Toxic

A few years ago I wrote this post about being 'green' and what I had recently learned about plastics. At that time the issue seemed to be of concern for the environment and not our own health. When H was a baby BPA wasn't much of a health issue. I had to replace our bottles when my little girlie was born because what was a non-issue a couple of years before was then front-page headlines.

Anyway, for some unknown reason this whole topic has circled around in my head and arrived at the front again.

I've known for awhile not to microwave food in plastic. That's not too hard of a rule to follow, considering I don't have a microwave. But recently I thought "If you're not supposed to heat the food on the plastic plate cause the plastic gets hot and leeches toxins, then does the same thing happen when you put hot food ON the plastic plate?"

Seemed like a logical question.

So I got my google on.

This article was a good one for basic info and practical ideas. And it seems that heat and plastic is a bad idea all-around. You could even say that food and plastic is also a bad idea all-around. Not every plastic is toxic. But frankly it's hard to know.

And now I see everything in my kitchen with new eyes.

How many times have I dumped all the hot ingredients for tuna tettrazini in that cheap plastic mixing bowl and stir them up before dumping them in the casserole dish?

How many times have I loaded our melamine plates with hot food straight off the stove before serving it to my family?

How many times have I poured hot lentil soup into tupperware to load into the freezer?

How many times have I poured a few cups of boiling water into a plastic pitcher before dropping in tea bags to make iced tea?

How many cups of hot coffee have I drank from my plastic travel mug?

The list goes on and on.

But wait.

There's more.

BPA (the most famous toxin in some plastics) has been found to be in ALL KINDS OF STUFF. You've probably heard that it's in some toys and canned foods, but did you know that they have found that many cash-register receipts also have a coating on it?! Also, not something we deal with on this side of the world, but in the States, hellooooo wallet busting with receipts and then feeding my kids and biting my nails, and... and... and... oh my goodness.

I'm so freaked out now.

So, I think I'll do some re-arranging in my kitchen and put my ceramic and glass and metal dishes in the more prominent locations. I'll also keep my eyes peeled for alternatives to purchase and use.

I want to protect my babies.

I don't want to mess up their little bodies. I don't want them to have trouble having kids or hit puberty a couple years too early.

But.

Despite how freaked out I am, I know that this is just another thing to trust God in. Doesn't He love my kids and our health more than I do myself?

Of course He does.

So I'll make changes and try to be more conscientious. But I'll just trust Him too.