All posts by The Victor Crew

Ever wonder how safe your water is?

Health Issues, Healthy Eating, , , ,

You can find out how safe your water is in your area. You can go to https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/ and put in your zip code and find out what, if any, contaminants are in the water you drink. After you put in your zip code, you can select your water company. When I did that, I found there are 7 contaminants above the health guidelines along with 10 additional contaminants. The report on my water is for up to 2015 so it could be a little out of date. You can see how many ppb in your area, your state’s, and national standard.

The seven cancer-causing contaminants found were:
bromodichloromethane – formed by chlorine or disinfectants used to treat the water
chloroform – also formed by chlorine or disinfectants
chromium (hexavalent) – may be due to industrial pollution or natural occurrences in groundwater
dibromochloromethane – also formed by chlorine or other disinfectants; may cause problems during pregnancy
radiological contaminants – radium and uranium – can be leached from minerals or mining; increased risk of cancer; may harm fetus
tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) – dry cleaning chemical, can cause cancer
total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) – this includes the ones above that are formed by chlorine and are cancer-causing contaminants.

The other contaminants found were
1,4-dioxane – a solvent from industrial waste water
barium – mineral in rocks, too much can cause cardio-vascular issues
bromoform – a TTHM
chlorate – byproduct of disinfection
chromium (total) – natural metal that can increase from industrial uses
fluoride – added to drinking water
haloacetic acids (HAA5) – from disinfectants like chlorine
nitrate – fertilizer chemical
strontium – a metal that can accumulate in the bones – can cause cancer and leukemia
vanadium – a metal used in steels and alloys; toxic in pregnancy and childhood

We had installed a filtering system when we first moved here along with a separate drinking water filter so I do not have to worry about contaminants.

Tonal

Fitness, , , , ,

Tonal is a new exercise machine that is fully digital. It has a full gym combined into one small package. You can have a full gym right in your own home and exercise whenever you want.

Digital Weight Machine. Tonal has an electromagnetic engine with adjustable arms.

The intelligent coaching gives you coaches to help guide you through your workouts. If it feels you are having any difficulty, it will adjust to you so you can finish. There are many coaches to choose from that will help you get it done. Choose

Personalized. It gets to know your goals and personalizes programs. Some programs are for building muscles, athletic performance, stretching, toning, and cardio.

This will set you back $2,995.

Eat Organic

Health Issues, Healthy Eating, , , ,

There is a new study that concludes organic foods could help ward off cancer. The JAMA Internal Medicine study stated that those who eat organic foods lowered the risk of developing cancer.

In France, a team of scientists looked at what over 68,000 adults ate for over four years. They then divided them into four categories, dependent on what they ate like organic produce, meat and fish, supplements, etc. The group that ate mostly organic foods were 25% less likely to develop cancer. Specifically non-Hodgkins lymphoma and post-menopausal breast cancer.

The reasons for not consuming organic foods was addressed from the group that didn’t eat organic. Some were price, limited availability, or lack of interest in it. One surprising statement was that more than 90% of us in the United States have detectable pesticides in our urine and blood.

What might be left unclear is how much pesticide exposure one may have outside of food consumption. What about those who may have had pesticide treatments on their lawns or gardens? If you eat out a lot, you may be getting more exposure to conventional foods in that way.

Source: JAMA

Jody Victor’s Crew Finds Out More About Coconut

Healthy Eating, , , ,

A few weeks ago we talked about coconut oil but it seems there are other parts of the coconut that are used. Let’s look at coconuts a little deeper.

First of all, a coconut is classified as a drupe. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering over a seed. Think of peaches or olives. In fact drupa means overripe olive. There are 3 layers. The outer layer, the middle layer where the coconut flesh is, and the inner layer which is hard where you will find the seed.

Second, the coconut may also be classified as a nut because a nut is a one-seeded fruit. It is not like the other nuts we think of as nuts. It takes up to a year for a coconut to mature.

Since we talked about coconut oil already let’s look at other parts:

Coconut milk. This is actually a brew made from the fleshy layer of the coconut and water. It is not the same as coconut water. It is more like a cream and has 445 calories per cup. There is also 43 grams of saturated fat per cup. Yikes!

Coconut water. Coconut water is high in potassium. This is the liquid inside the coconut. Some people drink as hydrator after workouts or if they are sick. It has about 110 calories per 1/4 cup.

Coconut meat. It is not low in calories or fat but is lower in carbohydrates. From the coconut meat comes flaked coconut, chunk coconut, coconut butter

Flaked coconut. If you buy sweetened coconut, you may find other chemicals mixed in as preservatives. Always read your ingredients before purchasing to make sure you are getting actual food.

Coconut flour. If you add coconut flour to baked goods it will lower the glycemic index as there is no gluten in it. A mere 2 tablespoons of it has 5 grams fiber and 2 grams fat. It can usually be found in the gluten-free aisle.

Coconut butter. This is used by those who want to or have to avoid dairy. You can make it yourself from flaked coconut.

Sources:
Library of Congress

EatingWell

Washing Your Hands

Health Issues, , , ,

Now that flu season is here, it’s time to be more cognizant of what you can do to prevent germs and catching those nasty bugs. Here are some tips that may help.

Make sure you use soap and water. Those antibacterial gels can help in a pinch but they shouldn’t be the main hand cleanser you use.

Wash long enough. It is recommended to sing Happy Birthday through two times (to yourself of course – not out loud) in order to get the correct length of time needed to remove the germs.

Make sure you thoroughly dry your hands. Germs love to grow in moisture so you need to make sure they are dry.

Wash your hands more often. Don’t wait to wash them only when you go to the bathroom. If you go to a public place and use a shopping cart, doorknob, elevator button, or other thing that many people tend to touch, wash your hands. In the meantime, try not to touch your face before you can wash.

Don’t touch other surfaces after washing. Use your elbows to leave a room. Even the faucets you use can contaminate your hands again. You can use a paper towel to turn off a faucet if you aren’t where a faucet turns off automatically.

If you use bar soap, rinse it off before using. It may have germs and if you are in a household that shares soap, there may be germs on it.

You can use plain soap. There is no evidence that antibacterial soap is any better.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/10-ways-you’re-washing-your-hands-wrong/ss-BBJDkCS?ocid=spartandhp

Here is WHO’s recommendation for cleaning hands: