Day 1 of my detox

Today I began my 21 day journey to optimal health with a whole body detox/cleanse. 12 hours into the process already and my body is definitely missing that morning cup of joe.

I can definitely tell my body is doing something different and by the recurring trips to the bathroom, there is no doubt that some toxins are already being released.

It does seem that I have been a bit foggy the whole day and maybe a bit "out of it", but I am not concerned.
I know that my body needs this right now. It's not that I was feeling bad or in pain or sick, I just knew that my body needed a boost in some way.

The cleanse that I am participating in is through Standard Process, which prides itself on whole, organic foods and supplements. I am primarily consuming raw fruits and veggies at this point along with the supplements.

I will post regularly for the next 21 days to give the reader an idea of what to expect when going through the detox process. Detoxification affects everybody differently but hopefully I can be a good guideline on what you should be prepared for if you are considering a program like this.

The super effects of Superfoods

We all pretty much know that we’re supposed to be eating more fruits and veggies each day but getting the important nutrients and antioxidants into our busy schedules is too often an unreachable goal.

If this fits you, you will definitely be interested in SuperFoods. They are packed with the good stuff commonly found in fruits and veggies so servings are smaller and getting the daily requirements becomes much easier.

SuperFoods have 3 primary components: Antioxidants, Nutrients and Fiber.

First, antioxidants protect the body from wear and tear, while strengthening the immune system, muscles, bones and skin. They do this by limiting and stabilizing cell damaging “free radicals” that form usually with age and disease. An unhealthy diet, inactive lifestyle, chemicals and pesticides also contribute to free radical formation. The more abundant antioxidants in our diet, the less damage free radicals can cause in the body. Great antioxidants include anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols and quercetin.

Second, nutrients found in most SuperFoods consist of key vitamins and minerals that most of us are missing. Good examples include Vitamins A, B, C and E, magnesium, calcium and potassium. SuperFoods can also be a great source of protein, good carbohydrates and fats (omega 3’s)

Lastly, fiber is important because of the beneficial effects it has on our digestive systems and the absorption of certain nutrients it creates.

Okay, let’s now discuss what type of foods could be defined as ‘SuperFoods”:

Berries (blue, black, boysen, cran, elder): contain mucho antioxidants, including anthocyanins which give these berries their distinct colors. They also protect the plant from UV radiation and our bodies from any oxidative reactions.

Chia seeds: packed with omega 3’s, another great source of antioxidants and fiber.

Gogi Berries: contain vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants called carotenoids. Raisin like texture, they can be eaten raw or extracted.

Acai: probably the best source of anthocyanins, also delivers amino acids, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and vitamins B and C.

Hemp seeds: provide all 10 essential amino acids (a rarity), omega 3 fatty acids, iron, magnesium and potassium.

Maca: One of my personal favorites, it’s been around for over 2000 years originating in South America; provides essential fatty acids, protein, fiber and enhances the immune system, giving us more energy and less stress!

Noni: also works wonders for our immune systems

Greens and grasses:  includes green veggies, sea veggies and algae (spirulina, chlorella), oats, barley, alfalfa. All loaded with antioxidants, vitamins B and C and beta carotene

Camu Camu: if your vitamin C deficient, this is where it’s at! Sort of like a cherry and packed with flavonoid antioxidants.

Cupuacu: related to the cocoa tree, good source of fiber and essential fats.

Mangosteen: sweet and tangy; from Southeast Asia and contains tannins, which are immune boosters. Also, have strong antioxidants, fiber and key minerals.

Pomegranate: contain anthocyanins and ellagic acid, key antioxidants; juices are recommended for cardiovascular health.

Royal jelly: comes from honey bees, used as a tonic that supports our vital organs, cardiovascular and immune systems.

Getting SuperFoods in your daily diet is essential in living a “clean” lifestyle. You can get these foods in form of a snack, on salads, in smoothies and even in sauces and dressings.

I always recommend getting as much variety as possible and definitely go with quality over quantity when choosing the right foods for you. In fact, research shows that antioxidants will work best when consumed synergistically and not just focused on 1 or 2.

Avoiding the flu? Look at your gym bag!

If you have heard before that exercising can ward off the flu and colds, you stand corrected. But if you have been hitting the gym and still getting some nasty viruses, you may want to take a closer look at your gym bag.

First off, if you are tossing your damp clothes, swimsuit or towel into the bag after a workout, you may be attracting millions of little germs that could be resulting in some illnesses or infection. This is an ideal location for bacteria to thrive and do the things that they do.

Second, we tend to want to put our bag on the gym or bathroom floor. This is a haven for some creepy, crawling germs to infest inside of your bag and belongings.

Let’s not forget about our flip flops and water bottles. Flip flops are typically used in the shower, sauna and locker room and are all perfect places for fungi and bacteria to buildup.

Our water bottles also can be a perfect carrier for germs to get to one place from another. Bottles with pull up tops can be the biggest culprit because the germs on your hands get into the opening crevices and into your mouth.

How about yoga mats? Definitely hotbeds for bacteria because we will sweat on it during our session, roll it up and forget about it for a week or until our next class.

 Now we need to discuss some remedies to try and eliminate the formation of these pesky germs that can weaken our immune systems and open us up for all sorts of colds and unwanted viruses:

- Put all damp belongings in a plastic bag or mesh pocket and wash them as soon as you can. If you know you can’t get to the laundry soon, at least hang dry them to avoid the bacteria or mold from multiplying. Avoid leaving damp clothes or towels in your bag more than a couple of hours.

- Regularly empty out your gym bag and let it air out. Try to wash it weekly with very hot water or a disinfectant wipe and avoid putting it down on the locker room floor.

- Put flip flops in a plastic bag and remember to pull them out and spray with a disinfecting cleanser and let them completely dry before using them again.

- Get a screw cap water bottle. If for some reason that is not possible, pull up the tops off with your teeth and wash them in a very high heat (dishwasher).

-  After yoga class, wipe down your mat with a disinfecting wipe or dry it with a clean towel before rolling it up again.

The truth about Agave syrup

We have seen it way too many times--a product comes out with a ton of fanfare and mass media marketing behind it and is labeled the next health craze of our time. It happened with soy, organic foods, energy drinks and a host of other items. While not hyped as much as the others mentioned, agave syrup can now safely be put in this category.

Let’s first discuss what Agave really is. Blue agave comes from exotic plants in Mexico that gets its powerful nutrients from the tropical sunlight.

If you ferment the nectar, you now are blessed with a drink that has caused millions of people to do things that they normally wouldn’t ever thought of and thus embarrass themselves in the process when drank in large quantities—Tequila!

But really, agave has recently been touted as the healthy alternative to refined sugar, when in fact it has been overly processed and stripped of most of its valuable nutrients.

This is basically all about fructose levels and blue agave has higher levels of fructose than any other sweetener on the market today and that includes even high fructose corn syrup—over 50% more!!

Keep in mind that fructose is the sugar that we find in our fruits and when consumed at moderate levels, are beneficial to your health because this natural sugar comes with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It becomes a big problem when the fructose starts to be synthesized in the local lab, creating a manmade ingredient. The agave that is found in most markets today is chemically processed and highly concentrated with fructose, which the body cannot normally breakdown and process.

High levels of fructose are linked with many conditions but primarily obesity, diabetes and heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Also, high levels of fructose can be very damaging to your liver causing it to become fatty and diseased.

We also know that agave nectar is made in almost the same way as high fructose corn syrup “using a highly chemical process dependent on genetically modified enzymes"(http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought).

Other reasons not to use agave nectar are:

-          high pesticide use

-          quality control is not adequate: most products being used today are less quality and can even be toxic

-          high levels of saponins: saponins are toxins that disrupt red blood cells and also have been linked to miscarriages due to increased blood flow to the uterus (pregnant women should stay away from agave products)

-          Stripped of all nutrients: mainly enzymes because if left in, the agave can start fermenting and turn into tequila ( Watch what you put on little Johnny’s oatmeal in the morning)

If you are like me and have that uncontrollable sweet tooth beckoning you at night, use natural stevia, LoHan and if you absolutely need agave nectar, make sure that you are getting the real deal. This will be difficult and require some research and maybe even a trip to Mexico!

Are Eggs good for us?

There is quite a bit of confusion on whether or not eggs are healthy for us. Conventional wisdom tells us that eggs increase cholesterol, they are high in fat and they’re not suitable for the heart patient. While there is some shreds of truth in each of those thoughts, eggs should be an important component in most of our diets when eaten the correct way.

Let’s first discuss the word that is usually synonymous with eggs—cholesterol. If you have valid concerns about your body’s cholesterol levels, this is a crucial point. Eggs that are consumed the proper way will NOT have an impact on total cholesterol in the body. How can you properly or improperly eat eggs, you might ask?

As I have said many times before, the more we cook our foods the better chance that we start to lose key nutrients in that food. With eggs, the more we scramble them, Sunnyside up them and 4 egg omelet them, the more chance that the cholesterol in these eggs become oxidized.  Oxidized cholesterol is found in other things such as processed foods, hydrogenated oils, deep fried foods, fast foods, chips, fries and a gazillion other things that are so darn tasty! This is the type of cholesterol that forms plaque in the lining of the arteries.

However, when we take that same egg and either eat it raw (the egg yolk) or soft boil it, then we are talking about a completely nutritious product that can, according to recent studies, decrease your risk of heart disease. This is the type of cholesterol that our body wants and needs. We always hear about the good and bad (HDL, LDL) cholesterol. Well, this affects the good type.

One egg has about 6 grams of protein and has all the essential amino acids required to be considered a complete protein.  You cannot say that for lots of different types of meats and particularly soy.

Some other key nutrients that are found in eggs include choline, which is great for mental function and memory. Additionally, Vitamins A & E which are strong antioxidants for the body, Vitamin B for energy levels and Selenium, another strong antioxidant and immune system booster.

Let’s not forget about the fats that are found in eggs. Initially, we hear the word fat and want to run away. But these are the essential fatty acids that are body requires.

Now that we know eggs, when eaten the correct way, can have enormous health benefits for us, the next debate is whether or not it makes a difference on the type of eggs we are eating.

When we want to find healthy eggs, it is critical that we look for higher quality free-range organic varieties.  We always want to look for the organic type, meaning the chicken was fed only organic food and not pesticide ridden grains (mainly GMO corn). 

My strong recommendation is to find a local farmer or farmer’s market and purchase your eggs from them opposed to commercially raised chickens found in grocery stores.

There is quite the nutritional difference between organically raised hens to commercially raised hens, including:

-          ¼ less saturated fat

-          2/3 more Vitamin A

-          3 times more Vitamin E

-          2 times more Omega-3 fatty acids

Let’s stay on this topic of Omega-3 fatty acids for a minute. We have all heard that these fatty acids are beneficial and while this is true, we need to make sure we are getting the right types of omega-3 in our diet. There are plant based omega-3’s (usually found in eggs, flaxseed, hemp seed and nuts) and there are animal based omega-3’s (fish, fish oil, krill oil).  While plant based is okay, most of the health benefits from taking omega-3’s come from animal based sources.

 I am not telling you to stop taking your flaxseed (which has ALA) but do your best in supplementing it with animal based sources that have DHA and EPA in it. Again, the health benefits are enormous and most Americans are deficient in omega-3’s.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Most of your health benefits associated with omega-3 fats are linked to animal-based omega-3 fats like EPA and DHA, not plant-based omega-3 fats like ALA. ALA is converted into EPA and DHA in your body, but only at a very low ratio. Even if you eat large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert very small amounts into EPA and DHA, and only when sufficient enzymes are present”.

Unfortunately, most of the eggs that are found in grocery stores have the ALA type omega-3’s, which is a bit misleading.

In summary:

- Effects on body cholesterol depends on how you are consuming eggs

- Raw yolk and soft boiled are your best choices (You may have concerns about salmonella but if you are truly eating healthy eggs, the risk is minimal. Only sick hens will lay salmonella contaminated eggs. If you just cannot seem to get a raw yolk down, a wise option would be to put it in a smoothie or mixing it up in oatmeal)

- Eggs scrambled, omelets or fried eggs turn into oxidized cholesterol, having detrimental effects on your health

-Key nutrients and antioxidants are found in healthy eggs

- Find a local farmer’s market or someone you trust who is raising hens on their own

-Free range organic are best options

- Don’t believe the Omega-3 claims on commercially produced eggs

When to use Ice or Heat for an injury

This is a subject that I probably talk about nearly every day because of the type of work that I do: treating injuries. It seems that a fair amount of people tend to neglect using one or the other and when they do make an attempt at using ice or heat, it is sometimes used at the wrong times.

So what is the correct way to utilize heat or ice? The best answer is that it depends on the circumstances, such as the type of injury, the individual involved and the duration of the injury. Each injury and each person has their own uniqueness about them so it is sometimes difficult to figure out which is most effective.

Let's start with types of injuries:  

Acute- These are sudden type injuries like a broken bone or sprained ankle where there will be significant swelling and inflammation involved. Acute injuries can last anywhere from 72 hours to 2 weeks. It is during this time, that ice is preferred and necessary. It is necessary to reduce any swelling and to numb the area, which will in turn reduce pain. Adding heat during this time should be avoided because it may actually increase swelling and pressure to the area which could result in increased discomfort.

Chronic- These type of injuries have developed over a course of time and are usually due to older accidents or an overuse syndrome (heavy lifting at work, computer work causing carpal tunnel, etc.). For the most part, heat is indicated for this type of injury unless it is a new aggravation of an older injury and there is swelling and tenderness involved. At this point, ice may be your best option.

Types of Heat and Ice and length of use

Heat: 

There was a time that the good ol' electric heating pad was the preferred choice but we have come a long way since then. While the electric pad is okay, it will distribute dry heat and the most effective source of heat is moist heat. Why? Because moisture will allow the heat to dissipate deeper into the muscles and tissues. If you have an electrical dry pad, you can apply a moist towel to the affected area and then place the pad over the towel ( I have given that recommendation out countless times over the years and no one has been injured....yet!)

A word of caution with electrical heating pads: don't use them in bed. Very easy to fall asleep and the small chance of a malfunction leading to serious injury. 

Other great sources of moist heat include: hot showers or baths, jacuzzi or hot tub, saunas or hot springs.

The general rule of thumb for heat usage is approximately 20 minutes. Anything more is basically useless and can also cause  decreased circulation to the area if used more than the allotted time.

Ice:

This is as easy as it gets. No real reason to go out and spend money when you can just wrap some ice in a towel or ziploc baggie and apply it to the area. Frozen bags of food can also be a temporary remedy. There are some great large and small ice packs to purchase if you did want to spend a little money. 

Another cute option is an ice massage. All you are doing here is filling up a paper cup with water, freezing it, peeling back the rim and massaging the area with the exposed ice.

The length of time to use ice is very important. Basically, you do not want to ice an area for more than 20 minutes at a time. My recommendation is to ice for 20 minutes, remove for another 20 minutes and then re-apply the ice for 20 minutes. Repeat this cycle for 2 hours.

The goal of ice is to numb the area to decrease the pain. At first you will probably feel, well, cold. Followed by burning, aching and finally numbness. At this point, the ice becomes ineffective.

What are some contraindications for Ice/heat (When not to use Ice or heat)

ICE

-decreased or increased sensation

-circulatory conditions

-Raynaud's disease

-High blood pressure

-frostbite

HEAT

 - Inflammation/swelling

 - infections

 - heart conditions

 - metallic implants

Hopefully, this has shed some light on the much debated question of ice or heat. You might get a different opinion from many different people or doctors or people trying to act like doctors but either way when dealing with most types of pain, the application of ice or heat is critical for the healing process.

Are your fruits and veggies clean?

It really seems lately that I have been seeing a big swing to the holistic side of health rather than conventional medicine. 

More and more people are getting on the "natural" bandwagon these days and that is great news! I have been preaching this gospel since Day 1 and will not stop now and it is great to see that people are being swayed in that direction. 

BUT, we have to be careful, real careful. Why? Because just like any industry, the health and wellness industry is all about big bucks and lots of people are profiting because of it. You can find it just about anywhere, "Organic", "All Natural", "Hormone free" and much much more. 

So here we are trying to be good and trying to make the right decisions for our families and it may all be for nothing? Not completely, but there is certainly some clever marketing out there. 

One area that is extremely important and that we need to pay extra attention to is our fruits and vegetables. We all know by now that raw or steamed veggies and fruits can have major health benefits due to the many nutrients it contains. It is always recommended that your veggie to fruit intake ratio should be 2:1, meaning eat twice as many veggies as fruits. This is primarily due to the fructose that is in fruits. While we know that it is natural sugar, it is still important to keep our fructose intake to <25 grams per day. This is especially important if you are diabetic or have blood sugar issues.

Okay, we are aware that fruits and veggies are great for us but how clean are they when we actually get them in our hands? According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), there is a huge difference between conventionally grown produce (non-organic) and organic produce. They state that there are probably over 50 different chemicals by the time it hits the produce section in your supermarket! Obviously, I am pushing for organic products here but if you decide organic is not for you, please don't stop eating produce all together. Better to have pesticides than no fruits/veggies at all. 

The EWG also goes on to list the cleanest and dirtiest produce after extensive research. Here are the findings:

Dirtiest (Buy these organic)

1

Apples

2

Celery

3

Strawberries

4

Peaches

5

Spinach

6

Nectarines
– imported

7

Grapes – imported

8

Sweet bell peppers

9

Potatoes

10

Blueberries
– domestic

11

Lettuce

12

Kale/collard greens

Cleanest (Lowest in Pesticide)

1

Onions

2

Sweet Corn

3

Pineapples

4

Avocado

5

Asparagus

6

Sweet peas

7

Mangoes

8

Eggplant

9

Cantaloupe
- domestic

10

Kiwi

11

Cabbage

12

Watermelon

13

Sweet potatoes

14

Grapefruit

Some of the conditions that have been linked to long term pesticide use include Parkinson's disease, male infertility, breast cancer, prostate cancer, stillbirths, learning disabilities and some neurological conditions.

Hopefully, this should shed some light on the difference between organic and non-organic produce.  It is essential and absolutely worth the extra money to buy organic.

My suggestion on how to do this are to plant your own garden or if that is not possible, then find local farmer's markets(there are a ton in this area) to get your produce needs met. 

You are taking a big risk with you and your family's health by using non-organic produce.