Healthy Happy Hippo

How much tuna is safe to eat?

2009-03-20T15:49:00.002-04:00

Just came across a cool tool over at the Environmental Working Group's site. You enter in your weight (in pounds) and it tells you how much tuna -- albacore, light -- it's safe for you to eat each week.

EWG Tuna Calculator

Very useful. Enjoy!

Product Review: Avalon Organics "Vitamin C Vitality Facial Serum"

2009-02-06T16:00:00.003-05:00

After yesterday's eye-opening expedition down facial moisturizing product lane, I thought it was long past time for me to review some of my other daily-use applications.

Today's product review is for Avalon Organics "Vitamin C Vitality Facial Serum" from their "Vitamin C" product line. It's a serum I use fresh out of the shower and under my other face moisturizer on a daily basis.

Feels great going on, and I find it's good for making those dark circles under my eyes less prominent - especially in combination with one of Avalon Organics' other face creams in the Vitamin C line. Plus, unlike products in the lavender line, it doesn't tend to make me break out - a definite plus.

So here is the catch: the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety database gives it a 6/10, or "moderate hazard" rating.

What I'm trying to figure out is why, given that the highest warning number for any of the ingredients listed on their site is a "4".

Curious to find out more? You can go here to see the rating on the site. See if you can figure out why they're slamming this product, because I'm stumped.

Product Review: Avalon Organics Co-Q10 Wrinkle Defense Cream

2009-02-04T14:12:00.009-05:00

Sometimes I feel like finding and using a good quality cosmetic product is a losing battle.

A couple of nights ago, while waiting for a prescription to be filled at Shoppers Drug Mart, I came across a face cream by Avalon that I’ve been wanting to try. It regularly runs at more than $20-$25 per unit, even at my favourite lower-priced health food store; Shoppers was selling it off for $16.99. So what the heck. I got it.

Today (filed under the heading “why do I do this to myself??”) I checked on its rating in the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database online. A rating of 4 – “moderate hazard”.

Although a breakdown of the individual ingredients show none at a high hazard level – most of the ingredients are at a low level, in fact – the kinds of hazards cover the complete list: cancer developmental/ reproductive toxicity, “violations, restrictions & warnings”, allergies/immunotoxicity, as well as “Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Miscellaneous,Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns, Occupational hazards”.

I suppose it could be worse.

In case you also picked it up, here are the key ingredients to be concerned about:

For more information on this product from the Avalon Organics web site, go here .

To see the complete product review breakdown on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database (online) site, go here.

Experiment: Changing Supplements

2009-01-29T16:44:00.009-05:00

According to several sources I've read about, adequate vitamin D ingestion can help support your immune system. I tested as being pretty low on vitamin D so I started taking supplements of 1000 IU of D3 per day, which I increased (based on feedback from my naturopath) to 2000 IU per day.

In addition to this, I have stopped using hand sanitizer. In fact, the last bug I caught was after using hand sanitizer so it occurred to me that it might be removing good bacteria as well as the bad stuff.

So here is my experiment:

1. 2000 IU of vitamin D3, in supplement form, per day. (In case you're curious, I'm taking this SISU brand product)

2. Hand washing. I wash my hands almost as soon as I get home and before I start to work with food or do anything, really. Back and front, using a natural soap if I can (it usually ends up being the fruit and vegetable wash liquid).

3. Switched brands of vitamin C to the SISU brand as well -- I suspected that the Genestra product (C-1000 with bioflavinoids) I've been using for years was no longer quite doing the trick. One a day (1000 mg) of vitamin C. This one has Ester C.

4. Ran out of my normal calcium, so I started using the SISU brand of that as well. It's a coincidence -- honest! I'm taking 4 pills (2 with lunch and 2 in the evening) per day.

5. My usual B-12 folic acid supplement in the morning when I remember to take it. That one isn't SISU -- at least not right now!

OH! I just remembered one other change I've made ... I'm drinking boiled water from the kettle at work rather than using (and re-using) either my stainless steel water bottle or plastic bottles.

Let's see how it goes ... fingers crossed ...

so ... do vitamins help or not? studies show ...

2008-11-21T10:34:00.002-05:00

An old friend, who also happens to be a doctor down in the States, sent me a really interesting article from the New York Times yesterday on the results of studies done on vitamin consumption and their impact on health (News Keeps Getting Worse for Vitamins by Tara Parker-Pope, November 20, 2008).

Factoid #1: Long-term ingestion of vitamins C and/or E don't seem to help prevent cancer.

Factoid #2: Vitamins C and E do not seem to prevent heart disease.

Factoid #3: Vitamin C seems to not only protect healthy cells but cancerous cells as well.

Factoid #4: Vitamin E, especially when taken in combination with other vitamins and/or minerals, seems to actually account for a HIGHER mortality rate (4% if only taking vitamin E -- 6% if taking vitamin E in combination with other vitamins/minerals -- according to one study) than taking nothing at all.

Factoid #5: In one study, people being treated with radiation for neck and head cancer were given doses of vitamin E. It seemed to reduce the side-effects of the radiation, but the cancer recurrence rates seemed to be higher in the group taking vitamin E.

On a positive note ... well, it's not all bad. B12/folic acid is still a good thing if you're a woman of child-bearing age. And taking calcium does seem to help with osteoperosis if you're a woman over the age of 65.

It's a fascinating article - suggest you check it out.

drinking coffee protects your liver? who knew?!?

2008-11-10T11:42:00.005-05:00

I am a coffee drinker.

But apparently, in some respects, that has now been found to be a good thing. According to an article I just read online in RealAge, the benefits of consuming coffee include:

improved liver function
decreased mortality from certain diseases
ingestion of some great anti-oxidants

Sounds (reads) too good to be true. But if it is ... woo hoo!

Wander on over to Real Age to read this article or just the highlights if you want to find out more about this.

to vaccinate or not to vaccinate ... interesting article

2008-11-05T15:59:00.002-05:00

Read an interesting article in the September/October 2008 edition of Mother Jones Magazine on the safety of vaccinations and your kids.

Given that I have a kid myself - and was torn when it came to vaccinating him - I was curious as to what this particular magazine writer's take would be on the subject. The author of the article, Arthur Allen, has written a book on the subject called Vaccine ... and seems to be saying that the problems associated with vaccinations are unproven, and that the risks of NOT vaccinating are so much higher.

One of the most interesting points he makes are that there is a corollary between educational level received and outbreaks of illnesses which would be otherwise covered by preventative vaccinations. PhD? Chances are better that you chose to not get your child those shots.

Worth a read -- check out the article and let me know what you think.

And if you want to pick up Arthur Allen's book, feel free to get it from Amazon.ca -- it will help support my book habit! :)

Gluten-Free Baked Yumminess in the GTA

2008-10-21T13:20:00.018-04:00

Avoiding gluten is different from avoiding wheat, although wheat is one of the "don't consume" items on the gluten-free diet list. It's a big issue in our family, especially for me.

Something to be aware of when reading labels on gluten-free products is that other allergens, such as corn or dairy products or eggs or even beans (including soy), are frequently used as substitutes for wheat gluten. If you or anyone you know has issues with any of those other ingredients, make sure to be careful with gluten-free labeling.

Glutino is a widely-distributed (both online and offline) maker of gluten-free foods based out of the province of Quebec in Canada-- I've found it in most supermarkets and health food stores. However, they do tend to use dairy products and corn in most of their products, so it's not a great option for me personally.

One of my personal favourites is Kinnikinnick based out of Alberta, Canada. Always read the labels though -- some (but not all) of their baked goods can contain dairy. I'm particularly fond of their brown rice and tapioca bread. Like Glutino, they seem to have a pretty extensive distribution network and can be found in most supermarket chains as well as health food stores.

In terms of consistent safety, I have to say that Whole Foods -- while the most expensive of the various product options -- is also one of the cleanest from a gluten-free perspective. The down-side is that Whole Foods baked products are only available at their stores, and unless you live close to one -- in no way a given in Canada -- these are just not an option for you.

El Peto is widely available in Loblaws, Great Canadian Superstore and many health food stores. Accessibility is a good thing. On the down side, they frequently use corn starch (which can be an allergy issue, at least for me) as well as some multi-syllabic ingredients which I can't pronounce and have to actually work hard to figure out what they are.

For a treat in and around the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), falling under the OMG-it-tastes-sooooo-good variety of foods, check out:

I Can't Believe It's Gluten-Free! (available at health food stores across the GTA, but they don't seem to have a web site) -- great baked goods, but be careful to watch for dairy and sometimes bean flours. Their frozen baked goods are defrosted squares of heaven. I've found them at Evergreen Natural Foods (St. Clair Avenue at Bathurst) and Planet Organic Market (Bathurst south of Center Street) and Ambrosia Natural Foods (on Doncaster, east off of Yonge and north of Steeles).
Mollie B . Their pecan tarts are unbelievable. Up side is that they are gluten free. Down side is that they are definitively NOT dairy free. I've seen them for sale at Whole Foods (Avenue Road/Hazelton Lanes location) and The Big Carrot (Danforth Avenue a few blocks east of Broadview).

I'll post more options here soon.

In the meantime, if you're looking for ingredients which are not safe for a gluten-free diet, please take a look here at my sister site Feed My Kid!

Enjoy!

Product Review: Germ-Force by Prairie Naturals

2008-09-26T15:42:00.031-04:00

Today's product review (after a relatively lengthy hiatus, natch) is for something I picked up over the weekend to replace the Purell bottle on my desk prior to the start of the hard-core flu season.

Product: Germ-Force, produced by Prairie Naturals.

Sub-Heading: "moisturizing hand sanitizer | antibacterial | paraben free

Ingredient List:

1. denatured grain alcohol

This ingredient is not specifically tagged in the Skin Deep database. The closest matches I could find were for either "alcohol denatured" (weighing in at a hefty 4/10) or "alcohol, denatured 38F" (weighing in at a much more comfortable 0/10) or "alcohol, denatured 3A" (also at a nice 0/10 on the hazard scale).

If we're talking about the 4/10 rating, the specific risks were:

Cancer
Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity
Strong Concern:Multiple, Additive Exposure Sources
Strong Concern:Enhanced Skin Absorption
Moderate Concern:Organ System Toxicity (non-reproductive)
Moderate Concern: Irritation (skin, eyes or lungs)

2. aloe vera gel

This ingredient was ranked at 1/10 on the hazard risk scale, which classifies as a "low hazard" risk. Specific risks based on the SkinDeep ranking system include:

Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity
Violations, Restrictions & Warnings
Lesser or Emerging Concerns: Organ System Toxicity (non-reproductive)
Lesser or Emerging Concerns: Data Gaps

3. vegetable glycerin

This ingredient was ranked at 1/10 on the hazard risk scale, which classifies as a "low hazard" risk. The specific risks are listed as follows:

Moderate Concern: Organ System Toxicity (non-reproductive)
Lesser or Emerging Concern: Data Gaps

4. natural fragrance of green apple

No match was found for this ingredient.

For more information on Prairie Naturals in the Skin Deep Database, here is where to go.

Summary:

Out of four ingredients, two rated a 1/10, one rated either a 0/10 or a 4/10 (so I'm going to split the difference at 2/10), and one contained no information for the substance so I'm not going to include it in the ranking.

Based on the above, it looks like this product nets out at approximately 1.333 on the hazard rankings on a scale from 0-10. Low hazard.

What do you think? Are you comfortable with this?

Blog Clean-Up

2008-09-26T14:39:00.002-04:00

I've decided to clean up this blog and remove the CFIA recall notices.

To subscribe to the CFIA email blasts, go here (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/tools/listserv/listsube.shtml)

Hope this helps!

Safety Check: Avalon Organics CoQ10 Facial Cleansing Milk

2008-08-26T14:40:00.043-04:00

Switched to a new face wash a couple of days ago with my fingers crossed. Avalon Organics -- usually a good company. Right?

I happen to like this product. My previous facial cleansing gel (also an Avalon product) was making my face red if I left it on for more than a couple of minutes in the shower. Not this one. Either it's the creamy nature of the cleanser, or maybe it's because the weather is starting to get cooler out again so my face isn't as oily. After all, the CoQ10 product is billed as being for normal-to-dry skin ... which mine tends to be only when the weather cools and the humidity level drops. It also smells reasonably nice if you like lavender and it doesn't leave that greasy layer of yuck that many creamy cleansers do.

The SkinDeep Cosmetics Database rates it at 4/10 or moderate risk.

Whew.

For the full product report, you can take a look here.

Except that ... well, the list of ingredients detailed at the Avalon site doesn't match the list found on the SkinDeep site. Starting to wonder about the accuracy of the database when it comes to having the most current formulations now, so I'm going to go with the list of ingredients on the Avalon site. Then compare them against the ratings for the individual substances myself in the database and see where things net out.

Here is what you're getting into if you choose to use this product:

INGREDIENT LIST:

angustifolia (lavender) flower

chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower

camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract

organic arnica montana flower extract (aqueous)

vegetable glycerin

stearic acid

glyceryl stearate SE

glycine soja (soybean) oil

NOTE:

4/10 (moderate hazard risk)

tocopherol (vitamin E)

emulsifying wax

ubiquinone (CoQ10)

NOTE:

Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity

butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)

sorbitol

caprylic/ capric triglyceride

organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil

polysorbate 20

prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil

4/10 (moderate risk)

tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E)

4/10 (moderate risk)

L-ascorbic acid

NOTE:

Cancer

Reproductive/Developmental Toxicity

Neurotoxicity

Endocrine disruption

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Data gaps

ethylhexylglcerin

organic citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil

NOTE:

violations, restrictions & warnings

organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

irritation (skin, eyes or lungs)

data gaps

other essential oils

4/10 (moderate risk)

Looks to me as though Avalon has changed its formulation to decrease its risky ingredients. My average risk rating, based on the total of all rankings out of ten then divided by the total number of ingredients, has this product with a final risk rating of 1.31/10.

What do you think? Is this product safe enough for you to use?

Safety Check: Purell Hand Sanitizer (Original) with Moisturizers and Vitamin E

2008-08-13T17:39:00.012-04:00

I hate getting sick.

In fact, after two winters of various cyclical maladies, I've gotten to be a bit of a germaphobe.

Enter the classic germ prevention method: Purell Hand Sanitizer. It's everywhere in Toronto hospitals and medical centres these days; I also have one on my desk at work.

But how safe is it -- really?

The Skin Deep site is not too clear on that. It has several Purell products listed, with safety ratings ranging from 5/10 to 7/10, but not the specific one sitting on my desk. So let's take a look at the ingredient list and see where we're at here.

MEDICINAL INGREDIENT:

1. Ethyl Alcohol 62% (a.k.a. "ethanol")
Skin Deep Rating: 4-5/10 depending on useage

NON-MEDICINAL INGREDIENTS:

2. aminomethyl propanol
Skin Deep Rating: 3/10 (moderate hazard)

3. carbomer
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low risk)

4. fragrance
Skin Deep Rating: 7/10
That's not good at all!

5. glycerin
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10
NOTE: Includes cancer and developmental/reproductive toxicity

6. isopropyl myristate
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low risk)

7. propylene glycol
Skin Deep Rating: 4/10 (moderate hazard)

8. tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E acetate)
Skin Deep Rating: 4/10
NOTE: Includes risks for allergies/immunotoxicity as well as contamination concerns for hydroquinone (This is bad - hydroquinone, according to Skin Deep, runs the gamut of bad things from cancer to developmental/reproductive toxicity and beyond)

9. water
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 ("innocuous")

Ouch. So I'm feeling a little more nervous about this bottle of liquified gunk sitting on my desk now. Maybe I should just make a point of washing my hands more often instead ...

Safety Check: Avalon Organic Botanicals Lemon Clarifying Shampoo

2008-08-13T14:54:00.017-04:00

Product: Avalon Organic Botanicals Lemon Clarifying Shampoo
Skin Deep Rating: N/A (not listed in the database)

This is a product used by two out of the three members of my household on a regular basis, as well as by at least two other extended family members. We've had it in the bathroom for at least two years now ... thought it was time to check out the ingredients and do a bit of a reality check here.

Based on the ingredients listed on the Avalon web site, what follows is a rating on an ingredient-by-ingredient basis following an itemized search on the Skin Deep database.

Ingredient List:
1. Purified water
Skin Deep Rating: N/A

2. cocamidopropyl betaine
Skin Deep Rating: 5/10 (moderate hazard)
Ouch ...

3. disodium cocoamphodiacetate
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

4. sodium cocoyl sarcosinate
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low hazard)

5. coconut acid
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

6. babassuamidopropalkonium chloride
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard)

7. organic citrus limonum (lemon) peel)
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard)*
NOTE: The rating for this is based on the listing for "CITRUS MEDICA LIMONUM (LEMON) PEEL"

8. calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)
NOTE: The main hazard rating for this one is a link to Cancer. Damn!

9. chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower extract
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)*
NOTE: The rating for this ingredient is based on the listing for "CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT" since there wasn't an exact match in the SD database.

10. butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard)

11. vegetable glycerin
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

12. bisabolol (chamomile)
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

13. ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

14. arginine (amino acid)
Skin Deep Rating: 3/10 (moderate hazard)
Concerns: Cancer, Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity etc.

15. panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low hazard)

16. tocopherol (vitamin E)
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10
NOTE: Cancer is one of the concerns with this ingredient

17. organic citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

18. other essential oils
Skin Deep Rating: N/A

Ingredients to be concerned about:
1. cocamidopropyl betaine --> 5/10
2. arginine (amino acid) 3/10

Average rating of all listed ingredients (with "N/A" products counting as "0"): 1.17/10

Gluten-Free Pizza Option

2008-08-11T14:26:00.003-04:00

Finally!

One of the big Canadian pizza chains has finally gotten with the gluten-free program. Pizza Pizza now offers a gluten-free crust for an additional charge of $3.25 per pizza. It only applies to mediums, so if there are many gluten-free eaters in your dining circle who are also big eaters, the price could add up a bit.

But hey, at least it's an alternative to the exorbitantly expensive Magic Oven!

For more info on the Pizza Pizza gluten-free crust, go here.

News Flash: Whole Foods Recalls Ground Beef

2008-08-09T09:27:00.003-04:00

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has distributed Whole Foods recall alert for ground beef. This is a voluntary Whole Foods recall, and affects ground beef purchased between June 2 and August 6, 2008 over E. coli O157:H7 contamination concerns.

This recall affects all of Canada (Toronto, Oakville and Vancouver) as well as Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D. C., Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin in the United States.

For more information on the recall, you can see the press release at the Whole Foods site. For more information on this specific strain of E. coli, you can read all about it at the CFIA site.

Safety Check: Avalon Organic Botanicals Therapeutic Facial Cleansing Gel Lavender

2008-08-08T19:40:00.018-04:00

Well this is disturbing.

A couple of years ago I made the switch from the more conventional facial products from the drug store to using something I *thought* would be safer. It said "organics". It's sold at the health food store. Should make it safe. Right?

Here is the product in question:

Avalon Organic Botanicals Therapeutic Facial Cleansing Gel Lavender.
Frequency of use: daily with my morning shower.
Skin Deep Rating: 5/10 ("moderate" risk)

So, according to the Skin Deep database, this product contains ingredients which rank as high as 5/10 on the toxicity scale. However, I went and looked at the ingredient list that Avalon has listed on the site for this product. It doesn't match the one in the Skin Deep database.

Here is what is on the site label:

Organic lavandula angustifolia (lavender), chamomilla recutita (chamomile) and camellia sinensis (white tea) extracts (aqueous)(1), organic arnica montana extract(2), cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium oleamido succinate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, vegetable glycerin, organic aloe barbadensis(1), glycereth-7 cocoate, citric acid, phospholipids, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), sodium PCA, allantoin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (licorice root), organic borago officinalis (borage) and linum usitatissimum (flax) oils(1), phenoxyethanol, rosa canina (rose hip) oil, benzyl alcohol, organic lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil(3) and other essential oils.

So ... since it doesn't actually match what's in the Skin Deep site ... I've decided to break it down ingredient by ingredient.

1. Organic lavandula angustifolia (lavender)
Skin Deep Ingredient Rating: 1/10 (low risk)

2. chamomilla recutita (chamomile) extract
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (no risk)

3. camellia sinensis (white tea) extract (aqueous)
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low risk)

4. organic arnica montana extract
Skin Deep Rating (based on "flower" extract): 2/10 (low risk)

5. cocamidopropyl betaine
Skin Deep Rating: 5/10 (moderate hazard)
Well, that's not good ...

6. disodium oleamido succinate
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (no hazard)

7. sodium cocoyl glutamate
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

8. sodium cocoyl isethionate
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low risk)

9. vegetable glycerin
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10

10. aloe barbadensis
Skin Deep Rating (aloe barbadensis - general): 2/10
Skin Deep Rating (leaf extract): 1/10
Skin Deep Rating (gel): 1/10

11. glycereth-7 cocoate
Skin Deep Risk: 0/10

12. citric acid
Skin Deep Rating: 4/10 (moderate risk)

13. phospholipids
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

14. panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low hazard risk)

15. sodium PCA
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low hazard risk)

16. allantoin
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard risk)

17. dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (licorice root)
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard risk)

18. organic borago officinalis (borage) oil
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

19. organic linum usitatissimum (flax) oil
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

20. phenoxyethanol
Skin Deep Rating: 4/10 (moderate hazard risk)

21. rosa canina (rose hip) oil
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

22. benzyl alcohol
Skin Deep Rating: 6/10 (moderate hazard risk) --> yikes!

23. organic lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil(3) and other essential oils.
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10

So ... based on an ingredient by ingredient rating breakdown, taking the highest of all possible options (if there is more than one score on a particular item), then averaging them all out ... I get 1.52/10 as an overall score for this product. Which leads me to wonder about the Skin Deep rating system and/or whether or not Avalon improved its ingredient list between the original examination done by Skin Deep and now.

For what it's worth, there are clearly a few ingredients here to be concerned about. But I'm feeling a bit better now than I was when I first checked the rating for this product.

What I've learned from this exercise is that the following ingredients are ones to watch for in "natural" products:

benzyl alcohol (6/10)
cocamidopropyl betaine (5/10)
phenoxyethanol (4/10)
citric acid (4/10)

What do you think?

Product Recommendation: Lafe's Natural & Organic Deodorant Spray

2008-08-05T21:47:00.006-04:00

I stink.

I admit it.

At least, I generally smell if I don't use deodorant. I've had lousy luck with most conventional deodorants and -- up to this point -- ALL of the alternative and less toxic options found in the health food store.

Until now.

Lafe's Natural and Organic Deodorant Spray (with aloe vera) has no scent. It's not an aerosol. What it is is a pump that sprays (5-6 times, as directed on the label) a very cool and non-sticky mist under your arms. I suggest that you hang out in front of a fan for a minute or so to let it dry. But once it's dry ... it works. In the summer. It's even reasonably effective into day 2 without a shower (if you were so inclined) but you might want to do something with a scent in your pits by then (a.k.a. wouldn't recommend it for public consumption. LOL)

Even the ingredients are mind-relieving:
= purified water
= naturally occurring mineral salts
= aloe vera
= potassium alum

The only question I really had was about the potassium alum, so I looked it up on Skin Deep as an ingredient report. SD gave it a "1" on the toxic scale, which is almost as good as it gets (other than 0 of course!).

I bought it at Tutti Frutti in Kensington Market, but you can also order it online if you're not able to find it in the stores by going to Lafe's site directly.

My rating: @@@@@

News Flash: Cell Phone Use Linked to Cancer

2008-07-24T11:54:00.002-04:00

News story out today linking cell phone use to cancer, especially in kids.

BBC News: US cancer boss in mobiles warning

Money Saver: Organic Meat: Rowe Farms

2008-07-23T15:27:00.003-04:00

Had a great tip from a friend over lunch today. For those non-vegetarians looking for organic meat -- and who either shudder at the prices at Big Carrot, or who are just looking for a (relative) deal, I bring you Rowe Meats. Yes, that Rowe Meats. The one who distributes to most of the health food stores in and around the GTA.

Apparently they have opened up a storefront in the Beaches area. Which in and of itself is relatively cool. But what's even better is that the prices are, according to my friend, approximately half what you'd pay for the same thing anywhere else in the city. (She gave me the example of 4 seasoned chicken breasts for about $20, compared with $9 for one at Big Carrot).

Martini Boys reviewed the store here.

And if you're actually in the area (or feel like taking a trip), here is where to find it:

View Larger Map

Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream: My Current Favourite Ice Cream

2008-07-20T21:05:00.015-04:00

Ice Cream Purveyor: Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream
Overall Rating: @@@@@
Flavours Tried (so far!): Caramel Ripple, Cardomon Vanilla, Yoghurt Raisin Khulfi, Fig, Blueberry Lavender, Vanilla

This is my favourite place to go for ice cream right now.

Ok, so the staff is a little more casual than you might be used to at Baskin Robbins or any of your other standard ice cream eateries. And "hand packed" isn't quite as full as you might be used to either. But OMG, is the ice cream good.

What I like about Kensington Organics as well is that most of their offerings are, well, organic. And what isn't organic is clearly labeled so you can avoid it without any problem. The biggest drag is that it's only open as a storefront for a few months out of the year; the rest of the time you have to hunt it down at health food stores across the city and pay $2/pint more while you're at it.

The actual address is 650-1/2 Queen Street West (Google Maps didn't like that address so I just put in 650 instead), but in realistic terms what you do is walk north on Palmerston from Queen and you'll see it on your right hand side (across from the gallery).

It's a little challenging to find the storefront spot, so I'm going to help you out here:

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Details on the company, flavours and place can also be found on Facebook here.

Based on the flavours I've tried so far, here are my thoughts (below).

Caramel Ripple = @@@@@
Going by memory on this one, but it was delish.

Cardomon Vanilla = @@@@@
No memory required on this -- I can still taste it. It's a flavour I remember from childhood and have been looking for ever since. Until I had it at Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream again last week. Talk about a sense memory. Wow.

Vanilla (regular, organic) = @@@@
It's good ... and it's organic ... but it's not quite as kick-you-in-the-ass as the other kinds of vanilla offered.

Blueberry Lavender = @@@@
This is an odd one. It kind of comes around from behind to give you a burst of flavour. But if you're going to get it, eat it right there. Once you take it home and it sits in your freezer for a day or two, the flavour dissipates and there is this slightly odd aftertaste. At least until it melts a bit again. Definitely worth a try if you like blueberries and you don't mind lavender.

Fig = @@@
I like figs. I like ice cream. I even like fig ice cream. But this one was ... too much with the fig, not enough with the ice cream. Suggest you get it if you have a really strong craving for figs. Or you mix it with vanilla. Otherwise, I might be inclined to pass.

Yoghurt Raisin Khulfi = @@@@@
OMFG. Not organic. Made from sweet and condensed milk and using an Indian recipe. But it's got that same lingering taste on your tongue of the vanilla cardomon -- only richer. With crunchy bits. I'm really hoping they make this flavour again.

So there you have it. A big push for Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream. They say they'll have some dairy-free options soon; let's see how that goes.

Organic Coffee: Rich Flavour, A Little Strong

2008-07-20T09:47:00.003-04:00

Coffee: Fair Trade & Organic Island Reserve Dark
Rating: @@@@
Found: Casa Acoreana & Luis Coffee Stop, Kensington Market

This coffee is darker and stronger than the Rainforest blend from yesterday. Island Reserve Dark is a mid-week coffee, harsher and with a kick that may help get you over the humpday blahs. Eminently drinkable, it's a pale substitute for you espresso drinkers and yet a bit on the concentrated side for medium-roast blend palates.

You can drink it on an empty stomach, but you might want to add milk and sugar; you're also probably going to need something food-like to follow it up with within an hour or two of ingesting the liquid caffeinated goodness.

Definitely worth trying. If I hadn't had the Rainforest blend and loved it, I would probably be reasonably content with this coffee on a daily basis.

Adventures in Organic Coffee

2008-07-19T11:12:00.004-04:00

Coffee: Rainforest Alliance Peru Organic
Rating: @@@@@
Found: Casa Acoreana & Luis Coffee Stop, Kensington Market

Took the day off yesterday and went down to Kensington Market in the afternoon on a search for, among other things, some organic coffee. My favourite place is Casa Acoreana & Luis Coffee Stop, the spice and candy and coffee store at 235 Augusta Avenue (right on the corner).
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Day 1 in my quest for good organic coffee starts me off today with the Rainforest Alliance Peru Organic blend. I believe it's also a Fair Trade coffee.

Yum. I'm definitely liking this.

The flavour is light (it's definitely not an espresso type blend) and rich, with a slightly sweet roasted aftertaste. It's a great morning coffee. Not as harsh as a much darker roast on an empty stomach, and very very smooth.

For context, I also take my coffee with organic rice milk (Presidents Choice Organics or YU brand) and organic sugar. We use a metal filter in a Cuisinart stainless steel drip coffee maker.