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By now, you’ve probably heard something about mercury in amalgam fillings and the risks associated with having elevated mercury levels in your body. The extent to which you might be affected depends on a variety of factors, including your inherent ability to detoxify, which is mostly determined by genetics, and whether or not you have a healthy diet and lifestyle.
The main problem with mercury is that it causes inflammation, and inflammation is the root cause behind many common illnesses. While mercury may not be the only factor in the development of a disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or cardiovascular disease, it can be additive and should be addressed in people who have higher than normal levels.
My friend and colleague, Dr. Jeff Clark, speaks in-depth about mercury and detoxification strategies on his website: http://www.cfsn.com/detox.html
Personally, I like the gentle approach to mercury detoxification instead of using harsh chelation agents, which can be damaging to someone who’s ability to detox is compromised. Pesto is not only incredibly tasty, but has a variety of ingredients that actually support the body’s detoxification pathways, bind to metal, and help with excretion.
Here is my recipe, which is most easily made in a Cuisinart-type mixer. Blender is ok, too, but you have to be a little more tactful with adding ingredients so things actually mix together.
Metal-Free Pesto
3 bunches cilantro
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on taste
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 - 3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. pumpkin seeds/hemp nuts/brazil nuts in a 50/25/25 ratio.
Add the nuts, garlic, salt and one bunch cilantro to the mixer and turn on. Start adding olive oil until the mixture blends to a smooth consistency. Next, add the other two bunches of cilantro and mix until smooth again, adding more olive oil until it looks like pesto. Some people prefer their pestos to be more oily and less pasty. You decide.
Garlic: This savory bulb has a natural antimicrobial agent, called allicin, which is slowly transformed to an inert substance after the cloves are crushed. Garlic also has selenium, which is an important cofactor in many enzymatic processes in detoxification.
Cilantro: Clinical studies have shown that eating cilantro increases the body’s urinary excretion of both lead and mercury
Pumpkin seeds: These seeds are a great source of magnesium and zinc, which are also important in the detoxification pathways.
Brazil nuts: A great source of selenium
Hemp nuts: This is an optional ingredient, but I love using hemp products since they have a balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, in addition to other essential fatty acids, which are important as building blocks for hormones, for proper immune function, as a protective agent for the cardiovascular system, and so forth. To read more on hemp, click here: http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/livingharvest/hemp101.d2w/report
You can enjoy pesto with virtually every dish! I suggest rice pasta, quinoa, toast, eggs, veggies, and meats. You can even add 1/4 c. cilantro pesto to 1/4 c. vinegar for a savory and metal-chelating vinaigrette.
If you have any concern about heavy metals and your health, consult your local naturopathic physician for the appropriate treatment for your particular constitution.
By now, you’ve probably noticed that the label “organic” also means “more expensive.” Recent news also indicates that food costs will only continue to rise so I’ve thought about some ways that eating organic can be done more cost-effectively:
- Buy in bulk! Food costs also incorporate the cost of packaging. If you go to the store and bring your own containers to fill up, not only are you doing your part to save the environment, but you can also get a cheaper deal on legumes, oils, nuts, rice, and other nourishing foods from the bulk bins.
- Buy what is in season, on sale, or local. When you think about the large distances your kiwi has traveled to get to the market, you wonder if the energy expended to get it there will even equal the energy it will give you. I have nothing against kiwi, or any other tropical fruits, but buying more locally can be cheaper and have less of an impact on the environment. Eating seasonally also has a way of attuning your body to nature, which is never a bad thing.
- Go to farmer’s markets. Not only will the food tend to be cheaper, but it will be fresher.
- Avoid expensive processed foods like crackers, cookies, and chips. The cost of the packaging and processing add up. For the foods that I can’t live without (like Mary’s Gone Crackers rice crisps) I just stock-up when the item is on sale.
There are many reasons to buy organic food but it really boils down to one issue: your health and the health of the rest of the people on this planet. Nearly everyone has a certain percentage of pesticides in their bodies and there’s a positive correlation with the increase in environmental pollution to the incidence of chronic disease, allergies, and chemical sensitivity illness in this country. Now, I’m no expert, but I would say that the two just might be connected. Let’s do our part to support the planet and support a healthier body with organics! Yeah!
I’m pretty sure it’s not. In fact, I would bet on it being inedible, especially the polycarbonate variety: Plastic #7
In general, the safest materials to use for cooking or storage are stainless steel, glass, and cast iron. Materials in most plastics, regardless of how high quality they are, have the potential to leach unwanted chemicals into your body which can cause inflammation and, in the case of bisphenol A, disrupt hormone regulation which can lead to cancer. A similar story can be told about Teflon, regardless of the research from DuPont that says otherwise.
For food storage, I prefer to reuse glass jars and employ trusty pyrex bowls with lids (yes, the lids are plastic, but not dreaded #7 plastic). I usually don’t fill them to the brim either so that my food, especially when hot, stays relatively untouched by potential carcinogens.
The intention of this blog is to start a dialog with the world about health, and to provide information about what I know including recipes, articles, and the random pearls of wisdom that arrive through the ether. I’d primarily, at this point, like people to be able to glean a few simple ideas about how to cook healthily, especially because it can be so very simple to get started.
