I am a passionate person, I believe in a lot of things and typically share what I believe in a non-intrusive way through intelligent conversation for people who want to be in the know. I don't push my opinions on others where it is not welcomed, however if you ask me my opinion about a topic I will certainly give you my best foot forward without hesitation... and sometimes the truth foot goes right up the behind of the person asking the question. I suppose I am passionate about most everything I believe in simply because you SHOULD be passionate about your beliefs and well today's blog post is an example of that. I am going to share my opinion with a little fact intertwined to back up my story about what I feel is the biggest conspiracy in all of America... and quite frankly it burns me at both ends. Are you ready? GREAT! Here we go.
I am officially an ingredient NERD... plaid pants up to my boobies and a pocket protector in full force; I am a GEEK about ingredients and how they affect our bodies. This all started in 2005 when I was rushed to the ER with a heart rate of 196 (at rest) and blood pressure bottoming out at 70/40. I was in full blown thyroid storm and my body was literally shutting down. Had I not called my mother that morning when I woke up with a rapid heart rate and shortness of breath I would likely be blogging from heaven right now. From 600 miles away she convinced to get my buttocks to the doctor and for once in my life, I listened. (Not that I needed much convincing because I was scared to death.) After my 9 day stay at a local hospital, I left after swallowing a radioactive pill that would "burn out" my thyroid and since have been on a medication to "mimic" thyroid function.
I was determined to find out WHY this had happened to me at the young age of 31. At the time, there were no known thyroid issues in my family and this was typically something that was hereditary. I began researching thyroid disease, mine being an overactive thyroid, otherwise known as Grave's Disease. I came upon a website that discussed endocrine disrupting ingredients that are used in both food items and topically applied products such as personal care. Unfortunately, I saved the article to a hard drive that has since become toast but there is a lot of information on endocrine disruptor's if you look for it. As I dug deeper I began to learn more about what I was already partially aware of and that was that as proud as I am to be an American in many ways... being exposed to chemicals that directly affected my health because they are cheap was something that I was furious about. And so my passion was fueled and I became more and more proactive or as some would call "obsessive" about what I put in my mouth and on my skin. Chances are if it is FDA approved I am leery of it. Since my thyroid experience I have met many people and I would roughly say 6 out of every 10 people that I meet have some sort of thyroid dysfunction. Coincidence? I think not.
I have a few European friends who I have engaged in conversations with about how America readily uses chemicals in food and personal care KNOWING that it will make us sick and how it does not go on in European countries. My answer to this is simple and precise and if you think about it, makes complete sense. America... we are the home of skyrocketing healthcare and the medicinal capital of the world. You cannot watch television for an hour without seeing at least 5 commercials advertising medication for some aliment or "condition" not to mention the unhealthy food advertisements they slather all over the screen as you salivate and how you can conveniently eat this food 24 hours a day because the drive through windows are open late. Flip through a magazine lately? More medication advertisements for all of your sickness, disease, pains and depression. Have you thought for a minute that the toxins in our products and food may be CAUSINg these ailments depression and "conditions"? I sure have. Let's face it, our country's big business is MEDICATION. If they promote healthy lifestyles and make healthy food affordable for the average American family what would they bank on? Do you not wonder WHY in the world with all of our scientific technology we have yet to find a cure for cancer? Perhaps they will have to create another disease first.
In America, we have ingredients in our food and personal care that kill mice...and knowingly cause major health issues with humans, but as long as it only kills or affects 7 out of 10, it will likely get a stamp of approval here in the US of A. We absorb what we put on our skin into our bloodstreams... within 60 seconds; once it gets in there it is not coming out. Did you know that there are 500 KNOWN ingredients that are used in our personal care products that are banned, yes BANNED in Europe due the affects they have on your health? Get educated, be proactive or you could become another statistic. Are you concerned with weight gain or obesity? Toxins. Are you looking older than you want to or should? Toxins. Are you scared that you, like the several people you know or have lost will be a cancer victim? Toxins.
Here in America they put the healthier food choices on either the top shelf or the bottom shelf because we are less likely to look there. Next time you are at the grocery store stand back from the shelf and look up... look down and call me wrong. We charge more money for things that are healthy because if we promote healthy living we will not be sick and need the medication that our government pushes. It's the worst legal drug deal I know of. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients... do you really think you should eat it? Is it more expensive? Yes... is it worth every penny? I guess that depends on the price you put on your life and whether or not anyone will miss you if you are gone. This is one price hike that is not due to supply and demand, it is so that we will walk by knowing we cannot afford it if we want to go on that Disney Vacation and buy the cheaper box of cereal. It angers me... but what balances out that emotion is that I have a choice to stay healthy. I have a choice to either spend thousands on healthcare or a little more on groceries, and I choose to spend more on my groceries because I care about being around a while to watch my 4 children grow up. And THAT makes me proud to be an American.
I encourage your comments, welcome your opinions and will certainly appreciate you greatly if you share this with others. I need readers to succeed in changing the way we think one blog post at a time!
©Shelley Giard 2012
I am officially an ingredient NERD... plaid pants up to my boobies and a pocket protector in full force; I am a GEEK about ingredients and how they affect our bodies. This all started in 2005 when I was rushed to the ER with a heart rate of 196 (at rest) and blood pressure bottoming out at 70/40. I was in full blown thyroid storm and my body was literally shutting down. Had I not called my mother that morning when I woke up with a rapid heart rate and shortness of breath I would likely be blogging from heaven right now. From 600 miles away she convinced to get my buttocks to the doctor and for once in my life, I listened. (Not that I needed much convincing because I was scared to death.) After my 9 day stay at a local hospital, I left after swallowing a radioactive pill that would "burn out" my thyroid and since have been on a medication to "mimic" thyroid function.
I was determined to find out WHY this had happened to me at the young age of 31. At the time, there were no known thyroid issues in my family and this was typically something that was hereditary. I began researching thyroid disease, mine being an overactive thyroid, otherwise known as Grave's Disease. I came upon a website that discussed endocrine disrupting ingredients that are used in both food items and topically applied products such as personal care. Unfortunately, I saved the article to a hard drive that has since become toast but there is a lot of information on endocrine disruptor's if you look for it. As I dug deeper I began to learn more about what I was already partially aware of and that was that as proud as I am to be an American in many ways... being exposed to chemicals that directly affected my health because they are cheap was something that I was furious about. And so my passion was fueled and I became more and more proactive or as some would call "obsessive" about what I put in my mouth and on my skin. Chances are if it is FDA approved I am leery of it. Since my thyroid experience I have met many people and I would roughly say 6 out of every 10 people that I meet have some sort of thyroid dysfunction. Coincidence? I think not.
I have a few European friends who I have engaged in conversations with about how America readily uses chemicals in food and personal care KNOWING that it will make us sick and how it does not go on in European countries. My answer to this is simple and precise and if you think about it, makes complete sense. America... we are the home of skyrocketing healthcare and the medicinal capital of the world. You cannot watch television for an hour without seeing at least 5 commercials advertising medication for some aliment or "condition" not to mention the unhealthy food advertisements they slather all over the screen as you salivate and how you can conveniently eat this food 24 hours a day because the drive through windows are open late. Flip through a magazine lately? More medication advertisements for all of your sickness, disease, pains and depression. Have you thought for a minute that the toxins in our products and food may be CAUSINg these ailments depression and "conditions"? I sure have. Let's face it, our country's big business is MEDICATION. If they promote healthy lifestyles and make healthy food affordable for the average American family what would they bank on? Do you not wonder WHY in the world with all of our scientific technology we have yet to find a cure for cancer? Perhaps they will have to create another disease first.
In America, we have ingredients in our food and personal care that kill mice...and knowingly cause major health issues with humans, but as long as it only kills or affects 7 out of 10, it will likely get a stamp of approval here in the US of A. We absorb what we put on our skin into our bloodstreams... within 60 seconds; once it gets in there it is not coming out. Did you know that there are 500 KNOWN ingredients that are used in our personal care products that are banned, yes BANNED in Europe due the affects they have on your health? Get educated, be proactive or you could become another statistic. Are you concerned with weight gain or obesity? Toxins. Are you looking older than you want to or should? Toxins. Are you scared that you, like the several people you know or have lost will be a cancer victim? Toxins.
Here in America they put the healthier food choices on either the top shelf or the bottom shelf because we are less likely to look there. Next time you are at the grocery store stand back from the shelf and look up... look down and call me wrong. We charge more money for things that are healthy because if we promote healthy living we will not be sick and need the medication that our government pushes. It's the worst legal drug deal I know of. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients... do you really think you should eat it? Is it more expensive? Yes... is it worth every penny? I guess that depends on the price you put on your life and whether or not anyone will miss you if you are gone. This is one price hike that is not due to supply and demand, it is so that we will walk by knowing we cannot afford it if we want to go on that Disney Vacation and buy the cheaper box of cereal. It angers me... but what balances out that emotion is that I have a choice to stay healthy. I have a choice to either spend thousands on healthcare or a little more on groceries, and I choose to spend more on my groceries because I care about being around a while to watch my 4 children grow up. And THAT makes me proud to be an American.
I encourage your comments, welcome your opinions and will certainly appreciate you greatly if you share this with others. I need readers to succeed in changing the way we think one blog post at a time!
©Shelley Giard 2012
