by Susan Dean | Feb 2, 2018 | Health, Kitchen Recipes, Medicinal Recipes
INFLAMATION IN THE BODY
The process by which the body regularly heals and detoxifies itself can also lead to life-threatening illnesses. The culprit: Inflammation. T Without it, stubbed toes and runny noses don’t heal; inflammation is the body’s natural healing ability—essentially removing the injury to allow for recovery—but it can also accumulate in the body in a chronic fashion, leading to serious illnesses such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Harvard Medical School research found that inflammation becomes chronic because of an imbalanced immune system. Mast cells are normal immune cells that in healthy individuals repair damaged cells. But in individuals with obesity and diabetes, mast cells accumulate in fat and can actually leak into tissue and start to cause serious damage.
Your diet and lifestyle choices can help you outsmart your body’s glitch mechanism and prevent—even reverse—the effects of chronic inflammation.
Reduce Inflammation Causing Foods
Red meat, dairy, processed foods, alcohol, and sugar are some of the leading causes of inflammation in the body due largely to the high incidence of Omega-6 fatty acids found in processed foods and animal products. While Omega-6 (like from hemp) is crucial for our health, too much can cause chronic inflammation.
Maximize Hydration
Water is important for every cell of our bodies, and it’s especially powerful in flushing out toxins and inflammation. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol can dehydrate leading to more inflammation.
Add Healthy Omega Fats
Essential fatty acids, like the Omega-3s found in hemp or flax oil, support the body’s anti-inflammatory response and reduce chronic inflammation. They can aid in pain management from chronic arthritis or acute injuries.
Getting Friendly with Bacteria
Cultures around the globe have eaten fermented or cultured foods since antiquity. The Standard American Diet has replaced these traditional foods for sugary, fatty, saltier versions that are often void of the necessary probiotics that protect and support the digestive system. Whether adding in cultured foods such as kimchee, sauerkrautor tempeh, or using a probiotic supplement, this can be a great aid in treating and preventing chronic inflammation.
Tapping the Power Plants
The plant kingdom is loaded with powerful healers, from plant enzymes in pineapple (bromelain) to turmeric (the seasoning in Indian food), which is loaded with curcuminoids—powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. Ginger is another powerful inflammation fighter that can be incorporated easily into your diet or taken as a supplement.
GOLDEN MILK TUMERIC TEA This lightly spiced drink is similar in flavor to chai and is packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Makes 2
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy coconut milk or almond milk
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
- 1 (1-inch) piece turmeric, unpeeled, thinly sliced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
- 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns Ground cinnamon (for serving
Whisk coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, coconut oil, peppercorns, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into mugs and top with a dash of cinnamon. Golden milk can be made 5 days ahead. Store in airtight container and chill. Warm before serving. Dried turmeric can be substituted when fresh is not available. Dried turmeric will settle to the bottom of the mug, so stir well before drinking.
AntiInflammatoryFoodPyramid
by Susan Dean | Feb 2, 2018 | Health
Top 10 Benefits of Eating Organic
- Waterways aren’t contaminated by chemical run-off from farms
- Pesticide-related health risks to farm workers (and anyone living in the area) are eliminated.
- You will dramatically reduce the amount of pesticide residue you ingeston a daily basis. Pesticides ingested by pregnant women may be linked to birth defects and health issues.
- Biodiversityis increased with the use of buffer crops, and by avoiding killing or harming insects and other wildlife that is not a threat to crops.
- Pesticides are responsible for a staggering amountof greenhouse gas emissions.
- You can avoid eating any genetically modified foods.
- Reduced reliance on chemical and agri-engineering corporationsis good for farmers.
- Organic farming ishealthier for the soil.
- Organic dairy cows are not injected with milk-boosting hormones which may increase insulin levels in humans.
- Organics taste better. It’s just my humble opinion, but I’ve noticed a difference in the taste of strawberries, peaches, grapes and leafy greens, so if you’re still skeptical, I dare you to put your faith in conventionally grown foods to the test.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of Naturally Savvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
More reasons to go organic:
It tastes better
It is healthy
It is safe
Animals are healthier and happier
More wildlife and biodiversity
Can feed the world
Planet friendly
Resilient to climate change
Non-polluting
Stores more carbon
It tastes better
It is healthy
No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food. Organic food avoids pesticides and all controversial additives including aspartame, tartrazine, MSG and hydrogenated fats. Organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants and Omega 3. Organic milk for example, is on average 68% higher in Omega 3 essential fatty acids. There is evidence that organic food can reduce cancer, stroke and heart disease.
It is safe
There are over 3,800 brands of insecticide, herbicide and fungicide approved for use in the UK. Some fruit and vegetables are sprayed as many as ten times before reaching supermarket shelves. GM is banned from organic produce. Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are banned under organic standards. Shoppers wanting to avoid GM products may be surprised to know that over a million tonnes of GM crops are imported each year to feed non-organic livestock, which in turn supply our supermarkets with pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products.
Organic animals are healthier and happier
Organic animals are free to pursue natural behavior because they have plenty of outside space to thrive and grow, and are not routinely drugged with antibiotics. Organic standards prohibit cruelty and guarantee truly free-range lives for farm animals. The UK Government’s own advisors found that plant, insect and bird life is up to 50% greater on organic farms. Organic farms have more wildlife. Organic farming relies on wildlife to help control natural pests, so wide field edges are left uncultivated for bugs, birds and bees to flourish. They are also not sprayed away by the fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides routinely used on non-organic farms.
Organic can feed the world
Organic crop yields equal or are more than industrially farmed crops. There is increased food security as there are few external inputs (chemical fertilizers, weed killers), it is ecological so less dependent on scarce resources such as oil and is more sustainable. Organic farms require more manpower so help the local job market, really important as poverty is a prime cause of hunger.
Organic can double or triple yields of conventional farming
Yields of organic corn and soya is the same but with less water and 30% less energy
Organic is planet friendly.
Over 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from food and farming today. Nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing is the worst offender. To produce just one ton of food takes one ton of oil, one hundred tons of water and produces seven tons of greenhouse gasses using modern industrial methods unlike Organic farmers who work with nature to feed the soil and control pests, so that the farm is a single balanced organism, carbon in = carbon out. By choosing organic, local and seasonal – we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
Organic soil is healthier and more resilient to climate change
Because organic soil contains higher levels of carbon stored in the humus, more soil microbes, and better soil structure, it withstands drought, heavy rains and erosion better. Less water for irrigation is needed, rains do not wash away the soil, or dry weather blow away the soil.
Organic does not pollute the world
There are no poisonous chemicals (weed killers, pesticides, fertilizers) which can kill wildlife and which cause illnesses such as cancer, autoimmune deficiency, respiratory problems and allergens. Friendly animals, insects and microbes that protect against pests and disease are not killed nor are bees that are essential for pollination. As a result there is no poisoning of our water supplies or our atmosphere.
Organic agriculture stores more carbon
Methane emissions from animals are a problem in intensive farming practices. Organic soils have 50% more carbon in their soil. Soil under grass stores more carbon than arable land. Loss of carbon from arable soil is a problem when using nitrogen based chemical fertilizers. In industrial farming systems animals grow extra fast as they are fed on indigestible soya and grain. There is very little grassland, high methane emissions, and a problem with disposing of highly polluting slurry. Farmyard manure is second only to compost for restoring carbon and fertility to arable fields; grass rotations also restore soil fertility and carbon. Animals feeding on the grassland then further increase its fertility. Low animal stocking, grass leys and natural slow growth means that methane emissions from animals is matched by carbon storage in the ground.
Organic soils have 50% more carbon in their soil. Conversion to organic practices would capture 2 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year back into the soil. Carbon capture in the soil using organic methods can have a huge effect on carbon levels in the air. Soil contains three times as much carbon as the atmosphere and five times as much as forests and vegetation put together. The answer is local, organic grass reared meat not imported meat raised on fields created from forest, and not local animals intensively reared on soya (grown using methods producing high carbon emissions possibly on land cleared from forest).
Organic carbon levels could reduce atmospheric CO² by 2%.
Healthier plants animals and people
Organic growing can solve the food crisis
Can solve the carbon emissions crisis as organic soil and plants stores more carbon
Organic produce is safe, pesticides, etc destroy our food and our health
Choose Organic Choosing organic food helps protect your family from toxic pesticide residues commonly found on fruit and veggie skins.
Hormone-Free Desserts Standard ice cream usually comes from cows fed a steady (and unnatural) diet of genetically engineered corn, soy, and even antibiotics and hormones linked to certain cancers. Organic dairies ban all of these, and their cows are required to eat a more natural diet featuring organic grasses and hay. This also creates milk higher in a heart-protecting fat called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA. Pick Stonyfield After Dark Chocolate
Eggs from Happier Hens More than 90 percent of the eggs produced in this country come from hens crammed into tiny cages and given feed loaded with antibiotics? Birds raised outside on pasture produce nutritionally superior eggs.
Pesticide-Free in the Frozen Food Aisle Stick with the sustainable farming theme year-round opting for organic in the frozen fruit and vegetables aisle. Buy in bulk from a local organic farm during the growing season, and preserve the harvest to enjoy later. Cascadian Farms offers organic frozen vegetables nationwide. Shop from your local organic farmer whenever possible.
Sustainable Nurtured Skin & Hair “Natural means nothing.” For truly organic personal care products, look for the actual USDA organic symbol not just “organic” in the product name. Try Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild or peppermint organic soap for bathing, hand washing, and even shampooing to get started.
Truly Natural Meat Choosing organic beef means customers don’t have to deal with the possibility that their meat was injected with ammonia gas, food dye, or any of the other nasty substances the food industry typically uses. Look for the USDA Organic label—not wording like “natural”—to find meat free of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants.
Milk Many parents buy organic milk to avoid exposing their family to cancer-causing, genetically engineered growth hormones used in some conventional dairy operations.
Chickens That Don’t Eat Chicken Reports of factory farms feeding their chickens food laced with chemicals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and even parts of other chickens grow more common, the public is shifting toward local grass-fed chicken supplemented with organic grains. These are known as pastured birds. 
by Susan Dean | Feb 2, 2018 | Health
Reasons to Buy Organic
1. It’s raining corn chemicals.
U.S. farmers are using so much glyphosate, the main component of weedkillers like Roundup, that researchers are finding it in rain, the air, and streams. According to USDA data, farmers sprayed a whopping 57 million pounds of glyphosate on food crops in 2009—mainly on genetically engineered corn and soy crops. Because glyphosate is a systemic chemical, it actually works its way inside the plant and winds up inside of food at alarming levels. The chemical is linked to potentially irreversible metabolic damage, infertility, obesity, learning disabilities, and birth defects.2. We’re eating shampoo chemicals.
A 2010 study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that hormone-disrupting phthalates, common fragrance chemicals used in soaps and shampoos, are winding up inside produce. A potential source? Human sewage sludge applied as a fertilizer to farm fields. The sludge can be tainted with shampoo chemicals that wash down the drain—and wind up at the water-treatment plant, the source of the sludge. Luckily, the use of human sewage sludge is banned in organic farming.
What to do about it: If you buy your produce from local farmers who aren’t certified organic, be sure to ask them how they fertilize the soil. If you use store-bought compost in your backyard garden, avoid compost that lists “biosolids” as an ingredient and bagged blends that are heavy and caked together or that put off an ammonia or sewer smell. High-quality compost should be crumbling, earthy, and dark.
3. Pesticides are making us fat.
Both pesticide applicators and farmers who use synthetic chemicals are experiencing a troubling health trend: an increased risk of becoming overweight and obese. Pesticides, even at very low doses, threaten the general public, too. Many chemicals commonly used to grow nonorganic food are hormone disruptors, and scientists are starting to discover that they tamper with our body’s natural weight-loss chemistry. (They actually call them “obesogens.”) Certain bug-killing organophosphate pesticides are linked to obesity, a known risk factor for many other diseases, including cancer and type 2 diabetes.
What to do about it: Eating organic for just five days can rid the body of virtually all pesticide residues. Think you can’t afford it? Look for in-season deals at local farmers’ markets, buy in bulk, and preserve the excess to enjoy during the winter months.
4. Pesticides may raise your diabetes risk.
In addition to acting as obesogens, pesticides are linked in a growing number of studies with diabetes. Though obesity and genetics remain the two biggest risk factors for the disease, certain pesticides may interfere with the way our bodies produce the blood-sugar-regulating hormone insulin. In one of the most recent studies looking into pesticides and diabetes, scientists concluded that it may not even be the active pesticide ingredients causing the problems but the “inert” ingredients added to formulations to aid with application, help the pesticide seep into soil, or prevent the formulation from washing away.
What to do about it: You can avoid diabetes-inducing pesticides by switching to an organic diet, but one of the inert ingredients used in pesticide formulations, phthalates, can crop up in common household items. Protect yourself completely by avoiding synthetic fragrances, soft vinyl products, and “slow-release” or gel-coated medications, all of which contain phthalates.
5. Pesticides could be interfering with your vitamin D levels.
There’s a class of pesticides called organophosphates that includes roughly 20 pesticides, which together account for 70 percent of the pesticides used in the U.S. And a study in the online journal PLoS One found that those pesticides could interfere with vitamin D, the miracle vitamin that wards off cancer, diabetes, infections, heart disease, and broken bones and boosts your immune system. It’s thought that these pesticides interfere with your body’s metabolism of vitamin D, so even if you’re getting enough, the pesticides prevent your body from absorbing it properly.
What to do about it: In addition to eating organic, get your recommended amount of vitamin D by spending at least 10 minutes of every day outside when the sun is at its strongest or by taking a 600 IU supplement of vitamin D3, which is a more beneficial form of the vitamin than vitamin D2, another supplement you might see at the store.
6. Factory-farmed meat can make you old, fast.
Factory farming, the process of raising thousands of animals in small, cramped spaces, has become so filthy that farmers not only inject low levels of antibiotics into animals, breeding antibiotic resistance in humans, but they’ve also had to resort to other questionable techniques to prevent e. coli and other bacteria from getting into the food supply. One example: After slaughter, factory-farmed chickens are washed in chlorine baths that contain 30 times more chlorine than an average swimming pool. To mask the chlorine odor and, ostensibly, according to chicken producers, to keep the bird moist while cooking, the chickens are then injected with a solution of water and phosphate, a chemical that can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease, weak bones, and even premature aging.
What to do about it: Opt for organic meat or meat produced by a local farmer. Most small-scale chicken producers don’t bother with chlorine baths, and even in large-scale organic operations, chlorine baths can contain no more chlorine than is allowed in drinking water.
7. Organic farms could save rural economies.
Thanks to an increased reliance on pesticides and machinery, farms have been able to grow in size while cutting back on labor. And though that sounds like a winning formula for increasing profits for farmers, it doesn’t. The Rodale Institute has found that organic systems are nearly three times as profitable as chemical agriculture systems. Organic systems see an average of $558 in net returns per acre per year, versus just $190 per acre per year for chemical systems. Research from the United Nations and others has also shown that organic farms provide 30 percent more jobs per hectare than nonorganic farms, and that organic farmers net $45,697 in profit, compared with just $25,448 for nonorganic farmers.
What to do about it: Find a local, organic farm to support, and keep your food investments in your own community.
]
]
