Chemicals in Victoria's Secret Bras!

Today we had customers complaining of the welts and rashes caused by their bras purchased from Victoria's Secret. They alerted us to this story by ABC NEWS... see link below.

These ladies then chose Organic Cotton Bras to be comfortable and beautiful without harmful chemicals! You can see many of them as well as organic cotton panties, makeup and bodycare on our website The Organic Company


For the full article, see this link:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6225503&page=1

Last Fall Days

The last Fall days are here and we have been spending lots of time outside walking in the woods and playing at the park. This is a picture of my daughter, and her golden hair! (Being 10 years old, she is FINALLY interested in taking care of her hair! I think it is because I bought her a very nice Widu Wooden Hair Brush. So for now she has stopped asking me to get her hair cut very short!)

For all of us, it is time to prepare our bodies for Winter! The dry, cold Winter air can wreak havoc on your hair, leaving you with little option but to cut it shorter.... before you do that, try pure organic hair care that nourishes. Here are some of my favorite organic hair treats....

I got Inspired by strawberry bubble bath...

It must me a spillover from summer swimming, but suddenly my children want to take baths ALL the time, instead of the usual showers. Lately I have been really into the Yummy Ice Cream Strawberry Bubble Bath. Every time I give my babies a bath in it, I feel like we are in the middle of that beautiful part of summer that you want to go on forever! The best part is that it smells heavenly (not fakey like other brands) - and it smells this way because it has REAL ORGANIC STRAWBERRY EXTRACT! It is totally safe since it has no synthetic chemicals or harsh detergents so it is actually soothing to my children's skin. It is really gentle but yet is still actually makes bubbles! (Which is more than I can say for some other brands I have had.)


The girls and I have REALLY been wanting to eat the bubble bath, but instead got inspired to make a delicious dessert!



Yellow Cake with Fresh Strawberries and Bananas & Whipped Cream!

What is "ALL COTTON"?

Here is an email I received recently...

Hi Lonica!

I bought a couple of inexpensive t-shirts that say they are 100% cotton. But it feels stretchy, which makes me think there is something else in there.

Can 100% cotton be stretchy??????

Well, this is a GOOD question- technically there can be ANY synthetic in a garment- up to about 12% or so before they have to disclose it. I know this because one of our manufacturers / suppliers handed me a sample of a beautifully soft fleece, and the label said 100% organic cotton. I said "Wow, how did you get such a great fabric without synthetics- I heard it wasn't possible!"

To which he replied, "well there is of course SOME synthetic - you can't make this fabric without it- so it has about 4.5 percent lycra/spandex."

I handed it back to him and I said, "well I will not buy it until it is labeled accurately. My customers expect complete honesty in labeling."
So he labeled it correctly, and we have sold it for a few years, really well.

The same rule applies for socks- it only has to be part cotton to be called "all cotton" - and can still have a large percentage of synthetic. Sad, isn't it?

At least I am sure what we are getting from our manufacturers! Of course you need a tiny bit of stretchy fibers to get the sock to stay on your foot - to be a sock! 100% cotton is NOT stretchy. In our experience the amount of stretchy fibers needed is usually between 1% - 15% at the most. We invite you to check out our wonderful socks...

http://www.theorganiccompany.com/store/c/34-Socks.aspx

MSG in Morningstar Farms Vegetarian Chik Patties, Sausage Patties, etc...

This posting deserves a yucky face...


My 10 year old daughter recently had severe migraines. MSG can cause migraines, among other bad things.

The following ingredients ALWAYS contain MSG:
Hydrolyzed protein,
Sodium caseinate
Yeast extract, Maltodextrin
Autolyzed yeast
Textured protein
Calcium caseinate
Yeast food
Hydrolyzed oat flour
Spice Extractives

These two OFTEN contain MSG:
Natural flavorings
Food seasonings

If MSG is contained in an ingredient that is listed on a food label, it doesn't have to be labeled by itself.

My daughter is vegetarian like me and she likes eating products like Chik Patties and Sausage Patties from Morningstar Farms. I contacted Morningstar Farms to ask about MSG in their products... such as the Chik Patties and Sausage Patties... here is their response. Notice how they say "small amounts". That is interesting because you always need only a small amount of MSG, a sprinkle, and that is still enough to be unhealthy. My 10 year old daughter recently suffered a horrible migraine, and there is some evidence that linked it to MSG.

UPDATE APRIL 4, 2013:
 I wrote the blog post in 2010 and I checked Lightlife's website now and it shows that the TEMPEH is organic, but not the other items are not, and the other items include MSG,  in the form of "Yeast Extract".  To be safe, I stick with their ORGANIC TEMPEH (no msg)! 
I added this as an updated edit... it's too bad some companies devolve... Morningstar Farms now uses GMO Soy! (Genetically Modified Soy)
My best advice is to avoid most processed soy products unless they are labeled organic, gmo-free and you have checked the label for the MSG sneaky names!

Morningstar Farms® Consumer Affairs 020901656A ...
From: "kellogg@casupport.com" ... Add to Contacts To: lonicaeisenbraun@yahoo.com

KELLOGG'S

Hello Lonica,

Thank-you for contacting us concerning the monosodium glutamate (MSG) used in some of our products. Our nutritionists and food scientists work very hard to develop products that are acceptable for our consumers. Small amounts of MSG are used in the product to achieve the desired taste and texture. We would never use an ingredient that is unsafe for our consumers. The Food and Drug Administration, the National Academy of Science, and the American Medical Association all have affirmed the safety of MSG. Even so we understand there is a limited population who have shown a sensitivity to it. Glutamate occurs naturally in protein-containing foods such as cheese, milk, mushrooms, meat, fish, and many vegetables. Glutamate is also produced by the human body and is vital for metabolism and brain function. We are sorry to learn that this ingredient has caused concern for you. We will share your comments with our food development teams. We do have many other products that do not contain MSG that you might enjoy. Thanks, again, for your inquiry. We hope you will find this information helpful.

Best of health,
Mark A. Suriano Consumer Specialist Consumer Affairs

TLXMAS01/cl 020901656A

Breast is Best: Study: Lack of breastfeeding costs lives, billions of dollars

This is me nursing my third baby, Alexis Arianna Ceylon Eisenbraun. She is turning 2 this week! (But I have 8 month old baby Sofia as my avid nurser now... )

It is good to see that women who breastfeed their babies are truly doing the best possible thing for them. Breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months in not "crazy" or "weird". It is sane, smart, and healthy.

For many women, it is exactly as the article says...

"...if a new mom is struggling with breastfeeding, she may end up in a situation where "grandmother suggests to stop the silliness and give formula instead."

Fortunately, I had a great mom for a role model! I encourage everyone to read this article in CNN HEALTH...


http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/05/breastfeeding.costs/index.html?hpt=Sbin