A Windy and Cold Santa Rosa 70.3 - Update from Cherie Gruenfeld

Physicians over thousands of years have observed a link between a patient’s mental state and how swiftly they recover. It is a long-standing axiom that people who are determined to get better and maintain a healthy frame of mind recover more quickly, with better results.

But what if we told you that it’s a two-way street? That specific health conditions can cause conditions like depression and anxiety?

In 1931, decades before the first antidepressant and antianxiety medications had been developed, a physician named Yaskin discovered that clinical depression is the earliest manifestation of pancreatic cancer. Further research demonstrated that patients who suffered from gastrointestinal malignancies carried the greatest risk of suicide – which was one of the first science-based flags indicating that the digestive system can have an impact on mental health.

The simplest way to reduce toxins in your body is to avoid them. Despite today’s crazy world that has toxins everywhere, there are steps you can take that will reduce your toxin intake. This gives your body a chance to get rid of the “backlog” and catch up.

1. Eat ORGANIC. One of the most important ways to reduce toxicity is to eat foods that are certified organic. Not only do these foods contain higher nutrient densities to supply your body with what it needs, but they are free from the pesticides and chemicals present in most food.
2. Avoid exercising and training in a densely populated city (when possible). As an athlete, your respiratory system is much more active – and training in a city with high levels of pollution means you are inhaling toxins just by breathing.
3. Avoid any household products that have artificial fragrances. Artificial fragrances are toxic and should be avoided.
4. Stay away from pesticides.
5. Avoid highly-processed foods, as these are generally chock full of toxic chemicals.
6. Stay away from products that contain BPA, which means avoiding plastic bottles, cardboard, and cans as much as possible.
7. Avoid the use of non-stick cookware, as the coating contains harmful chemical compounds that can enter your food and be consumed.

Elderberry, also known as Sambucus nigra, has been used for centuries as a natural herbal remedy for those who fall ill.

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, referred to elderberry as “nature’s medicine chest,” and it has been noted as early as the 5^th century BC as a medicinal tonic – forever cementing it as a staple in human nutrition.

But, it wasn’t until recently that we understood WHY it is so helpful to the body. And with this understanding came advanced methods of harnessing the incredible power of this medicinal plant.