Lately, I have come across several blogs/boards and articles on people getting ‘the runs’ after having an Iced Coffee from McDonald’s, so I decided to investigate. Turns out this ‘iced coffee’, as they like to call it is really $1.79 worth of cleverly disguised chemicals. They should actually pay you to ingest this stuff!

Right off the Mc.Donald’s website is a listing of ingredients in their Vanilla Iced Coffee:

Premium roast coffee, light cream (skim milk, sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium citrate, carrageenan), vanilla syrup (Sugar, water, fructose, natural (plant source) and artificial flavor, caramel color (with sulfites), potassium sorbate (preservative), citric acid, malic acid

If that’s not enough to make you sick, here’s a quick breakdown of some of the offending additives:

sodium phosphate: is used to treat constipation and to clean the bowel before surgery, x-rays, endoscopy, or other intestinal procedures. Sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate enemas are also used for general care after surgery and to help relieve impacted bowels. AH HA!!

Continue reading Whatever you do, steer clear of the iced coffee!

My girlfriend just sent me a link to a very thought provoking documentary trailer that investigates the over prescribing of pharmaceuticals to our children. I am going to try to get my hands on the entire documentary, but for now please watch the trailer: http://www.generationrxfilm.com/

I really believe that the beneficiaries of our consumption of nutritionally void produce is the supplements industry. Over the last 20 years I can only imagine the increase in sales of multivitamins. The depletion of the nutrients in our soils plus the rise of GMO crops is leading to flavorless, nutritionally robbed produce; consequently forcing us to consume synthetic vitamins to bridge the gap. My solution? Shop local. I visit the Farmer’s Market twice a week and have since developed a relationship with the local, organic farmers from whom I purchase produce. It gives more meaning to your food to see the face of the person growing it. If you have the opportunity in your area give it a try. You can’t beat the taste of a fresh carrot!

I came across this interesting article referenced by Dr. Mercola:

According to new research, produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents’ days, but also contains fewer nutrients. In fact, the average vegetable found in today’s supermarket is anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent lower in minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc than those harvested just 50 years ago.

Continue reading Veggies Just Aren’t as Healthy as They Used to Be

Our home. The one place in the world where we should feel safe and secure. Only problem is there are poisons lurking in the air in our homes that often makes it more polluted than outdoor air. According to Health Canada: Canadians spend close to 90% of our time inside; at home, at work and in recreational environments. Most people, however, are unaware of the effects that poor indoor air quality can have on their health. They go on to suggest that the following can be found in the air within our homes:

• Formaldehyde
• Carbon monoxide
• Radon
• Asthma and allergies
• Other Major indoor air pollutants such as VOC’s offgasing from personal care products etc…

At another time I plan to fully explore the cause of some of these pollutants but for I now I would like to take a proactive stance and share one of the easiest ways for each of us to improve the air in our homes…with plants.

It is suggested that one plant should be allowed for approximately 10 square yards of floor space, assuming average ceiling heights of 8 to 9 feet. This means that you need two or three plants to contribute to good air quality in the average domestic living room of about 20 to 25 square yards.

Research has shown that these 10 plants are the most effective all-around in counteracting offgased chemicals and contributing to balanced internal humidity.

• Areca palm
• Reed palm
• Dwarf date palm
• Boston fern
• Janet Craig dracaena
• English ivy
• Australian sword fern
• Peace Lily
• Rubber plant
• Weeping fig

Treehugger.com suggests the peace lily, bamboo palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies, all of which are both easy to find and easy to care for, so even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still have a green home or office.

My plan for the weekend is to buy a few plants. For whatever reason, plants don’t seem to last in my care. My plan this time is to research the heck out of each particular plant that I purchase to ensure that I provide them with enough sunlight, water and food. Wish me luck!

I think everyone can agree that soda in general is never a healthy choice on so many levels, but diet soda is even worse.

Diet soda first debuted in 1959 as an alternative for those with diabetes. The first diet sodas were sweetened with saccharin. According to Wikipedia in the United States saccharin is often found in restaurants in pink packets; the most popular brand is “Sweet’N Low“. A small number of soft drinks are sweetened with saccharin, the most popular being the Coca-Cola Company’s cola drink Tab, introduced in 1963 as a diet cola soft drink.

86% of Americans use diet products, including low-calorie, reduced-sugar, or sugar-free foods and beverages. In the U.S., consumers spend about $21 billion per year on these drinks. By comparison, these same consumers only spend $14 billion on organic food.

Precision Nutrition offers this breakdown of diet colas:

Continue reading What you NEED to know about diet soda