These days it seems you can’t meet someone who doesn’t have at least one medical issue. Be it Celiac disease, or a dairy allergy or thyroid disease or something. The list goes on and on. It seems people get younger and younger with a medical diagnosis that has an impact on how they must live their lives moving forward.
When you were a kid (I’m over 40 so that was some time ago), did you ever hear of a child with a peanut allergy? Cancer was rare in children. Rheumatoid arthritis was almost unheard of in young adults; as were all these other autoimmune diseases that are now so common to occur in otherwise healthy young adults.
This increase in disease should make us question where we have gone wrong. As much as I love technology, when I read about cell phones potentially causing breast cancer in a 20-something year old woman, I wonder if it is smart for my son to carry his iPhone in his front pocket. I have bought gadgets from CookwareNation.com that have copper technology for my kids to wear around their necks to protect them from Wi-Fi signals and electromagnetic fields. Does it work? I’m not 100% sure, but I buy them in hopes that they do. Can I control the Wi-Fi signals in every coffee shop, in the schools, in shopping malls, and basically everywhere we go? No, but I will ensure I do everything within my control to protect me and my family.
What about our food? I believe this to be the major issue, in addition to our environment, contributing to all of these new and premature diseases and ailments. It seems I read “GMO” somewhere at least once a day. I went to a farmer’s market the other day, and I asked a farmer about his corn. Specifically, I asked if he uses any pesticides. The answer was “no, we use fish oil mixed with garlic”. I thought that was great. Then I got a “but”. “But if the bugs are really bad we have to use a pesticide. But this batch of corn has no pesticide”. Okay then. So then I asked specifically about their seed – if the seed is pure and not GMO seed. The answer was “oh, I’m not sure”. I said thank you and walked away without purchasing any corn. This is a problem here, People. We don’t even know what we are eating!! I would hope this case is not the norm, but even some farmers don’t know what they’re growing. Any reputable farmer should know exactly what they’re growing.
So now that we are aware of this huge issue, what do we do about it? I’ve come up with a few ideas to help you navigate through what we can control:
- Make your budget for food a high priority. There is a list that details the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen for produce if your budget doesn’t allow for all organic. This list outlines which produce is laden with pesticides, and which produce doesn’t typically need a lot of pesticides to thrive.
- If you don’t buy all organic produce, buy local. It should be the next best thing to organic, and you support your local farmers. It’s still safer than to buy from unknown sources – plus you can ask them questions like I did.
- This leads me to my next point – when you shop, ask questions so you can learn about the food you’re eating. Knowledge is power and the less pesticide-laden, GMO food you buy, the less support it receives. Ask, ask away and learn about your food sources. I’m close to a first-name basis with many of the staff at my local organic grocery store.
- You might want to look into gadgets that may help reduce your exposure to EMFs (Electromagnetic Fields). There are many devices out there, but it’s tough to decipher which are good and which are not, as many of these companies’ claims are unfounded. Do your research – there are wearable gadgets with technology to block EMFs, and there are other gadgets can double as a decorative piece, and blocks the EMFs within your home.
- Do not use pesticides or herbicides on your property. Unfortunately, you can’t control what’s used around you, but you can control what you use on your own property. Use natural remedies for pests and for weeds.
- When cleaning, always use natural cleaning products. For example, white vinegar and water is an excellent way to clean windows; baking soda mixed with water is great for scrubbing showers. You can also buy products that are phosphate-free (ie automatic dishwasher detergent), as phosphates in our water supply are a pollutant. There are many products available on the market that are natural and not damaging to you or to the environment. When my daughter was a baby many years ago, she developed eczema – a sign of either asthma or severe food allergies. Turned out she has a severe peanut allergy. At that time, I had to order my natural cleaning products online. Nowadays we are so lucky to have many great brands readily available to us. There is no reason to choose chemicals over natural.
- Educate yourself – there are excellent documentaries out there that will teach you about food sources and the environment. To name a few – Forks Over Knives; Supersize Me; Food, Inc.; Genetic Roulette; Vanishing of the Bees, and so many more.
While none of this will guarantee you won’t have health issues, you can rest assured that you’re doing the best you can for you, and for the environment.
