Most Sundays, I look forward to my leisurely read of local news over breakfast. But last week, two stories on the front page of The Palm Beach Post made me lose my appetite. One was the Gulf oil spill. The other was the cancer cluster found in my neck of the woods, in which 13 kids developed brain tumors. Why am I talking to you about the front page of my local paper? Because these seemingly different situations mean the same thing to me.
Our world is disintegrating into a less than healthful environment. Changes are taking place that will affect your health for the rest of your life. As our world gets more toxic, we're not finding the action we need from people we've put our faith in. Take the oil spill, for instance. There's good evidence the beaches aren't safe, yet none of them have closed. As tar balls float up onto the beaches and men in hazmat suits clean up the beginning of the worst ecological disaster in our history, tens of millions of dollars are being spent to convince us that nothing is wrong... "Come vacation in Pensacola; the water's fine."
Our elected officials say there's no danger, so we don't lose tourist dollars.
Now, take a look at what's happened in Loxahatchee, close to where I live in Palm Beach County. Thirteen children developed brain tumors between 1994 and 2008. It's been one year since the residents asked the Department of Health to investigate. But officials still don't have any answers. The EPA says the water is "generally good," despite high levels of radiation.
Many residents deserted the area and filed a lawsuit against a jet engine facility nearby.1 It's been under a state-monitored cleanup since the mid-80s. But it continues to foul the environment with oil, asbestos, pesticides, mercury, solvents, and chemicals that pollute the air and soak into the water. As I sit here looking for solutions, I can only say this for sure... We need to examine how our environment is changing and take measures to protect it - and protect ourselves. Ask questions. Draw your own conclusions. Don't depend on the word of administrators paid to keep the status quo and bolster their own economic interests.
Meanwhile, here's a short to-do list to protect your health:
- Filter your drinking and shower water. Health advisors weigh the cost of purification against the risks of cancer, liver, kidney, and nerve damage, birth defects, and worse... and set limits that save money rather than protect people. Many contaminants have no limits at all.2 Filter any water you drink, inhale as steam, or absorb through your skin.
- Reject pesticides and additives. The food industry puts poisons in your food, and the FDA defends the practice. For instance, one test showed 30 different pesticides on strawberries you buy in the grocery.3 And strawberry flavor you find in snacks is made up of 50 different chemicals rather than the real thing. Make it a habit to read labels and eat organic, pesticide-free, additive-free foods.
- Become aware of hormones and antibiotics in your food. Most beef in the U.S. is injected with synthetic hormones that are transferred to people. This practice has been banned in Europe since 1989.4 And 70% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are used for livestock. It creates drug-resistant strains of bacteria in the food we eat.5 I suggest grass-fed beef, antibiotic-free poultry, and cage-free eggs.
- Increase antioxidants to protect against toxic assaults on your body. Think of antioxidants as a suit of armor to protect your body against attack. Seek out antioxidant-rich foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and meats. And supplement with antioxidant-rich vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
- Case 9:10-cv-80228. Accessed 2010 June.
- Ibid. "National Water Database."
- 3Environmental Working Group. Report Card: Pesticides in Produce. http://www.ewg.org Accessed 2010 June.
- "American Beef: Why is it Banned in Europe?" Cancer Prevention Coalition
- "FDA Official Support Livestock Antibiotic Limit" Union of Concerned Scientists
A Health and Wellness Expert whose goal is for all to Live a Healthier Life and Discover the Best Natural Remedies - Al Sears, MD |
