Just recently I was having a conversation with my sister and brother-in-law and the subject of BPA came up (Bisphenol A). We were discussing it since I am about to be an uncle for the third time : ) and they are making sure to get BPA free bottles and containers, etc.

Bisphenol A has been linked to abnormal reproductive development and shown to disrupt the hormonal system which can potentially lead to brain damage, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and the list goes on. My bro-in-law was saying how it is a very well known fact about baby products and BPA. Well. I am unmarried and male, so naturally I am not paying attention to baby stuff… except health articles that pop up. And such was the case.

The issue has become even more in the public eye the past year and the state of Minnesota banned the use of BPA in food containers intended for children 3 and younger.

Personally, I haven’t addressed this issue and I am going to. That is probably why I am writing this right now. But isn’t it strange how these types of things make us feel? Maybe it is just me, but it is kind of a bum out, you know? For example, one of the worst offenders of BPA leaching is from highly acidic foods… like tomatoes. While I do not eat canned foods because, first of all, I think they taste bad, but also they are more processed and fresh food is nutritionally superior, well, what I do buy is organic whole tomatoes and occasionally organic canned black beans (usually I buy most of my beans dried in bulk).

After so many years of doing something it is a bummer when you realize certain things. I realize that most people will not change unless they see their need. They will not think they need something until they find themselves in a desperate situation. We all are like that… we will not seek that which is good until we are faced with dire straits. Well I am changing because of previous dire straits and I learned my lesson. I learned that it is much easier to change when you are not in dire straits than when you are.

Sometimes many of the traditions that we grow up with or personal habits that we have accumulated are things that are not very healthy for us mentally or physically… and we are just ignorant of it. Then, when we are faced with a confrontation about it, our pride is hurt. The pride of it makes change all the more difficult. It’s like when I made the change from Teflon coated pans… ok, maybe not… that was pretty easy.

I grew up eating and making homemade tomato sauce. Oh. Bother. Tomato sauce is my problem.

There are good options available. I like how the president of Eden Foods has been proactive in their approach and they (at a higher cost) have BPA free cans for everything but their tomatoes. Also, you can look for glass jars, like Luccini, which happen to be very expensive : ). BUT, the best option is to make it fresh and also have some excellent tomatoes from the summer stored away for winter (frozen or jarred). Not too long ago, my sister gave me some fresh homegrown tomatoes that she had peeled and frozen and they made some of the best sauce I have had yet. They were bursting with flavor. Bursting I tell you. So I am going to experiment a little more with that and see what I can do. And as canned tomatoes seem to be my most formidable BPA opponent, they’re going down.

It seems rather easy to avoid the ills of processed food by eating fresh food and if processing needs to be done, do it yourself. Who woulda thunk it? But then again, who has the time, who has the time.

Some additional reading regarding the issue:
Tests Find WIDE Range of Bisphenol A in Canned Soups, Juice, and More
Drinking From Plastic Raises BPA Levels 70 percent
BPA in canned food awaits FDA decision

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a customer at Whole Foods Market. We were talking about detoxification. Most people do not have a very good idea of the process or the problem.

Growing up in the world that we currently live in has put us into contact with all sorts of dangerous things that our fearfully and wonderfully made bodies take in and deal with as best they can… many times to our long term detriment. Substances like PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls), nitrates and nitrites, fake sugars (aspartame, splenda), and heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium have been in products we have eaten, slathered on our bodies, shampooed with, or put on our fingernails (yeah girls… there is some pretty toxic fingernail polish out there).

Our body many times responds by storing these toxins in fat cells in order to minimize their impact on the body. Many people don’t realize that the cellulite that they can’t get rid of or the reason they have certain accentuated body parts with fat is due to the stored toxins. If you ever watch people you were friends with from an early age and watch them get worse and worse in their diets… just watch what happens to their body. Yeah, not pretty…. I know… I have seen it.

So how can we get rid of all of these toxins from all these years? Well, some things are easy and others are not. Due to the nature of our dynamic bodies, everyone is different. However, there are some major things that can be done. Fundamental things that are cornerstone’s of detoxifying. The first being water.

Most people do not realize the power that water has to eliminate toxins and even cellulite. Toxins come out in all sorts of ways, through the pores, through sweat, through urination, through defecation (ok, poop), through the nose, through the eyes, and, well… basically through all sorts of openings on your body. Water, if you haven’t noticed, aids in all of these processes. Ahem.

The type of water is important as well. Water treated through reverse osmosis is good for this cause because it is completely free of, well, everything, and therefore it dissolves toxins, as well as good minerals from your body and helps eliminate them. I do not like reverse osmosis for continued use due to the fact that it is dead water… if you will. I prefer water that has naturally occurring minerals, has naturally reduced ionization (not electrically induced), and increased solubility. Basically a mountain spring. There is a filter that does the same thing which I have mentioned before called the wellness filter. Of course these are optimal solutions in water. A good carbon filter will go a long way for most people. Making it a point to drink more water and to sweat regularly is a good step in detoxifying with water.

The next fundamental may seem obvious, but so many people don’t do it: Stop eating or ingesting or absorbing toxic chemicals… the ones that you can control. Seek out foods and products that do not have toxic, fake, artificial substances in them. It doesn’t matter if you put it on your skin or in your mouth. Pay attention to what is in it. That means READ the label and know what it is. If you don’t know what it is then don’t buy it… go find out what it is first and then make a more informed purchase.

The next fundamental is to consume healthy foods. Of course this is very broad. In fact this whole blog is about eating healthy foods. So everything from healthy fats and oils to healthy dairy to healthy meats to healthy grains to healthy fruits and vegetables. In addition, seek foods that have specific detoxifying abilities such as chlorella, spirulina, and cilantro.

The next fundamental is to realize the importance of digestion and your gut. It would be an excellent practice to make sure you are taking some sort of probiotics every day. Yes, every day. Everyday. Every day. Ok, I am done messing. Whether it be a supplement probiotic or you get them through naturally fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, ginger ale, new wine, and on and on… you can even get probiotics from gardening. I just thought of yogurt… and yes you can get good bacteria from yogurt, but most yogurt in the store is not very good because the milk is not high enough quality and it is pasteurized… not to mention the sugar.

So those are some food based things outside of exercise that you can do, which will not only aid your body in detoxing, but will also help you lose weight, inches, cup sizes, rolls, your big butt, your triple chin, and years of potentially life threatening, cancer causing substances… now who wouldn’t want to detox? Me me… sign me up!

Out. For now.

Woa. It has been a while since I have last blogged. I shall have to remedy that this week.

On to what prompted me to write just now.

I want you to check out this article that was on NaturalNews.com. It is crazy.

It talks about a company called Senomyx which has contracts with Kraft, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup and more. They have developed chemicals that trick your brain into thinking something is more salty or sweet than it really is. That way, companies can use less sugar or salt and you will not notice the difference in taste.

Even worse, companies do not have to tell you the ingredients. They can just put it under the “artificial flavors” category. Good thing I don’t buy anything with artificial flavors (or anything artificial for that matter).

It’s crazy what people are selling as food. I don’t think the government needs to get more involved. I do think YOU need to get more involved. I do think companies need to truthfully state all of the ingredients that are in their products (which has already taken government involvment).

I will see you soon… well… write you soon.