What’s In My Pocket – July 30, 2015

What’s In My Pocket – July 30, 2015

Last month’s feature of What’s In My Pocket was extremely well received. Thank You!!! Here’s this month’s feature:
Avoid False Blood Glucose Readings
If you’ve ever tested your blood sugar after handling food or after you have applied cream or lotion, you may be obtaining inaccurate blood sugar results. Research participants in a research study in the Netherlands had surprising results. Read more… 

Prescription Sleeping Pills Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk
A case-control study was conducted to determine if longer-term use of benzodiazepines could be linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease was conducted by researchers from the University of Bordeaux and other research centers in France and Canada. Benzodiazepines, which are a group of drugs used mainly to treat anxiety and insomnia, are generally only used for short periods  (usually no more than four weeks).

According to an analysis on PubMed Health; “This case control study has suggested that long-term use of benzodiazepines (over six months) may be linked with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older people. These findings are reported to be similar to other previous studies, but add weight to these by showing that risk increases with increasing length of exposure to the drugs, and with those benzodiazepines that remain in the body for longer.” The study was published in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal on an open access basis, so it is free to read online.

1. Keep it oiled – rub the cutting board with mineral oil about once a month.
2. If you don’t like scratches on it, sand them out with 220-grit sandpaper. Gently follow the grain.
3. Keep it dry between use. Don’t soak it in the sink. Dry it well after cleaning since excess moisture can warp the wood.
4. Elevate it off the counter when in use (either with legs, or a damp paper towel or towel). The moisture that can build up under the board can damage it.
5. Freshen the surface by sprinkling coarse sand on it and rubbing it with a lemon.

The Link Between Hypertension and Plastic Food Storage Containers – Scientists from New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center have found the chemicals used in plastics which were supposed to be safe alternatives for DEHP (di-2-ethylhexylphlatate ) have been found to cause similar effects.

The compounds in question – di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) – have now also been linked to small rises in blood pressure.

Two separate studies were published in the journals Hypertension and The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. According to an article published in The Guardian, “In the Hypertension study, for every 10-fold increase in the amount of phthalates consumed, there was a 1.1 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) increase in blood pressure….In the other study, one in three adolescents with the highest DINP levels had the highest insulin resistance, while for those with the lowest concentrations of the chemicals, only one in four had insulin resistance.”

Storing food in plastic is risky. It can lead to hypertension, heart problems, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic disorders, etc…  (I’m famous for using mason jars).

If you still wish to store food in plastic food storage containers, here are some tips:

1. Wait until the food is cool before filling the container or covering it in plastic wrap.
2. Never heat food in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic wrap.
3. Don’t wash plastic food storage containers in the dishwasher (plasticizers can leak out).
4. Avoid plastic food storage containers with the numbers 3, 6, or 7 on the recycle emblem.