Archive for the ‘Exercise’ Category
Oh, Those Wintertime Blues
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Nutrition, balance your body on January 13th, 2010
Just because it’s cold and gray outside, it doesn’t mean you have to feel blue. Or depressed. Or blah.
Many people do feel blah or blue or depressed throughout the winter, however. Fortunately, there are lots of reasons for this — and if you can find the reason(s), you can find the solution.
Read more…
Where, oh where, has my vitamin D gone?
Many people are vitamin D deficient all year round, but when the sun goes away during the winter, this gets worse.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression. Many people feel an emotional lift when they bring their vitamin D levels up to normal. I know I did.
Click here for the vitamin D test to ask your doctor or naturopath for.
Winter couch potato syndrome
For some people, any excuse not to exercise is a good excuse.
Whether you go outside for a walk, a run, join a gym, play sports or use a DVD and workout in your TV room exercising is key.
It helps to boost your mood and your self-esteem. Don’t think too much about it — just go for it.
I like to workout as soon as I get up. Before I leave my bedroom, I put my workout clothes on, I go to the kitchen for a quick protein shake and then start exercising. Since there’s no time to think about it, there’s no time to come up with any excuses.
I have other patients who like to go straight to the gym after work. When you make it your routine to go straight from the office to the gym, it’s much easier. If you go home first, the chances that you won’t go back out are pretty high.
Lonliness will not make you happy
When it’s cold and dark or maybe drizzling icy-cold rain, it can be very tempting to just stay in by yourself.
Resist the urge and go outside. Plan a get-together with friends, drop by a friend’s house for a short chat, or visit family. Worse case-scenario, go hang out in a coffee shop or bookstore.
Make sure to plan regular get-togethers with friends in advance.
At the end of that get-together, suggest scheduling the next one so you always have something coming up. I do this with a couple of my friends and it works great — we’ve always got something with each other on the calendar and since it’s the last thing we did at our previous get-together, making plans is almost effortless.
Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
If you can, go south. Soak up some sun and you’ll feel better for a while for it. It will give you something to look forward to and you’ll feel great while you’re there.
A nice, sunny locale in the middle of three months of gray and brown is just what your naturopath ordered.
Take a bunch of pictures, put them on your screensaver and let yourself remember how great it felt to be there.
Grief, grieving, grieved
Unresolved grief is aggravated by the above factors. Unresolved grief is grief from your past that has not been properly worked through.
Grief can easily get stuffed into our body and stay there, until we process it in a healthy way.
This is a huge topic and one that I will cover in another newsletter. But know that if you never cry or easily cry (movies, commercials, sad stories etc.), you’ve probably got unresolved grief that needs to be dealt with.
TC
Holidays and Your Weight: The Contingency Plan
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Nutrition, balance your body on November 26th, 2009
Caveat: Only for the serious
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Important Information: This newsletter isn’t for those who have a history of, or currently have anorexia, bulimia or any kind of issue where you tend to starve yourself or obsess over food in an unhealthy way. If you restrict yourself to less than 1000 calories per day (which is less calories than any healthy adult needs), this is not for you. If you are currently in treatment for any kind for food-related issue, the suggestions below are not for you. Many of the word-pictures in this newsletter are written to get across a point and because I like to use my brand of humour in my writing. If you feel hatred or disgust because of the size or shape of your body, counselling and/or psychotherapy would be of greater benefit than my suggestions.
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This is a straight-to-the-point newsletter and is only for people who are serious about controlling their weight over the holiday season. If gaining 5 or 10 pounds or so over the holidays is no big deal to you, then this isn’t for you.
If you are determined to stay the course and keep on track with your weight loss (and not be forced to wear only skirts in January), then read on.
Still with me? Great! Read this today. Then print it off and read it a few times per week throughout December. Look out for your fellow women and send it to your friends as well.
Now, let’s get started.
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As I often tell my patients, “If weight loss was easy, everyone would be a healthy weight.”
Not gaining weight during the holiday season can be tough for many people, what with all the holiday parties and holiday treats lurking around the office.
But if you have currently been working with a goal of losing or maintaining your current weight, keep your eyes on the prize. When January comes around, you will still have great memories of times spent with friends and family but what you won’t have is more weight to lose.
The same memories with none of the extra weight.
It is entirely possible to indulge over the holiday season and still not gain weight.
And no, I’m not talking about using diet pills, carb blockers or anything else that comes in the form of a pill.
It’s not about a pill.
What I’m talking about it continuing to take good care of yourself, make smart food choices and continuing to make time for yourself in the midst of the busy Christmas season. Just think of how proud you will be in January — and you’ll still fit into your pants!
If you are currently seeing me as a patient for weight loss, chances are very good that I have you on the FLT (First Line Therapy) Plan. If you stick to this food plan, with the exception of your indulgences and action steps as outlined below and you should be fine.
Action Steps
1) Write it down. Go to Staples and buy a little book with a little pen and carry it around with you. Write down everything you eat all day long. Don`t leave anything out.
People who write down what they eat throughout the day (write it down just before you eat it) lose weight just from that.
Keeping a food log in this way keeps you honest and brings your attention back to the present and to what you are doing. If it wasn’t scientifically proven to work, I’d say it was magic.
2) Keep your exercise/gym routine. I know it is a very busy time of year for many people, but when it comes to exercise you’ll need to pay now or pay double later.
Pay now with gym time to maintain your current weight / keep up with your weight loss or pay double in January when it’s cold and grey and you are doing your best to motivate yourself to work out extra hard to shed those holiday pounds.
3) Go to parties on a stomach full of protein and vegetables. Skip the carbohydrates at home at the last meal you eat immediately pre-party. You’ll be eating more than enough carbs at the party, so skip the starchy vegetables or grains at home. Eat your protein and non-starchy vegetables before you go. This will help keep those cravings and party binges to a minimum.
But please be aware that a low-carb diet is not the answer and is not healthy for you. Eat your carbs throughout the day, but at that last meal before you go to the party, just have protein and non-starchy veggies.
And make sure you eat your regular meals throughout the day as well. Starving yourself all day will make you binge in the evening and your body will hoard fat and calories.
4) Pick your parties. Let’s just be frank about it party-goers — some parties have better food than others. Decide beforehand at which parties you will indulge.
If you are too much of a free spirit for that, then when you are about to indulge (before you pick something up and put it on your plate) think to yourself, “If I indulge here, I will only have one other indulgence left for the week (see below). Is this worth it?”
Sometimes the answer will be a resounding, “Yes!” and other times, you may even shock yourself, it will be a “No, actually this isn’t really worth it.”
If you indulge everyday, you will gain weight. Two meals OR snacks as indulgences per week most likely will not set you off course as long as you don’t binge. Which, if you are following #2 above, shouldn’t be a problem.
5) The Office Conundrum. Always have healthy snacks on you at the office, especially those that contain protein. Realize that the flood of office treats will make you gain weight before the holidays have even started.
If will-power is not your strong suit, don’t let anyone put any treat on your desk that you would not give your right arm to eat. If they do, physically remove it immediately.
Start a pact with some of the other girls (or guys) at the office, that you will not sabotage each other with treats.
Nine times out of ten the office treats aren’t that great — save your indulgences for later ( two per week max as per #3). If someone brings in their homemade treat baked with the help of the gods, go ahead and indulge but make sure to write it down as per #1.
And make sure to sit back and s-a-v-o-u-r your indulgence. Turn your computer screen off and sit back in your chair.
5) Make it a 10. How many times have you eaten something at a party and then thought, “Why did I eat that whole thing? It wasn’t even that good!” Take a bite or a small piece of something and if it’s not a 10 out of 10, don’t eat anymore. Find something that’s a 10 and make that your indulgence. Or defer your indulgence to your next party.
And what if everything at the party is a 10?
There are two options here:
Option No. 1: Take a very small piece of 4 or 5 different treats. Enough for a small mouthful of each. Then, as you indulge in each one, remember to s-a-v-o-u-r. Maximum flavour is obtained in that first bite and whether it’s a small bite or a large bit doesn’t make any difference to the taste.
Option No. 2: You’ll need to exercise some self-discipline, which shouldn’t be too hard if you (b) have a stomach full of veggies and protein and (2) keep your focus on what you want more: this umpteenth dessert, the enjoyment of which will quickly become just a vague blur on the sea of sugar, flour and butter that was also known as “December” or to have your clothes fit on New Year’s Eve or in January.
Remember: Eyes. Prize.
TC
Hot Yoga Isn’t For Everyone
Posted by admin in Exercise, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
Hot yoga can deplete certain people and cause health problems. I found this post on another blog and think it should be required reading for anyone considering or parctising hot yoga.
http://www.amazinghealing.com/blog/2008/04/beware-of-bikram.html
Remember, the most important thing is that the choices you make are informed choices!
TC
Detoxing and Cleansing
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Stress, Anxiety and Your Body, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
What is “a detox”?
Your liver is processing toxins 24 hours a day, 7 days per week your entire life (except in the cases of liver disease). But, this detox process can get overwhelmed and backed up. Detoxing is a way to make this process more efficient and get rid of all that backlog.
What is a toxin?
Basically, it’s anything that your body no longer needs and it’s also chemicals that your body never needed. This includes hormones, inflammation, products of the immune system, pollution, pesticides, medications etc.
If I stop eating am I cleansing?
No. When you stop eating, or only drink water or juice your liver detoxification pathways will slow down. These pathways use a lot of vitamins, minerals and protein.
If I take laxatives, does this help?
No. You need to have regular, daily, healthy bowel movements in order to detox properly but taking laxatives is not the answer. If you are constipated, do not start a detox until the constipation has been resolved. Using laxatives, even natural/herbal ones, does not count. Nor does using magnesium or vitamin C to induce bowel movements.
What about the layers of dried fecal matter some people say has accumulated on the inside of our colon?
I used to believe that, but I no longer do. When doctors perform a colonoscopy on someone, they go quite far up the colon and never see this. If you are really concerned, consider having a colonoscopy and figure out a way to see the video. You will most likely only see pink mucous membrane. (It looks similar to the inside of your cheek, but with lots of folds and shaped differently.)
What about 3 or 5 day cleanses? Those sound good to me.
No they aren’t. In my opinion they are mostly marketing. It takes time to clear out toxins. It takes time for your liver to process all the backlog. If you really want to be healthy naturally, you need to be patient.
I know this is a world where, if something is not instant it is too slow, but natural medicine just doesn’t work that way.
Be patient and you will be rewarded.
Can I detox if I smoke?
In my opinion this is pointless. Smoking is a huge input of toxins into your system. You cannot effectively clear toxins out while you are putting so many toxins in. If you really want to be healthy, focus your energy on quitting smoking or on exploring and dealing with the reasons why you smoke.
Do I have to change my diet in order to detox?
In order to detox well, yes. Again, junk food, unhealthy food, fatty/fried foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol (to name a few) all contribute to the overall toxicity of the body and also slow down the liver detox pathways.
If you want to get the toxins out, you need to stop putting them in.
What is the point in changing my diet for a detox, when I am just going to go back to my old diet?
There’s not much point, so maybe re-think the part about going back to your old diet.
If you want to be healthy, you need to eat healthy foods.
TC
Weight Loss Diets - Some Comments
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Nutrition, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
I try not to work at night (same as I tell my patients!), but I wanted to get this posted before it runs through my head all night –this is a perfect example of advertisers telling you what it takes to sell something, versus the truth. On my way from the office this evening I heard a commonly heard radio commercial for a special rapid weight-loss diet. They were saying how you lose weight very rapidly and feel great the entire time and because it’s medically supervised you can feel confident that it’s very safe.
The truth is that any diet where the calories are very low and you lose weight very fast is not safe. Weight loss should be no more than 2 pounds per week (except in the first week where it can be much greater due to water loss). Any more than 2 pounds per week and the extra weight is muscle that is being lost. And never forget that the old cliche “Easy come, easy go.” applies here absolutely. Any weight you lose very quickly will come right back — most people gain the weight back and then some.
I have had patients who did the quick, very low-calorie diets and although they initially lost a lot of weight (before they gained it all back plus more), most of them also felt dizzy and experienced hair loss. They were told that this was a result of the shock their body was experiencing due to such rapid weight loss. Let’s just call a spade a spade: It’s starvation. Any diet where you are consuming less than 1000 calories per day (some active/muscular people need up to 2000 calories per day just to maintain their current body weight; some people need more) is starvation. Period. This is not a healthy way to lose weight and can cause damage to your body.
I understand the need to want to lose weight and lose it quickly, I really do. But please don’t fall prey to these lose weight quick schemes. In order to lose weight you need a healthy diet (evaluated by a nutritionist or naturopath and not necessarily what you think is healthy), exercise, good sleep, stress management techniques and patience. It takes time to lose weight. It takes effort and changes in both diet and lifestyle to lose weight. You don’t gain weight in a day and you don’t lose it in a day.
So please, don’t be fooled by this weight-loss version of a get-rich-quick scheme. Even if you have a lot of weight to lose the above mentioned steps and time will bring your weight down in a healthy way and will keep it off.
TC
High Blood Pressure Lowered by a Handgrip Device?
Posted by admin in Exercise, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
There have been several studies in the past few years showing that a handgrip device, when used according to certain specifications, can lower blood pressure. The handgrip exercise is done 5 days per week for 12 minutes each day. But not just any handgrip can be used – there is a certain amount of pressure that must be applied and it needs to be maintained for a certain period of time etc. Someone recently sent me a link to Zona Health http://www.zona.com/index.aspx I checked out the website and they have a handgrip that is computer monitored to ensure that the exercises are done properly. (Done improperly, blood pressure may rise.)
If you have high blood pressure and are hoping to avoid medication, or if your current medication is not controlling your blood pressure well, I think this is a great product to try. If your blood pressure is not reduced in 8 weeks, the device can be returned.
I would recommend looking at the website and bringing the information to your doctor or naturopath and ask them about it. There are lots of medical studies on the website supporting this concept. And because this device seems to directly affect the physiology of blood pressure, I would say that it should be tried before most supplements.
TC
Melatonin and Rozerem
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Sleep, Stress, Anxiety and Your Body, Stress, Anxiety and Your Mind, balance your body, master your mind on September 4th, 2009
Melatonin…such a huge topic….where to start?
First of all, melatonin is a powerful anti-cancer hormone produced by our pineal gland, a little gland in our brain. Melatonin is produced at night while we are sleeping. There are conditions that either increase or decrease melatonin production, such as length of sleep and the amount of light coming into the room but I’ll have to save those details for another post. If you want to get a head start, the take home message from that future post will be the following: sleep for at least 8 hours per night and sleep in a pitch-black room — one where you cannot see your hand immediately in front of your face. A sleep mask is good, but doesn’t quite cut it — cover all light sources. Also, meditating for 10 minutes (sitting in a chair upright) before bedtime increases melatonin production and will help you fall asleep.
Many people who have trouble sleeping take supplemental melatonin — anywhere from 1 to 3 mg per night. This is okay if done on an occasional basis, but I don’t recommend it everyday. Melatonin supplementation has been shown to lead to atrophy (shrinkage) of the pineal gland, the gland that produces it. As the pineal gland has less work to do (because melatonin is being obtained from the outside) the gland gets smaller. And then when you try not taking melatonin, you body is not capable of making nearly as much. Often insomnia is a result of an over-stressed system, or a weakened system. An ideal goal for insomniacs, is to figure out the root of the problem and deal with it from there. Of course with my obvious bias, I would recommend seeing a naturopath, but there are lots of different practitioners and tons of information (books, videos etc.) on how to sleep better. One book that comes to mind is Restful Sleep by Deepak Chopra. Lots of great information and a very good place to start; I often make recommendations to patients that come directly from this book.
The pharmaceutical companies have come up with a drug called Rozerem which is a “melatonin receptor agonist”. This means that it stimulates the same places in your brain that melatonin does. Synthetic hormones are never a good thing. Rozerem has been shown, in high does, to cause liver cancer and fetal deformities in lab animals. Sounds awfully suspect to me, especially when you consider that in very high doses, melatonin protects against cancer and has even been used to treat cancer. So this drug is doing something very different than melatonin somewhere along the line.
Considering how disruptive insomnia can be to a person’s quality of life and also considering that insomnia usually gets worse with age and almost always gets worse with menopause, I would highly suggest that all insomniacs take measures now (whether it’s a book or a practitioner) towards strengthening/relaxing their system in order to sleep better.
TC
Cholesterol
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Nutrition, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
When it comes to cholesterol, there is such a thing as “too low”. In the past, very low cholesterol levels have been linked to depression.
But now, there’s a new study that has found that low levels of cholesterol can actually reduce the amount muscle gained from exercising.
The researchers at Texas A&M University looked at 55 men and women between the ages of 60 and 69 and found that, with an exercise program that combined stretching, cardiovascular exercise and weights, those with higher cholesterol levels gained more muscle mass. Incidentally, those with the lowest cholesterol levels were the ones taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that there appears to be a lot that we don’t know about cholesterol; more research really does need to be done.
Read the full article here.
This is one reason why it is important to stay away from drastic/fad diets and eat a healthy, balanced diet consisting of whole foods. There is constantly new research being done, and the information concerning diet is constantly changing.
TC
My Nourishing Traditions Experiment - Pancake Success!
Posted by admin in Exercise, Nutrition, Recipes, Stress, Anxiety and Your Body, Thoughts and Beliefs, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
I have achieved pancake success with the soaked flour!
After 4 attempts at making pancakes with the soaked flour I described in My Nourishing Traditions Experiment I have finally made delicious pancakes, quite similar to my regular spelt pancakes – healthier too! For full recipe instructions, see the Recipes section of this blog.
Here’s what I did:
I soaked whole spelt overnight (12 - 24 hours is ideal, but I only managed to get in about 11 hours; 7 hours is the bare minimum) in slightly less water than called flour, with lemon juice. Then, this morning, I carefully added cinnamon powder, ginger powder, the baking soda (I wanted to make sure to sprinkle it evenly so there would be no bad-tasting baking soda clumps in my pancakes) and chopped pear. I folded together, being careful not to over mix, but also mindful of the fact that I had to make sure the baking soda was well distributed. And that’s it. Because the soaked flour seems to make a moister pancake, I left out the oil and egg that the recipe called for. The oil and egg, incidentally, also add richness, but don’t worry — I put some richness back in later.
I cooked them on a skillet brushed with coconut oil (I will be posting about this soon - coconut is one of the best oils to cook with — much better for any kind of heating than olive oil and far, far better than safflower or canola). Once on the plate, I spread on some coconut oil, a touch of Himalayan salt (to make a salted butter-like taste) and a bit of agave syrup. Agave syrup is low-glycemic and one of the best choices for any type of sugar-containing sweetener (much better for you than honey or maple syrup). They were delicious! I think this would be a wonderful weekend treat for kids as well. And on a regular basis, they would be great with some berries, my Easy Applesauce, low-fat organic yogurt or even just with some coconut oil and a touch of salt.
And, since the flour has been soaked, they are much, much more digestible than pancakes made with flour that has not been soaked.
TC
(Originally posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 on tinachristie.squarespace.com)
Cooking In and Drinking Out Of Plastic
Posted by admin in Exercise, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, Anxiety and Your Body, balance your body on September 4th, 2009
I did some research as I began to write this post to find some statistics and references to include. What I am discovering is that information on plastics is difficult to find. There are a lot of links to government and industry (ie. the people who sell these things) sites saying that it`s all safe, but not much else.
I happen to know that plastics often pose a large problem, so I am continuing the hunt. I minored in chemistry in university, and know that it is near impossible for a porous substance - plastic - not to affect it’s contents, especially when heated.
So when I read that there is no effect on the food/water, I know that there is definitely some effect, even if small.
So there is something were are not being told.
No Effect or No Known Effect?
Chances are “There is no effect.” really means “There is no known effect” which really means “We have never studied it and don’t actually know.” This post will include what I have found so far and then I will post updates as I find more information.
Disposable plastic water bottles, designated #1 (the ones you buy already full of water):
Bacterial contamination is a big problem and that is why the companies print on the label (often in pretty small print) not to refill.
This plastic is too porous to wash — the bacteria won`t really be cleansed away. So one use only.
Apparently there is concern that as the bottle breaks down, it will leach chemicals into the water. But I can’t find anything that talks about what it is that leaches or within what kind of time frame the plastic begins to break down.
I do know that if water is left for too long in a bottle, or if the bottle heats up (eg. in a warm car or truck) that the water often tastes like plastic. If you are tasting plastic, you are ingesting plastic.
Nalgene highly coloured water bottles
They have been shown to leach a chemical called Bisphenol-A (BPA) which acts in our body as a mild form of estrogen. BPA has been linked to breast cancer, ovarian cancer. lower levels of testosterone in men, infertility and prostate cancer. BPA is also found in the plastic liner of metal food cans, many plastic baby bottles and many plastic baby toys.
Look for water bottles with the following number and letter designations:
-polypropylene - #5 PP
-high-density polyethylene, #2HDPE
-low-density polyethylene, #4 LDPE
I’m Not Feeling So Confident
I actually don’t feel overly confident about the “safe plastics”.
I would advise to drink out of glass whenever possible (at home, at the office etc.) and when you need something portable, get a “safe plastic” bottle. Just make sure it doesn’t heat up and if it does (even once it’s cooled down) throw the water out and refill.
As a suggestion, a good glass solution would be to buy a 800mL VOSS bottle (sold at some health food stores and Whole Foods) and keep it filled with water. Pour the water into a glass or mug and drink from there instead of directly from the bottle; the glass/mug is much easier to clean then the bottles with their narrow mouths.
This also prevents you from having to carry a somewhat heavy glass bottle back and from to the office — just leave it there and keep refilling.
Although you are not eliminating plastic, you definitely are minimizing. For those who work on the road, plastic seems to be your best bet.
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Macleans: Disposable Water Bottles Questionnable
I was ready to close off this post but just came across an article from Macleans and have included an excerpt here (in italics). Click here to read the full article. The PET water bottles they are talking about are the disposable ones that just about everyone buys these days and the ones mentioned above in this post as #1.
The volatility of PET bottles, which should never be refilled due to risks of leaching and bacterial growth, remains uncertain.
Antimony in the Water? What’s Antimony?
Last year, William Shotyk, a Canadian scientist working at the University of Heidelberg, released a study of 132 brands of bottled water in PET bottles stored for six months, and found that significant levels of antimony, a toxic chemical used in the bottle’s production, had leached into the water.
Shotyk, who has vowed never to drink bottled water again, is now studying the bottles over a longer term, given the lag times that can occur between bottling, shipping, purchase and consumption.
Even Though It’s Safe, I Suggest Skipping the Antimony Anyways
The Canadian Bottled Water Association counters that the levels don’t pose a risk to humans. “Technically bottled water will not go bad if you properly store it,” Griswald says, though she admits algae will build up if it’s left in sunlight in high heat.
Smith predicts concern about internal pollution will increase as more people are tested for chemical contamination.
“There’s mounting evidence that these containers are leaching toxins into the beverages we’re drinking and our children are drinking and there are easy substitutes available,” he says.
We All Seem To Be Full of Chemicals
The Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. commenced a massive study in 2000. This year, Statistics Canada begins testing 5,000 Canadians for a wide range of contaminants.
Early data from the U.S. is troubling, Smith says. “There’s evidence that these plastic ingredients are now in the bodies of every citizen,” he says.
“I am quite sure that a few years from now we will look back at these toxins and shake our heads and wonder, ‘What the heck were we thinking?’ ”
What We Don’t Know Now About Plastics Can Hurt Us Later
When the scientists who study something, get so turned off they forgo it completely, you know there is a problem and it’s just a matter of time before it becomes common knowledge.
Cigarettes were once harmless, cocaine was once just another ingredient in Coca-Cola and if you were a menopausal woman the best thing you could once do for your heart and bones was take artificial hormones.
Their era of benign-ness eventually came to an abrupt, and for some a very upsetting and even disastrous, end.
It seems like the era of eating and drinking out of plastics may meet the same fate.
TC