We are wrapping up our four-month series on removing toxins from our lives with a recap of the top tips from each issue as well as suggestions for use of a few natural products by a local expert. Please visit our newsletter archive to see full articles from March-June.

 

Cosmetics and Skin Care

An easy way to stay chemical free when it comes to cosmetics and skin care: d ownload the " Think Dirty " app before your next purchase. This handy tool will help you determine if your product is "dirty" and it will make suggestions for "clean" beauty products.

 

Green Cleaning

If you're a "do it yourself" (DIY) type, there are numerous natural alternatives that can be created at home to ensure safety and a cost savings. For instance, try mixing water, rubbing alcohol, essential oil and natural dish soap to make an all-purpose cleaner. More DIY at home cleaners can be found here .

 

Home Décor and Products

Add plants to your living environment. Even Dr. Levitt makes sure the Innovative Primary Care offices are filled with live plants. Lady Palms have been proven to improve the air quality in your home. Four other plant species are also great options to help you breathe easy and relax in green filled surroundings.

 

Can the Cans

Reduce your use of canned foods to get the BPA out of your diet. Most cans are lined with BPA-containing resin. Check for those that say they are BPA free. Moving toward foods that are fresh will transform your diet anyway and rid your body of toxins. Check out this list of BPA canned food .

 

Thanks to fellow physician Dr. Paul Wolfson for his great tips and belief in living a cleaner lifestyle. His excellent list of natural products is a great reference for your use. We've only listed a few of his suggestions below, but you can visit his post to get a full listing of ideas.

Just in time for summer family gatherings, we've found a recipe for a colorful potato salad that is sure to have your family and friends asking for the recipe .

 

This recipe features tri-color baby potatoes for a pop of brilliance and each serving is only 145 calories! Purple potatoes are good for your heart and red potatoes are packed with fiber and vitamin C. That makes this option doubly yummy.

 

Be sure to check out the other refreshing meal options associated with this recipe link such as Grilled Corn with Chipotle Butter and Grilled Sirloin Sliders.

Is it redundant to say that practices such as yoga and meditation are good for you? Well, if you need more proof, a study that spanned 11 years and nearly one thousand participants has shown promising benefits for these kinds of Mind Body Interventions (MBIs). The study, recently published in Frontiers in Immunology , reveals molecular changes occur in the body as a result of the repeated incorporation of stress-reducing practices such as yoga, meditation and Tai Chi on our mental and physical health.

 

When a person is exposed to a stressful event, their sympathetic nervous system (SNS) -- the system responsible for the 'fight-or-flight' response -- is triggered. What this does is increase the production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) which regulates how our genes are expressed.

 

If stress is felt, NF-kB translates it by activating genes to produce proteins called cytokines. They cause inflammation at a cellular level -- a reaction that is useful as a short-lived fight-or-flight reaction. However, if this kind of activation occurs regularly, it leads to a higher risk of cancer, accelerated aging and psychiatric disorders including depression.

 

Yet if you frequently practice MBIs, as the study reveals, you exhibit the opposite effect -- namely a decrease in production of NF-kB and cytokines, leading to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions.

 

Basically you want to keep your internal inflammation down. So if you make a regular practice of yoga, tai chi, meditation, mindfulness and other stress-relieving efforts, you are likely to experience brain benefits that steer DNA processes along a path which improves your well-being. And that's just what the doctor ordered!

 

If you have yet to learn about yoga, meditation or Tai Chi, we encourage you to visit a local provider, coach, studio or gym that might help introduce you to these practices. The list below was sourced from Local First Arizona which is currently celebrating " Independents Week " through July 9. Many of their participating members are offering a 20 percent discount when you use their "golden ticket."

Because of the excessive heat warnings we continue to experience in the Valley, IPC would like to remind you of a few safety tips to avoid heat-related illness. Prevention is always the best path!