You probably know who Kid President is. His videos encourage viewers to "be awesome" by being good to others. Many of them have gone viral, and been viewed by millions of people. This month, he's asking everyone to participate in "Socktober" by gathering socks and other items for our local homeless shelters. I'll let him tell you more:
You can learn more about Socktober by clicking here, and you can click here to watch more Kid President videos! I seriously love this kid.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Get the Fluoride Out!
Up until recently, I fully believed in the benefits of fluoride and the fluoridation of tap water. Having had issues with cavities throughout my life, I thought I needed to get a lot of it. I made sure the water filters I used did not get the fluoride out, because I really believed that I needed it. So I was pretty surprised when I came across a blog post about the danger fluoride. I was skeptical, and assumed that the controversial post was written to attract readership. A quick online search proved me wrong.
It turns out that fluoride is NOT all it's cracked up to be. Not only is it NOT beneficial, but some studies show that it may cause serious health issues including arthritis, thyroid dysfunction, bone cancer, poor brain development in children, and more!
In order for fluoride to have any positive effect on our teeth, it would have to come in direct contact with teeth rather than be ingested. So the fluoridation of tap water is pretty useless. But even dental fluoride treatments are harmful! Even though it isn't swallowed, the body can absorb the fluoride through the mouth and gums, and it can do damage to the body, and even the teeth. I actually suffer from dental fluorosis. I have little white spots on my front teeth that, though most people probably don't even notice them, I have been self-conscious about for my whole life. To learn that these were caused by harmful and unnecessary fluoride treatments and possibly exacerbated by water fluoridation is pretty enraging!
If you have a little bit of time and want to learn more about how the fluoridation of water became a regular practice, and why it's harmful, this video is really informative and eye opening. I highly recommend taking the time to watch it.
One person in Buffalo has taken it upon himself to put an end to the fluoridation of Buffalo's water. He's created an online petition that you can sign, urging lawmakers to get their harmful fluoride out of our drinking water! I encourage everyone to sign the petition, and more importantly, to educate yourself about how fluoride can effect your health.
If you're not from Buffalo, you can click here find out if the tap water in your region is fluoridated. You can also sign this petition, urging congress to end water fluoridation in America.
There are steps you can take to lessen your intake of fluoride. Avoid certain foods and beverages, and shop for organic produce. Fluoride is commonly used in pesticides on commercially grown fruits and vegetables. Stop buying dental care products with fluoride. Toms of Maine offers a number of fluoride-free toothpastes, as do a number of other natural brands. You can even make your own toothpaste! There are even steps you can take to detoxify fluoride from your body using certain dietary supplements. Check out the recommended reading, below, for details. Unfortunately, most water filters (like Pur and Brita) do not get the fluoride out of tap water. But there are filters available that do!
It turns out that fluoride is NOT all it's cracked up to be. Not only is it NOT beneficial, but some studies show that it may cause serious health issues including arthritis, thyroid dysfunction, bone cancer, poor brain development in children, and more!
In order for fluoride to have any positive effect on our teeth, it would have to come in direct contact with teeth rather than be ingested. So the fluoridation of tap water is pretty useless. But even dental fluoride treatments are harmful! Even though it isn't swallowed, the body can absorb the fluoride through the mouth and gums, and it can do damage to the body, and even the teeth. I actually suffer from dental fluorosis. I have little white spots on my front teeth that, though most people probably don't even notice them, I have been self-conscious about for my whole life. To learn that these were caused by harmful and unnecessary fluoride treatments and possibly exacerbated by water fluoridation is pretty enraging!
 |
| Image courtesy of fluoridealert.org |
If you have a little bit of time and want to learn more about how the fluoridation of water became a regular practice, and why it's harmful, this video is really informative and eye opening. I highly recommend taking the time to watch it.
One person in Buffalo has taken it upon himself to put an end to the fluoridation of Buffalo's water. He's created an online petition that you can sign, urging lawmakers to get their harmful fluoride out of our drinking water! I encourage everyone to sign the petition, and more importantly, to educate yourself about how fluoride can effect your health.
If you're not from Buffalo, you can click here find out if the tap water in your region is fluoridated. You can also sign this petition, urging congress to end water fluoridation in America.
There are steps you can take to lessen your intake of fluoride. Avoid certain foods and beverages, and shop for organic produce. Fluoride is commonly used in pesticides on commercially grown fruits and vegetables. Stop buying dental care products with fluoride. Toms of Maine offers a number of fluoride-free toothpastes, as do a number of other natural brands. You can even make your own toothpaste! There are even steps you can take to detoxify fluoride from your body using certain dietary supplements. Check out the recommended reading, below, for details. Unfortunately, most water filters (like Pur and Brita) do not get the fluoride out of tap water. But there are filters available that do!
Further Reading
- http://www.fluoridealert.org/issues/water/
- http://www.cheeseslave.com/top-10-dangers-of-fluoride/
- http://thekindlife.com/blog/2012/01/facts-about-fluoride/
- http://www.realfarmacy.com/how-to-safely-detox-fluoride-from-your-body/
- http://www.honeycolony.com/article/13-reasons-why-you-should-be-worried-about-water-and-what-to-do-about-it/
- http://www.enviro.ie/Human%20Toxicity,%20Environmental%20Impact%20and%20Legal%20Implications%20of%20Water%20Fluoridation_February%202012_EnviroManagement%20Services.pdf
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Happy World Gratitude Day!
Today is world gratitude day. What a great excuse to take a moment to recognize how wonderful life is! I try to remind myself how lucky I am every single day. I have a job that I enjoy, a roof over my head in the best city in the world, and most importantly, the love and support of friends and family who are without a doubt some of the most amazing people on this planet. That's why I think it is so important to always be looking for ways to help others as often as I can. I hope to some day feel like I've given back enough that I come close to deserving all that I have been given in this life.
So today I encourage readers to take a moment to show gratitude to someone or something in your life that you are grateful for. And maybe to try to think of a way to have that kind of positive effect on the life of someone else.
Here's a little bonus for you. Showing gratitude to someone else will also make YOU happier in the process. Take a look at this touching video to see how.
Want to give back but don't know where to start? Take a look at this FREE course on How to Change the World. It's offered through Wesleyan University online via Coursera.org.
So today I encourage readers to take a moment to show gratitude to someone or something in your life that you are grateful for. And maybe to try to think of a way to have that kind of positive effect on the life of someone else.
Here's a little bonus for you. Showing gratitude to someone else will also make YOU happier in the process. Take a look at this touching video to see how.
Want to give back but don't know where to start? Take a look at this FREE course on How to Change the World. It's offered through Wesleyan University online via Coursera.org.
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