If you’ve ever done lettering, created a greeting card, made a poster, or anything that requires planning prior to execution, then you’ll appreciate the this well-known poster.
That’s what I’m doing right now. Planning ahead. Writing posts for Foodtalk4you several weeks in advance. Why? Because of superb efficiency? I wish.
I am struggling, even now, with a limited bandwidth. Each of us has a finite amount of energy… bandwidth … focus. Yes, there is a limit as to how many plates we can keep spinning up in the air at one time.
First, I am in Grandma heaven! Even before I get to hold my new granddaughter and marvel at her every breath, movement, and glance. I am floating on cloud nine! As I write this, it’s hard to focus, and it’s been less than a day since her birth. Of course, that was a few days ago now.
Second, I must stay in one piece as I drive to see her and return home. My cloud nine brain needs to concentrate on the Interstate.
Third, relationships need time and attention.
Fourth and fifth, I want to focus on revisions and additions to both Toolkit for Wellness and Toolkit for Caregivers – which is going to require massive concentration and commitment.
That leaves the sixth, learning the ins and out of putting both books in an audio format.
So, dear readers, let me ask you a few questions as I ‘plan ahead’: What wellness issues would you like to see amplified, changed, or addressed in a future version of Toolkit for Wellness?
If you have experienced an improvement in your health/wellness status from ideas you have implemented after reading Toolkit for Wellness, would you be willing to share?
The revised Toolkit for Caregivers will have expanded discussions about caregiver emotions, keys for resilience, how to transition away from caregiving when your loved one improves, and grief after caregiving. What other topics about general caregiver issues, (not specific to a particular disease), would you like to see?
Would you be willing to share any helpfulness that Toolkit for Caregivers has given you or to someone you have given the book to?
Please leave your thoughts, comments, and suggestions with me at deidre@toolkitsforhealth.com. Thank you so much!
In health-
Deidre
Shhhhhh!Baby’s sleeping ….
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Happenstance? Chance encounters? God wink? Coincidence? Or just dumb luck?
You pick.
As we slosh around on the ground in the day-to-day, our thoughts may stray to dumb luck.
It seems, though, when we take the proverbial bird’s eye view, or a higher suborbital view, we can often connect the dots of life happenings. Kind of like trying to help a 5-year-old understand that life is bigger than the little red-haired girl not wanting to sit next to them in lunch. It’s a matter of perspective.
Currently, I am surrounded by messages in books, articles, posts, texts, and conversations dealing with:
– Breaking down thought distortions
– Identifying limiting beliefs
-Exploring the childhood emotional experiences that taught us limiting beliefs
– Embracing and then releasing those limiting beliefs
Discovering the liberation created in not requesting band aids for our broken life, but rather taking a hold of the change and growth that is happening so we can become our best selves
Writing down our desires, not as, “I want,” statements, but as, “I see a future vision of myself,” statements. “I want,” emphasizes our lack. The, “I see a future vision of myself,” is full of hope, possibilities, and an implied plan of action.
Things around me are building into something more beautiful, powerful, and meaningful with every passing day. There is evidence, for me, of a great universal synchronicity – that is working for good.
Take the high-up view of your life. Are you seeing patterns of meaningful growth? How can you embrace that for the good?
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The phone is by my side as I await to hear of the birth of another granddaughter! Now, that’s something to celebrate!
Change proves there has been learning. Have you ever thought about it? If we learn a better way of doing something, our actions should follow the new way.
No change; no learning.
Are you learning about healthier eating? Did your last meal reflect that? Is there still junk food in your cupboards?
Being exposed to something does not mean we are learning – until we apply the new information. Then there is evidence of learning. It’s the process of internalizing new information to create a different behavior on our part.
So, what am I studying?
As a student of self-improvement and habit formation, I am discovering how to take steps beyond affirmations. Affirmations have their place, and I even offer a free, handy set of them on foodtalk4you. (See the Affirmations button towards the top of the home page).
What I am just beginning to learn is, roadblocks to our advancement in any area of life are rooted in emotional responses we developed when, as children, we created our natural response to life experiences. Think: Being loved and supported – or not – and every variation of that.
The guiding light to my exploration of creating and attracting positive outcomes in my life is THIS:
Now, Become a Manifesting Machine: Learn to Use The Law of Attraction to Embrace your Goals, Create Success, and Live the Life of your Dreams, may sound more than a little too, “out there” for you, but hold on.
Perhaps you have heard the term “law of attraction” before. No, it’s not a technique for using a dating app. If you are involved with sales of any kind, you have probably read books and have attended seminars about the law of attraction.
It’s tied to the power of positive thinking. Sort of akin to, “if you think you can – you can. If you think you can’t – you can’t.” Along with visualizations of success – think the Olympic athlete holding the image of perfect execution of their skill and racing across the finish line – there are also the mantras of, “I can do this!”
But wait! There’s more!
Are there roadblocks? Voices in the deep subconscious saying, “you don’t deserve this,” or “you are not good enough”?
The author of this book, Jennifer Teske, takes the reader through her experiences in conquering her personal roadblocks to success in various life goals – including the publishing of this very book and, recovering from the PTSD associated with the seeming death of her husband – by a deeper understanding of the source of her negative emotions … rooted in her childhood.
To summarize some key thoughts I am acquiring:
Beliefs are thoughts we keep thinking.
Each thought is tied to an emotion.
Any limiting beliefs we have, are tied to an uncomfortable emotion from childhood that we continue to feel as an adult.
Taming those limiting beliefs and behaviors that demonstrate a lack of advancement, will require reliving that pain from your youth.
To release a negative emotion/experience, we must allow it to fully exist and to feel that pain again.
Let that feeling wash over us; experience it fully, and do not push it away.
Then, it can naturally fade into the past, as we release it.
The only way out of negativity is through it.
I first spoke of my word of the year, “Embrace,” several years ago. It referenced my role as a 24/7 caregiver. As much as I wanted that role to vanish, I knew it was there to stay until my husband passed. I needed to embrace my role to get through it. I had to lean in.
The visceral response is, “No!” – but embrace, we must. Denial is not the answer; nor is it the answer in recovery from an event. I even shared a releasing technique in, Toolkit for Caregivers, that first acknowledges the emotion before it can be released.
If you are interested in learning from this excellent book, I highly recommend getting the paperback. Currently, I am reading the Kindle version and am trying to decipher my scribbled notes. The paper version was ordered today, and I can’t wait to start using a highlighter and writing in the margins!
Here’s to learning ways to get rid of limiting beliefs.
In health –
Deidre
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Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my brain the most.
Concern over loss of brain function seems to increase as we age, but research is showing that decreased brain function can even happen to young children if certain factors are in place.
Is this another hole-in-the-dam we need to plug? Absolutely. Like most problems, the causes are related to other things. Solve one or two, and a whole host of problems can be avoided.
peripheral nervous system
Today, I want to shine a light on BDNF, (Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor), whose presence is a key player in excellent brain function, and helps our peripheral nervous system, (AKA the nerves of our body outside of the brain itself). BDNF is a protein found in the brain that helps to ward off brain cell death and promotes the growth and development of new brain cells – along with their thousands of connections to other nerve cells.
Decreased levels of BDNF are associated with Alzheimer’s, premature aging, poor brain functioning, obesity, depression, and mental diseases.
Knowing ways to increase levels of BDNF in our brains just might be the impetus to tweaking some health habits. There’s nothing like motivation. Thing is, the answers to how to increase BDNF are not new, but the seriousness of being low on BDNF just might be the swift kick we need to make some changes. I know I am.
Intense Exercise is a crucial tool to increase/restore levels of BDNF, and obviously, has other benefits as well: Increased circulation to the brain, improved heart function, release of happy hormones, improved muscle and joint function, and … hello … helps with control of weight. A single trip to the gym to raise your heart rate one time, won’t tide you over for a month. Consistent effort with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise several times a week will do the job – over time.
Since pulling back from gyms during COVID, I had not returned. Simply relying on my home routine of daily planks, (I’m up to 7 minutes a day), using free weights, and walking has not been enough to boost my brain health or mood. Elliptical machine, here I come!
Intermittent Fasting (IF)/Caloric Restriction have been found to improve not only brain health, BDNF levels, but also heart function and better regulation of glucose levels. There will be a post about IF (Intermittent Fasting) soon. IF is when the fast of the night is extended into the late morning. More on this later.
Saying goodbye to refined sugar and saturated fat will also play a big role in not only raising BDNF levels, but in weight control and glucose regulation. Cutting back on sugar can be problematic because it really is addictive. As I stated on page 121 of, Toolkit for Wellness, sugar actually lights up the opiate receptors in our brains. If you haven’t done so already, start cutting down on sugars little by little; once you ultimately break free of the addiction, sweet things will not be calling you like sirens from the deep. Sugary foods will taste too sweet to be pleasurable – a smaller portion of any sugary treat will more than do the job.
Regarding saturated fat, keep fat selections to modest amounts of less refined good fats – including olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.
Sunlight is another booster to BDNF. Studies are showing that BDNF rises and dips according to seasons and levels of ambient light.
Supplements to consider that raise BDNF production include curcumin, green tea, omega-3 fatty acids, and resveratrol.
Losing weight at any age will assist in increasing the production of BDNF. The nationwide trend of obesity in the young is startling, not only because it’s the first domino to fall toward diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but because the developing brains of obese children are low in BDNF. Now, it may be a case of the chicken and the egg with childhood obesity and BDNF – they correlate with each other, but addressing the trifecta of sugar/fat consumption, decreased exercise, and lack of social interaction, (next on the list), will go a long way to improved brain health.
Being socially engaged has been an issue during COVID, to be sure. It wasn’t just in our heads … although, really it was … that our brain functions were sluggish and low during our isolation because the BDNF levels were, too. Yes. We are social creatures and it’s no coincidence we are feeling mentally refreshed as we take our vaccinated selves back into the world of smiling faces.
Here’s to increasing levels of BDNF to boost our brain health for life. I’m returning to the gym with my exercise buddy tomorrow, who is also in Noom. Weight mastery, exercise, and social interaction – what could be better?
In health and BDNF –
Deidre
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Rrrrring! Yawn. Get out of bed. Flip on the coffee. Shower. Dress. Consume last drop of caffeine. Eat something quick. Go to work.
Wait.
Was there anything in there for you?
Anything to smooth your way into a great day – or one even better?
One of the blessings of being retired has been a vast expansion of my morning routine, but retirement is not a necessary for a more mindful start to any day.
Even while driving to my early morning clinical rotations to meet students before 7 am, I repeated a personal affirmation/prayer that set my mind on a path of gratitude and kept me watchful for opportunities to be a blessing to others.
What are you doing to get your mind, heart, and body on a positive path?
Perhaps you have a favorite playlist that can get you perking along with the coffee, or perhaps you ease into the day with meditation music like I do?
When I need an upbeat tune that puts a spring into my steps, I’ll ask Alexa to play Enchantment of the Elves by Llewellyn. It just makes me so happy and gets me moving in sync to match its sprightly beat.
Many people turn to a session of yoga or do exercise to get the blood flowing to their brains and to their muscles before starting their day.
Just going outdoors to walk or let out our pets can address mind, body, and spirit needs in the human as well as for our furry companions. Use that time to maximize your well-being. Are you using all your senses during that walk? What are you seeing, hearing, feeling, or smelling?
Mornings are a great time to do the body scan I share a few weeks ago. How are you doing body? Are you standing okay? Balanced? Anything hurt?
Do you have a minute or two to journal your morning thoughts? Or perhaps you can take a few moments to set your intention silently or verbally for the day. What will your mindset be as you approach the tasks before you?
Are you facing an elephant-sized set of projects? Which one is the absolute priority, and what is the minimal first step you can take to successfully check off forward motion for the day before heading onto the next thing?
Is your first meal going to do your body good? Clean protein, veggies, and fruit instead of a sugar, starch, or fat bomb?
When we start the day by being mindful to our needs, being kinder in our outreach to others comes much easier.
In health-
Deidre
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How often have we created a wonderful salad full of nature’s best ingredients – maybe fresh from the garden – only to douse it with a commercial brand of dressing – littered with chemicals, alphabet soup, sodium, sugar/high fructose corn syrup, and highly processed oils?
Well, sometimes we just stick with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but don’t you yearn for creamy goodness occasionally?
I sure do, especially since salads have become a mainstay in my diet and lots of fresh tomatoes are just outside my back door.
Since visiting Midtown Olive Oil, located in our scenic historic downtown, I found their recipe for Creamy Vinaigrette to be the perfect match for my regular salads, and does not shoot down my efforts to eat as organically as possible.
Without further ado, let’s get to the recipe, which I have tweaked to the healthier side.
Put all ingredients into a blender bowl or bowl (if using an immersion blender). Pulse several times; scrape the sides of the container, and pulse some more until ingredients are well blended and there are no chunks left of the shallot. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator.
Pure, simple, and wholesome goodness to crown your salads.
In health-
Deidre
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At last, we are getting out to restaurants again – a chance to reconnect and to enjoy food not cooked by us. See if this a familiar scenario: You are going to meet up with a couple friends with whom you have not socialized since early last year.
For weeks prior to getting vaccinated and going mask less.
However, you had started a campaign to get rid of those pounds that had crept around your waist in the last 18 months.
You’re thinking you might have a salad with grilled meat on top when one of your friends chimes in with, “Man, it’s so good getting back out again with you guys! Let’s go whole hog and celebrate! First round is on me AND there will be dessert! Yay!”
You look to your other friend who was considering the salad menu as well but puts it down declaring, “You’re right! This is going to make up for over a year of deprivation! I hear their lasagna is to die for, and the breadbasket is bottomless!”
You probably know how this meal will go. Who are you to diminish the party by drinking water, saying no to the alcohol, lasagna, bread, AND the dessert?
It’s human nature. Apparently, we cannot shake that primordial instinct to exist more safely in a group. That desire to belong, to be in the safety of numbers, and looking to others for a consensus is played out every day.
Even if it is to our detriment.
Being swayed by the input of others is often called “norm matching.” It can govern not only what you choose to eat, but when you pick up your fork (when someone else does) and even matching your consumption to others.
I was reintroduced to this concept in terms of food choices in the Noom cour, I have spoken about. [This link will get you 2 weeks free on Noom and a 20% discount. I will receive monetary thanks from Noom if you use it.]
As I did a little research about norm matching, the link to Solomon Asch’s famous conformity experiment from the 1950s quickly popped up. Look at the image of the two cards below:
The assignment is to choose either A, B, or C, to be the match for the line on the card to the left. There were many sets of cards needing matches such as this one in his experiment.
Not rocket science.
Only 1% of those being studied chose incorrectly when their answers were given silently and anonymously. Open the floor to discussion, introduce some clearly incorrect responses by some planted actors, and 75% of the people being studied went along with the false consensus at various times during the study.
All in the name of conformity.
Which begs the question. Who’s driving your bus?
As I was researching today, a recent conversation with a friend popped into my mind. My friend was concerned about a family member who is following the lead of a circle of friends who believe that being vaccinated against Covid is unnecessary because Covid is not real.
Sigh.
Whether the choice is lasagna vs. grilled chicken salad or getting vaccinated or not, do your due diligence at your research of valid, verifiable, science. Look at your resource; check credentials; get input from a variety of sources.
Order you meal first. Maybe you can lead the crowd by saying that you’re celebrating getting together by honoring your body with a healthy choice.
My concern – more than food choice, however – is whether the person at the next table to you – who has delayed getting vaccinated – will get Covid from you and require hospitalization.
For more information about the Covid vaccine, check out this helpful WEBSITE.
In the words of Fiona Robertson in Norm Matching (fionarobertson.com): “You can’t change the way human brains are wired, but if you understand them, you can work with them instead of against them.”
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They were five little words – well, they contain two contractions, but I’m not splitting hairs.
Five words that have inspired me since discovering them.
Five words that have motivated me to be better.
Five words that are helping me push several tasks to completion.
“Enough!”
“Give me the @#%& five words!”
Hold on to your hat, pilgrim, I’m getting there. Just a minute.
These words were wrapped around a small square of goodness called Dove dark chocolate.
I’ve emphasized the important benefits of dark chocolate over the years – namely an abundance of all the good things: trace minerals, and antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins. All-in-all, these compounds in dark chocolate have been studied showing that they can help with our cholesterol profile, lower heart disease risk, and help with brain function.
Of course, eating the entire bag of Dove dark chocolate squares would be counterproductive. Moderation in all things. Remember my personal mantra: “It’s so good, you only need one!”
Anyway, these little treasures are individually wrapped in foil which makes for a neat, clean, conveyance of just the right amount of tasty satisfaction – contrary to Hershey Kisses which are a bit too small to quench that chocolate urge.
Printed on the inside of each wrapper is a clever saying that assists the consumer with a contemplative thought to savor while that square of bliss melts in the mouth.
You might see messages such as” “You’ve got this,” “Cherish each moment,” “Be fearlessly authentic,” “Share a smile,” or “Study a flower.”
The maxim that has recently inspired me so much is a play on words we often shared with our children: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,” or “Be your best in all you do,” – all in our best parental efforts to inspire them to put their best into every task.
These five words embodied those thoughts and maybe more:
“Don’t stop until you’re proud.”
By Lauren N. Colorado
Not proud and boastful, but proud as in pleased at a good job well done. Proud because the deed has your name on it, and it more than passes muster.
Are you slogging through a long project? Or maybe a short project required more than the usual effort?
Any advancements on my commitment to daily exercise were shot down with that sprained ankle I sustained early last month. Standing and any kind of locomotion were problematic, at best. It’s still a bit swollen, but I can at least walk without a limp now – although zingers in that foot bother me each night.
My successful weight loss project was simply treading water while I recovered. I totally lost my mojo and was struggling to balance my new eating patterns with the proper exercise to stay in shape and lose the last five pounds.
Then, into my hands plops this inspiring message: “Don’t stop until you’re proud.”
So, each day, steps were taken; ankle was iced and elevated, and more steps taken. I reconnected with my plank buddy, and we are texting a thumbs up emojis for every minute of plank we do. In the beginning, my planks were half planks done from the knee to elbow, but they were done.
Finally, I can walk without pain, tennis shoes can be worn, and full planks are being accomplished. I also discovered the effectiveness of doing at least a minute each of straight arm/full body plank, followed by elbow/full body plank, followed by elbow-to-knee/half plank.
Like the little engine that could, I’m getting there to tighter abs with each minute of effort. Four minutes total today. I am just starting to feel a teeny bit like I’m on the right track again.
Hang in there.
Don’t stop until you’re proud.
In health-
Deidre
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Remember the story of the little Dutch boy who stops a dam from cracking and flooding the town by plugging the hole with his finger until adults could come to the scene to affect a more permanent solution? Legend has it that he stood there all night before more help could be obtained.
Judging from just the cursory view last week of what is an autoimmune disease and how it might happen, we could conclude that our dam has more than one hole. In fact, we are running out of fingers to plug all the holes.
Where are the holes? Look to the millions of us with autoimmune diseases and see if there is a common experiential thread…
In the residual chemicals found in our food from growth practices
In the chemicals added to our highly processed Western diet which is also high in sugar, fat, and salt
In the consumption of food that is pro-inflammatory
In the polluted air we breathe
In the chemical exposures we subject ourselves to in cleaning products, toiletries, and cosmetics
In the chemicals we use in our yards and gardens
In the stress hormones of the feedlot animals we eat
In the chemical transfers of packaging, storing, and cooking food in plastic products
In stress
Eventually – in the air, as we breathe nano dust particles of plastic which do not decompose but just degrade into smaller and smaller pieces
Clearly, there is no one answer, but taken as a whole, it is easy to see that the world we have created is not the world our genes were built to withstand.
As promised, I want to bring up just one facet of how genetically susceptible people might be opening the door to the lurking wolf on the outside. And I believe that there are more of us genetically susceptible than we may realize.
Dr. Alessio Fasano
Let me introduce you to Alessio Fasano who is a world-renown physician and researcher. He holds numerous positions both in Boston and in Italy. To read his biography HERE: Alessio Fasano – Wikipedia is to be awe inspired and grateful for all the lives he and his teams are helping.
In 2000, Dr. Fasano discovered a protein in the lining of our small intestines called zonulin. The lining of the small intestine is just one cell thick. Touch your tongue to the side of your cheek – that’s the same sheet of cells that extends from our mouth all the way through our digestive system to the very end.
Thin, yes, but strong and resilient to keeping our insides in and the outsides out. Each cell is connected to its neighbor by what’s called a tight junction.
Better be tight. Lots of stuff in the pipeline. Don’t want random particles of food or toxins punching through to the other side without first being properly broken down and absorbed by the blood stream and taken through several filters.
Turns out zonulin is a moderator of sorts for what can get through this layer of cells. An uptick of zonulin will cause these tight junctions to open wide, allowing large, foreign/non-self materials to flow through to the gut tissue and eventually be absorbed unfiltered by the blood stream and land anywhere in the body.
Because these large particles are foreign, our body will wage an attack.
According to Dr. Fasano, “When the zonulin pathway is deregulated in genetically susceptible individuals, autoimmune disorders can occur.” Check out this list of autoimmune diseases to see if you can find what has been plaguing you and if you might be genetically susceptible: Autoimmune Disease List • AARDA
This brings us full circle. Remember those questions I posed for us to ponder a couple weeks ago?
Can you see a DON’T TOUCH – WET PAINT sign and not touch the surface it’s indicating?
If you know a certain food will cause an immediate harmful reaction in your body, will you eat it anyway?
Is there a habit you have or a food you eat that will most likely cause problems for you down the road, but you justify continuing it by saying, “I’ll stop when it starts to bother me”?
It might be time to check out some anti-inflammatory practices found in my book, Toolkit for Wellness, to see if you could be more proactive in controlling your health destiny.
I am doing this for myself as well, as I continue my experiment of eliminating my beloved grits and oatmeal.
Since following my Noom way of eating starting this February, grits and oatmeal have become a staple in my morning. Simultaneously, my hips and knees have been complaining. This is not the first time I’ve experienced this potential cause and effect.
Knowing that many aches and pains are self-induced, I’m accepting responsibility by eliminating a couple foods I love to see if the picture improves. Who wants to bet that grits and oatmeal are inflammatory to me?
Time and abstinence from delish menu items will tell the story.
You had me at, “What is an autoimmune disease explained in 5 minutes.” If you have 5 minutes, it’s worth absorbing Gabriel Arruda’s easy to understand explanation – because an understanding of how our natural immunity works is needed before plunging into the deep waters of autoimmunity.
Yes, I thoroughly covered how inflammatory foods and lifestyles can lead to autoimmunity in my first book, Toolkit for Wellness, but I wanted a fresh take.
A little animation helped, and I agreed with his basic approach, but not necessarily with his entire online program. Mr. Arruda presents one of the many ways autoimmunity can occur – I’ll share another one.
He took me back to my teaching days, using Pac Man as a symbol for white blood cells munching up the bad hombres floating around our bodies.
Autoimmunity is when your body’s natural defenses somehow get scrambled and are no longer able to correctly identify foreign threats; instead the attack on invaders is misdirected onto self. Thus auto/self-immunity.
As mentioned last week, I an offering this discussion because we are in the middle of an explosion of people suffering with autoimmune diseases.
One might ask, “What’s happening to cause this? Spontaneous worldwide meltdown of our internal defenses?”
Well, you be the judge.
Clearly, an appropriate immune response is an intricate cascade of events that enlists organs and organ systems throughout the body. What we’re throwing at our bodies in terms of stress and chemicals has changed considerably in the last 40-50 years. What hasn’t changed is our genetic make up to handle these new factors.
I’ve read more than I want about the autoimmune crisis and there are at least 10 tabs open on the computer right now. That said, this article revealed so much new information that I’d like to summarize some key points for you:
-Favorite direct quote: “As such, autoimmune diseases could be the product of our own success as an industrialized species. This vexes researchers, because autoimmunity is not only one of the most prevalent disease categories but also fiendishly complex, a tangle of factors that scientists have yet to fully understand.”
-Doctors cannot agree on what constitutes an autoimmune disease. Right now, there are about 100.
-Unlike diseases such as cancer, there is no national data base for autoimmune diseases and, thus, no shared research, no coordinated data – it’s pretty much each disease subset is on its own.
-The rate of autoimmune disease uptick is far outpacing our DNA/gene’s ability to change and be the cause for such a shift.
-The diversity of our gut’s microbiome is a key element to our overall health and appropriate immune response. It’s been discovered that under-developed countries have an exceptionally low incidence of autoimmune disease along with a well-diversified gut microbiome. Whereas developed countries have less diversified microbiomes and have a high incidence of autoimmune disease.
-Studies of adults in 2003 and in fetal cord blood in 2005 revealed the presence of man-made chemicals including industrial compounds, pollutants, insecticides, dioxins, and mercury. The fetal cord blood study showed 287 different chemicals that were transmitted to those babies prior to birth.
-Americans report ever greater levels of personal stress. Who hasn’t taken a stress hit this past year? One last quote for the day: “The stressed-out individuals were more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, more likely to develop multiple autoimmune diseases, and tended to develop autoimmune diseases earlier in life.”
Whew! That’s just the sprinkles on top of the cake, dear readers.
What started out as a simple assignment – “get the bad guys” – has been muddled by so many factors that have made identifying, what is foreign and what is self, almost impossible.
Next week, we’ll look at another common factor that can stimulate another cause of autoimmunity: leaky gut.
Don’t know about you, but I’m headed outdoors to harvest some organic veggies, sit under an umbrella, and soak up the sounds of nature.
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