1.  Naturopathic Approach to Your Environment
 
Naturopathic 1-2-3 Approach to Environmental Medicine If you live in Los Angeles County, you might want to know about the latest release from the American Lung Association. The May 2008 State of the Air Report showed Los Angeles/ Long Beach/ Riverside ranked # 1 in most polluted by Ozone and most polluted year round by particle pollution. What does this mean for your health? If you have asthma, bronchitis, diabetes or cardiovascular disease, then this poor air quality could be affecting your health. Children and the elderly are at the highest risk. You may notice chronic nasal congestion, Risks include: • Increased asthma attacks in children. • Increased Hospitalizations and deaths related to respiratory and cardiovascular causes • Inflammation of lung tissue • Increased number of heart attacks • Increased mortality in infants and children • Increases risk of upper/lower respiratory infections Particle pollution in the air comes from highways, construction, exhaust and agriculture to name a few. Ozone is the primary ingredient in smog and is hazardous to breathe. It is increased by evaporation or burning of gasoline, oil, coal, paints and other chemicals. Summer heat increases the formation of Ozone. Reduce-Replace-Repair What can you do to decrease your overall health burden? Increase your antioxidant rich foods. Antioxidants help offset the oxidative stress to your body from pollution and ozone in the air. You can take an antioxidant rich drink like Greens First. Adding nutrients important for liver and respiratory health like magnesium, N-acetyl cysteine, essential fatty acids, and quercetin may also improve your health. Most people, just for living in Los Angeles should take 3-7,000 mg of vitamin C per day. Buy organic foods when available. Especially milk, butter and eggs. Avoid the “dirty dozen,” foods found to be the most toxic conventionally grown. That means buy these organic when possible. (Apples, Bell peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes (imported), Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Nectarines, Spinach, and Strawberries). Not only are you what you eat, but how you cook your food and in what you drink and cook your food matters. Cook in cast iron, avoid aluminum cookware, don’t drink in plastic or eat fatty foods from plastic container. Use glass for acidic and salty foods to avoid leaching the metals into your food. Six ways to reduce your environmental exposure: • Drinking water filtration • Shower filtration • Buy clean the air plants (Contact us for a list) • Air purifier in your bedroom • Neti Pot and sinus irrigation • Wash (even pre-washed) vegetables, fruits and salads. For more suggestions please call us! This Months Featured Product is Greens First. We would love to hear from you. For more information see: www.stateoftheair.org www.lungusa.org http://www.stateoftheair.orghttp://www.lungusa.orgshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1
Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 2  June 15, 2008