MomsAgainstMold.org

I'm not a big fan of the term "multiple chemical sensitivity." It sounds like we get our feelings hurt easily. Or we overreact to people and places. As if it's all in our heads. Recently Chris took a trip to West Virginia. It took him 3 hotel rooms and 2 rental cars to be able to function. This is far from an imagined illness.

Dr. Mark Donohoe, an Australian doctor specializing in environmental medicine, offers the following definition in his article Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Medical Perspective:

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) is an acquired condition in which the sufferer becomes sensitised or abnormally reactive to volatile chemicals following prolonged, recurrent or high dose exposure to volatile chemicals. The most distinctive symptom is 'cacosmia,' or a heightened sensitivity and lowered threshold to odours that most of the population find inoffensive or would not notice.

It's Thanksgiving week, and many of us are headed to the grocery store for yams, apples, berries, and all sorts of produce. Choosing organic is often daunting because of the price. The good news is we can buy selectively, thanks to a handy shopping guide offered by the Environmental Working Group.

The EWG is a watchdog organization seeking to protect human health and raise awareness on environmental issues such as pesticides. Its free Shopper's Guide, now in its 5th edition, shows which fruits and vegetables are most apt to have significant pesticides. According to the EWG, consumers can reduce their exposure by 80 percent by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.