This week I'll be sharing some photos from our time on the Oregon Coast. Before we get to that, I'd like to touch on how these days it can be tricky to get to the truth, and in most cases, this is by design. The great and powerful internet can be the largest supplier of false narratives and misleading advertisements, but it is also our greatest tool for knowledge and making informed decisions.
The Hidden Ingredient
Millions of people are unaware of just how much plastics have infiltrated every aspect of life. It's in our food, clothes, soil, and oceans.
Here are some ways you can take simple steps to cut these micro-plastics out of your lifestyle:
Avoid larger fish - Fish have been shown to mistake plastic for food and accidentally eat it. Lots of the micro-plastic in fish do not get ingested, as the stomach and gut of the fish are not digested, therefore it remains in the meat of the fish.
Clothing - With "fast fashion" pushing constantly changing trends to drive sales, this means cheaper and unhealthy fabrics that contain, you guessed it - plastics. Polyester is plastic, and the long-term effects are still being studied, but we do know Polyester is made with carcinogens that are toxic to the heart, lungs, liver, and skin. There is concern that it may leach phthalates, which are hormone-disrupting chemicals, especially if it's a hot, sweaty day. Acrylic, rayon, acetate, and nylon are also concerning. These fabrics are often treated with toxic chemicals during production. Sticking to natural fibers is safest for us and our environment.
Eat fresh - Micro-plastic levels are significantly higher in canned foods and pre-made meals. Eating fresh is one of the strongest ways to avoid adding plastics to your diet. If you must use a microwave, heat your food in a glass container, or better yet, use the stove.
Buy a water filter, and stop using bottled water - Most carbon block filters with a micron rating of 2 or less will remove micro-plastics.
Vacuum regularly - Dust in your home can be packed with micro-plastics and chemicals that are found in plastic, such as phthalates. Cleaning up dust regularly can help reduce the number of plastics you breathe in. Consumer Reports recommends vacuuming regularly with a HEPA filter, which is best for trapping dust.
For more information, here is an in-depth article from Consumer Reports.
Karma
We all know the saying, what goes around comes around. I am a believer that the energy and work we put into our lives and the world around us, does indeed "come back around". Just as if we fill our planet with plastics and toxic chemicals, they will come back into our bodies and make us unwell. But, what if we started getting back to our roots? Growing seasonal fruits and veggies, reduce our meat consumption, cleaning up our beaches, and investing in high quality, natural fiber clothing that lasts years (not months). Imagine what our communities would look like, imagine the good karma that would spread like wild flowers. What a beautiful world it could be.
The truth is, there are people who make lots of money by keeping the masses more inclined to convenience than doing what's best for their health and the environment. It is up to us, the consumer, to choose truth, knowledge, and good karma.
We made our way down the Oregon Coast and into California. Here are a few photos from our recent travels...
That's all for this week, thanks for checking in!. Wishing you all good health and even better karma.
xoxo
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