Scary stuff

This morning I saw an article online from the UK's Independent [http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article321838.ece] about the toxins in your bathroom... Even tho we've talked about environmental toxins even I forget about the toxic stuff in many of the products we use regularly like shampoo, shaving gel, hair coloring, bubble bath and more.

I admit that I color my hair - and have for a long time... I use a natural product from the health food store but now I'll double check to make sure it does not contain any of the mentioned "stuff." I use a toothpaste without sugar in it and try to limit the intake of things I can't pronounce but sometimes it's impossible especially when eating at a restaurant or at a friend's home.

Word to us wise - beware and be careful!

When Free is NOT Good!

Not all freebies are good... like the saying "there is no such thing as a free lunch"... There are such a things as free radicals but they are things we do not need or want in our bodies.

What are free radicals? They are molecules with one or more unpaired electrons and are formed when oxygen reacts with the molecules. They are "free" in that they are unpaired and essentially "free" to roam and harm other cellular structures. We all know that oxygen in the air causes iron to rust and if not cleaned up and stopped, the rust continues to "grow."

Well the oxygen in our bodies does similar damage when it creates free radicals which, once they are formed, start a chain reaction of damage. Thus we need antioxidants to combat the effects the free radicals by delaying or stopping the oxidation.

Some fruits and vegetables have antioxidant components but if you read back to the earlier entries in this blog, you'll see that most of our food, including organic food, is not as nutritious as it was in years past.

So, yes do eat your fruits and vegetables but take antioxidant supplements to combat the free radicals.