As a broke college student, and an avid-canned bean eater, I found a recent article on BPA especially troubling. The study revealed the recipe for high BPA exposure is cigarettes, a job as a cashier, and you guessed it, canned vegetables.

According to the article by Environmental Health News, more than 90 percent of pregnant women had detectable levels of BPA in their bodies. Pregnant women who ate canned vegetables, exposed themselves to tobacco smoke, or worked as cashiers also had above-average concentrations. BPA can be found in cash-register receipts, so it’s no wonder women working behind a counter had higher levels in their bodies.

BPA is a nasty chemical that has been linked to heart disease and diabetes in humans, cancer of the prostate and mammary glands, obesity and reproductive problems in lab animals exposed in the womb.

Not long ago pregnant women pressured retailers and manufacturers to offer BPA-free baby bottles. While this is a step in the right direction, women are still unknowingly exposing their infants during fetal development and babies are being born pre-polluted.  

The study also showed that those who eat canned vegetables once a day had 44 percent more BPA in their urine than those who didn’t. Once I read that, I decided to make my beans the old-fashioned way—by soaking and cooking them. Although this process did take roughly 24 hours, I can rest peacefully knowing my BPA intake decreased sufficiently.

We’ve all grown up with that one friend whose parents refused to own a microwave, right? Well, after reading this new article by Dr. Joseph Mercola, let’s hope we all spent a significant amount of time in said friend’s home.

By exploring many different studies, Dr. Mercola proves our kooky friend’s parents right—ditch that microwave. Evidence shows they can leak radiation, deplete nutrients from your food, and cause a whole host of health problems, including something called “Microwave Sickness.”

Don’t be discouraged; think of Mercola’s conclusion as another excuse to eat more fresh, fruits and vegetables and to cut down on processed foods. Concerned about time? Check out these tips for healthier, microwave-free eating, for those of us who lead extremely busy lives.

We know that long lists of cancer-causing chemicals, ingredients, and even lifestyle choices, can be overwhelming (and seemingly endless). But thanks to the American Cancer Society, there’s a new report out that makes identifying everyday carcinogens just that much easier.

The article, Top 5 Suspected Everyday Carcinogens, lists the author’s “favorite” new suspects, identifies where they are most commonly present, and explains how to avoid them. Suggestions range from moving to “the motorless city” of Mackinac Island, Michigan, to some slightly more plausible lifestyle changes, such as changing cosmetics.

So while Mackinac Island may see a small surge in population, the rest of us will probably opt to pay closer attention to the chemicals listed in our cosmetics and food packaging. To view the article, click here!