Are You Toxic?; Broc-Cauli Chowder with Bacon
Health Tip:
As the weather warms up, don’t forget to stretch after outdoor activities such as gardening, yardwork, or even walking. Often we feel good doing the activity but may be sore the next day or so; stretching will help decrease or even prevent the negative after effects of your activity. Get out there and enjoy moving your body!
Monthly Article:
Are You Toxic?
Definition of toxin: “a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation.”
We can be exposed to toxins daily in our food, water, drink, and air. These toxins are often chemical byproducts, heavy metals, microbes, malfunctioning biological processes, petro chemicals, and synthetic chemicals. What we put in and on our body DOES affect our health. Toxins can contribute to food cravings and weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, joint and muscle pains, digestive upsets, skin issues, and low libido. Toxins enter our body through the lungs, skin, and gut/intestines.
Once a toxin gets into our body, the detoxification process needs to start. This detoxification process primarily happens in the liver. Excess toxins that have not been removed yet are stored in fat cells, bone marrow, the central nervous system, joints, blood, muscle, and even the liver itself. Some detoxification is easy for the liver only requiring a simple step before the body can safely eliminate the toxin. Most toxins, though, require several phases to the detoxification process to render the toxin safe to eliminate. We need LOTS of vitamins and minerals to make sure this detoxification process works properly. If we only support the beginning part of detoxification in the liver we may inadvertently cause more harm because some of those toxins are made even more toxic on the way to making them safe to remove. Sounding complicated? It is! (Hang in there! I’ll give some actionable items before the end!)
Organs of elimination include the skin, bowels, lungs, kidneys, and liver. We want to make sure these organs are working their best so that once those toxins have been made safe to excrete that they can leave quickly. You don’t want a toxin hanging around any longer than it needs to. The longer it hangs out, the more damage your body has.
Ok, so who needs detoxification?
Women with hormone imbalances (PMS, cycle issues, estrogen dominance)
People that want to improve energy and lose weight
Those with food and environmental allergies (seasonal allergies)
Those that are sensitive to chemicals
People that are regularly exposed to chemicals with their job
Those couples wanting to conceive
How do we detox?
The first step is actually trying to not get exposed in the first place. Start by going through what you have in your home first. What chemicals do you use to clean with? What personal care products are you using? There are almost always healthier alternatives that you can find. What kind of water are you drinking and bathing in? Chlorine is often added to water to prevent microbes but we really should be removing the chlorine before we drink or bathe in it. Filters do a decent job of this. Don’t forget a shower filter! While whole house filters are great, they can be expensive so I often suggest the filters for most people just making the change. What kind of foods are you eating? The more processed the food, the more chances there are toxins OR it will make it harder for your body to detox because you don’t have the right nutrients. Foods that will aid you in detoxing include cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, etc), garlic, onions, green tea, bitter greens, flax…. This is by no means a complete list.
Poor diet is the leading risk factor for mortality in the US. As Americans, we often do not get nearly enough veggies and fruits in our daily diet. We should be eating 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies each day. Do you get enough veggies? If not, try adding a serving of veggies and go from there.
Many people will begin to detox better by just adding in good whole foods that encourage the detoxification and elimination process. Sometimes we need a little help getting that started and supplements may be helpful. I do strongly encourage having these tested for your body so that you detox to the level your body is ready for. Sometimes we cannot detox yet because the organs of elimination need some tender loving care first. We do not want to create more problems while trying to fix something.
It can take a while to get your body detoxing properly and we often need regular maintenance as well. At Smith Chiropractic & Nutrition, we like to encourage cleaning up our insides twice a year. While we are talking about detoxing our bodies, we don’t want to forget about detoxing our mind and making time for meditation, exercise and massage!
Recipe of the Month:
Broc-Cauli Chowder with Bacon
If you’re looking for an easy way to eat your veggies, this chowder is it! In every bowl of this creamy side dish, you get a heaping helping of both broccoli and cauliflower.
4 cups broccoli, chopped and steamed
2 cups chicken or beef broth
4 cups cauliflower, chopped and steamed
4-6 cloves of roasted garlic
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
4 slices of bacon, baked and chopped
Using a blender, liquefy the broccoli with half of the broth until smooth. Repeat the process with the cauliflower and the remaining broth. Add the roasted garlic to either of the batches before blending again.
Combine the soup purees in a large pot over medium heat. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to combine the two purees. Add more stock, ¼ cup at a time, if the soup is too thick.
Garnish with baked, chopped bacon.
Notes from author: You can make the soup with just broccoli or just cauliflower. Prep time 30 minutes, cooking time 30 minutes. Yield is approximately 8 servings.
From ‘Practical Paleo’ by Diane Sanfilippo, pg. 336
Upcoming Activities and Announcements:
Roots to Health talk Tuesday April 12 at 6:15. Topic: Fermentation! Please sign up at the front desk. Bring a friend and write a question! This is a casual time to learn about the real Roots to Health!
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