New Travel Radiation Concerns

Happy Holidays!  We're on the last day of November before true holiday chaos ensues!!

May your holiday season be filled with peace, joy, and love - rather than materialism, stress, and greed!  (Did you know on Black Friday this year, people actually brought MACE to stores so they could fight their way to the deals they wanted?!)

And with the holiday season comes travelling for many.  Back in 2010, I shared a post called Flying and Frying, about some of the damaging radiation from flying, and ways to help stay healthy on plane flights.

More recently, you're probably heard about the privacy invasion arguments regarding TSA's full body scans.  (You may want to check out the Colbert Report snippet on it, if you need a little laugh about it, rather than too much stress!)



From http://www.allvoices.com/



And now there is some concern that these scans may be adding even MORE damaging radiation to a body! 

I am not trying to sound like an alarmist. I know that our bodies are constantly being bombarded with toxins.  I know that travel is fun and I am not saying to stop.  Just make sure you're taking care of your health! 

The full article can be found here, but here are some bits from the article, TSA Attempts to Cover Up Cancer Threat From Its Airport X-ray Machines:

• "The European Union has even put a moratorium on the [backscatter] scanners in light of the cancer threats—member states have been told not to install scanners until scientific assessment of risks has been carried out, and they will be banned completely in April if experts find them dangerous"
• "According to a ProPublica/PBS NewsHour investigation, up to 100 US airplane passengers could get cancer from the machines each year."
• "the majority of the [backscatter] machine’s energy is delivered to the skin and the underlying tissue—not distributed throughout the volume of the entire body—so the dose to the skin may be dangerously high."
• "After the release of the ProPublica report, TSA Administrator John Pistole agreed to conduct a new independent study of the health effects of backscatters. But now the TSA is refusing to honor its commitment to conduct that safety study."

Pretty Spinach Salad Wreath

So drink your green smoothies and water, fill up on the antioxidant fruit, crave cancer-fighting cruciferous veggies, and enjoy your holidays!  Yes, you CAN still enjoy a healthy holiday even with healthy food!  I hope to make a handful of healthy, natural desserts to go with the traditional unhealthy desserts my family loves :)  I'll share recipes and links soon!

Healthy cashew spread snowman!

Holiday Hugs!

~Katie

Immunity Boosting Tea

Good morning!! How's your day going? It was a little nippy out this morning on my way to work! I actually had to grab a light jacket for the walk! But I didn't mind - the sun was still out, and the air was crisp and clean :)

While we usually think of winter as flu season, summer colds are pretty common, too. So protect your health! I had a cold coming on the other day, so I did my little ritual: gargle salt water. I don't know if that's just an old wives tale, or there's scientific research behind it, but it helps! Then I topped it off this morning with...

Immunity Boosting Tea:

12 oz warmed water (not too hot!)
juice of 1 lemon (or lime if you prefer)
a pinch of cayenne powder
a dash of ginger powder (I'm all out of fresh ginger root... sad...)

Mix and sip, and feel the body heal! ;-)

Lemon is a potent vitamin C package, which is a powerful antioxidant. Those little buggers just swim through the water in your body, and *WHAM!* neutralize any free radicals they find on the way!

Cayenne can get your circulation moving! Nice and warming on this cooler morning! But did you know it also has some good Vitamin A in it - essential for healthy epithelial tissues including the mucous membranes that line the nasal passages and lungs? Important for a healthy respiratory system! Sadly, with just a small dash, I probably didn't get too much of that wonderful vitamin, but maybe over time I can work up to a larger, spicier dose! The compound capsaicin is what makes peppers hot - and it's also a good pain reducer! So, sore throat no more! Ok, not a guarantee cure, but capsaicin HAS been studied as a pain and inflammation reducer in arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetic neuropathy. This lovely spice has also been shown to help open up clogged sinuses and nasal passageways. Thankfully, I caught my cold before it progressed that far, but good to know if that cold does persist!

And ginger. Ahh, ginger. That zesty, surprising bite of heat! I usually like to soak fresh ginger root in my teas, but I ran out and had to go with some powdered ginger this morning. Ginger is another antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent. Ginger also contains dermicidin which German researchers are studying as a strong germ-fighting agent that enters your sweat glands after consuming ginger! Woo! Go Ginger Ninja! (Hmmm... I wonder if you have enough, if you'll smell like ginger after a good workout....)

So that was my health goal for today - kick the cold! And I am feeling much better! No sore throat, no congestion!

Stay healthy, stay warm, stay rooted in peace! (I need that one today...) ;-)

Love,
~Katie

Natural Sun Protection?

(pic courtesy of David Besa)

As the sun starts a'beating down, many of us dream of some good, relaxing sun-filled afternoons! And the media pelts us with two sides of the issue: sunscreen.

One side proclaims that we need to let the sun come! Many people are deficient in Vitamin D, and the sun is a way to naturally trigger your body's production.

On the other side, too much sun may put you at risk for skin cancer.

What, oh what, is a person to do?

Eat tomatoes, of course!

*Huh? *

Several studies have been done looking at protecting the skin via diet, and what components may offer protection. Antioxidants are, of course, an important component in health, maintaining skin integrity and cell health - keeping you healthy and younger looking. But some studies are looking more specifically than that.

One study had participants eat tomato paste daily for 4 or 10 weeks, and saw less erythema, or reddening of the skin when exposed to UV light in BOTH groups. Yup, less propensity towards burning by 35%! Nice!

You probably don’t need to be slurping paste – they were using that in their study, but they noticed higher levels of serum lycopene and total carotenoids in the skin – things that you can raise through any form of tomato intake (the deeper the red, the better), and pushing some of your other orange foods too – like carrots and squash! If you go with ketchup – a staple during the wonderful grilling season! – see if you can find Organic. It has been found to far surpass conventional ketchup for lycopene content.

Whichever form, DO try to combine it with a little bit of healthy fat as this will help you absorb more of the fat-soluble carotenoids. In fact! Selenium, a mineral found in Brazil nuts, has ALSO been shown to have sun-protective effects!

At the University of Dundee in Scotland, another study was done looking at phytochemicals as protectors. They were looking at phytochemicals with fun ‘n’ fancy names like alkaloids, flavonoids, carotnoids, and isothiocyanates. “These phytochemicals have been consumed by humans for many centuries as part of plant-rich diets and are presumed to be of low toxicity, an essential requirement for a chemoprotective agent. Mechanistically, they affect multiple signalling pathways and protect against UV radiation-inflicted damage by their ability to act as direct and indirect antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents.” So some of their excitement is in the fact these are all plant-based components – which means more natural and pretty darn hard to overdose on! (Now don’t any of you run off and drink 5 straight gallons of tomato juice just to prove I’m wrong! BALANCED EATING, my dear! You CAN overdose on water too – just so ya’ll know that NOTHING should be over consumed!)

So in the study, they turn to produce for these phytochemicals. Cool bonus? Unlike sunscreen, which – in blocking your skin from the UV light – blocks your body’s ability to synthesize much-needed vitamin D, protection from foods “is comprehensive, long-lasting, and unlikely to cause pro-oxidant effects or interfere with the synthesis of vitamin D.”

There are a slew of other foods that can also offer you protection from the potential damage caused by UV sunlight: raspberries and blueberries, cherries, and citrus all contain various health properties. Green tea and its epigallocatechins block damage. So keep up with your fresh food – you never know when another study will come out showing other benefits to produce!

So, rather than slathering yourself with chemical-packed sunscreens (and your skin - your largest organ - just loooves to absorb things that are rubbed on it!) make sure you're keeping a good, steady supply of lycopene- and carotenoid-rich foods in your daily consumption even before beach-season!

Well, ok, not too rich - if your skin starts getting slightly red-orange even before hitting the beach, you may have had more than ya need! But don't worry – “lycopenodermia,” when your skin takes on a deep orange discoloration, is a harmless, reversible coloring that lessens if you cut back on your lycopene intake.

Of course, always remember - YOU know YOU best! If you have fair skin, weight the cost/benefits of diet and sunscreen. Perhaps with some precautions, you can just use less or lower powered sunscreen, for example – and less chemically-hazardous ones. Burnt-dead skin is not a pleasant feeling!

So later, I’ll post a little bit about picking a sunblock should you choose one. Just in time for Memorial weekend!

Have an amazing evening and wonderful Memorial Day!

~Katie

This morning I made a smoothie that has some great benefits for your skin!

Skin So Smoothie
3 c. grapes (organic red grapes with seeds are best)
½ lemon
2 collard green leaves
1 c. spinach
1 Tbs flax oil

Throw it all in a blender, and blend it all! I added ice to chill mine.

Grapes: So many benefits in that red skin! And I could probably do an entire post about the health properties. But for today, I’m looking at the grape seeds. The oil in grape seeds is commonly found in facial products because of its beautifying benefits. I talked with a woman who makes her own soaps, trained by her Cherokee grandmother who was a medicine woman for her tribe. She says “You are right about the grapeseed oil. It is VERY good for your skin, hair, nails. It is one of the 11 oils that go into my lotions for its healing properties.” So can you get these benefits by ingesting rather than applying topically? Sure! Beauty really does start from the inside, and can be compounded by the products you use on the outside. Grape seeds and skins also are anti-microbial, helping you’re your pores and cells stay healthy! Additionally, grapes are rich in antioxidants which will help protect your skin from aging oxidative damage to the cells (fine lines, wrinkles, and less firmly toned skin). They are also rich in manganese, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes optimal functioning of your thyroid gland.

Lemons: rich in enzymes, also help stimulate your liver function; and your liver is one of your main organs to rid your body of waste and toxins, and burns fat. They are also packed with the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C. And the Mayo Clinic states that research now suggests a diet rich in vitamin C may promote younger looking skin.

Collard Greens and Spinach: These are rich in vitamin A, which is very important to skin health. It helps with tissue repair, and the formation of skin-tightening collagen and elastin, fibers that help support skin structure. And collards, being from the same family as kale, have strong properties that help your liver detoxify your body.

Flax Oil: Rich in omega-3s and omeg-6s in a healthy balance, these essential fatty acids (EFAs) are beneficial for many parts of your body! One of those benefits being healthy skin. EFAs help with healthy cell membranes, which helps the cells no only work as a barrier for harmful things, but to allow nutrients to cross, and let waste out of the cells. It also will help hold the healthy waters in, keeping cells hydrated and firm.

And of course, the whole beverage is water-rich produce, so that adds extra hydration to your body, keeping joints, eyes, cell, and everything supple and lubricated! The healthier you are inside, the more it will show outside! But it does take time. You won’t notice huge changes overnight, as your body is going to be more concerned with healing your inner cells first. But over time, you will notice your outward appearance picking up the healthy glow!

Drink up :) And keep that hydration going here in these cold, dry days!

~Katie

Wednesday Words

I realized that I have been throwing a lot of terms around, so I thought I'd delve into them now and then.

So, today: Free Radicals and Antioxidants

They go hand-in-hand. Quick and dirty (and extremely simplified): in overabundance, free radicals damage you; antioxidants prevent it.

Free radicals are unstable molecules. They can be formed from pollutants, cigarette smoke, stresses on you and your body, and other unhealthy lifestyle factors. They will go and "steal" electrons from other molecules (oxidize them) to try to stabilize themselves - which essentially begins a large chain-reaction of weakening or damaging your cells. Your body can handle a lot of this and repair itself (the body is an amazing thing! But you do need to treat it well.) If the damage adds up over time, this can lead to cancer, heart disease, early aging signs, and other health problems.

Antioxidants include some vitamins (vitamins C, E), carotenoids, chemicals like resveratol (from grapes) and EGCG (in green and white teas), phytochemicals (other compounds found in whole foods), and many more. They can go in and help stabilize that shaky free radical and even undo some of the damage!

So make sure every day to disrupt the balance in your favor! Different color foods have different antioxidant properties, that's why it's recommended to "eat a rainbow" of produce (no, not Taste the Rainbow of Skittles! Nice try!) Dump in natural foods rich in antioxidants, and cut back how you can on unhealthy lifestyles that promote damage.

Here's the your pot o' gold o' health at the end of your rainbow!

xoxox
~Kaite