Weight Down Lifestyle

Sorry in advance for the TMI.

I started keto in Jan and am around 50 lbs down. Female, 30, 5'4", SW 190, CW 140ish. Feel pretty good overall.

I've noticed that my sex drive has been almost non existant since March or April. From wanting it every day, multiple times (I'm single so Im solely referring to self pleasure) to now not even thinking about it for days. Also not getting wet at all except maybe a little around ovulation. When I do try I find that my orgasms aren't as intense as they used to be.

Since I noticed this issue, I've tried playing around with my supplements - added ashwagandha and zinc which didn't work.

Most days my electrolytes good. Around 5g sodium, 3g potassium, and around 6mg of mg. I could perhaps drink a bit more water but I average around 60oz a day.

My deficit has always been around 20%. When I noticed low libido I also noticed that my calories were very low for a couple of weeks and I fixed that right away. I've been eating more lately, closer to and sometimes even more than maintenance and my weight loss has really slowed down (I've actually put on a couple of pounds which I'm okay with in the short term).

I've started ICF weight lifting as of last week (working out also used to make me very aroused and that's not the case anymore).

Here's a quick list of things I eat most days:

Chicken thighs

Ghee

Butter

Avocados

Cheese (usually in small quantities, mostly soft mozzarella)

Eggs

Ginger

Garlic

Onion

Tomatoes

Peppers occasionally

Spinach /greens once in a while

Spices (mostly Indian)

Peanuts (which I'm trying to cut down becuase they cause stomach issues and harder to portion control)

A couple of servings of almonds/Brazil nuts a week

I'm trying to add more red meat so recently I've started cooking ground beef at home (80/20)

I do enjoy desserts so I'll have a couple of quest bars a week, or I'll make chocolate or cheesecake at home (I mostly use a stevia erythitrol blend). Some enlightened ice cream when I'm in the US.

Very little alcohol (something I don't want much anyway since I started keto)

Weed maybe once a few months

Most days I end up IF at least 18:6 but I'm not super strict with it esp when I'm travelling.

I am stressed about employment but handling it a lot better than I used to (went for some group therapy, just overall being more positive)

I also take vitamin D (as per my doc's suggestions) and biotin (thin hair) plus some prescription drugs that have no impact on sex drive (I called and checked).

Libido issues happened in March and in April I got a full blood panel done. Everything came out normal.

So I'm looking for ideas and suggestions. What can I add or remove. Should I add more carbs and see? How should I go about it without falling off the wagon? Should I be looking for specific nutrients that are missing from my diet? For most of my weight loss journey I've weighed and logged my food on cronometer and I can do it again if I need to look for specific minerals and micronutrients. Should I get blood work done again? My doctor brushed off the issue but maybe will take it more seriously now that it's been almost 9 months. I'm waiting for an appointment with a gynaecologist.

Willing to put in the work to figure out the problem.

Thank you for reading and would appreciate any input.

Natural News is about to begin releasing lab test results for off-the-shelf food, supplement and pet food products, covering heavy metals, nutritive minerals, pesticides and herbicides. These details will be released exclusively to Natural News email newsletter subscribers (FREE) and will NOT be publicly posted on the website. To be alerted, join our free email newsletter now, and watch for lab test results in the weeks ahead.

Enter your email address below to subscribe to our email announcement list (but don't use gmail). Your privacy is protected and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you don't join our email list, you may never see our valuable content again via Facebook, Google or YouTube. CENSORSHIP has now reached EXTREME levels across the 'net. The truth is being suffocated. Subscribe now if you want to escape the delusional bubble of false reality being pushed by Google and Facebook.

© Provided by Trusted Media Brands, Inc. Beautiful african american woman lying in bed and sleeping, top view

Whether or not you tend to remember your dreams, everyone can recall that most terrifying nightmare. Maybe you were being chased by someone or something. Or you were late for a big exam. Or all your teeth fell out. Whatever it was, you probably woke up in a panic, only to realize (with enormous relief) that it was just a dream. But if you tend to have scary dreams often—and, even more telling, if you frequently scream, kick, or thrash around in your sleep—your brain could be at risk. Don’t let these 13 bizarre facts about dreams keep you up at night.

Frequent nightmares could be caused by REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a condition that causes patients to physically act out violent dreams. Researchers have found that more than 80 percent of RBD patients eventually develop a neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s or dementia. Learn the 16 habits that increase your dementia risk.

'For some reason, the cells in the REM sleep area are the first to be sickened, and then the neurodegenerative disease spreads up into the brain and affects the other areas that cause disorders like Parkinson’s disease,' John Peever, PhD, the neuroscientist at the University of Toronto who led this new research, told Live Science. 'REM behavior disorder is, in fact, the best-known predictor of the onset of Parkinson’s disease.' Find out 25 things your dreams reveal about you.

Two studies from 2013 also found that more than 80 percent of RBD patients developed a neurodegenerative disorder within a decade, but those studies were only able to show correlation. The more recent study, which was presented at the Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in 2017, proves causality.

And while RBD is terrifying for those who suffer from it, the condition could help doctors identify who’s most at risk for other neurodegenerative disorders. According to Peever, the next step in his research would be to develop a drug therapy that can treat patients who have been diagnosed with RBD. “Such a therapy would likely not cure the patient of RBD, since the brain cells that cause that disorder would have already been damaged,” he told Live Science, “but it could prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the brain.”

Scientists still have a long way to go before they eliminate neurodegenerative disorders. But there are a few things that they know can help prevent these conditions. 

BALTIMORE — Alison Sheaffer noticed her double doodle , Nyla, had some thinning on her nose and decided to take her to the veterinarian for a check-up. Nyla was prescribed thyroid medication, but after having an adverse reaction to one pill, Sheaffer brought her back to the vet.

"So I took her back, and he did an X-ray of her to make sure she didn't have any obstructions, and then they found the enlarged heart," said Sheaffer, a Fallston, Maryland, resident.

Nyla was diagnosed with advanced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart muscle disease that can lead to heart failure.

"She still has a pretty significantly enlarged heart, her muscle function's abnormal, her heart rate's controlled which is a really good sign," said Steven Rosenthal, a board-certified veterinary cardiologist with CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets .

While large breeds are more prone to the disease, Nyla's age, just 5 years old, made Rosenthal question her diet. Sheaffer switched Nyla's diet last June to a grain-free dog food after she was having stomach sensitivities.

"It's very possible that it had a role. Nyla is part golden retriever and we see an increased incidence of the grain-free diet associated dilated cardiomyopathy in the golden retriever, but we've seen it in all breeds of dogs, small and large alike," Rosenthal said.

An uptick in cases, particularly in atypical breeds, led CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets to contact the FDA.

Studies examining a potential link

The FDA announced it was looking into the potential connection between certain diets and DCM in July 2018. So far, they've received 300 reports of DCM. And of the nearly 200 DCM reports to the FDA in which dogs only ate one kind of diet, 90 percent of those foods were labeled grain-free.

In February, the agency provided an update on the investigation, saying they've received additional DCM reports, but they have not identified specific recommendations about diet changes for dogs who are not displaying DCM symptoms. Instead, they are encouraging pet owners to consult directly with their veterinarians for their animal’s dietary advice.

Other studies have also investigated the link between BEG, an acronym for boutique, exotic and grain-free diets, and DCM.

In one study , researchers found that of the 24 golden retrievers who were eating BEG diets at the time DCM was diagnosed, all but one of the dogs showed substantial echocardiogaphic improvement after a diet change and the addition of supplemental taurine to their diet.

Still, there are questions as to what exactly these diets include or leave out that could lead to illness.

"There have been many theories including these diets may have a deficiency in an amino acid called taurine," Rosenthal said. "Also, most of these diets are very high in legume content: lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans. And there's some concern that maybe those legumes might be playing a role in altering the absorption of certain nutrients in the diet or one of the theories is if there's some type of toxin in the legumes that we're unaware of. Again, we're trying to figure that out with the FDA. At this point in time, we don't know that answer."

The good news is Rosenthal is starting to see less of these cases from a few a month to one every several months. He thinks it may be due to more awareness.

The bad news is when a dog is diagnosed it's usually in the late stages of the disease.

DCM symptoms

Rosenthal recommends bringing in your pet for evaluation if they show the following symptoms:

Is packing food in plastic storage containers and drinking from plastic bottles safe? Do you risk the plastic leaching chemicals like BPA and phthalates? How and why to reduce plastic in your life:

When I was in middle and high school, you could pretty much guarantee I’d be behind the trend of what’s “cool,” but finally, in adulthood, my geekiness has gotten me ahead of the curve!

After over a decade of using our stainless steel bottles as a family, bringing my own bags to the grocery store and putting leftovers almost exclusively in glass, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see the pendulum of single-use plastics and creating waste in general finally starting to swing back in the right direction. Even in mainstream media, we’re starting to be encouraged NOT to drink from plastic containers and cook in plastics!

This is a huge step in the right direction. I see more and more people using stainless steel or glass water bottles and bringing their own coffee mugs, and reusable bags are finally trendy. (With the advent of K-cups of course, we took a step in the wrong direction, but we can work on that.) RELATED: 3 Ways to Make Garbage Free Coffee

But it is just one part of a much bigger issue. Plastic is everywhere. We’ve overused it to the tune of 8 million tons going into the ocean every year plus mind-boggling amounts cluttering up landfills. The lack of decomposition is one problem (it will take over 400 years to degrade, likely more); the negative impact on our health both while we use plastic and as it possibly leaches out into those landfills and oceans is another.

Now is the perfect time to consider the health of our earth and our future and learn how to reduce plastic in your life. This includes both disposable and reusable plastic. Every little bit we reduce makes a difference!

The Dangers of Plastic Food Containers

Plastic packaging is a serious waste problem, accounting for about 40% of plastic waste.

You can’t do much about the fact that you have to buy things like cheese and sour cream in plastic (nos. 2 and 5 respectively, safer plastics), never mind all the plastic bags that food is stored in (no. 4, another safeR option). But you can try to find milk in glass jars (we go right to the farm) and make your own yogurt.

Even when you do end up with some plastic packaging at the store, once you get home and make a wholesome meal, is it really worth it to put it in a plastic container? RELATED: hazards of plastics

In case you need more convincing, I came across a quote about BPA in Dinner Diaries by Betsy Block: “Few chemicals have been found to consistently display such a diverse range of harm at such low doses.” (from EWG, March 2007) Good grief.

So what’s wrong with eating and drinking from or storing food in plastic containers?

Harmful BPA

Some plastics are made from toxic ingredients. For example, hard polycarbonate plastic (#7 plastic, the kind that some baby bottles, reusable drinking bottles, and 5-gallon water bottles are made from) contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is an endocrine disruptor that builds up in our bodies over time. Endocrine disruptors mess with our hormones!

Low doses may cause chronic toxicity in humans, posing the highest risk to pregnant women, infants, and young children. BPA can leach from plastics into the food and beverages we consume. Read more about BPA here. And also here.

Frightening Phthalates

Phthalates are found in soft plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC, #3 plastic). Phthalates are used to make rigid plastics soft and pliable, and because they are not chemically bound to PVC, they can easily leach into food, or straight into baby’s mouth as it’s often used in teething toys.

Phthalates also disrupt the endocrine system. They can cause harm to the reproductive systems of babies and children, and some studies also link phthalates to liver cancer. Read more about PVC/phthalates here.

Antimony Questions

Antimony is a catalyst used in making PET plastic (#1), the type of plastic that disposable water bottles and other beverage containers are made from. It’s also a flame retardant in mattresses, of all things.

It’s not clear whether or not antimony poses cancer risks. But studies have found that the chemical may leach from the plastic. Read more about antimony in plastics here.

Surprising Antibacterials in Plastic!

Recently, antibacterial additives were found to leach out of polypropylene plastic (PP #5) containers, the kind that most of our durable food storage containers are made from. We already know there are serious concerns about antibacterial chemicals in our environment, and now they’re coming from places we didn’t even expect!

Polypropylene has long been considered a safe, BPA-free plastic. And yet with this new discovery, it’s clear that all plastics can leach chemicals. Read more about antibacterial additives in “safe” plastics.

Plus, really, every year we’re discovering something new. Those of us who have a healthy skepticism about many things tend to say, “If it might leach something we haven’t discovered yet, it’s still safest to stay away!” I like Lara Adler’s take. RELATED: She did a fabulous interview on reducing toxins for the Healthy Parenting Connector!

NO Plastic is Safe

The conclusion is that as far as we know, no plastic is safe to eat or drink from. Consumers have no way of knowing what chemicals have been added to the plastics that contain our foods, beverages, or personal care products because manufacturers are not required to disclose the chemicals they add to the plastics. Read more about organic food in plastic packaging here.

Think about it this way: Many of us buy organic food to ensure we are not ingesting toxic chemicals. And we demand that the label list all of the ingredients in our foods so we can make smarter choices. But there is no label for the chemicals in the plastic container that holds our organic food. How smart is that?

How to Reduce and Replace Plastic on your Food

I know we can’t all do everything to avoid plastic. You know I’m all about baby steps and factoring in your budget here. Just do what you can with the following steps and guidelines. Start with one or two and then come back to see if you’re ready for another step. Every little bit helps.

Plastic Recycle Numbers to AVOID Always

You must at least recycle or repurpose for non-food uses anything with number 3, 6 or 7 on it. (See this post for a mnemonic to help you remember the safe plastics.)  I didn’t think #3 was actually used for anything until after my last plastics post when I glanced at the bottom of my big container that I (used to) store biscuit mix in. Number 3!? Yikes! That container is now my compost catcher next to my sink…

Don’t Put Fat, Acids or Hot Foods Into Plastic Containers

This is one of the most important factors when it comes to plastic food containers. Avoid putting hot food into plastic. This is where you prioritize for glass dishes or at least wait until the food cools considerably.

It would make sense that liquid foods (soups, sauces, beverages) would have more surface area touching the inexorable plastic container than, say, cut lettuce, rolls, or shredded cheese.

In general, do NOT put the following items in plastic containers:

• Tomatoes/tomato-based products
• Liquids
• Hot or even warm food
• Fats and oils

Fats and acidic foods like tomatoes leach more quickly, so anything in the plastic goes into your food at a higher rate. Be cognizant!

Do Not Heat Plastic!

No microwaving your plastics! If I didn’t convince you to cut down on microwave use in general, at least make a firm commitment NEVER to microwave anything in plastic, ESPECIALLY those not made for mics like margarine tubs and plastic wrap. You’re just asking for trouble there.

I’ve been saying this for ten years, but it’s been pretty controversial up until now. For example:

• In the early 2000s, Snopes soundly trounced into about microwaving plastics because of cancer-causing dioxins. That’s true that it’s not true…but it also gave people a false sense of security. “Oh, plastics in the microwave won’t cause cancer, awesome, plastics are safe to microwave!” 
• In 2016, Time Magazine broke the “bad news” that “microwave-safe” plastics don’t actually mean they’re safe for humans, just that you won’t melt your dish. This was in the midst of the “BPA-Free!” campaigns that changed the way everyone bought plastic. We started buying BPA-free plastic (without realizing that there are probably other chemicals that replaced BPA that will also leach). �
• In 2017 Harvard published this article acknowledging that yes, BPA and phthalates probably DO leach from plastic containers. Progress…but it didn’t get much press.
• Last year, in August 2018, FINALLY the American Academy of Pediatrics officially told parents NOT to put “children’s food” in plastic containers in the microwave or to even put plastics in the dishwasher. This was shocking for many, and it got enough media (and social media) attention to make waves. Note: If it’s not safe for kids, don’t do it for adults either!

Will people listen? Only time will tell, and I’ll always be here helping moms make the small, helpful changes in their homes to keep their family safe!

Remove, Recycle and Repurpose Plastic Containers

Throw away, recycle or repurpose orphan containers and lids.  Here are some tips to reuse plasticware for non-food purposes. You could donate usable plastics, but not dangerously damaged ones.

Get the dangerous stuff out – no. 3, 6 and 7 plastics, damaged containers from microwave use, etc. It’s go time. If it’s cracked, gouged, melted or otherwise all messed up, cut your losses. Plastic isn’t good for you.

Consider what you really need to function as a household. I was surprised that although I missed a few things that I boxed up to “stage” the house to sell, I didn’t want for much. Chances are if you get rid of some plastic, you’ll never miss it. How much does your family really need at one time to store food? Join me in striving for simplicity.

Switch to Glass Containers

Get some lovely glass containers with lids to replace some of your plastics.

There are a lot of advantages to glass storage containers, and you may soon find that you require even fewer plastic containers. At the very least, you can put glass containers on your wish list for the next gift-giving holiday, or even a Klean Kanteen water bottle. These are a bit pricey, but I’ve seen them for just a few dollars at Walgreen’s. Just make sure they’re made of stainless steel, not aluminum.

Even cheaper? FREE. Wash and reuse every single glass jar that your food comes in: spaghetti sauce, olives, soy sauce, everything. I love free.

Switch to Stainless Steel Containers

Glass is not the only alternative to plastic food containers. Stainless steel is a great option! Especially for packing school lunches. And it’s not breakable – an important factor with kids. We have lots of these watertight containers for yogurts in lunches (and bigger ones are great for home leftovers), Lunchbots for lunch packing, and if you really want the benefits of stainless steel instead of glass (unbreakable, lighter-weight), I highly recommend that you check out Life Without Plastic for tons of options.

Bonus: Stainless bowls can be used directly on the stove top for heating at home.

I’ve been using stainless steel for many years now. Here is why I love it so much!

Whenever I post my little guys’ lunches at home on Instagram, people ask about the divided stainless steel plates – yet another area we see a lot of plastic use, and on the most sensitive population! You can find those at ECOlunchboxes or Life Without Plastic. We also use these tiny bowls a LOT for serving little ones. They help us big adults choose an appropriate portion size, too!

Swap to Reusable Sandwich Bags

An easy way to reduce plastic touching your food is by using cloth sandwich bags. They come in all sorts of colors, patterns, and fabrics. I’ve reviewed just about every brand so you know which ones hold up the best.

Using cloth snack bags instead of plastic will save a lot of money in the long run. Plus it’s better for the environment. Not to mention kids love them.

Ditch the Plastic Wrap

A case can be made for plastic wrap in terms of health safety. It doesn’t necessarily touch your food. So in that sense, it’s not so bad. But it is waste. And if you put it over hot food it can still leach chemicals. That condensation that drips down…it’s not good.

I’ve got some simple solutions to help you ditch the plastic wrap. Some will cost you nothing. Just use things you already have at home. Others are natural alternatives to plastic wrap. Figure out what works best for you.

Here are some other great tips for reducing plastic.

Use Bar Soap Instead of Plastic Pumps

Another place we see a LOT of single use plastic is personal products – soaps, shampoos, ETC.

I definitely refill and reuse plastic pump bottles, but even better is to just use bars – you can use bar soap in the shower instead of body wash (which typically has way too many chemicals in it anyway), and even get shampoo bars for your hair – way easier to travel on a plane with, bonus! I get mine for face, body, hands and hair currently from Earthley.

Plastic Reduction FAQs

How do you (politely) stop others from giving you plastic?

For a few years now, I’ve prefaced our kids’ birthday wish lists with “less plastic, more wood; fewer batteries and buttons, more imagination and child-driven toys.” I wish I could say it works!

One Christmas, we complained so much about all the battery-powered toys we had around the house that instead of getting our kids toys without batteries, my in-laws got us a bunch of batteries! They misunderstood our grief and thought we were frustrated with the monetary cost of batteries. #facepalm

You just have to keep trying, keep relationships very respectful, and throw out little teachable moments when you can fit them in without hurting anyone’s feelings. And if the plastic-giving relatives are far away? You return the gifts for wooden toys and finger paints.

How do you freeze things without plastic?

Ideally, you’d use stainless steel and glass storage, including the “free” glass jars you get from reclaiming store spaghetti sauce jars and the like. Personally, I have plenty of plastic in my freezers. My space is so limited that I couldn’t survive without plastic bags. � I store almost all of my broth in glass jars and never put hot foods into plastic. RELATED: How to Freeze in Glass Jars (without breaking them)

All my frozen fruit, bread dough, cookies, and meat are in plastic, though (the meat comes that way from the farm). When I bought store meat, I tried hard to get it from the counter in freezer paper instead of on a styrofoam tray, though.

I also wrote a letter to my grocery store’s product department asking them to use bags instead of Styrofoam trays for their reduced produce section. I don’t know if it was me, but they just switched! At least I can reuse the plastic bags for other produce purchases. You can find a copy of that letter, which also requests a reduced produce section if you don’t have one, at the Reduced Produce Primer.

Does the plastic still leach if the food is cold when put into the plastic?

Heat accelerates leaching, according to current research. Although we’re always learning more about the ways things we created work, cold storage in plastic should not be as much of a concern as hot applications.

How to Switch From Plastic to Glass Storage Containers

1. Take a wander through your cupboards.  Make mental notes of everything you see that is glass or ceramic that has a lid. Try to default to using those first for storing leftovers, cut fruit, meal prep items, etc. BEFORE you open the plastic cupboard. Sometimes you’ll be acting out of the box; for example, you might use a casserole dish with a lid to store fruit slices, or a coffee mug to store soup leftovers.
2. Keep all your glass jars from store-bought items. I store soup, yogurt, applesauce and more in spaghetti sauce jars. Sunflower seeds for salads are in an olive jar. Homemade ranch dressing in a pickle jar. Pizza sauce in my freezer in salsa jars. Free is a great price for “new” food storage containers!
3. Birthday coming up? IOU on a Mother’s Day present? Put glass dishes with lids on your list.

I received some great 1, 2 and 3-cup sizes from Anchor-Hocking, and I already owned a nice set of glass storage containers made by Pyrex. Both are so helpful to have around, but I have had troubles with Anchor’s lids warping (just the 2-cup size), even with no microwave use.

To their credit, the company was more than helpful, sending me replacement lids without a problem not once, but twice, years ago. They told me they’re working on getting a new supplier for the lids, moving to an American company from a Chinese one. At this point in 2019, I think they have, because my newest containers work great and are much more long-lasting! Props to them for taking steps. Both companies promise their lids are BPA-free…bah…

In case you’re still on the fence about investing in glass storage containers, here are some reasons you’ll love them.

• They don’t change color or smell like the last food you’ve eaten even after they’re washed.
• They are very easy to clean. You can really scrub and even use steel wool without worrying about breaking or scratching the surface.
• They don’t begin to crack over time and need to be recycled and replaced.
• They can go right into the toaster oven.
• They can go right into the freezer and withstand a lot of banging around as I search for stuff!
• They don’t get any weird discolorations/warping/pock marks in the microwave (if you do that kind of thing).
• The lids stay on very well and don’t have a little tab that could get caught on something in a lunch bag and come off.
• They don’t break, even if they slide out of the fridge. This one, I’m sure, will be proven wrong someday, but so far, the glass dishes have been remarkably durable. I haven’t dropped one out of the freezer yet — that might be a deal-breaker!
• They don’t flip over in the dishwasher top rack, and I can put them in the top or bottom rack, so more Tetris options when I’m seeking a completely full dishwasher.
• They dry completely in the dishwasher or dish rack – no more pockets of standing water (dripping all over my dry dishes) like with the plastic stuff. Yes, the lids hold a little water, but it’s nothing compared to my old life of plastic containers. And 99% of the time, I wash plastic lids by hand, because it extends their life. My mom taught me that for years, and now that the AAP has made it public, I’m sure my mom feels good about being right! As usual!
• And best of all: They don’t leach BPA into my food, or any other unknown chemicals, for that matter.

Tupperware Note

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the fact that almost everyone has old Tupperware hanging around their cupboards. These usually don’t have recycle numbers on them. I learned that most (but not all) Tupperware products do not contain BPA, but I still wouldn’t recommend using them regularly, especially on liquids and fats. � And certainly don’t buy any more! Baby steps…

Why You Should Stop Drinking From Plastic

Drinking from plastic containers is probably worst than eating from them. Both your mouth and your beverage touches it. Sadly you probably do it more often than you think. Here are some common ways you use plastic for drinking.

• Reusable water bottles
• Disposable water bottles
• Sippy cups
• Baby bottles
• Straws
• Cups

Thankfully there are a lot of fun and affordable alternatives.

Reusable Water Bottles

Always opt for a reusable water bottle if you can. The best options are stainless steel or glass. We love Kleen Kanteen and Life Factory.

A simple twist off cap is the easiest to clean. And you don’t have to suck on plastic to drink.

Baby Bottles & Sippy Cups Without Plastic

Let’s face it, kids drink from bottles and sippy cups a lot. Which means they are being exposed to toxins if the bottles and cups aren’t made from quality material. This is one area to splurge to make sure your kids are safe. I reviewed 8 of them a few years ago, but I’m sure there are many more options now that our general consciousness is up!

There are more and more glass baby bottle options these days. Make sure the nipples are made from safe, BPA-free material as well. Silicone is a safe option.

Sippy cups are great for traveling. But try to limit use at home. Even young kids can learn to drink from a regular glass. It’s a lot better for their teeth too, and feeding experts say that we need to teach kids to eat and drink like adults in form as soon as possible, just to build the right habits.

If you need something a bit more spill-proof at home, Silikids Siliskins are great. You can put them on a mason jar or regular glass and are a very budget-friendly option. Companies like Life Factory also make sippy cups.

For bigger kids, you can upgrade to water bottles, and we have stainless steel bottles with sippy lids for our tiniest kids.

Plastic Free Cups for Kids

Ditching plastic cups is the easiest item on the list. Most of us probably already use glass. Mason jars work really well too and are harder to break. �

Just make sure the kids are drinking from glass as well! Teach them at a young age how to be careful with glass. Something simple like a half-pint mason jar is perfect for little hands. If you just can’t get over the kids and glass idea, there are great stainless steel cups on Amazon; ours are from Life Without Plastic.

What to do About Plastic and Straws?

I don’t know about your kids, but mine LOVE using straws. And sometimes it’s a great way to get them to try a smoothie if they have determined they don’t like it. Or a fun way to eat a veggie loaded blended soup. But the disposable straws have got to go.

Some great options to replace plastic straws are glass (better for older kids as they do break pretty easily if they are dropped), stainless steel and silicone (great for little ones that tend to chew on straws). The silicone straws come in all sorts of colors and designs. They are definitely a fun option. Also price compare at ECOlunchboxes, where they carry all sorts of reusable, easy-for-little-hands plastic-free supplies, like straws in glass, stainless steel, silicone and even bamboo, a super sustainable wood!

Why You Should Shop with Reusable Grocery Bags

We’ve covered all of the products that impact your personal health. But the use of plastic does not stop there.

So much plastic is wasted on a daily basis from plastic shopping bags. Whether you are at the grocery store, the mall or even your local farmer’s market, you’ll see people toting single-use plastics. It’s painful to me!

There is a very simple solution: Reusable shopping bags. There are very affordable options. They are easy to wash. And, honestly, they make carrying groceries and other purchased goods so much easier. If nothing else they make you look like a health-conscious consumer. �

Simply keep them in your car or purse so you always have them, no matter where you shop. Reusable grocery bags are also great for packing all your beach gear, potluck food or kids’ stuff for a long car ride. We use them on vacation, like when we took all our own food to Disney!!

Check out these reusable grocery bag options Becca walked us through. I seriously just bought a bunch of tiny-fold-up bags and gave them to all the aunties and cousins as “stocking stuffers” (a tradition in my husband’s family). I have had an Envirosax brand for many, many years and I’m impressed with how tiny it rolls and how well it holds up. See what style fits you best.

Are You Ready to Eliminate Plastic From Your Life?

It can sound overwhelming if you are starting from square one. But it doesn’t have to be. Choose one area (storage container, cups, straws, bags) and gradually start replacing what you have with a more environmentally-friendly and health-conscious option.

Ask for glass containers and water bottles as Christmas and birthday gifts. Watch for sales and stock up.

Before you know it you’ll have minimal plastic in your life!

Are you working towards plastic-free living? Which area are you going to start with?

Other tips from Lara Adler on reducing plastics.

I did a decent amount of prep this weekend but nothing like last weekend.  I have found that if I go big once every month or so, the rest of the weekends don’t have to be as intense.  The whole chicken from last weekend lasted me all week – mainly in lunches for the kids and Kyle.  This weekend I made chili.  The kids (and Kyle) loved the black bean quinoa chili I made before so I basically made the same thing again.  This time I swapped in Lightlife vegan gimme lean ‘ground beef’ for the ground beef.  It’s such a simple thing to make thanks to the instant pot.

I sautéed shallots with garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaves, before adding in the lightlife “meat” crumbles.

Then I added water and black beans and cooked it for 11 minutes.

After pressure released naturally I added canned tomatoes and quinoa and cooked it for another 11 minutes.

Smelled like heaven throughout the cooking process, so hopefully they all like it.  I bought this lid for the IP so that I can put it directly into the fridge (in the same pot it cooked in).  Makes re-heating super easy.

By the way, I just discovered the site wikibuy.  You can use it with whatever search engine you use (I added it to chrome) and anytime you look things up (like on amazon or wherever) it compares prices of what you’re looking at to that same item on a bunch of other websites/stores.  It’s so cool.  They also have coupons and online codes and stuff.  It’s been great because I always wonder if I should hold out on buying something at Costco or not, but I never really know…until now!  Anyway, I just thought I’d share in case you hadn’t heard of it either.  Considering buying an instant pot?  Here are the cheapest options per WikiBuy.  So if I search instant pot on amazon, because I have wikibuy installed, it tells me I can get it for $10 less right there next to the price and includes the link to take me to the lowest price.  Love!!

Ok, moving on.

I made carrot cinnamon raisin bread for the first MOPS meeting of the year.  I have a few different leadership roles, so I will be out Sunday and Monday night, and knew I needed to get as much done before the start of the week to help with those first couple of days. After that, I’ll have a little breathing room (FINALLY) and time to get my ducks in a row while the kids are in school in the mornings.

The carrot puree I used was from the carrots I boiled from the garden a while back. I cooked and pureed them and then put them in a jar in the freezer to use later.  Once again I made the recipe gluten and dairy free to accommodate the people with food sensitivities and allergies.  If I don’t do it, I’m not sure who will…

What else happened this weekend?  Hmmm…

Kyle and I did our usual Saturday morning run/tennis/starbucks routine with the kids in the double stroller.  I packed them breakfast for the road so they were busy the whole time and didn’t mind that we were taking our sweet time.  It was a lovely slow morning, which I needed very badly after a busy week.  I feel a bit oversubscribed at the moment, which is entirely my own doing, but I will still be glad when we settle into the rhythm of the school year and all the meetings slow down.

I had a strawberry banana smoothie once we got home, which I made with the coconut meat from the young fresh coconut that my friend gave me last week.  I topped it with some granola too.  Mmmmmm.

Such a pretty color!   I was a bottomless pit all day, which I think is because I didn’t eat enough the day before.  That’s usually what seems to be the case whenever I have these ravenous kinds of days.

This was the previous day’s lunch…

And this was dinner…

Cabbage leftovers which I jazzed up with cucumbers and cilantro and extra almonds.

Followed by a night out with some girl friends.

Even though breakfast isn’t shown (I had TWO coffees with chocolate almond milk and granola), I can still tell it was probably not enough food, especially considering I exercised a bit more than normal (running P to and from school drop off and then stroller strides afterwards).  So I guess that did it.  I was also out late so maybe it was that too…I rarely drink these days.

The rest of the day was so chill.  The kids made sushi for lunch.  We watched UCLA get destroyed and then Kyle BBQed steaks for dinner.

I made a cauli gratin kind of dish.

For the sauce I used: 14 oz Nasoya extra firm tofu, 1 cup raw cashews, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tbsp tamari, 2 cups water.

Pulsed everything in the blender until it was smoooooooth and creamy.

Then I poured it over a head of chopped cauliflower…added a bit of salt and pepper on top…

And baked it for 45 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F.

Cheeeeesy.

Look at these steaks!!!

We got a 4 pack of NY steaks at Costco so he just grilled them all.

The kids split one and then I froze the fourth for a rainy day.

He did a PERFECT job on them.

And the cauli was an excellent side.

These kids are so spoiled they have no idea.

I had dessert that night too (because like I said, my appetite was beastly from morning to night).

The Green & Black ginger dark chocolate tastes darker than the 60% cacao content that it is.  Maybe because it was paired with white chocolate which is basically milk and sugar.  Not complaining!!

My sister and Chris came over the next day to hang out and watch football after church and we went crazy at the Nugget prepared foods section for lunch.

So much so that we ended up having the same thing that was leftover for dinner.

The chicken nuggets are so salty and addictive.

Once everyone’s lunches were prepped I headed back to church for a meeting so Kyle got to do the whole bedtime routine solo.  Fun fun fun for him!

Both UCLA and the 49ers (and my fantasy team) lost this weekend.  And Aaron got injured.  Tough start to the football season.  �

By the end of 2019, 5G technology should begin to roll out. Tech enthusiasts, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and telecom companies tout 5G as the best thing since sliced bread because it will significantly improve wireless communication. Some experts even claim it will spur innovation and job creation. These enthusiasts aren’t talking about the safety of 5G however.

We’ve talked about the safety of Wi-Fi before, but with 5G the concerns are slightly different and many would argue much bigger.

What Is 5G?

5G stands for the fifth generation of cell phones. Every ten years or so the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance releases new standards for wireless communication. These standards are updated based in part on consumer demand.

When cell phones were invented 30+ years ago they were analog (1G) but then switched to digital with the next generation (2G). As the digital generations went on, cell phone signals became capable of sending information faster and faster.

For example, 4G cell phones (what most people have now) are a data stream that is 2 gigahertz and can pass 10 megabits of information, which is enough to stream video.

But the frequency that 4G currently occupies (2 gigahertz) does not have enough room for all of the data 5G will be transferring. Every generation has increased in frequency to allow for more data transfer.

A cell phone that is 5G on the other hand uses millimeter waves and is up to 90 gigahertz (remember, 4G is 2 gigahertz in comparison). These cell phones also include something new called MIMO.

MIMO stands for multiple in, multiple out, which means there isn’t just one stream of data, but multiple data streams. As happens with new technology, 5G is exponentially faster and more sophisticated than 4G.

Pros and Cons of 5G

The benefits of 5G are obvious. A faster phone (or other devices) means potentially being able to send and receive exponentially more information. It’s also going to be more responsive, reducing the lag time (between tapping a link and the page loading) down to a millisecond.

5G will also support more connections. That means that objects beyond phones, laptops, and tablets can have an Internet connection… stoves, fridges, locks, you name it. The intention is to make life easier by creating this interconnected web of objects (Internet of Things — IoT) that can communicate amongst themselves and be controlled remotely. This sounds good to most of us!

However, there are some serious downsides to 5G communication:

• Reduced coverage/ increased cell towers – With every generation coverage has declined, this is because the higher frequencies are more easily absorbed by objects and don’t pass through walls as well. So with each generation, more towers are needed to cover the same area. With 5G, there won’t be more towers, but there will be small cells (like antennas) that will be installed on rooftops, light poles, and other places around the community.
• Reduced cyber security – Because every wireless technology will be under the 5G umbrella, cybersecurity may be affected. With more and more objects on the network, there is more chance for information being compromised. (Learn how to improve your cyber security here.)
• Privacy – Because of the change in tower locations, it will be much easier to pinpoint where you are. For example, if your phone connects to a tower that serves 1 mile of space, you are likely within that space. Turning off location won’t help.
• Health – The main concern (and the one we’re going to talk about in this post) is the potential health issues. The introduction of the 5G network brings with it exponentially increased EMF exposure.

What Are EMFs?

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), also known as electromagnetic radiation, consist of photons in an electric field and a magnetic field that run perpendicular to each other. These fields travel together in an invisible waveform. There are two forms of EMFs:

• Low-frequency EMF radiation. This non-ionizing radiation has lower frequencies than visible light. Examples include EMFs from microwave ovens, computers, visible light, smart meters, Wi-Fi, cell phones, Bluetooth, power lines, and MRIs.
• High-frequency EMF radiation. These frequencies are ionizing radiation and are a higher frequency than visible light. Examples include ultraviolet (UV) light, X-rays, and gamma rays.

EMFs (also known as radiofrequency radiation) from 5G technology is considered non-ionizing, though at a much higher frequency than previous generations.

Are EMFs Harmful?

It’s widely known that the human body is a sophisticated electromagnetic system. The nervous system, circulatory system, and even mitochondria run on electrical impulses.

The earth and solar system also have natural EMFs. For example, Earth has its own magnetic field, which is why we can use a compass to find the north pole. The sun is also a natural source of EMFs (visible light and UV radiation). Obviously, we live well and thrive with these sources of EMFs.

The problem comes with man-made EMFs. The body’s electromagnetic signals are very weak compared to man-made EMFs. Because these frequencies are so strong, some experts theorize that they can interfere with the electromagnetic systems inside of the body. With Wi-Fi, cell phone use, and other EMF exposure, it’s not uncommon for people to be exposed to man-made EMFs for as much as 24 hours a day so this question deserves some additional research.

Isn’t Non-Ionizing Radiation Okay?

There are many people who claim that since the signals from cell phones, Wi-Fi, and similar sources are non-ionizing, they are safe.

But lack of evidence on harm does not mean there is no harm, it just means we don’t know yet. We haven’t studied non-ionizing radiation the way we have ionizing radiation. To my knowledge, there are no clear studies or evidence proving the safety of non-ionizing radiation either.

What we do know is that there is measurable harm with ionizing radiation (X-rays), so it’s not unreasonable to think there might be harm with non-ionizing radiation, especially because each generation of cell phone leaps us closer to ionizing radiation levels. In fact, 5G technology is one third of the way to ionizing radiation.

Trouble With 5G

While 5G technology is as much as 45 times the frequency of 4G, we don’t really know what that means for our health. Technology evolves so rapidly we hardly have time to notice any effects.

I didn’t have a cell phone until I was in college, and I certainly didn’t have any kind of tablet or smartphone. In one generation we’re seeing a complete change to the electrical environment we live in and raise our kids in. Kids, babies, and the unborn are at the biggest risk based on their size. Current EMF guidelines are based on a 6 foot tall man, not children or babies!

EMF expert Daniel DeBaun explains in this podcast episode how EMF awareness resembles the way we learned about the health effects of trans fats. The research proving trans fats were harmful came out 45 years ago, yet only a few years ago did the public start to fully understand the risk and companies begin to phase them out (and only after a ban).

What the Science Says About EMFs

Despite the fact that research into EMF exposure is in its infancy, health organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) have developed guidelines for how much EMF exposure is considered safe.

These guidelines are in place because there is some concern over the safety of EMF exposure. What we know about the health risks of EMFs up to 4G is concerning enough.

In a 2011 Lancet article, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that, due to the limited amount of research available, EMFs are classified as class 2B possible carcinogen.

The IARC explains that short-term studies on humans who use EMF emitting devices are not conclusive (note that studies for long-term use are impossible because the technology is so new). However, in rodent studies that follow the animals throughout their lifetime, wireless radiation was found to cause cancer or worsen cancer prognosis. There were additional observed changes in the brain and blood-brain barrier in these animals.

A 2017 review clearly demonstrates that EMF exposure can affect human health by causing:

• oxidative stress
• changes in antioxidant levels
• fatigue
• headache
• decreased learning ability
• cognitive impairment

Additionally, a 2014 study found that even very low-frequency EMFs cause DNA damage and potentially cancer.

These studies make it clear that there is a potential, if not real, threat to our health and environment from EMFs as we’ve experienced them up until now.

How These Health Concerns Grow With 5G

Based on the health concerns we are already seeing with EMFs and the fact that 5G is just going to increase the EMF load on our bodies, it’s not surprising that there are health experts with strong concerns.

According to a letter written by biochemistry professor and expert on EMF health effects Dr. Martin Pall, the potential health effects include the following:

• blindness
• hearing loss or deafness
• large increase in male infertility and sperm count drop
• nervous system issues
• thyroid dysfunction
• immune system dysfunction, potentially leading to autoimmunity
• low blood oxygenation

Dr. Pall continues to explain that the impact on plants, animals, and insects is as serious if not more so than the impact on humans.

Studies back up Dr. Pall’s concerns as well. A national science panel meeting in 2018 concluded that there was a clear link between cellphone radiation and cancer in rats. This was an unexpected finding that came after the FDA and American Cancer Society deemed the same research inconclusive.

Even politicians are expressing concerns about the health and safety of 5G technology. At a 2019 Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Hearing, Connecticut Senator Blumenthal questioned the safety of 5G. He asked the 5G industry representatives how much money they have set aside for research on the biological effects of 5G. The reply was: none.

Senator Blumenthal explained that Americans deserve to know the health effects of 5G and that we shouldn’t just make assumptions about that safety. He also said that it is the responsibility of the industry to investigate the safety of its products (in this case, 5G).

Exponential Increase in Frequency and Exposure

As mentioned earlier, some EMFs (like those naturally present from the earth and sun) are not harmful. Whether a certain EMF is dangerous depends on a few things:

• Frequency: Higher frequencies carry more energy (and more energy means more dangerous).
• Power density: The average energy of the electromagnetic waves in a given area or volume.
• Strength: The strength of the electric and magnetic fields in the wavelength (higher strength means more dangerous).
• Duration of exposure: The longer we are exposed the more harm is caused.

The two biggest concerns for 5G is the (much) higher frequency and the expected increase in exposure for most people. As mentioned earlier, 5G is going to operate at a frequency of as much as 90 gigahertz while all previous generations operated at below 5 gigahertz.

The increase in “towers” or antenna cells through the community will cause excess exposure too. These cells will have a maximum coverage area of just about 1.25 miles (some cover only 50 feet) so many of them will be needed for relatively small areas.

This means that if you live in a relatively populated area (i.e. not the middle of nowhere) you are almost guaranteed to be living, working, or sending your kids to school near a source of high EMFs.

How to Protect Your Family From 5G Dangers

Knowing all the concerns about 5G and EMFs, in general, can feel overwhelming and scary. Luckily there are some simple things we can all do to drastically reduce our exposure.

Refuse

While 5G will be rolling out soon, that doesn’t mean you have to jump on the bandwagon. If you just want to be able to stream music or video once in a while 4G is good enough. You can turn off the 5G functionality in your router and avoid buying 5G devices.

Keep Devices Away From the Body

One of the simplest ways to avoid EMFs is to simply put distance between you (or your kids) and your devices. US speaker phone, use your laptop plugged into a monitor (that can be placed about 2 feet away from you), and don’t keep your phone in your pocket.

Move Wi-Fi

As long as you can get the signal, there’s no reason your Wi-Fi router needs to be in your home. Consider moving it to the garage or porch to reduce EMFs. If you can’t move Wi-Fi out of the house entirely, try to move it to a location far from bedrooms (at least kids’ bedrooms).

Protect Sleeping Areas

The time that we sleep is actually the most important time to reduce EMFs. Sleep time is when the body repairs and cells can be even more sensitive to toxins. Keep devices away from bedrooms at night. Turn off devices and wi-fi at night too (you can do this easily and inexpensively). This can reduce EMF exposure by 33 percent!

Use Airplane Mode

Cell phones and tablets emit electromagnetic frequency when the receivers are turned on. Exposure levels for these devices are especially high since we tend to use them close to our bodies. If you need to use a device but don’t need to be connected, turn on airplane mode (and remind caregivers and kids to do this too).

Hardwire Instead of Using Wi-Fi

Giving up Wi-Fi in the home can save your family a lot of exposure to EMFs. Consider hard wiring devices instead of using Wi-Fi. Doing this give you more consistent and faster Internet too. It’s more work for sure, but may be worthwhile.

Minimize Technology with Kids

There are plenty of reasons to limit screen time, and EMF exposure is one of them. Since duration is one of the factors for deciding how dangerous an EMF is, it makes sense to set firm limits on screen time.

Shielding

If you want to go one step further you can invest in some shielding products. This is especially helpful if you can’t avoid being near devices all day (like if you work at a computer!). You can try a Defender Pad under your laptop and EMF shields on cell phones.

Is 5G Safe? The Jury’s Still Out on This Public Health Issue

We just don’t know if 5G is safe or not because there is very little research on current 4G technology (and none for 5G!). But there is considerable evidence that EMFs at their current levels are unsafe, and at 5G levels may be even worse.

Naysayers may disagree, but I urge everyone to think logically about this. If we take precautions (which don’t cause much inconvenience) and find out the EMFs are totally safe (which I doubt) we haven’t lost anything. But if the flip side is true and EMFs (especially from 5G) are causing cancer and other health issues, and we do nothing about it, in 20 years we will have lost a lot.

What is your opinion on EMFs? What are you doing about 5G wireless?

Sources:

1. Becker, K. (2017, November 17). Researchers put probiotics in food and supplements to the test. https://phys.org/news/2017-11-probiotics-food-supplements.html
2. Kivrak, E. G., Yurt, K. K., Kaplan, A. A., Alkan, I., & Altun, G. (2017). Effects of electromagnetic fields exposure on the antioxidant defense system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6025786
3. Mihai, C. T., Rotinberg, P., Brinza, F., & Vochita, G. (2014, January 08). Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields cause DNA strand breaks in normal cells. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3897901/

Moist, fluffy, ultra chocolaty paleo double chocolate banana bread muffins. These delightful treats are easy to make in your blender, are oil-free, grain-free, dairy-free and made with whole food ingredients for a guiltless pleasure. 

Calling all chocoholics and banana bread lovers!: These muffins may just be your new favorite treat!

A mash up of sultry chocolate cake and banana bread, these double chocolate delights contain a little sumthin sumthin for everyone. It’s also a riff off my classic Paleo Banana Bread recipe.

These healthy muffs are mouth-watering enough to be considered dessert, but nutritious enough to be considered snack. Post-workout refuel? Get it!

Made with almond flour, cacao powder, and ripe bananas, these muffins are squeaky clean. They are gluten-free (and grain-free), oil-free, and dairy-free. 

Making these double chocolate banana bread muffins is as easy as can be.

All we do to prepare the muffin batter is blend everything except for the chocolate chips in a blender. Once blended, we fold in the chocolate chips, transfer the batter to a muffin tray and bake!

Change it up by added chopped nuts and get wild with your chocolate selection.

Batches on batches on batches aaaaand GO!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out, and thank you for your support!

For a sultry little treat…

A federal court ruled in favor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University’s Broad Institute in a patent interference case concerning CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.

A panel of three judges in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Monday that the Broad Institute’s patent on CRISPR-Cas9 did not “interfere” with the University of California Berkeley’s patent application for its own version of the technology, upholding a decision last year by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The case was presided over by Chief Judge Sharon Prost and circuit judges Alvin Schall and Kimberly Moore, the latter of whom wrote the opinion.

In a statement, University of California attorney Charles Robinson said the university was evaluating further litigation options. However, a spokesman for Berkeley declined to comment further on whether the university definitively plans to appeal further. The next potential step after losing before a panel of judges in the federal circuit, aside from petitioning the Supreme Court, would be to request an en banc hearing before the appellate court, meaning with all 18 judges present.

The case has significant financial implications, with potentially billions of dollars worth of licensing fees at stake given CRISPR-Cas9’s numerous potential applications in medicine and beyond. Shares of Editas Medicine, which has licensed Broad’s technology, were up slightly on the news, closing at $32.24 Tuesday.

The PTAB had determined that a person of “ordinary skill in the art” would not have been able to apply CRISPR-Cas9 to eukaryotes – meaning plants and animals, including humans – and reasonably expect to be successful due to the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, meaning there was no interference on the part of Broad. Because there would be no reasonable expectation of success, PTAB ruled, then if Berkeley’s claims were prior art – meaning evidence that the invention was already known – it would not have made Broad’s claims “obvious,” meaning ineligible for a patent. The Berkeley researchers demonstrated that elements of the CRISPR-Cas9 system could be used in vitro in a non-cellular experimental environment, whereas the Broad researchers’ publication described use of the technology in a human cell line, the opinion read.

In its appeal to the court, Berkeley claimed that the PTAB had “improperly adopted a rigid test for obviousness that required the prior art contain specific instructions” and “erred in dismissing evidence of simultaneous invention as irrelevant.” However, the court determined that the board “did not err in its analysis.”

The University of California initially published its CRISPR-Cas9 research in August 2012, followed by Broad’s publication in February 2013, and both institutions subsequently sought patent protection, with Berkeley filing first. Broad requested an accelerated examination for its patent application from the US Patent and Trademark Office, which granted the patent in April 2014. The USPTO granted Berkeley two patents for its CRISPR-Cas9 technology in June.

Despite its success in the US, Broad has had a less favorable experience in Europe, where the European Patent Office revoked its foundational patient in January, a decision that will likely lead to the revocation of several more.

Photo: wildpixel, Getty Images

WASHINGTON – More than 50 city and county ordinances banning the use of the toxic weed killer glyphosate on local playgrounds, parks and schoolyards could be overturned by a provision championed by House Republicans in their version of the farm bill, an EWG analysis found.

A four-page provision tucked away in the 748-page farm bill passed by the House of Representatives in June would likely preempt local governments from adopting their own pesticide regulations, including ordinances that prohibit the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, in parks and playgrounds.

EWG’s analysis of data from Beyond Pesticides found 58 local ordinances that ban the use of glyphosate. Overall, 155 local ordinances that regulate the use of toxic chemicals in parks and playgrounds could be preempted by Sec. 9101 of the House’s farm bill.  

Glyphosate is classified by the state of California as a chemical known to cause cancer, and as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Earlier this month, a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million to a school groundskeeper who said years of working with Roundup caused his terminal cancer.

The analysis comes just weeks after tests commissioned by EWG found potentially unsafe levels of glyphosate residues in popular oat-based foods marketed toward children, including Cheerios.

Cities and counties that may no longer be able to ban glyphosate in places where children play include big cities like San Francisco and smaller communities like Evanston, Ill., among many other locations.

“Children are especially susceptible to the health impacts of toxic pesticides, so our communities should be able to decide whether our kids are rolling around in weed killers linked to cancer while playing at the park,” said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president of government affairs. “Section 9101 of the House farm bill would block our communities from keeping our kids safe.”

“As independent science continues to shine light on the dangers pesticides pose to human health and the environment, local communities are responding by successfully eliminating these toxic products from regular use,” said Drew Toher, community resource and policy director at Beyond Pesticides. “Congress must continue to uphold the right of these localities to restrict pesticides linked to cancer, water contamination and pollinator decline.”

The section of the farm bill that could block cities and counties from adopting their own pesticide safety standards is opposed by the National League of Cities and the National Association of County Officials. Last week, 107 members of the House sent a letter to the farm bill conferees outlining their opposition to pesticide riders like Section 9101 and the “Poison Our Waters Provision,” which would eliminate Clean Water Act safeguards to protect communities from pesticides sprayed directly into water supplies.

Among the companies and industry groups registered to lobby Congress on pesticide provisions of the farm bill is Bayer, which now owns Monsanto, Dow and CropLife America.

“Parents and city leaders, not pesticide corporations, should decide whether their kids are playing in pesticides,” Faber said.

To see all communities with existing pesticide restrictions that could be preempted by the House farm bill, click here.