S-t-r-e-t-c-h!

You should always stretch your muscles before and after exercising. Anyone with even a middle school physical education knows that, right? You definitely should. Always.

Not that I learned the hard way, or anything. Oh no, I wasn't the one who agreed go on a 4-mile walk with steep inclines with a 16-pound infant strapped to my back, who went straight to the shower after getting home, didn't stretch for more than 2 seconds, and then woke up this morning with calves as stiff as a board, practically causing herself to fall out of bed, and who was hardly able to walk all day long.

Nope, wasn't me! And you can't prove that it was.

Unless, maybe, you're my husband, who has heard me complaining all day long.

We're Back

You may have noticed that I haven't posted for about a week. We took a family vacation, road trippin' style, this past week. We're back! I'm glad to be home. But I have 81 emails to wade through, errands to run, pictures to upload, laundry to do (Oh, the laundry!!....), kids to feed, blogs to catch up with, and so on and so on. Not to mention the fact that Jesse still has the rest of the week off, and we plan to do a few more fun things if we can manage it.

I will try to post stories and pictures sooner rather than later. But in the meantime, we're back. :)

Water Fluoridation

Do you believe water fluoridation is a good thing?
Do you have 5 minutes?

You should watch this video.

The video is short (just 5 minutes) and features Brent Foster, an environmental attorney and State Conservation Chair of the Oregon Sierra Club. Foster explains why he went from being a onetime proponent of fluoridation to spearheading a successful statewide effort to defeat mandatory fluoridation in Oregon, and how he was able to get the support o the only doctor, dentist, and nurse in the Oregon legislature.

For more information, visit the Fluoride Action Network. I've been following them for about a year and think they have a lot of important things to say. For a short run-down, visit their 10 Facts About Fluoride.

I especially pay attention to #6:

Ingestion of fluoride has little benefit, but many risks. Whereas fluoride's benefits come from topical contact with teeth, its risks to health (which involve many more tissues than the teeth) result from being swallowed.

Adverse effects from fluoride ingestion have been associated with doses atttainable by people living in fluoridated areas. For example:

a) Risk to the brain. According to the National Research Council (NRC), fluoride can damage the brain. Animal studies conducted in the 1990s by EPA scientists found dementia-like effects at the same concentration (1 ppm) used to fluoridate water, while human studies have found adverse effects on IQ at levels as low as 0.9 ppm among children with nutrient deficiencies, and 1.8 ppm among children with adequate nutrient intake. (7-10)

b) Risk to the thyroid gland. According to the NRC, fluoride is an “endocrine disrupter.” Most notably, the NRC has warned that doses of fluoride (0.01-0.03 mg/kg/day) achievable by drinking fluoridated water, may reduce the function of the thyroid among individuals with low-iodine intake. Reduction of thyroid activity can lead to loss of mental acuity, depression and weight gain (11)

c) Risk to bones. According to the NRC, fluoride can diminish bone strength and increase the risk for bone fracture. While the NRC was unable to determine what level of fluoride is safe for bones, it noted that the best available information suggests that fracture risk may be increased at levels as low 1.5 ppm, which is only slightly higher than the concentration (0.7-1.2 ppm) added to water for fluoridation. (12)

d) Risk for bone cancer. Animal and human studies – including a recent study from a team of Harvard scientists – have found a connection between fluoride and a serious form of bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in males under the age of 20. The connection between fluoride and osteosarcoma has been described by the National Toxicology Program as "biologically plausible." Up to half of adolescents who develop osteosarcoma die within a few years of diagnosis. (13-16)

e) Risk to kidney patients. People with kidney disease have a heightened susceptibility to fluoride toxicity. The heightened risk stems from an impaired ability to excrete fluoride from the body. As a result, toxic levels of fluoride can accumulate in the bones, intensify the toxicity of aluminum build-up, and cause or exacerbate a painful bone disease known as renal osteodystrophy. (17-19)

Add that to #10, and you have Trouble with a Capital T.

Due to other sources, many people are being over-exposed to fluoride . Unlike when water fluoridation first began, Americans are now receiving fluoride from many other sources* besides the water supply. As a result many people are now exceeding the recommended daily intake, putting them at elevated risk of suffering toxic effects. For example, many children ingest more fluoride from toothpaste alone than is considered “optimal” for a full day’s worth of ingestion. According to the Journal of Public Health Dentistry:

"Virtually all authors have noted that some children could ingest more fluoride from [toothpaste] alone than is recommended as a total daily fluoride ingestion." (52)

Because of the increase in fluoride exposure from all sources combined, the rate of dental fluorosis (a visible indicator of over-exposure to fluoride during childhood) has increased significantly over the past 50 years. Whereas dental fluorosis used to impact less than 10% of children in the 1940s, the latest national survey found that it now affects over 30% of children. (47, 53)

The video is short and does a nice job of highlighting how we can see the dangers of water fluoridation that may be present for humans based on how the wildlife reacts. It's only 5 minutes, you can do it!!