Aug. 18: Toxin Review ~ Trisodium Phosphate

I procrastinate, but I do finally get things done.  A while back, I told you I was unhappy with the research I had used for my "Toxin of the Day" series.  I learned after writing the series that animal studies were not always applicable in humans, and I promised to do more research and rewrite those posts.  At long last, let's get started.

INTRO

Consider preservatives for a moment. How do you think they preserve food? They preserve food by making it inhospitable to mold and bacteria. Basically, most of them are nothing but minute doses of pesticides. If they are toxic to bacteria, a living organism, how do you think that they affect our bodies?

I'll preface this by saying, I'm not a scientist.  I'm a writer.  I research things and draw conclusions.  I'm finding information from what I believe are trust-worthy sources and providing this information to you, along with my own opinions.

Many people walk around feeling sick and exhausted all of the time. There are diseases that are extremely hard to diagnose, like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, that never used to exist.  I believe this is because of the constant influx of toxins and pesticides we are voluntarily consuming.  The point of this series is not to say, "Never eat this food again."  It's simply to make you aware of what you are putting into your body, and even more importantly, the bodies of your children.

Today's lucky winner is Trisodium Phosphate. We're going to dissect it, see where it comes from, what else it is used for and figure out the potential effects of this on our bodies. 

Sodium phosphates are used as an emulsifier - that means they blend foods that would not normally stay blended. You know when you make something from scratch and you mix it, then leave it on the counter for a while?  When you come back, the ingredients have separated.  Sodium phosphates are added to keep that separation from occurring.  They are commonly found in processed cheeses, processed meats, and canned soups. It can also be used as a leavening agent in batter or commercial cakes.  It's in Cheerios, too, which every mom in North American feeds their little ones.

But here's the scary part.  Trisodium Phosphate is used for a lot of other things, and none of it sounds appetizing.
The primary use for this chemical is in cleaning products. Particularly, it is the active ingredient in many toilet bowl cleaners. I actually have one in my bathroom that contains this product.  This is what the warning label says:

MAY DAMAGE GROUT AND CORRODE METAL. USE GLOVES WHILE HANDLING THIS PRODUCT.......

The Clean Water Act has taken steps to limit use of this product in cleaning supplies because of the damage it causes to the environment. They have great ecological concerns about this chemical being introduced into our water supply.

Sodium phosphate, tribasic is designated as a hazardous substance under section 311(b)(2)(A) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and further regulated by the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 and 1978. These regulations apply to discharges of this substance. This designation includes any isomers and hydrates, as well as any solutions and mixtures containing this substance.
[40 CFR 116.4 (USEPA); U.S. National Archives and Records Administration's Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.


The FDA, however, still deems Trisodium Phosphate safe to eat.  The phrase used by the FDA is "allowable tolerances", meaning that in certain amounts, this caustic substance is unlikely to cause harm. 

What one must consider, though, is in a a day full of a diet of processed food, is it possible, even likely, that you will consume more than the "allowable tolerances"?  Do you even want to consume food that has "allowable tolerances"?
Another favorite reference of mine with these toxins is the Material Data Safety Sheet.  Keep in mind, this is an industrial reference guide referring to contact with the pure unadulterated substance, but the warnings about the pure substance are food for thought.

This is what the MSDS has to say about Trisodium Phosphate:

Trisodium Phosphate

3. Hazards Identification

Emergency Overview

--------------------------

WARNING! HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED. CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potential Health Effects
Inhalation: Tri Sodium Phosphate causes irritation to the respiratory tract. Symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath. Behaves as a moderately strong alkali; intense exposure may result in the destruction of mucous membranes. May cause asthmatic bronchitis, chemical pneumonitis, or pulmonary edema.

Ingestion: Trisodium Phosphate causes irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. May cause mild burning of mouth, throat, and stomach. Its alkaline nature may injure the esophagus and digestive tract. Aqueous, highly alkaline solutions may produce caustic burns.
Skin Contact: Tri Sodium Phosphate causes irritation to skin. Symptoms include redness, itching, and pain. Extent of damage depends on duration of contact. More serious effects may occur if the skin is moist. Aqueous, highly alkaline solutions may produce caustic burns.
Eye Contact: Trisodium Phosphate causes irritation to eyes, may be severe with possible corneal damage. Aqueous, highly alkaline solutions may produce caustic burns.
Chronic Exposure: Repeated exposure of Trisodium Phosphate may cause symptoms similar to those listed for acute effects. May cause permanent tissue damage to the skin and eyes.

Aggravation of Pre-existing Conditions: No information found.

4. First Aid Measures

Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Get medical attention.

Ingestion: Do NOT induce vomiting. Give large amounts of water. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Get medical attention.

Skin Contact: Immediately flush skin with plenty of soap and water for at least 15 minutes. Remove contaminated clothing and shoes. Get medical attention. Wash clothing before reuse. Thoroughly clean shoes before reuse.

Eye Contact: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting lower and upper eyelids occasionally. Get medical attention immediately.




I know, that's kind of long and boring and most of you didn't even read it.  That's okay.

I did not find any information on long-term physical effects of consumption of this product.  Maybe there aren't any.  However, the information regarding the chemical itself is enough to make me plan to avoid Trisodium Phosphate.

Eat this if you want to.  The FDA says it's "generally recognized as safe" in certain amounts.  But if you choose to consume this chemical and feed it to your kids, at least you are doing so with your eyes open.

Know what you're eating!

Aug. 17: Random Bloggishness

Above is the lunch I packed for work yesterday.  Clockwise from left, broccoli/cauliflower salad w/ diced chicken breast, Kashi cereal and raisins, yogurt with protein powder, strawberries and blueberries.  I always take enough food that I have at least a small snack for every break, otherwise I tend to hit the evil vending machines.


Today, I'm without a specific topic.  I'm just randomly writing.


Money issues continue to haunt me.  Yesterday brought with it a surprise cheque - a tax rebate.  Unfortunately it also brought a shut-off notice for the gas bill that politely requests 3 times the amount of that cheque.  It seems like there is a financial drama on nearly a daily basis.  The whole thing is really getting old.  It's not because I spend money frivolously.  It's simply because I don't make enough to pay my bills, and I got way way behind when I was unemployed. 

I've discovered that under-employment is just as bad as unemployment.  It's a little more money, but I have to spend more money too: gas for the car, childcare - it just isn't working out in a way that allows me to break even.  I'm looking for another job - I apply for jobs every single day.  I'm trying to sell the house, which will get rid of a huge expense and a lot of debt.  It's hard just waiting for these things to pan out.

I'm going to continue the workout trend today.  After breakfast, I'm taking the dog for a long ramble through the woods for some cardio and stress relief.  I'm determined not to let stress get the better of my exercise program this time.  I'm pleasantly sore and achy from my workout yesterday, so I know that I challenged myself sufficiently.

I don't want people to read this post and feel sorry for me.  I don't want you thinking, "Poor Daisy.  She can't ever catch a break."  I want you to read this post and think to yourself, "If Daisy can deal with all of this stuff going on in her life, and she can still exercise and eat properly, then I can do it too."

Remember, you have two options.

#1.  You can be broke and unhealthy, eating Cheetos while you bemoan your financial woes.  Then perhaps you could step out for a Blizzard, because why does it really matter what you do?  You're broke, you have a crappy job and ice cream isn't going to change your financial situation, one way or the other.

or....

#2.  You can be broke and healthy.  You can make a yummy broccoli salad while you look helplessly through your bills.  You can still walk the dog while you are pondering the answer to getting yourself out of debt.  While your food and exercise choices won't affect your financial situation, at least you will feel better, look better, and have the energy to fight your way through another day.

When you are in a bad personal situation, whether it is your financial stability, your relationship, or problems at work, you may be strapped for choices.  There may seem like there is no way out.  But you always have one choice: the way you treat yourself. 

Please choose the option to take care of yourself and be healthy. 

Aug. 16: Why Do We Skip the Things That Will Help?

I have a question of the day.  Actually a question of the life, because this is something I've done for years.

WHEN I'M HAVING A TOUGH TIME EMOTIONALLY, WHY DO I AVOID DOING THE VERY THINGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?

Exercise makes me feel great.  Lifting weights makes me feel strong and powerful, like I can take on the world.  I see results every time I walk into the gym.  I either hit another PR, or a notice a new bit of definition that wasn't there last time.  So, rolled into one activity I have:

a self esteem boost

a step towards better health

a release of anxiety

a sense of accomplishment

So, why, then, when things are going badly, do I avoid the very thing that will make me feel better?  I looked at my workout journal today and realized it has been one month to the day since I have lifted a weight.

This directly correlates with the realization that I am in a race with the bank to see if they get to foreclose on my house or if I can sell it before they do.  It correlates with the fact that I make nearly $800 a month less than my monthly expenditures, and I am totally maxed out on all of my credit, and I just can't go on this way.

So I skip the gym?

In the wise words of my 9 year old.................

duh.

So what am I going to do about this?  Well, today I got my butt to the gym.  I felt great.  I only lost a tiny bit of strength, which should come back quickly.  I went back to my original full body workout, and for the next two weeks, I am alternating a cardio day and a lifting day, six days a week.  I'm just going to do it until it's a habit as ingrained as brushing my teeth.

This is more than physical well-being at stake here - it's proving to myself that I don't deserve to feel bad and anxious.  It's saying to myself that I get to do things to feel good, no matter what else is going wrong.  It's basically telling me that I MATTER.

Aug 15: Food Prep

I was really kind of surprised when the timing for making my food for the entire week was an hour, almost to the minute.  I knew I spent approximately that amount of time, but it was interesting to document.

This week's menu:

Baked Chicken Breast

Turkey/Chicken Meatballs

Mexican Seasoned Turkey/Chicken Mixture

Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower and Edamame

Garden Spinach Salad

Every week, when I have a day off, I spend time doing food prep.  Whenever I fail to do this, I end up going off my plan unexpectedly because I'm hungry, dammit, and there's nothing to eat!  Here's a little step-by-step of how I make a week's worth of food in an hour to heat and eat throughout the week.

STEP ONE

I always chop an abundance of onion, and I cheat and use already minced garlic - I hate when my hands are stinky.  If I actually liked peppers, I'd chop those right now too.  Then I sautee them in a bit of olive oil so they are ready for my recipes.

STEP TWO

I scooped out half of the onion and garlic mixture to add to my meatballs.  The other ingredients in the meatballs are: equal parts of extra lean ground turkey and extra lean ground chicken, whole wheat cracker crumbs (from the food processor), egg white, finely chopped spinach, and Mrs. Dash.

STEP THREE

I add the rest of the ground meat to the skillet containing the remainder of the garlic and onion and cook it on low, stirring frequently.

STEP FOUR

I cook turkey bacon for the salad in the microwave on a paper-towel lined plate for about four minutes, or until crispy.

STEP FIVE

I get the meatballs and chicken breast ready to go into the oven.  I use foil underneath so there is no scrubbing required.  (I forgot to snap a before pic of the chicken.)  Into a 350* oven goes the meat.

STEP SIX

Oops - I slacked on the pictures here.  Veggie prep time.  This week, I cut up cauliflower and broccoli.  I took half of the cauliflower and stirred it with minced garlic, olive oil and edamame, throwing it in the oven to roast while the meat is cooking.

STEP SEVEN

The rest of the cauliflower and the broccoli go into a yummy cold salad that also contains Kraft Pure Raspberry Yogurt dressing, finely shredded cheddar and crumbled turkey bacon.  (I accidentally took a pic of the French side of the salad dressing - the labels in Canada are French on one side and English on the other.)

STEP EIGHT

I season the now cooked ground meat with an organic ketchup sweetened with evaporated cane juice (it's better for you than refined sugar), chili powder, and sea salt.

STEP NINE

I prepare a basic salad with baby spinach and cherry tomatoes.  This salad can have any protein added to it during the week to make a super quick meal.

STEP TEN

I save last week's strawberries from certain demise by slicing them up and putting them in pre-measured servings in Ziploc bags.  These go in the freezer to be added to protein yogurt during the week.

Aug. 15: What's YOUR excuse?

Every day, there is something in your way, deterring your journey to better health.

Doesn't it always seem easier for everybody else?  Especially movie stars or that all-around go-getter at work that always does everything perfectly.  They seem to just have it made without any effort.  But even for people like that, life is full of choices - it's all about the priorities in your life.

I'd look good too if I was rich enough to afford a personal trainer to kick my butt.
Not if you didn't actually go to the gym and meet with that trainer.  Let your personal trainer be fitness magazines and the internet!

It would be easy to lose weight if I had a personal chef making me all sorts of healthy, low fat meals.
You're cooking anyway, so just make the choice to cook differently.

It's her job to look good - she doesn't have anything else to do.
Do you really think that's true?  Does she have kids?  A spouse? A script to memorize or a personal appearance to make?  Successful people are nearly always busy.

I'd have time to work out if I had a nanny.
Do you have a friend with kids that you could trade babysitting duties with?  Could you go on your lunch break when the kids are in school?  What about your spouse - he could do some kid-duty while you hit the gym.  Put the baby in the stroller for a nice long walk and let your older child pedal his bike along with you.

I can't even afford a gym membership - there is no way I can get fit.
You can walk, do a DVD, run, find a piece of equipment on Craigslist or at yard sales - where there is a will, there's a way.  When I first started out, I did squats and lunges with a 40 pound bag of dog food cradled in my arms.

The point I'm trying to make is, of course, rather obvious.  There is always a way to make healthier choices. If you really, really want something, you don't think about the obstacles - you think about the solutions.

Aug. 14: CanFit Pro

As you know, the last year has been rough for me.  Today was an absolute highlight for me!

My youngest daughter and I went to Toronto for the CanFit Pro Conference and Trade Show today.  I was fortunate enough to get to meet Tosca Reno, who was the inspiration behind my weight loss.  I wrote here about that moment that I saw her "before" picture and suddenly believed that a 40 year old overweight single mom could really do it - lose weight, change her life, and be an example for her children.  It was a privilege to meet her.  She was warm and friendly and seemed sincerely interested in everyone's story - and there were many of them.  Here is a picture of my daughter and me with Tosca. Yep, I'm kinda geeky and pale!

My little girl, Rachel and I wandered around the many displays.  There were cooking demos, weighted hula hooping, Zumba - any kind of exercise wear or equipment you could imagine and some you couldn't!  We had a few "what the heck is that thing?" moments when looking at the equipment.  Rachel tried every single protein bar that was cut into sample sized pieces and decided quite definitely she does not care for protein bars.

We ended up back at the Oxygen booth and got to meet Bob Kennedy.  What a nice man!  I wasn't quite sure what to expect after reading some of his more acerbic comments in his editorials, but he could not have been kinder.  He asked Rachel if she ate clean also and she told him she did.  He told her she was just beautiful.  He asked how much I'd lost and I replied about 60 pounds.  I said, "I still have a bit to go."  He looked at me and said, "Not that much - you're looking pretty good."  Now coming from Bob Kennedy, I took that as a HUGE compliment.  I was nearly star struck and giddy.  So then I shut up and let Amanda, one of the super nice Oxygen people, take our picture together.

We had an excellent time.  Tosca is a very motivating speaker - even Rachel was pumped about good eating habits when we left.  I had an excellent day sharing something I am passionate about - nutrition and fitness - with my little girl, and hopefully helping to kindle the flame for fitness in her.

On the way home, we were starving.  I asked, "What do you want to eat, Rachel?"

She replied, "Well, we can't really have french fries after that!"

We settled on pitas.  Rachel got a whole wheat pita with meatballs, marinara, mozzarella, and red and green peppers.

I had a flat baked Thai Beef pita - also on whole wheat - it was so delicious!  I was pretty astounded to discover that it had just under 500 calories and 28 whopping grams of protein!  (Sorry Tosca - I'm still a calorie counter - but a clean one!)  It was loaded with marinara sauce, red onion, mushrooms, broccoli, steak, a light sprinkling of mozzarella and a drizzle of Thai chili sauce.  Yummmmm.....I'm going to recreate this one at home!

Aside from this meal, my day has not been a protein winner, I'm going to have a protein shake as an evening snack. 

m1: Bagel with light cheddar and butter, berries
m2: the above deliciousness
m3: pita crisps with light ranch dip
m4: protein float

Okay, today was not a nutritional goldmine.  Tomorrow is weekly food prep and I have some spectacular foods to make!  I'll take pictures and also go over my weekly food prep plan - I haven't done that in quite a while!

Aug. 13: Recipe Friday!

Friday sounds like a great day to brighten things up with some new recipes.  I really like EASY foods that are wholesome and nutritious but satisfy wicked cravings for things like chicken wings and nachos and other foods I don't want to regularly indulge in.

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

Buffalo Chicken Breast:

1 serving of grilled or baked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

Frank's Red Hot sauce, to taste

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp low carb BBQ sauce of choice

Salad:

1 cup fresh baby spinach

shredded carrots and celery

cherry tomatoes

1-2 tbsp freshly crumbled bleu cheese

2 tbsp fat free Ranch dressing

1.) In a large plastic food storage container with a lid, combine Frank's, honey and BBQ sauce with a fork until well mixed.

2.)  Add chicken breast, put the lid on and shake vigorously to coat with the sauce.

3.) Meanwhile, make the salad by layering spinach, carrots, celery and tomato.

4.) Top the salad with yummy sauce covered chicken, sprinkle with blue cheese, and toss with fat free Ranch dressing.

(Note:  When I am making this for myself, I just dump the salad fixings on top of the chicken in the storage container, add dressing, put the lid back on and shake again.  It's not the most beautiful presentation, but you can always light a candle and put it on a plate if you're into that!)

YOGURT YUMMINESS

(This is my favorite too-lazy-to-make-anything-but-I-know-I-need-to-eat meal.  I have it numerous times a week and also use it for an on-the-go meal in my cooler bag when I don't have leftovers I want to take.)

3/4 cup non-fat yogurt of choice ( I usually use Greek or organic vanilla)

1 serving of vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup of in-season or frozen fruit

1/4 cup Kashi cereal or other healthy granola

1.) In a serving container, mix the protein powder with the yogurt, using a fork to blend well.  You will get a pudding-like consistency.

2.) Top with fruit and granola - that's it!

(Note: as a to-go meal, take the granola separately and add just before eating.  Also, the consistency of the yogurt thins down a bit as it sits, so if you are like me, consider a bib!)

Enjoy your weekend!