The negative health effects of BPA exposure have become regular headlines in the news. BPA, or bisphenol-A, is a chemical found in many common products, from cans and dental fillings to cash register receipts. Unfortunately, its exposure is associated with a range of health concerns including diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Now, new research has linked it to high blood pressure. (more…)
Not long ago, I discussed 12 ways toxins are sneaking into your life, and while I briefly mentioned the health dangers of flame-retardants, that was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s been a lot of talk lately about these chemicals: namely, that they don’t work as well as claimed. There’s even data suggesting that items treated with flame retardants and those untreated tend to burn at the same rate. So what benefits, if any, are these chemicals providing for us? [1] Well, they’re certainly not helping, and here are […]
In a short period of time, we've come a long way in understanding and recognizing the health dangers of mercury. It wasn't but just a generation or two ago that nearly every kid in school played with mercury in science class. Now, fortunately, we understand its danger and are a little less flagrant... but not completely. Mercury continues to be a serious health danger; let's take a look at five scary truths about mercury. (more…)
Not that long ago, I talked about 12 ways toxins are sneaking into your life, and while all toxins are bad news, there’s one group that should be banned immediately. I’m talking about phthalates; these are a class of chemicals used to make plastic flexible. For that reason, they’re also commonly referred to as plasticizers. Because they affect reproductive system development, the US government made the smart decision to keep them out of children’s products, banning six of them. This seems like a good thing, right? Well, it’s a start. […]
There's no question that exercise is one of the best ways to strengthen your body, improve flexibility, and boost your metabolism. It turns out that quite a bit of evidence supports the idea that exercise can help lower back pain, too. Let's take a look at three types of exercise that can help alleviate back pain. (more…)
