We live in a world that has never been experienced before. Sanitation helped remove many of the infectious diseases that used to kill thousands of people around the globe. Travel, communication, technology … all have helped progress our connectivity and changed our lives forever.
There are also many aspects of our modern lives that affect our health in a different way. While infectious diseases are greatly a thing of the past, our modern challenges come in the form of chemicals. Toxins that are abundantly used throughout our environments. Chemicals that enter waterways, soils, air, and therefore, also our drinking and foods. Environmental toxins are our modern-day pandemics – unseen yet ubiquitous.
In my book I dedicate a chapter to this topic – it’s worth having on hand as a reference tool because these toxins affect everyone, at every age.
Knowing how you and your family are exposed is the first step to taking positive action to prevent as much exposure as possible. Some key areas include:
Indoor/outdoor animals – dogs playing in parks or on domestic lawns spayed with herbicides/pesticides Pets chemically treated for fleas, parasites, etc Council water supplies Regularly eating out in restaurants, cafes, ‘fast food’ outlets Regularly eating non-organic animal products including dairy, eggs, farmed fish [Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout] and meats Eating fish caught in lakes or rivers Using antibacterial soap or personal care products with triclosan or triclocarban, Microban sportswear or products with Microban
A Review published on 22 January 2018, Ignoring Adjuvant Toxicity Falsifies the Safety Profile of Commercial Pesticides, found that adjuvants [non disclosed ingredients] were more toxic than the major chemical. For example:
Roundup was found to be 125 times more toxic than glyphosate Fungicides were the most toxic 8 our of 9 formulations were up to 1000 times more toxic than their active principle ingredients.
Read the article for all the details.
Heavy metals including arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lead and nickel are not only toxic in themselves but also well known endocrine disruptors – they change how your hormones work and how your body responds to them. Solvents like benzene, toluene, 1,4 dioxane, organochlorine and organophosphate, carbamate, pyrethroids, fungicides used commonly on foods including grapes, strawberries, coffee affect how your body works.
Once again, more information is available in my book, but it should be especially noted that chlorinated pesticides are fat soluble and are, therefore, stored in our body and passed on to our children. These chemicals are widely used in the dairy industry, meat and fish but also on vegetables like squash, zucchini and cucumbers [which is why choosing organic is so important].
Some of these chlorinated pesticides increase mast cell degranulation (allergy-type responses), increase risk for herpes zoster [shingles/chicken pox], increase risk for pancreatic and liver cancers, increase risk for otitis media in children. They are implicated in higher risk for diabetes, obesity, birth defects, Parkinsonism, CVD, seminoma, and prostate cancer.
Fungicides are used on wheat, barley, rye, triticale, soybeans, bananas, rice, coffee, turnips, sugar beets, cherries, grapes, plums, peaches, nectarines, snap peas, citrus, almonds and grains. Some associated health issues include carcinogen, ovarian cysts, adrenal damage, hypochromic anemia, reproductive toxicant in animals and endocrine disruptors in humans.
The above information is just a snipped of sources and toxicity. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Avoidance of as many environmental chemicals as possible is essential in the lead-up to conception and during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Organophosphate endocrine disruption affects the foetus in the following ways:
reduced birth weight * head circumference * gestational length * altered reflexes * inattention * behaviour problems * lowered IQ * developmental disorders in infants and toddlers * potential associations with paediatric asthma, cancer and birth defects * boys experience decrease in penile length and reduced testicular volume and lower serum testosterone * girls experience earlier breast development, increased androstenedione.
Adults are also affected with health related issues including ADHD, cancers, dementia, loss of mental acuity, cardiovascular diseases, depression, autoimmune conditions, neurological damage including myelin degradation.
Air purifier/filtration at home and work – some reputable brands include Ausclimate, AIRSteril, or Inova Water purifier – BioPure Fresh air and movement in sunshine. Sweating regularly – sauna 3x per week in colder climates Organic foods only – visit local farmers’ markets or source quality products online Consult a qualified naturopath to ensure balanced, fresh whole foods diet and quality supplementation as required. Read more at https://truemedicine.com.au/treatments/detoxification/ and learn why knowing your genetic profile is important https://truemedicine.com.au/treatments/detoxification/methylation-and-why-it-is-so-important/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00361/full
