A Toxic Cup of Tea

Health and Beauty

A Toxic Cup of Tea

To me, a cup of tea is like a cup of comfort. I love tea. Come rain or shine, I'm always up for a hot cup of tea. Tea has also been known to have several good health benefits as well. I recently read a very interesting article on the subject of tea, and more specifically, how deceitfully toxic your cup may be without your even knowing it.

For instance, look at that cup of tea. Inviting isn’t it? It just looks so delicious and perfectly harmless. But is it? Looks can be deceiving. Please read on and you’ll see what I mean. 

Plastic and Cancerous Compounds in Tea Bags—A Surprising Source of Potential Toxins (By Dr. Mercola)

“I’ve long advocated drinking tea in lieu of coffee, but the downside of modern food technology is again rearing its ugly head and causing brand new health concerns over this otherwise healthful brew.

A recent article in The Atlantic raises questions about the safety of plastic tea bags, some of which have fancy pyramid shapes, designed to allow the tea leaves to unfurl during infusion.

Chances are you’ve never even given the tea bag a second thought. But indeed, some of the newer tea bags are made with a variety of plastics; some are nylon, some are made of viscose rayon, and others are made of thermoplastic, PVC or polypropylene.

Anyone aware of the dangers of plastic chemicals leaching out of plastic containers and bottles is likely to be concerned about drinking tea steeped through heated plastic.

The other bad news is that paper tea bags may be just as bad, or worse, than the plastic ones because many of them are treated with epichlorohydrin, a compound mainly used in the production of epoxy resins.

Considered a potential carcinogen by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), epichlorohydrin is also used as a pesticide. Besides making its way into tea bags, it can also be found in coffee filters, water filters, and sausage casings.

When epichlorohydrin comes in contact with water, it hydrolyzes to 3-MCPD, which has been shown to cause cancer in animals. It’s also been implicated in infertility (it has a spermatoxic effect in male rats) and suppressed immune function.

This chemical is already a well-known “process contaminant” associated with modern food production.

Do Plastic Tea Bags Pose a Health Concern?

As you probably know, chemicals in plastic containers and bottles have been found to leach into food and drink, thereby posing a number of health hazards.

According to the featured article:

“Could plastic tea bags also be bad for our health? They are most commonly made from food grade nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are two of the safest plastics on the scale of harmful leaching potential. Both have very high melting points, which offer some assurance to consumers, as one would think the melting point of plastic is the temperature at which one would need to worry about accidentally eating it. There is another temperature point for plastics, though, that we may need to worry about, called the 'glass transition' temperature (Tg). That is the temperature at which the molecule in certain materials such as polymers begin to break down. As a rule, the Tg of a material is always lower than the melting point.”

Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius). In the case of PET the glass transition point (Tg) is about 169 degrees, and the breakdown point of nylon is even lower than PET.

“If the question is, 'As the polymer goes through that transition state, is it easier for something to leach out?' 'the answer is yes,' said Dr. Ray Fernando, professor and director of polymers and coatings at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,”  The Atlantic states.

So while these plastics are generally considered among the safest in terms of leaching potential, the molecules in these plastic tea bags may still in fact break down and leach out when steeped in boiling water—which is the recommended way to brew a good cup of tea.

Paper Tea Bags May Be Just as Bad, or Worse….

The now defunct Dexter Corporation was the initial owner on the patent of a method for treating both tea bags and coffee filters with latex (plastic), to aid in preventing tears that allow the tea leaves/coffee grounds to leak. This invention “saturates and completely impregnates” the entire web material. Therein lies one of the problems with paper tea bags as they are frequently treated with epichlorohydrin, which hydrolyzes to the carcinogen 3-MCPD when contact with water occurs.

Dow Chemical Co is one of the largest producers of epichlorohydrin. According to safety literature from Dow, it's a very dangerous chemical that requires using extra precautions when handling. Granted, that doesn’t automatically render it dangerous in the final product, but it can still be a cause for concern, particularly as it can turn into a carcinogen when water is added. There are many unanswered questions with respect to the potential hazards of using this chemical in products specifically designed to be used with boiling water…

A good way to protect yourself and your family in this area is to purchase your tea from manufacturers who can certify that their tea bags do not contain this compound. In a 2009 article, Kristie Leong, MD also claims to have done her own inquiries and that Bigelow Tea Company does not use the chemical in their bags.

Your best option would be to opt for loose tea. This does take longer, but it can be well worth the wait.

Of Your Healthiest Beverage Choices

While some tea bags—whether plastic or paper processed with epichlorohydrin—may pose a potential hazard, please don’t let that deter you from drinking tea altogether. Although I still believe pure water should make up the majority of your daily fluid intake, high-quality tea has numerous health benefits to offer. Among them is growing evidence that the polyphenols in tea, which include EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and many others, can be protective against cancer. Beyond this, the beneficial properties in tea have been known to:

·        Neutralize the effects to your body of harmful fats and oils

·        Inhibit bacteria and viruses

·        Improve digestion

·        Protect against oxidation in your brain and liver

·        Help promote healthy gums

Drinking tea has also been linked to:

·        Improved mental alertness and slowing of brain-cell degeneration

·        Reduced blood pressure

·        Protection again type 2 diabetes

·        Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels

·        Lower risk of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate cancers

·        Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke

Of course, there are some general ground rules to follow when selecting tea of any kind, and those are that it should preferably be:

·        Organic (otherwise tea may be heavily sprayed with pesticides)

·        Grown in a pristine environment (tea is known to accumulate fluoride, heavy metals and other toxins from soil and water, so a clean growing environment is essential to producing a pure, high-quality tea)"

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/24/tea-bags.aspx

Express Yourself to Health

Health and Beauty

Express Yourself to Health 

An amazing concept that I have been exploring recently is the idea of healing though attitude.



I've realized this fact in my own health journey – my mental state actually does play a huge part in the success (or lack thereof) of my health.
How I view myself, or my family-life status, or circumstances really is important. When I am able to sit and “observe” these things through writing I find a peace and security. An actual therapy.

I think all would agree that pain, anger, frustration and sorrow, are all negative emotions. But I have recently ascertained that these emotions in and of themselves are not necessarily what makes me sick; but are signs that can be read, observed and heeded. What in actuality causes illness when these emotions come is how I react to them. For example, I've ignored negative emotions because I felt I didn't have the time to address them and therefore was unable to come to any conclusion or even share them with Christ. So there they sat, like a neglected messy closet, the door shut, yet still there...one more thing to crowd the overflowing “back burner”. Or I fight against them and try to tell myself it isn't real, I imagined it, or I simply won't accept them.
 


When I calmly accept my negative feelings as His best and try to learn what it means and accept it as my body telling me something – then I begin to heal.



I would even go so far as to believe that people who aren't habitually objective (either in mind or on paper) are most likely prone to illness or have chronic illness.
Recently I was lent a book called “The Fourfold Path to Healing” by Thomas S Cowan MD. He wrote –

“When we are sick, the Ego literally cries out for objectivity because illness provokes such strong emotions. It is when we involve the thinking, objective Mental Body in our lives that we can unfurl our sails, so to speak, and move forward over the sea of emotions to achieve our purpose in life.” (91)

We can use our emotions to our advantage or be enslaved by them. Our conscious effort in how we perceive these emotions determines how we will react to them. And how we react will affect our achievement at healing.

Emotions are unreliable. Any female can attest to this! But our perception, our thinking, can be cultivated in order to use our emotions to attain better health. When I started to accept certain uncomfortablities as “messages” to learn from, instead of meaningless pain, I felt less overwhelmed. When I felt less overwhelmed I was less stressed and able to look more objectively on my circumstances.

But on the other hand, I have noticed that when my relationships are suffering, or I am financially lacking, or experiencing a grief, no matter how unrelated these circumstances and the emotions that come with them are – they affect my health. Yet again, it isn't the negativity in itself but how I respond to it. When I allow these things to overwhelm me, when I forget to take it to Jesus to bear, when I “keep” it, to myself and dwell on it, and internalize it, it alters my physical state. The pattern has been too consistent, even in my own health, let alone the obvious pattern in others around me.  



Think of the person that you know that is chronically ill. Are they stressed? How do they react to their emotions? Are they bitter? What is their relationship with their parents like? The Bible even says to honor your parents, “that is may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Eph. 6:3)
How about those who have overcome their emotions? I have read many articles of how a handicapped person went over and beyond what was expected of them, and have achieved greatness. Something often greater than even the common John Doe would consider an amazing accomplishment. Why? They considered their “negative” handicap as a challenge instead of a disablement. They chose to face their hardship with confidence. They didn't ignore it. They didn't tell themselves it wasn't real. They didn't allow a defeatist attitude. These people accepted their circumstances and chose to believe they could move beyond the physical, emotional, mental impossibilities.



How do we escape the trap of allowing our emotions to dictate our behavior? We must realize that feelings are fickle. They are real, but always changing and therefore unreliable. Our will is stronger than our emotions. We can choose to take our unruly emotions and lay them at Jesus' feet. He will take them and guide us. He is a much better Master than our emotions! Express your emotions. Whether that is by writing them down or praying aloud. 

 (It is interesting to note that when looking for images for this post that anything that had to deal with negative emotions showed people in crouched closed downcast positions. While looking up acceptance and peace showed people with open arms, looking up to the sky.  When experiencing something negative it is human nature to become closed, internalize and feel downcast.  Yet when we are okay with our circumstances we look up are accepting and embrace the circumstance.  As Christians we are given an easy choice to embrace even the negative and trust our heavenly Father that knows how to give good gifts even better than our earthly fathers and accept the victory we know He will give us as His children.  Even before we understand the why we can start looking up!)



Once while experiencing awful pain I wrote a poem. I found real physical relief while writing. My emotions once analyzed and expressed made my pain easier to endure and from then on I began the habit of expressing my emotions; and it has benefited me throughout my entire health journey.



This principle could help many people if taken into practice. Especially people that are introverted and given to a tendency to internalize their problems. Even when people internalize a positive emotion (such as excitement) it can create illness. I know of a little girl who became sick every holiday because of this habit of internalizing her emotions.

Some people are passive in their prayer. Or general. Or only pray “in their mind”. I would encourage you to be specific. Tell Jesus exactly how you feel. Don't be shy about going on a walk and praying aloud. Not only does this strengthen you spiritually, but it actually benefits you physically!

“The subjection of the will is accomplished by calmly resigning thyself up in everything that internally or externally vexes thee. It is thus only that the soul is prepared for the reception of divine influences. Prepare the heart like clean paper, and God will imprint on it characters to His own liking.” ~ M. Molinos Daily Strength for Daily Needs p. 307

Try making this a daily practice. At the end of the day go to a quiet spot and either pray or write to Jesus about your day. Tell Him exactly how it went and how it made you feel. If any event produced a strong emotion (either positive or negative) include the details and conclude how it made you feel and how you would like to respond. Give Him any emotions. Remove any self-imposed burdens and give them up to Jesus. You could even sing like David to Him. Empty your soul and be amazed at the beauty of this godly principle to fuller health. It works!

Spiritual Lessons

His Life

Life is such a gift!  He promises never to give more than we can handle...and He knows my limits.  I'm quite the wimp actually.  :)  My ultrasound came back with clear results other than a little cyst.  The Doctors are looking into it and I will know next Tuesday what they believe I need to do about it.  But for now, I am concentrating on my inflammation and my diet.  As far as we know, all the "scary" possibilities have been ruled out.  No more talk of Lymphoma.  :)  

You know...going through hardships often can bring an attitude of --  "Lord, please help me...give me strength so I can go on." 
 I've realized recently that that isn't what He expects at all!  I am learning to say -- "Lord, please live Your life through me.  You are my strength."  What a difference! 

He does not lift me up and empower me to stand.  I lift Him up with my praise and with Him living His life through me He accomplishes the tasks set before me.  And consequently He receives the glory.  This is where the "lose your life...and you will find it" comes in.  (Matt.16:25)  We are supposed to lose our life for His sake.  At salvation I exchanged my life for His life.  Does this mean that I lose my rights to myself?  Absolutely.  Does that mean when trials come they are allowed by Him...to affect my life?  Yes.
Any good, any blessing, is an added benefit He gives in His loving kindness.  

We are ether living our life...or His.  And as a Christian that isn't even true.  We are either allowing Him to live His life, or, we are living His life the way we want to run it  No man can serve two masters. (Matt 6:24)  We live for us, or for Him.  It's impossible to serve both. Just as we are stewards of the earth, the animals, "our" money, etc. we are only stewards of "our" life.  He should be our master.  

We may think it's easy to want to be like Christ -- to take on His life.  Sometimes we go into this exchanged life thinking that the putting on of Christ will mean we get to exchange our evil character traits for His good traits (Love, grace...even power, etc.) But we forget that with His life also came crucifixion.  He doesn't need us to keep our good and add Himself to our life.  Even our good is as filthy rags.  We exchange lives. And what an exchange!  Of course trials and crosses come.  But what did we expect?  It's a Christ life.  Of course we have crosses.  

( "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. "1 Peter 4:12-13).

But we can take comfort -- with Christ all things are possible!  (Philippians 4:13)   

Are the lost exempt from trials?  Hardly.  But with Christ we Christians are promised that our trials will work together for good (Romans 8:28) and that He will be our hedge to make sure that nothing more than we can bear will touch us.  (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Suddenly crosses are seen in a while new light.  They are a "cost" of being His. (Luke 14:28-30).  I've counted the cost and -- I'm convinced He is worth every cost.  I am not responsible for the outcome of His life.  My perfect, infinite, omniscient God is responsible for "my" life....because it's His.  

With His life I am promised eternity with Him.  With His life I am given a comforter forever.  With His life I am given a purpose, true love for others...real peace.  Let the crosses come.  He can bear them.  I'm thankful for His life. 

Quote of the Day

I haven't posted much detail about my health here on the blog... but today at 2:00 I am going in to the Doctor's for a pretty big test.  The Doctor's are concerned about a few things and want to rule out some possibilities that could be rather serious.  

Because of my health issues, struggles, pain and sickness has been on my mind lately.  

Christianity doesn't make life a bed of roses.  Actually Christians and the lost suffer many of the same hardships.  Christianity does not save us Christians from sufferings, and taking on Christ does not automatically guarantee prosperity.  Hardships do come to the Christian.  Yet, hardships do not come because God is a severe God, but in His loving kindness He allows deep wounds so He may bestow that much more of Himself.  Of course it is hard.  Of course it still hurts.  

Although, I have it easier than the lost.  When I hurt I have Someone to hold onto, when I cry I have Someone who comforts me, when I despair I have Someone who is Hope and Peace. The lost doesn't. He is the only reason life is good.  He is the only reason life is worth living.  God is there in every season of my life...when it's hard, when it hurts, when I'm happy.  All of it.  Through hardships He draws me closer.  Because of Him, hardships are a good thing.  With Christ I don't receive a guarantee from trials but a present help in those trials.    

"The truth is that His care is infinitely superior.  He takes note of the minutest matters that can affect the lives of His children and regulates them all according to His own perfect will, let their origins be what they may."  -- Hannah Whitall Smith, Christians Secret of a Happy Life, 48 

Shrimp Scampi

Practical Homemaking 

I love fish.  And fish is healthy.  Perfect.  Well....actually it isn't perfect.  Mom hates fish -- the taste, the smell, everything about it.  And so my culinary skills are greatly lacking when it comes to preparing sea food.  After Mom's one and final try at a fish dish (which resulted in running into town to get a pizza for dinner) I decided I had better learn how to prepare fish from my Grandmother.  Grandma is a full-blooded Sicilian who knows how to cook!  My mom and Grandma are my favorite cooks (simply because they are the best cooks).  But, Grandma knows how to prepare fish!  And so when I mentioned I would love to learn how, Grandma had me over to her house to show me the Italian preparation for Shrimp Scampi All' Agilo.  

Fish, Italians, cooking and eating are part of my heritage, and so I not only got to spend quality time with Grandma, but a tradition and skill was passed on to me by my Grandma...not to mention I got to eat it!  Needless to say, it was a beautiful afternoon.  :) 

                                              (This is a picture of my Grandma's mom's lemon juicer.  

We used it for this dish.)

I thought I would share the recipe (not the shrimp...I ate it all):

Shrimp Scampi 

6 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4-5 cloves garlic pressed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

About 3/4 lb. shrimp (tails removed!)

2 Tablespoons parsley

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest 

Dash of hot pepper (optional)

Lemon wedges

In a wide frying pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in onion, oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt; cook until bubbly. Be sure not to burn the garlic.  (Burnt garlic can add a bitter taste).  Add shrimp to a pan and cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp turns pink (about 5 minutes).  Overcooked shrimp turns hard...not that I would know....ours turned out perfect!  But so Grandma tells me.  :)  Stir in parsley, lemon zest and hot pepper.  Spoon into serving dish and garnish with lemons.  Serve over spaghetti.  Makes 2 servings.  YUM.