Is Your Toothpaste Doing More Harm than Good?

This past week I was away at a workshop to learn more about flexibility, fascia and stretching (future fascinating article coming soon).  I was sharing a room with another friend and when I was washing up one evening I noticed his toothpaste on the sink counter and it got me thinking about the controversy surrounding the popular brand-name tubular tooth polishers.

It’s been about five years now since I have used conventional toothpaste.  I am a bit of a contrarian by nature and have a deep drive to buck society’s trends, especially when it comes to the topic of what the main-stream considers healthy.

I too was originally captivated by the fancy toothpaste commercials guaranteeing fewer cavities, a barrier against gum disease and a whiter smile.  Years ago I was brushing my teeth one night and got bored and started reading the label and something caught my attention.  The label explained that only a very small amount should be used and the paste itself should never be swallowed and children should be supervised while brushing so they do not swallow excessive amounts.

This didn’t sound like a health product but more like a potentially dangerous cleaning product.  The toothpaste warning actually made me more alarmed because at least most household cleaning products have an intended use that does not involve accidental ingestion.  With toothpaste, the label specifically states not to swallow, however it is a product that goes directly into the mouth, so the chances of swallowing even a small amount are high.  Was I potentially harming myself by using this product?

Problem Number One: Conventional Toothpaste May Not Protect Your Teeth    

I’m going to skip over discussing the dyes and artificial ingredients found in the popular toothpaste brands and simply focus on the two main ingredients that are touted for health that are a healthy façade in my opinion.  Upon researching conventional toothpaste I found that the claims made by the big companies that their product helps protects against cavities might not be entirely true; in fact, the ingredient advertised to do just that might actually do the exact opposite.

One of the primary ingredients in big-brand toothpaste is “glycerin” which gives the paste its silky smooth texture, a slightly sweet taste and makes brushing a breeze, however this convenience my lead to the slow demise of dental health.  Glycerin leaves a coating on the teeth that seals them and may prevent teeth from remineralizing by not allowing saliva to penetrate the teeth with the minerals it contains.

Over time the teeth may become softer, cavities may form and gum degeneration and bone loss may occur.

Problem Number Two: Don’t be Deceived by Fluoride

We have been bombarded by the idea that fluoride is necessary and healthy for us especially when it comes to the health of our teeth; this notion could not be further from the truth.  We are exposed to dangerous amounts of fluoride from all angles not just from big-brand toothpaste but even in our drinking water.  An article from The Weston Price Foundation put it best when they said:

Fluoridation is not about “children’s teeth,” it is about industry getting rid of its hazardous waste at a profit, instead of having to pay a fortune to dispose of it.

 

Only calcium fluoride occurs naturally in water; however, that type of fluoride has never been used for fluoridation. Instead what is used over 90 percent of the time are silicofluorides, which are 85 times more toxic than calcium fluoride.

 

They are non-biodegradable, hazardous waste products that come straight from the pollution scrubbers of big industries. If not dumped in the public water supplies, these silicofluorides would have to be neutralized at the highest rated hazardous waste facility at a cost of $1.40 per gallon (or more depending on how much cadmium, lead, uranium and arsenic are also present). Cities buy these unrefined pollutants and dump them–lead, arsenic and all–into our water systems. Silicofluorides are almost as toxic as arsenic, and more toxic than lead.^{1, 2}

 

The dangers of fluoride are numerous and quite alarming.  The major threats to our health include:

• Kidney Problems
• Brain Damage
• Thyroid Damage
• Bone Disease
• Bone Fractures
• Cancer

As I mentioned earlier in the article, the toothpaste label warns about not swallowing the product, however, the label does not give the specifics as to why you should not swallow it.  The reason why is because of the known harmful effects of fluoride.  If you need more information about the dangers check out The Fluoride Action Network.

Safe Toothpaste Alternatives

It does not make logical sense to me to avoid consuming a product that is intended to go into your mouth.  I decided that I wanted to avoid this harmful type of fluoride all together I stopped consuming my local tap water almost entirely and looked for a toothpaste alternative.  I read about making my own toothpaste using baking soda and coconut oil but I never really had the strong desire to put the effort in.  What I did find was a product I had seen my grandfather using years ago when I was a young kid: tooth powder.

The brand I have been using for years now is Eco-dent (note I do not make any money recommending this product).

Eco-Dent is composed of baking soda, sea salt, herbs & essential oils to deliver its cleaning benefits.  Carbonic acid is also another key ingredient in the product which dissolves the minerals in the sea salt and allows for the effervescent, low-abrasive cleaning.  The sea salt provides more than 70 coral minerals, necessary to optimal human health; the minerals are found in the same proportions as those found in our teeth, bones and blood.

Conclusion:

Call me a cynical person but I always use a critical eye when it comes to major household products, especially when it comes to my health.  My suggestion, look at your products, read the labels and understand what’s really inside and make the best decision for you.

 References:

Fluoride Action Network: www.fluoridealert.org

George Glasser, Journalist, St. Petersburg, FL, “Fluoridation: A Mandate to Dump Toxic Waste in the Name of Public Health,” July 22, 1991.

R.E. Gosselin et al, Clinical Toxicology of commercial Products, 5th ed., 1984. U.S. EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) EPA/NSF Standard 60.

Shattuck, Anita: Fluoridation: The Fraud of the Century, Weston Price Foundation, 2004.

Tags: Fluoride, health, teeth

How Sweet is Sugar? The Hidden Dangers

This article might seem a little clichéd due to the holidays coming up as many authors like to write about the dangers of all of the fun holidays treats.  I know I have a very intelligent and practical audience who understand the common dangers that sugar can have on our health so in this article I wanted to focus on some of the lesser known health risks associated with sugar so you can keep them to moderate levels during the year and be able to splurge a little more during special holiday occasions.

Sugar: Getting up to Speed

One of the biggest problems with the attempt to keep sugar consumption to moderate levels is that sugar can be found almost everywhere.  Even if you think you are avoiding the obvious locations like candy and soda there are many other products that have sugar as an ingredient that you might not be aware of.  Ketchup, energy bars, specialty coffee, dried fruit and even common lunch meats all have added sugar.

It’s not enough to avoid the obvious, we have to check the labels and see if the other unassuming products that we consume have unnecessary sugar in them to enhance the taste and texture.  With all of the consumption of sugar from different sources it won’t take long for our total daily sugar consumption to reach astronomical levels.

Lesser Known Health Risks

• There are some common diseases associated with over-consumption of sugar including: obesity and type II diabetes but there are several other lesser know health risks associated with excessive sugar consumption; enough of which should make anyone want to keep consumption to an absolute minimum.
• Sugar disrupts the mineral balance in the body by disrupting the pH levels in the blood.  Several different minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, copper and chromium are used to correct this imbalance, however when they are used for this function they are not utilized for their intended use like proper bone and muscle building and function.
• Too much sugar increases the rate of aging of the skin causing the decrease in skin elasticity.  Skin requires healthy collagen to maintain its shape and structure.  Too much sugar in the blood decreases the use of the minerals necessary to build and maintain healthy collagen in the body.
• Testosterone can decrease in the blood up to 25% with the consumption of sugar because of the high insulin levels associated with excessive amounts of sugar in the blood.
• One of the most alarming correlations is found in a recent US study where cancer cells use sugar (fructose) to fuel their division and proliferation.  With cancer being one of the most prominent diseases facing mankind and with the average American consuming about 100-120lbs. of sugar per year who knows if cutting down on sugar consumption would also decrease the risk of cancer.

Conclusion

It’s a shame that we can’t simply just trust the food that we consume to be beneficial to our health and well being.  We must take it upon ourselves to truly understand that what we eat can have either significant benefits or repercussions towards our health.  We must also dig deeper beyond the basics good and bad foods and truly know what is in the other sources we are consuming.  A healthy and balanced diet comes down to the decisions we make and the dedication we instill.

References:

Cancer Cells Slurp up Fructose

Effects of Sugar on Skin and Aging

Shocking: Sugar Content of Common Food Products

Sugar: A Sweet Invitation to Disease

Sugar Kills

Tags: health, Nutrition

4 Tips to Save Your Hands During Kettlebell Training

It is almost amusing for me to look back at my training regimen for the level one RKC certification.  Not only was I performing with less than optimal technique with some of the movement’s causing me to work more; I ended up ripping my hands during my snatch test training which forced me to take a few days off from my scheduled training, putting my snatch test success in jeopardy.

Well I am a little bit older (unfortunately) and have more experience (that’s good) so I will share my four tips to help you not rip your hands so you can keep kettlebell lifting day in and day out.

Don’t Overdo the Chalk

I’m going to throw a few of my gym goers under the bus.  Maybe they have watched LeBron James play too much but sometimes the gym looks like it had gotten a foot of snow in the last hour.  Too much chalk dries out the hands and causes more friction between the kettlebell and the palm.   Only use chalk for the exercises that warrant it.  Ten reps of swings or even long cycle will probably not need chalk at all.  Long snatch sets will most likely require some but only use as much chalk as needed, and usually it’s not much.

Do Some Grooming

Doing some high rep kettlebell work will require some extra hand maintenance on occasion.  You actually want to keep the palm calluses from becoming too tough and raised or else they are great candidate for being ejected during your training.

After a warm shower shave them down and then file with a pumice stone or get the special filing tool like I have.

I occasionally used a tip from Master RKC, Brett Jones, who touts using cornhuskers lotion to “toughen and condition the skin.” I bought both my filing tool and corn huskers lotion at my local Rite Aid.

When All Else Fails; Use Protection

So what happens if your hands start getting raw while training and you can’t afford to take multiple days off of training from tearing your hands.

In an article by Master RKC, Mark Reifkind, he explains how his wife Tracy cut the necks of some athletic socks (2-3 inches) and placed them around the base of the fingers to protect the hands and calluses.

I actually had to use them used them on the last day of the level one RKC weekend (not during the snatch test) and I found that a cut thin sock worked well.

If you take care of your hands you should not need to use the sock sleeve, but just in case, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Focus on the Small Technical Details

There is never an excuse to tweak and refine your technique.  Two tips that I picked up from John Wild Buckley of the Orange Kettlebell Club saved my hands during long kettlebell sets.  First of all you want to grab the kettlebell and have the handle in the fingers above the base of the fingers, this will minimize pinching of the calluses during the swings and other movements.

Another tip during the long cycle and snatches is to learn to cast the kettlebell forward during the appropriate moment of the backswing, approximately when the kettlebell is parallel to the ground.  This casting motion moves the handle from the palm to the fingers bypassing the base of the fingers where the calluses are.  This takes a lot of practice and refinement and it’s suggested to start with a light kettlebell and progress appropriately.  The video below describes these two tips in detail:

 

 

There you have four tips to help save your hands and keep you off the sidelines so you can keep training.

Tags: health