Neoprene bottle sleeve – My Healthy Life

In this day and age when plastic seems to be impossible to remove from our lives. Pantry items come in plastic, milk comes in plastic, even storage container and water bottles are mostly plastic. But did you know that plastic containers have been shown to have destructive effects on the human body. The chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), in particular, has been called out for a host of negative health consequences. Some research has shown that BPA can seep into food or beverages from plastic containers that are made with BPA. Exposure to BPA is a concern because of possible health effects of BPA on the brain, reproductive development in foetuses, infants and children, an early puberty and a rise in breast and prostate cancer.

In 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sales of baby bottles containing BPA. Since that ban, companies began advertising ”BPA-free” plastics for children & adults. And as a result it’s not hard to find products labeled ”BPA free”. I recently looked around my local grocery stores and found out that there is good range of BPA free products in the market. But the news is unfortunately, it turns out the chemicals used to replace BPA, a chemical called ‘bisphenol BPS’ may have nearly the exact impact on the human body – hormone disruption – as BPA, according to a new study (link here) in the Journal Environmental Health Perspectives. According to a 2013 study, even in concentrations of less than one part per trillion BPS has the potential to lead to cancer, birth defects, asthma, obesity and diabetes.

So to sum it up, manufacturers are telling the truth by labelling their products as ”BPA Free”, but they are not telling you that the BPS they use instead of BPA could be just as bad for you.

What’s the Solution?

The solution of course is to avoid using plastics at all. Unfortunately, it’s harder but not impossible to avoid buying products in plastic from the grocery store. It does take some commitment and creativity. Make small gradual changes. I will share some ideas that will help in reducing or eliminating the need for plastic in your kitchen.

Choose condiments that come in glass jars when possible
Milk can be purchased in cartons
Yogurt can be made at home with a very simple yogurt maker
Instead of buying water in plastic bottles or gallon jugs, install a water filter at your kitchen sink. Keep a glass water dispenser for home use.
Use glass drink bottles for drinking water on the go. If you are concerned about the glass breaking, just keep the bottle inside of a neoprene water bottle cover. You can buy this from eBay here. Metal, stainless steel water bottles and mugs are available too.
Invest in glass storage containers.
Buy paper cups to replace plastic cups, especially if you have a small child at home who is still using a sippy cup. A stainless steel cup with a screw-on lid and a straw works just as well for young children.
Switch to stainless steel drinking straws over plastic straws. Keep them clean with pipe cleaners.

Always remember, good health requires a little sacrifice, discipline, leaving certain things, but it will be worth it. I hope these tips will work for you!