Toxic overload in todays society!

[Ellendra]

I was diagnosed with IBS several years ago, for me it's fiber and air that set it off. In 2009, during the many, many tests I went through, one doctor discovered that I was actually missing a few digestive enzymes. Now I take enzyme capsules with every meal, and I'm doing much better.

[greenorelse]

Toxic overload - in addition to the myriad chemicals we're surrounded by, what about electromagnetic radiation? I know very little about it but we've gone from radios to tvs to satellite to mobile phones to all manner of wireless stuff.

Are you worried about it?

[Berti]

oh I totally agree about the intoxicating and no it is not only the food.
we have to look at the TOTAL picture so, your story about that man cutting out a lotta stuff might well be right.
FOR HIM.
but doesn't mean you can't try......its always good to cut out as much crap as you can.

as for food (because that affects your bowels directly) I would definitely cut out factory ready made, stuff.
those have the most additions, and try to stick to making as much as possible, yourself.

I tend to live by the rule, if you cannot pronounce it, its no good for you , be it food or bodycare or anything.
nowadays I make some of my body care products, use non poisonous cleaning (ecover or something simple and cheap) and make as much as possible myself.
but tv/ computer? yes we can do with less. but we don't WANT to, do we ;)

[greenorelse]

I tend to live by the rule, if you cannot pronounce it, its no good for you , be it food or bodycare or anything.
nowadays I make some of my body care products, use non poisonous cleaning (ecover or something simple and cheap) and make as much as possible myself.

Good rule Berti.

Someone once said you should never eat something you wouldn't have in your food cupboard, which is another way of saying it.

[MandyWB]

In addition to the toxic overload info with which I agree, in our rush to modernise we have all but lost the traditional ways of preparing and eating foodstuffs that have nourished us for generations. The book "Nourishing Traditions" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nourishing-Trad ... 761&sr=1-1 inspired us to, amongst other things, pre-soak our grains as well as beans; make sour-dough bread; use raw milk; cut out all white flour/rice and all sugar....... Both me and my OH have bags more energy and have lost those nagging digestive upsets which we had previously put down to one of those things that comes with middle age

Although I've shown the Amazon link for the book, we were able to get it from our local library. We did then buy it because of all the recipes - it has proved invaluable and best of all we get to eat lots of cheese & butter etc guilt free

[Millymollymandy]

I tend to live by the rule, if you cannot pronounce it, its no good for you , be it food or bodycare or anything.

Nooooo I don't agree otherwise I wouldn't be able to eat Thai or Indian food ever again.

[Shirleymouse]

I too suffer from IBS, often related to stress although I gtend to get it after the stressful situation has passed - I'm always bad during the first week of the school hols when I relax after weeks of craziness at work!

Anyway, I thought I was doing the right thing by eating all-bran, wholemeal bread and loads of fruit but I was getting worse and worse. I did some research and it turns out that these are the things that many IBS sufferers cannot digest. So, after years of eating wholemeal or granary bread, I now eat white or no more than 50% wholmeal. The worst things are fruits with indigestible skins e.g. blueberries, raw tomatoes and also bran, I cannot digest bran whatsoever.

I'm also bad if I break my usual eating routine e.g. on holiday. I've had at least 2 thoroughly miserable holidays as a result where I've waddled about feeling bloated and too embarrassed to put on a swimming costume. I always make sure I get up and eat breakfast now at the usual time and try not to leave too long between meals. I also eat lots of live plain yoghurt and drink plenty of water which seems to help.

I think that everyone who suffers from IBS has slightly different triggers and when you identify them the problem becomes easier to manage. Having said that, I agree that there is a lot of rubbish added to our food which doesn't help matters.

[gregorach]

Toxic overload - in addition to the myriad chemicals we're surrounded by, what about electromagnetic radiation? I know very little about it but we've gone from radios to tvs to satellite to mobile phones to all manner of wireless stuff.

Are you worried about it?

I know quite a lot about it, and no, I'm not. The only way electromagnetic radiation is likely to cause you any harm (unless you're getting lots of X-Rays done or travelling into space) is through staying out in the sun too long. Yes, light is electromagnetic radiation too - and much higher energy (and therefore more dangerous) than the relatively long wavelengths used in the sort of applications you list.

Lots of people worry about WiFi, but apparently none of them realise that it's exactly the same waveband the BBC used to use for black and white TV. They pumped out about 3 million watts from Crystal Palace for decades, apparently without causing any problems, but now people are complaining about a few milliwatts... A number of studies have been done, and it turns out that (so far) nobody who claims to be "electro-sensitive" can actually tell whether an EM source in a black box is turned on or not at a rate better than chance.

Now, of course, all results are provisional and subject to revision should new data emerge, but so far it's a resounding "no" to the question of whether non-ionising radiation poses any health risks.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I know quite a lot about it, and no, I'm not. The only way electromagnetic radiation is likely to cause you any harm (unless you're getting lots of X-Rays done or travelling into space) is through staying out in the sun too long. Yes, light is electromagnetic radiation too - and much higher energy (and therefore more dangerous) than the relatively long wavelengths used in the sort of applications you list.

Me neither. Given the continual radiation we're exposed to from natural sources (and which we are reasonably well adapted to survive), the energy levels concerned are puny.

Sound waves, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. The world has become a heck of a lot more noisy in recent decades. I wonder sometimes just how much this might be affecting us

[Milims]

I wonder about it sometimes too. There is so much noise around that we simply don't notice. I was once in a supermarket when the power went off and was astounded at how quiet it was without the noise of the freezers, fridges, musak, tills, hum from the lights etc. When the power came back on it was almost deafening by contrast! Yet how often do we actually notice the noise in such similar situations?

[greenorelse]

Thanks for that gregorach. I retain my right to be cynical but I'll happily take what you say on board this leaky vessel.

[gregorach]

I wonder about it sometimes too. There is so much noise around that we simply don't notice. I was once in a supermarket when the power went off and was astounded at how quiet it was without the noise of the freezers, fridges, musak, tills, hum from the lights etc. When the power came back on it was almost deafening by contrast! Yet how often do we actually notice the noise in such similar situations?

I can certainly buy the idea that noise contributes to stress, and stress is very bad for you in lots of ways.

[crowsashes]

I can certainly buy the idea that noise contributes to stress, and stress is very bad for you in lots of ways.

every tried telling a 3 1/2 year old that! i have to go into the city centre 3 days a week and its absolute blis not having the constant 'mum, mum, mum' when hes gone to bed i sit and read in silence its lovely. it probably is the only thing keeping me sane!

i think lack of sunlight also adds to stress - im doing studio work at the moment and spending most of the day in artificial light and my energy levels are rock bottom which in turn gets you stressed because you cant work as well.

im off out today - its bloody freezing but im making a point of spending all day in natural light in the hope ill feel better and sleep better

[gregorach]

i think lack of sunlight also adds to stress - im doing studio work at the moment and spending most of the day in artificial light and my energy levels are rock bottom which in turn gets you stressed because you cant work as well.

Oh yeah. What with the short days up here in Scotland and my job as an IT office drone, I don't see much daylight during the winter. I've recently started taking a 10mg daily vitamin D3 supplement which seems to be helping, although it's a bit early to say with any certainty.

[MuddyWitch]

Talking of noise pollution, I think British teenagers would be far less stressed if their secondary schools were smaller or at least quieter.

I went into one in the early 1990's to do a talk to Yr 8 pupils and was horrified at the noise levels. Then our youngest chose to go to secondary school & always came home shouting. (Now, bear in mind I'm partially deaf) I constantly had to remind her she was home & could speak at a normal level.

This can't be good for pupils or staff: if they were in a factory in these noise levels they would be required to wear ear defenders!

MW