Holiday Health

It is the time of year for gathering with friends and family with some full meals, heavy soups, and high sugar treats. These things can be detrimental to your health when they are not supported by useful sources of nutrition. Good news! You get to be creative in the kitchen. As I say: Most things in moderation, some restricted.

While you’re preparing those leftovers from Thanksgiving, throw in some fresh vegetables! It is the season for broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, garlic, onions, spinach, kale, cabbage, and lettuce! All these things work well as garnishes, on sandwiches, in casseroles, and soups. Well, I wouldn’t put lettuce in soup, but cabbage soup is pretty tasty!

As it cools down, think soup! Soup is nice and warming, has the potential to provide you with several nutrients (it is all about what you toss in), and supplies your body with HYDRATION. We tend to remember to drink water in the summer while we are hot; yet, forget in the winter while we are hermits. You need hydration all year long. Soup to the rescue!

[https://therecipecritic.com/vegetable-detox-soup/]

Which brings us to the stars of the show… these winter vegetables.

Garlic and Onions: Antimicrobial (bacteria, fungi, and viruses); High in sulfur which replenishes glutathione essential for detoxification; High in Manganese, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C

Broccoli and Cauliflower: High in Vitamin C; good source of fiber and potassium; contains isothiocyanates that reduce oxidative stress

Carrots: Excellent source of beta-carotene; good source of threonine which is an amino acid used to treat neurological disorders and helps thymus growth and immune cell functions

Spinach: High in vitamin K; high in beta-carotene; high in Vitamin C; good source of Manganese

Kale: Same as spinach with additional anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. I add kale to all my recipes!

Cabbage: Great source of vitamin C

These vegetables (plus, many more and fruits) are sources of metabolites and biologically active components that are found to be beneficial to overall health and several immune functions.

Phytochemicals: aid in detoxification, stimulate the immune system, prevent DNA damage, repair DNA damage, regulates hormones, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic

Flavonoids: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic, inhibits neurodegeneration, regulates the immune system, antimicrobial

[https://www.growbetterveggies.com/growbetterveggies/2017/11/tending-a-winte.html]

While cooking some vegetables, be careful not to boil your soup. Why?

Vitamin C.

– Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It cleans up waste within your body by capturing free radicals. Free radicals are unstable, highly-reactive particles that cause cell damage. You want to limit these!

– Because Vitamin C is water-soluble, it is excreted in your urine. This means that you must constantly replenish this vitamin for use. It also means that Vitamin C escapes foods when exposed to heat and water. Boiling as preparation for vegetables high in vitamin C breaks down this vitamin, and it can get lost in the liquid. That is obviously okay in soups! If you are worried about the heat, just add your vitamin C rich vegetables LAST and be careful when reheating leftovers. Or, you can do what I do and just save some vegetables and add them in each time you reheat your soup.

Vitamin C is also tolerable in high doses with no upper limit toxicity. The only documented side effect is abdominal discomfort and bowel flushing in frequent mega-doses.

Yet, some vegetables love the heat!

A gentle sauté before tossing them in soup can bring out the flavors and do wonders for carotenoids found in carrots and deeply colored root vegetables! These are excellent vegetables in soups.

Beta-carotene: This is a mineral that is converted to Vitamin A. Beta-carotene has anti-cancer properties specific to the gut, lungs, and leukemia. Dietary beta-carotene is safe in high doses as the body will not convert more beta-carotene than needed. Retinol (another form of vitamin A) is already converted and can be absorbed in toxic amounts as it is readily stored in fats. Vitamin A protects your skin and mucous membranes (your first line of defense!). Vitamin A fortifies the immune system and is essential for eye health and vision.

Most of all, have fun combining flavors and find what works for you and your family. Some vegetables are a pain to prep; some are easier. Some people cannot tolerate certain flavors; some put garlic in EVERYTHING (guilty!). I capitalize on naptime for veggie prep. Hours in the kitchen may save you hundreds in the stores seeking out illness remedies. A fortified immune system is well-equipped to fight off those “seasonal” invaders!

Shalom, light, and love.

Sites to Consider:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/17387-nutritional-value-carrots/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/252758.php
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-threonine#section=Top
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465813/
http://www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancer-risk/diet/elements_phytochemicals.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60
https://www.livescience.com/45293-onion-nutrition.html
https://www.livescience.com/45408-broccoli-nutrition.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cauliflower#section

Lesson #3.5: Education is Key to Informed Consent, Everything Else is Coercion

Part 2 of 2.

Aside from the “medical neglect” fiasco, the nurse felt like the pediatrician involving the DA, PD, and CPS stemmed from a huge misunderstanding. The pediatrician hadn’t been in to speak with me since she threatened to call the very people who visited the afternoon prior. So, the nurse convened a meeting. The pediatrician, charge nurse, and my primary nurse came in. They spoke their side. I spoke mine. I questioned everything. I got vague answers. She didn’t care to see what I compiled on my laptop. I questioned the dangers, showing her the insert. The nurses downplayed the adverse effects listed, saying the neurological effects were for older populations. One even said the neurological risks were with multiple vaccines and not for this vaccine (though, it is written in its specific insert). Somehow the immature immune system and developing organs of a newborn are more adept to take on this vaccine than an adult with fully functioning immune systems and mature organs? Or, do we ignore presentations in infants? Perhaps, we call these presentations and conditions “idiopathic” and SIDS.

My husband arrived with the kids. We discussed the issues as a group. Well, they discussed. To stop the pediatrician from prying and fear of something happening to take our children from us, we consented. Under duress. I see now that this was not truly informed consent. Consent is an act of freewill. I should have protected him better. I didn’t.

Immediately after the vaccine (over 30 hours into his life), my infant developed horizontal nystagmus every time his gaze drifted. I pointed it out, and the pediatrician did not address it. This persisted for about 2-3 weeks. At his follow-up visit, I mentioned it again and the new pediatrician did not address it. At his one month visit, the nurse and pediatrician asked for clarification about his milestone questionnaire. “He sleeps 20 hours a day?!” “Yep. Including nursing sessions, he only has 4 hours of wakefulness.” That was an overestimate. It was sometime between month 2 and 3 when he started to come around.

I spent months following his birth compiling my research and knowledge. I was not prepared for the day of his birth, and I was going to be prepared for the in-clinic visit. I am prepared today. I even researched the adjuvant ingredients. Adjuvants are substances that the body would identify as foreign and mount a “stronger immune response” toward, at least that is the theory. They’ve used Aluminum in vaccines for so long that it is assumed to be “safe” because vaccines are assumed to be safe. See how that works?

Aluminum (Al) is present in our environment. We consume it. The EPA regulates the “safe” amount of aluminum in our water. Remember, there is a difference between consuming substances that confront your gastrointestinal tract (first line of defense) and bypassing all that and placing it into your muscle for direct absorption (sources calculate absorption within 10 minutes or sustained for weeks). Aluminum is poorly absorbed in the GI tract; this has been studied. Intramuscular (IM) aluminum has not been studied. The DHHS and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states that “healthy serum levels of Aluminum are 1-3 mcg per liter.” A healthy adult (upper-end 5.5 liters of blood) would have a maximum serum Al level of 16.5 mcg. A newborn infant would have a max of 0.6 mcg Al for their entire blood volume. A single dose of the Hep B vaccine contains 225-500 mcg of Aluminum. TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE AT THE VERY LEAST. That is 375 times the healthy serum level for an infant! Are. We. Serious?!

The equivalent, 375 times the safety limit, for an adult is a 6,187.5 mcg Al injection. Who volunteers to test the effects of that? No? Does this not pose valid concerns? Health agencies say the amount of Al in vaccines is “extremely low.” By what standards? Why aren’t we questioning this adjuvant? It’s a neurotoxin, yet we give it to babies within minutes of life. A reckless, in my opinion, and clearly unsafe amount of it. What are the consequences of the entire Al quantity being released systemically within 10 minutes? How does that differ from a sustained release over time? Why don’t we study absorption IM of Aluminum? (Side note: I recently reviewed some documents and it looks like 2 doses of Hep B were given to my newborn, one of each type, in one single injection.)

But hey, correlation doesn’t equal causation and my healthy newborn may have coincidentally developed the eye drift and twitches 30 hours into life. My baby was simply categorized as “a sleepy baby.” Extreme drowsiness is a documented symptom of aluminum toxicity, but he was just an infant. How would we know? We have no qualms with too much sleep. If an adult acted that way, we would do a slew of tests because that isn’t normal. That’s what they tell us about anything developing after a vaccine. It is a coincidence that it developed after injection. This was a healthy newborn. That was not a coincidence. The ATSDR even reports “neurological effects” due to toxic levels of Aluminum. Don’t take my word for it, go fact check me on all of this. I’ll provide you some links.

If I only knew then what I know now, I would have demanded more from the pediatrician than a nod in your direction when I pointed out your nystagmus twice. I would have advocated better for you. I would have pressed them to acknowledge the concerns. I would have pointed out all of these facts, but mama was still learning. If I knew then what I know now, I would have stood my ground for you. You depend on me, and I won’t fail you again. Guaranteed.

Shalom, light, and love.

 

Sites to Consider:
Al ToxGuide: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxguides/index.asp&ved=2ahUKEwjhlOiCjabaAhXr6oMKHeF9D-UQFjAEegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0ubhOoPxYMBL-F3uSckYHf
Al neurotoxic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782734/
Al in drinking water: https://www.wqa.org/Portals/0/Technical/Technical%20Fact%20Sheets/2014_Aluminum.pdf
CDC adjuvant page: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/adjuvants.html (you will see their claim to low levels link is broken) Further down the page there is an ingredient list, if you are interested.
Al MSDS: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922853

Your Clean Routine: Healthy or Harmful?

When I was newly pregnant with my firstborn, we made lots of changes at home. I was also taking microbiology. I learned many valuable things here about cleaning. Let’s be honest, my husband does most of the cleaning in our home… so HE learned lots. I help, I do…

Anyways. We are organisms, duh. But more importantly, we are COVERED in organisms. They live on us and in us. An average of 10lbs of our gut flora is microbiota. Fascinating. I’m sure everyone has heard of being “too clean.” That’s right. You destroy all your natural protections (including your environment, skin, and digestive tract) and you’ll be battling chronic illness. There was a study that showed 60% of contaminants in water when placed on the skin, were absorbed systemically. Skin is your first layer of defense; it’d be wise to protect it!

So what about our homes? I understand sanitizing public areas, ick, but what about our houses? As a general rule, our germs in our own homes won’t kill us, so there is no need to try and sanitize every surface. If you regularly have visitors or someone is sick, sure, take extra cleaning measures. But, there is really no indication for heavy cleaning products (antibacterials, antivirals, antiseptics, you get the point?) and too much in your toilets could kill your septic! That leads to additional maintenance and is toxic to the environment. No septic? You realize that water gets recycled? Help those microorganisms do their job, don’t kill them. We live in this environment, might want to help it flourish. What’s more is: this is about YOU!

You could be contaminating yourself with those cleaners in your immediate environment…
•If you won’t spray it on your skin, why is it on your floors and counters that you touch?
•If you won’t inhale it, why are you spraying it in your air?
•If you won’t pour it on your body, why do you wash your clothes in it?
•If you won’t ingest it, why do you use it to wash dishes? Those soaps and/or detergents touch the foods you consume and liquids you drink.
Think about it.

Those cleaners don’t entirely wash off, does anyone follow their surface cleaning routine with a power rinse? Do you really think detergents are completely washed off of your clothes (ever use scented?) or soap off your dishes? Those are questions you need to think about when you purchase cleaning products and chemicals at the store. READ THOSE LABELS. Google in the aisle if you must!

No, we didn’t immediately pick up recycling, start bicycling everywhere, and go green; but, we threw out so many harsh cleaning chemicals. Baby steps. We changed our detergents, soaps, and my beauty products. A basic (not antibacterial) soap and water is perfect for everyday cleaning of your home! We stopped using fluoridated toothpaste, a confirmed neurotoxin! No, we aren’t perfect and sometimes you unavoidably buy crappy products that look safe. Or, the company you trusted goes rogue to save money. It happens. Know better, do better.

I don’t know why I didn’t share some of this stuff sooner. I hope this helps you on your journey to better health habits. More to come…

Shalom, light, and love.

 

Sites to consider:
https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/
https://www.ewg.org/