As a parent, we all must choose our battles. Make up is one that I have been losing for a long time. Last year, one of my friends at camp saw my 12 year old daughter come to lunch with what looked like raccoon eyes. She asked me how a mom who wears no makeup could have a daughter who uses black eyeliner. I pointed out to her that all of her bunk mates had similar heavy coatings on their eyelids, this was one battle I wasn’t going to win any time soon.

All three of my daughters use far more health and beauty products and wear much more makeup than I do.  The only time I wear make up is when someone else paints it all on for a TV appearance, one of the reasons I love radio! I use some coconut oil from my kitchen as a moisturizer, I brush my teeth with all natural toothpowders made from baking soda. I guess you could say I’m a cheap date at Rite Aid.

Like the food industry, the beauty industry markets heavily to kids. Magazines, billboards and TV ads create the unrealistic images that many girls strive to emulate. Turning off the TV is one way to cut down on this propaganda, but it remains an uphill battle when everyone in your daughter’s peer group uses large quantities of unnecessary products.

Dove, part of the large conglomerate Unilever, started a worldwide marketing strategy in 2004, the Campaign for Real Beauty. Some of the ads and you tube videos they’ve created cause you to stop and think about these unrealistic images of women. The ads urge us to talk with our daughters.

While this video shows the issue of how our culture pressures young females to conform to an unrealistic standard of beauty, I’m not convinced that teens will change their behavior with this information. If these videos were used in school as part of a media literacy, critical thinking unit, that would be a start.

Greenpeace was inspired by Dove’s campaign to create a video of their own. Watching the two back to back should help our daughters wake up to the realities of the beauty industry.

This campaign helped to pressure Unilever, the biggest single buyer of palm oil, to agree to start sourcing sustainable palm oil for their products.  Rainforest Action Network, another environmental group focusing on palm oil, feels the Unilever is simply greenwashing at this time.

When you watch the Dove Onslaughter video, don’t forget to think about Girl Scout Cookies. Their cookies  are loaded with palm oil, negatively impacting personal and planetary health.

Please show both of these video clips to your daughters. Have a conversation about all the products that they use, are they really necessary? Read the ingredients on the labels, can you pronounce them or figure out where they come from? We all must consider the world wide impact of what we do to look good.

Yesterday, I wrote about the ambiguous nature of one word: sugar.  The food industry and well meaning mainstream nutritionists have succeeded in confusing us. Is sugar good? Is it bad? I spend loads of time helping clients understand the  distinctions between the sugar found in carrots and how that is completely different from the crystalline fructose (a fancy word for corn syrup) found in Vitamin Water.

There are so many words on food labels and in advertising that are, quite frankly, completely dangerous.  We read them and fall into a consensus trance, believing that these products are actually good for us.  When working with middle school students, I often encourage them to go on a “health claim hunt” in their kitchen cabinets at home.  They bring back some pretty outrageous marketing gimmicks. Here’s a few:

• Contains antioxidants
• Eco-friendly
• Green
• Made with whole grains
• May lower cholesterol
• Natural
• No trans fat
• Fat free
• Strengthens your immune system

“The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed.”

- Joseph Goebbels

It may be a bit upsetting to see me quoting a Nazi about lies, but in most cases when you see a health claim, its because the product has some dirty secrets.  Let me show you a few examples.

Eco friendly water bottles that use 30% less plastic than other bottles are still plastic bottles that leach questionable chemicals into your drink. Not to mention that the source of that water might not be as pristine as you’d like to think! No way no how is bottled water eco-friendly. Watch Tapped to learn more.

Builds immunity Are you kidding me? This one takes the cake! Sugar laden cereals like this one actually can work to deplete your child’s immunity. Sugar is an anti-nutrient. In addition to the spray on vitamins (which supposedly boost your kid’s immunity) this cereal contains hydrogenated  soybean and/or cottonseed oil. You already know how I feel about cotton! The one word banner on this one should be Hazardous.

No Trans Fat is one of those phrases that puts us at ease. Sadly many many products boasting no trans fat are lying. There is a “loophole”: food packagers are allowed to round transfat measurements down to the nearest gram. And of course, they play games with serving size. In addition to sneaking in hydrogenated oils, manufacturers will put in palm oil which does not contain trans fat but this ingredient has a devastating effect on rainforests. In the long run, Palm Oil is more dangerous to our future than just about any other hazardous ingredient I rant about. No doubt you’ve read my piece about how the Girl Scouts should re-think their toxic cookie campaigns.

What to do? As Michael Pollan says, avoid food products that make health claims. We must take the time and buy real food, not foodlike products. In the long run, you’ll save money, your health and the planet. The three products I showed above have a huge carbon footprint and probably use more fossil fuels than your car does. Pay your local farmer, not your doctor. Take the time, cook from scratch. Eat food you can believe in. Don’t pay good money for lies.

Friday night I took my youngest daughter to a screening of Tapped at the nearby Greenwich Audubon Society.  It was an interesting feature length film about the many reasons why we should be re-thinking our bottled water habit.

Admittedly, I am already familiar with the main reasons why we should not be guzzling bottled water. Tapped touched on all of them.

#1 Its really stupid! Bottled water is exponentially more expensive than tap water and no better in quality.  Penn and Teller did some funny stunts around this a few years back.

#2 It’s a waste of fossil fuel. Trucking water around burns gas. And guess what those plastic bottles are made of? Petroleum. In a world where peak oil and climate change are deeply impacting our way of life, there is no room for wasting oil and gas on something stupid like bottled water.

#3 Plastic bottles pollute! We’ve got giant garbage patches in both Pacific and Atlantic oceans now. Less than 30% of all plastic bottles ever get recycled.

#4 Plastic bottles leach questionable chemicals into our bodies. Why drink water from a bottle that could be leaching BPA and phthalates? Both are potent hormone disruptors that are increasingly linked to health effects like brain and behavior changes, cancer, and reproductive system damages.

Something happened at the screening of this movie that has made me more determined than ever to not buy bottled water for myself or my family. Kim Jeffery, the President and  CEO of Nestle Waters, North America and a Greenwhich resident, showed up after the screening to screen an 8 minute film of his own. Despite the fact he refused to be interviewed for the movie, he wanted equal time here in his own backyard.  Afterwards, he took the stage to answer questions, refusing to have a dialog with the film’s producer and director. Talk about rude, this dude takes the cake.

My daughter stood up to ask a question about bottled water in schools. Like a slick politician, he did not answer her question. My daughter didn’t stand a chance getting her point across.  Mr. Jeffery went on to blame lack of  recycling as the reason why plastic bottles are clogging our landfills and oceans.  Meanwhile his corporation along with the American Beverage Association routinely fight bottle bills and recycling legislation.

I’d love to see Mr Jeffery, his wife and four kids to take a nice cruise out to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and see some of the impact his plastic bottles have made on our planet.  Better yet, I hope at least one of  his kids studies environmental science in school and comes home to ask his/her dad some tough questions.

Thanks to the wealthy CEO of Nestle Waters, my daughter is inspired to convince her friends that bottled water is not the way to go. His behavior at this screening did more than me or  the movie to turn my kid into an activist!

Meanwhile, I’ll do my part and drink water from my new Klean Kanteen. See Tapped when you get a chance. Take the pledge to stop drinking bottled water.

What is so friggin’ happy about it?

OK, I hate to sound like Debbie Downer here, especially after yesterday’s blog post about Gratitude, but we’ve got to have a serious talk about Earth Day. I’m sick and tired of all the “eco-friendly” blah blah blah and the corporate greenwashing that lulls most Americans into a complacent stupor. Sadly Earth Day has become another Hallmark Holiday with people wishing me a happy Earth Day like its Easter or Valentines day. ENOUGH of the hype, let’s talk about what really matters.

Earth day was originally created in 1970 as a nationwide  teach-in to challenge corporate and government leaders about environmental issues.  Today, thanks to collective environmental apathy, our continued existence on this planet is more questionable than ever. We’ve thoughtlessly depleted resources like fossil fuels and water to name two. This is the only planet we can live on, there is no “Plan B”.  If each one of us doesn’t wake up and take some solid action, we are screwed.

I’ve known this information most of my life. My dad read a book entitled “Limits to Growth” in the 1970′s. As a tween, I rolled my eyes as he rambled on about future economic, political and environmental instability as we waited in the gas lines to fill up our car.  My dad is no longer with me, he passed on in 1999, he’d be saying “I told you so” if he was here today.

So what can YOU do to have a “happy Earth Day”? Please don’t buy another “eco-tote” or green cosmetics.  Read a book instead. From your local independent bookseller or from the library if you like.  Here’s two that will help you to understand what my dad knew back in the ’70s and will help inspire you to move forward in creating a better world for all of us.

One of my favorite authors, Bill McKibben, explains that we are already living on a different planet.  He eloquently opens our eyes to the kinds of change we’ll need to make in order for our civilization to endure. The endorsement below says it all:

“Read it, please. Straight through to the end. Whatever else you were planning to do next, nothing could be more important.” —Barbara Kingsolver

I stumbled upon The Transition Handbook  a few years back. As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.  This handbook is a goldmine of inspiration to get you started.

There is a growing Transition Movement worldwide and in the US, check it out online, connect with those nearby or start a group yourself.  I’m part of Transition Westchester.

Speaking of gratitude, I am very grateful for Bill McKibben, The Transition Movement and Transition Westchester. As I said yesterday, what you think about grows. Stop thinking about useless eco-friendly stuff and start thinking about real solutions: Transition is  the one that I’m focusing on.

Happy Earth Day.

Earlier this week, I blogged about Green Washing with my new wash machine. there’s another kind of greenwashing, but it has nothing to do with laundry. Greenwashing is  a form of white washing.  It is the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly.

These sort of deceptive practices have become widespread since green has become everyone’s favorite color.

Here’s an example of greenwashing at it’s best. The Poland Spring Eco-Friendly water bottle. According to the improved label, the new eco-friendly shape “looks and feels different because it is purposely designed with an average of 30% less plastic to be easier on the environment.”  The label on the bottle neglects to mention that the water bottles are one of the most detrimental products for the world.  30% less plastic than an average water bottle is a nice baby step in the right direction, but it really doesn’t change the reality.  It’s like a hybrid SUV that gets 13 mpg, instead of 10mpg. Or my mom’s Salem Light cigarettes. Those light cigarettes didn’t prolong her life, this eco-b.s. bottle is not gonna make a bit of difference when it comes to a cleaner environment! Despite what the corporations like to tell us, baby steps don’t work.

It’s time to take back the tap. Visit the website of Food and Water Watch to learn more.

In all of my years as a health professional, teacher and consultant,  I’ve been telling patients, clients and students the same thing about what to drink.  It’s really simple. Drink water.

As a dentist in private practice, I worked hard to convince parents of young toddlers to stay away from juice and drink water instead. Some of those toddlers were already hooked on juice, I supported those parents in making serial dilutions until their kids were drinking 100% water. Without a doubt, water is the  best drink for their teeth and for their bodies. I worked to convince the pediatricians in my community to stop recommending juice for toddlers. There is absolutely no health benefit gained by drinking juice. It creates a  sweet tooth and can be the catalyst for picky eating behaviors.

As a nutritionist and school food advocate, I’ve given many presentations that make the argument against soda, diet soda, sports drinks, “flavored waters” and juice. None of these products are good for our kids teeth, minds or waistlines. Water is the best drink for students.

Two giant multinational corporations, Coke and Pepsi, have shifted from just selling brown colored sugar water over the years. Coca Cola now own brands like  Minute Maid, Capri Sun, HiC, Nestea, Monster Energy, Odwalla, Powerade, Vitamin Water.  Pepsi owns Tropicana, Gatorade, Izze, Propel Fitness Water, SoBe.

I’m betting that you’ve seen some or all of these brands in your child’s school cafeteria or in your local market.  You may have been tricked into buying these products. They are heavily  promoted as “healthier for you” beverages. I wish they were healthier, but they really are not! My mom switched to “light” cigarettes in the 1970′s. Mom, along with millions of other smokers, thought light cigs were “healthier” for her than the full strength ones. It seems like the beverage companies are playing the same game.

Water is the best drink to drink. Eat fruit, drink water. Contrary to what you might believe there is no health benefit in drinking fruit juice. Pediatric endocrinologist, Robert Lustig, MD makes this point very clear by demonstrating that fructose is toxic in large quantities, because it is metabolized in the liver in the same way as alcohol, which drives fat storage and makes the brain think it is hungry.

As the years have gone by, I’ve learned more and more about the environmental impact of what we eat and drink. It should be no surprise that if something is harmful for the environment, its harmful to human health as well. After all, we are all connected.

When considering the bigger picture, the planet we’re living on, we’ve got to think beyond the drink and consider the container.  It’s time to take a stand against bottled water.  Movies like Flow and Tapped explain why we need to be concerned about this issue. Today Annie Leonard released a simple 8 minute movie, The Story of Bottled Water that tells it like it is.  Have a look:

photo ©Nancie Battaglia

Bill McKibben is one of my heroes. He’s an author, educator and environmentalist who has done more than just about anyone I know to engage and inspire people to take a stand on climate change.   The world has tapped Bill for a big mission and he has stepped up beautifully. Thanks to Bill,   350.org has become a world wide phenomenon.  (If you don’t already know why 350 is the most important number on the planet, then click here to learn more.)

This guy is a powerful writer. After reading Deep Economy , my world view changed dramatically. His words hit me deep in my gut that we’ve got to change the way we’re doing things.  I’m currently reading The End of Nature (written back in 1998) as part of  a book group on Food & Capitalism.

Yesterday he wrote a very moving post, No Time for Tears in Copenhagen but the last paragraph caused me to see red.

So no more tears. Not now, not while there’s work to be done. Pass the Diet Coke, fire up the laptop, grab the cellphone. To work. We may not have done enough, but we’re going to do all we can.

Do you see the red I’m talking about? My green hero drinks Diet Coke. The Coca Cola corporation, known for it’s red containers filled with colored sugar water, has been working non stop lately to portray itself as a green company.  The products that this multinational corporation sells are not good for our health or the health of our planet.

Coke and Diet Coke negatively impact your health. Here are a few ways:

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been correlated with obesity, high triglyceride levels which in turn impact LDL cholesterol. HFCS also decreases your feelings of fullness, so you’re more likely to eat and drink more.

Phosphoric acid found in soda tends to leach calcium from bones which results in decreased bone density. It’s acidic pH also accelerates tooth decay.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke what has been linked to some significant health issues including migraine headache, ADHD, vertigo and even brain tumors. This chemical creates sweet cravings and many people have found it to be addictive.

In addition to being hazardous to your health, Coca Cola wrecks havoc on the environment, not just here in the US but around the world.  Mark Thomas’s book, Belching Out the Devil illustrates the real story behind Coca Cola. I highly recommend this book for further reading on Coca Colas misdeeds globally.

Let’s take a peek at the environmental impact of a few ingredients in a can of Coke

Corn grown for High Fructose Corn Syrup requires loads of  petrochemical derived fertilizer and pesticides. Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 200 times more damaging than CO2, is liberated when those fertilizers are used.  Let’s not forget the dead zone resulting from fertilizer runoff in the Gulf of Mexico. Watch King Corn and Big River to learn more about this.

Aluminum cans require a huge amount of energy to create. While recycling is great and saves energy, less than one third of all aluminum cans come from recycled sources.

Water is 99% of Coca Cola’s product. This corporation has  gone all out to manufacture an image of itself as a global leader in water conservation. The water that goes into making soda comes from streams and aquifers. This water could be better used to irrigate sustainable agriculture or to hydrate thirsty people around the globe.  Also think for a minute about all that water that we are trucking  around in those big red Coca Cola trucks,  burning oil and creating exhaust that is adding more carbon into our atmosphere.

Bill, please re-think your drink! Your health is important, we all need you in tip top shape.  I’m sure you need some caffeine, after all, you’re working tirelessly to turn 350ppm CO2 into something as instantly recognizable as a Coca Cola logo.  But how about some green tea instead? In addition to a caffeniated boost, you’ll benefit from anti-oxidants. Tea bags are very portable, you just pop them in your re-usable stainless steel tea mug and add water. You can even enjoy it cold or room temperature.

Switching from soda to tea is a simple green strategy, one that we all can do, that will help to make the world a better place.