Chemicals, It’s time to break up with them!! For the sake of our future, especially that of our children! They’re everywhere and they are really harmful to the body! Definitely a huge part in the rise of cancer we’re seeing! Also, many chemicals are hormone disruptors and we’re seeing problems with the thyroid, early puberty and infertility to name a few.
There are millions of chemicals out there which is actually pretty scary. If you read an ingredient label and can’t pronounce the word, put it back on the shelf, it’s probably not food but a food-like product! Chemicals exist in our food, every day items like clothes, our beauty products; shampoos, soaps, conditioners, make-up, perfumes, our household products like shower curtains and cleaning products, etc. Remember that skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything it touches, these chemicals easily get into our bodies through this pathway. Children especially are learning through their senses, they see something, they touch it, they taste it, so they are particularly vulnerable to chemical toxicity.In foods, chemicals are added in three ways. The first is an intentional additive that becomes an ingredient in the food. The second is chemicals added during processing which can contaminate the food even though they weren’t added, they’re used in packaging and can leach into the foods. Third are the silent additives, which are the pesticides, herbicides, chemicals in water and air, antibiotics and hormones fed to the animals to name a few.
- Phthalates are chemicals found in PVC plastic, toys, nail polish, plastic wrap and fake fragrance. The problem with these is that they are linked to early puberty in girls and other reproductive harms.
- BPA which was banned from use in baby products is used in cans and other food containers, as well as cash register receipts. They are carcinogenic and linked to infertility.
- DEHA, is a probable carcinogen found in plastic wrap and PVC plastic. It is also linked to developmental toxicity.
- Glyphosate (Round-up) is a carcinogenic herbicide with residues found in genetically modified sugar, corn, soy, and wheat. Glyphosate may stimulate hormone-dependent cancers even at extremely low “environmentally relevant” amounts. Recently I wrote a blog about probiotics and their importance. Be aware that Glyphosate affects beneficial bacteria, allowing pathogens to overgrow and take over, damaging our gut flora, paving the way for disease.
- Lead, known to cause problems for the central nervous system, the reproductive system and other organs and body systems as well. In children, lead toxicity has been correlated to hyperactivity and learning disorders. Unfortunately lead is in many products including gasoline, paint (levels have been reduced but not completely removed), food—that’s right, food, water, pottery, glassware, cans, cosmetics, pesticides, cigarettes, etc.
- Aluminum, a neurotoxin, with evidence linking it to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain function impairments is found widely in manufacturing of a variety of toiletries and food products such as food additives, aluminum pots and pans, foil and cans which then leaches into foods, and into our bodies.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
As much as possible, avoid chemicals, and detox monthly. Over the years many companies have started to create clean products, look for those, and read the ingredients on the labels. Become an informed consumer, research what you’re putting on your body and what you’re eating! Over time toxins build up into our bodies. This is a result of the air we breathe, the many chemicals found in our foods and those found in the water we drink, as well as other environmental means. The body is very good at doing a self-cleaning, and releases the toxins from the organs, where these enter the bloodstream. In these times we can experience headaches, diarrhea, depression or other symptoms. This is a cue for you to realize that your body needs to be cleaned. Our world today is so polluted that our normal cleansing mechanisms struggle to keep up. Fasting, for a healthy person, is a very safe and effective method to help the body detoxify. Fasting helps the body take a break, specifically the digestive tract which often works on overload. Fasting 3 days a month is recommended and a longer fast of approximately 10 days is recommended two times a year.
For children, fasting is not recommended so make sure to feed them organic foods since they are vulnerable to issues with their nervous and immune systems. Those foods with no pesticides, no herbicides, no GMOs, nothing done to them, but truly from nature as was originally intended is best for their little bodies. Look up the Environmental Working Groups clean 15 and dirty dozen lists to help you make good choices. Also, buy locally, seasonally and wash and soak non-organic produce in a vinegar/water solution. Give your children probiotics to protect and strengthen their intestinal flora, and make fermented foods! In my next blog, i’ll go deeper into the world of detox. If you’d like to know more about a safe detox protocol, please contact me via e-mail.
Sources:
https://draxe.com/top-10-chemicals-threatening-your-health-right-now/
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/detox-made-safe-and-simple?page=3
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/15/glyphosate-health-effects.aspx
Haas, Elson M. MD. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. New York, Random House, 2006.
Balch, Phyllis A., Prescription for Nutritional Healing. New York, Penguin Books, 2010.
