In this great industrialized world we live in, it's difficult to stay organic. By organic, I mean as pure and natural as we entered this world. Toxins are everywhere. They're in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the products we choose to apply to our bodies on a daily basis. If you do not believe that these things play a vital role in your health, you are mistaken. Being tox-sick disconnects us from our natural selves and, hence, our connection to mother nature and natural energies our world provides.
The food industry has made many advancements in being able to extend shelf life of food products, create food products pleasing to the eyes, and increase flavor impact of food products that keep us coming back to boxes and cellophane wrappers to get those dopamine hits (reward chemical) in our brain. These artificial and toxic ingredients in foods include: anything that says "modified" or "bioengineered", Red Dye 40 (known to worsen symptoms of ADHD), and Yellow Dye 5 & 6 (known to be contaminated with carcinogens and cause genotoxicity). Maybe it's best if we just ate food that came from nature (hold the pesticides please).
Aside from current risks of water pollution with nationwide train derailments containing toxins, we also have the issue of fluoride. Fluoride is a known neurotoxin that causes damage in tissues of the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Fluoride has been controversial for many years until earlier this year when a meta-analysis that had been concealed from the public was released. It showed decreases in child IQ scores with increased fluoride use. The inverse relationship showed the heavier the fluoridation, the lower the IQ in developing children. To put it into perspective, "a 5 point decrease in a populations IQ would nearly double the number of people classified as intelectually disabled" (International Acadamy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology). That's a significant impact. Other toxins vary regionally. You can find your local drinking water quality at ewg.org. So, ditch your toothpaste for one that is fluoride free and filter your water. High quality water filters or reverse osmosis systems are highly recommended. If you are a bottled water drinker, choose natural spring water over purified.
Air quality is essential to good health, but industries and natural events such as wildfires can contribute to air pollution. Obtaining a high quality air filter for your home, particularly in the bedroom, can reduce harmful particulates in the air. Also, remember to check (and replace if needed) the air filters within your home ventilation system every 3 months.
Personal hygeine products that contain parabins, phthalates, formaldehydes, and aluminum salts have been shown to promote cancer, damage DNA, and disrupt hormones resulting in elevated estrogen and low testosterone levels. This includes everything from shampoo, body wash, soaps, deodorants, make-up, and facial and body lotions. These chemicals have been banned by the European Union as well as other nations, but not in the U.S.A. Your skin is your largest organ in your body with the potential to absorb more toxins than all the others. Try to be conscious of what you place on your skin and shoot for organic ingredients whenever possible.
Making small changes regularly to your daily contact with the food you eat, the water you drink, and the air you breathe will have huge impacts on long term health. We'll discuss ways of detoxification in the next blog. Until next time...