Our lovely colleague from Singapore contributed an insightful and informative article about protecting the well-being of you and your loved ones during the haze season. Follow these tips and keep your health in check!

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The haze is back, and with it the threat of increased throat and eye irritation, asthma, and respiratory complaints. Particulate matter from Sumatran and Kalimantan forest fires if inhaled, has the potential to cause considerable physical irritation. The body’s response to this irritation is inflammation as the immune system tries to cope with the problem.

So what steps can you take to reduce inflammation?

Increase fluid intake.

You can start by making sure that you drink enough pure filtered water to help the body flush out those extra toxins. Two litres daily roughly replaces water lost through breath, sweat and excretion, with increased pollution ~3.0 litres is better. Naturally the more physical exercise you do, the more fluid intake you need.

Mulberry leaf tea.

Drinking herbal teas such as our ‘Simply Natural’ Mulberry leaf tea is a way of enhancing that fluid intake with the additional antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids found in the leaves. The ‘tea’ is actually a ’tisane’, has no caffeine and can be drunk any time of the day.

Rich in minerals, β-Carotene, vitamin C and the B vitamin group, it makes a very nutritious addition to your daily diet. Used in Ayurvedic and TCM formulas for thousands of years, mulberry leaf soothes and supports the lung and liver meridians and is known here as ‘Sang ye cha’.

It’s grown in our NASAA inspected Organic Park, dried on the premises, then shipped straight down to Singapore. It is indeed a wonderfully pure product.

Green tea.

Camellia sinensis is the plant used in all true teas, as opposed to herbal tisanes. Organic Green tea is the least processed, least contaminated and therefore contains the most antioxidant flavonoids, such as catechin.

Through the catechins, Green tea drinkers are protected from diseases ranging from bacterial infection to cancer. In fact research is still identifying the many phytochemicals in green tea which support health.

Slippery elm bark and licorice found in Traditional Medicinal’s ‘Throat Coat‘ tea soothes a sore throat by forming a protective coating. A gentle herb, slippery elm bark soothes inflammatory conditions of the respiratory and digestive systems. Licorice is a sweet root with strong anti-inflammatory properties, effective against respiratory and hepatic infections. Too much licorice root however, can result in high blood pressure.

Now support your health by supplying the body with as much fresh healthy organic food as possible.

A good variety of brightly coloured fresh organic fruit and vegetables are your best option. They contain the antioxidants the body so badly needs to cope with the extra free radicals from urban pollution and the haze.

Beetroot

Zenxin Organic Beetroot not only contains essential minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium, but it’s also is a terrific source betacyanin, a beautiful red pigment with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Folate and betaine found in beetroot act together to lower levels of homocysteine, thus reducing artery-damaging inflammation, while they protect your body from free radicals and stimulate the liver to eliminate more toxins from the blood stream.

Greens.

Zenxin Organic Asian leafy greens, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and salad greens contain chlorophyll, antioxidants, alpha-linolenic acid (needed to build omega-3) and GLA which enhances the anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3.

Chlorophyll binds to heavy metals and the fibre from the leafy greens helps carry harmful toxins out of the body. For best effect eat them lightly steamed and drizzled with ‘Simply Natural’ Spanish extra-virgin cold pressed organic olive oil or add them to your smoothies.

Olive oil.

‘Simply Natural’ Spanish Extra-virgin cold pressed organic olive oil which is bottled the same day it is pressed, is known to contain higher concentrations of polyphenols which fight inflammation. Pharmacological research has also established that olive oil protects against respiratory and digestive cancers.

Lemons.

Zenxin Organic Lemons are high in vitamin C and are known to have an alkalising effect on the body. The juice of an organic lemon makes a wonderful addition squeezed over leafy greens, they become even more vibrant. Sliced and added to your filtered water organic lemons make it more delicious. Vitamin C also lowers your cancer risk, helps absorb iron and protects your cells against free radicle damage. Pectins in citrus are a very powerful detoxifying substance. Citrus naturally remove heavy metals without depleting the body of important trace minerals.

Why organic lemon? Well non-organic lemons are sprayed with known carcinogenic pesticides and fungicides to prevent rot during shipping, plus coated with vegetable, petroleum, beeswax, or shellac-based wax or resin. Not the kind of toxic load you need to add to your drinking water.

Blueberries.

Recent studies have found over 15 anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals in blueberries, including the dark purple anti-oxidant anthocyanin. These help protect the whole body from oxidative stress. Zenxin Organic blueberries not only offer a food without pesticides, but also have a superior anti-oxidant capacity.

Sweet potato.

Zenxin Organic sweet potatoes and other orange vegetables contain β-Carotene, the plant vitamin A pre-cursor. Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so to gain the most benefit, steam these veggies in their skin, then drizzle with our ‘Simply Natural’ Spanish extra virgin organic olive oil and serve.

Vitamin A helps protect your eyes and mucous membranes, and stands in the first line of defence against the haze.

Turmeric.

Curcumin is the anti-inflammatory antioxidant found in ‘Simply Natural’ organic turmeric, which is a common constituent used to make curry spice and Nasi Kuning.

This beautiful yellow spice, long used in TCM and Ayurveda, is now known to inhibit tumour growth and destroy mutated cancer cells.

Seaweed.

Kombu, arame and wakame seaweed contain fucoidans, sulphated polysaccharides which have documented cancer-inhibiting activity and immune system enhancement properties.

They contain a wealth of vital trace mineral to purify the blood and sodium alginate which binds toxins in the digestive tract and prevents them being absorbed by the body.

Ginger.

Zenxin Organic Ginger helps reduce inflammation and eliminate toxins from the body. Ginger tea is a great addition to any diet.

Steep slices of ginger in boiling water, then when it cools add organic lemon juice and raw honey. This will not only clear up throat and nose congestion but also soothe the mucus lining of both respiratory and digestive systems.

Garlic.

Zenxin Organic garlic contains allicin, a powerful anti-biotic and antioxidant. Not only will it protect your body against free-radicals and infection, but it will also help lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

It also boosts the production of the white blood cells known as lymphocytes which are the body’s first line of defence against biomass smoke.

Omega-3.

Increasing the amount seeds and nuts is one of the simplest ways to quell even the most chronic inflammation. Krill oil, brazil nuts, walnuts and freshly ground flax seed oil are good sources without mercury or heavy metals.

Wild Alaskan or Pacific salmon too, is full of prized omega-3, with less heavy metal contamination than it’s Atlantic cousin.

Like vitamins A, C & E, vitamin D3 has known anti-inflammatory effects protecting against the effects of free radical damage. D3 is found in oily fish such as sardine, mackerel and salmon and in liver cheese and egg yolks.

Selenium.

‘Simply Natural’ Brazil nuts and also Zenxin Organic mushrooms are also a great source of selenium, a mineral essential for the activation of the antioxidant glutathione.

Glutathione is an antioxidant produced in the body and helps protect against the harmful effects of stress, pollution, infection, drugs, radiation and ageing.

Now reduce the toxins you can control….

Having increased consumption of healthy fresh organic foods, it’s now time to limit dietary stressors.

Alcohol, caffeine & nicotine are poisons which overstimulate the system, reduce them during this time

Eliminate processed convenience foods with their inflammatory trans-fats, refined carbohydrates, additives and preservatives.

Reduce known allergens such as wheat, dairy, soy and corn, as these are common dietary irritants.

Use natural cleaning products and detergents. Limit your reliance on dry cleaning and air fresheners. Bring in lots of houseplants to help filter the air you breathe.

Rest is the perfect antidote. The simple act of going to bed on time can help reduce inflammatory response. The body needs time to heal damaged cells which bore the brunt of the day’s demands.

Inflammation can be prevented and reversed by making healthy dietary changes today!

Resources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12109813

http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/tag/polyphenols

Fucoidan Health Benefits

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/#h3

http://foodmatters.tv/

http://www.whfoods.com/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/441819-selenium-glutathione/

http://sacredsourcenutrition.com/the-many-health-benefits-of-chlorophyll/#

Tips

Learn how to lessen the effect of haze and protect your health

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