Toxin Blog Archive...
I get a lot of questions regarding whether cleansing and fasting are a good idea. I definitely believe that our systems need to be cleansed, but I believe in doing it systematically. That means cleansing out one thing at a time (parasites, yeasts, metals, etc.). There may be instances when people need to do a colon cleanse, but I think that needs to be determined by your doctor. Total body and colon cleanses can be hard on the system if your organs are already overtaxed. This can cause more harm than good. Supporting the system and detoxing slowly tends to be the easiest way to detox without making a person feel worse. As far as fasting goes, I am not an advocate. I don't believe in liquid fasts for more than a day or two, if even that. If you want to start the New Year with a fast, I would recommend keeping whole foods in your diet. Eliminate the foods that are not beneficial to your system. First of all, eliminate foods that you are sensitive to. You will have a hard time healing your gut if you continue to eat foods that cause inflammation in your system. Next, cut out sugars - including corn syrup and anything that ends with ose - sucrose, maltose, etc. If you can cut out more, get rid of trans fats (bad stuff) and monosodium glutamate. Next - eliminate gluten - some people do well with whole wheat, but if not, try eliminating all gluten and see how you feel. Next - if you can, only eat foods that have five or less ingredients. This is definitely a push towards whole foods. We just get so many preservatives and additives in food, that this step will allow your body to work more efficiently. Still want to feel even better? Get rid of soy products. I know this is against many health food gurus instructions, but I just have a gut feeling that soy is causing us a lot of problems. I think organic soy products are better - and they should be fermented (soy sauce, miso). If you drink soy milk, eliminate it and see how you feel. Eat as many whole organic foods as possible. Finally, if you want to go all out, eliminate caffeine and alcohol - and for some people, meat and dairy. I say for some people, because for some nutritional types (myself included), meat and dairy are beneficial. What does that leave you to eat? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, brown/wild rice, and other health food options. Try to stick to this diet for as long as you can - 2 or 3 weeks would be great, and then you can add one item back at a time and see how you feel. You may find that there are many things on the list that you can live without. Yes, you have few food choices during the fast, but I think it is much better than living on liquids! Do what works the best for you!
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Parasites - Clients cringe when they hear that they are possibly a host for parasites. Because we now live in such a small world, parasites are becoming more popular. We can pick them up from foods coming from other countries or even foods that are grown locally. Water is also a culprit, whether we are drinking it or swimming in it. If you experience many gut issues - gas, constipation, diarrhea, etc. - it may be worthwhile checking on parasites. Parasites can be hard to detect, because they can lie dormant and flare up occasionally, causing issues. Although the gut is the obvious place that they cause problems, they can affect the overall system - the nervous system, joints, liver, etc. The problem with parasites is that not only do they drop their toxins in our systems, they live off of our nutients. If we cannot absorb nutrients, or we are not getting enough, we open ourselves up to numerous issues. For each mineral that is depleted, there is a possibility of many disorders. Once again, getting that gut in balance will affect so many other areas of our bodies. There is more info about parasites on my web site if you are interested in learning more.
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More gut busters - Yeast, molds and funguses - specifically - Candida. We all have a yeast in our guts known as candida albicans. It is generally noninvasive. When the bacteria levels in our guts get out of balance, the candida can proliferate. This is especially true if you have had to be on antibiotics. Without friendly bacteria in the gut, the candida does not have a gatekeeper and can cause many health issues. I have a lot of information on this site if you click on information and than on yeast diet . A couple of clues that you may have too much candida in your system would be chronic yeast or bladder infections and severe cravings for sugar. Eliminating sugars and replacing friendly bacteria in the gut is helpful in combating candida overgrowth. There are other supplements or medications that your practioner can also recommend. Getting rid of a candida overgrowth is also a good step toward fixing a leaky gut.
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I started reading the book, The Detox Strategy by Brenda Watson, C.N.C. - She starts out the book by stating:
In June 2006 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that nearly one-quarter of global disease is caused by environmental exposures, but perhaps most striking is what it said next: "Well-targeted interventions can prevent much of this environmental risk," saving what could amount to millions of lives every year.
I recommend going to her web site - www.detoxstrategy.com and do the survey to determine how toxic you may be and also check out the toxic truths. I will continue to talk about toxins that we are exposed to and what we can do about them.
Back to the gut - so now you have begun balancing your digestive system. If you have eliminated parasites, unfriendly bacteria and yeast overgrowth - what else can be done? The next step is to continue balancing the system. Gut health is important, but if you are holding toxins in other organs and systems (and in your fat cells), you will still be susceptible to those microbial invaders. Other toxins that throw our systems out of balance include chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals. I am going to start with chemicals. We have some - but not total - control over how many chemicals we are exposed to. I recommend making changes each time you have to shop for beauty or home care products. Cutting down on the chemicals in these products not only benefits you, but the environment as well. There are more and more choices for organic and eco friendly products that can be found in most grocery stores. Your skin is your largest organ, so you will benefit your health by using items such as mineral make ups and organic shampoos and lotions. We are all exposed to between 100-400 chemicals a day. If, for example, you can buy (or make your own) healthy cleaning product, you could be saving you and your family numerous chemicals that won't need to be inhaled continuously in the home. If you are using nontoxic laundry products, your family won't have to wear chemicals around on their bodies all day. This is why small changes can make such a huge difference in scaling down the chemical load we are exposed to on a daily basis.
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I finished the book "Spent" by Frank Lipman, M.D. This book is an excellent choice if you are looking for a way to revamp your diet and exercise plan to have a lifelong, healthy way of eating exercising.
Now, back to the leaky gut, chemicals, and what we can do about them. If you suffer from a leaky gut (and most of us do) - chemicals are only going to make it worse. With all of the toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis, our bodies will eventually reach a breaking point if we are not providing ourselves with the tools that it needs to get rid of the toxins. If, for example, you eat a Twinkie (which was once made from fresh ingredients, but now is made of chemicals) - if you have a leaky gut, these chemicals may be sent out into the bloodstream. Then the liver is supposed to take these toxins, and process them so they can be released from the body. If the liver is overworked trying to get other toxins out (which it most likely is), that Twinkie is going to have to be stored someplace. The most likely storage place is fat cells. Why are we becoming an obese nation? Our systems don't know what to do with these foreign chemicals, so we are developing more or better or bigger fat cells to help the liver and the rest of the system out. Worse yet, some of these toxins can cross the blood brain barrier, where they can cause nervous system disorders and behavior issues. If we think about all of the toxins are children are exposed to, is it any wonder that we have such a high incidence of allergies, ADD, behavior problems and medical conditions that are beginning earlier and earlier for our children? If you have reached that breaking point, you will begin to see symptoms and illnesses that many times cannot be helped by traditional practices. For example, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies and the list can go on and on. Many of us get to the point where it seems normal to be fatigued all of the time, or have chronic sinus infections, or to have a constant headache. None of this is normal. Normal is to wake up feeling refreshed, to feel energized from the foods that we eat, and to have a positive outlook on your life. You can make a change and feel better - you don't have to accept that you are just getting older.
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I finished the book "The Crazy Makers" and "The Body Toxic". Both books go into very specific examples of toxins that are harming our and our children's systems. I decided to be more general with my discussion of chemicals, because there really is no way to totally avoid them, no matter how careful that we are. We cannot avoid the chemicals that we get from car exhaust or other air pollutants. We cannot avoid chemicals that our outgassed from our homes (although we can do things to help this). What we can try to minimize are the chemicals that we get from the foods and household products that we use. Yesterday, I made a special trip to a store that had a coupon and sale on supposed organic hair products. When I read the label, I found a couple of ingredients that could be considered healthy, but there were at least twenty other ingredients that were synthetic and some were harmful. For example, there were at least three different kinds of alcohol and also parabens that are known to cause health issues. It always comes down to consumer beware. There are so many ins and outs with labeling that can be deceptive. Checking labels on personal care products, cleaning products and the foods we eat can be eye opening. There are many simple things that we can do to improve our health and the health of our children. We are putting diet sodas in vending machines in our kids' schools. Diet sodas contain aspartame that is an excitotoxin which can cross the blood brain barrier and affect brain function. We feed kids fast foods that not only lacks nutrients, but contain chemicals and preservatives that are harmful. It is time to take a step back and look at the choices that we are making. Some things that we ingest should not be considered food when you look at the ingredient list. If you get a chance today, look at the ingredient list of a product you use. Do you recognize the majority of things in it? If not, next time you go to the store, see if you can replace that one product with a healthy alternative. If you make the switch over time, it is very painless. Cleaning products can be as simple as using vinegar and water in order to avoid chemicals.
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Everyone has yeast in their gut - the friendly bacteria in the gut keeps it under control. It is when we have to go on antibiotics, steroids or birth control, our diets contain too many sugars, or stress throws our systems off that the yeast can get out of control. Yeast loves sugars - and foods that quickly turn to sugar like alcohol and white flour. According to "The Diet Cure", some of the main symptoms that people experience if they have an overgrowth of yeast are bloating, yeast infections, sinus infections, and mental fog. You can find more symptoms on this site on the page "Yeast Diet ". An overgrowth of yeast can cause severe cravings for sugar and alcohol. The reason this happens is that the yeast feeds off of these sugars, so it signals your system that it wants more and more. As it continues to feed on these sugars (carbs included) it multiples and grows setting off a cycle that is difficult to break. Yeast imbalance can also set up your system to be susceptible to parasites and viruses. What can you do? I would recommend a full assessment to determine what is out of balance in your system. Just getting rid of the yeast won't solve the problem if the friendly bacteria is out of balance in your gut, if your diet is poor, if your immune system is compromised and parasites have chosen you as a host. I like the book "The Diet Cure" because it recognizes that you cannot treat the symptoms of one imbalance without helping the entire system. You do not have to feel bad all of the time!
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I have been doing a lot of reading on autoimmune disorders. My frustration has been that the causes and treatments of autoimmune disorders are very sketchy at this point. Causes seem to point to stressors in people's lives in many of the cases. Stressors can be anything from chemicals, bacterias, a virus, pesticides, a traumatic experience, or anything that can throw the body out of balance. This leads me to the belief that the stressors need to be removed. Which leads me into information from another book I have been reading, "Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet" by Sloan Barnett. I picked out a few tips that can help us figure out if some of the products that we are using are safe. There are so many chemicals out there, that it is impossible for anyone to know in the long run if chemicals are safe or how they react to other chemicals. This definitely leaves us wondering how they will affect our bodies. The EPA gives some clues to labeling on products: A Danger label means that we need to be extremely careful using the product. Warning means that it is less strong than Danger, but you can still get sick from using this product. Caution shows that the product could hurt you, but it is less dangerous than the other two labels. Many times, you will use some of these toxic products, and they will still smell good. This added frangrance is also toxic, and can actually cause endocrine disruption. If you are concerned about the toxins in the products that you are using, do a search for natural cleaning and health products, and you will find inexpensive, healthy alternatives that you can make at home. This come backs to the barrel theory. We can be exposed to toxin after toxin, and at some point, our barrel is full when our body can no longer process them, and we see symptoms of things such as autoimmune disorders and more. One statistic to keep in mind is that the air in our home is more 90% more polluted than the air outside.
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I started a new book - "The Fungus Link - Volume 2", by Doug A. Kaufmann. On the cover of his book, he has a subtitle that states, "Fight the microscopic fungi that can cause: Hormone problems/mental dysfunction/autoimmune disease/ ear, nose and throat illness, weight gain and hair loss." That is a very diverse list of ailments that are can be caused by fungus. I could add many more symptoms and illnesses to that list. All of the books that I have been reading lately actually tie together in a cause and effect kind of situation. I have been reading about autoimmune disorders, which can be caused by fungi; I have been reading about sugars and corn syrup, which feed the fungi, and of course, I am reading about the fungus link. If you experience some of the illnesses listed on the cover of Doug Kaufmann's book, you may want to evaluate your sugar and white flour intake. Cutting back on bad carbs and sugars can begin to alleviate some of the symptoms you are experiencing if you have fungi in your system. This book also discusses the effect that fungi can have on mood. Depression may also be improved by eliminating sugars from the diet.
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I decided to blog about fungus again for two reasons - first of all, I am reading the book "The Fungus Link" by Doug A. Kaufmann, and secondly, in Minnesota, with the weather changing, there is a lot of fungus in the air. People are experiencing allergy symptoms from the fungus on the leaves and in the grass from the spring thaw. One of the first areas of the body that is affected by fungi is the gut. According to Doug Kaufmann, "...once flourishing within our intestines they (yeast/fungi) can make life miserable. In these cases, it is quite common to have bloating, belching, intestinal gas, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and esophageal reflux." Another concern with yeasts and fungi in the intestines is when a person has a condition called a "leaky gut". Generally, people who experience the above symptoms or have food sensitivities are likely experiencing a "leaky gut". This means that foods, yeasts, fungi, etc. are able to permeate the lining of the intestines and move into the bloodstream causing an immune reaction. This may lead to inflammation and illness throughout the system. Many people suffer from what are known as inflammatory bowel diseases which include ailments such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the book "The Fungus Link", there is reference to the damage that antibiotics do to our guts (leaky gut syndrome). Antibiotics break down the normal bacteria balance in the gut which can harm the protective mucous layer leading to inflammation and an overgrowth of yeast in the system. Probiotics or friendly bacteria are beneficial in beginning to bring balance to the gut. If yeasts and fungus go unchecked, they can lead to other ailments in the system, such as arthritis, asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome and more. Balancing the bacteria and fungi in the gut can be beneficial in alleviating many health concerns.
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With summer comes a few body stressors that become more prevalent.
* Parasites - we are exposed to these little critters all year long, but there are additional opportunities to come into contact with them in the summer. Parasites are present in the soil and in lake and river water. Biting flies and insects can spread parasites. If you experience digestive issues, fatigue, joint pain and overall changes in how you feel, parasites can sometimes be the culprit.
* Pesticides - of course there is much more spraying of yards and fields with pesticides at this time of the year. We also eat more fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides. Pesticides have a tendency to affect the endocrine and the nervous system which can lead to fatigue and agitation.
* Molds/fungus -there are lots of molds and funguses in Minnesota in the spring with the damp ground and leaves. Molds and funguses can aggravate spring allergies.
* Wood ticks - they are out in full force this year. The ones to be leery of are the very tiny deer ticks. These are the ticks that carry lyme disease. If you find a tick embedded in your skin, save it. Watch for a red rash that appears in a circle around the rash. If you question what kind of tick you have, do some research on the internet to determine your risk.
* Sun - the UV index is rising quickly at this time of the year. There are new recommendations for people for getting out in the sun to absorb vitamin D. Vitamin D is best absorbed when the sun is at its highest point. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure improves chances of absorbing the recommended amount of vitamin D. As always, avoid sunburn and attempt to find sunscreens if you need them for extended sun exposure that have few if any chemicals.
* Pollens - many people are already experiencing tree pollens this spring. We will soon be moving into the grass and flower pollens leaving many people miserable. I recommend looking into alternative options for alleviating allergies, and also at looking at food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can make inhalant allergies worse.
This is a good time of year to eat healthier and give our bodies the nutrients it needs to eliminate many of the above stressors. We are exposed to so many of the above stressors plus hundreds of chemicals that can overwhelm our systems. The more that can done to eliminate these stressors, the better we will feel overall.
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I get many questions in regard to hormones and what throws them out of balance. It is rare to see anyone, man, woman or child who isn't experiencing some imbalance in their hormones. A hormone that is in the news quite frequently is estrogen. The reason for this is the increasing amounts of "fake" estrogens (phyto and xeno estrogens) that we are exposed to that our bodies recognize as real. These extra estrogens attribute to early puberty for girls and early perimenopause for women. Fake estrogens also affect men, but the side effects aren't so clear cut. According to the book, "The Natural Superwoman" by Uzzi Reiss, M.D., the following items can cause excess estrogen in the system:
* Overconsumption of calories and overaccumlation of body fat. Today, our community as a whole, is heavier than any other generation. There is a direct correlation between weight and fat gain and the onset of menstruation.
* Overly estrogenated dairy products. Recent studies have confirmed that today's dairy products have dramatically higher levels of estrogen then is commonly recognized. This is frustrating, because ongoing advertising tries to tell us that milk is good for us.
* Environmental pollutants with an estrogenlike effect. Many environmental pollutants in our air, water and food products and containers behave like estrogen wehn absorbed by the human body. This causes girls to enter puberty at a younger age.
* Liberal consumption of soy products. Soy and other plants that are rich in pytoestrogen, or plant estrogen, are regularly consumed by girls in the form of soy, plants, and even in processed foods, all of which cause them to enter puberty at a younger age.
The question if if this early exposure to estrogens can cause hormone issues later in life. I have concerns with giving our babies soy milk, and with all of the chemicals that our children are exposed to. Hormone issues, as I said, affect both boys and girls. This issue doesn't even touch on the increasing number of couples experiencing difficulties with trying to conceive. Balancing hormones is important for people of all ages.
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The next topic for overall health is hormones. I am finding that is more and more difficult for people to keep hormones in balance. The hormonal system affects men, women and children. Our bodies' hormonal systems are especially thrown out of balance by things in our environments - chemicals, phthalates, pesticides, hormones in foods, xenoestrogens and more. All of these factors cause our hormonal systems confusion - and when our hormones are confused, our bodies cannot work at an optimal level. Our energy levels, metabolism and moods will be greatly affected.
It is impossible to avoid all of the chemicals and toxins that are in our environment, but being aware of what is out there and making small changes can cause less stress to our systems.
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Dr Weil, in his book 8 Weeks to Optimum Health talks about the part that toxins play in our ability to stay healthy. He makes a strong point that it is important to protect ourselves from all of the toxins that we are exposed to in our environment. Yes, it is not possible to protect ourselves from everything, but the more aware we are of the toxins around us, the more likely we are to avoid them. According to Dr. Weil, "Cumulative toxic damage is a chief reason for failure of the healing system as people age." A couple of major areas that we can cut down on the toxins that we are exposed to include minimizing the meat that we eat and by eating organic foods. The higher you get on the food chain, the higher the amount of hormones and toxins that are found in the fat of that food (think cows pigs). These toxins can be greatly reduced by eating organic - not only organic meat, but organic produce and food in general. You can find additional information on my web site about organic foods. Dr. Weil also talks about our excessive exposure to electromagnetic waves which are a subtle interference to our health. Some of the electromagnetic waves that we are exposed to on a daily basis include microwave ovens, computers (these have improved greatly over the years), cell phones, alarm clocks, and electric blankets. Dr. Weil recommends keeping our distance from these appliances as much as possible. He also warns about sun exposure, but whereas he recommends wearing sunscreen whenever outside and avoiding the midday sun, I think that in the North that we need a short amount of sun exposure each day without sunscreen (10 minutes for most people) to keep up our vitamin D levels. In Minnesota, this could be our last week of being able to get significant benefit from sunshine until spring.
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Today I am finally finishing up with Jillian Michael's book, Master Your Metabolism. Her last recommendations are to remove toxins from your environment. This is something I have attempted to do, and I will admit, it is not an easy process. What I have made a goal of doing is to try and use up products or items in my home, and replace them with a less toxic option. There are a few items that I have hit a roadblock with family members (teenagers won't always give up their favorite beauty supplies), but overall, I have found some success. I try to save used spray bottles and refill them with concentrated, nontoxic cleaning products. I buy mineral make up and nontoxic shampoos and soaps. Below is a list of items that Jillian recommends we use to detoxify our homes:
I get that these are not easy changes to make - every small change can make a significant difference in the toxins that you are exposed to.
I get a lot of questions regarding whether cleansing and fasting are a good idea. I definitely believe that our systems need to be cleansed, but I believe in doing it systematically. That means cleansing out one thing at a time (parasites, yeasts, metals, etc.). There may be instances when people need to do a colon cleanse, but I think that needs to be determined by your doctor. Total body and colon cleanses can be hard on the system if your organs are already overtaxed. This can cause more harm than good. Supporting the system and detoxing slowly tends to be the easiest way to detox without making a person feel worse. As far as fasting goes, I am not an advocate. I don't believe in liquid fasts for more than a day or two, if even that. If you want to start the New Year with a fast, I would recommend keeping whole foods in your diet. Eliminate the foods that are not beneficial to your system. First of all, eliminate foods that you are sensitive to. You will have a hard time healing your gut if you continue to eat foods that cause inflammation in your system. Next, cut out sugars - including corn syrup and anything that ends with ose - sucrose, maltose, etc. If you can cut out more, get rid of trans fats (bad stuff) and monosodium glutamate. Next - eliminate gluten - some people do well with whole wheat, but if not, try eliminating all gluten and see how you feel. Next - if you can, only eat foods that have five or less ingredients. This is definitely a push towards whole foods. We just get so many preservatives and additives in food, that this step will allow your body to work more efficiently. Still want to feel even better? Get rid of soy products. I know this is against many health food gurus instructions, but I just have a gut feeling that soy is causing us a lot of problems. I think organic soy products are better - and they should be fermented (soy sauce, miso). If you drink soy milk, eliminate it and see how you feel. Eat as many whole organic foods as possible. Finally, if you want to go all out, eliminate caffeine and alcohol - and for some people, meat and dairy. I say for some people, because for some nutritional types (myself included), meat and dairy are beneficial. What does that leave you to eat? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, brown/wild rice, and other health food options. Try to stick to this diet for as long as you can - 2 or 3 weeks would be great, and then you can add one item back at a time and see how you feel. You may find that there are many things on the list that you can live without. Yes, you have few food choices during the fast, but I think it is much better than living on liquids! Do what works the best for you!
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Parasites - Clients cringe when they hear that they are possibly a host for parasites. Because we now live in such a small world, parasites are becoming more popular. We can pick them up from foods coming from other countries or even foods that are grown locally. Water is also a culprit, whether we are drinking it or swimming in it. If you experience many gut issues - gas, constipation, diarrhea, etc. - it may be worthwhile checking on parasites. Parasites can be hard to detect, because they can lie dormant and flare up occasionally, causing issues. Although the gut is the obvious place that they cause problems, they can affect the overall system - the nervous system, joints, liver, etc. The problem with parasites is that not only do they drop their toxins in our systems, they live off of our nutients. If we cannot absorb nutrients, or we are not getting enough, we open ourselves up to numerous issues. For each mineral that is depleted, there is a possibility of many disorders. Once again, getting that gut in balance will affect so many other areas of our bodies. There is more info about parasites on my web site if you are interested in learning more.
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More gut busters - Yeast, molds and funguses - specifically - Candida. We all have a yeast in our guts known as candida albicans. It is generally noninvasive. When the bacteria levels in our guts get out of balance, the candida can proliferate. This is especially true if you have had to be on antibiotics. Without friendly bacteria in the gut, the candida does not have a gatekeeper and can cause many health issues. I have a lot of information on this site if you click on information and than on yeast diet . A couple of clues that you may have too much candida in your system would be chronic yeast or bladder infections and severe cravings for sugar. Eliminating sugars and replacing friendly bacteria in the gut is helpful in combating candida overgrowth. There are other supplements or medications that your practioner can also recommend. Getting rid of a candida overgrowth is also a good step toward fixing a leaky gut.
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I started reading the book, The Detox Strategy by Brenda Watson, C.N.C. - She starts out the book by stating:
In June 2006 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that nearly one-quarter of global disease is caused by environmental exposures, but perhaps most striking is what it said next: "Well-targeted interventions can prevent much of this environmental risk," saving what could amount to millions of lives every year.
I recommend going to her web site - www.detoxstrategy.com and do the survey to determine how toxic you may be and also check out the toxic truths. I will continue to talk about toxins that we are exposed to and what we can do about them.
Back to the gut - so now you have begun balancing your digestive system. If you have eliminated parasites, unfriendly bacteria and yeast overgrowth - what else can be done? The next step is to continue balancing the system. Gut health is important, but if you are holding toxins in other organs and systems (and in your fat cells), you will still be susceptible to those microbial invaders. Other toxins that throw our systems out of balance include chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals. I am going to start with chemicals. We have some - but not total - control over how many chemicals we are exposed to. I recommend making changes each time you have to shop for beauty or home care products. Cutting down on the chemicals in these products not only benefits you, but the environment as well. There are more and more choices for organic and eco friendly products that can be found in most grocery stores. Your skin is your largest organ, so you will benefit your health by using items such as mineral make ups and organic shampoos and lotions. We are all exposed to between 100-400 chemicals a day. If, for example, you can buy (or make your own) healthy cleaning product, you could be saving you and your family numerous chemicals that won't need to be inhaled continuously in the home. If you are using nontoxic laundry products, your family won't have to wear chemicals around on their bodies all day. This is why small changes can make such a huge difference in scaling down the chemical load we are exposed to on a daily basis.
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I finished the book "Spent" by Frank Lipman, M.D. This book is an excellent choice if you are looking for a way to revamp your diet and exercise plan to have a lifelong, healthy way of eating exercising.
Now, back to the leaky gut, chemicals, and what we can do about them. If you suffer from a leaky gut (and most of us do) - chemicals are only going to make it worse. With all of the toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis, our bodies will eventually reach a breaking point if we are not providing ourselves with the tools that it needs to get rid of the toxins. If, for example, you eat a Twinkie (which was once made from fresh ingredients, but now is made of chemicals) - if you have a leaky gut, these chemicals may be sent out into the bloodstream. Then the liver is supposed to take these toxins, and process them so they can be released from the body. If the liver is overworked trying to get other toxins out (which it most likely is), that Twinkie is going to have to be stored someplace. The most likely storage place is fat cells. Why are we becoming an obese nation? Our systems don't know what to do with these foreign chemicals, so we are developing more or better or bigger fat cells to help the liver and the rest of the system out. Worse yet, some of these toxins can cross the blood brain barrier, where they can cause nervous system disorders and behavior issues. If we think about all of the toxins are children are exposed to, is it any wonder that we have such a high incidence of allergies, ADD, behavior problems and medical conditions that are beginning earlier and earlier for our children? If you have reached that breaking point, you will begin to see symptoms and illnesses that many times cannot be helped by traditional practices. For example, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies and the list can go on and on. Many of us get to the point where it seems normal to be fatigued all of the time, or have chronic sinus infections, or to have a constant headache. None of this is normal. Normal is to wake up feeling refreshed, to feel energized from the foods that we eat, and to have a positive outlook on your life. You can make a change and feel better - you don't have to accept that you are just getting older.
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I finished the book "The Crazy Makers" and "The Body Toxic". Both books go into very specific examples of toxins that are harming our and our children's systems. I decided to be more general with my discussion of chemicals, because there really is no way to totally avoid them, no matter how careful that we are. We cannot avoid the chemicals that we get from car exhaust or other air pollutants. We cannot avoid chemicals that our outgassed from our homes (although we can do things to help this). What we can try to minimize are the chemicals that we get from the foods and household products that we use. Yesterday, I made a special trip to a store that had a coupon and sale on supposed organic hair products. When I read the label, I found a couple of ingredients that could be considered healthy, but there were at least twenty other ingredients that were synthetic and some were harmful. For example, there were at least three different kinds of alcohol and also parabens that are known to cause health issues. It always comes down to consumer beware. There are so many ins and outs with labeling that can be deceptive. Checking labels on personal care products, cleaning products and the foods we eat can be eye opening. There are many simple things that we can do to improve our health and the health of our children. We are putting diet sodas in vending machines in our kids' schools. Diet sodas contain aspartame that is an excitotoxin which can cross the blood brain barrier and affect brain function. We feed kids fast foods that not only lacks nutrients, but contain chemicals and preservatives that are harmful. It is time to take a step back and look at the choices that we are making. Some things that we ingest should not be considered food when you look at the ingredient list. If you get a chance today, look at the ingredient list of a product you use. Do you recognize the majority of things in it? If not, next time you go to the store, see if you can replace that one product with a healthy alternative. If you make the switch over time, it is very painless. Cleaning products can be as simple as using vinegar and water in order to avoid chemicals.
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Everyone has yeast in their gut - the friendly bacteria in the gut keeps it under control. It is when we have to go on antibiotics, steroids or birth control, our diets contain too many sugars, or stress throws our systems off that the yeast can get out of control. Yeast loves sugars - and foods that quickly turn to sugar like alcohol and white flour. According to "The Diet Cure", some of the main symptoms that people experience if they have an overgrowth of yeast are bloating, yeast infections, sinus infections, and mental fog. You can find more symptoms on this site on the page "Yeast Diet ". An overgrowth of yeast can cause severe cravings for sugar and alcohol. The reason this happens is that the yeast feeds off of these sugars, so it signals your system that it wants more and more. As it continues to feed on these sugars (carbs included) it multiples and grows setting off a cycle that is difficult to break. Yeast imbalance can also set up your system to be susceptible to parasites and viruses. What can you do? I would recommend a full assessment to determine what is out of balance in your system. Just getting rid of the yeast won't solve the problem if the friendly bacteria is out of balance in your gut, if your diet is poor, if your immune system is compromised and parasites have chosen you as a host. I like the book "The Diet Cure" because it recognizes that you cannot treat the symptoms of one imbalance without helping the entire system. You do not have to feel bad all of the time!
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I have been doing a lot of reading on autoimmune disorders. My frustration has been that the causes and treatments of autoimmune disorders are very sketchy at this point. Causes seem to point to stressors in people's lives in many of the cases. Stressors can be anything from chemicals, bacterias, a virus, pesticides, a traumatic experience, or anything that can throw the body out of balance. This leads me to the belief that the stressors need to be removed. Which leads me into information from another book I have been reading, "Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet" by Sloan Barnett. I picked out a few tips that can help us figure out if some of the products that we are using are safe. There are so many chemicals out there, that it is impossible for anyone to know in the long run if chemicals are safe or how they react to other chemicals. This definitely leaves us wondering how they will affect our bodies. The EPA gives some clues to labeling on products: A Danger label means that we need to be extremely careful using the product. Warning means that it is less strong than Danger, but you can still get sick from using this product. Caution shows that the product could hurt you, but it is less dangerous than the other two labels. Many times, you will use some of these toxic products, and they will still smell good. This added frangrance is also toxic, and can actually cause endocrine disruption. If you are concerned about the toxins in the products that you are using, do a search for natural cleaning and health products, and you will find inexpensive, healthy alternatives that you can make at home. This come backs to the barrel theory. We can be exposed to toxin after toxin, and at some point, our barrel is full when our body can no longer process them, and we see symptoms of things such as autoimmune disorders and more. One statistic to keep in mind is that the air in our home is more 90% more polluted than the air outside.
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I started a new book - "The Fungus Link - Volume 2", by Doug A. Kaufmann. On the cover of his book, he has a subtitle that states, "Fight the microscopic fungi that can cause: Hormone problems/mental dysfunction/autoimmune disease/ ear, nose and throat illness, weight gain and hair loss." That is a very diverse list of ailments that are can be caused by fungus. I could add many more symptoms and illnesses to that list. All of the books that I have been reading lately actually tie together in a cause and effect kind of situation. I have been reading about autoimmune disorders, which can be caused by fungi; I have been reading about sugars and corn syrup, which feed the fungi, and of course, I am reading about the fungus link. If you experience some of the illnesses listed on the cover of Doug Kaufmann's book, you may want to evaluate your sugar and white flour intake. Cutting back on bad carbs and sugars can begin to alleviate some of the symptoms you are experiencing if you have fungi in your system. This book also discusses the effect that fungi can have on mood. Depression may also be improved by eliminating sugars from the diet.
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I decided to blog about fungus again for two reasons - first of all, I am reading the book "The Fungus Link" by Doug A. Kaufmann, and secondly, in Minnesota, with the weather changing, there is a lot of fungus in the air. People are experiencing allergy symptoms from the fungus on the leaves and in the grass from the spring thaw. One of the first areas of the body that is affected by fungi is the gut. According to Doug Kaufmann, "...once flourishing within our intestines they (yeast/fungi) can make life miserable. In these cases, it is quite common to have bloating, belching, intestinal gas, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and esophageal reflux." Another concern with yeasts and fungi in the intestines is when a person has a condition called a "leaky gut". Generally, people who experience the above symptoms or have food sensitivities are likely experiencing a "leaky gut". This means that foods, yeasts, fungi, etc. are able to permeate the lining of the intestines and move into the bloodstream causing an immune reaction. This may lead to inflammation and illness throughout the system. Many people suffer from what are known as inflammatory bowel diseases which include ailments such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the book "The Fungus Link", there is reference to the damage that antibiotics do to our guts (leaky gut syndrome). Antibiotics break down the normal bacteria balance in the gut which can harm the protective mucous layer leading to inflammation and an overgrowth of yeast in the system. Probiotics or friendly bacteria are beneficial in beginning to bring balance to the gut. If yeasts and fungus go unchecked, they can lead to other ailments in the system, such as arthritis, asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome and more. Balancing the bacteria and fungi in the gut can be beneficial in alleviating many health concerns.
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With summer comes a few body stressors that become more prevalent.
* Parasites - we are exposed to these little critters all year long, but there are additional opportunities to come into contact with them in the summer. Parasites are present in the soil and in lake and river water. Biting flies and insects can spread parasites. If you experience digestive issues, fatigue, joint pain and overall changes in how you feel, parasites can sometimes be the culprit.
* Pesticides - of course there is much more spraying of yards and fields with pesticides at this time of the year. We also eat more fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides. Pesticides have a tendency to affect the endocrine and the nervous system which can lead to fatigue and agitation.
* Molds/fungus -there are lots of molds and funguses in Minnesota in the spring with the damp ground and leaves. Molds and funguses can aggravate spring allergies.
* Wood ticks - they are out in full force this year. The ones to be leery of are the very tiny deer ticks. These are the ticks that carry lyme disease. If you find a tick embedded in your skin, save it. Watch for a red rash that appears in a circle around the rash. If you question what kind of tick you have, do some research on the internet to determine your risk.
* Sun - the UV index is rising quickly at this time of the year. There are new recommendations for people for getting out in the sun to absorb vitamin D. Vitamin D is best absorbed when the sun is at its highest point. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure improves chances of absorbing the recommended amount of vitamin D. As always, avoid sunburn and attempt to find sunscreens if you need them for extended sun exposure that have few if any chemicals.
* Pollens - many people are already experiencing tree pollens this spring. We will soon be moving into the grass and flower pollens leaving many people miserable. I recommend looking into alternative options for alleviating allergies, and also at looking at food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can make inhalant allergies worse.
This is a good time of year to eat healthier and give our bodies the nutrients it needs to eliminate many of the above stressors. We are exposed to so many of the above stressors plus hundreds of chemicals that can overwhelm our systems. The more that can done to eliminate these stressors, the better we will feel overall.
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I get many questions in regard to hormones and what throws them out of balance. It is rare to see anyone, man, woman or child who isn't experiencing some imbalance in their hormones. A hormone that is in the news quite frequently is estrogen. The reason for this is the increasing amounts of "fake" estrogens (phyto and xeno estrogens) that we are exposed to that our bodies recognize as real. These extra estrogens attribute to early puberty for girls and early perimenopause for women. Fake estrogens also affect men, but the side effects aren't so clear cut. According to the book, "The Natural Superwoman" by Uzzi Reiss, M.D., the following items can cause excess estrogen in the system:
* Overconsumption of calories and overaccumlation of body fat. Today, our community as a whole, is heavier than any other generation. There is a direct correlation between weight and fat gain and the onset of menstruation.
* Overly estrogenated dairy products. Recent studies have confirmed that today's dairy products have dramatically higher levels of estrogen then is commonly recognized. This is frustrating, because ongoing advertising tries to tell us that milk is good for us.
* Environmental pollutants with an estrogenlike effect. Many environmental pollutants in our air, water and food products and containers behave like estrogen wehn absorbed by the human body. This causes girls to enter puberty at a younger age.
* Liberal consumption of soy products. Soy and other plants that are rich in pytoestrogen, or plant estrogen, are regularly consumed by girls in the form of soy, plants, and even in processed foods, all of which cause them to enter puberty at a younger age.
The question if if this early exposure to estrogens can cause hormone issues later in life. I have concerns with giving our babies soy milk, and with all of the chemicals that our children are exposed to. Hormone issues, as I said, affect both boys and girls. This issue doesn't even touch on the increasing number of couples experiencing difficulties with trying to conceive. Balancing hormones is important for people of all ages.
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The next topic for overall health is hormones. I am finding that is more and more difficult for people to keep hormones in balance. The hormonal system affects men, women and children. Our bodies' hormonal systems are especially thrown out of balance by things in our environments - chemicals, phthalates, pesticides, hormones in foods, xenoestrogens and more. All of these factors cause our hormonal systems confusion - and when our hormones are confused, our bodies cannot work at an optimal level. Our energy levels, metabolism and moods will be greatly affected.
- I have mentioned this before, but it is worth mentioning again. There are about 80,000 chemicals in our environments that were not there 100 years ago. Our bodies cannot possibly know what to do with all of these toxins, stressing our hormonal systems and our systems of elimination.
- Phthalates are in the news because of plastic drinking bottles. Phthalates mimic hormones confusing our endocrine systems. Yes, drinking bottles are part of the problem, but we are a plastic society. Changing our plastic habits can make a difference. Warm foods up on the stove or in glass in the microwave. Store foods in glass in the refrigerator. Avoid styrofoam. Small changes make a difference.
- Pesticides - I see many people with thyroid and nervous system issues that appear to correlate with pesticide exposure. The more oganic foods that are available can make a big difference. Also, being aware of staying off of newly sprayed lawns and fields can make a difference.
- We are getting more and more hormones from our foods. Primarily, from meat and dairy, due to the fact that animals raised for food are given hormones that are passed on to us. Look for hormone free alternatives.
- Xenoestrogens are found in the environment in plastics, chemicals and more. They mimic our bodies estrogens causing an overabundance in our system. Once again, be aware of the chemicals that you are exposed to through cleaning products, personal care products and in our foods.
It is impossible to avoid all of the chemicals and toxins that are in our environment, but being aware of what is out there and making small changes can cause less stress to our systems.
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Dr Weil, in his book 8 Weeks to Optimum Health talks about the part that toxins play in our ability to stay healthy. He makes a strong point that it is important to protect ourselves from all of the toxins that we are exposed to in our environment. Yes, it is not possible to protect ourselves from everything, but the more aware we are of the toxins around us, the more likely we are to avoid them. According to Dr. Weil, "Cumulative toxic damage is a chief reason for failure of the healing system as people age." A couple of major areas that we can cut down on the toxins that we are exposed to include minimizing the meat that we eat and by eating organic foods. The higher you get on the food chain, the higher the amount of hormones and toxins that are found in the fat of that food (think cows pigs). These toxins can be greatly reduced by eating organic - not only organic meat, but organic produce and food in general. You can find additional information on my web site about organic foods. Dr. Weil also talks about our excessive exposure to electromagnetic waves which are a subtle interference to our health. Some of the electromagnetic waves that we are exposed to on a daily basis include microwave ovens, computers (these have improved greatly over the years), cell phones, alarm clocks, and electric blankets. Dr. Weil recommends keeping our distance from these appliances as much as possible. He also warns about sun exposure, but whereas he recommends wearing sunscreen whenever outside and avoiding the midday sun, I think that in the North that we need a short amount of sun exposure each day without sunscreen (10 minutes for most people) to keep up our vitamin D levels. In Minnesota, this could be our last week of being able to get significant benefit from sunshine until spring.
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Today I am finally finishing up with Jillian Michael's book, Master Your Metabolism. Her last recommendations are to remove toxins from your environment. This is something I have attempted to do, and I will admit, it is not an easy process. What I have made a goal of doing is to try and use up products or items in my home, and replace them with a less toxic option. There are a few items that I have hit a roadblock with family members (teenagers won't always give up their favorite beauty supplies), but overall, I have found some success. I try to save used spray bottles and refill them with concentrated, nontoxic cleaning products. I buy mineral make up and nontoxic shampoos and soaps. Below is a list of items that Jillian recommends we use to detoxify our homes:
- Safe Plastics - her recommendation is to use only#7 PLA - you can find the code on the bottom of plastic items. Some okay options are #1, #2, #4 and #5. Look for BPA free items. BPA is found in cans, so she recommends rinsing food from cans well before using. It is amazing to think about how many products contain plastics - from baby bottles to thermal underwear, composite lumber to styrofoam.
- Regular soap - we do not need to use anti-bacterial soap. Regular, nontoxic soap is sufficient, and won't raise our chances of becoming antibiotic resistant.
- Stainless steel, glass or porcelain-coated pans - teflon has been found to stress the liver, thyroid and immune systems.
- Safe cosmetics - the list of items to be careful with cosmetics is extensive- they contain such items as lead, mercury and formaldehyde. Jillian recommends going to the web site www.safecosmetics.org or www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to look for alternative choices.
- Safe cleaning products - use 100 percent natural products - fortunately, these products are more readily available in our local grocery stores. White vinegar and baking soda are great cleaning options.
- Use hepa filters instead of air deodorizers - plants are also a great option for filtering the air.
- Wear organic clothing whenever possible.
- Make your lawn organic
I get that these are not easy changes to make - every small change can make a significant difference in the toxins that you are exposed to.
