TRICK or TREAT?

This age old saying now has a horrible echo of truth to it when it comes to the 21st century. The answer in short is BOTH! The same companies that create most of the treats out there are the same one's tricking you into thinking they are safe for your little one's to enjoy this Halloween Season! Now it's not to say that we should lock our doors and turn out the lights, avoiding the whole fun & mystery of this creative holiday. But there are things you should be aware of, research and watch out for. There are alternatives out there so you can make this Halloween fun, special and SAFE for your family and everyone who comes to your door!

Let's start with the Treats shall we.... I am keeping this article simple and as such I am merely touching the tip of the iceberg - But it should hit a cord with most parents and hopefully open a can of worms. This should make you want to research and learn more about confections and food in general......

There are so many chemical additives and colorants these days it's hard to keep track of them all. The sad truth is the numbers are growing everyday. Companies and labs are constantly creating new "ingredients" and preservatives to please the consumers eyes and pallet. But at what cost to our health? Most people assume that "if it's not safe to eat it wouldn't be on the shelf" right? If it caused short/long term health problems or have been suspect/linked to cancer, diabetes, asthma etc. these things would be prevented from being on our store shelves. Yes, that thought would be the logical conclusion but unfortunately that is not the case! There are inadequate laws and in some instances no laws at all that govern chemical additives, nor laws to have proper studies for long term or short term side effects of these chemicals and additives. A good example is GMO's! Many Food Colorings have been banned because they were deemed unsafe only to reappear years later on the market! There is an interesting book that I myself have read called "The Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives" By: Ruth Winter you can preview some of the book here http://books.google.com/books?id=U0349-vMOewC&pg=PP1&dq=consumer%27s+dictionary+of+food+additives&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false I have recommended this book, and have bought it for friends. It lists ingredients in alphabetical order so you can look up some of those hard to read/pronounce ingredients - or the simple one's like food colors and get a better understanding of what they are and if there is information linking them to health problems/illnesses.



Food Colorings? Most people don't realize that the majority of artificial food coloring ingredients are made with petroleum and are a derivative of petrochemicals and coal tar. Take a look at this site for some great information on food coloring http://www.bewellbuzz.com/experts/david-wolfe/artificial-food-coloring/ Throughout the years several different food colorings have been banned - some even reappeared years later. The allowance of food Coloring into foods also varies a great deal from one country to the next! If that doesn't have you wondering about the treats that most kids will be consuming this Fall then perhaps this article on Natural vs Artificial Flavors will have you thinking twice about those candies on the shelves this Holiday Season http://www.bewellbuzz.com/experts/david-wolfe/artificial-food-coloring/ When you are reading the labels it can be very misleading people don't realize that when they see "strawberry flavor" on the label it actually contains 49 ingredients, most of which are difficult-to-pronounce chemical compounds. Some words are "umbrellas" under which a long list of other chemicals hide under - but for simplicity sake the manufacturer puts it under a short name like "natural/artificial" or "color/flavor". Reading the label isn't so easy these days! I also recommend reading "The Hunt for Natural Food Colours" http://organic.com.au/news/2007.01.10/ - Before we had synthetic food colors on the market people used vegetables/fruit/spices to color their food. If that's the case then why not now? Surprisingly there are still companies who do use natural food colors derived from beets, spinach and the like - you just have to get on the net and dig a little!

What about Sugar? When there is (High Fructose) Corn Syrup in the ingredients list the general public assumes that "corn" is a healthy way of getting sugar - I mean it's a vegetable right? High Fructose (Unless it's "Organic" you have a good chance of it being a GMO) Corn Syrup is anything but natural or good for you. GMO's haven't been studied adequately to know or understand the long term health implications of people who consume it - yet it has been on the market for years now! It's not on the label and there are no laws that say they must be listed anywhere on packages. Recently there was an article on Natural News .com about Fructose Corn Syrup being Contaminated with Toxic Mercury http://www.naturalnews.com/025442_mercury_HFCS_corn.html Also take a look at "Europe's Uprising Against GMOs and Patents on Life" http://www.i-sis.org.uk/EuropesUprisingAgainstGMOs.php If you find a treat without FCS and find one with Sugar, whether it's the refined sugar many people have come to know or the artificial alternatives - these themselves have a long history of being linked to health problems as well. Take a look at "the sugar-coated truth" and find out about the various sugar alternatives such as Aspartame, Sucralose, Acesulfame-K etc. and how they affect your family's health and well being http://www.everydiet.org/articles/sugar_and_alternatives.htm So what is a safer/healthier alternative? I find myself using organic Honey and Cane Sugar as sweeteners. I also buy candy with Cane Sugar as the source of sweetness.

These are just a few things that candies and foods contain these days. There are so many other ingredients - the list is long - you know the one's, the one's we can't read let alone pronounce. My suggestion is - if you can't understand the ingredients leave the product on the shelf and spend your hard earned money elsewhere!

Is your head spinning yet? Don't get discouraged! Just remember that our grand parents and great grandparents as well as all those who came before them lived in a relatively chemical free food era and they too ate sweets and foods just like we did! What they ate, the way they ate came first - chemical/synthetics came after! So what do we give our kids and those little one's who come to our door looking for some tasty treats on October 31st? There are alternatives, honestly there are alternatives for everything you just need to take time to dig and research to find answers. I've done some digging myself and always offer healthier alternatives to the little munchkins that come looking for goodies. A few of my personal favorite alternatives for candy are:

Organic Candies from Pure Fun http://www.organiccandy.com/

College Farm Organic Fun Pops http://www.collegefarmorganic.com/college_farm_fun_pops/

Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks http://www.annies.com/bunny_fruit

Bop around the net, search for "organic" candy or "organic" Halloween and you will come up with a lot of safe alternatives for your home and for the little witches and goblins that will be waiting at your door this Halloween.

Now onto the topic of Halloween Costumes and Make Up.

The PVC Costumes and the heavy metal laced Face Paints (Lead, Mercury...) should make any parent shudder and cringe. When the recalls come in weeks after our little one's have worn the costumes and make-up we look back with regret and are horrified at what we have done! When profit outweighs safety we have some serious quality control and health issue predicaments which the lack of laws seem to let run rampant without public knowledge or awareness. As such the problem continues to exist and grow - without any real penalties/punishment or consequences for the multi million/billion dollar companies who continue to market these items! As parents we want the best for our children. We want them to have fun and enjoy all the adventures and excitement that childhood has to offer - but the serious lack of awareness and the naive trust in the companies that dish out these items puts children everywhere at risk without their parents even knowing it! Take a look at Ehow's "How to Green a Halloween Costume" http://www.ehow.com/PrintArticle.html?id=4540741 for information and ideas. There is also an interesting article called "Beware of lead, chemicals in Halloween costumes" http://www.komonews.com/news/10731686.html

There are so many toxic chemicals and though Halloween is only one Holiday in which an abundant number of toxic things can be found everywhere from your local store to specialty party stores it's something to keep in mind all year long. Formaldehyde, Phthalates, Fire Retardants, Heavy metals including but not limited to Lead, Mercury, Cadmium are all around. It's not just the costumes, masks, make-up but in toys, everyday clothing, bed linens, even the mattress where one rests their weary head at night. So what is one to do? Get informed, get educated, research the facts and know what to look for! My tip is for one to keep in mind that certain countries have different lower/higher standards/laws/regulations for their items/food/clothing - try to familiarize yourself with European standards and find something you feel comfortable with. Take a look at the Oeko-Tex standards http://www.oeko-tex.com/OekoTex100_PUBLIC/index.asp and look for certified fabrics. Opt for natural fibers over synthetics. A lot of clothes also have finishes that can be toxic, rain proof, fire proof/flame retardant, wrinkle resistant etc. Read up on all the different types of finishes and what they entail! Start by reading the "Guide to less toxic products" clothing section http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/index.asp?fetch=babycare#cloth Keep in mind that the finishes are not listen on the labels/tags on clothing, nor is the PVC print on shirts, pj's etc listed on any clothing label/tag. Just think - when was the last time you saw a printed shirt (picture, character, logo etc) that felt like thin plastic to the touch and found the material for that print on a tag/label on the garment? Next time take a look and you'll see that it is not listed. The tags do not explain the types of dyes used nor do they tell you about things such as formaldehyde. The label is "missing" a lot of information that is vital in keeping ourselves and our children toxin free.

Stay away from PVC Masks! Why not make your own out of fabric, or make your own face paint it's easy try this:

Make your own face paint - it's EASY!

1 teaspoon Organic Tapioca Starch (or non GMO - Organic Cornstarch)
1/2 teaspoon Water
1/2 teaspoon Organic Cold Cream
1 to 2 drops Organic Food Coloring (or make your own from fruit or veg)

Simple isn't it? Look online and you'll find a lot of do it yourself make-up/face paint tips!

If you would rather buy face paints then take a look at Lyra Face Paint Pencils they are certified nontoxic by the Art and Craft Materials Institute. Take a look at them on the Eco toy town website http://www.ecotoytown.com/facepaint.html

Here are a few great sites to get you started they will give you some information and resources to have a Safe, Toxic Free & Green Halloween this year and every year going forward!

Green Halloween: http://www.greenhalloween.org/index.php?page=home

Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/024651_Halloween_health_body_care.html

TreeHugger: The Green Halloween Edition

As always remember safety is important! Drive carefully everyday but be especially careful on Halloween when children are out walking across streets and roads! Remember to wear light colored clothing, no loose strings or things kids can get entangled/strangled on, and nothing that blocks their ability to see or move freely. Take a look online for Halloween safety tips and keep your kids safe, happy, and healthy!

Here are a few sites to get you started:

Health Canada - Halloween Safety Tips: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/life-vie/halloween-eng.php

Red Cross - Halloween Safety Tips: http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=6884&tid=021

Metropolitan Police Department - Halloween Safety Tips: http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/cwp/view,a,1237,Q,547669,mpdcNav,%7C,.asp

The following is a great video on how to make your own Halloween make-up. It's quick, it's easy and most importantly TOXIC FREE!!




HAPPY HALLOWEEN!