Issue #52: Our top 3 kitchen swaps for radical health

Hey Radical Health Seekers 👋

In your newsletter this week we’re exploring three very common kitchen items that are exposing you and your family to harmful chemicals… 

But it’s not all doom and gloom, because we’re also gonna’ give you three simple swaps that you can replace them with.

This will be a big win for your health!

Let’s go!

Now you don’t need to go too far down the radical health rabbit hole to realize we live in a toxic world…

The food? 

Pesticides.

The water? 

Hormone disruptors. 

The lovely lady who cleans your desk at the office with industrial-strength cleaners? 

Volatile organic compounds. 

We believe this is a big reason why we’re seeing more chronic disease, infertility, and autoimmune diseases than ever.

Because we know these toxins are carcinogenic, damage our metabolism, and screw with our hormones.

Now completely avoiding these chemicals is practically impossible… but luckily, all it takes are a few simple changes and you can considerably reduce your daily exposure to them.

Here’s our top three swaps to start with in your kitchen:

#1 Non-stick frying pans

Non-stick frying pans are extremely popular… but while that magic coating makes cooking steak and eggs a breeze, it comes with some major downsides.

Because the non-stick coating is a synthetic polymer (typically polytetrafluoroethylene) that degrades to release perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)… and this is a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor.

One big problem is that the non-stick coating gets easily damaged when you stir, flip or even clean it. And this results in thousands of particles being released directly into your food:

The coating also degrades to release fumes when exposed to high temperatures, which is why the manufacturer’s instructions always say to “use with medium heat only”…

But nobody does that, and it’s just not practical if you’re after a decent sear on your steak.

Swap for:

A stainless steel or cast iron frying panPro tip:  It is absolutely possible to make a perfectly fried egg, steak or omelette on a “stick” pan 🍳 

But you will need to use lots and lots more butter, ghee or tallow than you would on a non-stick pan!

#2 Plastic cutting boards

This is another simple swap that will greatly impact your health.

When you chop your food on a plastic cutting board, you unknowingly release millions of microplastic particles into your food…

And these particles then accumulate in your body, where they can remain for years. 

Microplastic particles are harmful for our health, causing mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, and hormone disruption.

The amount that comes off a cutting board isn’t trivial either… this study showed that it can lead to an annual microplastic exposure of up to 50g… the equivalent to eating 10 credit cards 😬

Swap for:

A wooden carving board like this with “deep juice grooves” to catch the juice from your meat ❤️😊

#3 Tap water

Running water is a modern miracle we can all appreciate, especially since we can drink it without fearing previously common diseases like cholera or dysentery.

But just because tap water won’t kill us, doesn’t mean it’s harmless.

The purification process doesn’t remove all contaminants of concern, and very often, your tap water will still contain concentrations of hormone-disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals.

For example, one chemical of concern is atrazine. It’s the most commonly detected pesticide in tap water, often occurring in concentrations above the acceptable safe limits…

But this is a chemical where the acceptable safe limit should be ZERO. 

Because atrazine is a potent endocrine-disrupting chemical, which in high enough concentrations, has been shown to chemically castrate male frogs, turning some of them into fully functioning females. Do we really want to be drinking this chemical in even tiny amounts?

Fluoride is another concern.

Here in the United States, we drink more fluoridated water than the rest of the world combined (it’s banned in most of Europe)…

And while a controversial issue, there’s a lot of scientific evidence indicating fluoride in water might be linked to kids’ lower IQs. 

Lots of folks are worried about it, and there’s even a federal lawsuit against the EPA currently underway.

There are a TON more contaminants that can be in tap water.

If you’d like to find out what exactly is in your local supply, then you can enter your zip code into the Environmental Working Group’s nifty tap water database here. 

Swap for: 

Reverse osmosis water filter (these are a few hundred bucks on Amazon, but a very worthwhile investment in our opinion. Depending on your needs, you can find models that sit on your counter or can be installed under your existing faucet.

Don’t forget the fundamentals

These three kitchen swaps are some of the best ways to limit the toxins you and your family are exposed to each day…

And we’re sure they will be a big win for you and your families health.

But before you invest your time and money in them, be sure you’re practicing the fundamental steps to Radical Health first:

• Am I getting organs in my diet?
• Have I eliminated processed foods and seed oils from my diet?
• Am I getting enough high-quality protein each day?
• What about sunlight? Movement?

Can you answer yes to these questions? 

These fundamentals will have the most significant impact on your health in the shortest amount of time. Focus on them first, not what’s in the water, and you will be most of the way toward radical health!

That’s all from us this weekend 👋🏼

Stay Radical!

The Heart & Soil Team