ELIMINATE - GEAR 5

      Let's make sure we have eliminated all the bad oils and fats from our kitchens. We should have already removed most, but let's check...

      The bad oils and fats include: margarine, vegetable shortening, trans fats: (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils), all commercial cooking oils and spray, (including corn, soybean, cottonseed, canola, peanut, safflower, grapeseed, rice bran, and wheat germ oils).

    None of those mentioned above are even real vegetable oils, as they usually come from highly processed grains, like corn and soybean. These are very inflammatory, and are usually chemically altered. Surprisingly, Americans get most of their fats from these sources.  Do not consume these!  Even if they are “Organic," they are no good.

      Also stay away from non-fermented soy products, such as tofu and soy milk. Always look for “soy protein isolate” on labels. Avoid things such as: soy protein, soy cheese, soy burgers, soy hot dogs, soy ice cream, soy creamers, soy yogurt, and soy sauce. If you enjoy soy sauce, use “Braggs Liquid Aminos," instead.

      Watch out for salad dressings, mayo, ketchup, mustard, BBQ and other sauces that are served in restaurants. They usually use cheaper oils, and can ruin an otherwise great meal.

     Try not to overdo on the “Yummy” seeds and nuts! Although they are healthy, too much is not good. An ounce or two per day is good. Then balance those omega 6’s out with more omega 3’s, like those found in:

• Freshly ground organic Flax seeds

• Freshly ground organic Chia seeds

• Wild caught, fatty fish like Sardines, Mackerel and Alaskan salmon.

      We have talked about how to modify the macro nutrients in our diet (fats, carbohydrates and proteins.) Now let's address the micro nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes.) These are required to effectively utilize the macro nutrients for energy production, detoxification, cellular repair and function. The question arises to whether our food intake supplies sufficient amounts of theses essential nutrients, or if basic supplementation makes sense. 

      In a perfect, non-toxic, non-stressful world, consuming a wide variety of colorful vegetables, clean meats and healthy fats might suffice to keep us healthy! Unfortunately, most of us would agree that a “perfect world” is not the environment we live in today.

While some basic nutritional support is wise, we need to make sure that our vitamins are not toxic, similar to the foods we trying to get rid of! Here is the sad and ugly truth about most over the counter vitamins:

Look at the examples below and notice the things we are suggesting you eliminate.

• Get rid of all vitamins with artificial colors as most are known carcinogens. These artificial colors and dyes are usually listed at the bottom of the ingredients list.

• Don’t buy any supplements with synthetic Vitamin E which will be labeled as dl-Alpha Tocopheryl (it's the "l" that makes it synthetic)

• Avoid any vitamins with iron as this can increase your risk for free radical production if you aren’t anemic. Rarely cook with cast iron.

• Don’t purchase vitamins with poorly absorbed minerals like calcium carbonate.

• Make sure your vitamins don't contain unnecessary binders or fillers that make them hard to break down and absorb. You can test this by dropping them into a glass of lukewarm water. They should dissolve within 45 minutes.

It is estimated that more than 60% of over-the-counter supplements are useless because of poor quality, added binders or they don’t contain what they say they do. These include the well advertised “A to Z" vitamins from most grocery stores, drug stores and even national chain vitamin retailers.

Remember, if it looks like a good deal on a big cheap bottle... it probably isn't. Our health will not benefit by poor supplementation, and may even be harmed.

      Foods

Try to purchase the highest quality foods possible while eliminating the lower quality, potentially toxic foods that are highly processed or genetically modified. 

     Keep an eye out for processed meats to avoid, such as those found at the deli, restaurants and fast food joints.  These include even high priced deli meats! These meats are often filled with chemicals and poor quality fillers. Most likely they are cooked right in the plastic, they come in!

      Stay away from regular bacon, as it is very high in added nitrites and nitrates. “Steer clear” (pun intended) of traditional beef, as it is likely inflammatory, due to the way in which the cattle are raised. Cattle, chickens, and other animals/birds are usually kept in confined areas, which are very unnatural and stressful for them.

 Most likely, they are consuming feed that is unnatural and filled with antibiotics. Additionally, they are likely given hormones to fatten them up. These animals and birds are likely mistreated, as well.  The very fact of how they’re raised, in our opinion, is mistreatment in itself.   

      The end result is that we, as end consumers, purchase, support, and eat the unhealthiness of these animals and, in so doing, transfer that unhealthiness to ourselves. This is why it matters so much.

     We could be more aware of the unhealthy and inhumane practices of raising animals for food by researching the retailers and markets where we shop, and be more mindful of the foods we purchase and eat.

     Do your research, for more information on CAFO - confined animal feeding operations.

 Produce:  Beware of the “Dirty Dozen!”

         We also need to focus on the quality of the produce that we consume.  You may be familiar with the “Dirty Dozen!” These are the top twelve types of produce most highly sprayed with chemical pesticides!

Only buy organic nuts and seeds

     Nuts fall into the “Dirty Dozen” category also! All traditional nuts are heavily sprayed with pesticides because humans are not the only ones that love nuts! Pesticides are designed to keep the crops from being invaded by bugs, birds and animals, but, unfortunately, the result of these pesticides being applied is that, as the “end consumer,” we, as humans, are being poisoned as well.

     Hopefully, you are not using corn or corn oil any more. Aside from being high in carbs, these products are almost certainly “Genetically Modified.”  We need to watch for and avoid foods that are “GMO," or genetically modified organisms.

What is a GMO?

     A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, or animal, microorganism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA methods, also called gene splicing, gene modification or transgenic technology. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that do not occur in nature nor through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Household Goods

Let’s take an inventory of the products we use on our bodies, as well as those used in our homes.     

Let’s take a serious look at the products used in your home, for the care of your hair, skin, and teeth!  This would include shampoo, cream rinse, hair spray or gel, deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash, makeups, moisturizers, sunscreen, soaps, cologne and perfume.

     Let’s also look at the cleaning supplies you are using, as well as other products used around the house, such as bug sprays, dish soap, laundry detergent, floor cleaners, and bathroom cleaners.

    What about the cooking utensils and appliances that we use every day? Stay away from aluminum cookware, or any teflon coated pans. If your pans are older or scratched through the teflon coating, you really need to get rid of them. They are very unhealthy. Replace them with stainless steel, or ceramic coated cookware.

     Please focus on using your microwave less and never use plastics in it. Try not to use the microwave to cook food.  Use the microwave sparingly, and, ideally, only to warm up water or a cup of coffee or tea.

Watch out for the chemicals in your pool, or hot tub. Look into using epsom salt, ozone, or ultraviolet lights in the hot tub. Chlorine is an unhealthy chemical that absorbs through your skin and is also consumed through your non-filtered drinking water. 

Try to cut back on some of these toxic chemicals and consider using more natural products.

Let's talk about EMF's and Artificial Lighting!

This is a very long subject, so we are just going to touch on it briefly and let you look into it further if you desire.

     Let’s start with EMF's. 

     Electromagnetic fields are made up of electric and magnetic fields, which are situated perpendicular to one another and travel together in the form of an invisible wave. The low-frequency classification is given to non-ionizing radiation that has a lower frequency than visible light, such as that given off by the new 5G, which is a powerful disruption to our cells, as are computers, smart phones, tablets, microwave ovens, cell phone towers, routers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, MRIs and power lines, and forms of low radiation, like mammograms.

     High-frequency EMF radiation, on the other hand, encompasses the varieties that bear higher frequencies than visible light. These are ionizing radiation and include X-rays, Gamma rays, and UV light.

    Try to use your speaker, rather than putting your phone to your head all the time. 

Now let's bring some light to the subject!

     Let’s talk about “Artificial Lighting.”  Within the last few generations, we have gone from using candlelight, after dusk, to the other extreme, insofar as the amount, and type of lighting we use, once the sun has gone down. This is very disturbing. 

     We started with what is now considered “old fashioned” incandescent lights, that were just a glowing filament inside of a vacuum tube. These were full spectrum lights and had all the visible light that our sun has. Now, we’ve pretty much done away with those in the United States, with intentions of saving energy. While the new bulbs are more energy efficient, they have great negative impacts to our eyes, and the mitochondria in all our cells.

There are many things you can do to help. Things like wearing blue block glasses when on the computer for long periods. Downloading apps that help eliminate the blue light on phones, tablets, and screens.