issues that girls face but rather to shine the light on a problem plaguing young boys for years and years. On a personal note, I know exactly what it is like to suffer from this disorder. It has taken me years and cost me hundreds of dollars to combat BDD and my battle still is not over. Guys are overwhelmed by images of guys who have perfect bodies but no one tells us what sacrifices must be made in order to achieve those unrealistic physiques. Please remember this is not something that can be cured in a matter of months. It takes constant effort and reinforcement of positive, healthy behaviors. There will come a point where you will no longer be required to instill those values in your sons at a young age. Do what you can now to show them what healthy living and realistic body expectations are all about so they will be less influenced by mainstream media. Practice what you preach and if you are ever in doubt, please don’t hesitate to email me with questions or concerns. For more information about BDD, check out the book “Adonis Complex” written by Harrison Pope, Katherine A. Phillips and Roberto Olivardia. It is a great resource and will give you an incredible insight into the world of BDD. I hope this helps you all in some way, shape or form.

Christopher Hillery has been a Certified Personal Trainer for 9 years and is the owner of Transformer Fitness in Phoenix, Arizona. He was once an overweight child and knows first- hand how the effects of being overweight can be damaging. It is his goal to help overweight children and adults develop lasting healthy habits and a positive body image. Chris can design a full workout program for parents and children which can include a nutrition program, along with equipment to use at home. He can be reached via email at: christopher_hillery@yahoo.com