Cutting down on plastics touching my food

[kenny]

Lots of stuff is safe till they find out it's not.

I just wanna cut down on plastics in my kitchen.
One look in my pantry shows me over half my food is stored in some kind of plastic.

I bought 3 sizes of those glass jars for canning from Ball and Kerr.
Here I'm soaking new jars in a bleach solution since we don't have a dishwasher.
I'll reuse them till the rubber gaskets wear out.

Good idea?
Silly waste of time and money?
I don't know, but I'm doing it.

 

[iLander]

Re: Cutting down on plastics touching my food.

Nice idea, but you're doing it wrong (that's what she said! ).

Canning jars are best sterilized by boiling. Big pot of water, boil.

The gaskets will start to break down almost immediately upon touching bleach. Stop that.

If you're worried about plastics, then worry about using plastic wrap in the microwave. It breaks down and releases chemicals while it's heating. I cover my food with paper towels so they don't splatter. Any kind of plastic in the microwave is bad. NEVER use melamine in the microwave.

Also, get rid of plastic water bottles. Some break down to become toxins over time. Costco Kirkland does Not use this particular plastic in their water bottles. Use a metal travel mug. Alas, it probably has a plastic lip, but at least it isn't touching your water the Whole time.

Have fun!

 

[kenny]

Thanks ILander.

I haven't bought water in plastic bottles in many years.
We have a Reverse Osmosis water filter under our sink so we don't even support a home delivery Sparkletts truck belching diesel exhaust.
Seems the greenest, and cheapest way to get your water is to purify what is already being delivered to our homes.
I fill up and carry a reusable water container in my car and to work.
Now we just have to get the city to deliver non fat milk via pipes.

Thanks for the tip on the plastic wrap in the MW.
I have used it but never let it touch the food.
Actually, now that I think about it, steam could condense on it causing water droplets (perhaps full of chemical yuckies) to fall into the food.
I think I'll switch to a plate on top of the container to catch the splatters.

 

[momhappy]

It's not a waste of time and money if you think that it's a worthwhile cause, kenny With the staggering rates of disease these days (like cancer, etc.), it's probably not a bad idea to examine not just our diets but where our food comes from, how it's manufactured, how it's prepared, how it's stored, etc.

 

[iLander]

We have RO too!

Honestly, I worry every day about water quality. The earth is a closed system, all those toxins have to go somewhere . . . The thing about water testing is they can't tell what's in there unless they test Specifically for that contaminant. Estrogen from birth control pills? Maybe. Pesticides? Absolutely. All that smog in Beijing? Yummy! But as Your Water Department, we're sure it's safe because we haven't tested for those things.

Sigh . . . you got me started . . .

ETA: I used to drink out of the hose as a child. I think that explains a lot

 

[kenny]

ETA: I used to drink out of the hose as a child.

Me too.

We didn't know we were being hosed.

 

[manderz]

I don't have any advice, but I am working on the same thing. I'm tying to get rid of all plastic, and as much disposable stuff as I can.

 

[movie zombie]

get rid of the silicon kitchen items as well....
and try and buy your canned foods in glass jars....
too many cans are plastic lined.

 

[kenny]

I drink only one cup in the morning and this is the coffee maker I've used forever.
I call it Keünnyrig … but it is without the astronomically-high plastic waste to cup ratio.
Then my worms eat the coffee grounds and even the paper filter.

Today I'm shopping for one that's glass or ceramic/porcelain.
I think when high heat and moisture is present the chances of plastic giving off chemical yuckies goes up.

I got cancer.
Nobody knows why.
Hence this shotgun approach.

Again, stuff is safe till they find out it's not.
In the mean time I, you and your children are corporate America's guinea pigs.
They get rich.
We get sick.
Sounds fair.

 

[baby monster]

I try to avoid plastic as much as possible. I don't buy the glass jars though, I just clean and reuse glass containers from packaged food like sauces or pickled veggies.

 

[kenny]

I try to avoid plastic as much as possible. I don't buy the glass jars though, I just clean and reuse glass containers from packaged food like sauces or pickled veggies.

I would/do too but we buy almost no packaged foods.
Check out clerks hate me because it's more work to remember/look up codes for produce than just swipe a barcode on a box.

Sorry.

 

[arkieb1]

Are you also looking at the types of foods you are eating? While I agree that many (not all) but a large number of plastic containers, cups, bottles and so on contain toxic chemicals what about what you eat? The amount of preservatives and nasty S@#* they put into your food to make it taste better or look better is also part of the problem. I don't have cancer but have multiple food and chemical sensitivities that make me ill on a regular basis.

 

[kenny]

Are you also looking at the types of foods you are eating? While I agree that many (not all) but a large number of plastic containers, cups, bottles and so on contain toxic chemicals what about what you eat? The amount of preservatives and nasty S@#* they put into your food to make it taste better or look better is also part of the problem. I don't have cancer but have multiple food and chemical sensitivities that make me ill on a regular basis.

Thank you, yes.

 

[JulieN]

Hario
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VDC-02W-Ceramic-Coffee-Dripper/dp/B000P4D5HG
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VDG-02B-Glass-Coffee-Dripper/dp/B002VUSWGQ/ref=pd_sim_k_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0C8XY4AY7G56GC3Z37Y8

 

[purplesparklies]

Kenny, a friend of the family was diagnosed with cancer. Her oncologist recommended that everyone soak produce in a water/white vinegar mix to remove pesticides. I use a salad spinner. Fill with water/vinegar, let soak, drain, rinse and spin. Water always looks yucky as it drains out. Sure makes me think.

Also, have you read a book entitled Good Calories, Bad Calories? Lengthy but a very interesting read. I read it years ago but one thing that stuck with me was the effect of carbs vs. fats/protein on cancer cells in Petri dishes. According to the studies cited, cancer cells respond with increased activity to carbs. A worthy read.

 

[arkieb1]

Are you also looking at the types of foods you are eating? While I agree that many (not all) but a large number of plastic containers, cups, bottles and so on contain toxic chemicals what about what you eat? The amount of preservatives and nasty S@#* they put into your food to make it taste better or look better is also part of the problem. I don't have cancer but have multiple food and chemical sensitivities that make me ill on a regular basis.

Thank you, yes.

How about mundane things we forget about, like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, washing powder and liquid, household cleaning products.... I also remember years ago having a fascinating conversation with my mother who used to be a person who made pottery things many eons ago. She told me that sometimes ceramic/pottery pieces are not sealed properly so the chemicals in the glazes can leach out - so think coffee cups being microwaved a lot, ceramic/pottery casserole bowls that you use in the oven. Teflon frypans and cookware are bad as well.

All the studies recommend eating superfoods like blueberries, goji berries, most of the berries, things high in antioxidants. Seaweed, nuts - tomatoes are one of the superfoods for fighting cancers in men.

I sincerely hope that you are O.K.

 

[aljdewey]

I'm feeling like this: it may or may not help, but it certainly can't hurt.

(And for all we know, it may help, so that alone makes it worth doing if you don't mind the time investment.)

 

[iLander]

I like your coffee thingy, Kenny! We used to have one like that, but I wasn't coordinated enough to handle boiling water. . . before my coffee.

I would like to suggest organic coffee for you. Coffee is actually one of the most pesticide-laden foods, especially if it's not shade grown. The plants are chemical cocktails to enable them to the survive the open, full sun fields that corporate farming loves. I have a bit of knowledge on this, because coffee plants pop up in the shady parts of my yard, so I know the habits of this plant.

I like this coffee, but you'll need a grinder: http://www.costco.com/San-Francisco-Bay-Organic-Rain-Forest-Blend-Whole-Bean-Coffee-2-3lb-Bags.product.100039920.html It comes out to $6 a pound including shipping, and it's very smooth with a rich flavor and SHADE grown. Many women are told that their breast cysts come from "caffeine" or "coffee", but in reality it's the pesticides in the coffee. Who knows what it does to men?

While we're on chemical cocktails, did you know that cows can't actually digest corn? But its a cheap feed, so how do corporations get cows to digest it? More chemicals! So, I hope your milk is organic (Organic Valley only, please*) and your beef is either organic or only an occasional treat.

*Fine, I'll explain that too. Lord, I'm boring. "Organic milk" can earn that name if the cow has eaten crap as recently as six months ago. Organic Valley holds itself to a higher standard, at least for now. Also, don't make me pull out the story about when DH worked at a non-organic milk plant. It's gross.

And finally, I suggest no Vitamin E for you, since a recent study has confirmed that Vitamin E actually increases prostate cancer (by 91%) in men with high levels of E at their baseline, and does nothing for men with low levels of E at the baseline.

So, yeah, you can call me Dr iLander (instead of all those other things you've been calling me).

 

[movie zombie]

iLander, I think you are as compulsive about what is in your food as I am!!!!!!
maybe even more so if that is possible!

 

[iLander]

iLander, I think you are as compulsive about what is in your food as I am!!!!!!
maybe even more so if that is possible!

Lol, Mozo! I did go out and get the cat that food that you recommended! If you come up with anything about dog food, I'd be interested to know it.

I think you and I have a similar philosophy, Mozo: "Better Living Through Research".

 

[CJ2008]

iLander, I think you are as compulsive about what is in your food as I am!!!!!!
maybe even more so if that is possible!

Lol, Mozo! I did go out and get the cat that food that you recommended! If you come up with anything about dog food, I'd be interested to know it.

I think you and I have a similar philosophy, Mozo: "Better Living Through Research".

sorry to threadjack, but now I HAVE to know! Which cat food did you recommend, MZ?

 

[iLander]

iLander, I think you are as compulsive about what is in your food as I am!!!!!!
maybe even more so if that is possible!

Lol, Mozo! I did go out and get the cat that food that you recommended! If you come up with anything about dog food, I'd be interested to know it.

I think you and I have a similar philosophy, Mozo: "Better Living Through Research".

sorry to threadjack, but now I HAVE to know! Which cat food did you recommend, MZ?

Mozo did a lot of research concerning dangerous chemicals in cat food, and basically brought her cat back from serious illness with excellent care and careful control of diet. If I recall correctly, Mozo recommends Fancy Feast CLASSIC Turkey and Giblets and FF CLASSIC Chicken. The plain, ground up kind, not the fancy shapes and "cuts". Once they start shaping it and making it look like something that it's not, you end up with chemicals.

Hopefully she'll chime in if I have that wrong.

 

[ForteKitty]

Kenny, a friend of the family was diagnosed with cancer. Her oncologist recommended that everyone soak produce in a water/white vinegar mix to remove pesticides. I use a salad spinner. Fill with water/vinegar, let soak, drain, rinse and spin. Water always looks yucky as it drains out. Sure makes me think.

I do that with produce, but didn't believe in it at first. One day, I decided to soak my already washed fruit in a tub of vinegar and water, and the water became disgusting. Started buying the Costco sized jugs of vinegar ever since! I also use water, vinegar, and baking soda to clean my counter/floors. My floors are always super clean and there is no stickiness. We're not comfortable using chemicals to clean the floors because we have several cats (who constantly lick paws) and everyone walks around barefoot at home. If I prepare chicken, I will wipe the counters/sink down with a disinfectant wipe first, then go over everything with water and vinegar a few times afterwards.

 

[movie zombie]

furthering the threadjack:

Fancy Feast PATE Chicken and/or Turkey is what the online feline diabetes people have found works to lower BG levels and even get a cat into remission with diabetes. why? no grains, no fruits, no veggies, no gravy....things which cats do not need and actually can harm them over time.

the foods i was feeding had great ingredients and in some cases organic meat as well. however, turns out they also had other ingredients that are really bad for cats over the long run, especially a cat that is older and/or diabetic.

cats require high protein/low carbs. a good place to start your own cat food journey is here: http://catinfo.org/

dry food is definitely bad for a cat no matter how good the company and/or how good the ingredients and, again, especially for a diabetic cat.

we do what is called "tight control" and test Brita's blood glucose level every 12 hours. we then determine her insulin dosage then. her trend right now is 1 unit of insulin every 24 hours.....we may see remission! her diagnosis of diabetes was September 12, 2013 and she has greatly improved with the change of food. her weight continues to come down and her vet visit last month to get more blood work done came back excellent. no kidney issues which is good because the one problem with FF Pate is that it is high in phosphorous which is not good for cat with kidney issues.

no cat food is perfect. there are issues with guar gum as well as the vitamin K source in cat foods. in a perfect world I'd be making the cat food for our cats.

end of thread jack!

 

[TooPatient]

Kenny, a friend of the family was diagnosed with cancer. Her oncologist recommended that everyone soak produce in a water/white vinegar mix to remove pesticides. I use a salad spinner. Fill with water/vinegar, let soak, drain, rinse and spin. Water always looks yucky as it drains out. Sure makes me think.

I do that with produce, but didn't believe in it at first. One day, I decided to soak my already washed fruit in a tub of vinegar and water, and the water became disgusting. Started buying the Costco sized jugs of vinegar ever since! I also use water, vinegar, and baking soda to clean my counter/floors. My floors are always super clean and there is no stickiness. We're not comfortable using chemicals to clean the floors because we have several cats (who constantly lick paws) and everyone walks around barefoot at home. If I prepare chicken, I will wipe the counters/sink down with a disinfectant wipe first, then go over everything with water and vinegar a few times afterwards.

Water/vinegar to clean is great! You can also use lemon juice (be careful because if you mix with salt it can bleach!).

I've been using Bon Ami for the stuff that needs a bit of an abrasive scrub. Just ground up rocks!

I'm very sensitive to ANY sort of scented stuff and cleaning products are some of the worst
If it makes me so sick just to breathe it, imagine what it is doing to your body

 

[movie zombie]

Water/vinegar to clean is great! You can also use lemon juice (be careful because if you mix with salt it can bleach!).

I've been using Bon Ami for the stuff that needs a bit of an abrasive scrub. Just ground up rocks!

I'm very sensitive to ANY sort of scented stuff and cleaning products are some of the worst
If it makes me so sick just to breathe it, imagine what it is doing to your body

I did not know that!

 

[lknvrb4]

I was at Target and I saw they carry BPA free cling wrap and baggies. I had never seen anything like it where I live. We also bought one of those table top Berkey water filters that have four filters in it. I was shocked to read how much yucky stuff is in tap water.

 

[vintagelover229]

I've been using soap nuts for years for my laundry. It took some getting used to because the smell people associate with 'clean' usually is chemical perfumes added to their liquid detergent. Now the smell gives me a head ache. No candles (except bees wax) in this house either or any sprays/air fresheners. You can add essential oils to you light bulbs that will have a similar affect.

Get some wool dryer balls-those stop static and also reduce drying time by half if you put half a dozen in there or so. You can also add oil to the balls to give them a scent if you really want too.

We use e-clothes (silver particles and millions of threads per inch) to clean with. I swear I"ll never go back-they have mops and tons of other products too. You can get coupons for 20% off the whole order too which makes them more affordable.

We buy an organic farm share for $370.00 for 22 weeks and get a TON of produce. I am getting better at canning and will be doing more this year. We buy our meat from a farmer who doesn't use hormones/anti-biotics and grows all his own feed which makes it super affordable at $3.50 per lb if you buy it just a little at a time (for ground beef-other cuts are more) but it's only $3.00 per lb if you buy a half cow no matter what the cut. He also has greatly reduced the nitrates in his meat and even sells nitrate free bacon.

We get our eggs at a farm down the road for $2.00 a dozen.

I haven't cut out everything I want (I still use refined flour and sugars since honey and maple syrup is so expensive to cook/bake with but we use it when we can) and we buy our bread from a bakery to avoid all the extra things needed to keep the store stuff fresh longer. We plan on getting a good quality bread maker as soon as funds permit.

I should mention that I have almost stopped using the microwave-once in a while I have no choice but it's not good for you.


What is the water/vinegar ratio I should be using? Now I'm scared since I don't want to see what we've been eating even though I wash it. How long do I soak it for?

My SIL never washes her veggies. She did my baby shower and did a beautiful veggie platter and I couldn't eat it (the fruit either) since I saw her not wash any of them. I've even pointed it out to her before and she just rolled her eyes at me. Needless to say I don't eat her fresh stuff and have to stick to the junk at family events. At least I know whats in the junk lol!

 

[luv2sparkle]

Kenny, my husband uses a similar coffee contraption made by Bialetti that is stainless. He loves it.

We buy as much organic as we can. I will definitely try the vinegar and water wash. Ikea sells some plastic containers that are BPA free.
I bought a few to send to school with my son. I can't send glass in his lunch bag so that was a good option for me.

 

[iLander]

So Kenny, do you feel better being plastic free? On your way to Whole Foods?