Newsletter

In The News: WE ARE EATING MICROPLASTICS WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT!

Contamination Again? Yes, our foods we are eating are contaminated with microplastics, especially if you are eating meat, research shows. Plant-based meat alternatives are not excluded here.

Why is this important? “About 90 percent of the meat proteins tested were found to have microplastics in them ranging  in size from one thousandth of a millimeter  up to a half of a centimeter.

How can this affect your health? It is estimated that an American adult could consume, on average, at least 11,000 microplastic pieces per year, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Pollution. Research has documented microplastics in fruits and vegetables as well as other food products like salt, sugar, rice and milk..

The unfortunate part is that :

A recent report from the World Health Organization detailed the possible health risks of microplastics pollution, including exposure to nanoplastics, even smaller particles that measure less than one micrometer. We don’t know how much plastic we are ingesting regularly and the harm that it is doing to our body’s. However, what we do know is that plastic is being found inside of the body meaning we have to ingest it and it is getting into the bloodstream. A pilot study completed by The American Chemical Society (ACS) found microplastics in many heart tissues and in blood specimens of people who underwent cardiac surgery. Everywhere scientists look for microplastics, they've found them — food, water, air and some parts of the human body even in newborn babies. This is scary!!!!

More research needs to be done regarding the effects on the human body and what those long-term effects are. 

What Can I do about this? First you can stop drinking out of plastic bottles and containers.  Use glass or metal water bottles and cans. Do not heat or store your food in plastic containers long-term. Anything that you purchase in a plastic package, if it can be removed and stored in another container, remove it and place it into a glass or ceramic container. Finally, eat as much fresh food as you possibly can. There is no guarantee that it won’t have nanoplastics in it because they are being found in everything , but in higher concentrations of meat and livestock. Use recyclable products versus plastics.

If you want to learn how to use food as medicine and heal your body with a whole food plant based lifestyle.  Keep an eye for upcoming content by  following LIVNTRUTH on all social media sites for videos and quick tutorials. 


How This Might Affect YOUR Health: CHRONIC INFLAMMATION 

Are you always in pain, unable to sleep, gaining weight, constantly congested and filled with mucus, suffering respiratory problems and it doesn’t resolve?

These are just a few of the signs and symptoms that you are experiencing chronic inflammation.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) defines chronic inflammation as “slow, long-term inflammation lasting for prolonged periods of several months to years. Generally, the extent and effects of chronic inflammation vary with the cause of the injury and the ability of the body to repair and overcome the damage”.

The body is telling you something when you are suffering in this manner. Your immune system is letting you know that there is indeed something wrong. You are experiencing an autoimmune issue or a serious illness, or lifestyle disease and your body can not overcome the damage caused by poor lifestyle choices and the constant injury to it through poor nutrition and limited or no physical activity.

Half of all Deaths in the US are due to disease caused by chronic inflammation. These include: Cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia and diabetes.

To avoid and support reversal of chronic inflammation here are some things you need to do NOW!

Eat Well- Intentionally include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant proteins. Remove saturated fats from animal products, cholesterol and excessive salt oil and sugars from your diet.

Get Physically Active- Being physically active reduces your risk of illness and your risk DEATH. It helps you feel better mentally and physically, sleep better and reduce anxiety. Combined with good nutrition can help a person maintain a healthy weight. A study of more than 50,000 adults in the US. demonstrated that those who  met the physical activity guidelines ( at least 30 mins a day) regularly were half as likely  to  die from the flu virus or pneumonia.

Maintain a Healthy Weight- excess weight can affect how our body functions.  High BMI (body mass index) has been linked to impaired immune functions. Even if you are vaccinated against  flu, polio, hepatitis, covid 19 and tetanus, being overweight can decrease the effectiveness of these vaccines.

Get Enough Sleep- lack and loss of sleep can negatively impact your immune system and lead to an array of  disorders and dysfunctions. Here is a link on how much sleep you need.

Quit Smoking- Everyone knows that smoking can kill you. It contributes  to  immune system problems, respiratory and otherwise and weakens the body so that it is less functional at fighting disease.

Avoid excessive use of alcohol- excessive drinking over time can weaken your immune system. You should not drink alcohol if you are pregnant, taking any medications prescription or over the counter drugs and experiencing certain medical conditions. Over time alcohol consumption can lead to  the development of chronic diseases  and weakening of the immune system increasing  the chances of getting sick.

Immunity is your body’s defense against foreign organisms. Implementing    these simple techniques can help your immune system take care of you.

Recipe of The Week: Vegan Lasagna

What you'll need:

Procedure:

You will need a  9X 9 or 9X11 baking pan and foil to cover for baking. Preheat the oven to 425.

Pre-soak the no boil noodles ( warm water is fine as you prepare all of the other ingredients)

Fully cover the bottom of your dish with tomato sauce. I like my sauce heavily layered.

Add noodles on top of sauce add more sauce on top of noodles ( this is how noodles cook without boiling)

Layer vegetables as desired, I start with zucchini, mushrooms, fresh chopped tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and then cheese noodles, sauce. ( do it in whatever you like)

Repeat the process until you are at the top of the pan, cover the top layer with noodles and add additional sauce and cheese if you desire( vegan of course)

Cover with foil and bake at 425 for 1 hour to ensure that everything is cooked thoroughly.

Chef’s tips: Substitute any vegetable of your choosing. If you like plant based meat you can use that as a meat substitute. However another great option is  lentils as a meat substitute. This dish freezes and reheats really well and I prepared a few for meal prep orders.

Nutrition Tip: lentils and mushrooms are a great source of protein and give the dish a depth of flavor that you won’t get with just vegetables.

 Click image or here to be redirected to recipes page

You Are What You Eat: Sugar

WE ARE RUNNING THIS ONE BACK FOR THE NEW YEAR. LET'S BREAK THAT SUGAR ADDICTION!

Sugar can not only have an effect on your waistline it can also have a detrimental effect on your mental performance. How is sugar negatively affecting you?

Lack of focus- we generally get a “sugar high” when you consume a lot of sugar. However, in a very short amount of time you will experience a sugar crash and may be unable to focus. Additionally, sugar is an excitotoxin that over-stimulates the neurons in the brain and decreases your ability to focus.

Swap sugar for dark chocolate and almonds for focus

Mood Swings/Crash-Sugar also gives an emotional lift via dopamine receptors but after it wears off can lead to sluggishness, irritability and lack of interest.

Swap sugar for avocados or bananas to enhance mood

Memory Impairment- Sugar can also block memory receptors, when you think about learning and remembering new information, sugar intake can negatively affect your ability to do this. Sugar consumption has also been linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Swap sugar for blueberries, spinach or broccoli for memory enhancement

Increased stress levels- when we are dealing with stress on a regular basis, many of us turn to food for comfort, much of which is high in sugar and fat. This leads to increased weight hormonal changes and chronic disease.

Swap sugar for walnut, avocados and blueberries to decrease stress levels

Personality Changes- High sugar levels can block naturally occurring brain chemicals that can lead to aggression, irritability and sadness.

Swap sugar for kale or kimchi

Immune system suppression ( you heard about this last week) Consuming too much sugar can lead to immunosuppression; impairing the ability for your white blood cells to do their job of protecting you from sickness and disease.

Swap sugar for garlic, turmeric, honey, blueberries and brazil nuts to help boost your immune system

-NOTE: None of these fruits, vegetables or nuts can work alone. You  need to consume a balanced plant based diet, along with exercise and a positive environment to get all of the health benefits of these plants. 

-FUN FACT: Blueberries are a powerhouse for your brain function

Food Dupe:  Dark Chocolate Date Bars Vs. Snickers 

Dates are an amazing superfood! They are so very versatile and can be used to replace your sugar.

-Additionally, dates are very high in iron and just two dates a day can give you the recommended daily amount of iron that you need, and because they are also high in vitamin C and fiber, it increases the iron absorption and decreases the sugar absorption if you are experiencing diabetes. WIN!!!!!

-The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in dates support brain, digestive, and cardiovascular health. The antioxidant effects help to support against disease.

Because dates are so high in iron they can be very beneficial to athletes as is a wholefood plant-based diet. Here’s the tea: Iron helps to make  red blood cells and move and use oxygen in the cells for use, improving the  oxygen-carrying capacity of the cells, therefore improving aerobic performance for athletes. 

Fun Fact: the iron capacity in dates can help prevent hair loss and encourage hair growth when consumed daily and with a healthy diet.

All you need about 4-6 dates

2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter

½ cup of vegan dark unsweetened chocolate

Crushed or chopped peanuts

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see me make this quick treat


Events

LISTEN TO ME THIS SUNDAY ON:

 WGPR-FM 107.5: With Karen Dumas and Derek Ware 

Sunday, February 11, 2024

10-11 AM

We will be discussing "Having & Keeping a Health Heart..."


ANN ARBOR LIBRARY PLEDGE & PRESENTATION (MALLETTS CREEK BRANCH)


3090 E Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor, MI 48108


February 18 - 11:30 am - 12:00 pm


Are you interested in eating more plant-based foods? You can contact me or Attend a brief talk about how eating more plant-based is climate-friendly, beneficial to animals, and can improve your health. 

 

Sign up for our 30-day pledge to eat more plant-based meals and receive a free bag of delicious, popular plant-based items. 

REGISTRATION REQUIRED – Sign up HERE



KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THIS YEARS DATES TO THE VEGMICHIGAN’S VEG FEST AT EASTERN MARKET. IT’S ALWAYS A BLAST!






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