Strategies for a Safe & Sumptuous Holiday Weekend

I'd like to do a little myth busting and empower you towards optimal fun and health this weekend.

First of all enjoy the summer sun! Vitamin D is so essential for optimal health, it is the "conductor of your genetic orchestra", so says Victoria Wood, RD, CNS who specializes in oncology. She teaches that vitamin D can turn on and off the expression of your genes at the stem cell, not even chemo or radiation does this!

If you live in the Washington DC area then you do not get enough vitamin D from the sun between October and May. We were meant to go south for the winter, like the birds. Most of us are deficient in vitamin D and need to supplement. Contact me if you'd like more information on this.

Now for the myth busting, most sunscreens interfere with your body's ability to make its own vitamin D and it doesn't protect you from burning below the surface, and it has carcinogens and nanoparticles in it!

But have no fear. Nature has provided us with our very own special fire alarm to tell us when we've had enough sun...yep, it's called a sunburn.  My advice? Work your way up to at least 30 minutes a day in the sun and when you start to turn pink or feel like you've had enough, get under cover, or put on long sleeves and a hat. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants, like summer greens and fresh berries, will offer sun protection from the inside out and is decadently delicious too!

Second, many things we like to do upregulates phase one of a healthy liver detox, things like eating charbroiled meats, caffeine and alcohol. Where we run into serious trouble is when we lack the nutrients the body needs for phase two liver detox and then these toxins get recirculated into the bloodstream and can cause oxidative stress and free radical damage leading to DNA damage and cellular mutation.  Here's a picture of the process for you cellular biologists out there:

You can see that you need lots of different antioxidants and nutrients from nature's cornucopia to eliminate the toxins we create and consume. Some of us, like me have some genetic snps where we may need a little extra boost like methylated b vitamins. This is why I recommend micronutrient testing for all of my clients.

The good news is we can find these vital nutrients in abundance from our summer gardens or from the local farmers market.

Bottom line is, if you are going to eat summer barbecue, be sure to have coleslaw and berries with it to protect yourself. (This is a lot of what I do as a coach, help you protect yourself from yourself!)

Here's what I'm bringing to our 4th of July barbecue at my daughter's house:

Asian Slaw Adapted from Immune System Recovery Plan, Susan Blum, MD

Ingredients	Sauce	Garnish
4 cups shredded cabbage 1 carrot, cut or shredded 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced 1/2 red onion thinly sliced	4 T sesame oil 2 tsp lime juice 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp sea salt 2 tsp grated ginger	2 T sesame seeds 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions; three simple steps:

Using the grater on food processor, grate vegetables or thinly slice vegetables.  

In a small bowl whisk together sauce. Pour over vegetables and toss with cilantro and sesame seeds.  Full of antioxidants, anticarcinogens and essential phytonutrients. 

Last but not least, how do you protect yourselves from the mosquitos without eating or absorbing more toxic ingredients? Try rubbing hands, arms and legs on a citronella plant or Terra Shield essential oil by Doterra. You can find it here through my daughters website affiliation in either an essential oil to blend yourself, or already mixed: http://www.mydoterra.com/margobracken

Have a Safe and Sumptuous Holiday Weekend!

Lisa

ABOUT LISA JACKSON, RN, CHC, RYT

Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker, and coach with a mission to inspire and empower others to feel their best at any age. She is also Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.  

Her book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive outlines seven steps that are fun and transforming. Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement, the International Health Coach Association and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance at every opportunity.