Don't Eat These Foods, Bishes!
Okay, so I'm becoming exasperated... I know that I told you I wasn't going to bitch about what we're doing to our food ("at least until next time" - See? I left myself an out.), but I couldn't stand that you might not know about this. So, without further adieu:
I'll mention the two that surprised me the most. Please refer to the above link for the full list and story.
Now, because of the healthy effects of lycopene, we all should be
reaching for tomatoes, but they shouldn't be in cans. Ugh.
1. Canned Tomatoes
The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.
And yes, we should be reaching for salmon as well, just not
down on the farm. Those crazy bishes DON'T LIVE ON FARMS, Y'ALL.
2. Farmed Salmon
The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.
The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
Like a healthy salmon, it doesn't come easy.
Sometimes, we've got to work against the current, but hey, aren't we worth it?
I know I am...
And I don't need L'Oreal to be telling me that shit. Dang.... I KNOW I be hot.
(Please forgive me for the recycled photo. I no longer have a beard. And I haven't worn that little get-up for at least two weeks.)
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