Open Your Mouth And Say "Ack!"

I’m ever on the quest for a good toothpaste. There is nothing greater in life than a clean feeling mouth and tongue (yes, tongue – since wee high to a grasshopper I’ve just scraped using my brush bristles, but you can buy one of these yuppie tools) Clay is a wonderful cleanser, so a lot of times I just whip a few things up when the regular toothpaste doesn’t seem to be cutting it. I just wish there was a really great natural toothpaste.

The other day though, I was running low and saw what was described on the package as Cherry Gel NATURAL TOOTHPASTE (their caps, not mine) with fluoride. It was from a company I had seen at natural markets (this was a standard grocery store, but in the organic section). I would have checked the box but I was in a rush and the name seemed to imply I was standing at the gate of just grown freshness.

I could not wait to get home and use it. I did, and it was good. Nice texture, it seemed to wick away the bad taste, and the cherry was pleasant. When I woke the next morning, I was surprised at how clean my mouth still felt. This doesn’t happen with too many types of toothpaste. I was in love! All of my feelings were crushed to oblivion when I read the label to find methylparaben as the main preservative, and the somewhat more benign sodim lauryl sulfate (almost in all toothpastes, used for foaming, it can cause mouth ulcers) as the fifth ingredient in.

There is a very aggressive movement in health food stores to remove all parabens from shelves, as they were somewhat linked to breast cancer. So why is it showing up in a natural company toothpaste? Alternatives replacing parabens get a little dicey when using formaldehyde/formaldehyde donors, which are positively known carcinogens. And recently it was confirmed that sodium benzoate (which has always been rumored as dangerous but is the preservative in soft drinks, foods and many cosmetics raw materials) could damage mitochondria in DNA. Your very life links.

I don’t know about you, but these three items are the last things I want to see in anything I eat or put on my body, let alone brush my teeth with. None of the above ingredients are in Solessence products. If I don’t want to apply it to my skin, why do I want it swishing against sensitive gum tissue and possibly sliding down my throat?

Check out your toothpaste and let me know what you find. This is not meant to bash, just a bit of shock and awe, self-awareness exercise. We may all be in for a bit of a show. What do you use? Help me find a great alternative!

Got Kids? Whole Foods Market can help

My son is just shy over 3 now, and from the time he could talk he has said he wanted to be two things:

1)a model/guitar (Guitarist, like Murray from the Wiggles, and I guess that is two or he imagines the occupations combined)

and

2)a chef

Now, I have some hilarious footage of his declarations for #1, but mom needs to learn to make this innocent shot a little more G rated (flyin’ free that day, know what I mean?). And he did recently find that he ended up being a model, for a very good cause, which we’ll highlight for a later time. So how to help fulfill my one and only with the chef dreams? Aside from helping in our kitchen, the answer came to me when I spotted the Whole Kids Club Cooking Class – for ages 3 and up.

Everyone reels in a bit of shock when I tell them about this opportunity. “Cooking classes…for 3 year olds?”. The class was a mix of ages, but what I found surprising was how hands on and pro this class truly was. Held in the Lifestyle Center, a gleaming professional kitchen awaits little ones. Room for 10 is at the pub style working/eating table. Step stools are provided for children to add ingredients to their dish on the stove, adult assisted, of course. The night’s lesson was ‘Stone Soup’, and combined a bit of storytelling and then soup making. The children cut up their own chicken, and I was impressed with the Sur La Tab cookware. This isn’t an Easy Bake oven swap. Kids get to use the same tools the adults get. At the end of the class, children enjoy the creation (with a few going back for seconds).

One note: I was expecting children to be supervised by parents, but surprised to find they were by themselves with the teacher. One full wall of the center is all glass, so you can sneak a peak if you want to watch. However, be prepared to do your shopping or noshing for most of the hour at WFM’s tasty hot bars, wine bar or gelato counter. WFM also offers free WiFi, so you can bring the laptop with you for some work or surfing.

Class prices vary. Join the Kids Club for $15, and you get discounted classes, a chef hat and apron for the little one, a coupon for a free 4 oz gelato, and free treats the kids can pick up in different departments every Wednesday.

At the end of the soup class, I had a very happy guy who promptly showed dad when he got home how to ‘stir the pot’ in a positive way. Upcoming events include veggies, kabobs, and a Dads & Lads Gross Out Day. They fill up fast. Check out the schedule – you may be tempted with the many varieties of adult education too.

Whole Foods Market
2305 N. Prospect Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53211
414.223.1500