It's In The Water

Have you ever thought about what you are drinking? I have, ever since I was a little girl. I loved to drink water and milk, but I later learned that milk was making me really sick (lactose intolerance). Water then became my main squeeze (drink-wise) and I grew up on fresh well water. I also loved a good glass of iced green tea, but later, I learned that the tea was making me sick as well (not quite sure if I still believe that but for now, while my body heals itself, I am staying away). For me, I simply do not care for the taste of tap water. I pay for it every month, but I can hardly bare to choke it down. So, I have been buying bottled water for quite some time now, although I recently purchased a portable water filter bottle.

The documentary Tapped is about the bottled water industry and about a dirty little secret being kept from all of us. Did you realize that most of this industry is unregulated? I mean that when this information was brought to the public in 2009, there was one woman at the FDA in charge of protecting us as consumers when it comes to bottled water, and that was not her only job at the FDA. Maybe you already knew about this, but I can't help thinking if people knew all about it, why didn't anyone tell me? So I am sharing this information with you.

Bisphenol A is in many plastic bottles and I vaguely recall hearing about it as BPA. Of course, I have seen BPA-free (on products) and knew I should choose that instead of the item that would have BPA in it. You can read about the chemical (because that's what it is) above in the hyper link. I want you to notice what number is in the triangular symbol underneath the bottle you are drinking or the large plastic container you are storing your food or drink in. The link above shows the symbols that represent the conent Bisphenol A. Look for the number 3 or the number 7 (located inside a triangle-like symbol). I was at a friends house on Saturday and was telling her what I had learned and her husband walked over to their 5 gallon water container in their dining room and said out loud '3', the number 3 is in a triangle. My heart sickened because I knew that meant that they had been drinking water (as had I) that was stored in a container made with Bisphenol A. Their adult daughter was in the room with us and said aloud, "I give my baby that water" (she also had it in her home). I then recalled being so proud many years ago when my baby daughter (just toddling 24 years ago) was able to toddle over to the water source and push the button to get her own water. Little did I know that I was serving a volatile cocktail to not only myself but my daughter. By the way, I checked the 5 gallon water bottle at my office (different company) and it has a 3 on it as well, ughh. And as far as plain old individual serving bottled water (regulated by the FDA), look at the bottom of your bottle, if you see PET or PETE, it IS a petroleum based product (Polyethylene terephthalate).

BPA has known links to reproductive disorders, as well as cancers in both sexes. My daughter and I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and I have recently read that benzene is attributed to the increase in this syndrome in women. While you are researching, be sure to take a look at this page on Benzene, go down to the graph that shows what is derived from Benzene and you will find Bisphenol A. These bottles are being made in petro chemical plants.

I recently found the New Cell Stainless Steel Portable Water Ionizer Pod and the information I have been reading makes sense. I learned years ago that cancer simply can't live in an alkaline environment, so the goal for all of us would be to make sure our bodies are not acidic, within reason. And I JUST found a bamboo portable water container with a GLASS insert called Bamboo Bottle!

We, as consumers have choices we make every day, and I really believe we are the ones with the control. As my friend told me on Saturday, I am going to call the company and tell them they can pick up this water container until they can bring me one without BPA in it. THAT type of thing is what gets action from corporations, because after all, for a corporation and it's investors, it's all about the money...bottom line, and it's in OUR water.

To your health,

Kelly

Nutritarian?

I was reading the past few nights and found a few interesting sites and I have chosen to share them with you. First, I re-watched (is that a word?) Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.

It's a Joe Cross film. Joe happens to be Australian and had lived a good life (financially speaking) until he came down with a skin disease, 'chronic urticaria'. He was over weight, sick, on all kinds of meds and knew he needed to get help quick (he had even been hospitalized). The movie follows him as he takes two months off of work and travels to America to see how we eat, what we eat (he really knew, he has been here many times and loves America, in fact, he was eating like most of America eats, while in Australia), and why we eat it. During his journey, he is tracked medically by Dr Fuhrman who has a book out entitled Eating Like A Nutritarian. See the book on Amazon to the right. Here's a link to Dr Fuhrman's website http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article17.aspx Anyway, I digress, as you will notice in the future THAT is my style. ;) So, Joe stays in New York for the first 30 days drinking ONLY fresh juiced vegetables, all the while being tempted by the wonderful food smells of the street vendors and the ethnic shops in the city, yikes! On day 31, (after having lost 26 POUNDS!!) he breaks free of New York and begins traveling the rest of the country, seeking out the average Joe or Jeannie (if you will), and asking them questions about their diets and lifestyle. For me, it was like looking at myself in the mirror at different times in my life. WOW! I highly recommend the short movie, and I promise, I have not spoiled it for you by detailing a few tidbits above, there is more to see and a sweet ending. One interesting note is Dr Furhman's comment that we don't have to succumb to dementia, or stroke and we can even reduce our risk of cancer, simply by changing the way we eat.

I was a vegetarian from 19-23 years of age (following the Laurels Kitchen Cookbook out of Berkley, CA), but each time I would begin to eat healthier, I would be lured into that old habit of unhealthy eating...to say the least, it has been a vicious cycle. And yes, I DO know better, so I am more fortunate than most.

After watching the movie the other night, I wanted to know more about Dr Fuhrman, an M.D. I presently have a Dr that understands about the healing properties of vegetables but those kinds of Drs are few and far between and my previous M.D. doles out antibiotics like they were going out of style, which is what finally prompted me, all while in a health crisis of my own, to seek out better care for myself, as well as to start eating better again. (see what I mean, there I go digressing again).... Dr F. is all about nutrient density, something I first heard about (I mean really listened to) on December 31, 2011. Or, as Dr F. puts it.. "the adequate consumption of phytochemicals is essential for proper functioning of the immune system and to enable our body’s detoxification and cellular repair mechanisms that protect us from chronic diseases. " (quoted from the above website) WHOA! Chronic diseases! THAT's something I have (a chronic disease--interstitial cystitis) and my poor father also has a chronic disease (myasthenia gravis), as well as other relatives (diabetes Type II),--do we see a pattern here?! Here is my question of the day.....is the way we are feeling simply attributed to what we are putting into our bodies? Dr F's website has over 1,000 nutrient dense recipes. And TONS of info on the subject, I highly recommend his site. And what is a nutritarian you might ask? According to Dr Furhmans website, a nutritarian is a person whose food choices are influenced by nutritional quality.

All the above brings me to another movie I just finished watching called Food, Inc. It's tame on the grossness factor (thank goodness) but packs a punch in the reality factor. Again, I highly recommend it. I just jumped onto Netflix and started a free trial for a month and got to watch this movie for FREE (you can watch others too, right on your home computer), yes I am being dragged into this century, ha ha. ;)

So, this morning, I made my own almond milk (have been doing this for about a month) see my Pinterest link... Almond Milk and I also made my own smoothie (see my Pinterest link) Almond Milk Smoothie It was quite quick, tasty, and yes, I was invited out to breakfast this morning where I would have consumed my usual Denver Omelet, hash browns (extra crispy), whole wheat toast with orange jelly and a glass of water....SEE? I TRY to be healthy...a glass of water...lol But, I chose not to go, so instead, I took a walk with my sweetheart (via telephone) and walked down the street to a local neighborhood park and back. I then came home and made my smoothie. YUM!

I think for lunch, I will juice some kale, pineapple, apple, celery, purple grapes, and spinach. Actually, I have been doing this for the past month or so and have really been enjoying it. And because of my IC, I also brew a tea out of one bunch of parsley and one entire bunch of celery, my Dr tells me it's anti-inflammatory and that's what I need. All I can tell you is it has kept the pain away after the first 24 hrs of my first drink, so I am all over it! ;) Here's how I do it, in case you are hurting from inflammation and think you might want to try it. I take a soup pot and pour in filtered water and then I add the cleaned parsley and the cleaned celery (the water should cover the top of the veges). I then boil the water until the celery is fork tender. Remove the veggies, then pour the liquid into a container to put into your frig. I prefer the hot brew, it tastes good, but I drink the refrigerated brew every day after the first batch is boiled. I make enough for a week and repeat the process each Sunday afternoon (making a fresh pot for the week). By the way, I simply drink a small glass in the morning and a small glass at night.

I was thinking for dinner tonight, I might just make a long noodle (like a lasagna noodle) and wrap it up with a light chicken and veggie filling, and maybe fix some broccoli slaw with some fresh made Roasted Jalapeno Ranch Dressing. Doesn't that sound YUM? See my Pinterest recipe links below.

I plan on grating fresh veggies and adding to this recipe....
Lasagna Noodle Roll Up along with my new homemade lasagna noodle :)

Here's the Jalapeno Ranch Dressing mix...YUM! P.S. I do NOT use mayonnaise in this recipe, I substitute plain yogurt.

On the above recipes, once you get to the pin, simply double click on it and it will take you right to the link with the actual recipe :) Enjoy!!

To your health,


Kelly