LIVING

New TIME Article = A Must Read

In this week’s issue of Time there is an incredibly informative, extremely well written article by Bryan Walsh titled, “The Perils of Plastic,” that is absolutely a must read, especially for those of us afflicted with auto-immune disorders.

You see, this particular article fits in with a theory that I have been developing over the years which is this: That auto-immune disorders are the end result of us humans over tampering and manipulating everything in our lives, from the way we grow and store our foods to the materials we once thought were making our lives easier, including plastic.

The moment some new product hits the market claiming to save us time and keep us on the steady click of work work work, and without questioning the implications of this new development, we brazenly devour this new product in the hope that it will make our lives more efficient. As Mr. Walsh’s article very clearly points out, these seeming conveniences are, in actual fact, exposing us to particulates that are steadily, on a molecular level, killing us.

“As scientists get better at detecting the chemicals in our bodies, they’re discovering that even tiny quantities of toxins can have a potentially serious impact on our health–and our children’s future. Chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phtalates-key ingredients in modern plastics-may disrupt the delicate endocrine system, leading to developmental problems. A host of modern ills that have been rising unchecked for a generation-obesity, diabetes, autism, attention-deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder could have chemical connections.”

As we all know, the most efficacious treatments for auto-immune disorders like autism, ADD, ADHD and gluten intolerance is through a gluten free (and cesin free for autism) diet.

Furthermore, it has long been understood that auto-immune disorders are the result of genetic aberations that become activated when the immune system is overly taxed. So what caused these genetic flaws to materialize in the first place? An aberation is a fancy name for nothing more than a genetic mutation. Therefore, if, over time, we have been exposing our bodies to these harmful chemicals, could it be that plastics have grossly contributed to the alteration of our very genetics?

Having lived with celiac disease for over seven years, it has been the not knowing what caused my condition in the first place that has created the most unrest within me. Who was the first mover? Where did my condition come from all of the sudden when, for the first half of my life, I was able to thrive on homemade pastas and breads? Why, all of the sudden are many of my friends suddenly telling me they have been diagnosed with gluten intolerance and celiac? My gut (no pun intended) has told me for years it’s because we process our food to death, and I think that is part of the puzzle. The perils of plastic are yet another piece in this very complex conundrum that I’ve been assembling for myself for years. The answers to all these questions are out there and I have a feeling a revolution is upon us.

A huge part of this awareness is being brought to the fore by the visionary crew of The Plastiki expedition. Their effort is epic : they are sailing on a boat constructed out of 12,500 plastic bottles from San Francisco to Sydney so they can collect data and raise awareness about the reality of plastic by venturing into the Pacific Plastic Vortex. Ironically, plastic never goes away, but the use of it is causing the health of ourselves and our planet to fade. Shockingly, yet another plastic vortex was just discovered in the Atlantic.

Could their search for the plastic vortex be likened to Ahab’s search for the white whale? Is plastic the albatross that is cutting the human race down, not just below the knee, but from the inside out? For me, I absolutely believe it is and I commend the crew of the Plastiki for their courage and dedication to help wake the masses up to the blatant reality that we must change the way we live. Not only for the health of the planet, but for the health of ourselves and everyone still waiting to be born.

My recommendation? Read The Perils of Plastic and begin to live your gluten free life with fewer and fewer plastics. Send your children to school with their food wrapped in parchment paper instead of plastic. Recycle your plastic food containers and buy glass storage units. Recycle your plastic cups and use only glass or metal ones. Properly dispose of your cooking pans lined with Teflon. Bring your own bags to the grocery store and above all: Think. Differently.

Mexican Figuras

April 15th, 2010 — 10:49 am

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