What can we do about it? There are many more hundreds of articles showing the harmful effects of Glyphosate on humans, animals, and ecosystems. In studies that test to see if glyphosate is present, 100% of them find detectable levels of glyphosate. According to Dr. Zach Bush, MD, 75% of air samples contain glyphosate and 80% of rain now contains it. Recently, on June 17, 2022, the Center for Food and Safety reported, “US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sided with Center for Food Safety (CFS) by overturning the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision that the toxic pesticide glyphosate is safe for humans and imperiled wildlife. This initial determination overturning the EPA conclusions regarding the safety of glyphosate/Roundup is an incremental win for the health of people and plant. But it is far from an injurious blow to industry and does not change the capacity of farmers to continue to use glyphosate, 2-4D, atrazine, nicotinamide, and LibertyLink in all markets domestically and globally.” This is a step in the right direction on a large scale. A big win in the fight to stop chemical farming, but we have a long way to go. Together, we can make a better future for us, our children, and future generations.
What can we do for ourselves and our families to minimize the impact of living in a toxic world? We know that glyphosate impairs digestive enzymes, increases the destruction of the microbiome within us and in the soils, so avoidance of eating foods laden with glyphosate residues is first. Buy organic produce whenever possible. The Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) tests and puts together a list of foods that have high levels of pesticides/glyphosate called the Dirty Dozen (See list at bottom of page) and a list of foods that have lowest levels called the Clean 15 (See list at bottom of page). Never buy nonorganic foods on the Dirty Dozen and if you can’t find organic in the Clean 15, then it’s acceptable to buy. Avoid GMOs due to the exposure to glyphosate as well as the lack of nutrients contained in them. If not indicated on the label, you can bet that corn, sugar and soy are GMO. Avoid non-organic, non-GMO crops that are sprayed such as wheat, oats, and legumes. These have been tested to have highest levels of glyphosate. Look for a Glyphosate Residue Free certified label when purchasing these products.
Switch from table salt to Celtic Sea salt or Himalayan salt for cooking because these salts contain balanced naturally occurring minerals. Eat real whole foods, high in nutrients to create health. Incorporate foods with vibrant colors of the rainbow, like a variety of fruits and vegetables. Try to buy pasture raised meats and wild caught fish. The health of the animal matters. Conventionally raised animals are fed GMO grains and are sick and stressed. Guess what happens when you consume a sick and stressed animal? You are consuming the stress hormones that the animal produced, and the inflammatory substances produced from their diet. Pasture raised animals are higher in omega 3s, which are anti-inflammatory, while conventionally raised animals are higher in omega 6s, which are pro-inflammatory. Avoid packaged processed foods (artificial sweeteners/additives). If the package has more than 5 ingredients, you shouldn’t eat it.
Educate yourself on food systems. Know where your food is coming from. Grow a garden. Start small with herbs in pots. Change your mindset towards being a co-creator with agriculture and nature instead of opposing it. Stop using weed-killer in your yards. Re-think your day. Instead of Netflix, go outside and make music with the family or have a dance party. Decrease your toxic load and increase the body’s ability to detoxify. Start with drinking enough clean water every day. Strive to drink a minimum of ½ your body weight in ounces, so if you weigh 100 lbs, you want to drink a minimum of 50 ounces per day. Incorporate MOVEMENT in your day…not necessarily high intensity workouts, but low intensity movements like walking and yoga. Stretch your muscles to increase the flow of lymph and fluids that help clean the waste while putting some stress on the bones to help stimulate new growth. Infrared saunas/blankets to help eliminate toxins through the skin without creating the oxidative stress from high intensity workouts. Epsom salt baths daily help increase magnesium absorption, which helps support your detoxification processes.
I said I would get back to probiotics. Probiotics as a supplement is just that, a supplement to the diet. They are not all created equal. Once they go in the bottle, there is no guarantee they are alive when you take them. We have thousands of different species in our guts. Many supplements have 1 to 10 strains, so taking a probiotic supplement over a long period of time in theory makes your gut a more monoculture. A healthy gut is a more diverse culture. Everyone is different, and probiotics are recommended in certain circumstances, but when used, recommend generally rotating through different strains and not taking the same one for more than 6 months at a time. Generally, recommend the consumption of high probiotic foods and pre-biotic foods that help feed the good bacteria. Probiotic foods would include sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, plain yogurt, kefir, and raw hard cheeses. Pre-biotic foods would include plant-based foods like jicama, sun-chokes, artichokes, asparagus, garlic, and onions.
DIRTY DOZEN1: Strawberries, Spinach, Green leafy veggies (kale, collard, mustard), Nectarines, Cherries, Peaches, Pears, Celery, Tomatoes, Apples, Grapes, Peppers (hot and bell)
CLEAN 151: Avocados, Sweet corn, Pineapple, Onion, Papaya, Sweet peas (frozen), Asparagus, Honeydew, Cabbage, Kiwi, Mushrooms, Cantaloupe, Mango, Watermelon, Sweet Potato
Note: These lists do change as new tests are performed. I will send out updates with changes.
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AND LASTLY…
We can support you through your health journey and give you dietary and lifestyle strategies to help you meet your health and wellness goals. We strive to use food as medicine to nourish the body creating an environment for healing and regenerative functional cells. Do something today that your future self will thank you for. I leave you with a quote from Art Williams, ‘I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy; I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it”.
References:
- EWG.org