Washing Fruits and Vegetables -EWG's Dirty Dozen

Fri, 13 Jan 2012

If you have the option then it is a good idea to wash fruits and vegetables with something in addition to water before consuming them. The purpose of a fruit and vegetable wash, whether commercially prepared or homemade, is to remove chemicals and microbes that might be on the surface of the produce.

With respect to pesticides keep in mind that they can be applied to the root of the fruit and/or vegetable (not just the surface) so washing the surface will be helpful but doesn’t necessarily remove your exposure. Having said this, it is always a good idea to limit your contact to chemicals as much as possible. One definition of health that I go back to is that your health is determined by the balance of burdens on your body and your bodies ability to cope with the weight of these burdens. Limit chemical exposure and minimize exogenous burdens.

In addition to washing produce be informed. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that are the most highly contaminated with pesticides. Keep these in mind when you are grocery shopping and, where possible, choose organic. The Environmental Working Group calls these the Dirty Dozen: Celery, Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries, Nectarine, Bell Peppers, Spinach, Cherries, Kale/Collard, Greens, Potatoes, Grapes (Imported).

I hope these suggestions help you give the pesticides a brush!

New Year

Fri, 13 Jan 2012

As cliché as it sounds, the beginning of a new year is a good time to take stock and make a fresh start. It is all about your ability to be mindful and commit to developing a new set of habits. I am pleased to share a couple strategies to help give you a boost.

Begin by breaking unhealthy routines. Reflect on routines you have to assess their ability to benefit vs. compromise your health. Are your choices serving you well? In general, look to remove burdens and bolster vitality.

It is common that people partake in a daily nutrition ritual that is, unbeknownst to them, eroding their health. For example, they begin their day with a 6 pump vanilla latte, they have an alcoholic drink (or three) every night, they finish each lunch with a cookie, and/or sip a nightly hot chocolate yet they aren’t meeting their health goals. Although each of these nutrition choices may seem benign, when they become a part of a person’s every day food intake they can slowly wear away health -like a slow leak in a tire. The individual doesn’t notice the shift in the tide until it manifests in a niggling or bigger way.

Seek moderation and balance in your nutrition and you will head down a better path. Increase the variety in your food choices and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Try new recipes, remove an unhealthy routine, and question why you adopted that habit in the first time. Realise that if you do it right most of the time then the rest will take care of itself. Don’t deprive yourself and don’t overindulge.

Some nutrition habits that won’t erode your health include:
• Begin your day with a glass of water or ½ a lemon in warm water.
• Ensure your breakfast includes a healthy helping of lean protein.
• Have an afternoon or evening cup of nettle tea –it is mineral-rich and an anti-inflammatory.
• Take a B-complex with breakfast.
• Prepare some healthy snack foods on the weekend to help carry you through the week –quinoa salad, soups, a root vegetable salad, kale chips, and/or a bean dip.
• Cut down on bread and pasta.

I hope these suggestion open some doors so you can out the old and usher in the new.

Sunscreen

Wed, 03 Aug 2011

When I became pregnant with our first child I decided I better clean up my act once and for all. I went through all of my skincare products to confirm that I wasn’t exposing myself, or more importantly the baby ☺, to hazardous chemicals. After all, the skin, the largest organ in the body, is an organ of excretion and absorption; I didn’t want to be absorbing toxic compounds. Further, when you look at children and babies, their skin surface area is far greater than their body weight making a toxic burden more detrimental.

In determining whether you are using a good product, you must read the active and inactive ingredient list. You want to check the active ingredients to determine what the sun filtering protective ingredients are. Then, the active and inactive ingredient list should be reviewed to make sure that they don’t contain harmful chemicals.

The active ingredients in sunscreen are designed to offer protection from sun exposure as an effort to reduce skin burning but also cell damage which, has been linked to cancer. While UVB rays cause sunburns, exposure to UVA can cause a deeper level of damage to skin cells and thus contribute to cancer development. While people often focus on protection against burning, they really need to be thinking more deeply then this. Make sure your sunscreen filters UVA and UVB rays.

Unlike minerals such as zinc and titanium which confer protection against UVA and UVB, chemical filters are usually limiting as most only block UVB ray exposure. Choose a mineral-based (zinc or titanium containing) sunscreen in a cream or lotion format. While these minerals are deemed safe for topical use, avoid powder and spray mineral sunscreens so there is no chance of inhaling the minerals and causing harm to your lungs.

Next, read through all the ingredients and screen for harmful constituents. Exposure to chemicals found in skincare products can be carcinogenic and harm health. It is important to know that the sunscreen you are applying to protect yourself isn’t a health hazard! Use caution when skin products contain retinyl palimitate, oxybenzone, parabens and sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate. Further, when you are shopping for sunscreen don’t assume a hypoallergenic or one marketed for kids and babies necessarily meets the above criteria. Hypoallergenic just means that the product is less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Remember that a little sun exposure is good to allow Vitamin D synthesis and invigorate health. If you are going to be in the sun for a long time then consider covering up with clothing and think about investing in clothes made of fabrics designed to block UVA and UVB rays. Keep in mind that you should also protect your eyes and lips from excess sun.

I hope this information helps you screen your sun protection!

Weigh in on Weight

Mon, 03 Jan 2011

There is a difference between healthy weight and being healthy. Create a plan that leads you towards optimal wellness and an ideal weight. With a new year upon us, this is the perfect occasion to make some changes. Each positive change you make will lead you on a virtuous cycle giving you momentum towards a favourable outcome.

Here is my weigh in on a few strategies to help you meet your goals in good health:

1. Work with an expert to develop an individualised exercise plan. Your plan should include a good balance of cardiovascular exercise and strength building. Doing the strength training will help you make lean muscle gains which, will burn more calories as it enhances your metabolism and keeps you strong.

2. Improve your nutrition quality. Nutrition choices are on a continuum; whole-wheat pasta is better than white pasta and kamut pasta trumps them both. Move your choices towards increasingly nutritious foods. The better quality the food then the better chance you have of obtaining vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and good fats.

3. Eat a “deck of card” size serving of lean protein at each meal and a thumb size serving of protein at each snack. Lean proteins such as turkey, chicken, egg white, and bison will support development of lean muscle –helping you trim fat and shift your body composition in the right direction.

4. Drink water. Staying hydrated is important for good health. Moreover, when you are active, being adequately hydrated helps ensure that your muscles stay nimble and limits injury.

5. Snack on vegetables. Vegetables are rich in minerals and vitamins that help keep “our systems” in good health. Incorporate vegetables into your daily snacks and this will pay off in moving you towards optimal health. Try jicama, carrots, broccoli, snap peas, cucumber, and cauliflower.

~ feed: your body and soul
Dr. Kim McQueen ND