Sunscreen safety and new FDA rulings

Earlier this month the FDA finally produced a report that was promised over 30 years ago, talking about the safety and recommendations for sunscreen products and their labeling and active ingredients. Unfortunately, it looks like the rulings are a little bit on the slack side when it comes to ingredient safety, as they simply gave a blanket ruling that current sunscreen ingredients are safe.

We know this to be somewhat untrue, as there are significant free-radical and hormone disruptor concerns with several VERY common ingredients. In fact, one major set of studies done by the Environmental Working Group has shown that as many as 65% of the sunscreen products on the market today contain a very harmful ingredient, oxybenzone. Oxybenzone can cause allergic reactions, is a potential hormone disruptor and penetrates the skin in relatively large quantities.

The major upside to the new FDA rulings are in the revised labeling and testing standards they have added. Major companies have 1 year to implement the new standards which will completely disallow terms like "waterproof" "sweatproof" and "sunblock" as these claims are impossible, and lead to consumer misuse of the products. They will also not allow any sunscreen product to claim a length of use of more than two hours without re-application.

Also, testing will be required to demonstrate the products ability to use the term "multi-spectrum" which indicates that they are covering both UVA and UVB wavelengths. UVB is the primary protection provided by the SPF term, which stands for Sun Protection Factor. UVB rays cause sunburns. UVA spectrum rays are the ones responsible for skin cancers and long term aging damage to the skin. Both are really needed to be safe in the sun.

For those of you who would rather not apply toxins or estrogen disrupting compounds to your skin, there are some products and ingredients that are much safer. Look for products that DO NOT contain Oxybenzone, but one of the safer compounds like Avobenzone (3% is the recommended safe level). The other way to go is with a mineral based creme, like titanium oxide or zinc oxide.

In the 1980s, titanium or zinc oxide products were a thick white creme that many people would not tolerate. Today, most mineral sunscreen products use nanoparticle form of the minerals that go on almost clear. The safety studies on nano-sized titanium and zinc are showing that there are very low levels of absorption into the skin, and the UVA/UVB safety levels are so good that its worth that low risk.

For information on sunscreen products and their ingredients you can visit the EWG's 2011 Sun Safety site

The EWG also maintains a general product safety database that you should be aware of called Skin Deep. Skin Deep contains thousands of personal care products and safety ratings on them and their active ingredients. Check it out, it can help you with your safety choices when it comes to the stuff you smear on your body, face and children.

Finally, some national level guidelines on Formaldehyde, the carcinogen!

The state of Washington has had laws on the books about formaldehyde for some time, but at the national level we have lagged behind. Just updated, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the 12th Report on Carcinogens on June 10, 2011. This report officially classifies Formaldehyde as a human carcinogen.

Most people think of formaldehyde as a preservative used in the embalming process (yeah, that's for dead people), but the astonishing fact about this deadly chemical is that it is present in a simply mind boggling number of our personal care products, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, baby products, and beauty products!

I personally am very careful about what products and manufacturers I choose for my home and body. Pay close attention to the labels, and actually look up some of the ingredients on the internet. You will find names like Quaternium 15, which is one of more than 35 different industry names for Formaldehyde. Here is a list, not necessarily a complete one, of some other trade names you will find in your products that are actually just formaldehyde in disguise.

Synonyms, Trade names: Formic acid aldehyde, formalin, methyl aldehyde, oxomethane, methyleneoxide, oxymethylene, formyl hydrate, Formol, Fannoform, BFV, Formalith, Ivalon, Lysoform, Morbicid, Superslysoform, Tannosynt, Antverruc, Sandovac, Vobaderin

If you know of others, please feel free to comment and include the trade name and the product you found it in. I am so glad there is finally a federal establishment recognizing this cancer causing substance as dangerous. Stand with me in refusing to use products that contain cancer!

For something YOU can do to help, check the link on the right to the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families organization. They are supporting the Safer Chemicals Act of 2010, which is fighting for stronger laws to support the safety of our consumer products.

Charcoal and grilling, well-done with extra cancer please!

A good friend was recently trying to decide on his barbeque method of choice. He preferred the taste of charcoal, but I suggested the ease of propane was the way to go.

He eventually went with propane, but not because it is easier. It turns out that charcoal cooking is directly linked to a few carcinogenic substances from flare-ups that splatter on the meat. They are called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and they are associated with higher risks of stomach cancer. In addition to the problems caused by charcoal, it turns out there are large health risks with cooking meat in many different methods.

This prompted me to research what all of this is about. First off, red meat consumption has been linked to higher levels of stomach and gastrointestinal cancer. This isn’t news exactly, but the reasons for it are related to compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCA), which are produced during the cooking of meat.

Heterocyclic amines are mutagenic and are classified as carcinogens. It is now widely accepted that exposure to these meat carcinogens and HCAs increases the risk of human cancer. In fact the research supporting this connection has been published and verified for YEARS. It’s OLD news. But still, we continue to cook our red meat over charcoal as if we were immortal, as if cancer was someone else’s problem.

There are 4 primary factors in the production of HCA from cooking meat.
- Type of meat
- Level of heat
- Cooking method
- Cooking time

The biggest factor seems to be high temperature cooking. Some studies are showing as much as a 3x increase in HCA production just by doing something as simple as increasing from 200° degrees to 250°, even when cooking for a shorter period.

The next biggest is cooking time. Using the same heat level, but habitually extending the cooking time from Rare or MR to Well Done can increase the risk of stomach cancer by triple! Even meats cooked using relatively safer techniques like baking or pan frying have higher levels of HCA when cooked to “welldone” status.

BBQ, broiling and deepfrying are some of the most “dangerous” methods of meat cooking. Baking and pan frying produce fewer HCA, even at the same temp levels. Stewing and boiling and poaching are done at or below 100°C and produce significantly fewer HCA.

What can we do about it?
Well, for starters, stop using charcoal grills. The additional cancer risks are simply not worth it, not to mention the fact that they release those same hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. Many of us are attempting to reduce our carbon footprint, and eliminating charcoal grilling is a great step for that.

Next, rethink your stance on welldone meats. The small risk of a food bourne illness such as food poisoning or ecoli is a small one compared to the long term tripling of stomach cancer risk. Make sure the internal temperature of the meat rises to the recommended safe cooking temp, but don’t let it stay longer.

Some studies have shown that microwaving the meats before grilling can kill some of the mutagenic precursors, reducing the HCA production when they are finally grilled. In fact, meat that was microwaved for 2 minutes prior to grilling showed a 90% reduction in HCA.
Since HCAs are mutagenics, they can be combatted with anti-oxidants. Using a marinade with ingredients such as cherries, garlic, virgin olive oil, and things that are high in anti-oxidants like wines and grape seed extracts can reduce the HCA production as well. But not traditional BBQ sauces, with their tomato solids and sugars, they seem to INCREASE HCA production.

Other techniques suggested by the USDA include removing visible fat before grilling and cutting off charred portions before serving.

To date, no formal studies have been done to establish daily recommended safe levels of HCA consumption. The cautious and health conscious person will want to limit them as much as possible, as much as we try to prevent other forms of carcinogens from entering our bodies.

Massive corporate coverup? you decide.

FOR HIRE: Child Poisoner!

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Toxic Waste Dumper

WANTED IMMEDIATE OPENING: Landfill Abuser

MULTIPLE POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Disease Spreader, Agent of Illness

You have probably never seen job postings like the ones above. What awful jobs! Who would even want them? The terrible social stigma of accepting such a position would likely scare good law abiding folk to death. Even an evil person that might seek out the job of “Toxic Waste Dumper” would hide it, and/or want huge sums of payment to compensate their wrecked consciences.

But what if I were to tell you there are many people filling all of these roles today? What if millions of people were being fooled into accepting these positions unwillingly? What if major corporations in America have found a legal way to offload these responsibilities to people all over the country?

Every day these unwitting agents dispose of toxic materials in their own communities, their own homes and workplaces. These legally duped people poison themselves, their families, and their co-workers, most of whom are also taken up in this complicated scheme of environmentally disastrous chicanery. And they are not paid huge conscience soothing salaries to do so.

If fact, they do it because they have been deceived and brainwashed. These huge corporations spend billions of dollars each year to recruit new agents to this program, to increase the rate at which these materials are distributed and disposed, to continue the propaganda that allows these programs of environmental destruction to continue unabated. Plainly speaking, this is a profit center for these immense companies! They make billions of dollars from the very people who are absorbing their toxins, distributing the corporate waste, consuming their poisons and filling local landfills with non-biodegradable waste collected from around the globe.

So… why? How can this be legal, the reader should be asking themselves? How can companies profit from such a massive national campaign of toxicity and mayhem?

The simple fact is that these companies are not dodging laws, not breaking laws, not doing anything illegal whatsoever. In fact the “unwitting agents” are nothing of the sort.

These people are conscious and purposeful consumers of products from major international corporations like Johnson and Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, Lever Brothers, a large number of cosmetics companies and a massive cast of others. The toxins? Just ingredients as far as the law is concerned.

The current legislation that protects customers and consumers of these products is almost non-existent. There are over 80,000 chemicals and compounds being utilized in personal care, cleaning and cosmetics products we as Americans consume, and fewer than 20% of them have ever been tested for safety. Some of them are known carcinogens, reproductive or neuro-toxins, or linked to respiratory diseases like asthma, yet since they don’t have to prove they are safe, we the American people are the test monkeys. Current law requires that chemicals be proven to be unsafe before they are legally restricted, and the burden of that proof lies on the FDA and EPA and the public.
With hazardous chemicals, it should be guilty until proven safe, not the other way around. And to be perfectly frank part of the responsibility for this problem lies firmly on our own shoulders. We need to act more carefully, and choose to purchase our products from companies with a proven track record of environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility. Know what the ingredients in your products are, and what they are doing to you and your families. Often ingredients will be listed under a “trade name”, which is just another name for a harmful ingredient that you may not immediately recognize. For example, the chemical formaldehyde is sold under at least 30 different trade names, and is a VERY common ingredient in shampoos, conditioners, lotions and even BABY products. Yet formaldehyde has been shown to be a carcinogen. A carcinogen in products targeted for babies? You better believe it.

Don’t fall for advertising claims whose sole purpose is to make you buy their product. Even products that are supposedly “green” or “natural” or “organic” may not be! Those words have no legal binding on a product label, unless they are backed by a known and scientifically proven claim.

Often “Green” products, (sometimes even accurately labeled ones!) are produced by a different division in that same huge corporation that is harming the environment with their old product line. Don’t give your support to a company that sells safe and unsafe products of the same type. Buy from companies that specialize and only sell safe products produced sustainably and with environmental impacts in mind.


And now to promote a few great sites and initiatives.

First, the Safe Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition(permanent link on the right). Recently they have been joined by Jessica Alba as they champion the cause of safer chemicals and product safety. They are promoting the 2011 Safer Chemicals Act, which seeks to bring stronger legislation in place to protect consumers from known harmful chemicals and enforce testing requirements on current and future chemicals and compounds used in our products.

Next, The Story of Stuff(see links on the right). This site has a series of short films about the consumer product lifecycle, and how “stuff” is made, consumed and disposed of. I especially recommend the films “The Story of Stuff” and “The Story of Cosmetics” for product safety information. There is now a book by the same name, which goes to a greater depth of detail about the materials and manufacturing product lifecycle from raw materials to the dump.

The Toxies - Worst actor awards for chemicals and toxins

Sadly enough, many people in our country would rather spend their time learning about the latest gossip or hot rumor about a movie star, actor, celebrity, or just people who are famous for being famous. (You know who you are, Paris Hilton)

That's why the people over at CHANGE (Californians for a Health and Green Economy) and Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles (PSR-LA) have been holding the Toxies. A parody award show for bad actor chemicals, modeled after your favorite awards shows, but highlighting the hazardous chemicals and toxins in use in our daily personal care products and household cleaners.

Meet the nominees for the 2011 Toxies awards!

- most washed-up: triclosan

- super hot mess: halogenated flame retardant

- worst special effects: perchlorate

- worst chemical body burden: dioxin

- least sexy performance: bisphenol-a

- worst replacement actor in a series: methyl iodide

- worst hair-raising performance: formaldehyde

- worst and longest running performance: mercury

- lifetime achievement in harm: lead

At least one more bad actor to be nominated soon. Please support the organizations that are attempting to limit the use of these chemicals and toxins in your products.

If you are looking for a way to help, you could sign the petition to support safe cosmetics legislation (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics) or ask your representative to co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families)

Food bank and health

Tuesday morning I followed through on a decision I made to give a little back to the community. I've been thinking for quite a while about how to contribute my time to some volunteer organization, and I finally got the information and did it. I visited Second Harvest Food Bank on Monday to chat with them about the process of volunteering, when I could participate, etc.

It was ridiculously easy. There are volunteer shifts twice each day, including weekends. The morning shift is from 8am to 11am, and the afternoon shift is noon to 3pm. You show up, they put you to work, simple as can be.

I decided to take on the morning shift for my first visit of what I intend to be a weekly endeavor. When I arrived there were several other people there volunteering. They ranged from older retirees to younger folks my age. When I told them why I was there, the gentleman handling the process seemed a tiny bit surprised that I wasn't there to work for food or to satisfy a court ordered sentence.

We were put to work, assembly line fashion. First we assembled big bags of vegetables and produce. Potatoes, onions, carrots, apples, oranges and brocolli all went into a large fishnet style bag. We did that for almost two hours until we had finished the "job", filling I think it was around 160 bags.

Following that, we assembled a mixed bag of groceries. A box of oat cereal, a can of peas, 4 containers of applesauce, some bags of almonds, and a few granola bars. These were then grouped up into boxes of 3-4 bag and stacked on a pallet. I estimate that we created somewhere between 120 and 180 of these bags for a couple of different jobs, stacks of food destined for different organizations and non-profits that would distribute them further.

It was a happy environment, it seemed like there was a core of regular volunteers and everyone seemed to know most everyone else. I spoke with a few different people, one of whom told me he had been volunteering there for 8 years.

As for my time, it was well spent. I was busy, I was active, I was working hard, and I was making a difference to someone's life. I also got a serious workout, and my upper body was sore from the lifting and sorting and hauling.

I was also pleasantly surprised to note that the vast majority of the items we worked with were healthy food choices. It's good to know that we are providing food that will really nourish and sustain the hungry children of our area, and not just stuffing cakes and pastries at them.

We're the government, we're here to help!

Yeah, right!

It seems like the government is always interfering with things better left alone, or meddling where they don't belong. At the beginning of the year, the U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. By law, they are required to review and possibly update the guidelines every 5 years.

Well, they updated it all right. It seems we have been given some faulty information in past guidelines, such that they are taking the drastic measures of providing us with such valuable tidbits as "Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight." and "focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages."

Oh really government? We should eat right all the time, and do it with nutrient-dense foods? I believe that this set of guidelines probably was delivered to the USDA from the U.S Department of Stating the Obvious. But at least they finally are getting it right.

For years we have been told to eat a daily mix containing a large amount of wheat and flour based items that are now being downplayed. Research in recent years has shown that processed foods and refined grains are lacking in the nutrients that their original component foods contain. The act of refining and processing these items, like sugar and white flour, has almost completely removed any nutritional value.

One of the interesting sections describes the current top sources of calories in American diets by category. It's truly horrific to note how children get the majority of their caloric intake.

For example, the number one category of caloric intake of kids age 2-18 is grain based desserts, which includes cake, cookies, pie, cobbler, sweet rolls, pastries, and donuts. This is followed directly by pizza and sodas.

Fortunately, the guidelines also include the ultimate importance of physical exercise in the caloric balance equation, shows sodium intake levels needing to decrease, and actually recognizes the differences between saturated, monosaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.

All in all, it looks like a massive improvement over previous nutritional guidelines, so all kidding aside.... Good work government.

The amazing power of dietary fiber

MISCONCEPTIONS
Let us first address the most common misconceptions about fiber. It's just for old people, and it just makes you "regular".

So it's not that these statements are completely untrue. Fiber IS good for the elderly. Fiber DOES have a good effect on bowel regularity. However, it's much much more than just those things, so much more than most people understand.

The current system for describing fiber uses two terms, soluble and insoluble. Scientists and nutrition experts are in the process of proposing new terms that more accurately describe fiber impact in the body, with the terms "viscous" and "ferment-able". Soluble (or viscous) types included things such as oat bran, and are known to reduce blood cholesterol levels and assist with normalizing blood sugar levels.

Insoluble (or ferment-able)types include things like wheat bran, and help with bowel regularity. Some fiber sources contain both types. There is one herb which contains 70% soluble and 30% insoluble called psyllium. It is regarded worldwide as one of the best sources of heart-healthy soluble fiber. It is typically labelled as psyllium husk or psyllium fiber in nutritional supplements that incorporate it.

A study published in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) in 1999 concluded

"Fiber consumption predicted insulin levels, weight gain, and other CVD risk factors more strongly than did total or saturated fat consumption. High-fiber diets may protect against obesity and CVD by lowering insulin levels."

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted on men with Type 2 diabetes and mildly elevated cholesterol levels found that those who received 5.1g of psyllium fiber twice daily for 8 weeks had lowered their serum cholesterol levels by 8.9% and their LDL cholesterol level by 13%.

So these studies, and many others, show that daily fiber intake can have a major impact on systemic health in the body, in the digestive system and in the circulatory system.

Let's take a look at HOW fiber accomplishes these important feats.

Reduction of Cholesterol Levels
Viscous fibers help lower the serum cholesterol levels by reducing the intestinal absorption of dietary cholesterol. They also "soak" up bile in the digestive system, forcing the liver to use more cholesterol to produce new bile.

Normalize Blood Sugar
Viscous fibers assist with blood sugar levels by slowing the digestive process and the rate at which food leaves the stomach, and delaying the absorption of glucose following a meal. They also increase insulin sensitivity. Thus increased fiber intake can participate in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Also, since fiber keeps food in the stomach longer, you feel satiated or full longer, which can assist with problems associated with weight gain and overeating.

Bowel Regularity
Contrary to popular belief, fiber is not just "roughage". Fiber does help to bulk up stool production, but that is not the only way that fiber benefits regularity. Fermentable fibers act as food for the healthy culture of bacteria that live in the gut and assist with the digestive process. These healthy bacteria produce necessary short-chain fatty acids, but they also play an important role in the immune system by preventing pathogenic bacteria from surviving the intestinal tract.

Exactly opposite to the way that fiber keeps food in the stomach longer, non-fermentable fiber increases the speed at which waste travels through the intestinal system, and keeps the whole system cleaner and assists with the removal of toxins through the bowels. Bowel regularity is linked with a decreased risk for colon cancer and hemorrhoids.

There are several categories of Dietary fiber.

- Cellulose, found in apples, peas, bran, cabbage
- Hemicellulose, found in bran and whole grains
- Polyfructoses, Inulin and Oligofructans
- Galactooligosaccharides
- Gums, found in oatmeal, barley and legumes
- Mucilages
- Pectins, apples, strawberries and citrus
- Lignin, root veggies, wheat, and fruits with edible seeds
- Resistant starches, ripe bananas, potatoes

Recommendations for daily consumption

The National Academy of Sciences established an Adequate Intake level of 38 grams for males 19-50 and 25 grams for women 19-50. The average intake is less than half those amounts.

Supplementation, how to do it right! Perfect Health Step 4

I really enjoyed this latest installment of The Healthy Skeptic's Perfect Health articles. It talks all about supplementation, the reasons we should do it correctly, and the dangers of doing it WRONG!

One thing that Chris did not really touch on is some fairly new science on the effects of the various multi-vitamin mineral structures. Studies are showing that some mineral forms (sulfates and gluconates) cause increased free radical production in the intestines, as well as being less soluble and available for the body to absorb. Chris correctly identifies that the AAC mineral forms (amino acid chelate) are better, but clearly hasn't been advised about AAOS mineral forms (amino acid oligosaccharide) that entered the market in 2008.

In November 2010 the Nutrition Journal published a study that shows the different rates of free radical production using each of the 4 mineral forms that are found in multi-vitamin/mineral supplements today. WARNING: This publication contains THICK science, so I will do a brief layman's summary right here. Of the four mineral forms, the sulfates and gluconates produced 4x and 3x as many free radicals as the AAOS form. The AAC form produced 2x as many free radicals as the AAOS form, making the oligosaccharide minerals the clear winner! (footnote, Centrum uses oxide mineral forms, which are worse than any of the four forms represented in the study. They are so bad they didn't even choose to represent oxide minerals in the study. Some previous studies have shown the oxidation rate of oxide forms vs. AAOS forms to be up to 6x however.)

To briefly summarize, free radicals are naturally occurring particles that are malformed, generally because they are missing an electron. These happen within the body as a result of many natural processes like breathing, muscle movement, and digestion. Our body fights these free radicals through the use of anti-oxidants, the ACES (Vitamin A, C, E, and Selenium) primarily. Free radicals have been linked in medical studies to a wide variety of modern chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers, aging, Crone's disease, you name it. We don't need extra free radicals pumping into our bodies if we can possibly avoid it.

When synthetic forms of minerals enter the intestinal track, they crystallize. This makes the minerals almost entirely non-absorptive and also triggers the rapid production of free radicals.

Another thing Chris touches on is that it is almost impossible to get enough of certain nutrients just by eating normal foods, even organic foods. The correct proportions of those nutrients are simply hard to come by, for many reasons. One is that we as a general population are lazy and rely on processed foods, fast foods, and those just don't have the right stuff in them. Another reason is that our farm soils are depleted and mineral deficient. Even the RIGHT foods don't have as much nutrition in them as they once did, and our cross-country shipping of them further depletes the value of those foods, as they are harvested green and unripe to keep them from rotting, handled roughly and stored in dark spaces.

So check out the latest installment of 9 Steps to Perfect Health by Chris Kresser at the Healthy Skeptic. Let me know in the comments below if this information was valuable.

9 Steps to Perfect Health – #4: Supplement Wisely

Previous articles:
- 9 Steps To Perfect Health – #1: Don’t Eat Toxins
- 9 Steps to Perfect Health – #2: Nourish Your Body
- 9 Steps to Perfect Health – #3: Eat Real Food

My Crossfit trial, and very sore muscles

I attended the free beginner session at the local crossfit gym this last saturday. I'm just now getting over the sore muscles from what was advertised to me as a "toned down, less aggresive for the beginners" workout.

I arrived on time, and fell in with about 40-50 total people there for the session. We started off with a little pep talk, and some preparatory information about what we would be doing. The coach had us split up into groups of 5-7 people, and our very first workout item was a 400 meter run throwing 14 and 20 pound medicine balls around our group. This was fairly light, and not too much trouble.

When we got back from the run, we practiced doing squats while throwing the medicine balls around our group. The squats probably did the most damage to me from a lasting soreness viewpoint.

Next we did an 800 meter run with one set of 35 pound hand barbells per group. Single file line, the first guy in line does a farmers carry of the weights, but there is a catch. You only hold the weights for as long as you can hold your breath, then you put them down and pass them to the next in line. That was brutal. I'm not much of a runner normally, but when you add 70 pounds of weight and holding the breath, WOW.

When we were done with the weighted breath holding run, we headed back inside to learn "kipping pullups". Traditional pullups you hold your body still, underneath the pullup bar, then pull straight up. With kipping pullups, there is a swinging body motion that gets your entire frame up and when you do the pullup, its almost as if you are already horizontal to the bar, followed immediately by a "pushup" off the bar to keep the body swinging motion going.

We did a few of those, then they taught the correct form and motions for an Olympic power clean and jerk lift. No weight, just a PVC pipe, to show the correct body motions.

Then I had to cut out for another appointment, so I didn't even get to participate in the actual workout of the day, which included a 15 minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible) of a couple activities including the kipping pullups and the power c&j lifts.

I was very impressed with the people and leadership there, and I am definitely going to be back for another saturday session before I make any decisions about a membership.

Fascinating science of nutrition, must read!

A bit ago I linked to the first couple of posts in the 9 part series by Chris Kresser, 9 Steps to Perfect Health. He has since produced two more segments, and the information in them blows me away! These are absolute required reading for anyone concerned with optimal health and nutrition.

First Chris explains the basics of nutrition as we have been taught for years, then destroys everything we know by explaining the deeper truth, in 9 Steps to Perfect Health – #2: Nourish Your Body

He then proceeds to explain in great detail the reason that our "diets" and the recommendations given by the government have been all wrong all along. Processed foods and even foods we have been convinced are healthy for us contain too many of the wrong kinds of nutrients, and not enough of the right kind. He then goes on the explain the scientific reasons we should be buying local and organic produce, not from the typical hippy-dippy love-in perspective, but with real facts and the science to back it up. In 9 Steps to Perfect Health – #3: Eat Real Food Chris is taking on the establishment and he has some very convincing facts to back him up.

I CANNOT wait to see what segments 4-9 have to offer, but with the way Mr. Kresser has scored with his first 3 segments of the 9 part article, it is sure to excite me further.

LINKS:
- 9 Steps To Perfect Health – #1: Don’t Eat Toxins
- 9 Steps to Perfect Health – #2: Nourish Your Body
- 9 Steps to Perfect Health – #3: Eat Real Food

Can nutrition help you quit smoking?

A close friend of mine recently decided he would quit smoking, after years and years of, er, um, not quitting?

I'm very excited for him, and I wish there was more I could do to assist him. However, speaking realistically, its completely up to him. It's his mental state that is most important, and no amount of cajoling, harassment, persuading, or pleading is likely to make any difference.

However, because I wish him everything good, I want to offer this first hand account from someone who has been successful. It also lists some of the positive effects of making that quitting decision and commitment, physical effects that will be seen over time. Here are a couple of them, copied from the link above.

8 HOURS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE

-Carbon monoxide level drops to normal

-Oxygen level increases to normal

48 HOURS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE

-Nerve endings start regrowing

-Ability to smell and taste enhanced

A green quiz, and a green home tour!

How green are you? According to Practically Green, you can take their quiz and find out, along with some customized "greener" steps and plans to help you achieve those goals.

I recently took the quiz myself, and discovered that I am "Pretty Green" scoring a 5 out of a possible 10 on their rating scale. Check it out, and see what they suggest for you.

One of the ways I was surprisingly green was in my choice of environmentally friendly and health safe personal care products. Many products have chemicals you wouldn't expect!

Check out this very interesting visual home app, which shows you where some hidden dangers lurk in an easy virtual tour of a typical home!

My personal fitness path

Over the years, I have had various interests that have resulted in keeping me at some level of general fitness and health. These have included doubles grass volleyball, bicycling, rock climbing/bouldering, snowboarding, hiking, yoga, Zumba and occasionally some level of typical gym activity. I still enjoy all of these things, but I don't get to do any of them as often as I once did.

So I am embarking on my next journey into fitness. I have found that traditional gym work doesn't do much for me. It makes me feel good, and there is some comfort that I am "doing the right thing". However, from a results perspective, I am just not seeing the ending I want. I am closing quickly on 40 years and 215 pounds. At 5'10" this puts me into a category I would rather not be in.

The path I am currently examining is Crossfit. I've done a bit of research into the methods, culture and results of Crossfitters, and it looks very promising. There is actually a well established CF gym just 3 blocks from my house, which almost makes it too easy. I hope to be able to document my progress as things move forward with that. I haven't made a commitment to do CF just yet, but I did stop in at the gym and talk with several of the guys there yesterday.

It was a very interesting conversation. They told me that it was somewhat cult-like, which I take to mean an insular community feel. They claimed the intensity is addictive and the results help them professionally... most of them are firemen locally.

I intend to pop over for a couple of free and/or introductory classes this coming week. We will see how things go!

Starting stats for me:
Weight 212
BMI: 30.3
activity level: I have been doing an hour of Arc training machine 2-3 times per week for 3 weeks now.

Research continues to link unsafe chemicals to chronic diseases

Some very important research was recently published by the The Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center that continues to expose links between chronic diseases and environmental exposures, especially to chemicals found in every day products!

http://bit.ly/e7UI4b

Many products that people think of as safe or even healthy are being shown to contain ingredients such as phthalates, things as simple as cosmetics, plastic toys, even perfumes, lotions or shampoos.

Because exposure to phthalates in the environment is ubiquitous, the potential for public health impact of exposure to phthalates might be great. The researchers state that preventive measures to limit exposure to phthalates during pregnancy may be warranted should their findings be verified.

This type of groundbreaking research just holds up the fact that stronger regulation of product ingredients is necessary for the health of ourselves, our children, and our future as the human race.

The results of the study indicated that mothers with higher recorded concentrations of low molecular weight phthalate metabolites in their urine during pregnancy reported poorer behavioral profiles in their children. In particular, there were strong trends in the measures of conduct and externalizing problems, characteristics typically associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

For some additional information on Endocrine disruptors (ED), of which phthalates are just one, check out this December 2009 NY Times article entitled Cancer from the Kitchen?

You're going to put WHAT in your mouth?

Health is a full body exercise. You have to be careful about every aspect of every product if you want to keep "them" from putting things in your mouth that you don't want.

Formaldehyde and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) are commonly used preservatives in toothpastes. Natural alternative ingredients are available that are healthy and it's just ridiculous that companies like Proctor & Gamble or Johnson & Johnson are still putting harmful chemicals into your personal care products.

Check out this short blog post about some natural ingredients that many healthy natural toothpastes are using effectively.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Most people, when asked, KNOW that calcium is used for bones, hair, and teeth. Osteoporosis is a condition of bone thinning, attributed to lack of calcium in the diet, generally onsets with age.

However, the primary function of calcium in the body is not for bones. Our muscles use calcium to trigger their contractions, and the most important muscle in the body is the heart. Because calcium is critical to keep the heart pumping, the body uses calcium in a prioritized fashion, heart first, everything else last. In fact, it is because of this muscle function that the body will strip calcium from the skeletal system, meaning that osteoporosis is indeed a symptom of low calcium in the diet, but it is not the primary reason we need calcium.

The NY Times Health and Fitness section recently published a blog post about Vitamin D and Calcium, and how they interact with each other. Its worth a read! Pay special attention to the portions where they discuss the recent updates to the governmental recommendations for daily intake, and how it is nearly impossible for someone to consume enough of these nutrients in their diet. Supplementing the vitamins and minerals that our body uses for its critical functions is the only way to ensure you are getting the right mix.

In 1936, a study was presented to the US Senate about the mineral content of US farming soils, and it showed that almost every mineral critical to human nutrition is DEFICIENT and DEPELETED in our soil. If that was true 70 years ago, what could have possibly happened since then to make our farms produce the correct amount of mineral content in our vegetables and fruits?

The only mineral that is typically re-introduced to our soils is Phosphorus, because it is one of the primary ingredients in most fertilizers. So our bodies get enough phosphorus, but not nearly enough manganese, iron, zinc, and others. These minerals are required throughout our bodies for vital functions and systemic support.

Please make sure you are giving your body the correct building blocks for a healthy life, and eating a salad once a week just isn't going to cut it. Yes, I'm talking to you.

Give your body a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement daily, and make sure it's one that uses a mineral form that is highly bioavailable, not the completely synthetic form found in Centrum or One-A-Day, which have been proven to have as low as a 5% absorption rate. Unless you want to take 15 One-A-Day tablets each day... perhaps it should be called 15-A-Day?

Highly caffeinated drinks, worth the risk?

In a recent set of studies between the University of Houston and the University of Queensland Australia, the contents, effectiveness, and long term health impacts of so called energy drinks have come under investigation. Currently these drinks are being labeled as dietary supplements, which frees the manufacturers from the scrutiny applied to beverages and juices.

However, the ingredients are often far from supplemental, with some of these 16 ounce drinks containing up to 13 teaspoons of sugar, and the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee worth of caffeine. And this says nothing about the jumble of other items tossed into the mix. Guarana, taurine, ginko biloba, glucuronolactone, even alcohol in one of the most recent additions to the field, Four Loko.

These drinks are available for everyones un-metered consumption on store shelves, young children, old people and everyone in between. There have been documented cases of heart attacks and mental state problems related to the abuse and over-use of these types of drinks, and that is only likely to get worse as the "ingredients" battle between the manufacturers escalates. Some of these drinks are now available in 24 ounce cans, which are labeled as 2-4 servings, but are often consumed as a single serving, or even multiple 24oz. cans in series.

There are some very real risks associated with these drinks, and you are advised to understand them before you make the choice for yourself or your children.

There are products available that give your body energy the way nature intended, through proper combinations of nutrients and foods. The long term impact of dosing your body with large amounts of caffeine, guarana, taurine, or any of these other stimulants is not fully understood or documented. Knowing that there are safe alternatives, would you take this risk?

The foods we eat, the unknown dangers we take.

One of the blogs I follow recently started a 9 part article on perfect health. The very first published section became available over the weekend, and it focuses on glutens, industrial seed oils and the health implications of our supposedly healthy whole grain diets.

I immediately forwarded this to one of my close personal friends who suffers from a gluten allergy and is taking steps to remove wheat gluten from her life. There is some tremendous information available here, and I want to share it with everyone. Check it out, it could save your health!

9 steps to perfect health. Step #1 Don't eat Toxins
by Chris Kesser

breaking news on health and wellness legislation

Is there a connection between cancer clusters birth defects & other diseases http://bit.ly/fGNKFF Bipartisan legislation introduced to Congress.

One quote from the aforementioned link. Environmental public health expert Dr. Richard Clapp told reporters on the call, "The incidence of childhood cancers has unequivocally been going up for last 20 years, at about a one percent increase per year."

Omega3 and Omega6, some nutrition facts

Ok first off, what are the Omega fatty acids?

Omega3 and Omega6 fatty acids both come from a category known as essential fatty acids, meaning our body needs them but does not produce them on its own. Our body uses both, but a healthy balance of intake is important. Omega6 is found in many commonly consumed foods through the inclusion of oil from corn and sunflower seeds. Thus the more important Omega is usually Omega3.

Increasing your Omega3 intake to balance with the Omega6 that most people are getting from their unhealthy diets provides some very nice health benefits.

These EFA (essential fatty acids) have been shown to help reduce the effects of bad cholesterol(LDL), and reduce blood pressure. They have also been demonstrated to improve brain function, reduce the effects of depression and assist with healthy immune system function.

The recommended ratio of Omega3:Omega6 is 2:1, and should not exceed 3grams per day. Most supplements supply around 1000 mg for the daily dosage.

Due to the risk of contamination in the fish it is suggested that deep ocean harvested fish are more pure and less risky than farmed fish.

references:
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/alternative/omega3.cfm
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html
http://www.advance-health.com/efa.html

Skin care myths

Its amazing to me how often we just assume that the things we are taught or learn anecdotally are true. There are many examples in all aspects of life, from "don't swim for an hour after eating" to "if you pull a grey hair, 10 more will grow back". These types of saying are often constructed from mere coincidences or from feeble cause/effect chains.

This link explores a few of the common skin care myths. I highly recommend the site this comes from, www.care2.com, as they constantly have good information about the topics I care about. Health, wellness, fitness and nutrition!

7 Myths about Skin Care

Tomorrow, Omega 3 vs Omega 6, what's the difference and do we need both?

Proanthocyanidins - What the heck are they?

Proanthocyanidins are one of the classes of flavanols. They are particularly potent antioxidents that are found in a few plants and berries, most notably grapes, cocoa, bilberry, cranberry, etc.

So what does that mean for us? Why do we care about flavanoids, antioxidents, or any of this stuff?

Our body is constantly barraged with free radical activity, some of which is a natural function of the various processes within our body, but largely they are introduced by things like the air quality around us, and the pollution within it. It can also be increased by things like unbound (non-organic) minerals we consume either through red meat or from low quality grocery store multi-vitamin/mineral supplements.

Free radicals have been linked to a wide variety of chronic diseases and systemic problems in the human body. This list includes cancer, Alzheimers, arthritis, diabetes and various aspects of aging.

Antioxidents help the body fight the effects and damage of free radicals throughout the body. The most commonly used antioxidents are Vitamin C and E, but studies have shown that proanthocyanidins are much more potent, 20 to 50 times more powerful than C and E.

What can we do about it?

Well, there are many natural sources of these super-antioxidents, things like red wines from the southern regions of France, several US domestic apple families, and various pine barks. However I don't much care to wander around chewing on pine trees, so I recommend a supplement of grape seed or grape skin extract, preferably one that also contains resveratrol.

Make sure you are familiar with the reputation of the company that produces your supplements. There have been several studies done on various "health food and supplement" products that show the contents often contain less than 50% of the indicated ingredients.

Inception, not the movie

So one must start somewhere.

This space is all about wellness, fitness, health, and nutrition. I have become fascinated by the data I have discovered so far on my journey, and I want to be able to share it with my perspective. Hopefully I can show you a way to be healthier and have wellness in your life just like I have.