Working out in a group provides significantly more stress relief than going it alone, according to research. Scientists found improved quality of life and about a 25 percent stress reduction from group exercise, but determined that individual exercisers did not experience much relief.

“The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone,” said lead researcher Dayna Yorks, DO. Her group tested 69 medical students, who tend toward high levels of stress and self-reported low quality of life. The students self-selected into a 12-week exercise program, either in a group or alone. Every four weeks, they self-rated their perceived levels of mental, physical, and emotional stress and quality of life.

At the end of the trial, the group exercisers showed significant improvements in all categories. In contrast, the individual exercisers (who worked out twice as long, on average) reported gains only in their mental quality of life.

Benefits of Going It Alone

While some research has found that people who workout with an exercise buddy move more, a 2023 study found that if your exercise buddy is your spouse, that is not the case.

The study involved 240 people ages 54 to 72 and found that those assigned to exercise with their spouses logged lower average daily step counts than participants who exercised alone.

Everyone knows we need protein for energy and growth, but we also need it to obtain amino acids. Our bodies use amino acids to break down food, reduce fatigue, and repair tissue and muscles, among many other functions.

Aminos Equal Energy

Several recent studies have demonstrated the value of supplemental amino acids for athletes.

L-carnitine

L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid. Nearly all of the L-carnitine in the body is found in muscle tissue, and its main role is to transport fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells so that it can be burned for energy.

L-carnitine has been linked to beneficial effects on sports performance, especially with long-term use. A recent review of studies found that L-carnitine may aid in recovery after high-intensity exercise. Researchers also determined that L-carnitine eased muscle soreness and increased blood flow. It also helped reduce body weight and physical and mental fatigue in older adults.

Previous research indicates that L-carnitine may boost maximum oxygen consumption and power output.

Beta-alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that is indirectly involved in supporting muscle endurance during periods of high-intensity exertion. It’s produced naturally in the body and can also be found in fish, meat, soybeans, and poultry, as well as in dietary supplements.

A recent study found that beta-alanine supplementation boosted exercise capacity and eliminated executive function declines typically induced by endurance exercise in healthy adults. An earlier review of randomized trials found that beta-alanine may increase power output and working capacity while decreasing feelings of exhaustion and fatigue. Based on the results of that review, researchers determined that supplementation with beta-alanine may increase athletic performance.

Amino Acids Are Life’s Building Blocks

Scientists have classified amino acids into three groups—essential, nonessential, and conditionally essential (sometimes called semiessential)—and we need them all. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body, so we must get them through diet. When we consume protein, our bodies break it down into amino acids and then use those amino acids to build the specific proteins we need.

The nine essential amino acids are histidine, iso-leucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. All nine can be found in soy products, meat, fish, seafood, milk, and eggs. Plant foods, such as vegetables and legumes, also contain some of the nine but not all of them. Essential amino acids are widely available as dietary supplements.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids Are Powerful Essentials

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are one group of essential amino acids that may help boost sports performance. BCAAs are commonly used to fight fatigue and aid muscle recovery after exercise. Valine is involved in energy production and helps grow and regenerate muscle tissue; leucine aids the body in synthesizing protein and helps repair muscles; isoleucine is concentrated in muscle tissue and helps regulate energy consumption.

A recent study found that young men who received BCAA supplements either before or after exercise experienced significantly improved delayed onset muscle soreness and exercise-induced muscle damage. The study also confirmed that supplementing with BCAA before exercise is more beneficial than after.

A 2017 meta-analysis of eight trials found that BCAAs were more effective at reducing soreness and muscle power loss after exercise than passive recovery or rest. Previous research found that BCAAs also reduce perceived exertion and mental fatigue, and improve anabolic response during the recovery period.

Most of us spend a lot of time thinking about about how to accomplish everything on our to-do lists. For optimal results, it turns out we should be spending at least as much time considering when we’re going to do things.

Author Daniel Pink scrutinized scientific, psychological, educational, and economic studies to determine if the timing of events matters. It turns out it does... a lot. His findings are captured in When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing ($28, Riverhead Books, 2018). Some of his book’s main ideas are outlined below, along with tips to help you better navigate your day.

What’s Your Chronotype?

Pink believes there are three major chronotypes that describe how people experience their days:

• The Larks

  Larks love waking up before everyone else. They experience their emotional highs and lows a few hours ahead of most people’s schedule.

• The Owls

  Owls hate getting up early. Their appetite for work kicks in around 9 p.m., when they start doing their best thinking.

• The Rest of Us

  The rest of us move through the days in three distinct stages: peak, trough, and recovery.

Morning Peak

Most people’s focus is freshest in the morning, so this is the time to schedule demanding analytical work. Avoid doing routine emails or any work that fritters away your best energy of the day.

Healthcare May Be Best in The Morning

If you need to set a healthcare appointment, mornings may be best. Research shows that healthcare performance declines in the afternoon. Hospital handwashing drops dramatically. Anesthesia errors are three times more likely to occur. Fewer polyps are found during afternoon colonoscopies as compared with morning procedures. (That’s not to say there aren’t exceptions to the rule. One large study showed better outcomes for aortic valve replacement surgery scheduled in the afternoons.)

Academic Performance Can Peak in Morning

The morning is also best for exam taking—the earlier students take tests, the better they do. Time of day even “explains about 20 percent of the variance in our performance on workplace tasks,” says Pink.

Afternoon Trough

Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., the average person’s mood and stamina start to decline. This is when to tackle routine administrative tasks, like filling out expense reports and answering emails.

Benefits of Taking Afternoon Naps

Afternoons are also an ideal time to nap. For best results, drink coffee right before you nap, Pink advises. Because it takes about 25 minutes for caffeine to kick in, that pre-nap java will do the work of waking you up! If you can’t nap, Pink advises a 10-minute lunch-break walk. People who take regular breaks throughout the day seem to be the strongest performers, according to Pink.

Taking The Ideal Break

One DeskTime study that used millions of data points found that the ideal break—as determined by resulting quality of work—is 17 minutes for every 52 minutes of work. If that is a no-go for you, just getting up from your desk for five minutes every hour to walk around, get some fresh air, or drink water can significantly improve productivity.

Energy Recovery

Most people’s energy starts picking up again during the late afternoon and early evening. This tends to be a good time for creative activities.

The complex process of detoxifying your body from everyday metabolic waste and toxins involves an interplay of your liver, kidneys, lymphatic vessels, skin, and other organs. Yet your colon also plays an important role—it’s the main way out!

The Body's Natural Detox Process

Think of your liver, kidneys, and lymph as trash barrels around the house (and, more specifically, think of the act of putting trash into a trash bin).

Tossing things helps keep your body (the house) clean and clear, but in order to maintain a good flow, someone needs to actually collect that trash on trash pickup day and remove it from the house, or it will pile up and create a big mess.

How The Body Removes Waste and Toxins

Your colon handles trash pickup and removal for your liver and some of the lymph’s waste.

• What Is Bile and What Does It Do?

  Much of the body's waste is excreted in the form of bile.

  1. The liver creates bile as it cleans the blood (blood that also contains excreted lymph fluid), then stores it in the gallbladder.
  2. Bile then spurts out of your gallbladder into the digestive tract as food exits the stomach. (If you don’t have a gallbladder, bile leaks out slowly throughout the day instead of in concentrated purges timed with food digestion.)
  3. Then, bile goes on its merry way down the digestive turnpike to ultimately be excreted in your feces.

• Staying Regular for Digestion and Detox

  One to three bowel movements daily will remove most of the waste from the body, but if you get backed up or sluggish, a greater percentage of waste will reabsorb into your body system all over again via the intestinal lining. Therefore, steady bowel movements are a crucial part of your detoxification system and any detox plan.

  Surprisingly, many “cleanse kits” offer little more than a laxative and fiber source, perhaps with other detoxifying herbs mixed in. But you can turn to diet and herbs for gentler, more broad-spectrum benefits.

Natural Herbs for Colon Health and Detox

• Bitters for Better Digestion

  Bitter-tasting herbs like dandelion root and leaf, burdock root, artichoke leaf, schisandra berry, and turmeric root help turn on the digestive system’s juices as well as peristalsis—the wave-like muscular motion that moves food through the digestive tract. Bonus: Bitters also act as cholagogues and choleretics, “liver movers” that improve detoxification by encouraging the liver’s production and excretion of bile. Indirectly, bitters act as mild laxatives because of these actions.

  Bitter Foods to Cleanse and Detox

  • Dandelion Greens
  • Endive and Radicchio
  • Lettuce
  • Arugula
  • Citrus Peel
  • Grapefruit
  • Tamarind
  • Coffee or Herbal “Coffee” (for example, chicory root)
  • Ginger
  • Artichokes

• Remove Toxins with Fiber

  Insoluble fiber bulks up the stool to pull and remove toxins from the body, improving the speed and efficiency of the colon. Sources include psyllium seeds, flaxseeds, and bran from whole grains. In truth, most high-fiber foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, so a diet rich in whole plant foods will also be beneficial. If you’re new to fiber, introduce it slowly to avoid excess gas and bloating, and make sure to consume plenty of water and hydrating foods.

  Whole-Plant Foods for Fiber

  • Root Vegetables
  • Greens
  • Beans
  • Berries
  • Seeds
  • Nuts 

• Extra Help from Laxatives

  You can usually keep your colon running smoothly with bitters and fiber, but sometimes it needs a little extra push. That’s where laxatives come in, but not all are created equal.

  • Strong Herbal Laxatives to Cleanse Your Colon

    Harsh, strong laxatives should be used only in extreme constipation, and short-term, as they are ultimately habit-forming and may eventually atrophy the colon’s muscles.

    Strong Herbal Laxatives

    • Senna
    • Cascara
    • Aloe Latex (present in whole aloe leaf)
    • Moderately Strong:
      • Turkey Rhubarb Root
      • Buckthorn Bark

  • Gentle Natural Laxatives to Aid Digestion

    Your safest laxatives include yellow dock root (usually a capsule or liquid extract) and the Ayurvedic blend triphala (preferably as a powder; also available in capsule), which have mild laxative properties alongside tightening, toning tannins that improve colon health. Magnesium also works well; it brings water into the colon. If these aren’t strong enough, consider low doses of the stronger laxatives, then introduce bitters and fiber and slowly wean down on the laxatives.

Keep Your Digestive System in Harmony

Together, bitters, fiber, and short-term laxatives as needed help your colon function smoothly, which makes your body a cleaner, happier place.

With inadequate acid, the entire sequence of digestion may become compromised. In response to heartburn or upset stomach, many people reach for medications that neutralize or suppress stomach acid. But aiding—rather than suppressing—digestive secretions with a spoonful of bitters is often the key to correcting complaints.

What is HCl?

Adequate stomach, or gastric, acid is necessary for optimal digestion and nutrient assimilation. The major component of stomach acid is hydrochloric acid, or HCl. Secreted by parietal cells in the stomach, HCl reaches a pH value between 1 and 2, indicating high acidity. This acid is potent enough to dissolve an iron nail, yet it doesn’t normally erode the stomach, thanks to its protective mucous membrane lining.

Acid is necessary to digest and absorb protein. HCl also supports the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, fats, and several vitamins. Hydrochloric acid is needed to optimally absorb minerals and vitamins that require an acidic environment: folic acid, ascorbic acid, beta carotene, non-heme iron, and some forms of calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

The presence of HCl in the small intestine stimulates peristalsis (wave-like muscle contractions that push food through the intestines), thereby contributing to regularity by promoting bowel motility. Gastric acid helps destroy parasites, bacteria, and fungi that may be present in food consumed. With low HCl, invaders may gain access deeper into the body, where they can cause harmful infections.

Reasons for Low HCl

Either intentionally or as side effects, over-the-counter medications can inhibit the production of stomach acid. Histamine (H2) blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), and nizatidine (Axid)—all commonly used to treat heartburn and indigestion—work by decreasing stomach acid production. Whether they contain aluminum (Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta), calcium carbonate (Tums, Rolaids), or sodium bicarbonate (Alka-Seltzer), antacids raise the pH level of the stomach acid, neutralizing its effect.

Deficiency of some nutrients can also lead to impaired hydrochloric acid secretion. Folic acid is involved in HCl production, and oral contraceptives can contribute to a deficiency of this important B vitamin. Zinc deficiency can impair HCl secretion, which also declines with advancing age. Clinical studies have shown that chronic atrophic gastritis, a condition where little or no HCl is secreted, is common among older adults.

In addition, Helicobacter pylori bacteria (linked to peptic ulcers and even stomach cancer) cause digestive illness, decreasing levels of hydrochloric acid. When HCl is insufficient, proper digestion will not occur. Microorganisms normally destroyed by stomach acid can proliferate, raising the risk of gastrointestinal infections.

Bitters for Better Digestion

Although many Americans are unfamiliar with bitter-tasting foods and herbs, numerous cultures have valued bitter substances for improving digestion, nourishment, and overall health. Traditional European and Chinese medicine (TCM) believe that bitter foods and herbs can strengthen digestion and the nervous system, while improving the vital energy of the body.

Herbs for Bitters Formulas

According to Christopher Hobbs, LAc, AHG, author of Foundations of Health, bitter formulas (aka “bitters”) typically contain bitter-tasting herbs such as angelica root (A. archangelica), artichoke leaf (Cynara scolymus), bitter orange peel (Citrus aurantium), blessed thistle leaves (Cnicus benedictus), gentian root (Gentiana lutea), goldenseal rhizome (Hydrastis canadensis), wormwood leaves (Artemisia absinthium), and yarrow flowers (Achillea millefolium).

In formulas, bitters are often combined with carminative (gas-relieving) herbs such as ginger root (Zingiber officinale), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), and cardamom seed (Elettaria cardamomum) to moderate their taste and take advantage of gas-relieving benefits. “Bitter greens such as the leaves of dandelion, arugula, chickory, and parsley or an unripe bitter plum are also beneficial before meals to enhance digestion,” says Hobbs. These foods and herbs stimulate the bitter receptors in taste buds at the back of the tongue, so tasting the bitterness improves herbs’ effectiveness.

How Do Bitters Work?

“Bitters stimulate gastric secretions, enzyme production, and help clear symptoms such as bloating, gas, and dyspepsia, and they improve elimination,” adds Hobbs, who is particularly fond of gentian root and artichoke leaf. “Pure gentian is very bitter but adds a refreshing taste when used in a formula,” he explains. Gentian root is typically used in teas, tinctures, fluid extracts, and dry extracts.

Approved by the German Commission E for fullness/bloating, flatulence, nausea, and loss of appetite—symptoms that can often be traced to insufficient stomach acid—gentian’s bitter substances stimulate stomach acid and saliva production and may also stimulate bile flow. However, individuals with stomach or duodenal ulcers should avoid this herb.

Artichoke leaf extract is often found in bitter formulas and is commonly used in tinctures, fluid extracts, and dry extracts. Found below the bud, the bitter leaf is a byproduct of the commonly eaten unopened artichoke flower head.

Approved by the Commission E for liver and gallbladder complaints and loss of appetite, artichoke leaf stimulates both appetite and production of bile. Essential for digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins, bile is produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and secreted into the small intestine in the presence of food (particularly fatty food). Inadequate bile secretion can cause poor fat digestion and contribute to “dyspeptic syndrome” (digestive disturbances, flatulence, bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and loss of appetite). Clinical studies using artichoke leaf extract have shown significant improvement in these symptoms. But people with bile duct blockage may want to avoid artichoke leaf extract, and anyone with gallstones should consult a doctor before using the extract.

How to Take Digestive Bitters

Bitters are typically taken in small doses, enough to promote a strong taste. Approximately ¹/₂ to 1 teaspoon of the fluid extract, 1 dropper of the concentrated formula, or 2 teaspoons of a bitters tea is taken up to one half hour before meals.

I was in the hospital when I heard the word apple. Without hesitating I reached in my pocket to see if I had my phone. By the way, they were talking about the fruit, not the product. This got me thinking, has technology and our products now become more important than our health? 

The Health Risks of Technological Advancement

Technology surrounds us and has become a large part of how we live on a daily basis. I’m not saying that technology and its progression and evolution is all bad, but certain aspects may pose a health risk.  I mean I am writing this article on my laptop right now to try and reach out and help others. Technology has served many positive aspects and revolutionized how we take care of patients today.

There used to be the common phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This may still remain true but in a different light. People have become so preoccupied with their gadgets that they are not taking the time to take care of themselves, let alone visit a doctor.

If I was to write the word apple on a piece of paper then ask someone about the word, I bet many people would think I was talking about the company. You wouldn’t think I was talking about the fruit the boasts antioxidants and fiber and may reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, stroke, cholesterol, and diabetes. Oh, diabetes you say?

If I was to do the same thing with the letters DM, a person would be quicker to think I was talking about Direct Messaging someone on Instagram than Diabetes Mellitus. This disease, caused by an elevated level of glucose in your body that can lead to kidney disease, nerve damage, high blood pressure, eye problems, strokes, sexual health issues, and even HD.

That’s HD, as in Heart Disease, not the High Definition screen which with many people spend hours a day watching. Ironically, sitting for hours in front of an HD can eventually lead to the other type of HD. There is actually an increase in risk with sedentary behavior such as sitting for prolonged hours in front of your HD television and Heart disease.

Although the screen is now high definition, your eyesight is now not. Increased screen time can lead to a multitude of visual defects including, myopia (near sidedness), retinal damage, eye strain, and blurred vision -- the opposite of high definition, not to mention the headaches, neck, shoulder, and back strain associated with sitting and staring in the same position for hours at a time.

While technology in many ways has given us greater access to information and improved communication among others, our obsession with it can have detrimental effects on our health. Many of us use a Personal Computer (PC) every day, but when is the last time that we saw a PC (Primary Care) doctor?

Technology, the Sedentary Lifestyle & the Health Risks Involved

The World Health Organization posted an article over a decade ago warning people that a sedentary lifestyle can be one of the top ten leading causes of death and disability in the world. Physical inactivity as a whole not only increases mortality, but can severely increase the risk of heart disease (HD), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Physical inactivity can lead to poor diet and nutrition as well. It is a slippery slope with a downward spiral that studies have now shown can even increase your risk of cancer. The America Cancer Society indicates that about 1/5 of all cancer deaths in the United States each year are linked to excess body weight, poor diet, excessive alcohol intake, and decreased physical activity. Although there are genetic factors as well as cellular factors that continue to be discovered play a role, there is no denying that a healthy diet and physical activity contribute to cancer prevention.

Instead of being outdoors, while indoors locked to our computer screens, we risk Vitamin D deficiency (recently shown to be linked to an increase in cancer) as well as, again, an inactive and sedentary lifestyle. While sitting indoors many of us will eat processed food or snack on food high levels of nitrates or sodium, that have been linked to several deleterious health effects, including cancer. At the same time, we will binge eat, while multitasking on our devices, and lose sight of portion control. As I said, it’s a slippery slope.

So, the next time you find yourself spending too much time in front of a screen, think about your health and what you may be doing to your body. After all, we each only get one.

Follow my journey from the beginning @DoctorJosh_MD.

Many of us who live in northern climes eagerly anticipate summer, craving the sunlight and heat that we miss the rest of the year. We look forward to the season’s arrival so much that we can forget that even the lazy days of July and August come with their own challenges. Seasonal stressors include too much of a good thing (sunburn), things that make us itch (bug bites and poison ivy), and allergies (to all sorts of things, including pollen).

Fortunately, there are numerous homeopathic remedies to help us truly savor summer.

Homeopathic Help for Allergies & Hay Fever

The smorgasbord of seasonal allergies begins in early summer with grass pollen. As summer progresses, the list grows to include allergens such as ragweed and goldenrod.

Experts recommend that in dealing with allergies, you should choose the remedy most like your symptoms. If three days pass with no relief, you are likely using the wrong remedy and should try another, according to James Balch, MD, and Mark Stengler, ND, authors of Prescription for Natural Cures.

“When you first notice improvement, stop taking the remedy unless your symptoms begin to return.”

Homeopathy for Ragweed

• In keeping with the homeopathic principle that “like cures like,” some homeopaths recommend that those suffering from ragweed allergies try Ambrosia (ragweed) for relief and those allergic to goldenrod use Solidago (golden rod).
• Consider Arsenicum iod to quell a frequent desire to sneeze, and Natrum mur 6C six times daily for a constant nasal drip that resembles raw egg white.
• If sneezing and a runny nose are accompanied by hot, stinging, swollen, and watering eyes, and symptoms seem worse indoors, consider Allium cepa 6C six times daily.
• Euphrasia 6C six times a day is a common remedy to soothe red, itchy, and burning eyes, thick eye discharge, and sneezing that worsens at night.
• Try Pulsatilla 6C six times daily if sneezing that worsens indoors is accompanied by nighttime congestion.

Remedies for Insect Bites & Stings

• Wasp, yellow jacket, or bee got the best of you? If the pain lessens after ice or cold applications, try Ledum (wild rosemary) 30C every half-hour for further relief. This is typically the first remedy given after a bug bite.
• For swelling and burning pain, Apis (crushed bee) 30C every 30 minutes may be useful.
• Carbolicum acidum is useful if you’ve been stung multiple times.

Remedies for Poison Ivy, Oak, & Sumac

• The bane of summer, these poisonous plants can make life feel unbearable. If your rash feels better when you’re submerged in a very hot bath, use Anacardium. However, if any kind of warmth only aggravates your condition, Sulphur may be the more appropriate remedy.
• Those tormented at night by itching can try Rhus toxicodendron for relief.
• Graphites helps address rashes with pustules that weep a glutinous, honeylike substance.

Homeopathic Help for Sunburn

• If you overdid your time in the sun, apply a soothing calendula-based gel, spray, or ointment to your burn.
• For mild sunburn, when the skin is pink, slight swollen, stinging and burning, use Apis mellafica 30C as soon as possible, 5 pellets every hour until relief, recommends Christophe Merville, D.Pharm, of Boiron.
• Urtica urens has been used to ease the pain of first-degree burns (painful redness but with no blistering, which is typically a second-degree burn).
• Dennis Chernin, MD, MPH, author of The Complete Homeopathic Resource for Common Illnesses, recommends using the 30C potency “every five to ten minutes.”
• Alternatively, try Belladonna 30C. To minimize the blistering and pain of intense burns, consider taking Cantharis 30C.

Treating Sunstroke

This is a dangerous condition, so remedies should never be given in place of professional care. However, remedies can be given while a person is being transported to a healthcare professional. If accompanied by fever, headache, dilated pupils, reddened face, and stupor, use Belladonna. Use the 6th, 12th, or 30th potency every 30 minutes for the first two hours. After giving a remedy for two hours, reduce frequency to every one to four hours.

We are all aware that the foods we eat influence our health. We know what foods to consume and which ones we should stay away from. We think about the physical food items, but what about the way in which our food is prepared? The pots and pans we choose can have a significant effect on our health. Our cookware and our health are not independent of one another.

Dangers of Cookware

You may be conscious of what you eat, but your cookware could actually be what is causing you harm. Non-stick cookware are made with materials such as steel or aluminum, and contain a chemical coating to make them ‘non-stick’. The real danger is this coating applied to your cookware. When non-stick cookware is heated to high temperatures, chemicals in the coating are released into our food. You may have beautiful, organic vegetables, but your cookware is adding chemicals for you to consume. This is a real concern and some of the dangers are as follows:

1. “Teflon flu”: Teflon is one of the main coatings used in cookware. When breathing in the fumes that are expelled at high temperatures, people can experience flu-like symptoms. This is due to the polluted air within your kitchen during cooking. Teflon is a brand name that is associated with non-stick cookware.
2. Smaller birth weight of new born children: A fetus feeds off of their mother’s diet and what she consumes. Chemicals ingested are no exception. Mice were found to have lower birth weights, and rats were found to have neonatal cell death.
3. Elevated cholesterol
4. Abnormal thyroid functioning
5. Liver inflammation: Our livers works extremely hard to protect us against all the toxic substances that enter our bodies. These chemicals pass through our liver, creating a negative effect.
6. Weaken immune system: We are only as strong as our immune system. It is crucial to look after ourselves, so that your immune system can operate at an optimal level.
7. Tumor Growth and Cancer: Tumors were found within the testicles, liver and pancreas of rats studied. Studies that looked at humans whom were exposed to PFAO at work, found higher levels of bladder and kidney cancers.

As you can see chemical associated with cookware can harm your body. Teflon is known as PFOA, or ‘perfluorooctanoic acid’. This substance is suspected of being a carcinogen, and about 95% of us have this substance in our bloodstream (this is including new borns). It has also been found within polar bears and marine animals; due to environmental factors.

Risky Types of Cookware and Non-Stick Coating

Some materials and chemical sprays are affected by heat, and susceptible to wear.

Avoid these when possible. If you must use them, be sure to maintain them properly.

• Teflon Coating

  This is the most common non-stick coating, which was introduced in the 1950’s. It is associated with all the risks that have been mentioned thus far and is not recommended.

• Titanium Coated

  Although titanium coating is advertised as ‘PFOA free’, is still contains a synthetic coating and is also not recommended. This cookware tends to be aluminum, with a synthetic titanium fused coating applied and is still reactive.

• Diamond Coated

  This coating is advertised as not containing PFOA, but has a synthetic coating made from PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). This is essentially the same coating as Teflon non-stick pans.

  Do Diamond Coated Pans Have Teflon?

  Diamond coated pots and pans claim they contain ‘no Teflon’. This is true, but because ‘Teflon’ is a Trademark of DuPont. PTFE exposure is a concern with diamond coated cookware.

• Aluminum Pans

  These pots and pans are lightweight, inexpensive, and conduct heat well, but there is a concern of aluminum seeping into food. 

  Salty water and food have also been known to cause pitting in aluminum pots and pans; causing old pots and pans to have possible trace amounts of harmful substances like fluoride and arsenic.

• Cooking Spray

  This is not infused into your cookware, this spray is added to your cookware when you begin to cook. This spray appealed to many because of it allows for ‘fat-free cooking’.

  The spray may be low in calories, but it is high in chemicals. Cooking spray actually contains ‘propellant’. This substance is used in areosol containers and can be made from propane, carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide.

Exposure to PFOA

Once these chemicals have entered our body, they are not metabolized. This is a real concern and should be addressed.

Environmental Factors

We are exposed to these chemicals without any knowledge.

• The Air We Breathe

  These chemicals can enter our bloodstream via the air. We inhale PFOA due to contaminated air or even dust.

• Water and Soil

  We are being exposed through our water systems, especially if you’re located close to a manufacturing facility. These chemicals have been found in our drinking water, soil, sediment, ground water and even areas in the open ocean.

• The Food We Eat

  These chemicals have been traced back to the foods we consume (link between our food and contaminated soil). Newborns whom are consuming breast milk may be exposed through their mother’s milk.

• Consumer Products

  This is where cookware would be relevant. We are exposing ourselves through consumer products.

How Does PFOA Affect Humans?

It is not entirely known how PFOA is distributed across human tissue. Studies in which used rats, showed that majority of the PFOA was found within the blood, liver and kidneys.

Durability of Cookware

It is not only your health that is a concern regarding this cookware. Non-stick cookware simply does not last. It is not as durable and the coating begins to flake off after extended use. You are better off to invest in healthy cookware options that will last you a lifetime.

Safe Materials for Pots and Pans

There are various options in terms of safe and healthy cookware.

Manufacturers may add a non-stick coating to any material, so read the label carefully and research the brand.

• Stainless Steel

  These pots and pans generally have copper or aluminum between sheets of stainless steel. This is a great option because it creates great heat conductivity while providing a safe cooking surface. Stainless steel pots and pans are not non-stick, so they are typically great for high liquid recipes (e.g. soups and sauces). They can also be used for a wide variety of other ingredients and cooking purposes.

• Cast Iron

  Is highly durable and can be heated to much higher temperatures than it’s non-stick counterparts. Cast iron does not release chemicals when heated like non-stick pots and pans do. They actually provide traces of iron. Many people are iron deficient, so this is one instance of leaching that is actually beneficial.

• Ceramic

  These tend to be finished with enamel and are safe to use. They can reach extremely high temperatures. You just need to be concerned with decorative additions. Make sure that it is specifically for cooking and food use.

• Anodized Aluminum

  These have all the benefits of normal aluminum, but are more expensive for good reason. The electro-chemical process causes aluminum to stay ‘locked’ inside, so it will not leach into food due to this process.

• Steel-Lined Copper

  There is no doubt that copper is an excellent source of heat, which is why it is commonly found within stainless steel pots and pans.

  Are Copper Pans Healthier For You?

  In small doses, copper is beneficial to our bodies. However, we tend to get enough copper in our diet from dark leafy greens, dried fruit, shellfish, potatoes and more, and some foods actually increase copper leaching—when minerals are absorbed from a solid.