Wyland Living Green Fair Wrap Up

I'm so excited to write this post because we just wrapped up our first green event! This past weekend, we set up a super large booth at the Wyland Living Green Fair to help promote going non-toxic and chemical free...it was a great success! We had hundreds of visitors stop by our booth and give us great feedback. Everyone showed great interest in what we were doing at ESP, and I hope we were able to spread awareness about prevention of hazardous chemicals :).

Here's a recap of our weekend:

Let me preface the weekend by letting you all know it was my mom's birthday on Sunday. As a birthday surprise, I thought we'd get our whole family together to attend the Living Green Fair with my mom and me. My three younger brothers are in middle school and high school, so they were already home. But one of my younger sisters worked out in California while the other is abroad in Costa Rica! So with a little bit of secrecy and work, we were able to get the two of them to fly in on Friday night...to get ready and surprise my mom Saturday morning.

Friday night:
Both of my sisters stayed with my fiance and me in Fort Lauderdale.

Saturday morning:
7 AM ~ My two sisters, my fiance, and I all drove over to my parent's house to surprise my mom. We opened the door, walked in, and saw my mom's SURPRISED face! She had no earthly idea that we were all going to be with her this past weekend to celebrate her birthday.  Let's just say a few happy tears were shed :).
8 AM ~ It was off to Mizner Park in Boca Raton, FL to set up!
9 AM ~ Set up began...with the whole fam!

11 AM ~ Doors opened up for the Wyland Living Green Fair!  We were all ready to go :)

5:30 PM ~ End of day 1! It was a beautiful day at the fair...and I think we did a great job spreading awareness!  You can see more pictures from the event on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.198993640176451.49369.130037260405423&type=1

That night, we all had family dinner at my parents house.  Because one sister is in college and the other lives in California, it is amazing when we get the chance to all get together--all eight of us! I think my mom had a very, very Happy Birthday!!

Sunday:
Another great day! My mom, sister, and I were at the event from 12 to 5.

I would have given an exact play by play of the weekend, but I think you all got a good idea of how it went! We sold bpa free bottles by Lifefactory and Takeya--which EVERYONE loved! (Including us...we all have at least one bottle each haha).

More pictures to come on our Facebook page soon!

Thank you!
Hannah

http://www.liveesp.com/on-the-go/takeya-on-the-go/

Breast Cancer Awareness Month May Have Ended, but We Can Still Spread Awareness and Prevention!

With October here and gone before we knew it, the famed “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” has come to a close.  Less than a month ago you could not go anywhere without seeing a pink ribbon, but now the various items in your local shops with pink ribbons on them will slowly disappear off the shelves.  Unfortunately, awareness of the disease will also seem to lose steam with some.  So while Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an important 31 day rally, we think awareness AND prevention should be recognized all year round!

Something I found interesting was that in spite of all of the donation drives and awareness efforts taking place, the rate of breast cancer in this country has steadily increased over the last 40 years.  How could this be true? 

One take is that perhaps all of these pink ribbons and the billions of dollars going into the campaigns are at the root of the issue.  Medical sociologist Dr. Gayle Sulik’s book Pink Ribbon Blues: How Breast Cancer Culture Undermines Women’s Health argues that the pink ribbon campaign has moved the disease to a superficial level and actually serves to distract the public from the reality of breast cancer and the need for prevention.  Dr. Sulik adds that there is a lot of money to be made off of a campaign as large as the pink ribbon one—going so far as creating a strong incentive not to stop the disease.  For many, this is a hard pill to swallow, especially because the pink ribbon campaign is so optimistic in nature.

Of course, the pink ribbon campaign is not all bad for the public.  In fact, it has done some great things for awareness about breast cancer.  Particularly in the beginning it was able to inform and mobilize people and bring attention to a disease that has since affected millions. But to some the campaign lacks a clear direction that will have an actual impact on stopping breast cancer.  

Dr. Sulik argues that the in order to really have an impact on this disease, much more attention and resources need to be paid to the environmental links to breast cancer.  In an interview with Rodale.com, Dr. Sulik shed some light on the state of breast cancer research stating that

There's already a lot of focus on behaviors that influence risk factors—eat right, exercise, limit alcohol intake—but only 30 percent of all breast cancer cases are found in people who have these known risk factors.  So, for 70 percent of the cases, we don't know what causes it.  That creates this false impression that by doing certain things, you'll prevent breast cancer.  But in 70 percent of cases, there's a lot of evidence that the environment is having a lot of influence.

There is a growing field of research looking into the affects that environmental chemicals have on breast cancer and our health in general.  A recent report from the Breast Cancer Fund looks into the links between the chemicals in our environment and breast cancer.  Janet Gray, the author of this report, concludes that data on this issue is sufficient to warrant serious concern about the chemicals around us.  Furthermore, it is important that the practical implications of this research be disseminated to the general public so that necessary lifestyle changes can be made.

The most recent report from the Breast Cancer Fund found that the following factors may increase the risk of developing breast cancer: plastic agents like BPA and phthalates, pesticides, radiation from CT scans, x-rays, and mammography equipment, and flame retardant chemicals.

Knowledge is power.  This information can help us control what chemicals we interact with and thereby make healthier decisions about our lives.

Here is a list of tips that will reduce the chemicals in your environment:

·         Buy organic, this goes for food as well as products such as makeup, fragrances, and cleaning supplies.

·         Replace your plastic! Use glass food storage, stainless steel food storage containers, glass water bottles or stainless steel bottles.

·         Avoid any products made of vinyl.

·         Replace your old and crumbling furniture.

It is important that we are all aware of the risk of breast cancer and start to place more of a focus on prevention—but without losing site of continued awareness!  

~ Jessica

Resources:

Rodale Pink Ribbon Article

Rodale Chemical Article

Essential Safe Products Exhibiting at Wyland Living Green Fair in Boca Raton, FL, November 5-6, 2011

LiveESP.com

We hope that while exhibiting at the Wyland Living Green Fair, ESP can make a difference and have a positive influence on families looking for a safer and healthier lifestyle in their home.

 

Plantation, FL (PRWEB) October 27, 2011

On November 5-6, Essential Safe Products (ESP) will be exhibiting at the annual Wyland Living Green Fair in Boca Raton, FL, to help spread awareness about hazardous chemicals and assist in prevention through the sale of non-toxic kitchen and on-the-go products.

“We are always looking for ways to help spread awareness about the dangers of hazardous chemicals in our everyday kitchen and on the go products. So, when we heard about the Wyland Living Green Fair taking place just around the corner from us, we knew this would be a great opportunity to educate families,” says Hannah Masimore, President of ESP.

Attending the Wyland Living Green Fair is a great way for ESP to spread awareness outside of the web. Families from all over South Florida are expected to attend the fair, and ESP their message of a safer and non-toxic lifestyle resonates with visitors to their booth. ESP will also be selling bpa free water bottles from Lifefactory and Takeya and stainless steel food containers at their booth.

Susan Masimore adds, “We hope that while exhibiting at the Wyland Living Green Fair, ESP can make a difference and have a positive influence on families looking for a safer and healthier lifestyle in their home.”
ESP’s “Learn” section of their site LiveESP.com is a product of their continuous efforts to help educate and promote awareness about dangerous chemicals. LiveESP.com goes into detail about the different types of toxic chemicals found in kitchen products and gives tips and tricks on how to avoid exposure to hazardous chemicals. The information provided is incredibly useful for families who are learning about or want to know more about BPA, lead, PFCs and other chemicals.

Coupled with their “Learn” section is a “Shop” portion of their site where families can purchase safe cookware, bpa free bottles, bpa free food storage, cast iron cookware and other great non-toxic kitchen and on-the-go products.

The Wyland Living Green Fair was started by David Etzler, an event planner and eco-enthusiast who wants to help educate communities on living a greener, healthier and more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. This year, the Wyland Living Green Fair is expected to bring in over 10,000 attendees—making it the largest Green themed event in South Florida.

About liveESP.com LiveESP.com is a website dedicated to encouraging and helping people learn about hazardous chemicals and make healthier decisions for a safer and chemical-free lifestyle in the kitchen and on-the-go. LiveESP.com is a great site where people can both learn about the dangers of harmful chemicals and purchase products that are non-toxic and human safe. Through ESP, founder Susan Masimore and her oldest daughter Hannah hope to have a positive impact in the lives of others. LiveESP.com was founded in 2011 in Plantation, Florida.

BPA and the Long Term Behavioral Effects on Unborn Girls

Not to our surprise, the plot surrounding BPA and the ways it affects our health thickens.  A new study came out this week with some interesting results.  A group of scientists measured the BPA levels in urine from several hundred pregnant women, and over the course of several years they measured the BPA levels in urine of the women’s children.  BPA has already been linked to obesity, neurological diseases, thyroid disease, and cancer; and this new study has added another bullet point to the laundry list: BPA may even affect behavior.

BPA is a common additive in many plastics that can mimic some hormones in the body.  For this reason BPA is especially harmful during the prenatal stages of life and during early childhood development.  Of the 244 women in the study who had high levels of BPA in their urine during pregnancy, scientists found that their 3-year-old children were more likely to have behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, aggression and depression.  This was especially true for girls. BPA levels in children after birth were not found to be linked to these increased behavior issues, so it seems that this finding is particularly significant for pregnant women.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with other experts, has made the following suggestions to help reduce the level of BPA we are exposed to:

·         Choose stainless steel water bottles or glass water bottles.

·         Use glass containers in the microwave rather than plastic containers.  Heating up plastics increases the chances that BPA will be released into your food.

·         Cut back on buying and eating canned foods, which also may contain BPA.  Go for fresh fruits and vegetables instead!

~ Jessica

Resources:

NPR

The Charts

Reusable Bags...a storage place for bacteria!?!?!

A study recently published in Food Protection Trends by Dr. Charles Gerba, found that reusable shopping bags contain bacteria and 8 percent contained E. coli.  The bacteria grow when meat juices were placed in the bags, then kept in the trunks of cars—causing bacteria growth to increase tenfold. Plus, think about how many different things you store in the reusable bags…from those meats to unwashed fruits to sometimes even gym clothes!

But there’s good news: if you wash your reusable bags, you can help reduce bacteria by almost 99.9%. Easy as that! So for a couple tips:

-          Wash your bags regularly and dry them on high heat or in the sun, if possible, to kill germs.

-          Use bags for food only…or at least designate which is for food and which is for gym clothes!

When heard this news I was (a) surprised and (b) not really surprised. Kind of a mix of feelings, I know, but that’s truly how I reacted! I mean, I was surprised because I never even thought to think about how easily bacteria could accumulate in the reusable bags that I use for more than just groceries. And I was “not really surprised” because it makes total sense! I use my reusable bags like they are meant to be used- I reuse them and reuse them for groceries, carrying clothes, sometimes holding gym clothes, helping me move items from point A to point B, and so on.  They are great and multi-functional.  But now, I’m rethinking my reusable bag use and about to head home today and wash them all inside and out.  Pretty sure I don’t want E. coli or other bacteria in proximity any longer.

More info: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/10/11/bacteria-rife-in-reusable-bags/

ESP Launch Potluck!

On September 13, 2011 we lived our http://www.liveesp.com/ site! So to celebrate, we held an ESP Launch Potluck Party in our offices on Friday, September 15th! Everyone brought healthy and/or organic foods and drink for everyone to enjoy.  At our offices here in South Florida, we are always looking for a good excuse to have a potluck and launching ESP was the perfect opportunity. A lot of hard work was put into launching the site and we were so excited to celebrate!

Throughout the day we also had a couple contests.  First, we did an "Office Family Feud" game where I asked 15 questions to all our employees (it was lots of fun to answer and see what everyone else had to say!).  Then we also had a guessing game contest where everyone had to guess the number of pistachios in a glass container and the number of "mystery" items in a stainless steel container.  What I loved about the stainless steel container guessing game was that no one had any clue as to what was in it. I purposefully placed the jars behind a window so no one could pick it up and figure it out...so sneaky but so much more fun that way.  The best part was I also placed pistachios in there!  Some of the answers people gave me were hilarious.  Winners of each game got their choice of stainless steel bottles or glass water bottles.

Here are some pictures from our potluck.  Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the party!  Oh and I made sure to get the recipes of all our potluck food...which I plan on posting in our recipe section of the site for everyone to enjoy!

And now for the food :)

Thanks for joining us for A Cup of ESP!

~ Hannah



LiveESP.com Helps Consumers Build a Food Safe and Non-Toxic Lifestyle in the Kitchen and On-the-Go

LiveESP.com Helps Consumers Build a Food Safe and Non-Toxic Lifestyle in the Kitchen and On-the-Go