Food, Allergies and Organics

Inflammation of the body shows itself in many ways. Some experience it in arthritis others with tendinitis. Inflammation can cause pain in your joints, neck, back or it can cause loss of joint function, stiffness and redness. You can experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, or loss of energy. The biology of inflammation is due to the body's white blood cells being released to attempt to rid the body of foreign substances.

There are many things that can cause inflammation. Some believe most of it takes place in the digestive system. With this, what foods are creating inflammatory responses in our body?

1. Vegetable Oils - Almost all polyunsaturated vegetable oils has an inflammatory effect on the body. These oils include safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soy.
2. Refined sugar - sugar jacks up your insulin levels which then puts your immune system on high alert.
3. Dairy and Wheat - many people are allergic to either which can cause inflammation.
4. Tomatoes - Vegetables which are part of the nightshade family contain alkaloids which can trigger inflammation in certain people. Besides tomatoes there are white potatoes, paprika, eggplants and peppers.
5. Food Additives - Artificial food coloring, preservatives and flavors can trigger inflammatory responses - especially MSG and aspartame.

Buying all your food organic can be expensive. If you are new to purchasing organics, you can start with purchasing food items that when bought straight from the store (nonorganically) have the highest amount of pesticides. These foods include:

1. Apples - This is an important fruit one should eat just due to its benefits - but if the skin is covered in pesticides, what value is that? You should always buy organic apples.
2. Celery- Again, another food item that has a high amount of pesticide due to the fact it is eaten just as it is.
3. Strawberries - Strawberries get a lot of spray due to the fungus that tends to grow on them. Safer alternatives include fruits with skins that are removed and not eaten such as kiwi or pineapple, even bananas.
4. Peaches - Bugs love peaches therefore farmers have to spray peaches - a lot.
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce

Transitioning to buying only organic doesn't have to be hard. Hundreds of people have written about it from personal experience and opinions vary. If you are ready to eat organic, buy only organic products and support those who make organic goods or grow only organic foods - than there are some steps you can take.

There was a time when you could only buy organic fruits or vegetables from specialized markets. Today you can buy organics in a standard chain grocery store. So, to determine what you are eating, look at the labels. Many grocery stores will have a section called Organics - but be sure to check the label to be sure.

The hard part about eating purely organic is dining out. Today many restaurants pride themselves on serving only organic food- that includes meat that has not been injected with hormones. Check online for restaurants around you that serve organic.

Most cleaning products are rife with chemicals. People didn't always have chemicals to clean with and there are natural products you can use to keep your home spic and span. Household items used for cleaning include:

Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, scours
Lemon - Kills bacteria
Vinegar - Cuts grease, removes odors, mildew and stains.
Cornstarch - Cleans windows, polishes furniture

There are numerous recipes on the internet on combining the above for cleaning solutions. For example, an all purpose cleaner is made up of 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1/2 gallon of water.

When you opt to buy organic clothing or items, you encourage the removal of chemicals from the environment. Cotton that has been treated with pesticides is 30 times more toxic than DDT. Cotton occupies 3% of the world's farmland and 25% of the world's chemical pesticides. 25 to 75 million agricultural workers suffer from acute pesticide poisoning.

Organically grown cotton does not use chemicals nor does it use genetically engineered seed. There are many companies now who provide organic clothing made with nontoxic dyes and chemicals and the cotton is grown organically.

No matter what time of year it is, seasonal allergies have the potential to slam millions of Americans. Likewise, colds and flus lead to countless sick days each winter. If you feel the symptoms of hay fever or a cold coming on, you may need to use Dahn Yoga's ki energy techniques to minimize them.

Hay fever is a source of misery for many adults. An estimated 17.7 million Americans are diagnosed with this condition each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Want to learn how to use ki energy to improve lung health and nasal well-being? Follow these simple instructions:

1. Extend the thumb of each hand, making a V between thumb and forefinger.
2. Interlock these two Vs. Note where the forefinger of one hand lands on the opposite wrist. This spot is a critical acupressure point along the lung meridian, which is a ki energy channel that affects pulmonary and sinus health.
3. For five seconds at a time, press firmly into this spot, then release. Repeat five times.
4. Since balance is important, perform the same ki energy technique on the opposite wrist.