Question from bev Rockey

I am really trying to do away with all my Teflon coated cooking pans. How harmful is the George Foreman Grill? I love mine.

Debra’s Answer

Personally, I don’t use any pot, pan, or appliance with a Teflon or other no-stick finish. There are different grades of Teflon, but it’s all still Teflon.

We all have to make decisions about what we are willing to use and what we aren’t willing to use. It’s a personal decision, based on health, budget, and various personal factors.

It took me a long time to give up my favorite shade of red lipstick. But ultimately, I’m happy I did.

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Question from CynthiaK

Hello,

We are thinking of buying a 1920 house that has fiberglass insulation haphazardly placed throughout the attic. My husband wants to have the the new air conditioning ducts installed there. I am afraid that the workers will track it through the house or worse yet, get it into the air ducts while assembling it.

Should I be concerned that the house and the air ducks could become contaminated and how high is the probability that it would get contaminated? Should we consider removing all the old insulation before installing the duct system? I can’t imagine that they would get it all out or possibly disperse more of the fibers in the living space while doing it.

I suggested to my husband that maybe we should just get a ductless system for upstairs and install the duck work in the basement for the first floor. The only problem with this is that it maybe cost prohibited and I won’t be able to have the air filtration system going through there either.

The attic door (walk in) is located in the second floor guest bedroom. The first floor will be our primary living and sleeping area.

I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and it is imperative that I have a healthy environment. Can you offer us some suggestions?

Debra’s Answer

I’m going to ask some experts to comment on this. Meanwhile, readers, what is your experience?

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Question from HAH

Hello….help,

Searching for a Natural Vitamin D3 (Cholcaliferol),encapsulated in Veggie Capsules or in Bovine Gelatin Capsules or if possible in Tablet form.

Not the synthetic version (Ergocalciferol)!

Really need your help!

Thanks,

HAH

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Anyone know where to get this?

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Question from stacy

I always worry that the polycarbonate plastic is leaching into the hot food that I put into the food processor. Does anybody know if there are any food processors made of glass?

Thanks.

Stacy

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know of one. Readers?

I’d recommend using a high-speed blender to puree hot foods rather than a food processor. I’ve heard that chefs actually prefer a blender for puree. Or get an “immersion blender” that you can use right in the pot.

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Question from FRAN

Debra, I have received help from your site countless times; but was confused when i searched for nontoxic cookware.

I plan to throw out a Visions pan that is cranberry and seems to have a black Teflon coating, but I noticed that you recommended Visions. I finally confirmed that this is a Teflon coating at least according to a description on Ebay. Could you clear this up for readers?

I am holding on to the pan because in case it might be a substance bonded to the silica and etc. – and it is a beautiful piece.

Debra’s Answer

Some Visions cookware pieces DO have Teflon. I only recommend the pieces WITHOUT Teflon. The Teflon is easy to spot. It’s a black coating. The pieces without Teflon have just the glass bottom that is the same as the sides.

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Question from Van

Hi Debra,

I would like to get the most natural and safest carpets out there. Everything I’ve read seems to suggest that Earthweave amd Nature’s Carpet are the best natural wool rugs. The problem lies in there cost- too expensive. Are there cheaper alternatives? For example, Ikea and others carry natural wool area rugs but I can’t seem to find out if the carpet backings are treated with adhesives or if the carpets are treated with moth-proofing agents or other chemicals. Sisal or jute seem to be good alternatives as well, but again are these fibers tyically treated with chemicals?

Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

You are correct, The most natural carpets are Earth Weave and Nature’s Carpet. And they are expensive. But there are some other carpet resources as well, with lower prices. Take a look at Natürlich Natural Home for more wool carpeting, and The Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Carpets for “low emitting” synthetic carpets that may meet your needs.

You can find links to all these at Debra’s List: Interior Decorating: Flooring.

It is very difficult to tell if natural fiber area rugs are treated with chemicals. Since they aren’t labled, it’s just kind of “buy and try.” I bought a 100% wool area rug for $39 from Lowe’s a few years back that’s covering up an unused heater vent in the floor–no odor at all. On the other hand, many years ago I bought a jute rug at Macy’s that had an odor I thought I could remove and was never able to. Try to sniff out odors on rugs in the stores and make sure you can return it if you get it home and find there is a strong odor.

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Question from Dorothy

You said that roasted coffee beans contain pesticides, but I’m not finding anything that verifies that. I’m finding plenty that suggests the coffee fields and outer plants are full of pesticides but, as I understand it, the bean itself is then soaked, fermented, dried, and roasted. Although it’s clear that the pesticides are harmful to the workers and environment, I’m not finding harm via pesticides from drinking it. Do you know any studies? I’ve looked at a number of sites with no luck. Thanks for your help.

Debra’s Answer

This from Natural Resources Defense Council should answer your question:

http://www.nrdc.org/health/farming/ccc/chap4.asp

“In 1983, the Natural Resources Defense Council retained the services of an outside contract laboratory to conduct independent testing on imported coffee beans.[41] The analysis revealed multiple pesticide residues on all samples when green coffee beans were tested using detection methods many times more precise than the FDA procedures (see Table 6). The roasting process reduced detectable levels of pesticide residues on the bean samples; however, the test of one sample of the Brazilian coffee beans retained the original level of DDD (the toxic metabolite of DDT) that had been detected on the beans before roasting.[42] It should be noted that while DDT is rarely used on coffee today, other chemicals are used to combat insect pests, weeds, and diseases.”

Note it says “reduced” not “eliminated” but still the levels are very high compared to food because so much pesticide is used.

I don’t have any documents that show an association between drinking coffee with pesticide residues and human harm, but the environmental impact of these pesticides is great in terms of pollution and also cause illness and death in farm workers.

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Question from Michelle

Debra,

My doctor recommends I clean our baby’s cool humidifier with bleach and hot water. I do not use bleach for anything else because it is so toxic. Do you have any recommendations on how I can clean the humidifier and remove any mold in a less toxic way?

Michelle Clark

Debra’s Answer

My recommendation would be to use hydrogen peroxide instead, which will kill bacteria, but I don’t have personal experience with this. Readers? Your suggestions?

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Question from SB

What is the best cookware for someone with mild sensitivities? Also is carbon steel cookware safer to use than regular stainless steel cookware. Lastly what is the best (in terms of safest) brand or type of stainless steel cookware out there?

Debra’s Answer

The best cookware for someone with mild sensitivities…Probably Pyrex and Visions are most inert, but if your sensitivities are mild, you can probably use any cookware.

For an overview of cookware, type “cookware” into my website search engine. There are a lot of Q&As on this subject.

Now, to answer your questions about stainless steel and carbon steel.

Carbon steel is used to make woks and I’ve also seen carbon steel skillets in restaurant supply stories. It is kind of greyish black. Made simply of iron with 0.1 to 1.2 percent carbon and even less manganese, carbon steel can be recycled and often contains about 25 percent recycled content whether it is so labeled or not.

Most pots and pans, cooking utensils, and flatware are made from stainless steel, which has a special ability to resist corrosion. The most extensively used type of stainless steel for household items is made from 71.95 percent iron, 18 percent chromium, 8 percent nickel, and 0.05 percent carbon. Stainless steel products can not be recycled and do not contain recycled material.

Stainless steel is generally considered the best choice for cooking because it is sanitary, nonporous, and the metals are highly stable. But stainless steel leaches nickel and chromium into food, which may be harmful to health, and environmentally, the mining and manufacture of steel is a highly technological, energy-intensive and polluting process. So it’s not one of my favorites, considering there are more healthful and environmentally-advantageous options available.

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