Monica Crowe, Reporter
01-19-2009
You are what you drink, eat, breathe and think. This is what Carolyn Yakaboski, doctor of naturopathy and bio-nutrition, told a crowd at Lincoln Parish Library Friday. With a limited word count, I’ll focus my column this week on the adage, “You are what you drink.”
Anyone who consumes water and soda as well as any beverage from a plastic or Styrofoam container will want to read on (that’s pretty much everyone) to learn how these habits may negatively affect health.
There seem to be many who think that because they consume artificial sweeteners such as Splenda and diet soft drinks they are doing themselves a favor.
Wake up, people. Think again, pick up a book, and get informed. This is your health and your life that you are leaving in the hands of corporations who want only to sell their products for profit — lots of it. Believe it or not, they don’t care about your health. Apply this logic to all facets of the food industry, and you’ll be better off.
Yakaboski said artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, have been found to promote weight gain. They are also toxic, processed with chlorine and bleach derivatives. How often do you gulp down a capful of Drano? If the answer is never, then why here on out would you ever consume artificial sweeteners?
Those who want healthy, natural alternatives to refined sugar can find tasty, super low-calorie, low glycemic index options such as agave nectar and stevia at health food stores.
Now ponder this. How many cans of cola do you drink per day? A can of non-diet Coke, Yakaboski said, contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. This is alarming. I know people who consume three or more cans of Coke per day. If 10 teaspoons doesn’t seem like much, do some homework.
Pour 10 teaspoons of sugar into a bowl to get the visual effect. Multiply that by how many canned sodas you consume per day and weep. Remember, that large soda from the fast-food restaurant certainly contains more than the average single serving.
We’ve all heard that people should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day.
However, the necessary fluid intake for individuals varies depending on body weight. To determine how much to drink, Yakaboski said to divide your body weight by two. This figure reveals how many ounces needed per day. For every caffeine drink consumed, add another eight-ounce glass of water.
Yakaboski recommends drinking water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis. An under-the-sink mounted filter costs $500, but the benefits, she said, are worth it. The more economical $45 mug, containing a reverse osmosis filter, will purify $700 worth of bottled water. It’s better for the environment, and it’s better for the pocketbook.
Plus, refraining from drinking bottled water could prevent breast cancer. Thin plastic beverage bottles leach bisphenol, a chemical that acts as a xenoendocrine, which mimics estrogen, resulting in breast cancer in men and women.
I was appalled when, during the Q and A segment of Yakaboski’s presentation, an audience member asked if she should be concerned that she and her family use Styrofoam cups every time they drink something.
I thought that by now everyone would have caught on to the fact that not only is Styrofoam terrible for the environment, it’s poisonous to the body. It is a well-known fact that Styrofoam (a.k.a. polystyrene) will sit in landfills for 100 years before fully disintegrating. People, this is the Earth that you are leaving for your children and grandchildren. At this rate, they will be inheriting a toxic dunghill.
If that isn’t enough motivation to discontinue Styrofoam use, consider that styrene, a component of polystyrene, affects the central nervous system, creating symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue and weakness as well as affecting kidney function and the blood. The EPA and International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified styrene a possible carcinogen.
With all of this newfound knowledge, next time you are about to tip back that cold one, remember, “You are what you drink.”
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