A few years ago we went on a quest to find the cleanest possible organic coffee in toxin-free packaging. As you probably know, organically grown coffee beans are widely available--this is great! Unfortunately, even organic beans are almost always roasted, packaged, and brewed in ways that can add all sorts of unwanted chemistry to your morning brew. This means that by the time your organic
Non-Toxic Kitchen Gear & Food Storage
Healthy Thanksgiving Ideas
It seems like the minute Halloween ended, the Christmas season began, with the stores in my neighborhood decked out with trees and stockings in their windows, and my inbox full of gift guides! The 2019 Gimme the Good Stuff gift guide is in the works, but first can we talk about the other holiday? The one in November that we all celebrate? Here are some of the ways you can make this year's
How to Avoid Toxins in Tea
A couple of years ago there was a flurry of headlines about micro-plastic contamination in high-end tea bags. I'm a big tea drinker (on my third cup of Jasmine Green from Pique as we speak!), so this is something I wanted to research when I read it. What Are the Sources of Toxins in Tea? Unfortunately, there a bunch of ways that toxins end up in your morning cup of tea. What follows are the ones
Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide
Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide 1. Xtrema / 2. Lodge / 3. Cuisinox / 4. Le Creuset / 5. Wild Peak / 6. Visions / 7. Green Pan / 8. Always Pan Your Comprehensive Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware I’m lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of great restaurants that are “healthful.” I put that word in quotes because while organic French fries cooked in trans-fat free oil are better than what
Safe, Plastic-Free Food Storage
As I've mentioned a bunch, my husband and I recently bought a property in Lancaster, PA, which we are renovating to be a non-toxic retreat. Because I've lived in New York City my whole adult life, it's been fun to spend so much time in the 'burbs--I love sending the kids out to play in a yard, the drive-through Starbucks, and the crazy wide aisles in the grocery store. But the very best part of
Are Tetra Paks Nontoxic and Safe?
After my recent blog post about BPA-free cans, and which brands are actually safe (hint: only one brand is!), a lot of you asked about boxed beans, wondering if these are a better bet. We set out to research the materials in these packaging used for boxed beans, and to find out if it’s Good Stuff, or at least Better Stuff for those of us looking to avoid canned products (but who has the time to
BPA-Free Cans: What Are They Using Instead?
(First, read my disclosures page.) When I recently read some posts on social media that lauded companies that aren’t using BPA in the linings of their cans, I couldn’t help but wonder…what are these companies using instead? So one of my staffers spent the last couple of weeks calling the makers of products that come in BPA-free cans—she asked questions about the materials they use, and then I
What’s More Dangerous Than BPA? An interview with Dr. Chris Fasano, Stem Cell Scientist
My husband is a stem cell research scientist, and people always find this impressive. And yes, I definitely find myself bragging about it whenever everyone else is talking about their husbands' work in private equity or whatever. But secretly I find most topics around stem cell research to be kind of boring, or at least too esoteric to enjoy in my current sleep-deprived state. Unless of course
Lunch Boxes Are Toxic, Too
This post will soon appear on my blog on The Huffington Post. Well, Felix’s first year of preschool is officially over. He’s now enjoying three weeks of day camp--a bizarre concept in New York City, where "camp" takes place on a rooftop playground on Park Avenue rather than in a freezing cold, leach-ridden lake as it did during my childhood. I’m due to deliver my second baby in four short