Because Your Baby's Worth It

And your baby's baby, and your future generations to come.

If you have been following this blog for awhile, you know that I do not support GMO (genetically modified), pesticides, toxins, even Monsanto.  However, the more I learn, the more I am realizing that although those are definite problems, the everyday toxins that are around us are also a big issue.  And that issue, it sounds, is getting bigger. Not to mention, cancer, obesity, fertility problems are only increasing, not decreasing.

For women, especially pregnant women or women in their child-baring years, this is even more important because we carry the next generation.  There is no mother in this world who would want anything less, that her baby would have the best possible chance of growing up healthy.

[This is going to be a sobering post, so read on if you are ready for it.]  According to an article (sourced below), scientists are becoming increasingly worried that even extremely low levels of some environmental contaminants may have significant damaging effects on our bodies, especially fetuses.  And the problem is that some of the chemicals interfere with our hormonal systems (or endocrine systems) that control our weight, biorhythms, and our reproduction.

Synthetic hormones are used quite often when dealing with the doctor. Steroid shots, drugs to alleviate menopausal symptoms, birth control, etc.  Some taken every once in awhile, but others, not so once in awhile.

Add to that exposure, perhaps what one may have encountered this morning on a run.  Breathing in pesticide laden lawns (and remember, you can't see the pesticides), then going to Starbucks and drinking the plasticizers from the tea cup (I think I will be limiting this habit from now on), and getting exposed to the wide array of ingredients used to perfume the soap and enhance the performance of the shampoo and moisturizer.  And do this day after day, week after week.  These repeated activities don't stay at "low" level exposures in the long run.

Some laboratory studies in mice, and some human subjects, have found that low level endocrine-disrupting chemicals induce subtle changes in developing fetus, having a significant effect in adulthood.

The EPA and FDA are responsible for banning dangerous chemicals and for overseeing food and drug testing.  Scientists and clinicians are concerned their efforts have been lacking, and techniques and methods of analysis for toxicology testing have not kept up since they were developed in the 1950s.

But the scientists haven't been quiet.  Professional societies representing more than 40,000 scientists wrote a letter to the FDA and EPA offering their expertise.  I hope the government will listen and respond.  As an average US citizen who wants to live healthy and be disease free, I want to be supportive of such research and efforts.  My future babies are worth it.


Source: Toxins All Around Us by Patricia Hunt, Professor of Genetics at Washington State University

Rotten Food -- You Want It

I have a theory -- if the food rots, it’s a good thing. 

I like grapes.  I also like tomatoes.  If you remember back in the early 1990s, if you (or your mom) went to the grocery store and grapes were in season, you would buy them, store them in the refrigerator, and after about 1 week, if you hadn’t finished them, they would have moldy stems and start to rot.  Today in 2010, I go to Costco, I buy their premium packaged grapes, store them in the refrigerator, and two weeks later, wow, they still look pretty perky…eerily perky. 

Call it genetically modified or laden with pesticides, conventional food today is WAY different from food our grandparents used to eat -- WWII somewhat marks the change.  Toxins and pesticides that were created in and for that war creeped into our food supply, increasing yields to feed the world but causing unknown impact on our bodies, our children's bodies and future genetics.

So, what’s my test?  If the food rots in my refrigerator after a few days or a week, it’s one good sign.  Not to say that just because food rots it must be good for you, but rather pesticide sprayed food usually takes longer to decompose, and the breakdown is not as moldy, crusty or slimy (hope you are not reading this over a meal!).  If you haven’t seen this, Morgan Spurlock (from the movie Super Size Me) tests McDonald’s burgers, fries and the rate at which it rots.  Take a look if you haven’t seen it before, and for those who have, it’s a good reminder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-ljW5YEdao&feature=related