detox your body the food way

After yesterday's post on BPA many of you may be wondering what you can do to support your body and your health.  Long time readers will know that I encourage cleaning up the chemicals in your diet, eating whole foods, and the use of alkalizing beverages and foods.  I am not a fan of painful detox methods, extreme caloric reduction, or detox methods which cause you to feel ill.  I believe you should not feel badly, physically or mentally, while trying to support your body during a cleanse.

It is possible to eat well and support your body and good health while adding detoxifying foods.  This top ten list gives you my suggestions for foods and supplements to add to your nutritional plan.

1. Cilantro - an excellent and tasty way to cleanse the body, ridding it of heavy metal accumulation.
2. Cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, cabbage, rutabaga, turnip, and radishes all support the liver which is important for detoxification.
3. Fiber - supports a healthy digestive system which in turns helps with elimination when transporting toxins out of the body.  Good fiber choices include beans, fresh ground flax seeds, and whole grains.
4. Folate - found in dark leafy greens, calves liver, lentils, beans, and asparagus, has been shown to help counter the effects of BPA in the system.
5. Garlic - high in sulfur garlic helps to dilate the blood vessels so they don't get blocked, it's also anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-bacterial.
6. Green tea - high in anti-oxidants it supports the liver and helps with hydration.
7. Lemons - have an alkalizing effect on the system, also add the juice to foods rich in iron to increase bio-availability.
8. Wheatgrass - an excellent detoxifier that is also high in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.  
9. Selenium - helps to rid the body of mercury while protecting against free-radicals, found in codfish, tuna, egg yolks, beef, shitake mushrooms, lamb, and Brazil nuts.
10. Water - pure, clean water helps to flush the body of toxins.

organic or conventional?

The news headlines are once again blaring headlines about no significant nutritional difference between conventional and organic produce.  At a base level that appears to be true.  Foods grown in similar soil will have similar nutritional benefits.  The plants are only able to get so much out of the soil.

However, and this is not disputed in the new but certainly seems to be minimized, the chemical residues are higher for conventionally grown produce.  This is because in order for food to be considered organic there is a standard which prohibits the use of a vast array of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  That chemical burden on your body can be considerable.  This alone makes it worth purchasing organic, especially for the "dirty dozen," those fruits and vegetables most likely to be highly contaminated by pesticide residue.

There was a modest mention made of the fact that organic produce appears to be higher in antioxidants.  Since antioxidant value was not considered as part of the overall nutritional value of the food this appears to have been discarded as a strong reason to purchase organic.  There are, however, a growing number of studies which show that antioxidant value is highly beneficial for the body, especially when it comes to a wide number of diseases and health conditions.

Another important fact to consider, which the articles don't discuss, is that organic produce is not allowed to be genetically modified.  Given the number of genetically modified crops (and the growing number under application for approval) it makes sense to purchase organic in order to avoid that in your food.

And a final thought on this issue, which the articles tend to gloss over, is that meat and dairy products from organically fed animals (meaning the animals are not allowed to be given added hormones, antibiotics, and are not allowed to be fed genetically modified or pesticide laden foods) do have significant differences.  Organic animal production means the animals are not allowed to be given added hormones, antibiotics, and are not fed genetically modified or pesticide laden foods.  The antibiotic issue is an important one for animal products.  When we eat continual low level antibiotics it is bad for our overall health and can encourage bacteria to become anti-biotic resistant.

Organic dairy products are measurably higher in protein and beneficial fatty acids.  Eggs also have a better fatty acid profile.  Studies show that organic meat is lower in fat and has a better overall fatty acid profile making it a healthier choice for consumption than conventionally raised animals and animal products.

Ultimately the choice of what to eat and how to spend your grocery dollars is up to you.  But before you make those choices make sure you have all the facts, not just a scaled down "no nutritional difference" newsbyte.

on my mind monday 09.03.12 - the bpa issue

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It's never the same two weeks in a row.  A collection of what I find interesting in the world of food, nutrition, and holistic health.  Here's what's on my mind.

Due to links forwarded and suggested by several readers this week has become the BPA Issue.

BPA ban in baby bottles - 41 months (nearly 3 1/2 years) after they were first asked to ban BPA the FDA has agreed to ban it in baby bottles and sippy cups.  It's better than nothing but this is a move that comes very late and doesn't go far enough.  Hopefully this is just the beginning and will pave the way for all Bisphenol products to be removed from any situations where they can come into contact with food.