Who am I?

Day 5 and all I've purchased was milk and baby wipes. I know the baby wipes were unnecessary as I could have used many things from around the house (washcloths, paper towels, etc) but that is one convenience I didn't want to do without right now. Soon I'm going to start having to get creative with replacements for ingredients and dinners. I already ran out of olive oil and had to start using up the canola oil that's been in the back of the cupboard. That's almost gone too though. The dieting isn't going so well since I had ice cream cake at a birthday party and late dinners with Jeremiah. Plus, W hasn't been sleeping well so we've been waking up late so getting to my 8:00 gym class hasn't been working very well either. Good thing I've got a treadmill to kind of keep me on track. I'm grateful for good friends that are tracking my progress with me. It's a continual reminder that I'm not only doing this for myself, but as an example for others. 

All my life I tried to be whomever people around me wanted. That meant I was someone else at each social encounter. I've never really been able to nail down who I am. For the first time in my life, I am finally settling into my skin. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there. That's what this blog is all about; finding myself and maybe helping others figure out their path as well. From what I have decided so far, I want to be fit and strong so I can feel physically comfortable in my skin. I also want to be someone that is honest and open and stop forcing friendships out of obligation. There have been times where I have worked myself to the core trying to please others and I don't want to do it anymore. People that make you feel bad about yourself just bring you down. Make the break and move on with your life. More than anything, I want to be the wife and mother my family deserves. That includes keeping them healthy, happy, and active. That is why I'm focusing so much on chemicals and disease.

So part of my reading yesterday was on the US governments role in monitoring health. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS REPORT WAS BY A GOVERNMENT PANEL, NOT ENVIRONMENTALISTS! Both the FDA and EPA are key players in the Cancer Panels report. They have both horribly dropped the ball, causing the public to believe things are healthy when they are not. Currently there are over 80,000 listed chemicals in use in the US but only a few hundred have actually been tested. Our society is based on being reactionary instead of precautionary. This means that we are basically guinea pigs for chemical usage. When disease becomes common is when tests are actually run. Shouldn't chemicals be fully tested before they are used? What is really bad is even if chemicals are tested and known 100% to be carcinogens, they are still allowed to be used in products. A good example of this is BPA. The FDA still does not require manufacturers to eliminate this chemical even in infant products. Over 130 studies have linked BPA to breast cancer, OBESITY, diabetes, and other disorders. It is one of the many chemicals known to cause disease, but is still allowed to be in products we use every day. The Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction concluded in 2008 that there is “...some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A.” Yet in 2008, the FDA ruled that BPA is safe even for infants based on selected studies, some of which were industry-sponsored, and what is alleged to have been undue influence by industry lobbyists. The key term here is selected studies. The results of studies do not all have to be made known. That is where the precautionary aspect should come in. However, many companies pick and choose results to benefit their products. Again, that leaves it to the public to determine the truth.

Another chemical that usually goes hand-in-hand with BPA is Phthalates. These are also hormone disrupting chemicals that act as a mild estrogen. In girls, this causes early puberty and higher risk of breast cancer later in life. In boys, fetuses are at highest risk because it can cause undescended testicles, and higher risk of testicular cancer. In males it also reduces sperm count and quality (not sure what that means).

It's no wonder that cancer rates are skyrocketing. Funding cancer research is important, but I believe if this funding went towards avoiding cancer rather than finding a cure, we may be able to save future generations. Cancer is going to continue to affect us from so many angles and will change and grow as we find new cures. We all need to reduce our risk and start taking matters into our own hands.

Now please don't consider me a hypocrite when you see me. I have the information and I am making changes as I go, but I know as well as everyone else that avoiding all chemicals is impossible. Reduce your risk when you can but there's no need to be over the top about it. It's expensive to replace everything you own all at once and some of life's conveniences are too nice to give up. Take it easy and slow and be informed. Read product labels. Don't let ignorance be an excuse.