Plastic in food

A Consumer Reports investigation into plasticizers, which are chemicals widely used to make plastic flexible, found the compounds in 84 out of 85 food and beverages tested

Bisphenol A (BPA) was found in 79% of the samples, which included fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, seafood, baby food and more; phthalates were detected in every food tested except one

The product with the most phthalates was Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli, with 53,579 nanograms per serving; Del Monte sliced peaches and Chicken of the Sea pink salmon had the next highest levels 

Phthalates enter food via multiple avenues, including agriculture, pasteurization, packaging and from plastic tubing, conveyor belts and vinyl gloves

Plasticizer chemicals may contribute to multiple health problems, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, birth defects, premature birth, neurodevelopmental disorders and infertility

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Lactobacillus reuteri supports gut & hair

The probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri help upregulate the hormone oxytocin, a chemical messenger that plays important roles in the male and female reproductive systems and influences aspects of human behavior, including sexual arousal, recognition, trust and interpersonal bonding

L. reuteri also upregulate systemic immune responses, thereby promoting wound healing, mental health, metabolism and myoskeletal maintenance

Aged mice fed L. reuteri-containing probiotic yogurt experienced skin and hair changes that mimic the peak health and reproductive fitness seen in younger animals, including thicker dermis, and thicker, shinier, more lustrous fur. In contrast, age-matched controls that ate chow alone had dull fur and suffered from occasional alopecia and dermatitis

L. reuteri have antimicrobial, immune-boosting and immune-regulating effects, and strengthen the intestinal barrier. Lactobacilli also benefit your health by breaking down dietary fiber into beneficial short-chain fatty acids, breaking down phytonutrients, promoting the growth of other beneficial gut microbes, maintaining an appropriate pH level in your gut, and inhibiting endotoxin production

Mental health problems have in recent years been linked to gut health and immune function, and studies have confirmed that different species of Lactobacillus can help prevent and/or treat these conditions
 

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Getting rid of bad breath

Tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths, are whitish, smelly accumulations of bacteria and cellular debris that develop in the tonsils’ grooves, or “crypts”

A primary problem caused by tonsil stones is halitosis, or bad breath Tonsil stones contain many varieties of anaerobic bacteria associated with the production of volatile sulfur compounds, which explains tonsil stones’ rotten egg smell 

A water flosser, directed toward the stones, can be effective for removal, as can gargling with salt water or diluted apple cider vinegar

Oil pulling is another option that may help to soften and loosen the stones, while improving oral health and reducing bad breath at the same time

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Good breathing important for health

Dysfunctional breathing habits are typically developed in response to some type of emotional trauma. The trauma gets embedded in your brain circuits, and when you encounter triggers, they activate specific breathing habits, some of which may significantly lower your carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration level

The higher the CO2 concentration you can maintain while remaining within the biologically normal CO2 concentration range, the greater the likelihood that your breathing is supporting your health and performance

Breathing techniques such as belly breathing, deep breathing and Buteyko breathing may not address breathing triggers or why you developed an inappropriate breathing habit in the first place 

When you overventilate you get numerous physiological changes. As a result, overbreathing can trigger a wide variety of physical and psychological changes, which can be reversed by implementing breathing behavior analysis learning techniques

Breathing behavior analysts help you become conscious of your breathing habits, what’s triggering them and how to resolve them. This is important, as improper breathing habits can unconsciously sabotage your health

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Should you avoid bitter foods?

Bitter herbs, spices and foods offer valuable benefits and can go a long way toward improving your overall health by improving digestion, gastrointestinal health and absorption of nutrients

Historically, bitter herbs have been primarily used as cleansing agents, vitality builders and digestive support

Many bitters have been shown to have antifungal, antiseptic, antiprotozoal and even antitumor activity 

Much in the same way bitter compounds help protect the plant from harmful influences, they can be helpful in your body by inhibiting microbe growth, oxidation and inflammation

Commercially available bitter tinctures include Swedish Bitters and Underberg. Another easy way of getting more bitters into your diet is simply to add more bitter greens to your salads, and eating your salad first
 

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Weightlifting reduces heart attacks & strokes

Not excessive strength training is foundational for optimal health, especially as you get older. It’s not just about keeping your musculature strong; resistance training also benefits your heart, metabolism, cognition and mental health

Recent research shows less than an hour of strength training per week can reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke anywhere from 40% to 70%

These cardiovascular benefits were independent of aerobic exercises such as walking and running; strength training alone will lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, even if you don’t meet the recommended guidelines for aerobic activity 

Less than one hour of resistance training per week also lowers your risk of metabolic syndrome by 29% and high cholesterol by 32%, independently of aerobic exercise

Strength training also benefits your brain. In fact, there’s a strong link between muscle strength — especially leg strength — and cognitive health
 

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Selling depression to the world

After the SSRIs were developed, their manufacturers realized the population needed to be convinced they were suffering from depression so as many people as possible would buy their drugs

The tricks the drug industry used to perform this were remarkable and have many parallels to how the predatory pharmaceutical industry pushes many other drugs on us 

While a minority of patients (about a third) benefit from antidepressant therapy, the majority do not (termed “treatment resistant depression”), but unfortunately, until recently there have been minimal options available for these patients

Much of this results from depression being viewed as a single illness, rather than a myriad of conditions with somewhat overlapping symptoms which each need to be treated differently (rather than simply all being given the same drug)

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