What else have you done to protect yourself?

[CJ2008]

As a spin-off to Kenny's thread eta: about plastics and BPA, thought it'd be a good idea to list some of the changes we've made or are in the process of making.

ETA: to protect ourselves from chemicals/harmful ingredients

Here are mine:

I try to look for ones without parabens, SLS, etc. I try to look for the minimal ingredients possible.

1. Switched shampoos/conditioner

2. Switched body soap and face wash

Really difficult to find washes without fragrances and tons of ingredients. I make my own moisturizers and serums sometimes (e.g., water/glycerin, Vitamin C serum, etc.)

3. More careful about sunscreen

But still a long way to go here - all the ones I tried so far with good ingredients leave a very noticeable white cast - so I switched back to some that make me look good but have questionable ingredients. Probably not a very smart move.

Just discovered Buff "masks" and other UV protection clothing - will probably be trying those soon.

4. More careful about reading food labels

But still a long way to go here. I'll still eat cookies and junk. Not a lot, but more than I should, especially if I'm stressed.

5. Less plastic

Like I said in Kenny's thread, switched to a Kleen Kanteen and glass food containers.

But just realized I drink my hot coffee out of a plastic straw

What have you done?

I wonder if we should also list some of our favorite products we've found, or some that didn't work?

 

[Karl_K]

don't buy any food or medications made in china and read the ingredients and carbs, fat and sugar levels in food and avoid synthetic sweeteners.
Did you know that 2 different brands of the same thing one can have 5x as much carbs, sugar or fat content?

Orange/apple juice and bread are the ones I found with the widest ranges.

 

[kenny]

Buy mostly fresh fruits, veges and simple whole grains.
Buy little or no processed foods from the major companies, General Mills etc.

Work more/harder/longer in the kitchen.
Convenience is often the enemy of health.

Adjust my taste buds to foods not chock full of salt, fat and sugar.

 

[CJ2008]

don't buy any food or medications made in china and read the ingredients and carbs, fat and sugar levels in food and avoid synthetic sweeteners.
Did you know that 2 different brands of the same thing one can have 5x as much carbs, sugar or fat content?

Orange/apple juice and bread are the ones I found with the widest ranges.

I didn't know anything about medications made in China...just looked it up...same with India, it seems.

How do you find out which ones are made in either of those countries? You ask the pharmacy?

Yes, I read labels all the time...sometimes I'll look at labels to see which brand I want to buy, maybe one has less sodium, etc...

 

[CJ2008]

Buy mostly fresh fruits, veges and simple whole grains.
Buy little or no processed foods from the major companies, General Mills etc.

Work more/harder/longer in the kitchen.
Convenience is often the enemy of health.

Adjust my taste buds to foods not chock full of salt, fat and sugar.

Definitely...

I cringe at what I sometimes used to buy in the name of convenience...those little packages of cut up vegetables with the padding on the bottom, probably filled with chemicals to keep the food looking fresh...

I'm guilty of not washing my pre-packaged salads...but I read in your other thread about the water/vinegar solution...doesn't that soak through the vegetable and leave a vinegar-y taste? I usually scrub mine with a brush...I wonder if that's enough.

 

[Karl_K]

Yep just ask.
Looks like India is having some issues.
Last time I researched they were seen as having the same or better standards than the US.
Almost all the meds I take are made in India.
I will have to check and see which company made them.

I also check sodium forgot to include it.
Tomato products also have a huge range even in the same brand at times.

 

[Sky56]

1. I buy all organically produced fruits, vegetables, grains, bread, cheese and yogurt.

2. I hardly ever eat microwaved food. I like old-fashioned stovetop and oven cooking.

3. Balance of activity and rest plus pursuit of beloved interests. (A relative who lived healthily to age 105 said that was his secret to health and long life.) I also add conscious effort to reduce emotional stress.

4. Vegetarian diet with added vitamin and mineral supplementation, plus supplements such as flaxseed oil capsules, grapeseed and bilberry extract (glaucoma runs in my family and I had a scare in 1999, I think my supplements aborted a future diagnosis, my eye pressure decreased)

5. Driving carefully with full attention on the road at all times, at or just 5 mph over the speed limit. Defensive driving.

6. No alcohol or drugs. Prescription and over the counter drugs taken extremely rarely. Sometimes ten years go by without a single pill taken, not even an aspirin or Tylenol.

7. Fresh country air. I'm obsessed with it. I love fresh mountain air.

8. Sun avoidance. Sun is the biggest enemy of skin.

9. Careful choosing of friends and associations. Toxic relationships cause needless misery.

There's more, but that's it for now.

 

[rosetta]

I don't drink or smoke, and I stay out of the sun.

As an oncologist, I can't recommend anything as much as that. Everything else is minor in comparison so I don't bother.

I should do more exercise though.

 

[missy]

I protect myself with sunscreen/sunblock when I am outside.

I am physically active and do strength training and cardiovascular exercise regularly (cardio every day and weight lifting 3x a week).

I don't smoke and I don't drink alcohol.

I eat a mainly vegetarian diet making sure I get enough protein (mainly via beans) and since I have always been sodium sensitive I have been eating a low sodium diet since the eighties. I eat organic where I can and where it makes sense and drink mainly water these days.

I try to remain conscious of stress and reduce it as best I can and try to get enough sleep (which is difficult on my work days but I do the best I can).

I make time for relaxation and enjoyment. I like chatting and seeing friends and family.

I enjoy being with my dh and we enjoy a relatively healthy and active lifestyle and have a supportive and loving relationship which I think adds a great benefit to our quality of life (health and otherwise).

 

[shimmer]

But just realized I drink my hot coffee out of a plastic straw

What have you done?

I wonder if we should also list some of our favorite products we've found, or some that didn't work?

Glass straws! My sister got them for me from etsy...best gift ever!!!!

 

[Cehrabehra]

I have been on a major changes mode in the past year. I know I haven't been around much and it is only *partly because I've been so occupied with school. Another big time sinker has been the health changes - the food changes primarily - that I have made. I went organic, then I started juicing (veg), then I stopped eating processed foods, then I did a couple rounds of whole-30. I make my own coffee creamer with almonds, dates, and cinnamon. It's all very time consuming. I am also very careful about what I put on my body. I've long had an immune disorder that dictated *years ago that I move to all organic shampoo/conditioner (you can eat all but one of the ingredients in my shampoo). I also started using coconut oil (or true cover up) for sunscreen. It only has an spf of like 15 but most of the other stuff washes off before you get beyond that anyway and I am not comfortable putting all of those chemicals in my body. I have a metal water container I take to school and bring my own food. Our society is NOT (yet!) geared toward organic whole food eating so it's quite time consuming to do what's right. Even things like almond milk in the store have several ingredients that I don't want in my body.

 

[Sky56]

Organic chocolate and coffee, and natural shampoo and conditioner - Yes. This thread has really gotten me to notice how much I use plastic - storage, food bought wrapped in plastic, etc. This has gotten me thinking about changing things though I have been eating an organic made-from-scratch diet for years.

I used to store a lot of my food in glass, and that ended for the most part after a number of accidents dropping glass containers on the tile floor or granite countertop. Plastic seemed safer - re-using large plastic yogurt tubs and Tupperware.

 

[missy]

I have been on a major changes mode in the past year. I know I haven't been around much and it is only *partly because I've been so occupied with school. Another big time sinker has been the health changes - the food changes primarily - that I have made. I went organic, then I started juicing (veg), then I stopped eating processed foods, then I did a couple rounds of whole-30. I make my own coffee creamer with almonds, dates, and cinnamon. It's all very time consuming. I am also very careful about what I put on my body. I've long had an immune disorder that dictated *years ago that I move to all organic shampoo/conditioner (you can eat all but one of the ingredients in my shampoo). I also started using coconut oil (or true cover up) for sunscreen. It only has an spf of like 15 but most of the other stuff washes off before you get beyond that anyway and I am not comfortable putting all of those chemicals in my body. I have a metal water container I take to school and bring my own food. Our society is NOT (yet!) geared toward organic whole food eating so it's quite time consuming to do what's right. Even things like almond milk in the store have several ingredients that I don't want in my body.

Good for you Cehrabehra and everyone else doing this! It is so time consuming sometimes I feel a good part of my day is spent shopping for fresh/organic foods and then prepping healthy lunches for work so I don't have to rely on buying already prepared foods.

You mentioned coconut milk and I was wondering if you know anything about coconut water? My friend recommended it yesterday and I tried some that she gave me and it was delicious. Just wondering if it is healthy as I am looking for some alternatives/additions to just drinking filtered/bottled water.

Hope you are doing well health wise Sara!

 

[Sparklelu]

Organic food as much as possible, and reading labels. NO GMO's for us.
http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/
My daughter got us started and so much of what she said makes sense FOR US, that we have been actively avoiding GMO's.
She has also gotten into essential oils and has "made potions" for DH's back pain and snoring that work!!
We have too much cancer in our family that we cannot go on blindly shoving chemicals and garbage into our bodies.
The first thing I eliminated was carrageenan. I know you can find info saying its fine, but when i eliminated it, my gut said thank you!

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/carrageenan-natural-ingredient-you-should-ban-your-diet

As soon as my ankle heals I walking again.

 

[ericad]

Grow or produce as much of our own food as we can, organically. What we can't produce ourselves, we try to buy from local organic farms. What we can't buy locally, we buy organic at the store. Whatever's left, which is very little, we then buy non-organic if we can't go without.

For milk, we buy local organic raw milk stored in glass jars.

For meat, we buy local organic beef shares. We more or less detest chicken, so we eat very little meat overall, so the side of beef lasts us forever.

Avoid processed foods as much as possible.

Use BPA-free plastic containers or glass for food storage.

Use low or no chemical toiletries and cleaning products as much as possible (I haven't gotten over the deodorant hurdle yet, have tried everything on the market!) I confess that I still haven't given up on my regular dish and laundry detergents, or fabric softener, but it's on my list.

We NEVER use pesticides, chemical fertilizers or weed killers on our property.

No non-stick or teflon coated cookware or bakeware. I use cast iron 99% of the time, and stainless steel for things like soup, boiling pasta, etc.

We rarely use sunscreen because we don't want chemicals on our skin. We also minimize exposure to the sun, and use only non-toxic, low-chemical sunscreen when we expect to be in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

 

[kenny]

I've discovered that sometimes water is all the solvent necessary.
I'll use a pump-bottle to spray a film of water onto my stove, let it soak for 20 minutes, wipe.
Depending on what's there, simple water may remove all of what's not baked on, and some of what is.

A razor blade removes the rest.
I buy a package of 100 safety razors at Home Depot, only 7 cents each.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Allway-Tools-0-009-in-Single-Edge-Blades-100-Pack-SEB100VP/202672372

Baking soda does a pretty good job cleaning the sink and bathroom tile.

 

[Roxy]

I don't drink or smoke, and I stay out of the sun.

As an oncologist, I can't recommend anything as much as that. Everything else is minor in comparison so I don't bother.

I should do more exercise though.

Same here re not drinking, smoking, or hanging out in the sun. I also drink at least a gallon of water a day, and lately I've begun to try to make sure to balance my obligations so that I'm rarely stressed to my limits.

I haven't gotten very good at the latter yet, but I'm starting to try to plan things so that when stressful stuff comes up, it's in smaller shorter doses.