This year is no different. The foods that we love and buy the most are also the foods that industry wants to get to market quickest for rapid profit. Strawberries have led the list many times and this year they are in the lead once again. Conventional strawberries are often the food that gets the most pesticide. This poison, unfortunately, lands in our bodies if we choose to eat them. Washing with a salt-water solution can reduce the amount but it's unlikely that we can remove the toxins completely. Choose organic as much as possible!
We know that eating our fruits and veggies is imperative for good health…whether we choose conventional grown or organic! When making important choices about how to spend your food dollar, consider this list to choose organic as much as possible. When unable, soak your fruits and vegetables in a 10:1 salt water solution to remove some of the contaminants. Dry thoroughly before storing so they last as long as possible. Let's look at the remainder of the list so you know which foods to aim for buying organically grown.
Spinach and kale are next in line after strawberries for the most-contaminated crops. Collard greens and mustard greens are next. Leafy green veggies are some of the healthiest foods we can eat…choose organic as much as possible. Next on the list are grapes, followed by peaches and pears, nectarines and apples, along with bell peppers and hot peppers. Cherries come next and blueberries and green beans end the list of twelve.
This dozen are some of the most popular foods and food manufacturers know it. They want these foods to be grown quickly with little to no waste on produce that has been attacked by bugs. Therefore, the pesticide comes in handy. I always find it so ironic that the guy in the field spraying our food is wearing a Hazmat-like suit to protect himself…things that make you wonder…
Not to worry…there is also a list of the “Clean 15” from the EWG. Avocados (yum!) were found to be the least contaminated produce, along with sweet corn (although much of it is GMO), pineapple, onions, papaya (also most is GMO), frozen sweet peas, eggplant, asparagus, honeydew melon, kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, mushrooms, mangos, sweet potatoes and carrots. Actually, that is seventeen but that's great news! These foods should still be cleaned once you get them home but you can worry much less about toxins finding their way into your body.
The bottom line is that choosing fruits and vegetables is the best thing we can do for our health. Whether you are able to purchase organic or conventionally grown, the benefit outweighs the risk. As mentioned, you can reduce the pesticide load by soaking in a salt solution prior to consuming.
You may have heard the term, “generational trauma” and wondered what that was about. It may be more important in your life than you realize. Generational trauma is trauma that extends from one generation to the next. It begins when a group experiences a traumatic event that causes economic, cultural, and familial distress. In response, people belonging to that group develop physical or psychological symptoms. Just like hair color, heirlooms and secret family recipes, trauma can be inherited generation to generation and can have significant impact on our lives. We are just beginning to learn the consequences of the beliefs and patterns that are passed down from older generations. What we know now is that traumas experienced by previous generations create beliefs and patterns that show up generations later and we often create coping mechanisms to deal with traumas from the past.
Trauma typically is thought to come from devastating events like abuse, neglect, discrimination and racism, natural disasters or war. These traumatic events leave scars that can be unknowingly passed on to future generations. Our natural response to trauma is to become defensive. This can manifest as anxiety, depression, heart disease, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and other ways. An example is that if we were discriminated against, we react in ways that our children can pick up on and their beliefs are shaped by our experience. Discrimination and prejudice are common sources of generational trauma. When we experience these things, our beliefs are formed and our teachings (whether we are aware of it or not) comes through based on those experiences. There is some evidence that genetics may be altered by generational trauma. An example of this is children of Holocaust survivors. Research shows that they have a gene that is expressed by increased anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Symptoms of generational trauma include poor self-worth, anxiety, depersonalization (a feeling of being detached from self or surroundings), depression, emotional numbness, poor decision-making, feeling isolated and/or negative thinking. Generational trauma may affect our immune systems and can lead to poor health. Our health may be affected by our response to generational trauma, as well. We may turn to substances for coping…alcohol, drugs, food, sex, more. These coping mechanisms can lead to an array of health issues along with increased risk for self-harm.
If you suspect you may be dealing with generational trauma, there are interventions that can be helpful. Psychotherapy may be useful. I've read stories of Reiki being extremely therapeutuc in management of past traumas. Talk therapy has been successful along with coaching and hypnosis. Explore options that resonate with you most. Delving into past traumas is not the easiest thing but it can open up a new world for those suffering to create a fresh outlook and enjoyment of the one life we get to live.
When we think of Spring cleaning, we most often think of cleaning our homes or our yards. How about cleaning up our bodies and our minds? This twist on Spring cleaning can go a long way to improving your health and your outlook! We clean our bodies on the outside during our regular routine of showering, brushing our teeth or cleansing our faces. These are all important to feel well and refreshed. What about the inside of our bodies? Have you considered cleaning from that perspective? Our bodies have an innate ability to self-clean, it's true. It is possible, however, that the environmental toxins and our food choices may be overloading it's ability to detox on it's own. A Spring cleaning may be in order.
A first step for you might be to look at your current diet. What are you allowing into your body. Have you swayed toward eating more processed foods out of convenience and lack of time? Have you found yourself choosing sweets to boost your energy? Consider what you are currently eating and take the next step to look at ways you can improve your diet. How can you get more whole foods into your routine? What meals can you add some vegetables to boost it's fiber content? Fiber helps cleanse the digestive system. Caution should be taken if you are currently not eating much fiber. It can backfire if you overwhelm your digestive system with too much fiber at one time. Start with an additional veggie or two a day. Add some fruit if you are a sweet lover. Fruit, when eaten in it's whole form, adds the sweetness along with the fiber and phytonutrients that help cleanse our bodies. You've heard the old adage, ‘an apple a day, keeps the doctor away’. There is evidence to prove this is true!
A full body cleanse may be something you are interested in. It can be a big commitment and takes a strong mindset to stick with it for at least a couple of weeks. One option that you may not be aware of is the Young Living Make A Shift 14 Day Reset. I love this “cleanse”…it adds the super nutritious Ningxia Red juice along with eating a healthy diet, moving our bodies, and a simple wellness regime to boost your energy. This reset can improve your sleep, improve mental well-being, and reduce oxidative stress. If you're interested in learning more, here is the link to learn more and order. https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/37759185. Use Promo Code SHAREYL for 10% off your first order.
If a full body reset isn't in the cards for you this Spring consider some or all of these suggestions:
Cut out sugar and/or alcohol
Add an extra serving of vegetables to your meals
Drink half your body weight in ounces of filtered water every day
Start a short meditation practice
Watch a funny movie and laugh…find ways to laugh throughout the day
Discontinue use of electronic devices an hour or two before bed time
Read a novel
Stretch your body in the morning and again before sleep
These are just a few of the many techniques to do your own personalized Spring Cleaning for your body and mind. Embrace them and love every minute while you move toward better health and wellness…body and mind.
Food for Thought
I am adding a new feature that I think will be interesting for you all. Dr. Michael Greger released his “How Not to Age” book recently and it is jam-packed (like all of his books!) with facts that can help us to slow the aging process and feel great until our last breath. For the next several weeks, I will share little tidbits that I am reading. I strongly encourage all my readers to look for Dr. Greger's books. They are based on scientific evidence and worth their weight in gold (in my humble opinion). :)
Excerpt from the Preserving Your Mind chapter:
Expanding Waist, Shrinking Brain
"Overweight individuals have about ⅓ higher risk of developing dementia, and those who are obese in midlife seem to have about 90% higher risk. I explore this large body of data in my video, see.nf/obesitydementia, including how excess body fat can impair cognition at any age, which correlates with structural brain differences, The brain appears to shrink as the waist expands, perhaps due to the inflammation and oxidative stress, both related to obesity. Based on a meta-analysis of twenty studies, mental performance across a variety of domains can be significantly improved with even modest weight loss, though no studies have yet been done to determine if this then translates into a normalization of Alzheimer's disease risk."
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