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Doing The Right Thing

I usually prepare lunch in the morning and today, as I grabbed a bag of frozen mixed vegetables out of the freezer and was about to toss them into a pot of boiling water, I noticed that the packet had instructions for microwave steaming. I was in a hurry so for a brief moment I entertained the thought of microwave steaming then, but because I was awake to the moment, I thought of the article I wrote on BPA, BPS and the other plasticizes and chose the pot of boiling water t-h-i-s time.

How many times have we knowingly done what’s wrong for our health? Like, choosing the processed, carcinogenic hot dog instead of the quinoa salad. We lie to ourselves and say “everything in moderation”, but does that include poisons? Choosing to microwave steam the vegetables is actually choosing poison in moderation. I would love to jolt us into being more intentional about the food choices we make, knowing that they affect us and those we love the most.

So why is it that we do what we know we shouldn’t? Is it a lack of discipline, a shortage of resources, like money, or is it the ‘I’m invincible syndrome’? I often wonder if we just don’t love or value ourselves sufficiently. When I think back to my season as the mom of a newborn, I remember experiencing love like I had never thought was real. I did everything I knew how, to protect the tiny, helpless human that was in my care. I tried breastfeeding for months and pumped daily to no avail. Then I found the best formula I knew and changed it when I recognized that it was making him gassy. I researched and studied and read everything I could get my hands on because I so completely loved my son. There isn’t a mountain I wouldn’t have climbed or an inconvenience I wouldn’t have faced in order to ensure that he was healthy and well, and the same is true now that he’s a teenager. Why is it that I gamble with my well-being? Why do I knowingly poison myself with food? Somewhere deep in my subconscious, I think it’s okay. I’m positive that a psychologist or therapist could question me and figure out why I believe that,  but those are not my skills, so I’m determined to change that pattern of self-harming. Yes, I’m using a harsh term, but that is in reality what it is.

Starting today, I will eliminate Gluten from my diet. I know that I feel horrible when I eat gluten and I get bloated and nauseated, yet I’ve continued to consume it in abundance. Today marks a turning point, and I’m holding myself accountable to all of you. That means I can’t eat the two cinnamon rings I bought yesterday, the corn pie that my husband baked, or the whole wheat bread that’s in the refrigerator.

Without preparation I would surely be setting myself up for failure, so on my way home from work, I’ll stop at the farmers’ market and stock up on fruits and vegetables that I enjoy. My grocery list also includes eggs and gluten-free oats.

So who wants to join me? Who wants to be part of a tribe of those who love and value themselves enough to Do The Right Thing? You don’t have to start your journey today, but you have to make the decision to start or you’ll continue to procrastinate and you’ll be in the same place this time next year. Two things that Covid has taught us are: tomorrow is not promised and a year can go by in a blink. 

As you contemplate your journey, vow not to condemn yourself for setbacks, instead be determined, intentional, and present to the life-changing decision you’re making.

Whether you’re going gluten-free for a month or for life, cutting down on carbs, removing dairy from your diet, eliminating sugary treats and processed foods or deciding to go organic and GMO-free, choosing to take a nutrition supplement daily or starting a vegan diet, let’s do this together. 

Early last month, I decided to start a consistent exercise routine, so I contacted two good friends who were going to hold me accountable. Well, I’ve completed my routing daily for over a month, because I reported my activity daily. I almost missed a day, but a quick text from a friend, about my missing activity, jolted me into action.

With the support and accountability of a community, we are much more likely to succeed than if we try to do it alone.

If you’re in, join the Facebook group named ‘Focused On Nutrition’ via this link.

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Your plastic water bottles are BPA free but are they really safe. 

by Averil Bernard

These day we’re all super concerned about the dangers associated with pesticides and other chemicals. We all steer clear of styrofoam and double check that our plastic containers are BPA  (bisphenol A) free because we’ve heard that there are health risks associated with it.  We’ve thrown out our old plastic water bottles and purchased safe BPA free ones. The Big Question is, are those plastic BPA free water bottles really safe?

BPA
BPA (bisphenol-A) is a chemical compound that has been in commercial use in manufacturing since 1957.   It’s a starting material for the synthesis of plastic and has many uses. Most of us know that BPA from plastics leach into food and beverages when heated or scratched, and when consumed results in multiple health problems including an increased risk of cancer, reproductive issues, diabetes, cardiovascular problems and obesity.

The issue is that BPA is a plasicizer, and performs the very important function of making plastics more usable. Merriam-Webster (dictionary) says that a plasticizer is “a chemical added especially to rubbers and resins to impart flexibility, workability, or stretchability.” Logic says that if manufacturers eliminate BPA they need to use something else to perform it’s function.

BPA Substitutes
Well, to remedy the BPA issue manufacturers now use replacement chemicals (plasticizers) like BPS (bisphenol S), Pthalates, BPF (bisphenol F) and more recently BPSIP (4-Hydro​ xyphenyl 4-Isopro​oxyphenyl​sulfone) a derivative of BPS. The super sad thing is that these chemicals also leach into food from their containers and have been determined to be endocrine disrupters just as BPA.

Endocrine Disrupters
So what do these endocrine disrupters actually do anyway? According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, “Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife…When absorbed in the body, an endocrine disruptor can decrease or increase normal hormone levels…, mimic the body’s natural hormones…, or alter the natural production of hormones….”

A collaborative study done by Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China and University at Albany, State University of New York, University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States, has identified the fact that BPS is now found all over the world and in all environmental mediums. Alarmingly it was also noted that  the US beats all other countries in the speed of substitution of BPA with BPS. (Read a short review of the study here – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28963899# )

Additionally, a study conducted at University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal- 741235, India found that BPS alters blood homeostasis,  is a haemolysis promoting chemical and is probably a cardiac risk augmenting chemical.

More Studies
For those who need more data, click the links below to check out two studies that show the impact of BPS:
1. Done at UMASS Amherst-
Mary C. Catanese, Laura N. Vandenberg; Bisphenol S (BPS) Alters Maternal Behavior and Brain in Mice Exposed During Pregnancy/Lactation and Their Daughters, Endocrinology, Volume 158, Issue 3, 1 March 2017, Pages 516–530, https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2016-1723

2.Done at UCLA-
Wenhui Qiu, Yali Zhao, Ming Yang, Matthew Farajzadeh, Chenyuan Pan, Nancy L. Wayne. Actions of Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S on the Reproductive Neuroendocrine System During Early Development in Zebrafish. Endocrinology, 2015; en.2015-1785, https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2015-1785

Pthalates
While BPA and BPS are really terrible. I consider Pthalates to be extremely, extremely terrible because they lurk almost everywhere and we are, for the most part unaware of them.

Pthalates can be found in items like the lining of food cans, plastic plumbing pipes, nail polish, meat and dairy products from animals that have been exposed to pthalates, lubricants, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, carpet, upholstery, vehicles, toys, teethers, pacifiers, sippy cups, baby bottles and their rubber nipples, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical tubing, medical fluid bags and cash register receipts. Pthalates may also be found under the name ‘fragrance’ in shampoo, perfumes, skin moisturizer, soap, hair spray and deodorant. I included a long list so you could see how widespread pthalates are. Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive. So where else are pthalates lurking?

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), based in Atlanta, Georgia, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, lists phthalates in their ‘Toxic Substances Portal’ and states the following, “Phthalates are … typically colorless liquids used to make plastics more flexible and resilient, and are often referred to as plasticizers. Because they are not a part of the chain of chemicals (polymers) that makes up plastics, they can be released fairly easily from these products. These plastics are found in products such as toothbrushes, automobile parts, tools, toys, and food packaging. Some are also used in cosmetics, insecticides, and aspirin.”

How To Reduce Your Exposure?
It appears to me that the big issue is plastics and the leaching of these plasticizers into our food and the environment. I took some intentional steps in order to reduce my exposure:

  1. I carry my own stainless steel mug when getting hot beverages at coffee shops etc.
  2. If I choose to use the shop cup, I don’t use the plastic lid provided.
  3. I invested in a glass water bottle that’s nicely padded and I’m super careful. Nothing’s wrong with stainless steel or ceramic, glass is just my preference. This took months of research and sorting through tons of reviews.
  4. I use glass, ceramic or stainless steel dishes and containers instead of plastic containers, as much as possible.
  5. I never ever put hot foods in anything plastic, use plastic wrap to cover anything hot or microwave foods in anything plastic.
  6. I use a silicone microwave plate cover. Plate covers are also available in glass with silicone handles.
  7. I encourage friends and relatives to use glassware or ceramic bottles and containers for feeding babies. This is something my parents did.
  8. I use filtered tap water instead of water bottled in plastic. Consider how much heat those bottles of water are possibly exposed to during the journey from supplier to store.
  9. I try to avoid canned goods: I cook, package and freeze beans and vegetables for quick meal prep.
  10. I use fragrance free (pthalate free) body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent, dish detergent and degreasers.
  11. I choose items labeled phthalate-free.
  12. I avoid items with pthalate acronyms like: DHEP, DiBP, DINP, DnOP, and DIDP.

Now that you have the information, what will you choose to do with it? I recommend sharing it, but it’s totally up to you. 🙂

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For informational purposes only. Not intended as medical advice.