I’ve been running on 3 hours of sleep the last two days, so I wanted to do something short and sweet. Figured I’d keep it practical and steer away from my normally heady content and provide something of clear value. Follow these instructions and avoid these 3 things and watch what happens to your body, mind and soul - you can thank me later:
3 Things To Avoid At All Costs
Seed Oils
Seed oils were originally made as machine lubricant - then some advertising asshole came in and started marketing them for people to use for cooking. Now, they’re in everything. Every-fucking-thing. They have a more manageable boiling point and are cheaper than animal fats and healthier oils, so naturally they are used as a substitute in all American foods. We don’t have a clear idea of what they exactly do to us, but more and more evidence is coming out that they are really bad (think cancer, heart disease, obesity, all the icky stuff). The next time you go into the supermarket, look at the ingredients of the things you buy. Look for one or more of the following: vegetable oil, canola oil, cotton oil, palm oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil. These oils cause major inflammation in the body and are probably the worst thing to ever happen to the American Food Industry. Stick to butter, and if you can’t have that use avocado, olive or coconut oil.
Glyphosate/Pesticides
Glyphosate a.k.a Roundup is also in everything. It’s in every vegetable, every nut, every oat - it’s even in the water. We’ve been spraying crops with this stuff for decades and now it’s gotten into our collective bloodstream. It’s another byproduct of industrialization and has similar (if not worse) long-term effects to seed oils. This doesn’t mean you need to have an anxiety attack every time you bite into an apple, but it’s good to be aware of and there are some things you can do to lessen exposure. Buy local fruits and vegetables (there are plenty of farmers who are pesticide free), use a water filter and buy pesticide-free honey, nuts and oats. These things are out there, they just require a little more effort to find.
Microplastics
National Geographic claims that “microplastics have moved into virtually every crevice on Earth.” Similar to seed oils and pesticides, they are everywhere. They also bleed into our food from plastic containers (even the ones that say BPA-free). The good news is there are simple solutions for this one. Use a water filter, and use glass containers and glass water bottles instead of plastic ones. Like numbers 1 and 2 on this list, these aren’t going to kill you in a week, but they can cause serious damage over the course of many years. Might as well just switch to glass to be safe - why not?
These are all just things for you to think about. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can do whatever you want to do - it’s your life. But for me, I’ve found that being conscious about these things has a positive compounding effect on the way I feel. Figured I’d share these little nuggets with you before I pass out for the night. Hope you enjoy.