Question from Natalie

Hi Debra,

Are pots and pans that are accidentally left on the stove and boil dry still safe to use?

Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know the answer to this one. Readers?

Add Comment

Question from Eric Talaska

There are a lot of windows in my home with Vinyl PVC window blinds. I called the manufacturer to find out if they have lead and they don’t, so that’s good. But since they are made of Vinyl PVC, isn’t that toxic as far as outgassing, especially for the windows that the sun hits the most? I’m wondering whether I should go to the extent of replacing them with something more natural such as wood blinds. The blinds are two years old, so have outgassed some already, but I wonder how much more outgassing is left? Should I be concerned about the blinds that do not heat up from the sun? Will they still outgas without heat?

Debra’s Answer

Add Comment

Question from vivian

I came across your website while trying to get information about the safety of silicone cookware. I received a bright red tart pan for Christmas, and the first time I baked with it I noticed a distinctly odd odor. The nose is considered the “first line of defense” from an evolutionary standpoint, and if you can smell chemicals, they probably are leaching into your food. Silicone by itself may not be harmful, but what about the materials used to color it? I will definitely not cook with this again, the flavor and odor, while subtle, is definitely a cause for concern! Also, people’s ability to detect odors can be vastly variable, so many people will never notice this…Thanks for a great website.

Debra’s Answer

Add Comment

Question from Debbie

Hi Debra –

The cleaning products I use in my home are just about 100% natural, my only problem is that I like commercial cleansers, especially when it comes to cleaning scuff marks off a porcelain sink – I read once where you can use pumice to get these marks off, but it doesn’t work – I also use commercial cleanser to clean my shower, I have a white shower pan and I can’t find anything that gets it really white that doesn’t have bleach in it?

Thanks

Debra’s Answer

I personally am not so concerned about getting sinks and showers “really white” as long as they are clean.

Readers, what do you use?

Add Comment

Question from Bob Jordan

Debra:

Awhile back you ran a dessert recipe I don’t remeberer which and suggested a number of alternatives to the sweetener in the recipe one of which was honey. I should have commented then but better late than never, honey when heated to high temperatures becomes a glue like substance. Ayurvedic has long considered it a no no to cook or bake with honey. My source for this information is the Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadaea Morningstar and Urmila Desai.

Debra’s Answer

Add Comment

Question from Sydney Blum

I am looking for a non-toxic snake repellent. I tried an herbal mixture from Australia and the snakes just sat in it without a care. Any ideas that really work?

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Anyone have any experience with this? We only have small garden snakes here, so I don’t know how to repel snakes.

Add Comment

You may already know that raw, local honey can reduce allergies, but here’s why.

Unprocessed honey, which contains bits and pieces of bee pollen and honey (and sometimes even the honey comb, as well as propolis and live enzymes) is a super immune system booster.

The reason local honey is particularly effective is because the bees are collecting pollen from the very same plants that you are exposed to, and it will be present in the honey. Though it may sound strange that the very same pollen that causes problems for our bodies with direct exposure can also be the antidote to allergies reactions after it is processed by bees, but it is true. Apitherapy (medical treatments derived from bee products) goes back 5000 years to China and the Middle East.

This good effect works best when honey is taken a little bit (a couple of teaspoons) each day for several months prior to the pollen season.

Now, the other day I was walking through my local flea market, and passed a booth where a woman was selling seasonal local honey! This was the first time I had seen this and I was delighted! The beekeeper explained that she bottles the honey just as she takes it out of the hive. Of course, bees would produce honeys with different pollens and different flavors throughout the year because different plants are producing pollen in different seasons. In our consumer world where most everything is produced for uniformity, this seasonal difference is eliminated. But here it was, in glass jars right in front of me.

These bees pollinate strawberries and blueberries in the winter, citrus in the spring, watermelons in summer and many other plants. The strawberry honey I tried tasted vividly of strawberries. It was delicious!

So look for local honey at your farmer’s market, flea market, and natural food stores, and see if you can find some that is also seasonal.

Here’s a seasonal honey from New England: Carlisle Honey.

Advance: Researcher studying honey as possible allergy remedy
Local Honey and Allergies

NOTE: Some people can have allergic reactions to the honey itself, so proceed with caution if you are very sensitive.