I just returned from San Francisco yesterday afternoon after a whirlwind week at the West Coast Green green building conference. Went grocery shopping and then slept for twelve hours. So today's newsletter is brief, but in coming issues I have new green building products to tell you about, and some new developments in the greening of the hotel industry.

I also want to let you know that with all the activity on the Green Living Q&A blog, I'm changing the frequency of this newsletter from every other week to weekly. Every issue will have links to the new Q&A from the previous week and new links posted to Debra's List. And other features, like At Home With Debra, book reviews and other items will be included regularly, but not in every issue. So newletters will be shorter and more frequent--easier for you to read and for me to produce!

Debra :-)

HEALTH, HOME & HABITAT #54 ~ 3 October 2006

* GREEN LIVING Q&A BLOG: 8 new Q&As / new comments on 16 previous Q&As
* CLASSIFIED ADS

Health, Home & Habitat Back Issues
Other newsletters by Debra

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GREEN LIVING Q&A BLOG

Here are the questions posted through September 25 and the comments posted through today. I'm working on the questions posted last week while I was away. Remember, you are welcome to share your own comments and experience in response to any of these questions, and post questions of your own.

To read and comment on more questions posted previously go to Green Living Q&A blog.

I also am available Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm eastern time to answer your questions immediately and personally with a paid telephone consultation.

NEW COMMENTS ON PAST QUESTIONS:

* Nontoxic Mascara Recommendation?
* Laundry Soap for High Efficiency Washing Machines
* fragrance free deodorants
* Dishwashing soap
* Electric Blanket and EMFs
* Is Tin Bakeware Safe?
* Stabilized Cellulose Insulation
* Mold Problems With Front-Loading Clothes Washers
* Eating Off Paper Towels?
* Nontoxic nail polish?
* Removing Oil Spots on Clothing
* Safe tile grout and backerboard
* Herbicide for Dandelions
* Sweeteners for Yeast Diet
* Choosing Between Natural Insulations
* Earth-Friendly Hand Sanitizer

Nontoxic Luggage?

I really need a new suitcase for my trips back east to visit family. I need something with some shape to it because I live out of the suitcase the whole trip as I visit various family members. I borrowed a popular commercial one for a recent trip and found that my clothes picked up the smell of the suitcase. Do you have any recommendations that do not have heavy outgassing ? I'm assuming that the tapestry/cloth suitcases could be okay but wanted to check with you first.

CHERYL, NEW YORK, USA

Read the answer...

Sweeteners for Yeast Diet

I've been suffering from Candida overgrowth for at least three years, I'm now doing the Candida diet. Which of the sugar alternatives (beside xylitol and stevia) would be appropriate during this diet?

Also, I can't have any lactose, so the recipes using milk, cream, cream cheese, etc, are all out for me (and that's an awful lot of baked goods); do you have any good substitution ideas for the dairy ingredients that would work well with alternative sweeteners?

And while I have your attention, if you have any recommendations on REALLY GOOD cookbooks using any of the sweeteners you think I can eat safely while on a yeast diet, I sure would appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks a million for any help you (and your readers) can offer.

ITCHY GIRL, CALIFORNIA, USA

Read the answer... NEEDS READER COMMENTS

Antimicrobal Shoes for Children

I've noticed a few catalogs had been advertising antimicrobial shoes for children. Do you know anything about this? I have an uneasy feeling about the toxicity of whatever they're using to kill the mictrobes and I wonder about the effect of adding another disinfectant that might take out the "good germs" with the "bad germs"in the name of stink-free feet.

GAYLE, ARIZONA, USA

Read the answer...

Facial Brown Sun Spots: Non-Toxic Natural Remedy?

With all the various cosmetic companies out there, and with all the chemicals in the products. I was wondering if anybody had run across :

1) A cosmetic line that they found to be effective and good for MCS people.

2) A specific product or home remedy that has worked well for brown sun/age spots on the face. I have tried lemon juice, but it seemed to worsen the situation.

Would appreciate hearing your experiences, input and recommendations!

Thank you very much.

P, CALIFORNIA, USA

Read the answer...

PVC Boots, Sneakers & Clothing Offgassing

Hello all,

I am looking for info about the safety of being exposed to large quantities of pvc boots and sneaker. I live above a store which is currently storing large amounts (cases & cases) of large rubber rainboots in my basement. The smell when you enter my hallway (there is a door to the basement there) is terrible - a strong industrial cleaning smell. At other times they have sneakers & the smell is differnt (glue? rubber?) but also bad - there are also tons of imported garments in and out of poly bags.

I am wondering what are health risks for my children & I and what best steps would be. I think they would install a ventilation system if I had any hard information.

Any help would be appreciated!


LISA, NEW YORK, USA

Read the answer...

Choosing Between Natural Insulations

I need to insulate my attic--drafty old home with zero insulation. Can only afford to do attic. Choosing between Ultratouch Cotton or Biobased Vegetable.

I am concerned about Ultratouch because someone told me that it has boric acid in it to make it flame retardant and that can be bothersome and I am concerned that Biobased because I read it is a two-part soybean based polyurethane. (Yikes that sounds smelly!)

Please advise if possible.

HEIDI, CALIFORNIA, USA

Read the answer...

Vacuum Recommendation

What vacuum recommendation would you give to allergy and asthma suffers?

S CLINE, OHIO, USA

Read the answer...

Sewer Gas Exposure

Does anyone know of a doctor to see after over 3 years of being exposed to sewer gas? The sewer lines for the rough in plumbing in the basement were not capped. Susan Bonnet 307-672-2576 or sbonnet@vcn.com

SUSAN BONNET, WYOMING, USA

Read the answer... NEEDS READER COMMENTS

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CLASSIFIED ADS

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DEBRA'S GUIDE TO CHOOSING NATURAL SUN PROTECTION. Instant download e-book by Debra Lynn Dadd tells how you can enjoy the health benefits of sunshine in balance with natural methods of protection when necessary. Order now.

DEBRA'S GUIDE TO CHOOSING A NATURAL BED. Instant download e-book by Debra Lynn Dadd covers the types of natural mattresses that are available, all about the materials, natural bedding, the history of natural beds. Order now.

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Home Safe Home tells what toxic chemicals are generally found in specific household products of all types, and safe solutions you can buy or make at home. It's different from other books on toxic chemicals because the focus really is what you can do to protect yourself and your family and create a healthy home. I bring over twenty years of research and personal real-life experience to this book.

* More information

* 10 Simple, Inexpensive Things You Can Do To Reduce Household Toxics

* How Toxic is Your Home? Quiz (excerpt from the book)

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Debra's List ~ 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural & earthwise products
Free Newsletters ~ website update, natural sweetener recipes, words of wisdom
Debra's Bookstore ~ recommended reading on health and the environment
MCS Recovery ~ resources for recovery from multiple chemical sensitivities
Sweet Savvy ~ how to choose and use natural sweetners (lots of recipes)
Talk With Debra ~ call for a personal consultation

Map of Debra's Websites