Bad Stuff for Your Physical Health
Oh! This list could go on forever. I think this is the core issue in everyone's health and wellness. The body is so smart and so capable of healing itself--however we bombard it with toxins and stress to the extent that it is overwhelmed. So I'm going to talk about a lot of stuff here, but you don't have to eliminate everything. Actually you probably don't need to eliminate anything--just cut way back on some of it and reduce other things by a little.
I heard an interesting idea; when you go to the grocery store, only buy food that's around the edges of the store--not in the aisles in the middle where the canned and processed foods are. This is almost the way Sandy and I shop at major grocery stores; buy the vegetables, fruit and eggs, pick up some natural salad dressing and some recycled paper napkins and leave.
OK--stuff to avoid:
Sugar, Salt, alcohol, and Fat
I don't really need to say anything--you've heard it all before. Be moderate with sugar, salt and alcohol. Learn about good fats and bad fats.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
This very unnatural sweetener started being added to the SAD (standard American diet) in the 70s in great quantities. The increase in Adult-onset diabetes has grown proportionately to the increase in this now-pervasive chemical. It is in almost everything from colas and ice-cream to the little peppermints they give you in restaurants. It's even in some natural-looking fruit drinks and teas.
Carbonated Drinks
Don't you just love ice-cold carbonated drinks on a summer day? Well, knock it off! The problem is carbon dioxide is one of the body's waste products, by drinking it you are changing the acid balance of the body. You don't drink urine; you shouldn't drink carbon dioxide either. You're screwing up your hormones which are especially sensitive to excess acid. If you're a woman this is a bigger problem because of your body's dependence on hormones for your monthly cycle. Drinking an occasional cola isn't serious because the body does a good job of excreting carbon dioxide but it definitely a stress that you can easily avoid. Your body wasn't designed to drink cold drinks either. Room-temperature water is the best. Aspartame produces formaldehyde, a carcinogen, in your body during digestion.
Coffee
Twenty-one (21) known carcinogens. Need we say more?
OK, I will -- coffee is associated with osteoporosis although it's effects can be obviously mitigated by increasing absorbable calcium in the diet. It has also been shown to increase cholesterol. Why complicate your natural biochemistry with this extraordinarily complex beverage? Drink white or green tea if you need a little caffeine. They will actually boost your wellness while giving you a little caffeine buzz.
Pesticides and Weedkillers
There are no good pesticides or weedkillers. These chemicals are hurting our children and our wildlife. Learn some natural alternatives.
I live in Florida where the bugs must outnumber the people by a million to 1. Yet we don't use any commercial pesticides or herbicides. We have very few bugs in the house because we keep it clean enough that they aren't attracted. We get a few tiny ants that we get rid of with a soapy spray bottle. We do have weeds that have to be pulled. We also use an electronic device that produces sounds that bugs don't like.
Activities that stress your system
Oh, another long list! Poor posture, TV, violent movies, even clutter in your home. I believe in chiropractic which tells us that the spine should be in natural alignment: there should be a curve in the lower back to act as a shock absorber; the upper back should also curve slightly backward between the lower back and the neck; the neck should curve forward between the chest and the skull. So you have three built-in shock-absorbers--all of which can be destroyed by poor posture. I see teenagers sitting slumped in a chair so that they are actually sitting on the back of the pelvis. We should always sit on the bottom of the pelvis where the two leg bones join to the hip. Our backs should be erect while sitting--just as when we are standing, the only difference being that the legs are bent.
A clean environment is important to your health. Get rid of clutter and the dust that comes with it. The Dalai Lama says that if you want to see the condition of your mind, look at your physical environment. Treat yourself as an honored guest in your own space. Clean it as if you were cleaning it for an important visitor.
Toxic Cosmetics
Most cosmetics contain toxic materials. To see if your favorite cosmetics contain toxins, look at Skin Deep: the cosmetic safety database. To see a list of manufacturers who have pledged to use only safe ingredients, look at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.