FDA lost its way?

I no longer have any faith that the Food and Drug Administration is looking out for the health and well-being of me or my family. Hearing story after story of hamburger, spinach, or jalapenos tainted with salmonella or E-coli that inspectors missed is just the beginning. Now I read that the FDA's solution to this problem is not to improve agricultural and inspection procedures but to allow the irradiation of some produce.  And to make matters even worse they are considered weakening current requirements that food products which have been exposed to radiation must be labeled as such. Apparently, food labeled as irradiated doesn't sell very well. (Imagine that!) I think it is appalling that consumers would not be aware if this has been done to their food,  a process which some experts believe can destroy nutrients, create hazardous chemicals, and even affect the taste the food. 

As if that issue wasn't enough, the FDA also released a report recently that the trace amount of Bisphenol-A (BPA) found in plastic food products are safe. BPA is a chemical used to soften plastics (including most baby bottles) and it is can leach into food and drink, especially when heated. BPA has been linked hormone problems and cancer. Many other countries have banned its use in certain products and the state of California is considering such a ban. The FDA's argument is that their is no proof that the chemical is harmful in such small quantities. I cannot comprehend this logic. It is established to be toxic at some levels why shouldn't it work the other way around. We should assume it is not safe until you prove to me it is. Especially when we are talking about anything we are exposing are children to. 

And just to add one more straw to the Camel's back. My husband's going low-carb to try and lose a few found pounds and motivate himself to exercise a little more. (I know, not the healthiest way to diet, but effective.) So I was trying to lookup recipes for him and I wanted to see if I could find any desserts. I came across a list of possible low-carb sweeteners. All of them artificial options like Splenda or Equal, except Stevia. Stevia is herb which can be an all natural sugar substitute. However, on this list is was the only item noted as "not approved by the FDA." According the FDA Stevia can only be sold as a "supplement' and cannot be labeled as or used in products as a sweetener. How does it make sense that artificial sweeteners which are allergens to many people (like my husband) and linked to cancer are approved by the FDA but a plant, an all natural product, is not approved. 

Like I said, I've lost all faith in the FDA.  

It's all fun and games...

As a new mom I am often at a loss for creative ideas about games to play with my girls. But thankfully I live in the Google generation. All I have to do is run a search for "baby games 9 to 12 months". The web site I found Games to Play with Baby had lots of fun ideas I've been trying out.

I turned the baby blanket ride into a laundry basket ride. I can fit them both in the basket and drag them around the house. Andi especially enjoys this, it always has her grinning from ear to ear. To save my back from leaning over the basket I even attached the dogs leash to the basket and pulled them around that way.

And I just love the obstacle course idea. I've been using things like towers of blocks they must knock over (Alex's favorite game) to get around, pillows to crawl over, and toys they have to roll out of the way. I'm still working on tailoring the right difficulty level for the girls to complete but be challenged.