Toxicity is another area of health that people rarely consider but should...it’s everywhere. I’m talking the things you consume, the things you use, the things that are on and around you all day long.

What follows is the outcome of a path that a friend of mine drew my attention to many years ago, I’ve summarized my reading and personal conclusions down for you as best I can.

If you’re shopping for your first man bra, this can help. If you’re getting headaches, allergies, skin or stomach problems, this can help.

If you’re on supplements you’re of a mentality that takes every little advantage to improve your health…perhaps toxicity is restraining this advantage somewhat and need not.

If you have kids, this can have far reaching benefits into their immune development and such.

Environmental

The UK due to it’s long history of industrial growth, and large areas of population density, contains a lot of airborne pollution. This is why athletes can report increases in percentage body fat due to exposure to the UK environment for long periods. Sounds incredible I know.

There is not much we can do about this, but when I see runners for example doing their thing in built up areas, I wonder how much good they are really doing to themselves.

When you do exercise, you drive air down into parts of the lungs that are not normally used in shallower normal day to day breathing. If you drive down into there a load of taxi smog, it stands to reason that this will not be good for you.

If you live in a city, walk outside as you don’t want to miss the holistic benefits of being outside, but run inside. Treadmills are biomechanically imperfect, but necessary in a city in my view.

Water

Some people think that the hormones involved in the contraceptive pill, remain inherent in the water supply and have been a partial catalyst for the current trend in declining fertility rates in men. I don’t know if this is proven, but I know I don’t like the sound of it.

More people think that fluoride in the water supply is an even bigger problem.

Fortunately in the UK, fluoride in the water is only done in a minority of areas, but if your area is one of them you may wish to consider installing a filter…but I will go into fluoride more shortly.

It’s not just the water you drink, it’s the water you wash in and wear. If you have hot showers, the pores of your skin will open and absorb whatever is in the water. Nature did not intend for you to have hot showers…this is part of the reason people have skin problems. Cold showers are invigorating and you get in and out quicker.

Food

Oh man where do I start. Hormones pumped into animals to fatten them up. Completely unsuitable feed used to create delicious sick animals. Petro-chemical crap sprayed all over the fruit and veg. I could go on and on and on.

Go organic and buy locally as much as you can. It is expensive, but you make choices, would you rather have that latte from Starbucks, or a clean meal tonight? Do you need that magazine, or that latest computer game? You get my drift.

Drugs and alcohol

You don’t need to read this post to know that these things are toxic. Enjoy life but try not to completely fuck your liver, brain and everything in between.

One little pet peeve though, is painkillers. Unfortunately, people are now taking these like they are mints. If you want to knacker your gut, knocking back continual ibuprofen every day is a way to achieve that unfortunate effect.

Things like gaviscon and alka seltzer attempt to pour alkalinity into an acidic environment, when in fact a lack of acidity can be the root cause.

Just be aware that some of these supposedly benign products are patches for things that can be fixed with cleaner nutrition.

Plastics

Plastics leech PCB’s into whatever they contain.

Water bottles are the obvious example, which is difficult to avoid unless you get yourself a home water filter and a stainless flask…also known as “the geography teacher look”, which so fashionable on all the catwalks of Milan I’m told.

If you cook something in the microwave in a plastic container, you’ve infused your meal with tasty petro-chemical goodness. Mmmmm, yummy. Incidentally, if you microwave anything, you’ve just dramatically broken down the nutritional availability of the food to your body.

Dental Hygiene

If you have a poor, or even normal diet, fluoride in your toothpaste and mouthwash will in my opinion help you keep cavities at bay.

However, if you are a health aware and you’re diet is Paleo or thereabouts, or even if you just want to know about fluoride…be aware of the following.

Fluoride is a byproduct of aluminium production, and is literally scraped of the insides of the smelting chimney walls. Ahem, feeling the love yet? The aluminium lobby has persuaded some local and national governments that fluoride is best disposed of into the water supply, what with it being nice and convenient and quick and all.

Fluoride is a neurotoxin that the Nazi’s used in high doses in the water supply to subdue the concentration camp populations. It does some other nasty things to the body too, which I’ll leave you to research for yourself if you are interested.

Don’t go off it if you’re not going to eat cleanly, if you are, think about it and make your own choice. Incidentally, if you bring this up with your dentist you will likely get a reaction akin to blasphemy.

Antiperspirants and deodorants

Breast cancer rates have been shown to most notably affect not the main part of the breast, but the connecting tissue that runs from the breast to the armpit. Breast cancer in men is also on the increase. So, what is going on?

Antiperspirants and deodorants have been implicated, specifically because of the ALUMINIUM content and the way we wipe and spray the side of the breast area with them repeatedly. Do you really think nature intended for you to douse your skin in an aluminium compound?

I know someone who got someone who got cancer of the lymph nodes under his arms, due to use of these products, hence my awareness of it. He was a sportsman, so those of you who do this every day or several times a day please take note of this.

I don’t want the same thing to happen to you...plus preserving the boob is clearly a noble cause.

Shower gel, soap, shampoo, conditioner

Same theme again guys, these things are full of Parabens and other petro-chemical delights. You think something is nice and foamy and good for your skin…it’s all marketing.

Chapsticks and moisturiser

Ever notice how you put on chapstick and it feels great, then you feel the need to keep doing it again and again? Same with moisturizer, your skin feels great, then the next day it’s dry again? What’s going on?

These products agitate the skin and impede the skins natural ability to moisturize from within. I’m not saying don’t use them, I’m saying find alternatives without all the chemical shit in them

Part of me thinks the manufacturers know or even encourage this trend because it makes for compulsive repeat purchasing.

Suncream

You may consider that skin cancer risk is worth the use of chemical products and I’m certainly not going to advise you to do otherwise.

Personally, I am persuaded by the arguments that the presiding wisdom is full of logical holes as to the efficacy of these products, and that the sun is actually good for you.

Currently I use a standard product, but only sparingly and will replace it with a natural one when I next go shopping.

EMF (Electro Magnetic Frequency)

You may not be aware, but there is considerable concern at the moment that the Bees of the world are dying out. This represents a serious concern for mankind, as bees pollenate, without which we are fucked.

One reason that the bees might be struggling, is that we are pumping the airwaves with mobile phone communications and the like, with masts everywhere, which in and of themselves have been linked to health issues in humans as you will be aware.

If it’s throwing the bee’s navigation sense off, it might not be doing you too much good either. Get some earphones for your phone, don’t have anything powerful like a fish tank near your bed, use Ethernet not wireless if you can help it…just take little steps as best you can.

Household

From the paint in your walls, to the sealant around your bathroom tiles…it all gives of petro-chemical fumes. Ever had a headache in a newly painted room?

Nowt much you can do about it other than chose non toxic products when you next decorate…but fortunately, nature provides an answer: houseplants.

These little beauties are like little recycling units and will clean your air for you. We blokes are notoriously shit at having and not killing house plants, but make the effort…plus girls like greenery in your pad, it makes you look less of a lothario and more of a person.

Cleaning products

We know half the things under the sink are dangerous, that’s why we put them in high or locked cabinets when we have kids.

Yet we wash our clothes in chemicals and rub that on our skin all day, we pour bleach down out sinks and loos and breathe in the fumes…you can see where I am going with this…most major supermarkets now sell less toxic varieties.

You want to kill of salmonella and such on your work surfaces in the kitchen, but in general, we’re way too liberal with these products.

Fuel

When filling the car up, don’t just lazily plonk yourself there and wait while sucking in the fumes. There was an alarming report done on the health dangers of this done last year. Wear those gay little gloves they provide and stand at arms length from the nozel...I'm sure some of you have much experience standing at arms length from the nozel. Ahem.

Tins and cookware

High grade stainless steel, or pyrex glass, or expensive cast iron (a pain to maintain), or ceramics…all these are decent choices.

Non stick coatings are toxic and a no-go. Sporadic use is likely OK but personally I don’t use it anymore. They leech carcinogens and into the food and air, although the manufacturers obviously still encourage debate that this may not be a problem.

Estrogen

It is well known that estrogenic effects are taking over the male half of the population, and helping the girls none too much either in some ways as well.

Hormone effects of this type are often linked to toxicity, from the declining sperm rate, to the man boob trend, to impotency issues, to general health and robustness…our testosterone is fast fleeing the scene and we need to reclaim it.

Pulling it all together

Obviously, this can all sound like a pain in the arse and a bit of a reality shaker…even alarmist or paranoid. As with anything else you read, take what you like, ignore what you don’t, I just hope some of it helps someone.

Moreover, clearly some of these “ills of modern society” have other contributing factors, even controlling factors, but this is no doubt part of the picture.

However, in a world where for the first time our children are expected to live shorter lives than we are, despite profound medical advances, and where cancer and insidious disease is rampant, you’ve got to wonder what may be contributing to it.

Once you’re in the habit of buying differently, it’s really not as difficult as you would think, I just make different choices from the shelves, and visit different shops either online or traditional. It was alarming at first, but now I don’t even think about it, better choices are just part of my buying routine.


Anyway, I hope you find the above useful and of benefit to your health in some way or another.

PS

Thats a great post and very informative. I don't know how to multi quote part of the same post, so I will just add my thoughts below:

I don't understand what you mean by "biomechanically imperfect"... do you think running in a field would help this city polluting toxins?

I have to admit, I always have baths or showers as hot as my body will stand, I love the hot water. And I am also quite bad for using nice smelling shampoos and body wash. Shame on me. I will look for more organic alternatives.

By the way, what do you think about hair products? Hair spray, gel, wax etc...

I've never really thought much about organic foods, always thinking, meh whats the difference. Now I know..

I live on a strict no pills policy. I'd rather suffer insane migrains than take pills. I don't know what the FUCK they put in any pharmaceuticals. Just cos they write an instruction leaflet doesn't mean shit to me. I just don't ever take them and my immune system is quite good, I rarely get ill and when I do it's usually from being in close proximity to ill people.

When you say "Plastics leech PCB’s into whatever they contain.", what do you mean by PCBs? And shit, I had a ready meal tika curry last night in plastic container. Perhaps I should avoid microwavable stuff from now on..

As for deodrants/anti-perspirants, I've already mentioned my thread on sweating, and will look at better alternatives to the market brands.

Also, this sounds stupid but in relation to the bit about bees becomine extinct, just watch The Bee Movie to see what would happen in the world if they vanish. Yes its a cartoon but it shows the affects.

On a final note, I am sick to death of all these mega corporations selling foods/drinks/pharmaceuitcals etc and marketing them like they will help you. Seriously. Coca cola is ADDICTING. People drink it, and get more thirsty.

Mcdonalds fills you for like half an hour, and then makes you want to go back for more. Then they serve you coca cola, which you drink fast due to the content of the food and buy more cos the cola made you more thirsty.

They are just two prime examples I can think of.

I personally think all these toxins you mention are obviously the root cause for unhealth and crap in the world

great post you've got all the goodies for this section.

one thing about bleach, if you mix it with a sodium based cleaning product it will cause a violent reaction producing hydrogen peroxide gas that kills instantly.

bloody hell Eddie, strikes me as well worth knowing that one!

PS

also super glue and cotton wool will set alight your stuff

Al_phaD I don't get the multi quoting either!

Treadmills: moving ground makes the body recruit muscles as though "riding", nature is best where appropriate. Not a significant risk, continue to use treadmills without fear if suits you.

PCB's: http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychlorinated_bipyenyl

Hair: I use a standard product as I have ridiculous hair to control, but there are cleaner waxes available

General rant: yeah I agree!

PS

superglue sets cotton wool alight????


well then does that nt mean.


you could take bleach, sodium based cleaner in 2 seperate thin glass containers, cotton wool attached to a nail that is set to penetrate a superglue bottle... when the concoction mix.... hydrogen gas bomb??

maybe?... few nails in there....

haha Phil, I think that's a different site

Oh God, Phil's gone radical.

PS

jollyrogerscookbook

apparently that was a site back in the day that was closed down

perhaps it was the anarchist cook book?

i dunno