Nielsen Fitness - Personal Training Toronto

Most of us are aware of the virtues and importance of water when it comes to maintaining a healthy and fit body. It is an essential ingredient to a successful workout, and should be consumed throughout the day to help flush toxins from the body, assist with digestion and fend off dehydration.

Today I want you to take a minute to think about where your water comes from, and how the choices you make when it comes to water affect our planet.

Many people buy and drink bottled water because we have all been led to believe it’s cleaner and safer than tap water. But this couldn’t be further from the truth – and our love of bottled water is causing serious harm to the Earth. As this article states, “bottled water is no safer than tap water. The explosive growth in sales is having an impact on the environment through depletion of local water resources, use of fossil fuels, and increased waste.”

This article is well worth a read, especially today. In honour of Earth Day, I want to suggest that you ditch the bottled water habit, get yourself a non-toxic refillable container (stainless steel is best) and an inexpensive home water filtration system (like a Brita filter). You’ll be doing yourself – and the planet – a favour.

Today, it was announced that a number of Canadian companies have taken hard plastic water bottles off their shelves in reaction to news that a chemical agent found in these bottles is soon to be designated a toxic agent by the federal government.

Canadians use products containing this chemical everyday – from water and baby bottles to dental fillings. As a first step to protect yourselves from this harmful chemical, I suggest you throw out all hard plastic “Nalgene-type” water bottles – including the clear hard plastic Nielsen Fitness bottles given to clients in summer 2007.

How can you tell if one of your bottles contains bisphenol A? Almost always, products containing this chemical will be marked (usually on the bottom) with a triangle surrounding the number 7. If any number other than 7 is in the triangle – such as the number 4 which appears on our current white Nielsen Fitness bottles – you should have nothing to worry about. However, if a product is unmarked or if you have any doubt, err on the side of caution and get rid of it!

Phosphoric Acid is the main ingredient in pop, and it creates an acidic environment in the body. This acidic environment, if not properly rebalanced w/alkalizing foods will leave the body susceptible to illness and inflammation. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and teeth, and potentially lead to osteoporosis.

Pop containing caffeine, if drank on a continual basis, can exhaust the adrenal glands, which leads to exhaustion over time.

Pop is sweetened typically with high fructose corn syrup, which will increase triglyceride while increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol levels. This may lead to heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes.

Due to the sugar content, pop also causes dehydration, and if the body is not replenished with water, over time this may lead to constipation. Due to the carbonation, pop may cause excess gas in the gastro-intestinal tract.

The sugar content in pop will cause tooth decay and lead to cavities, and if consumed over time will potentially lead to weight gain, due to excess calories and sugar.

For those that think Diet pop is better for you, please read on…

Toxicity effects of Aspartame use inclue seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe headaches, memory loss (common toxicity effects), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction) marked personality changes, phobias, rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction), asthma, chest pains, hypertension (high blood pressure), nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, swallowing pain, itching, hives/ urticaria, other allergic reactions, blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia), menstrual cramps and other menstrual problems or changes, impotency and sexual problems, food cravings, weight gain, hair loss/baldness or thinning of hair, burning urination & other urination problems, excessive thirst or excessive hunger, bloating, edema (fluid retention), infection susceptibility, joint pain, brain cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals), and even death.

Scientists have even named a disease related to Aspartame, it’s called Aspartame Disease. It mimics symptoms or worsens the following diseases:
fibromyalgia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinson’s disease, lupus, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), diabetes and diabetic complications, epilepsy, alzheimer’s disease, birth defects, chronic fatigue syndrome, lymphoma, lyme disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), panic disorder, depression and other psychological disorders

As a nutritionist and a person who cares about the health of my friends and family I urge you to PLEASE STOP POP…or at least reduce… FOR YOUR HEALTH!

If you would like to know more or are interested in a complementary nutritional consultation feel free to e.mail me.