Stinky Part II and Other Gross Stuff

So the alcohol worked just fine (I know, I was shocked too - who knew?), however after some further investigation by T and me, it turned out that having your skin absorb that particular stuff is also pretty bad for you. Mild poison is still poison, after all. T saw, in his research (and I caught up to him about an hour later) that you can use baking soda too - just apply it with your fingertips after the shower. Moisten your fingertips, sprinkle baking soda on them, then apply the paste it makes just like you would deodorant. So far, so good, although I am only about 1.5 hours out of the shower (still carrying that regular deodorant in my purse for backup, don't worry)....

Now, onto other grossness,

I'd been having some subtle and seemingly non-related physical symptoms that I couldn't quite peg down to any cause, and in finally sitting down and researching them yesterday, I found out something that still makes my skin crawl. Did you know that 85% to 95% of Americans have intestinal parasites? I'm serious, like, not even little bacteria, I'm talking hard core animals living in your body. And a lot of folks are criticizing USA health care because it's never addressed although so prevalent. Apparently in other parts of the world and throughout history de-worming (I'm cringing as I type that, ewwwwwww) is a normal part of life, because everyone and their Uncle Charlie has them.

Holy fudruckers.

Are you screaming inside your head right now?

That's what I did for most of the day yesterday.

Then I ordered this (one each for T and me). Scroll down and read the user reviews...

I have no words.

All I'm saying is, you can bet your buttons that I'll be doing that once a year from now on. And I'm kind of afraid at what'll happen. Ew, just the thought of it gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Oh, and I also found out in my research (this is right before I actually let myself come to the conclusion that it may actually be the problem) that these are the ways you can get them:

• Undercooked meat (yes, we all know that. And I don't eat much meat, but when I eat those couple of steaks a year, I'm a medium girl)
• And here's the big one: Produce. Yep, if it's been washed by water that's had contact with soil that held the eggs (which are tiny, and live for years and years, and are pretty much wherever animals are, hello farms and gardens), then you're screwed. And we eat organic (no pesticides killing the eggs). And I never wash my apples before I eat them. I know, I know. I will fo sho be washing them from now on...

So there's some information that I'm sure that you are thankful to now have floating around in your brain.

You're welcome.

I'll let you know how the baking soda works for the stinkiness. Don't expect updates on the other one though, this blog ain't that personal.

Stinky (or not)

Today's whiteboard quote:

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily."
~Zig Zigler

So there.

Speaking of bathing and such, today I'm trying out the isopropryl-alcohol-instead-of-deodorant thing that I've heard of here and there over the past few years. Supposedly classic antiperspirant/deodorants have a bunch of nasty stuff in them that's bad for you (possibly poisonous, according to some. Mildly so, of course, but who wants to even be mildly poisoned?)

My dad did this while on his distance bike trip (he went around the northern border of the country - you can find his record of it here under the second bullet), and said it worked just fine. Lately T is educating me on how many household chemicals and even cosmetics can have dire consequences when absorbed through the skin (no more nail polish for me - I know. But I can understand how you would NOT want that, or remover for that matter, absorbed into your body. So I'm getting lots of mileage from my buffer, you'd better believe it...), and since I'd heard good things about this method, I decided at Target yesterday to give it a go.

Rubbing alcohol only has 70% strength, so I just got the isopropyl stuff and used it last night after a shower, this morning I was non-smelly, so I'm'a keep going and see how it is today (yes, if you're wondering, I do have a standby stick of regular stuff in my purse, just in case)...

Although now, after googling for the correct spelling of isopropyl, I'm seeing that IT may not be all that healthy either - bollocks! More research will be undertaken...