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OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH Green: Stress Relief for the Planet, Mind, Body and Soul In this month’s article about stress, I am going to ask us to think about our environment in broader terms. Our personal environment is comprised of our diet, physical activity, thoughts, sleep and rest, and stress. Here I am going to discuss the stress we have put on our larger environment – our magnificent planet, and how that in turn places stress on our health. Talk about a vicious cycle on a grand scale! Michael Lerner, PhD, refers to human beings’ harmful impact on the environment as the “five drivers of extinction,” which he lists as:
You have probably noticed how our weather has changed. Global warming is no longer just a theory. Carbon dioxide – a gas we produce when fossil fuels are burnt to power our modern lifestyle – is acting like a layer of Saran wrap around our planet to trap the heat from the sun. But what does greenhouse effect have to do with our health? I will give you just a few simple examples here: Scientists believe there is a connection between global warming and rising pollen count, which may explain the rising problem of asthma and allergies. Also, global warming brings more droughts, which causes more wildfires and thus more dust in the air. One North American uses the same amount of energy as 30-40 people in a developing country! In 2005 alone, Americans who used energy-saving advice from energystar.gov saved the equivalent of 23 million cars’ greenhouse emissions! I am also going to touch on a couple of other major environmental issues that impact our health. Food pollution: Our food to be contaminated with a multitude of substances, including: dioxins, PCB’s, pesticide residues, antibiotics, hormones, microbes, transgenic organisms, radionuclides, and heavy metals. Topsoil erosion and contamination via run-off containing pesticides are two factors that undermine soil quality. The standard American processed food diet is already deficient of the vital nutrients found in whole, recently live, sustainably produced foods; toxic byproducts of industry impose further burden on our physiology, and place us at higher risk of cancer, antibiotic resistance, immune system dysfunction, and endocrine disruption. Endocrine disruption: An endocrine disruptor is a substance that acts as a hormone agonist or antagonist, thereby disrupting the body’s normal hormonal functions. Malformed reproductive organs, endometriosis, and cancer are examples of conditions associated with endocrine disruptor exposure. Chemicals that are known human endocrine disruptors include: DES, dioxin, PCB’s, DDT and other pesticides, and phthalates. Unlike some chemicals, there is no threshold of toxicity for endocrine disruption; human body burden of literally hundreds of chemicals exist at levels way higher than those known to disrupt fetal development in animals. We have already seen a difference in the gender distribution of frogs in the wild due to the presence of endocrine disruptors. Scientists have postulated that our toxic lifestyle and toxic environment is at least partly responsible for the reduced fecundity of our generation. I am not writing this article to increase your stress and anxiety! I am hoping by raising our awareness of the stress the human race has placed on our planet and how that in turn affects our own health, we can make a conscious decision to modify some of our ways so that there is a chance for health for our planet, for us and our future generations. We can walk more gently on the earth and experience better health by adopting the following lifestyle practices:
—April 2007
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