Archive for March, 2009
More Reasons to Go GREEN!
The overarching theme of the Integrative Health Symposium held in New York City this past February was the healing power of “going green.” Brilliant minds in the fields of nutritional and environmental medicine repeated a similar message that may sound familiar from your childhood dinner table – “Eat Your Vegetables.” Yes, a very powerful medicine for preventing cancer and detoxifying your liver lives right in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Eating a heaping serving each day of green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale and chard can help up-regulate detoxification pathways in the liver that enhance your body’s ability to cope with day to day toxins and improve hormone metabolism. Foods rich in chlorophyll not only detoxify the body, but they also have anti-inflammatory action and support the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.
Green Tea also deserves mention for its amazing ability to inhibit multiple steps of cancer growth and development. Drinking 8 or more 4-6 oz cups of green tea per day can have strong protective effects. Decaffeinated green tea will yield similar results.
Mark your calendars for BALTIMORE GREEN WEEK which kicks off with ECOFEST in Druid Hill Park Saturday April 18th 11am-5pm. Please visit the Great Soul Wellness Studio and Seeds Center for Whole Health tables and say hello!
http://baltimoregreenworks.com/site/events/
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
In Defense of Organic Food: Many people’s purse strings are pulled a bit tauter these days, and this can pose a dilemma when perusing the produce aisle at your local grocery store. Is it really worth buying organic? That small but significant difference in price can be enough to send some shoppers to choose the “conventional” route. We have little control over any number of toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis simply by living on this planet. We do, however, have control over what we put in our mouths. The pesticides, preservatives and chemicals used to extend the shelf life of food can have a detrimental effect on the body by weakening the immune system, stressing the liver and disrupting the endocrine system. Now, more than ever, the choices you make around food quality directly impact your health. If the thought of switching to all organic feels too overwhelming, then begin with choosing organic when it comes to the top 12 foods most heavily sprayed with pesticides. (Source: The Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org)
“The Dirty Dozen”: Write down these foods on a scrap of paper to keep in your wallet and reference when you go shopping.
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Peaches
- Bell Peppers
- Cherries
- Grapes (imported, Chile)
- Celery
- Potatoes
- Raspberries
- Nectarines
- Pears
The question may not be “Can I afford to go organic?” but rather “Can I afford not to?”
