The Plastic Cow Goes MOOOOOOG February 14, 2012
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Health & Wellness, Music & Dance.Tags: Chemicals, Environment, Food, Plastic, Recycling, Toothbrush
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Our lives are inundated with plastic.
We drink out of plastic, wrap our food in plastic, carry produce home in plastic, and brush our teeth with plastic bristled toothbrushes.
The evidence is growing that our reliance on plastic is detrimental to our health and well-being . . . and to the health and well-being of the planet.
A few key tips:
1. Store your food in glass containers.
2. Buy cooking oil in glass bottles.
3. Never microwave food in plastic.
4. Never drink hot drinks out of foam cups or eat food out of foam containers.
5. Rinse your canned food thoroughly before you eat it.
6. Use glass baby bottles, and switch to stainless steel or ceramic lined drinking bottles.
7. If you smell plastics in any water or liquid, do not drink it.
But, remember, not all plastic is harmful . . .
MOOOOOOOG! 
I have some reservations about your tips.
Glass containers are much heavier than plastic. Put a few together and they’d be very difficult for many people to carry. They are also breakable, which plastic is not. Those are the chief reasons why plastic is prefered over glass.
When I go out for coffee in the morning, the local delis serve the coffee only in plastic containers. That is not going to change.
You say, “Rinse your canned food thoroughly before you eat it.”
How do you rinse ravioli?
I’m not trying to belittle your advice. It’s just not as easy as you make it sound.
It’s not “my advice” . . . it’s the advice of health professionals.
* Bring your own coffee mug.
* Buy frozen ravioli . . . or cook spaghetti.
* Use spaghetti sauce sold in glass jars.
I’m not trying to belittle your comment . . . but it’s not as hard as you make it sound.
But it does tend to be more expensive, and that can make it almost impossible for some of us.
Some of the steps are more expensive . . . but many are less expensive ~ not buying bottled water tends to save money. Most people can afford a few glass storage containers and they last longer than plastic ones . . . saving money.
Preparing food from scratch rather than buying processed food in plastic can also save money.
Each of us has to decide whether we want to make the effort.
Maybe these health professionals should get out of their offices, and spend time in the real world, before they start giving advice. I could say that about many professional experts, whatever they’re expertise is.
If health professionals and scientists know that something is harmful, I want them to speak up so we can decide for ourselves whether (1) if the risk applies to us, (2) we want to learn more, (3) we want to take steps to minimize the risk, and (4) what steps we can take.
I agree that we will NOT be able to avoid all plastic in the immediate future . . . but we can eliminate some of it.
Check out comment #13 if you need some motivation -> the more plastic Andra eliminates . . . the better she feels.
That cow can really play.
I had this album as a teen-ager. Instead of “mood music” . . . I listened to “moog music.”
Plastic has made life convenient and disposable…but at a price. Our ancestors did it so can we….really, sometimes I feel like we waste the time we’re so keen on saving!
Not saying I don’t buy water in plastic bottles, but I only use them when I’m on a hiking trip, otherwise it’s tap water for me…and I do recycle my bottles.
The more I read up on plastic and the harm it does to our endocrine systems (e.g., messing up our hormones and making it harder to lose weight), the more determined I am to jettison it from my every day life.
Like you, I will probably still take plastic water bottles when “hiking” . . . but at home I’m drinking filtered water out of glass glasses from now on.
I’m also rethinking the pantry to get rid of as much plastic (and plastic lined cans) as I can.
MOOG made my day
Great tips for living a healthier, cleaner life!
I raise my GLASS to you, Tori! Happy Valentine’s Day!
don’t buy water in plastic bottles that have been in the sun – ever!
Yes, exactly. Water or other beverages packed in plastic are worse if they’ve gotten hot.
I so share your concerns! It amazes me how plastic continues to proliferate despite the evidence it’s contributing to landfill pollution and chemicalizing our bodies…the only hope is to stop using it! Great post and timely reminder! Febra
I’m reading up on the issue right now, but thought I would pass along a few of the best tips I’ve come across.
Rinse your canned food thoroughly before you eat it. Is this because the cans are lined with plastic? Why do this?
Yes. Most canned goods (beans, soups, fruits, veggies, etc.) are lined with plastic that contains BPA. There is one brand, Eden organic beans (www.edenfoods.com) packed in a special can with a natural resin-based liner that doesn’t include BPA.
BPA is linked to insulin resistance, early puberty, prostate cancer, and a host of other conditions caused by hormone disruption.
Hmm… I didn’t know that about canned foods. Interesting. It’s difficult trying to avoid plastic when the entire world seems to depend on it so much. But I like using glass food storage containers better than plastic ones… glass is a lot easier to clean.
That’s next on my agenda, Maggie. We use plastic storage containers far more often than glass ones. I want to switch in the other direction ~ especially for soups, chilis, etc.
Very timely reminder, Nancy, as Three Well Beings, says above. We try to avoid using plastic as much as possible, but it is everywhere these days!
I’m up for trying to reduce my reliance on plastic: there will come a time, I feel sure, when we have no choice.
Today I noticed that most of the organic fruits and veggies in the supermarket are shrink wrapped in plastic. Rather defeats the purpose of the process, eh?
The more I read about the impact of plastic on our endocrine systems . . . the less inclined I am to wait around for “big brother” to ban the use of plastic for cooking and drinking utensils and storage. It’s nasty stuff.
Do you know about that big swirling plastic mass(several sq mi) in Northern Pacific. Why don’t they do something?
Not only that, Carl . . . but there is 25 MILLION TONS of debris (the size of the state of California) heading across the Pacific to the North American coastline.
The debris, which includes refrigerators, cars, and even body parts, is the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan.
Here’s the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/japan-tsunami-debris-may-hit-ca-coast_n_1273478.html?ncid=webmail6
A great reminder, Nancy. The more plastic I’ve eliminated from my life, the better I’ve felt. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Oh, that’s great to hear, Andra ~ both because YOU feel better and because it’s an indication that it makes sense for US ALL to be a bit more vigilent about removing the toxins from plastic from the food we eat and the beverages we drink.
Great post! I enjoyed the additional comments from other bloggers as well. It has got me thinking about the issue!
cheers
Lorraine
Thanks, Lorraine! I agree. I’ve enjoyed the comments . . . especially from Andra and Patricia.
Maybe we’ll ALL feel better if we ban plastic from our kitchens.
I am working on reducing the plastic in my life. I do think I have fewer health issues since i have stopped cooking and storing food in plastic. And I no longer use margarine or artificial sweetners it’s butter and sugar for me. I think that has made a big difference.
Not being a doctor I don’t know whether those with special dietary needs have to stay away from butter and natural sugars. I do know all things should be eaten in moderation.
That’s wonderful. That’s my initial goal ~ to remove as much plastic as possible from the kitchen. Like you, I no longer use margarine or articial sweeteners . . . and I limit butter by relying more on Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Also, we are eliminated corn syrup and trans fats. Maple Sugar, Honey, and natural sugar makes more sense to us.
I prefer glass storage containers, but my husband can’t use them at work. Also, they’re not so kid-friendly
When I buy plastic, I look for BPA-free and I have reusable water bottles that I use when we go hiking.
On the bad side…I use Ziploc bags a lot…
I have a L~O~N~G way to go to banish all plastic from our kitchen . . . and from our cooler when we are out and about.
But I’m determined to do what I can to eliminate as much of its toxic presence as possible ~ especially the worst offenders, like BPA.
Great tips Nancy! I didn’t know about avoiding plastic bottles that have been in the sun. Thank you.
Thanks, Theresa. From what I’ve read . . . warm plastic leaches into food and beverages faster than when kept cold.
Nancy, THANK YOU for writing this! I had a hair analysis done last year which is pretty accurate and toxins were found in my system. Of course that is to be expected for everyone as we live in a polluted world. However…. I now realize that I do microwave food in plastics and store water in plastic containers and that is contributing to the toxins. I will immediately start making an effort in using less plastic in my daily life. I know it’s not practical to eliminate all of it, but reducing plastic is not hard.
BTW, I am doing the Posit Science program that I read in the “Brain that Changes Itself” book which you recommended to me, and Nancy I am hearing in ways, I had forgotten. I am getting better in discernment of words. This program is amazing in retraining the brain. I hope to write about this in the future. So, thanks for putting this book in my awareness!
Yay! Yay! Yay! I am delighted to hear that you are hearing better, Marie. That is very exciting for you, I’m sure.
As for the plastic ~ all plastics are not created equal. Some are worse than others. At this point, I’m not educated enough to share or explain the difference between the various plastics to others . . . hence the basic tips above.
It does seem that one of the major risks is HEATING/HEATED plastic ~ so I’m planning to use glass as often as possible.
More tips may follow as I learn more.
That Huffington Post article is really interesting, Nancy – the effects spreading around the globe. That flotsam carries so many stories
It certainly does, BB. But it also reminds me of all the garbage we’ve thrown into the ocean “on purpose.” We have done a very poor job of caring for this planet . . . and our future.
Great advice – I already follow some of it, but you have reminded me to do just that little bit more!
Now that I’m focused on the issue . . . I’m seeing even MORE plastic ~ lip gloss (plastic tube), sunscreen (plastic tube), shampoo (plastic bottle), telephone (plastic handset), etc.
For now, I’m going to focus on food preparation and storage.
I am a baddie when it comes to plastic water bottles. I drink easily 10 to 12 20 oz bottles of water a day. We have a well and while it was tested when we purchased our home 7 years ago and we have a water filtering system I just can’t make myself drink from well water. I know the negative issues of plastic and that I would be better drinking our well water. I think I will start today~save some money too! I also nuke a couple of Lean Cuisines for dinner fairly often
I do use olive oil in a glass container though! Seriously we are working on getting plastics out of the kitchen and our lives, but like JannatWrites up above, I love my Ziplocs. It is a fun challenge!
We do most cooking from scratch, but we do buy Steamfresh veggies and have been nuking them in the plastic bag. Now, I’m going to dump them into a glass bowl to cook and toss the bag. I bet you could pop the Lean Cuisines out of the plastic and do the same thing to reheat.
In MD, we had a well and we HATED the taste of the water. ACK! Sharp Water delivered water for drinking and cooking each month and we had a dispenser in the kitchen. The water came in large 5-gallon (or 3-gallon) plastic (of course!) bottles.
The plastic was harder and more durable than the plastic used in small water bottles . . . but I’m not up to speed on which plastic is “safer” than others.
Yep I nuke Green Giant Green Beans with Almonds, I am seriously addicted to them, in their steam plastic bag. Duh! I will be dumping them in a glass bowl and for sure I could pop out the Lean Cuisines. Must google, I just thought, I don’t nuke the Lean Cuisines. I cook them in the oven~probably worse
If I learn more about WHICH plastics are the WORST . . . I’ll share. At this point, I’m just going to favor GLASS over PLASTIC whenever possible.
One of the things that bothers me so much about the careless use and disposal of plastic is the continent-sized floating “island” of plastic trash that is in the Pacific ocean. I hear and read about it and I am sickened and I know for a fact that I am using much less plastic than I used to. I get paper bags at the grocery store, or take my own cloth ones if I remember. I also like to use waxed paper to cover containers instead of plastic covers, etc. I prefer olive oil over butter for several reasons, among which are, it tastes wonderful (the only way I like olives!), and it is VERY good for EVERYONE! It is a great source of MUFAs – necessary for healthy bodies. (I still use butter though – especially for some baking, because I also love the taste of it – I hate margarine! – and it is an occasional treat on toast!
Whenever we get plastioc bags, we always take the produce out of it and put it in bowls, or in net bags. When we get plastic grocery bags (sometimes I don’t stop the grocery bagger soon enough), we always put them in recycling bins that we trust. Not all recycling areas dispose of plastic or reuse it, properly.
Great tips, Nancy! Thanks you.
Carl brought up all that floating flotsam too . . . I gave him a link to a recent article on debris from the tsunami also heading straight for us.
Here’s the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/japan-tsunami-debris-may-hit-ca-coast_n_1273478.html?ncid=webmail6
We have not been good stewards of this precious planet.
So…
does number 7 also mean I should discontinue drinking liquid plastic?
That might explain a few things, you know…
It might be just the explanation that you / they have been looking for.
I’ve been trying to avoid the use of plastic in bottles and containers for microwave heating…I wonder about the plastic wrap on the top of bowls when heating food in microwave…do you know anything about that?
The best ones to use are Glad wrap, Saran premium wrap, and Saran Cling Plus wrap ~ they do not contain PVC or bisphenol A.
Wax paper and white (unbleached) paper towels are OK too.
As a parent of little kids, I try to be careful about what we all eat and drink and what our food and water comes in. We do use plastic beverage containers but they’re all BPA free (I can’t do glass for safety). In some situations it’s really hard to avoid plastics but at least it’s worth making the effort.
By the way I love your cows!
BPA free is definitely the way to go . . . glass would make me nervous with young kids (or clumsy people) around.
I thought you would enjoy the cows. MOOOOOG.
Sadly, plastic is easier to use and lighter to move.. But I hear you!
After a few days of using GLASS rather than PLASTIC, I concur. Some forms of plastic are safer than others. Maybe we can gravitate toward those?