As a nutritionist, my clients are constantly sharing health “facts” that they learned from the internet, friends, or TV. With so much information available, sometimes random or outdated statements end up as common knowledge. Often, these “facts” don’t support optimal health and can even be harmful.

MELT practitioner, Edya Kalev and I decided it was time collaborate and break down some common health myths. Here are our top 10….

Avoiding Eggs
Quality is the key to heart-healthy eggs. Eggs from factory farms lack the nutrition value of organic and pasture raised eggs. Quality eggs contain substantial amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids which are indeed beneficial for heart health. Also, the egg yolk actually contains lecithin which is a beneficial fatty acid that helps cholesterol move through the blood.

Drinking Smoothies
When fruit is eaten whole it’s usually one apple or a handful of berries. However, smoothies contain several pieces of fruit which causes a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. Many also use poor quality protein powders containing isolates. These highly processed shakes can be quite hard for the body to process. The healthiest smoothies will contain minimal fruit and quality protein from nuts, seeds, brown rice, hemp, or whole gluten free grains.

Eating Veggie Chicken or Seitan
In the last 100 years humans began altering the food supply through farming practices with an intentional increase of the gluten content of wheat through hybridization. Partly due to wheat subsidies, gluten is now used as a filler, flavoring, and emulsifier in many processed foods, including “fake” meat-like foods such as Seitan.  The body can easily become over-saturated with gluten, which leads people to develop allergies and health issues. If giving up gluten completely seems too overwhelming, then start with Wheatless Wednesdays.

Eating an Apple a Day
Apples are now the worst when it comes to pesticides.  For the first time, they are number one on the list known as the Dirty Dozen which are the fruits and veggies containing the highest level of pesticides as tested by the Environmental Working Group.  So, if you are going to eat an apple, make sure it is an organic one!

Wearing Sunscreen
Sunscreen is one arena where labeling is often a far cry from the truth, since the FDA has just begun to regulate the industry’s claims about the level of sun protection or the safety of certain chemical ingredients.  Oxybenzone is a potential hormone disruptor, while retinyl palmitate may even increase the risk of some cancers. To make sure that your sunscreen is not one of the offenders, go to the Skin Deep Website.

Wearing Arch Supports
Arch supports are like crutches…great for the short term to ease the pain and strain of specific conditions, but not something you want to depend on forever.  Instead, go to a qualified Physical Therapist to help strengthen your arches, or follow along with this Youtube video.  Just use MELT balls instead of the tennis ball and you’ll get a great workout for your footsies.

Eating Hijiki Seaweed Salad
Seaweed pulls nutrients from seawater, which is why it is nutritionally dense.  It is also why there is a greater risk of contamination.  One kind in particular, hijiki, is especially high in inorganic arsenic and is best avoided. Go for the arame, nori, or other sea vegetables instead.

Pressing a Yoga Block into your belly
Some yoga teachers advocate lying face down on yoga blocks or rolled up towels, to “release the organs.”  However, it is never a good idea to press all your body weight directly into your organs. Organs are delicate, and you can unintentionally rupture something.  If you want to address an organ directly, go to a visceral manipulation specialist to be safe (and more comfortable.)

Pic by: ontheflyrecipes

The trees are in bloom, the days are longer, temperatures are rising, and this can only mean one thing, ALLERGY SEASON. Yes, with the lightness, bounty and joy that is spring also comes a darker side in the form of runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, and a massive increase in the use of allergy medications. You will be happy to know that there are many alternatives to medicated nasal sprays and pills. Let’s first examine why so many people suffer from seasonal allergies.

It seems that most people just accept seasonal allergies as a part of life that they can’t really change. They often can identify the allergens, but seldom ask or get told what the underlying cause is. The answer is total load; this is when your body hits a saturation point due to toxins. The liver becomes overburdened and then the other detoxification organs (lungs and skin) pick up the slack. At this point allergies and skin rashes are common. So even if you suspect that you are allergic to pets or pollen, you may want to examine your diet, because this is where allergies usually begin.

Most people eat foods that they are allergic to every day. This causes the immune system and liver to be called into action. Repeating this process over and over makes it easy for the body to hit its “total load”. Avoiding processed foods is one major way to reduce total load, as these denatured foods contain many chemical additives that are difficult for the liver to process. Another way is to look at your consumption of common allergenic foods such as gluten, dairy, corn, sugar, and soy. If you eat any of these foods often, then eliminate them and see if your symptoms improve.

Unfiltered tap water, plastic, household chemicals, perfume, cosmetics, lotions, furniture, and even that “new car smell” could be adding to your body’s toxic burden. Limiting exposure to toxins in your environment can provide tremendous relief to your liver and immune system. Look for all-natural, non-toxic alternatives.

To relieve existing allergies, try a vitamin/mineral/antioxidant/herbal allergy support blend, a neti pot, or a natural nasal wash. Nettles, mullein, ginger, and licorice are beneficial for the lungs, liver, and immune system. Try brewing a tea or taking a tincture. Neti pots use sea salt and water to clear congestion and can provide quick relief. Look for nasal washes that contain saline, xylitol, and herbs.

Increase seasonal fresh fruits and (especially) vegetables. Both are high in antioxidants and flavanoids. Antioxidants fight free radical damage generated by toxins, and fiber ensures proper elimination of toxins. Flavanoids are plant pigments that have a wide variety of benefits. Onions, apples, citrus peel, grapes, buckwheat and broad beans are high in the flavanoid quercetin, which is an antioxidant and natural antihistamine. Garlic contains allicin, which has powerful decongestant and antimicrobial properties. Eating these foods is a simple and effective way to make spring more pleasant for allergy sufferers.

Try this simple and delicious seasonally inspired soup. It’s an easy way to incorporate the foods that I’ve suggested, and is healthy and tasty even for those who don’t have allergies.

happy Spring Soup

1 bunch asparagus, bottom snapped off

1 bunch purple and orange carrots, cut lengthwise

1 bunch spring greens, chopped

2 turnips, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 stalks spring garlic, cut lengthwise

2 tsp black peppercorn, to taste

2 tbsp Miso paste, stirred into 1/3 cup of water

Optional: cayenne pepper, fresh cilantro or parsley

directions: Place veggies in a pot with garlic, onion, and peppercorns. Cover veggies with boiling water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat, let stand a few minutes, and then add miso paste.

enjoy!

To learn more about how to reduce toxic burden in your life, join me on Sunday, April 18^th in San Francisco for the next Detox4Life workshop. Go to detox4life.net for more information. Also, check out my blog at nutritionevolution.net

When I was growing up at the first sign of a sniffle I was ready to take a variety of over the counter drugs and even antibiotics. As I became tired of having  five or six colds/flu a year, I thought maybe there is a better way. Turns out there is: prevent the cold and flu from coming in the first place. There are many ways to do this. For one, stop eating foods that make you congested. Basically, when you are experiencing congestion (ongoing), runny nose, etc., you likely have food allergies. Dairy is a huge culprit. Even if you aren’t allergic, it creates mucus, which is something to avoid when trying to ward of a cold or flu.  Eating fresh veggies and fruit (more veggies than fruit) each day is also helpful. This provides the body with antioxidants and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

If prevention doesn’t work and you still come down with the sniffles, it’s possible to prevent it from becoming worse.  At the first onset, instead of reaching for the over the counter remedies, try taking herbs or medicinal mushrooms. Many mushrooms raise your Natural Killer white blood cells, and these blood cells fight off invaders than enter your body. Limiting sugar is also a smart preventative move since it lowers the Natural Killer cells that the mushrooms are  trying to raise. And no, mushrooms dipped in sugar does not balance out. Load up on zinc and vitamin C as well. In fact, when you are sick your body can handle quite a large amount of vitamin C. I usually recommend 500mg every 1-2 hours. It’s simple and quite effective.

For flu, elderberry is an herb that has been used for thousands of years. Until recently no one knew just why it was so effective at fighting flu. Research has now shown that the phtyo-nutrients (plant nutrients) that give it it’s dark color are also loaded with antioxidants that support the immune system. Elderberry has componds which literally prevent the flu virus from puncturing the cells and getting inside.  It works best at the first onset of symptoms, though it could still help if the virus has already taken hold. My other favorite flu remedy is Oscillococinum. I have been astonished at how well this homepathic remedy works. Not just for seasonal flu, but also for stomach flu. A few years ago I was so ill with stomach flu that I slept for two days. When I woke up I was weak and my body felt like there was broken glass in it. I immediately took the Oscillo and within 10 minutes my 103 degree fever was down to 99 and I felt human again. My partner was also stunned, and he commented that I looked like a different person. It is best to have these remedies on hand so you can take them immediatly when you being to feel ill.

How can you tell if you have a cold or flu? The flu usually starts with fever, chills, and body aches. The cold usually starts with sneezing and a runny nose.

Another issue is genes. Many people say, “Well everyone in my family has diabetes or heart disease,” and they  just resign themselves to that fate. The interesting thing is that genes are simply a blueprint. It does not have to turn into the worst case scenario. Often times when everyone in the family got diabetes or heart disease it was because they ate the same foods. Food is not only fuel, but it also tells our genes what to do. I met a man who had eight brothers who all got heart disease. They lived in the mid-west and ate mainly meat and potatoes and processed foods. This man moved to California 15 years earlier and began eating fresh veggies and cut out processed foods. Guess what? Yes, you guessed it, he did not have heart disease or even high cholesterol. We always have a choice!

So think about  your particular blueprint and avoid the risk factors and increase the foods and lifestyle choices that will further reduce the risk. This is a simple way to avoid a lifetime of doctors offices and medications. Sure it may not be fun to avoid those donuts, but down the road they will be a distant memory as you are not only experiencing more energy and vitality but more in the pocketbook to spend on yummy kale! OK, maybe not just kale, but certainly the money will be in your pocket and not plugged into the system of un-wellness.

Veggies are packed with everything that our body needs to be well–vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, yet many people don’t consume enough. I will share with you this crowd-pleasing recipe for veggies. There are an infinite number of possibilities for this simple dish. You can change the veggies with the season. My favorite is brussels sprouts! Try to include all the colors of the veggie rainbow for maximum nutrient benefits.

sho’s yummy roasted veggies

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard, to taste

1 cup green beans, whole

1-2 yellow summer squash

1/2 head purple cauliflower, pull off  from head into bite-size pieces

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

1-2 leeks, cut into rounds

1 red pepper, thin strips

1 cup shitake mushrooms, cut in half

fresh herbs, to taste (oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram)

dried spices, to taste (I use an organic spice blend)

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Himalayan salt, to taste

directions: Put all cut and washed veggies(except chard) into a baking dish. Add spices and fresh herbs. Mix olive oil, lime juice, and dijon mustard, and pour liquid mixture over veggies. You can pop into the oven right away or let marinate for a few hours or even over night. Cover with foil, and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes (check after 30 minutes as ovens vary). Pull it out of the oven when there are about 5 minutes left and mix in chard. Cover and put back in oven for last 5 minutes.

enjoy!

Second detox4life.net workshop coming soon!