Toxin Research

Nov

By: Andria | Comments Off

Please take a minute to view this short video on the proper way to dispose of medication. It is not acceptable to dump them down the toilet or into the sink. They make their way back into our drinking water and will also get into the lakes and streams. This issue is relevant to everyone’s personal health safety and the protection of our environment.

http://www.smarxtdisposal.net/

If you cannot access the video, the steps are listed below, courtesy of The SMAR_XT DISPOSAL campaign’s website. This campaign is “designed to raise awareness about the potential environmental impact from improperly disposed of medications and to provide proactive guidance through proper disposal alternatives”:

Follow your medication prescriber’s instructions and use all medications as instructed. If you do not use all of your prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you can take a few small steps to make a huge impact in safeguarding lives and protecting the environment by disposing of unused medicines properly:

DO NOT FLUSH unused medications and DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain. Be Proactive and Dispose of Unused Medication In Household Trash. When discarding unused medications, ensure you protect children and pets from potentially negative effects:

Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), crush it or add water to dissolve it.
Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.
Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.
Remove and destroy ALL identifying personal information (prescription label) from all medication containers before recycling them or throwing them away.

Check for Approved State and Local Collection Programs. Another option is to check for approved state and local collection alternatives such as community based household hazardous waste collection programs. In certain states, you may be able to take your unused medications to your community pharmacy or other location for disposal. Consult your pharmacist with any questions.

NOTE: Please view their website for a list of medications that ARE alowed to be placed into the toilet.

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Aug

What is Hydrogenated Oil?

By: Andria | Comments Off

What is hydrogenated oil? Hydrogenated oil is the process of forcing hydrogen gas into oil at high pressure and temperature. It is used to take the place of butter in many baked items… some of the things that contain hydrogenated oils are crackers, cookies, frozen waffles, pudding, peanut butter, cereal bars, granola bars, prepared frozen foods, most prepared foods, soups (canned and powered), salad dressings, and more. Try picking up any item in the grocery store. Chances are that it will have partially or fully hydrogenated oils.

Listed on Oprah’s website in the ‘Food Hall of Shame’, “To increase their shelf life, Dr. Oz says certain oils are hydrogenated. This process turns the oil into a solid at room temperature, but it also makes the oil unhealthy. “This stuff is great because it doesn’t go bad, but it’s very bad for you,” says Dr. Oz. Avoid food products that contain hydrogenated oil, often labeled as ‘trans fats’.”

What makes hydrogenated oil bad for us?”. There are so many sites out there that provide detailed explanations on why it is bad, but in short, hydrogenated oil contains toxic trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids contribute to heart disease, cancer, MS, diabetes, and may contribute to other health problems that we have yet to find out about. The following link does an excellent job of explaining it: What’s Wrong with Partially Hydrogenated Oils?

Eric Armstrong has a great site that clearly explains the reasons why you should not eat anything with hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. He also explain how to carry out an effective consumer boycott of the products that harm us. He says in this article, “It’s one thing not to buy a product. It’s even better to boycott the product in a way that it makes it less likely that others will buy it.” Eric writes, “…after a while, it hit me. I came up with a way to carry on a small, one-person boycott of unhealthy products in a way that has a larger impact. It’s pretty simple, really. When I find a product that has partially hydrogenated oils or High Fructose Corn Syrup, I put it back on the shelf upside down and backwards….as more and more people catch on to the concept, I’m betting it could have a huge impact. If nothing else, I leave the store knowing that I’ve done something. Even if I’ve only kept one product out of one person’s hands, it’s something”

I agree with this boycott strategy, and I will be starting to do it as well. I hope that more people catch on.

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