A 3-month review of the Wim Hof Method Fundamentals Course
I have to start this off by saying that I am a massive Wim Hof fanboy and have been for years. This being said, I had been putting off the purchase of the full Wim Hof Method video courses.
Well, that all changed about 6 months ago when I took the plunge and dropped £150 on the Wim Hof Classic 10-week course. I threw myself into it head first and loved it.
But I wanted more.
That's why I reached out to Wim and the team to see if they'd be game on sending me the Fundamentals course to see if it would meet my lofty standards.
Laura, Wim's daughter, agreed to it and the next day I got cracking.
Who is Wim Hof?
Wim Hof is the main man.
He is a dutch 'extreme athlete', yogi, multiple world record holder and all round madman (in the best sense of the word).
Think this sort of thing, then imagine that all the time - and more extreme, and basically you've got the life of Wim Hof:
I won't drag out this bio because I can't do him justice, but check out his Wikpedia page if you want to learn more. You'll be flabbergasted by what this man has done in his life (marathon in the Sahara...with no water, etc, etc, etc.).
What is the Wim Hof Method?
Essentially, the method is stretching, breathing, stretching again and then cold water exposure.
An average bout looks something like this;
Yoga poses
3 rounds of 30 Wim Hof style breaths (Deep inhale, shallow exhale, followed by max effort breath hold on last exhale and 15 second hold on the next inhale)
More yoga poses with deep breathing
Cold exposure in the form of cold showers or ice baths
It really is as simple as that. You can see it explained far better by Wim in the video below.
You can also see exactly how to do the breathing exercises correctly in this one:
Wim Hof Fundamentals vs Classic 10-week course
As stated at the beginning, I actually dropped £150 of my own dough on the Classic 10-week course - and was about to pay the £225 for the fundamentals course too before I shot the team a message.
So, what's the difference? Why is one worth more than the other and do you need both?
The classic course is exactly that - it's the original. It involves doing the breathing, post-breath stretching and then some yoga poses followed by cold exposure.
The fundamentals course goes deeper. There are more homework tasks, more variety of breath work and different little snippets that help to really perfect your practice, such as isolating your hands to cold water exposure to increase blood flow. This is meant to help battle Raynaud's disease - something I, and a lot of people (whether known to them or not) actually suffer from.
In short, the fundamentals course offers much more 'take-home' value than the classic course. That being said, I have taken lessons from both and applied them to my own variation of the method. This is just my favourite stretches, amount of breath work and length of cold exposure.
Once you have tried the method for a few months, you'll get a feel for what you like best and can adjust your practice accordingly.
How do the paid courses differ from the free one?
In the full method, each week ramps up the intensity. You'll do varied rounds of breath work, different styles of yoga and you'll even get homework activities to take your practice to the next level.
The free method, to my knowledge, is just the breath-work tutorial and cold exposure. The stretching is actually a key component and I certainly felt the difference when I incorporated things like headstands, upward dogs and cat-cows into my practice.
With each paid course, you also get a workbook which allows you to log your breath retentions alongside the weekly videos of Wim guiding the class, a 1-on-1 breathing lesson, stretching how-to's and your homework video. It's rather jam-packed...
There's also an option for a stripped back version if you're ever in a rush. Perfect for you busybodies.
My progress
From week 1, I could feel the changes already taking place.
The one thing I noticed more than anything during my time on the fundamentals course was that my cardiovascular performance was absolutely flying.
I love the gym and lift weights 4 days a week, but I had always neglected my cardio, despite needing strong lungs for when I play football.
Silly boy I know...
But as the weeks passed by, I noticed that my breathing was becoming nice and steady, whereas before it had been quite laboured, even when walking around at a leisurely pace.
I also noticed that my mood improved greatly too. I'm usually a chilled out bloke, but I can get stressed out quite easily. Doing the breathing and the exercises was almost like meditation without having to meditate - if that makes sense?
It also helped curb my road rage which is a nice bonus...
Sleep was another huge improvement. I love sleep, don't we all? But sometimes I find it really hard to nod off at night. My thoughts usually race around for what seems like forever until I finally drift off. After religiously doing the method for a few weeks, probably around week 5, I noticed I was getting off to sleep much quicker and wasn't waking up at all in the night.
And finally, since starting on the Fundamentals course, I haven't been ill once. This has coincided with switching back to a plant-based diet which I fully recommend if you want to really boost the benefits of the program.
Wim himself is a vegetarian, which I believe goes to show that it's probably the way to go. Don't take that as gospel though - if you want to crack on with the animal products, feel free. I'm not going to stop you.
But as someone who used to get sick constantly, this has been a godsend, so I won't be going back.
Is the Wim Hof Fundamentals course worth it?
In my humblest of opinions - yes.
The Wim Hof Fundamentals course takes the regular method and completely pimps it up. This is the method that Wim teaches his in-person students and is what he uses to take them on a walk up mountains in blizzards wearing just their shoes and shorts.
It's crazy. It's mad. It goes against everything science has ever said. But it works.
The Iceman has endured study after study, with science finally conceding that he has completely shifted the paradigm of what they thought the human body capable of. There's a reason he holds 26 Guinness World Records...
If you want amazing health benefits, try out the free method. If you want to change your life, the fundamentals course is the way to go.
I had been practicing the method for about 18 months prior to this review and I can't tell you how much difference it made to actually sit down every day with a full plan laid out for me.
In short, the Wim Hof Method is an unbelievable tool for wellbeing. The Fundamentals course takes this a step further and takes you to health heights you never thought you could achieve.
I'm not going to say to buy the courses straight away, because I didn't. But definitely try the free method first and you can see the benefits first hand. When the time is right, you might want to then go and take the plunge.
And when you do, you can find Wim's courses here.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Forget the dog. The Sauna is Man's new best friend.
Have you ever wondered if saunas are actually any good for you? Turns out they are. Very much so. Get your sweat on and learn about the benefits of the sauna.
SAUNA PRECONCEPTIONS
The sauna can conjure up a whole host of images for different people. For some, it’s a place where you can flush toxins, zone out and enjoy a peaceful cleanse. For others, it’s an old man’s saggy gonads swinging freely, dripping sweat just about everywhere they possibly can.
No matter what your preconceptions are of the sauna, I’m here today to tell you about the benefits you can reap if you choose the hotbox life. So long as you make sure you go in without any old overly body-confident gentlemen then you should be fine…
IMPROVES SKIN
As we all know, saunas are quite hot. The heat given off by the hot rocks of the sauna raises your skin’s internal temperature – increasing the blood flow to top-layer cells exponentially for the duration of your session.
The increase in blood flow means more oxygen (amongst other nutrients) is transported to your cells and these nutrients allow for your skin to repair itself efficiently – even as your natural reparation processes get slower with age.
STRENGTHENS HEART
After reading another article – this time from Harvard University, it became crystal clear that saunas have an extremely beneficial effect on the blood flow system. The researchers at Harvard suggested that increased blood flow caused by sauna sessions decreased blood pressure and decreased the risk of heart attacks in men in particular – good news for the fellas.
Taking a trip to the sauna has also been shown to lower cholesterol. This has been suggested to be caused by the sauna’s stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which can mimic the effects of exercise – causing a decrease in overall cholesterol levels and further decreasing your risk of heart disease.
PROTECTS BRAIN FUNCTION
Studies have shown that regular use of the sauna can decrease your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as you age. This promising research was conducted on over 2,000 men over a 20-year period which further adds to the validity of their claims.
The key here is regular use if you want to decrease your risks of brain ailments. Those who went 4-6 times per week were over 60% less likely to develop diseases of the brain than those who went just once.
BOOSTS IMMUNITY
One interesting effect of sauna exposure is that it can boost the strength of your immune system. It’s been shown that as little as two saunas per week can reduce your risk of colds and flu by 65%! That’s a huge improvement in flu resistance and highlights just how effective saunas can be to overall health.
How exactly does a sauna help with immunity? Well, once your body is exposed to the heat, it triggers your body’s immune system to ward off bacterial infection. This causes your body to produce more white blood cells whilst sweating out a whole load of toxins that would have otherwise been kept within the body. This all creates a more harmonious and balanced immune system that protects your body as opposed to fighting against it.
IMPROVES GYM PERFORMANCE
Some small-scale studies have considered the effects of saunas on athletic performance, with one in particular finding that athletes who followed running workouts with sauna sessions of only a half hour were able to run further without hitting exhaustion after just three weeks.
This was attributed to the increased levels of blood plasma in the body caused by the heat of the sauna. This increase in haemoglobin allows for better oxygen transfer from the lungs to the rest of your body – meaning that cardiovascular performance can be increased massively.
Basically, using the sauna is like real life cheat codes. Forget your Grand Theft Auto jet pack cheats, climbing into the sauna is the way forward.
If that list isn’t enough to get you down to the sauna I don’t know what is. Don’t let them Scandis keep all the good stuff for themselves – get sweaty.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Slow cooker stew recipe for boosting testosterone
Today I present to you the ultimate recipe for raising testosterone levels - the best god damn slow cooker stew you ever did see.
This recipe is incredibly tasty and easy to make. It contains less than 10 main ingredients plus spices so hopefully it won't blow your mind.
The recipe is as follows;
Slow cooker stew (serves 5)
1kg White Potatoes
Potatoes are a superior carbohydrate source than conventional man-made grains and provide a steady release of energy to fuel workouts. Not to mention their various testosterone boosting benefits.
500g Grass-fed red meat
Red meat is the go to protein source for those looking to increase testosterone as it contains many essential nutrients required to perfect one's endocrine system like Zinc, L-Carnitine, Iron & b12.
3 types of veg (I usually go for 400g mushrooms, 3 bell peppers and 3 carrots)
Veggies are chock-full of testosterone boosting nutrients like vitamins A, B & C along with magnesium, folic acid and potassium.
1 Tbsp of either Butter or Coconut Oil
Fat, especially saturated fat is crucial to optimal hormonal health. Cholesterol is a precursor to testosterone, meaning a lot of your staple foods should include some degree of this male-friendly nutrient. Just don't overdo your fat intake (Keep it around 30-40%) as you don't want cancer, hypertension or liver failure - do you.
Juice of a Lemon
Citrus fruits have been shown to be extremely testosterone friendly due to extremely high levels of vitamin C and rather high levels of Thiamine per serving.
4 cloves of Garlic
Garlic is an amazing T booster due to its high levels of quercetin. This gives garlic anti-inflammatory properties and is also a very potent nitric oxide booster.
1cm cube of Ginger
Studies have shown ginger to effectively raise serum testicular testosterone levels. It can also help to protect joints and lower bad cholesterol.
2 Tbsp of All spice
This adds flavour and as an added bonus, spices within allspice like cumin have been shown to have positive effects on testosterone - tasty.
Handful of Parsley
Due to its high levels of apigening, parsley can be classed as one of the best garnishes about when it comes to the big T.
250ml veg stock
Veg stock is used here to improve the taste and sauce of the entire meal. Veg stock is also very healthy due to its high concentration of vegetable nutrients like vitamins A, B & C and folic acid.
6 blended vine tomatoes
Tomatoes are actually a very healthy food which can aid in healthy hormonal function due to their high levels of vitamin A & B and fibre. By blending up natural loose tomatoes you avoid the BPA's in tinned tomatoes which is a huge bonus for optimising hormonal output.
Avocado (Optional)
These fat bombs are amazing for testosterone production. They contain lots of Vitamin E, which is great but they are also full of Saturated and Monounsaturated fats which have been correlated with higher testosterone production.
Cooking
Chop up the potatoes, meat and your chosen veg - set aside.
Finely chop the ginger, garlic and parsley - set aside.
Boil 250ml water and stir in veg stock.
Blend up your 6 vine tomatoes.
Line your slow cooker with your chosen fat source.
Make a base of flavour by placing in the all spice, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and parsley.
Add in potatoes, meat and veg.
Pour over the veg stock and blended tomatoes.
Set your slow cooker to cook for 8 hours on a low heat.
If you would like to bump up the fat and calorie content of this dish then add an avocado in.
Conclusion
As you can see, there's a bit of wiggle room for ingredients so you can change the tastes to your liking and keep it fresh so you don't get bored.By using the slow cooker you tenderise the meat and let all the flavours really come through - not to mention the fact that you can just throw everything in there and let it cook for 8 hours with no effort at all.Below is the macro-nutrient breakdown for a serving of slow cooker stew - feel free to play about with the amount of servings you break it in to.
| Nutrition Facts | % Daily Value* |
| Servings 5.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 519 | |
| Total Fat 22 g | 33 % |
| Saturated Fat 10 g | 49 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 8 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 6 mg | 2 % |
| Sodium 103 mg | 4 % |
| Potassium 630 mg | 18 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 51 g | 17 % |
| Dietary Fiber 8 g | 31 % |
| Sugars 11 g | |
| Protein 29 g | 58 % |
| Vitamin A | 26 % |
| Vitamin C | 94 % |
| Calcium | 12 % |
| Iron | 52 % |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Entrepreneur daily schedule example: My morning routine
Entrepreneur Daily Schedule Example
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, every great morning starts with a great nighttime routine. However, every great day starts with a great morning routine. This blog covers an entrepreneur daily schedule example, starting with my morning routine.
Great…
WHY A MORNING ROUTINE? entrepreneur daily schedule example
Because why not?
Basically every single successful person to have ever lived has had some form of morning routine that they swear by. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Spongebob…the list goes on.
Seriously though, there are too many benefits to list when it comes to just how effective a morning routine can be.
I have tried my very best though and racked my brains in order to deliver ones of the finest morning routine guides out there.
Below, I have compiled a list of what you should be including in your morning routine and why if you want to start your day right and set yourself up for success – enjoy.
WAKE UP AT 5AM
Setting your alarm clock and waking up at 5am gives you a head start on the rest of the world. Whilst everyone else is still asleep, you are preparing for the day, getting ahead of the pack every morning. This two or three hour window that you open up between your rising time and everyone else’s adds up over the course of the year.
Just think how much more ahead of the game you’ll be with those extra 1,095 hours each year to get ready and start work on building yourself into the most optimal you possible.
DO THIS STRETCHING ROUTINE WHILST STILL IN BED
I found this routine on The Art of Manliness a while back and have felt so much more awake in the morning, which has had a knock-on effect for the rest of the day – do this.
CARDIO
During my morning routine I like to do a bit of fasted cardio. Nothing too strenuous as higher intensity or long bouts of steady-state cardio can stimulate hunger which isn’t what you want if you are beginning a fast for that day.
I recommend doing some skipping with a weighted jump rope. Do 10 reps on both feet, 10 on the right foot and 10 on the left foot. Work your way down through, 9,8,7…until you get to 1 and you should feel your heart pumping a bit faster as a result. I find this is a great way to get the blood pumping and wake me up in the morning.
DISLOCATIONS
As stated in my night time routine post, doing shoulder dislocations with a resistance band can really help increase your shoulder flexibility and decrease your risk of pain and injury, definitely do this every morning and night.
INVERSION
Inversion has been shown to increase blood flow to the head and stimulate hair follicle growth whilst having a myriad of health benefits for the brain, heart and vital organs. I know the chances are you don’t have any sort of suspension systems lying about in your house (unless you’re into that sort of thing).
So, a simple way of getting blood flowing to your head via inversion is to simply lie on the end of the bed and let as much of your torso hang upside down as possible. After 5 minutes, you should feel a bit weird – but refreshed. You’ll come to enjoy this sensation and once you realise the health benefits you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
JOURNAL
Writing your thoughts down as soon as you rise helps to empty your mind of stresses and helps you to focus on the day at hand. Write for 5 minutes on your worries and goals and refer back to them in the night when you journal again to see if any of these issues have been resolved. Click here for a more in depth discussion on keeping a journal.
For me, time spent on blog posts in the early morning can also help, as it develops the daily habits of adding to my small business, without taking time out of the middle of the day.
EXFOLIATE & WASH FACE
Fellas, there’s no shame in doing a little bit of exfoliating in the morning. We don’t live in the 50’s anymore so men are allowed to take care of their skin. I have a scrub that I picked up for like £3 which is great.
You don’t need the fanciest products – just go for something that’s got natural ingredients that are proven to uplift skin like cucumber, charcoal, vitamin e, raw honey, sea salt, aloe vera or any essential oils. As long as it has any of these and contains no chemicals then you’re set.
SHOWER
Getting showered and clean after all of this feels like you’re really gearing up for the day ahead and washing all the sweat and worries of the night before away ready to start anew. Plus, nobody wants to start the day with stinky balls, make sure to start your day feeling good – get a shower. One thing I like to do is turn the temperature of my showers right down to wake me up. See the top benefits of cold showers here.
In many entrepreneur morning routine examples across the internet, you will see having a cold shower - this can be a great way to start the working day and get you ready to smash your life as an entrepreneur.
GET CLOTHED AND GET OUT
Always make an effort before you head out the door. Even if you’re just going out in joggers and a t-shirt, make sure you’re rocking it like it’s a catwalk. If you don’t leave your house feeling as dapper as you possibly can then something’s gone wrong.
Also, get out into the fresh air as soon as possible – once you’re dressed and ready, don’t sit around watching TV or playing with your phone. Go and suck some real air into your lungs and embrace the day. Those who spend longest outdoors are happiest – join them.
BONUS TIP
DO NOT check your phone whilst doing all of this, avoid your phone for as long as you can during your morning. How many times do you switch your alarm off of a morning and then sit on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc for 20 minutes then end up rushing round trying to get ready, feeling awful and unsuccessful when you stumble out the door.
Getting phone calls within specific times can be a big distraction - many successful entrepreneurs (such as Jack Dorsey, Founder and CEO of Twitter) ensure to block out calls in their daily routine to stay focused.
Phones and social media sap energy and motivation. Be optimal and ditch them for as long as possible in the morning and you’ll see you will become happier, more motivated and more engaged with the real world. You’d be surprised how many entrepreneur daily schedule examples miss this out, but it’s so important!
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Why cold showers are your new best friend
I love cold showers and try to pluck up the courage to do them every day. Here are some of the best benefits of turning up the cold and how it can apply to you.
BUILDS SERIOUS WILLPOWER
Over the past few years of doing cold showers, I’ve found that my willpower has skyrocketed. Knowing you are capable of doing something that you perceived to be hard can have a carry-over effect into the real world. It gives you a real sense of control and can definitely increase your overall confidence.
BOOSTS TESTOSTERONE
Cold showers have been shown to increase testosterone which is one of the most promising benefits for men looking to optimise their hormonal environments. This increase in test may be responsible for boosts in fertility and recovery that have been found recently.
STRENGTHENS IMMUNITY
Taking a cold shower has been shown to boost immunity in those who consistently stick with it over time. This can be linked to the improved circulation that cold temperatures elicited by the showers can create.
DECREASES STRESS
One interesting benefit that cold showers can give you is the reduction of stress. This may be down to the improvements in sleep that can also be observed from this. Reducing stress is one thing that you should be striving for constantly due to its links with many of the western world’s biggest problems such as heart attacks, heightened blood pressure and lowered libido.
STIMULATES THE LYMPHATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Turning down the temperature of your showers has been shown to boost the lymphatic nervous system which I have written about in previous articles. Boosting the LNS has been shown to improve a myriad of health markers which is why you should definitely give it some thought.
A FINAL WORD ON COLD SHOWERS
So there are the top benefits of cold showers and why they’re your new best friend. Give cold showers a try for the next week or so and see if you feel any of these. You may even feel some other benefits not listed. You never know until you try.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Dry brushing may hold the key to longevity. Here's why
I use dry brushing every morning. What exactly is dry brushing? You can find a more detailed explanation on what it is and how to do it here but basically, you scrub your skin with a brush or a loofah to get rid of the dead skin cells. I would recommend it to anyone. Below are some of the reasons you should start doing it.
DRY BRUSHING INCREASES BLOOD FLOW AND CIRCULATION
The act of brushing in circular motions can have a positive effect on blood circulation around your body and increase the disposal of metabolic waste from your body which is vitally important for a clean bill of health.
HELPS SKIN TO BREATHE
Brushing removes excess oils and any dirt that clogs up pores. This leaves your skin much softer and clearer which is not only great aesthetically but also great for your overall skin health as it has less pollutants to fight off on a daily basis.
STIMULATES THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
This is one of the most beneficial advantages of dry brushing. The lymphatic system is your body’s biggest player when it comes to immunity. It allows your body to remove interstitial fluid from various tissues amongst other cleansing functions. Dry brushing stimulates this which is hugely beneficial to your health.
THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS
Brushing on a regular basis has been said to be almost meditative in nature. The constant and repetitive act of brushing can sooth the mind and muscle simultaneously and be a way to effectively stress bust before the start of the day.
CAN AID IN RELIEVING DIGESTIVE STRESS
By stimulating the lymphatic system, it helps your body get rid of many negative toxins. This can indirectly lead to much improved kidney function and increased digestion efficiency.
You can pick up body brushes cheap anywhere so it’s worth giving it a go and judging whether these benefits are of any use to you and whether it’s something you want to add into your daily routine.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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5 Harmful Effects Of Plastic
Nowadays, plastics are part and parcel of every day life. Everyone vaguely knows the dangers of plastic and that it isn’t great but we plod along buying plastic water bottles every day, drinking out of plastic cups, wrapping our food up in plastic packaging, brushing our teeth with plastic toothbrushes, carrying shopping in plastic bags. The list goes on and on.
Everything is plastic and we don’t even realise. There are however, some things you can do to combat the issues that plastic presents. Below is a list of risks plastics pose and a few simple changes you can implement to improve your health and your environmental footprint. This blog is going to cover 5 harmful effects of plastics and what you can do to stop them.
THE 5 DANGERS and Harmful Effects OF PLASTIC
The amount of food and water that we consume that is wrapped in plastic and thrown away has led to a large amount of toxic chemicals, plastic pollution and harmful chemicals released into the environment.
The 5 harmful effects of plastic below are just some of the reasons that we need to reduce plastic waste (i.e. single use plastic and plastic items) that gets released into marine environments.
#1 GENDER BENDING
This has been shown to be prevalent in young males who drink from plastic bottles. If you want to avoid becoming a biologically feminised male I’d suggest keeping away from drinking out of your plastic water bottle from now on.
#2 Harmful Effects of Plastic - CANCER
Cancer has actually been shown to be associated with continual exposure to plastics. Keep away from consuming things from plastic containers and putting plastic in your mouth if you want a lower risk of cancer.
#3 LOWERED LIBIDO
A loss of sex drive is a common side effect of repeated exposure to plastic. Each generation has had significantly lower testosterone than the last, which coincides perfectly with the rise in plastic consumption. If you want to keep up your drive to procreate then limit your plastics brother.
The 4th Harmful Effect of Plastic - INCREASED FAT GAIN
An increase in fat mass has been shown time and time again to be associated with the increased plastic use of today. If you don’t want a spare tyre then ditch the plastic, simple.
#5 ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION
Last but certainly not least is environmental destruction. Most plastic produced in the world today is used just once (think bottled water, food packaging, cellophane & disposable cutlery). This contributes to polluted oceans, overflowing landfills and a dying Earth. Limit your consumption of plastic, in particular disposable plastic, if you want to be the difference.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Doing something to save the environment isn't about marine animals and sea turtles - it is about removing the many million tons of plastic that is impacting the health of humanity too.
CHANGE YOUR EVERYDAY WATER BOTTLE
Your first step towards reducing the dangers of plastic should be changing your bottle to a stainless steel or glass bottle you are reducing the amount of plastic water bottles you buy and dispose of every day and you are also minimising plastic contact with your mouth. I use The Corkcicle, which keeps your drink ice cold for over a day and looks sleek as well. You can get them relatively cheap here.
GET A BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH
I use this toothbrush which is bio-degradable and so can be recycled once you’ve finished using it. They are extremely cheap and using them minimises plastic contact with the mouth.
Get a bag for life
If you get yourself a bag for life you stop yourself from constantly getting new plastic bags which just end up getting shoved under your kitchen sink, thus saving yourself money with every shop and also doing your bit to reduce plastic production and consumption. I picked this bag for life up from my local store but you can get any old tat as long as it’s not made of plastic.
UPGRADE YOUR COOKING UTENSILS
This is one of the biggest dangers of plastic, get rid of your horrible Teflon pans and plastic spatulas. These are the worst offenders when it comes to carcinogen release. Plus who wants melted spatula bits in their dinner? Get wooden or stainless steel utensils like a wooden spoon, steel ladle and a steel spatula. On top of that, get yourself a cast iron skillet to cook your meals in and these basics should see you through the majority of the time.
UPGRADE YOUR FOOD CONTAINERS
Who doesn’t love Tupperware? If you’re in to prepping your meals, you’ll be familiar with these little gems. However, most of the time they absorb colour and smell from your meals and over time they go grotty, meaning you’ll probably throw them out, contributing to the plastic graveyards we see today.
When people microwave their meals in these plastic containers, the carcinogens in the Tupperware leak into your food and you ingest this – yum. To combat this, I recommend having a complete overhaul of your Tupperware. Either buy glass Pyrex lunch boxes or if you’ve got a bit extra, go for stainless steel.
The only real option I have found here in the UK is a company called Elephant Box, their containers are amazing and I own a fair few. Whilst on the pricey side, they are very good quality and will last you. Just beware, you can’t microwave stainless steel, but you can put it in the oven. If none of these seem like a possibility to you then just put your food in the plastic containers but don’t heat up the meals whilst inside.
STORAGE BOXES
Instead of storing your things in big cheap, easily breakable plastic boxes, why not try and source a couple of wooden ones? They look much cooler and constant interaction with them won’t harm your hormonal health. These are less likely to crack as well, meaning you won’t be throwing them out on the regular like you would with plastic ones.
PENS
Get yourself a quality pen. Not only does it make you appear more professional than using a cracked little biro, it stops you holding (and maybe chewing?) a toxic plastic tube all day. I bought myself a Parker pen online and I believe it to be one of my better investments.
RAZORS
How many people do you know that use disposable, awful quality razors they bought from a pound shop? I would wager most of the people you know. Either invest in a quality straight or safety razor if you’ve got the stones.
If not, like myself, then go for a cornerstone razor. They offer a stainless steel handle with your initials engraved and some heads to get you started. Best shave I’ve ever had, hands down and it’s pretty cheap as well.
COAT HANGERS
If you still have flimsy plastic hangers that don’t really fit the shoulders of your clothes then you need to grow up. You don’t have to be fancy here, I bought 25 wooden hangers for £10, they fit the shoulders on my clothes so my stuff isn’t misshapen and creased.
It also stops the constant throwing out of hangers that contribute to our waste problem – the biggest offender when it comes to dangers of plastic. Not to mention, it looks much better than having 38 different types of yellow, blue and red plastic hangers in your wardrobe.
These are just some of the dangers of plastic, there are many many more which I suggest you look at and make up your own mind. I do believe however, that these are easily implemented steps that will help you in every day life and I urge you to give them a try at least once.
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