Archive for the ‘AA – Lita’s thoughts’ Category

9
Dec

Healthy Eating Habits – Are Pesticides Yummy?

   Posted by: Lita Tags: , , ,

 

In the early 1980s you could find me teaching myself Yoga and shopping in health food stores (although there weren’t many of them back then).  My friends and family thought I was nuts.  I was also buying environmentally friendly cleaning products.  I once invited my Mom to a meeting so she could learn more about the products.  At the time, this type of thinking was non-conventional.  She actually thought I was involved in a cult!! 

Back then I was also practicing healthy eating habits by washing my fruits and vegetables in a cleaning solution.There is mounting evidence in the scientific journals regarding the invasive ways in which small doses of pesticides affect humans.  This is particularly so while in the critical stages of fetal development and childhood where the results of exposure in the long term  may be unknown  Also, consider those that have compromised immune systems and the elderly who may not eat properly to begin with.  Why take chances?  Why not practice healthy eating habits and lessen the risk as much as possible for yourself and your family?

 These days we now have organic produce to choose from.  The Organic industry embraces an ecological means to farming.  This means farmers are unable to rely on, or permit the usage of, toxic substances, synthetic pesticides, irradiation, genetically modified organisms, sewage sludge, antibiotics or chemical fertilizers.  Although produce that is “certified organic” will cost you more it may be your best bet for serving your family pesticide-free food.  

Consider the following 3 steps to healthy eating habits:

  1. If you can buy organic then do so.  Buying organic is expensive and many people are unable to afford to shop this way but don’t despair – read on.
  2. Purchasing in-season, locally grown produce from your community retailers will help you reduce your risk of exposure to preservatives that are used in food transported over long distances.  These include waxes, irradiation, gases, synthetic chemicals like fungicides and sprout inhibitors that will lessen the nutritional quality of your foods while having a negative effect on your health.
  3. Whether you buy organic or not, do practice healthy eating habits by washing your fruits and vegetables.  Over 70% of conventional produce samples have traces of pesticides and chemical residue.  A major problem lies in the fact that most pesticides and chemicals will penetrate the skin of the fruit and contaminate the inside. In spite of this, it is still a wise choice to thoroughly wash produce to remove superficial dirt and reduce the risk of spreading bacterial illnesses such as salmonella.  You will still have the potential for exposure to harmful pesticides that have penetrated the interior of the vegetable or fruit but at least you are doing what you can to reduce your risk.   For washing your produce look for an environmentally friendly cleaning product that is biodegradable, contains no phosphates and comes with the green seal certification or try the following homemade solution recommended by Kendra of handprints on the wall:

Produce Spray – Makes about 2 cups

  •  1 cup water
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
  • 20 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir slowly and carefully as the combination of vinegar and baking soda causes quite a bit of foaming.  Once the bubbles have gone down, pour the solution into a spray bottle.  Spray on produce before eating.  Let sit 10 minutes before rinsing well.
  • *Note: Don’t ever soak mushrooms in this solution as they will only absorb it.

Arm yourself with the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce produced by The Environmental Working Group.  This will give you a ranking of contamination found in 44 popular fruits and vegetables.  For example, peaches have the highest pesticide score followed by apples and sweet bell peppers.  This is not meant to force us to eliminate our favorite foods from our selection.  This is meant to help us with healthy eating habits and wise choices.  Armed with this list when you are shopping you can use the guide to shop for organic alternatives to the conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that are likely to contain the most residues of pesticides.  As organic food can be very expensive this list will help you choose conventionally grown food with the lowest residue of pesticide.  You can choose from the best of both worlds while keeping your family healthy and keeping your costs down.

The Environmental Working Group has also listed the “Dirty Dozen” contaminated fruits and vegetables and they believe that by switching those with the least contaminated or organic versions then people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent.

The key is to reduce the exposure that you and your family have to pesticides.  If you are able then buy organic.  In the alternative, try to substitute the most highly sprayed fruits and vegetables with organically grown and continue to buy conventional fruits and vegetables for the remainder of your needs.  Fruits and vegetables that you purchase in conventional form should be thoroughly washed and peeled in order to remove, as much as possible, the surface chemical residues.

By adding these suggested methods to your healthy eating habits and washing your fruits and vegetables you will do more to reduce your family’s risk of exposure to harmful substances than by doing nothing at all.

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26
Nov

Laughter Therapy

   Posted by: Lita Tags: ,

I’m addicted.  Is this a bad thing? I absolutely MUST get some laughs in every day. Lately, I’ve been enjoying laughs between 11:00 pm and 12:00 pm watching my favorite TV comedy sitcom.  You would think, at this time of day, I would have complete freedom to just sit and have a good laugh.  I can’t believe it when my 18 year old daughter gives me one word answers to my friendly questions during the day (in other words mostly ignores me) then thinks nothing of dropping major bombshells on me during my sacred time of humour.

–         11:10 pm – Mom, I have to have $250 no later than 9:00 am in the morning to pay for the deposit on that course at University. I respond –  Huh? What course are you talking about and when did you tell me about this?

–         11:20 pm – Mom, I have a lump the size of a golf ball on my leg.  It’s been there for months.  My boyfriend’s Mother has a hernia and she has the same symptom and now I’m worried so I’m leaving immediately and I’m going to the hospital emergency department. I respond – WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? – Why didn’t you go to a clinic during the day? Why haven’t I heard about this before?

–         11:30 pm – Mom, my boyfriend just doesn’t understand me and we had a big fight two days ago and now all of our friends are taking his side and no one loves or respects me (tears flowing) – I respond – Mute the TV and while continually glancing at it I try to find some sympathy and understanding for this problem that I have heard so many times over and over during the years

–         11:40 pm – Mom, I’m starting a new diet tomorrow and here is a list of all the foods that I will need starting with breakfast in the morning plus I’m buying a juicer for my diet. It costs $200.  Can you help me pay for it?  I respond – PLEASE can we please talk about this tomorrow?

–         11:50 pm – Mom, I have to have a full length, black evening dress, with sleeves, for my Choir concert on Friday night.  When can we go shopping for it?  Oh, and my car has been making a banging noise for the last week or so.  It’s getting really bad – what should we do about it?  I respond – Why didn’t you tell me these things before, like all day today or yesterday or the day before, when I wasn’t indulging in my very best hobby of humour?

I have read that laughter relaxes the body and reduces problems associated with high blood pressure, strokes, ulcers and even arthritis.   I’ve also read that laughter decreases stress hormones while producing a general sense of well-being.  Remember the saying “laughter is the best medicine”? Humour is one of the most powerful tools that we can use to heal ourselves and reduce tension in our lives while building bonds and creating rapport with others. 

Considering I live with a teenager, humour could be a necessity in my life irrespective of my desire for it.  Do you have a good sense of humour and the ability to laugh at stressful situations? If so, these qualities will go a long way in helping to mitigate the damaging physical effects that distressing emotions may cause.  These days I fight the gray hair, wrinkles and teenage bombshells in whatever way that I can.  This includes good quality supplements, lots of physical activity and, my favorite, a daily dose of laughter.

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20
Nov

Adults Avoiding Injury in Martial Arts and Other Sports

   Posted by: Lita Tags: , , , ,

Speaking as one who has suffered her fair share of injuries on the journey to Black Belt I want to share some observations and suggestions that may help adults not only in Martial Arts but other forms of aggressive exercise and sports.

As I started progressing through the belt ranks I became more and more serious about training.  I wanted to be at the dojo (karate school) all the time.  I went to every class that I could during the week.  This meant I was training every single day, 5 days per week all in a row.  Big Mistake!! Eventually I was suffering with shin splints from the warm ups where endless jumping jacks and plyometrics are performed.  I also started to feel pain in my ankle and knee. The initial ankle pain eventually turned into a serious problem that took me out of the game for 6 months.  I wasn’t listening to my body’s cry for mercy.  My “older” body needed recovery time between sessions.  I cannot stress enough the importance of a day of recovery to give your tired muscles a rest between lessons or sports games.

I tended to ignore feelings of pain while pushing forward.  Eventually I found an awesome Chiropractor who practices ART (Active Release Technique).  This is a specific technique that deals with soft tissue treatment.  ART is used for athletic performance enhancement, injury prevention and management.  I found this to be very effective for treating my injuries.  My Chiropractor became my savior.  The slightest hint of pain or tightness in my body and I am in his office getting treatment.  Adults cannot ignore feelings of pain while they continue to grind their bodies through grueling sessions.  I got smart and started listening to my body – and my Chiropractor who taught me the exercises that I need to do for my individual problems.

My good friend, Fernanda the Pharmacist and Herbalist, got me going on the proper supplementation to aide in keeping my joints and muscles healthy.  She recommended glucosamine as it’s needed to make and repair joint cartilage.  The cartilage serves as the cushion at the joint surface.  She also recommended MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) which provides sulfur making it a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails.  She suggested Celadrin which is a blend of fatty acids that enhances the cells membranes and their integrity for efficient functionality.  Celadrin prevents inflammation while restoring fluid to cushion bones and joints promoting flexibility and mobility.

Lots of good clean water and learning what foods to consume before and after training sessions is also essential for performance and a healthy body.

Following proper recovery time, athletic injury prevention and management techniques, consuming good supplements and proper nutrition can all go a very long way in keeping your body healthy and therefore less prone to injury.

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