4 things you can do right now to improve your health

I've spent quite some time reflecting on the changes my family and I have made in regards to the food we consume. They have taken time and have occurred over months or in some cases years.  I was on the right track in 2008; I'd say that's where my "real food" journey began, when I first came across the Environmental Working Group's guide to buying organic.  I decided then that I wanted to buy more and more of my produce organic and their lists helped me figure out where to hone in my focus.  Not that I'm a 100% organic produce person all the time, but when I can find it, when it fits and when it's what we want, I get it.

But here is a quick list of simple things you can do RIGHT now that will improve your health:

1. Consider buying any fruits or vegetables on the Dirty Dozen list as organic.  It may be an extra $1-2/type of fruit to go this route, but the pesticide count and toxic load it will place on your body will be SO much less.  Tons of research over the last year has indicated pesticides are linked to learning disorders in children and to memory deficit problems in older aged adults, so prevent what you can NOW while you can!  If it's hard for you to swallow the price tag, just remember you are making an investment in your health which can seriously pay off years down the road!
2. Buy little to no processed foods.  Not only will you better be off for it health-wise, but your pocketbook will thank you as well!  You may have found that some processed foods are really cheap, but consider how nutrient-dense they really are?  Buying less processed foods means you can buy higher-quality organic fruits & veggies, or grass-fed meat!  One of my friends is a nutritionist in Indianapolis, and she frequently recommends to her clients to shop the perimeter of the grocery store.  Most of the stuff in the middle aisles of the grocery store truly isn't healthy for you.  You've heard it before, but if you read the labels on the boxes of food and can't identify what an ingredient is, perhaps you shouldn't buy it.  It's taken me a while to realize that additives and artificial ingredients or food colorings truly weren't made to be consumed by our bodies. 
3. Try Coconut Oil.  You can find coconut oil in many of the natural sections of your grocery store and certainly at a health food stores.  There are many brands so while you familiarize yourself with coconut oil, just pick a bottle/jar that feels right to you.  Coconut oil has so many amazing properties; you can cook with it and you can even slather it on your face or your hair.  It's an amazing moisturizer!  It is one of those products, like vinegar or baking soda, with which you can do a lot.  I use coconut oil as a moisturizer, on my sweet potatoes, when I make popcorn, in baking and cooking.  Being antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial, are just a few of its health-boosting properties. 



A Coconut!
Photo Credit



Photo Credit

4. Lastly, consume probiotics.  You may get it through your yogurt, or via fermented foods, but if not, there are tons of pills and capsules on the market now. You want to find a probiotic that has BILLIONS of good bacteria, so check the label to see how diverse your probiotic is.  Why do you want to take probiotics?  Probiotics (which literally means 'for-life') help restore the healthy bacteria in your digestive system; if you've been on antibiotics for a longer course of time then consuming probiotics should be something you seriously consider as the antibiotics not only wipe away the bad bacteria, but the good bugs as well.   If you've watched TV over the last 5 years then surely you've seen those Activia commercials--that is what probiotics do!  I had to do a double-take the first time I was prescribed probiotics.  It was after Mia was born and I was struggling getting over mastitis even with antibiotics (bless her gut & mine)!!  My doula recommended probiotics with probably at least 10 billion cfu/gram.  Now I take Bio Kult every single day and if Mia is around when I take them, she gets one capsule as well!  I just open up the capsule and dump the contents on her tongue and she eagerly swallows with no whining.  Love sharing healthy habits with my daughter. 

Making these changes will not necessarily guarantee explosions of happiness in your home, but it will foster more nourishment.  You can feel better about the foods you and your family are consuming and know that you will be much healthier in the long run.  A plus side is, even if you STILL get sick from time to time on a "diet" such as this (as we have experienced 2x this winter season -- Mia's had both a cold & a cough), your symptoms will probably be much less severe and its duration much shorter.  Your immune system will be even more robust to fight off the evil bugs and keep your health & home in good shape.

Going organic?

Often times when people think of living and eating in a more healthy manner, the first thing they tell themselves is, "Well, I MUST buy organic!  That is going to be SO expensive!"  or  "I don't know how So & So does it. They must have deep pockets, because have you seen that organic stuff? It's expensive!"
Trust me, we've all been there.  Feeling super overwhelmed about the prospect of finding and being able to afford all organic.  Wondering if we'll see dramatic impacts on our health.  Also wondering if we'll look ridiculous trying to ensure foods meet our organic "standards."

Well, I have good news!  At least when it comes to produce.  A while back, one of my favorite companies, the Environmental Working Group, created a list of "The Dirty Dozen."  If you follow any kind of health blog or news, you've probably heard this list come before.  The EWG ranked the fruits & vegetables most contaminated with pesticides in the dirty dozen list; in other words, the produce you WANT to buy organic.  They also have a list of the "Clean 15," which are fruits & vegetables with the lowest pesticide count, meaning you could go either way (conventional or organic).  You can even download a pocket guide here or find an app for your iPhone!
You better believe I carry one of these reference lists in my wallet.

One easy way for me to remember, when I can't scramble into my wallet to find the list, is to think of fruits or vegetables with thin skins as generally containing more pesticides if conventionally grown, and fruits & vegetables with thicker skins having more protection or barriers from pesticides if conventionally grown.  This isn't true in every case, but considering that peaches, blueberries, apples, nectarines, cherries, potatoes & imported grapes are on the dirty dozen list, I generally feel safe with this assumption.

Now, if knowing that some of your favorite fruits & vegetables are high on the pesticide list isn't enough to sway you in trying to buy organic or locally-grown, consider what pesticides might actually do:

"The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood.  Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides." 

(EWG's Shopper's Guide available @ FoodNews.org)

Furthermore, a recent report from Pediatrics shows that there may be a link between pesticides found in children and the incidence of ADHD.  So, while sometimes it may not seem affordable, convenient, or just feasible to always get organic, it is still worth the consideration.  And if you can't, rinse your produce thoroughly!  Children have enough obstacles to deal with; preventing ADHD is just one wonderful way you can help them on to a better life!

So, if you buy organic, where do you get your produce?  At the grocery store?  Through a CSA (community supported agriculture)?   A co-op?  Your own backyard?  Do tell!