As if being a possible root cause of increasing diabetes and skyrocketing obesity were not enough, now we can add mercury contamination as a serious issue with this country’s growing reliance on high fructose corn syrup.

Two studies (the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and Environmental Health) released this week found that there were measurable levels of mercury found in HFCS. While the levels are arguably very small, the concern is that Americans consume large amounts of HFCS as it has become the “go to” sweetener for beverages and foods. In 2004, it was estimated that 40% of all caloric sweeteners added to beverages and foods. According to the reports, on average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms,” said IATP’s David Wallinga, M.D., and a co-author in both studies. “Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply.”

The Environmental Health report showed that mercury was found in 9 of 20 samples of commercial HFCS, and the IATP study found “nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments. ” Products with the highest levels found include: Quaker Oatmeal to Go, Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce, Hershey’s Syrup, Kraft Original BBQ Sauce, and Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars. Others on the list? Coca-Cola, Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt, Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly and Pop Tarts Frosted Blueberry. Check the IATP Report – pg 14 – for the complete list.

Scary, huh? The worst part? Is it is resultant from the manufacturing process – and is completely avoidable. There are options that would eliminate the mercury contamination – but many companies choose to use the cheaper but more toxic process.

Summaries of the reports can be found in US News and World Report and the Washington Post as well as many other publications.

So for real – REALLY – can this country not give us SAFE food products? What is going on? Never mind that the FDA has been whittled away to be essentially a shell of an organization. But what happened to companies caring about food safety? With all the toxins that are getting into our food and water these days – it’s no wonder that things like food allergies are skyrocketing. Something has to be done!

Meantime, if you haven’t started already, read labels and do whatever you can to avoid HFCS. You’ll be amazed at how hard it is to do – but clearly it is worth it!

This week’s One Day Sale is pretty basic and straightforward – FREE SHIPPING! Enjoy guilt-free shopping knowing that you won’t be paying extra for shipping. Whether it’s time to replenish your favorite Garden Girl products, or try out some new ones. Or you could even get a head start on calorie-free Valentine’s day treats like Smooches or Hugs body butters! But don’t forget – this offer is valid through MIDNIGHT MONDAY NIGHT so get your shopping done before the offer expires!

Check out all of the paraben-free, sulfate-free, petroleum-free and phthalate-free products at:

www.gardengirlskincare.com

Then simply place an order and use coupon code JAN26

No minimum order!

Also – if you have a chance, let me know what you think of the website. I’m thinking it might be time to make some changes. What I’d like to know is:

1) How much do you like the look of the site?
2) How easy/difficult is it to navigate?
3) What do you think would make it better?

Any thoughts you have on it would be fantastic. And don’t try to sugar-coat it – I’m looking for honest feedback. I can handle it .

Thanks so much – and have a great week!

The Lighter Footstep (http://lighterfootstep.com/) is a great site for tips and tricks to green your home and generally leave a lighter footprint, so to speak. It’s a fun, informative site – not preachy or boring like so many eco-sites. Check it out -lots of quick easy ideas for everything from cooking and cleaning to buying used items.

Well – I guess Garden Girl has “made it”. We now officially have a fake Rip Off report complaint. If you search “Kristin Miller Garden Girl” on Google the first thing that pops up is a very lunatic-sounding complaint on Rip Off Report. For those of you who don’t know, RipOffReport.com is a “supposed” better alternative to the solid and experienced Better Business Bureau. The tragic thing is that RipOffReport has the ability to damage a company’s reputation purely based on false testimonials.

Hence now there is one that I have from “Bob” in Salt Lake City, UT. Check it out – it’s actually pretty comical. Whoever wrote it is clearly a little bit of a loon. But that said – I have never had a customer named Bob from Salt Lake City. Further – I literally have not ever (truthfully) had anyone complain to me about rashes or any other skin irritations. Further still, there are so many other false statements in there – we do not test on animals, we don’t load up with synthetics and I go well beyond FDA requirements so they would not possibly have an issue with Garden Girl.

For anyone who has purchased Garden Girl products, you know that we are all about customer service and making our customers happy. We guarantee it. I have no idea why there are people so inherently nasty but that’s a fact of life. I won’t be surprised if similar postings show up from made up names. There are simply people out there with too much time on their hands that search for things to amuse them.

My suggestion is that you avoid using RipOffReport – simply for the reason that you cannot trust what is posted on there. It is incredibly easy to post something under an alias and there is no way to trace it back to you. And I always recommend that if you have a problem with a company you contact them directly. It’s the best way to get things resolved.

Similarly, there are companies out there that are doing the same thing with people’s personal reputations. There is one site that allows you to anonymously report on what you think of your fellow students in college. People are called all kinds of names, secrets are revealed etc. that can instantly ostracize students from people they previously thought were friends. Websites that host these types of forums are able to slink out of any legal responsibility. But in the meantime, they are prospering on ruining the reputations of countless people. Really – can’t they find a more ethical way to make money?

Anyway – that’s my rant for today. I’d love to hear what you think!

Well – the day is here that we are inaugurating our 44th President of the United States. So to celebrate this historic day Garden Girl is offering up a big BIG BIG deal – one that you won’t see again.

Save a ginormous* $44.00 on any purchase of $144 or more. Yep – it’s THAT big. We’re talking really big. Have I mentioned that this is huge? $44 big ones. Oh – and even better? You can take advantage of this deal through WEDNESDAY, January 21st at midnight! So you get one extra day of shopping.

This means you can have a little spree and not feel even a little bit guilty. It’s probably a good time to replenish anyway (don’t forget – we recommend that open products are used within 4-6 months to assure that they stay clear of harmful bacteria).

Garden Girl products are free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates – and we use minimal levels of preservatives. Just enough to give them a solid shelf life but not enough for them to be loaded up with chemicals. The rest of the ingredients are blends of natural moisturizers, antioxidants, plant extracts, wrinkle reducers and other incredible natural ingredients that combine to make some of the most effective and luxurious – yet surprisingly affordable – skin care you will ever find. Guaranteed!

Check it all out at www.gardengirlskincare.com – place an order of at least $144.00 then use coupon code:

JAN20

to receive the discount. Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask. And feel free to pass this great deal along to friends – we don’t discriminate – Democrats, Republicans and Independents are all free to take advantage of these savings!

Happy Inauguration Day and have a great week!

* BTW – interesting fact: Ginormous made the Merriam Webster dictionary in 2007

Check out my “off the cuff” style interview on the fabulous Econpreneur Avenue blog:

http://www.ecopreneuravenue.com/2009/01/interview-kristin-miller-of-garden-girl/

The blog was started by Andreea Ayers of Tees for Change. It’s a great site with a bunch of interviews of various very interesting entrepreneurs – all with an eco-twist. Take a peek at the others while you’re there!

In a recent report by Environmental Health Perspectives, there is new evidence that bisphenol-A (BPA) is found in infants’ blood at 11x the levels that it is found in adults. BPA is “a high-protein industrial chemical that has been used for decades to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy linings for food cans. In recent years, concerns have been raised about the chemical’s ability to mimic estrogen and to cause developmental problems and precancerous growths in laboratory animals.”

Due to the fact that infants are unable to process the chemical in their system as efficiently as adults, compounded by the fact that infants are exposed to the chemical through plastic bottles and formula from plastic-lined cans, infants are more likely to have more of the chemical in their bodies. We’re talking infants here – 3 months old. We’re talking ELEVEN TIMES the level of adults in these tiny bodies.

At what point is the FDA going to step in and do what should be done – what has been done in Canada and many other countries? This chemical MUST be banned! Forget the lobbying from the plastics industry and the chemical companies. We are only going to see the effects of this more and more in upcoming years. Something needs to be done.

Just read a great article in Brandweek. Just like “pink-washing” – where the marketing of products that supposedly support breast cancer research far outweighs any positive benefit of the donation – “green-washing” is a big deal. Many companies have jumped on the green bandwagon but are doing it more for marketing purposes than anything else.

While that may not exactly be the case with the eco-friendly lightbulbs, they are definitely not as good as they initially appear. And I say this as someone who has used them for years – and throwing them out in our regular trash. Little did I know that I was contributing to mercury waste. UGH.

Check out the Brandweek article for an interesting perspective, and see some of the other products that they find ironic – claiming to be eco-friendly but in the end, they aren’t so ideal.