Creating a Radiation Shield

You are scheduled for an imaging test that zaps radiation through you.  So what can you do about it?  Is there some action to take to lessen the damage or lighten the load?  Well, maybe.  We are exposed to background radiation everyday and our bodies most certainly can withstand some of the abuse and repair itself, but studies are starting to indicate we can be doing more to shield it.  And these actions begin at your nearest produce aisle and a few other sections of your grocery store as well.

Foods to Consume Before, During and After Radiation 

Here are some foods to consume heavily before and after your test.  But check with your doctor and imaging center to ensure these foods will not adversely affect any test results.

• Feast on dark green, red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, apricots, tomatoes, beets, carrots, kale, collards, chard, and spinach. The cartenoids may significantly reduce chromosomal damage in humans exposed to radiation.

• Add mushrooms to the mix - especially the reishii mushroom. 

• Seaweed has been shown to neutralize radioactive isotopes in the human body. Brown seaweeds, like modifilan, for instance, bind to radioactive compounds that are more easily excreted.  Kombu is recommended as well.

• Drink lots of black and green tea.

• Other foods such as garlic, beans, and lentils have also been credited by numerous studies with reducing the harmful effects of radiation.

• Add some spirulina to your smoothie.  It was used to treat children exposed to chronic low levels of radiation after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

• Fermented foods like miso and kombucha show promise in helping your body deal with radiation exposure.

Pills to Pop

Some believe that taking extra antioxidants through supplements before and after the imaging test can help protect your cells from radioactive damage.  Here are some that may help with that:

• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Selenium
• Vitamin E - mixed tocopherols only

Click on the link and check out the book, Five to Thrive, by Lise Alschuler and Karolyn Gazella, for a very specific supplement plan on reducing radiation worries.

Other Aides

Some studies indicate these herbs and other measures could help out:

• Siberian Ginseng
• Ashwaganda 
• Astaxanthin 
• Detoxifying baths with a cup of Epsom salts every couple of days

Your Radioactive Shield Meal Plan 

Schedule your test for the morning and make your meals that day look something like this:

1. Start your day with a cup or two of plain green tea in the morning.  Continue drinking it all day and for the next few days as well.  Do like the Japanese in the morning, and have a cup of miso soup.
2. Make this apricot smoothie and drink it on your way to your test.  Substitute 2 cups of raw spinach for the romaine lettuce.  Add some spirulina and a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil as well. 
3. Have a large salad of fresh tomato and red and yellow peppers with a fresh basil and garlic with olive oil dressing for lunch.  
4. A bit later, snack on some raw carrots and hummus.
5. Dinner could be a baked sweet potato with a large bowl of vegetable soup made with this broth and added into it lots of fresh kale and collards, tomato, and reishi mushroom.  Add some extra kombu into the broth.  Have some fresh mango for dessert.  
6. If you choose to add with supplements, take them with food during your meals throughout the day.
7. Consume lots of filtered water and continue with heavy doses of fresh vegetables for the next few days as well.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aidan_jones/1438403889/">Aidan Jones</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>