Overview

Isn’t exposure minimal?

Why should we worry about toxins unless we work with toxic chemicals or spray pesticides for a living? Unfortunately, risks of exposure are substantial, pose significant public health risks, and can no longer be ignored. We live in a sea of toxins. Every single person and animal on the planet contains residues of toxic chemicals or metals in their tissues. As of 70 years ago, a new campaign started in the United States called “Better Living Through Chemistry” and since that time, approximately 80,000 new chemicals have been introduced and, even further, most have never been tested for safety or for synergistic actions. In fact, 90% of these have not been tested for safety for human health. These contaminants are literally found everywhere on the planet.

In fact, there have been over 81,000 pharmaceuticals found in Salmon alone in Puget Sound off of the West coast of the northern United States. Some of these include Prozac, Advil, Benadryl, Lipitor, Zoloft, Valium, Aleve, cocaine, oxycontin, nicotine, caffeine, and Cipro (a black box warning antibiotic). A black box warning appears on the label of a prescription medication to alert consumers and healthcare providers about safety concerns. It is the most serious medication warning by the US FDA.1,2

Researchers also found residues of an enormous number of other chemicals coming from anti-fungals, pesticides, herbicides, and personal care products in these fish as well.

The disturbing news is that what we initially thought was the level of safety for these chemicals is actually quite lower. Meaning, these chemicals are doing more harm at lower levels.  In addition, we know that nanoparticles can cause changes in how our bodies function - nanoparticles!

Dr. Mark Hyman, editor in chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, states that “environmental toxins interfere with metabolism, overload hepatic detoxification systems, disrupt central weight-control systems, promote insulin resistance, alter circadian rhythms, activate stress response, interfere with thyroid function, increase inflammation, damage mitochondria, and lead to obesity.3”

Just some of the symptoms that people experience due to toxification of these chemicals include: fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, joint pain, chemical sensitivities, headache, cognitive function problems like brain fog to serious cognitive decline like Alzheimer's, obesity, allergies, rashes and hives, just to name a few.4

We’ve talked about the hazards of environmental toxins in our bodies, now we are going to talk about what detoxification really means, how it works, and why it’s so important to be intentional about it in these times.

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