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Stamba Superfoods
Three award-winning organic superfood blends that make each food more powerful in combination.”What is the force that gives trees the strength to endure the harshness of winter, then foliate, blossom and flower come spring? What is the power held within Earth’s soil that germinates seeds and nourishes them to burst forth into flourishing plants that nurture the environment and living beings? At STAMBA, we create products to harness and deliver an experience of the pure power of Nature. Unlike fleeting experiences derived from synthetic, artificial and isolated sources, the experience of STAMBA stamina is rooted in the life-giving certified organic and sustainable harvesting environments from which our blends are born. The true superfoods in STAMBA products are the treasures of the plant kingdom. We source all of our ingredients from pristine environments, worldwide. At STAMBA, certified organic is just the beginning of our requirements. We partner with farms and organizations that have a commitment to sustainability and fair-trade practices. We choose not to source any ingredients from China due to questionable quality assurance standards and agricultural business practices perpetuated by many companies in the nation. After sourcing, we are deeply committed to preserving the life force and nutritional integrity of our ingredients – freeze or slow dried, we preserve their raw state. As such, they maintain their vital beneficial properties in a form that is easy to assimilate, integrate and utilize by your body. Each ingredient is nutritionally robust. In unison, they provide a full spectrum of prized health benefits, far beyond those of any individual agent. All our whole food ingredients are: Certified Organic. Vegan. Gluten and GMO Free.”
North Bay Trading
A variety of natural and organic dried and freeze-dried foods for everyday eating and emergency storage. Wild rice, beans, soup mixes, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables.
Earthsake
The very first retailer of natural fiber organic mattresses and bedding – made & grown in the USA. Since 1990, they have offered innerspring mattresses handcrafted from local PureGrow wool and organic cotton inside soft organic covers, along with all natural bedframes and organic bed linens. PureGrow wool fill is naturally fire retardant – so Earthsake Organic Mattresses and bedding do not contain chemical fire-retardants. In addition to their organic cotton mattresses, they also have natural latex mattresses and vegan mattresses made from 100% hemp . “Our PureGrow wool is locally and organically farmed in Sonoma County, Northern California from free and “happy” sheep.”
KD Frames
Unfinished platform beds and futon sofa frames crafted from Tulip Poplar. “All of our frames are made of kiln dried Tulip Poplar hardwood grown in responsibly managed Virginia forests. We do not apply chemicals of any kind in our factory, and the wood is smooth, sanded, and unfinished. KD Frames has been in business since 1987.” I saw one of these frame in a local store and it was very solid and had excellent craftsmanship.
Mountain Valley Growers
A good selection of USDA certified organic herb, vegetable, and perennial seedling plants, grown in the Central Valley of California. Available in 3-inch potted plants and 128-plug trays. You’ll find both common and unusual plants here, including sweet stevia.
Chattanooga Butter Co.
Grassfed real cream butter mixed with coconut oil—plain and flavored (honey and cinnamon, roasted garlic, brandy soaked Bordeaux cherry…) “Our cream comes from grass fed cows, making the saturated fats pure and nutrient-rich…We use only extra virgin, refined and filtered coconut oil which is neutral in taste…Since our butters are 100% natural and our fruits & spices are organic, they are free of any industrialized toxins common to processed foods…We source many ingredients for our various spreads from local or neighboring state farms when possible. They are grown and harvested the old fashioned way, from nearby farms, to our kitchen, to your family dinner table!” Unrefined sweeteners.
Glyphosate in Ice Cream?
Cherry Garcia tested zero for glyphosate
Last week an The New York Times published an interesting article about glyphosate in ice cream. Specifically Ben & Jerry’s in the title, but others as well.
So should we all stop eating ice cream?
Here are the important points for consumers who want to eat ice cream.
The Organic Consumers Association tested 11 samples of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and found trace amounts of glyphosate in 10 of the samples. I was happy to see that my favorite flavor—Cherry Garcia (which I haven’t eaten in years)—was the one flavor that had zero.
So why do the others have glyphosate? The conclusion was that the glyphosate isn’t from the ice cream, but from the flavor additions. You can see in the chart that there is a wide difference in the amount of glyphosate between flavors.
The Organic Consumers Association also tested four brands of organic vanilla ice cream: Alden’s, Three Twins, Julie’s and the Whole Foods Market brand 365. The lab found trace amounts of glyphosate comparable to Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough in the Whole Foods 365 sample, but none in the others.
So some brands of organic vanilla test the same as Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia.
I rarely eat ice cream because I try to keep my intake of sugar and fat down and ice cream is loaded with both.
Regardless of tests, logic tells me that organic ice cream is going to contain fewer toxic chemicals overall, and it’s a better choice.
When I eat ice cream (rarely) I make my own at home. That way I can choose organic cream, my preferred organic sweetener, and any other ingredients.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Traces of Controversial Herbicide are Found in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
POM Plastic (polyoxymethylene )
Question from Mai
Hi Debra,
I was wondering if you have any information about POM plastic (polyoxymethylene )? Most of the food processors I’ve found that come with a glass work bowl have POM plastic on the blade unit.
Debra’s Answer
Here’s the Product Safety Sheet for polyoxymethylene
It’s a plastic of the thermoplastic type. It is sold as a small plastic pellet which is then melted at high temperatures to then be molded into plastic parts.
“When this product is heated to high temperatures in order to produce a molded or extruded part, small amounts of formaldehyde gas is given off. The release of formaldehyde during the manufacture of parts made from Ultraform® POM is the primary concern…”
“Plastic parts made from Ultraform® POM…do not present a risk from exposure to formaldehyde, since the parts are no longer heated to high enough temperatures to produce formaldehyde.”
I’m not concerned about this on the blade unit of a food processor.
Sperm counts in men from industrialized countries have dropped by more than 50 percent in less than 40 years
Could exposure to chemicals be impairing our ability reproduce as a species
Researchers from a study done at Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Jerusalem announced last week that sperm counts in men from America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand showed a 52.4 percent decline in sperm concentration and a 59.3 percent decline in total sperm count among North American, European, Australian and New Zealand men. And the rate of decline is not slowing.
This analysis did not look into reasons for the decline, but noted that falling sperm counts have previously been linked to various factors such as exposure to certain chemicals and pesticides, smoking, stress and obesity.
No significant decline was seen in South America, Asia and Africa, but researchers noted that far fewer studies have been done in these regions.
REUTERS: Sperm Count Dropping in Western World
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Sperm Count in Western Men Has Dropped Over 50 Percent Since 1973, Paper Finds
Toxic Free Watch Strap?
Wooden Watch Strap
Question from Jonathan
Hi Debra,
I’ve just discovered your page. It is WONDERFUL. My wife and I are attempting to slowly but surely reduce our toxic levels at home (particularly plastics!) for ourselves and our children, and your site is going to help us a lot for sure!
My latest mission is watch straps! I’ve come to realise that it is not so easy to find something toxin free! And if a watch wearer, we are in contact with the strap ALL day!
I guess that’s where the problem originates! They are on all day, so have to resist wear and tear, sweat and other liquids, sun and heat. So they mostly are build tough, and that means:
Plastic straps: are… plastic. And the non-solid “woven fabric” straps like NATO straps are often either nylon or Cordura based or some other plastic.
Leather. But leather straps will all surely be chromium based leather. Rawhide wouldn’t be flexible enough etc. And leather is just awful in so many ways. Btw you may have already seen it but here’s a great post on leather: How Leather Is Slowly Killing the People and Places That Make It
So I searched for “vegan leather” straps. These seem to be pure plastic or PU coated leather. Sigh…
Then I heard about cork watch straps! Made from real cork! I don’t know much about cork. But I don’t trust that cork could withstand much movement or wear, could it? So I would bet the cork is bound with melamine or PU or something to stop it falling apart. Particularly cus watch straps are so thin! Also, I have no idea about the ethics or processes of cork manufacturing.
Any thoughts? Could this be the answer?
What about canvas? What is canvas? I see some canvas straps that are backed with leather anyhow. But a pure canvas strap? Is that possible? I’m thinking about canvas like what paintings are on. They’re not plastic these days surely? Linen or something?
Any other ideas? The more I look, the less hope I find! Product listings are SO vague and retailers and manufacturers alike! I need help Debra! Help!
Debra’s Answer
I stopped wearing a watch many years ago for all the reasons you state.
But I still needed to know what time it was.
There are watches you can carry without a strap, such as watches on necklaces, pocket watches, travel clocks you can put in a pocket or purse and probably more I’m not aware of.
Today the time is on your cell phone (if you carry one) so there’s not much need for a watch.
You didn’t mention metal watch bands, but they often cause rashes.
Readers, any success with finding a nontoxic watch band?
