I don’t like the fact that pesticides are on nearly all of our fresh produce, in processed foods, even peanut butter. We try to eat healthy foods, but then if they’re loaded with pesticides what is that doing to our bodies? Pesticides affect our hormones and that’s not good. That’s the last thing we need is for something to mess up our hormones and make PMS and any conditioned affected by hormones worse! And the really bad thing is that they affect children who are in the growing stage! Not good…not good at all!

I was looking through the list of the worst foods contaminated with pesticides, and some of our favorite foods are on the list. There’s a chart of 44 fruits & vegetables ranked according to pesticides, and it has all kinds of data for each one. The worst ones unfortunately are:

1. Peaches – The worst! (however, locally grown peaches are usually OK )
2. Apples – That negates the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
3. Sweet Bell Peppers – I use red bell peppers when I make fajitas, teriyaki, chicken tortilla soup, etc. They’re supposed to be a “superfood,” but seems like the pesticides would counteract some of the nutritional value.
4. Celery – Oh, no…that affects “Ants on a Log”
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries – Oh, wow! That’s one of our favorite fruits!
7. Cherries – My husband nearly always has dried cherries on hand.
8. Lettuce – Yikes! We eat a lot of Romaine lettuce!
9. Imported Grapes
10. Pears
11. Spinach – Fresh spinach sauteed in EVOO just until tender is delicious plus it’s a “superfood,” too.
    
12. Potatoes – Nearly everyone loves potatoes!

See what I mean? So I have a plan. I grew up with my parents having a huge garden and a huge assortment of delicious fresh veggies at our fingertips all season long. My husband and I don’t have the space for a huge garden plus I remember all the work that goes into a nice garden. I plan to start out small and hopefully add to it next year. I’ve heard a lot about square foot gardening, and that’s what I plan to continue researching. I want to get strawberry plants and then also plant potatoes, green beans, squash, and okra.

I plan to keep you updated on my gardening adventures. This will be a learning experience because it’s been a long time since I’ve worked in a garden. I have grown a lot of flowers in my container garden, though. Does that count? 🙂

And one more thing about pesticides, locally grown produce usually has a smaller amount of pesticides than out-of-state and especially imported produce.

After watching a video about the safety of fluoride in our water by Dr. Bill Osmunson, I decided to sign the petition for Congress to have hearings about fluoridation.  It’s especially dangerous for babies.  (I’m glad Baby J’s bottles are made with bottled spring water.)  According to the CDC, one third of children are showing signs of too much fluoride on their teeth.  And if you look on toothpaste tubes, if someone swallows toothpaste, they are to call the Poison Control Center because the fluroide is not safe.   There is as much fluoride in a pea size measure of toothpaste as there is in an 8 ounce glass of tap water.  That doesn’t sound good to me.  Dr. Osmunson urges everyone to check out both sides of the issue for themselves and sign the petition for hearings on fluoride safety.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Ys9q1cvKGk

Here are a few good ideas for fighting a cold:

• Get plenty of vitamin C which acts like an antihistamine and helps a runny nose and congestion. Eat 2 cups or more of fresh fruits like oranges and strawberries.
• Eat plenty of lean protein, especially chicken. Lean meats contain zinc which helps strengthen the immune system.
• Get plenty of beta-carotene which is an antioxidant and is found in vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin.
• Eat lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as green salad, red peppers, and blueberries.
• Saute garlic and onions which contain sulphur and add to food to help the immune system fight off infection.
• Eat non-fat yogurt which contains healthy bacteria to fight harmful germs in the intestines.
• Snack on nuts which contain needed nutrients.

(And be sure to wash hands often with soap, don’t share towels if sick, and disinfect doorknobs, phones, and other shared items.)

I’ve been hearing and reading a lot recently how artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain, especially diet sodas. There’s something in the chemical make-up of the sweeteners that alters brain chemistry. They can change metabolic limit.

A long time ago, my doctor took me off all artificial sweeteners. They’re not natural, even Splenda is from chemically altered sugar. There are studies on aspartame and safety issues, and there’s been a significant increase in common malignant brain cancers since aspartame was first licensed to use in sodas, etc.

So, considering all of the possible health issues and possible weight gain, there’s no way I want to use artificial sweeteners.

There are a lot of people who have migraine headaches. I have a friend who has them, and sometimes when she has one of her bad headaches she has to go to bed. I’ve never had a migraine myself, but I know it’s enough when I have a regular headache. I don’t have them very often, and it usually just lasts one day if I do have one.  But when my friend has one of her bad migraines, it might last for several days. She has to go to bed for part of that time and might even have to miss work. I feel for people who have headaches like that!