Our bodies can actually burn up to 50% or more fat everyday by adding in a couple of specific daily practices. It's really as simple as knowing EXACTLY what to do to "turn up" our body's metabolic fire power.

 

Your body's metabolism is regulated by a powerful gland in your endocrine system known as you thyroid gland. Now the common misconception is that your thyroid is just a single gland, when in fact it's more like a container that holds several thousands of tiny glands. Your thyroid is located at the base of your neck, and it is the most negatively charged gland in your body (this is a GOOD thing, it keeps your energy high). But the key here is knowing that when this gland gets congested, then the energy and fat-burning power that you have is dramatically reduced.

 

Here are 2 quick things you can do to up-level the functioning of your thyroid gland.

 

 #1 Eat Coconut Oil. Raw organic coconut oil is like a thyroid tonic. The incredible essential fats that are found in coconut oil are excellent building blocks for your hormones. Coconut oil contains a rare medium chain essential fatty acid known as lauric acid, which is proven to be a powerhouse thyroid booster.

 

To get the greatest benefit, take one tablespoon of coconut oil straight with a pinch of high quality salt. Chew it up well so that your saliva can split the glycerol molecule, so that you get instant uptake of the nutrients. Do this twice a day in between meals to supercharge your metabolism and to get an instant energy source. Or you can also add a tbsp to your shake recipes, make fresh salad dressings, or use coconut oil to make new desserts and entrees.

 

 #2 Rebound. Your thyroid is actually the most vascularized part of your entire body. This is a great thing when your system is clean and healthy, but not such a great thing if your blood flow is weak and sluggish. The key solution for this: Get Your Blood Pumping! Truly, any exercise done intelligently is beneficial, but the virtual antidote for dealing with a sluggish thyroid gland is rebounding.

 

Rebounding is using a scientifically designed "mini-trampoline" to literally exercise every cell in your entire body. Rebounding provides an increased G-Force (gravitational load) which strengthens your entire musculoskeletal system like nothing else can. Rebounding circulates more blood and oxygen to your tissues, it makes your waist smaller, makes you more compact, but strong, and it is a great daily practice to add-in.

 

Start with 10 minutes a day, and work your way up to 30. It's great to do this first thing in the morning. If you are in pretty good shape, then getting a great bounce going of about 4 inches high is perfect. If you are just starting off,and not in very good shape yet, then rebounding is perfect for you too. Start with what is known as a "health bounce", where you keep your feet on the rebounder the entire time, but drive yourself up and down, and keep this nice rhythmic pace going for 10 to 15 minutes.

 

If you don't have your rebounder yet, you can pick yours up right here:

Top Ranked Rebounder

 

Again, any exercise done intelligently is beneficial, but rebounding trains your cells to work more efficiently, radically enhances the function of your lymphatic system (to remove toxins and blockages in your energy), and it's a really simple method for supercharging your metabolism everyday once you have this technology in your hands.

 

Add these two tips together, and take advantage to teach your body to burn more fat every day.

 

 

So you might think that you've doing enough for your health and safety by washing that apple hard under flowing water? After all, you've always been told that washing your fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to clean them of any dirt, pesticides or chemicals!

 However, latest research findings have an opposite tale to offer.

 

Interestingly, even the Environmental Working Group (The EWG) has actually given out their official 'The Dirty Dozen' list which enumerates the 12 fruits and vegetables carrying the highest pesticide content, going almost up to 47 to 67 pesticides per serving. Compiled from over 96,000 studies conducted by the FDA and the USDA, the list has been culled from a longer version of around 49 fruits and vegetables that carried this content.

 

 

 

Here, we give you a handy list of 10 most pesticide laden vegetables and fruits that you should only buy organic if you want to keep them as a part of your daily diet.

 

Fresh Produce - The 10 Items to Buy Organic Only

 

Right from the stage of the unborn fetus to the final golden years of life, it is our nutrition that forms the cornerstone of our health and well-being. To be informed and educated about any potential hazards is as much a responsibility as a right. Here, we list down the 10 top foods that are the richest carriers of the pesticide residue, even after being cleaned and washed.

 

Here, it is to be noted that the items listed are not in any specific order to the amount of pesticide content. Instead, these are the fruits and vegetables that we consume the most and hence need attention.

 

Top 5 Vegetables

 

1. Celery

One of the most pesticide-laden vegetables, celery has recently gained a lot of critical acclaim, with a high content of the pesticides chlorantraniliprole and spinosad, the latter being especially high in its toxic effect.

Researchers and experts express big concern over the cumulative effect of such pesticide residue, including the likes of endocrine and hormonal imbalance, cancer, impaired immune system, birth defects and genetic damage.

 

2. Spinach

Found to be carrying as many as 48 different pesticides, spinach tops your list of the contaminated greens. The leaves of this vegetable are particularly vulnerable to an attack from the leaf miner beetle that lays its eggs on its underside. The pesticide residue found on spinach is the result of the effort to counter and prevent such pest attacks on the vegetable.

 

3. Sweet bell pepper

Home to some 63 different variants of pesticides, sweet bell peppers are especially vulnerable to an attack from the powerful pepper maggot which explains the high pesticide residue content. Unfortunately, you will not be able to wash off a majority of pesticides from this frequently used vegetable.

 

4. Potatoes

Sad enough, since potatoes are a major ingredient of the main course dishes in a lot of cultures worldwide. The high pesticide content such as that of chlorpropham and o-phenylphenol can actually increase the toxic impact of the vegetable, while also disrupting the endocrine balance of your body.

 

5. Lettuce

Research shows that a typical lettuce produce would have been treated with 11 different pesticides before actually reaching your supermarket store. Research reveals the vegetable to be laced with some extremely hazardous pesticides such as DDT and Lindane.

 

Top 5 Fruits

 

1. Apples

This one comes as quite a surprise, since apples are traditionally considered to be one of the best health fruits. Experts point out that the fruits having a soft skin are particularly more vulnerable to the pesticide impact, which is perhaps why apples top the list. The EWG's analysis reveals at least a whopping 98% of the conventional apples to be carrying a detectable amount of pesticides.

 

2. Strawberries

A recent news release announced the U.S. government's decision to pull back the deadly cancer-causing pesticide methyl iodide from the production process of strawberries for good reason. Unfortunately, it is not the case everywhere else in the world and the pesticide continues to be used unabatedly, making you vulnerable to hazards like poisoning, neurological damage and reproductive malfunctioning.

 

3. Peaches

A controlled study by the EWG revealed a gigantic 96 percent of all the peaches tested to be laced heavily with the pesticide residue. Having a soft skin that makes them very vulnerable to absorption of pesticides in higher proportions.

 

4. Grapes

This soft and juicy fruit, used a favorite mid day snack across the world is said to be carrying a considerable amount of the pesticides iprodione and myclobutanil, having the potential to cause endocrine disruptions as well as reproductive abnormalities.

 

5. Nectarines

From the peaches family, nectarines are believed to be carrying high amounts of pesticide residue, also owing to its soft skin. In a controlled study, research revealed 53.2% of nectarines to be carrying the harmful pesticide formetanate hydrochloride having neurotoxins. 31% of them were also found to be laced with iprodione, carrying potent carcinogens as well as endocrine disruptors.

Though the list might not be all-inclusive, yet it surely gives you a fair enough idea of the fruits and vegetables to watch out for. It is always a better idea to weigh the potential damage that can be caused by such pesticides as against the cost of buying organic produce instead.

 

References

http://blog.epa.gov/greeningtheapple/2012/02/pesticides-in-fruits-and-vegetables-when-to-buy-organic/

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/pesticides.htm

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/06/in-pesticide-residue-rankings-apples-and-celery-worst-onions-and-corn-best/

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10615438

http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=NE#f6

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/produce-and-pesticides-what-you-need-know

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/444/444-005/444-005_pdf.pdf

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/1999/sep/16/food.foodanddrink

http://www.momsrising.org/blog/cancer-causing-strawberry-pesticide-pulled-great-news/

http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/12_foods_to_eat_only_if_theyre_organic.php

http://www.ctvnews.ca/celery-peaches-coated-with-the-most-pesticides-group-1.518183

 

EPA lists down the maximum amount of pesticides that can be used on the food we eat, it has been shown that there are some types of fruits and vegetables that absorb higher levels of pesticide residue as compared to the other produce.

 

 

Join us Monday October 22nd @ 7:PM

 

As we discuss Suzanne Summers book

Bombshell!

Aging gracefully?

How about NOT AGING AT ALL!

Learn how Nanobots, robots the size of blood cells, will virtually wipe out heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Read about the best and brightest doctors, scientists, and health experts and medical advances that are radically changing the experience of aging today and in the years to come!

Cream of Cauliflower and Lima Bean Soup

 

 

This is a creamy blended soup with a few whole lima beans added for extra texture. Be sure to use Fordhook lima beans, which are large, sweet, and meaty.

 

 

 

Cauliflower is in the cruciferous vegetable family along with vegetables like broccoli, kale, turnips, collards, and cabbage-among many more. Cruciferous vegetables are known to contain isothiocyanates, which are cancer-fighting compounds.

 

Ingredients

Makes 2 quarts

 

16 ounces frozen Fordhook lima beans
2 tablespoons vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
2 teaspoons whole caraway seeds, or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground caraway
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 medium cauliflower cut into small florets
5 cups water
Salt and pepper
Minced fresh parsley (optional)

 

Directions

Cook lima beans according to package directions. Drain and divide in half.

Heat vegetable stock in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions, caraway seeds, and garlic, and sauté until onions are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add cauliflower and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

In a blender, puree soup in batches along with half the reserved lima beans.

Return blended soup to pot and stir in remaining whole lima beans. Season with salt and pepper. Warm over medium-low heat until beans are heated through and soup is hot.

Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

 

Nutrition Information | Per 1-cup serving

calories: 57; fat: 1 g; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 3 g; carbohydrates: 10 g;
fiber: 3 g; sodium: 149 mg

Recipe from Jo Stepaniak, found in Breaking the Food Seduction by Dr. Neal Barnard

 

Happy Healthy October

See you all soon!

Sincerely,

Susan Frangos C.H.C. AADP

Certified Health Coach

Higher Level Wellness

847-361-6185