Chemicals...

I have a new addiction. Jillian Michaels FREE podcasts. Living in San Francisco with no car means that I walk a lot and I usually have music playing and I am a happy girl. Enter Jillian. These podcasts are 45 minutes or so and cover many health and fitness topics. She is educational, funny, inspiring, and motivating. This morning on my way to work I listened to a podcast about detoxifying our lives. Meaning looking at our day and removing chemicals. Such as our hair and body products, cleaning products, pesticides on foods, processed foods, the list goes on and on.


I invite you to take a quick journey through my day and what chemicals I come into contact with before I even had lunch and how I can go about changing them. Then, take a look at yours and see what you can do for yourself.


This morning's breakfast was Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausages and some leftover black beans, corn, and peppers from last night's dinner. The leftovers are perfectly chemical free. The veggie sausages, not so much. In fact, there are more weird ingredients listed on the back that I care to even mention. Tomorrow I am going to saute some tofu and make a veggie scramble with the rest of the leftovers and forgo the chemical sausages.
HEXANE: A petroleum byproduct of gasoline refinement. In foods it is used to separate oil from protein. How do people even discover these things? Specifically, you can find it in soy based products. The FDA requires no testing for this substance. Go figure. Although studies are not conclusive on its effects when consumed, studies do show that when inhaled it may cause numbness, weakness, blurred vision, headache and fatigue.


Don't even get my started on what is in my shampoo, conditioner, hair products, toothpaste...WOW, I mean I'm pretty educated on ingredients but I admit I spend more time on food ingredients and NO time on the things I am also applying to my body. I looked up a few things and found that Sephora (www.sephora.com) has a line of Natural Products called Ojon that I will be checking out soon!
PARABENS: Parabens may mimic the hormone estrogen which is known to play a role in development of breast cancer. Enough said, there are alternatives that still make you gorgeous!


At the corner of the studio where I teach I get coffee almost daily. Yes, I am also a coffee addict. I get a small coffee and I drop a packet of Sweet and Low in it. Now, at home I have Stevia and agree that the pink packets are "poison" but, its convenient. Today I had my coffee black and tonight I will put a few Stevia packets in my purse for my coffee for the rest of the week.
SACCHARIN: Probably one of the more popular chemicals known. It's been around for 100 years. It is a chemically based sugar substitute that reduces the calorie content in sweeter foods without them losing their sweetness. Studies have linked it to cancer in laboratory animals but not to humans. Hence, why it's still on the market. There are better alternatives. I should know better.


I went to the gym and realized I had forgotten my water bottle. As I am getting the bottle from the vending machine I realize, crap, there is some kind of chemical in this bottle.....
BISEPHENOL A (BPA): These are found in some plastics. They mimic hormones in the body and have been found harmful to humans but yet, they are still under study. BPA may cause birth defects, cancer, neurological issues, thyroid issues, sensitivity to drugs, fertility, and on and on and on. Still think the FDA has your best interest in mind?


I leave you with this quote from Dave Barry, "Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer."


Pay attention, ask questions, find alternatives. 
In Health, 
Tricia