Androgynous : adjective
1. Having both female and male characteristics
2. Being neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine, as in dress, appearance, or behavior
Now I want to give you some data from several websites outlining some of the impacts of only a few chemicals that today's children are growing up ingesting and being exposed to since the time of conception.
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From Rodale News: Canned Food Carries a Hidden Health Risk
"But thanks to an epoxy liner commonly used to prevent canned products from reacting to the metal, everything from canned fruit to canned salmon to canned peas is exposed to plastic chemicals for as long as it remains on the shelf." It goes on to say, "The liner is manufactured with a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including hormone disruption, prostate cancer, diabetes, and obesity, as well as aggressive behavior in children. A new analysis by Consumer Reports confirms that BPA that lines cans ends up in the food that we eat."
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From Forbes: 11 Toxic Chemicals Affecting Brain Development in Children
This article has details explaining the effects of 11 common chemicals and is well worth reading. It is a long article and toward the bottom of the first page it deals with the effects of BPA. "BPA is an endocrine (hormone) disruptor, and, strongly suspected to affect neurodevelopment in children, it has been banned in baby bottles and sippy cups."
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This article deals with baby bottles and the coating on the inside of the lid of baby food jars, which still allow some BPA to contaminate the food. Yes, this says the baby food jar does not contain BPA, but the lid does. So, you need to practice critical reading skills. Just because the container doesn't have it, doesn't mean the lid doesn't.
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From WebMD: The Facts About Bisphenol A
"More than 90% of us have BPA in our bodies right now. We get most of it by eating foods that have been in containers made with BPA. It's also possible to pick up BPA through air, dust, and water."
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From the Huffington Post: BPA Could Affect Brain Development by Impacting Gene Development, Study Finds
"BPA's effects on the human body are of concern because some research suggests it is an endocrine disruptor -- meaning it affects the way hormones work in the body, leading to possible reproductive and developmental effects, not to mention a possible link with a number of diseases and conditions, such as diabetes and obesity. Researchers noted that BPA is known to mimic estrogen in the body; the chemical is currently banned from baby bottles and cups in the U.S."
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Genetically modified (GM) foods have been shown for years to affect both man and beast. They have been banned in many countries in Europe and Asia, and yet the major corporations, the FDA and our loving government continue to force them upon our population without informing us of their presence in our food source. You can probably tell this is a topic I find utterly amazing, dispicable and inexcusable.
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From Mercola.com: GM Foods More Dangerous for Children than Adults
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How can we possibly know the effects of the huge quantity of chemicals we submit our bodies and the bodies of our children to every single day of our lives? This phenomena has been going on long enough that we are now seeing some of the results.
Many boys are not interested at all in getting their drivers license now days. A drivers license used to mean freedom. A freedom to pursue the interests that most sixteen year old boys have, and the interest is girls. Most of these same boys who are not interested in getting a drivers license, also have no interest in girls. Sure they have female friends, but the drive to pursue a female relationship just isn't there. Now, I'm not referring to all boys by any means. There are still those boys, and lots of them the day they get their drivers license, can't wait to take their sweetie for a drive. I'm happy for those boys, because these are the boys that we need. But, unfortunately, I've noticed a lot more of the others. The ones that would rather sit at home and play Xbox.
The comment we received about the androgynous nature of the coming generation has stuck with me and made me observe our youth more closely. There have been times Frank and I have been driving down a street, or sitting in a restaurant, and wondered if a person were a male or
You know what? They won't. They don't need to. Why would they bite the very hand that feeds them? There is no drive to excel in a profession or career. There is no drive to pursue the opposite sex, form a lasting bond, procreate and raise a family. There is no drive to even get off of mom and dad's couch and get a place of their own. But then, how many of them feel hopeless because there are no jobs to be had to support a spouse and family, let alone a place of their own?
The androgynous generation. They are our future. I wonder where that will lead us?
Until next time - Fern
How can we know what the effects of these chemicals in the food & food altered on the gene level in a laboratory will have on the human race?
ReplyDeleteThey experiment! It makes them money & THIS bottom line is all that really matters to the masters who run things.
We are the experiment! I wonder home many generations we need before we can find some useful results? No matter, by then whatever happened will be 'normal' & I'll be dead.
Rob, I have thought for years that the human race was being used for many different experiments, especially with food and television. There are many things that have had devastating affects on humans, like thalidomide which caused major birth defects. I used to wonder if the experiments with the many different chemicals and things like GMO were all for greed and power. If you can make enough people sick from buying, using and ingesting enough chemicals, then if you're in the medical profession or pharmaceuticals, you can make even more money and do more experiments with more drugs. I think it is a vicious cycle.
DeleteAnd you are right. No matter how it turns out, it will become the norm, and if you don't accept the new norm, you will be ostracized even more. Thank you for sharing.
Fern
Sigh...sometimes it makes me so sad, when I think of how I grew up and the role models I had and the moral compass most of us shared. Sometimes it is a little scary and I redouble my efforts to recreate that lifestyle that I grew up with. Thought provoking as usual, I may stop reading right before bed though! (smile)
ReplyDeleteAfter I wrote this piece I had the same thought, Kathy. It is sad, but unfortunately it is what is happening in our world. Thank you for trying to set an example. It will be noticed, whether you ever know it or not, and bless the lives of those around you.
DeleteFern
Did you live in the 60s? Often it was hard to tell the guys from girls from afar, sometimes even up close. I think not being interested in getting girls in a car and pursuing something else is a good thing even though the video games get too much of their attention. I would be more concerned for the disengagement of teens from their families and lack of a work ethic in both genders.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do agree that the BPA in our foods and dishes and GMO products are bad for our health. I have never read that androgeny is caused by what we eat. Just because a person is not a Christian does not mean they cannot find her or his way in the world.
effects of BPA:
accelerated puberty
insulin resistance
obesity
cancer
BPA exposure is dangerous.
Yes, Linda, I certainly was alive during the 60's, actually, I was a teenager. And you are absolutely right, from a distance it was sometimes difficult to tell men from women and boys from girls, but that was from a definite distance. I believe you might have missed the point of the article about getting girls in a car. It may not have been for honorable reasons, but it was a pursuit that used to be inherent in all male animals.
DeleteI don't believe that we stated in the article that if a person is not Christian that they couldn't find their way in the world. I do believe we stated Christianity is under attack along with multiple other disciplines.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Frank
I too currently work in the school system. Your post today echoes many conversations my co-workers & I have had..... even if one believed in the whole evolution thing, how could there be such a visible change in the last 20 years?? Definitely got to be environmental. And the weight issues....I have seen shirts ride up on these teenagers and expose stretch marks on their sides, areas as large as dinner plates! And furthermore, if these hormone interrupters are causing obesity,, won't that help do away with the aging baby boom generation (my generation) that is going to break social security?
ReplyDeleteFrank and I have had many conversations about the change in the student population, Beth. Folks that haven't seen large groups of children over time, don't have the same perspective, and many times write new behaviors off as 'normal'. But like Rob said, whatever changes are happening become the new normal.
DeleteThere are many different theories out there about our burgeoning population, including the aging population, and the inability of the planet to sustain so many people. But that takes me back to the feeling of being part of just one big experiment. Who knows where it will go? Thank you for sharing your observations.
Fern
Very thought provoking post. I grew up in the 40's and 50's before all this food madness started, I think that all the chemicals, especially BPA is hurting our DNA, but also the attitude of a lot of parents these days. There is so much xeno estrogen out there that I am surprised that there are any boys left. Is this the cause of such a perceived rise in homosexuals? High fructose corn syrup is another endocrine disrupter. How about fluoride in our water? Toxic. Population is being poisoned and dumbed down. It is scary to watch, especially since most are totally clueless. I try to educate people but it is like spitting in the wind. Agenda 21 calls for massive depopulation of the world. For me and my husband, we are thwarting the powers that be at every turn. We raise our own meat, only buy organic and have stopped eating canned food and using anything plastic. My pressure canner gets a real workout all year. We are living in very dark days, indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt's humbling and scary when others see the same thing we do, Tewshooz. We have been thinking of another article dealing with some of the other types of daily chemicals we subject ourselves to, both ingested and applied.
DeleteYour analogy of spitting in the wind is very applicable. I think all of us that have tried to warn others have gotten wet from that very practice more than once.
When Frank and I talk about the things of the world and how a collapse will affect us, we usually come back to this: We may not make it very long, but we will do all we can until then. I'd like to die with my boots on, so to speak. I think God would want it that way.
Thank you for sharing.
Fern
BPH mimics estrogen. Have you noticed how even teen age girls have thick waists and lots of belly fat as they suck on their Cokes or water in plastic bottles? Estrogen dominance. Their hormones are disrupted because of estrogen mimicking substances in our food and environment. Also, body fat makes estrogen. Older women also have this body shape. Way too much female hormone. Next in line to BPH, imo, is Soy. It is in everything. It is a plant or pytho estrogen. The Japanese eat fermented soy.....and it is safe. Also alfalfa....stop eating those sprouts. When one wants to breed sheep, ewes must be kept off alfalfa or they will not come into heat. Too much estrogen. Did you know that? Eat sprouts made with other seeds....there are dozens of delicious mixes out there. Also, herbicides, pesticides, cosmetics, etc all are estrogenic and will disrupt your endocrine system. Estrogenic substances are fed to beef and other animals that we eat. Are you concerned yet? We must educate ourselves and take control of our health. A strong body and mind will help prepare us for what is ahead.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed the differences in young girls structure, Tewshooz. Frank and I have avoided soy, except for small amounts of soy sauce every so often, for years.
DeleteI took an alfalfa supplement for a while for the estrogenic effects on post menopausal hot flashes and it seemed to help somewhat. I have also taken a low dose of boron for years as a natural estrogen replacement. So, some of these naturally occurring estrogen components can be used to increase health and well being at times.
We have alfalfa pellets in our goat feed ration for the protein content. At first we used a higher ratio than we are now. When the kids were born, 10 out of 12 were bucks. That was an odd ratio. I read in Pat Coleby's Natural Goat Care that feeding a higher ratio of goitrogenic feeds will cause a preponderance of buck kids. So we removed the alfalfa from the ration. The next year we had a first ever pink eye outbreak. So, I went back to Pat Coleby and found out the best thing to prevent pink eye is Vitamin A. What is a good source of Vitamin A? Alfalfa. So now we still include alfalfa in the feed ration, just at a much smaller ratio. The results? More doe kids and we've never had pink eye in the herd again. Life is so interesting!
As for herbicides, pesticides, cosmetics, etc. there are so many chemicals surrounding us everyday it will make your head swim. Knowledge is our power, Tewshooz. It gives us the power to choose, and for that I am very grateful. Thank you for sharing.
Fern
Very thought provoking article, especially with your perspective as educators. When my children were school aged, I often discussed with other parents the difference in size and physical maturation levels, as well as lack of emotional maturation of said children compared to when we were kids...Knowing I will draw criticism, I also submit we consider the vaccination debacle, the medicating of younger and younger children for percieved 'psychiatric' disturbances, as well as 'Common Core' ideology that will continue to dumb down a society they can more easily control.
ReplyDeleteHello, Grammyprepper. Excellent comment. Well said, intuitive and articulate. Common core has been a thorn in my side since it's inception. The kids in Maine are not the same as the kids in Arizona, and they do not need to be educated the same. Our U.S. Constitution does not address education, but somehow our federal government addresses everything as if it's under their domain. In my humble opinion, education does not even fall under states rights. Education falls under the control of the local school district.
DeleteI don't seek criticism, but I seem to find it. We don't have a clue what vaccinations are doing to our kids. It wasn't long ago that everything we were exposed to was natural. There are few things that we are exposed to now days that are natural. And we have no idea what vaccines in conjunction and combinations with other man made chemicals, is doing to our children in the long run.
Both Fern and I have years of experience in special education and school administration. 30 years ago, you might have an elementary school of 300 kids with one or two taking a medication similar to Ritalin. And even then, that was a very controversial subject. But, putting things in perspective today, a rough guesstimate would be 5% to 10% of the elementary children in rural areas are medicated for some type of mood altering disorder. General practitioners, doctors, prescribe these medications like they're candy. Kids come to school so altered, some don't know what day of the week it is. This is the path we are starting some of our young on, and we wonder why 40% of adult females are taking some type of mood altering drug. This is where we've gotten ourselves.
I have a real pet peeve about elementary education. Most elementary teachers are female, most of the kids in trouble that are suspended are little boys. It is inherent human nature for one to want someone to be like themselves. Therefore, female teachers want all their students to act like good little females. Some will disagree with what I just said, but they're wrong. I taught elementary school, I have been an elementary school administrator. I have talked with female elementary principals and they agree, but they choose not to rock the system. The solution would be more male elementary teachers that have a dominant male personality. Statistically speaking, boys have less behavior problems in a male teachers classroom. I believe the reason is males understand males. Little boys need to be around men so they can grow up to be men. Not some left wing liberal female, which is what public schools are filled with. Not all, but most.
Thank you again for your excellent comment. We need to get the government out of education. We need to let boys be boys. And we need to deal with some of the unfavorable behaviors in schools instead of medicating them.
Have a good day.
Frank
Ralph and I were just talking about the changes to the male and female in our society. It is getting much harder to tell boy from girl...but there is also the role reversal in movies...action heros that are women who fist fight with men and more often than not beat them. Body building women who build and develop extreme muscle and loose the fatty deposits that make them both fertile and able to breast feed... Fashion models that are truly androgynous...they are so thin that many stop menstruating at all. The term metrosexual for men who wear make up, wax their bodies to remove all trace of masculinity and MALENESS.
ReplyDeleteA great post and one that makes us all think and pay more attention to the food we eat and what it does to us.
Hello Fiona. I'm glad I don't live in a big city. I don't even like going to a small city. I know times change, and people change. I know my grandmother thought that Elvis Presley would be the end of the world. So, is my generation doing the same thing now? I don't know. But I do ask myself these questions. And I think it's important that we look inside ourselves and perform a self critique.
DeleteIs the long hair of the 60's any different now than a nose ring? Is there really any difference? Because I am where I am, then I think there is a difference. And I'm very comfortable living my life knowing what I can see. Times are changing, rapidly. Too fast for the moral compass of a human to absorb the change. Things are not right in our world, and I think we're listing out of control. Thank you for the comment.
Frank
I think the 60s were the best decade by far. It;s been down hill ever since! It never occured to me that canned food might be a reason for girls developing earlier and boys being less masculine (lower sperm count) I think we need to look at chicken nuggets too. Lots of hormones in that chicken and these kids live on chicken nuggets from an early age. I prefer to can my own food. I know what's in there and I avoid fast food. But then, I'm 61 and know my gender.
ReplyDeleteThe more we find out about the chemical composition of standard food sources, like chicken nuggets, the more we realize how far from regular, natural food we have strayed. Interesting world we live in. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteFern
Couple things:
ReplyDelete- you forgot to mention female hormones from birth control which get into the water supply and do a number on fish and amphibians..
-that androgen levels have fallen by a lot (a % per year) since 1980's, so men usually have a lot less testosterone than they used to have.
(https://www.endocrine.org/news-room/press-release-archives/2006/testosterone_lvls_in_men_decline)
- the lack of interest in girls is not cause by low hormone levels, those would have to be catastrophically low, but rather overuse of pornography.
The article on GMO's is extremely biased and by someone who has made a career by fighting against GMO's. However in laboratory no one has managed to prove feeding GMOs to animals has harmful effects.