Plastic, Plastic, Plastic—What Are We to Do With You?
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With Mother’s Day approaching fast, I went in search of the perfect present. During the course of my shopping, while I was in a kitchenware store, I was offered a free cappuccino sample. Being a coffee drinker, I welcomed the offer, only to find my hot beverage being served in a plastic cup!
Plastic and heat do not mix. I would never microwave food in plastic containers. Microwaving with plastics can leach chemicals into your food, including harmful carcinogens that could lead to cancer. Also, do not store water in plastic bottles in places like your car, which can become very hot.
To date, there is very little research available on how safe and for how long food can be stored in plastics in either the fridge or freezer. Plastics labeled with a number 1 are safe to use once only. So when reusing plastic containers, look for the numbers 2, 4, or 5, especially when storing food in the fridge or freezer. Plastic containers labeled 3, 6, or 7 are unsafe across the board.
What about when drinking water on the go?
Not to worry, there are safe options out there when it comes to water bottles. Visit kleankanteen.com or mysigg.com to purchase stainless steel bottles, which are safe to drink from. Or punch the words “glass bottles” into a search engine and a plethora of information will pop up about styles, designs, and prices. Glass bottles from juice and mineral water holders can be reused, which are also a safe option.
The bottom line: when storing food, try to use glass whenever and wherever possible. When drinking water on the go, try to use a stainless steel or glass bottle because this is better for you AND the environment.
References
Canadian Cancer Society (2007). Microwaves and Plastic Containers. Retrieved on May 5, 2008 from http://cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3278_369485__langId-en,00.html
Today Show (2008). Are Plastic Water Bottles Safe? Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24023514#24023514
Erin
Bye Bye BPA
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No question about it: BPA remains a hot topic in health circles. It now appears the Canadian government will take the lead in the banning of bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics estrogen and increases the risk of impaired neurological development in children.
“It’s funny,” a friend of mine remarked, “how our parents’ generation and ours have grown up consuming BPA and we all seem fine.” The Canadian government, however, despite that fact that we all seem fine, thinks it’s better to play this one safe. Plans are being drawn up to have BPA labeled a toxic substance, and polycarbonate bottles are set to be banned officially in 2009.
It’s great that Canada is taking action. However, I am beginning to question how safe all the other numbered bottles are. To date, plastic bottles numbered 3, 6, and 7 are considered unsafe across the board.
That’s just what we know now. All plastic could prove to be unsafe to drink from; we just don’t have the research yet to prove it.
My friends and family would argue that sometimes it seems like everything is bad for you these days. No matter, it is still important to get the facts so you can decide for yourself the risks you are willing to take.
With the purchase of a glass bottle, you can bypass all plastic pitfalls when enjoying your drinking water. I think it’s a sound buy.
Erin
Mittelstaedt, M. Better safe than sorry, Ottawa says of plasitc ban. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved Saturday, April 19 2008.
How Much Water Should We Drink?
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A play on words from the old saying: Water, water everywhere, but how much should we drink?
As a personal trainer, I know the benefits of water and frankly, most people don’t drink enough. That’s why we are constantly hearing about why water is so vital to a healthy lifestyle. Although the old adage of drinking eight glasses a day is sometimes discredited, water is still essential for a healthy body.
According to two University of Pennsylvania researchers (Stanley Goldfarb and Dan Negoianu), water is not quite the life-giving liquid as once thought. Goldfarb and Negoianu explain that they could not definitively prove through existing scientific literature that water can help clear toxins from the body, reduce the frequency of migraine headaches, prevent weight gain, or promote skin health.
Check the next few blogs for an introductory discussion of each of these points.
Erin
References
Taylor, Paul. (2008). The Globe and Mail. The Science of Water is all Wet. Retrieved
from Section L, April 4, 2008.
Sauers, Joan & McMillan-Price, Joanna. (2005). Get to Know your Gut. New York: Marlowe & Company.
Staying Hydrated
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If your urine goes from a concentrated, somewhat dark yellow color in the morning to a pale yellow color by the end of the day, chances are you are doing a good job with staying hydrated.
While researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (Goldfarb and Negoianu) found that water may not be as important as we make it out to be (see my blog, “How Much Water Should We Drink?”), it doesn’t mean that it isn’t one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle.
Most people do not consume enough water daily to stay hydrated. With coffee consumption, the availability of high-sodium foods, and medications being overused today, water is even more essential.
With water, water everywhere, why not drink it and see for yourself how much better you feel?
Erin
Thoughts on Water: The Body’s Largest Organ (Skin!)
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If you have dry, cracked skin, it is likely that you are dehydrated on the inside (or you may be lacking certain vitamins—or both).
Our nails, skin and hair are reflections of how healthy we are on the inside. My clients tell me they notice a difference in their skin when they eat better and stay hydrated.
Erin
Thoughts on Water: Weight Management
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Water is essential for managing weight.
Hear me out on this one. To maintain healthy bowels, making 1-3 trips to the bathroom a day is imperative.
Also, the transit time of your bowels is important to consider. The amount of time from When food enters your mouth to when it leaves should take no longer than 24 hours. The average transit time is 2-4 days!
If constipation is the issue, the bowels could be holding 5, 6, 7 pounds of waste. That being said, to fix this problem, slowly incorporating more fiber into the diet is essential. Fiber must be combined with WATER in order to be effective. Weight management and even weight loss can occur through eliminating constipation.
Erin
Thoughts on Water: Migraines
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There are many causes of headaches:
• Poor posture
• Staring at a computer for too long
• Dehydration
• Low blood sugar
• Muscle tension
• Stress
In my experience, dehydration is the number one cause of headaches. I have helped many individuals prevent frequent headaches just by encouraging them to stay hydrated. If you’re suffering from migraines and still drinking lots of water, you might want to consider visiting your doctor.
Erin
Thoughts on Water: Toxicity
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The human body eliminates excess water and electrolytes including sodium, chloride, and potassium through urination. This simple process helps our bodies to maintain homeostasis—a healthy internal chemical balance.
If people do not drink enough water for their own needs, there will be a buildup of electrolytes in the body. Although electrolytes aren’t exactly “toxins,” too many can still prevent equilibrium within the body.
And another thing, what about diabetics? When there is excess sugar in the blood, urination is a way to excrete the substance, which can cause significant harm to the body in high amounts. If people who are diabetic do not drink enough water to regulate blood sugar levels, this could lead to a headache, faintness, or even a coma.
Erin
The Dangers of BPA
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Nalgene and many other water bottles contain bisphenol A, or BPA.
So what is so dangerous about BPA?
BPA can mimic the sex hormone estrogen. The body can’t tell the difference between BPA and estrogen produced naturally, and both can activate the same receptors. To make matters worse, high estrogen levels in the body can lead to cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study in 2007 that found BPA in 93% of the 2,517 people sampled. These results show that many Americans have been exposed to levels of BPA. Expectant mothers and children are especially at risk because BPA exposure can interfere with development.
Exposure to small amounts of BPA is unavoidable. It is everywhere in our environment from the air we breathe to the dust on our shelves.
The Food and Drug Administration and the plastics industry (how convenient) say that minimal exposure to the chemical is safe.
However, some experts, such as Dr. Leo Trasande, believe there’s no such thing as a safe level of exposure to BPA.
Bottles numbered 3, 6, and 7 are to be considered unsafe across the board. Everyday-use bottles with the number 1 symbol are considered safe for single uses only, which isn’t exactly the most environmentally sustainable option. I would always try to reuse my number 1 bottles to help the environment. Now what?
For young mothers, the Parent:Wise Austin magazine promotes the Born Free baby bottles that are glass or BPA-free. For less than $10 a bottle, a mother can have peace of mind.
Speaking of mothers, turns out mine was right about re-used bottles containing germs by the dozen (see my last blog). Dr. Trasande explains that bacteria can easily build up in the crevices and we end up ingesting them.
Talk about feeding the gut with some unfriendly bacteria! One day I took a long look at my scratched up little yellow friend, and threw it away!
If number 1 bottles hurt the earth, and number 7 bottles harm the body, what are we to do?
Good ol’ water in a glass cup comes to mind. This can be a little tricky if you are on the go. Glass bottles seem to be the best bet until companies start making BPA-free products.
So for the time being, traveling to work and to the gym with a glass bottle seems to be a safer and more environmentally friendly choice than plastic products.
Erin
References
Born Free (2008). Born Free Bisphenol A free Feeding System. Retrieved on April 11, 2008 http://www.newbornfree.com/pics/bornfree/index.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/
Parent Wise Austin Magazine (2008). Born Free Baby Bottles. Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from http://parentwiseaustin.com/Archive/2008/03_March/2008_03_PWA.pdf
Schardt, D. (2008). Hard Questions about a Hard Plastic. Nutrition Action HealthLetter.
Today show (2008). Are Plastic Water Bottles Safe? Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24023514#24023514
Water May Be Great, But the Bottle Ain’t!
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When I was a university student, I never left home without my trusty yellow Nalgene water bottle. I carried it everywhere, whether I was going to the gym or to the movies, its golden plastic clipped to the outside of my backpack, bumping against my back, full of that elixir of life: good ol’ H20.
One day when I was back home, my mother commented on my well-used and well-worn plastic water canister. She said I should discard of it, because she suspected—without any scientific evidence—that it was likely crawling with millions of tiny microbes, mixing with my daily drink.
Of course, at the time, I thought she was just being silly, or at least motherly. I mean, I did wash it several times a week, and it’s not like I would leave it lying around on the ground or fill it with sugary drinks.
Boy, was I ever wrong. New evidence has come to light after researchers discovered that the mere use of certain types of water bottles can leach a chemical called bisphenol A (also known as BPA) into the water. Polycarbonate—a type of plastic that is used in the production of Nalgene and other plastic products and carries the number 7 recycling figure—is made from BPA.
Erin
