Health Topic Today
Environmental toxins and your health?

In a quote by the Lancet, November 8, 2006, “The combined evidence suggests that neurodevelopmental disorders caused by industrial chemicals has created a silent pandemic in modern society”
The personal products we use, from shampoo and soap to perfumes and deodorants we use, are exposing us to an alarming number of chemicals. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a US organisation that specialises in the research of environmental pollutants and toxins, the average woman is exposed to 168 unique chemicals per day. That is just in personal care products, never mind the pesticides and herbicides in our environment and our food.
Most people would be surprised how many chemicals they are exposed to every single day. Some of these chemicals will remain unknown because manufacturers are not required to put ALL of the ingredients on the label.
So what does this mean for your health?
Without a doubt it can contribute to underlying inflammation and decreases the ability of the body to eliminate toxins effectively. High toxic load
can cause fatigue, headaches, allergies, muscle aches and pains, poor short term memory and poor concentration to name just a few.
The naturopathic approach is to get your body to work for you.
How?
One thing to do is to support the systems that eliminate toxins from the body. These include the following:
The Lymphatic System:
The lymph systems gets rid of cell waste, pulls toxins out of the cells. The lymph nodes contain an array of white blood cells for immune support. This also helps to decrease inflammation.
The Liver and Kidneys
These both play a big part in filtering the blood. The kidneys take all the waste from the lymphatic system and get rid of it. The liver has specialised cells specifically designed to break down and eliminate toxins and waste.
The Digestive System
Often overlooked, the digestive system is extremely important. Optimal digestive function eliminates waste from the body. The start of digestion is also extremely important (stomach acid and digestive enzymes) break down and neutralise the cell waste / debris to be taken out of the body.
How do you support these body systems?
Often overlooked, the digestive system is extremely important. Optimal digestive function eliminates waste from the body. The start of digestion is also extremely important (stomach acid and digestive enzymes) break down and neutralise the cell waste / debris to be taken out of the body.
Eat a whole food diet: Lots of brightly coloured fresh fruit and vegetables. Aim for five to ten servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day
Avoid packaged / refined foods: Look out for and avoid any foods containing artificial colours, flavours, additives and preservatives
Exercise: For optimum health and detoxification, aim for 30 to 40 mins of exercise three to four times per week
Drink filtered water: One of the easiest things to do drink filtered water. Aim for at least two litres of water per day (more if you are exercising or it is a hot day)
Clean up your environment: Try to eliminate or minimise your use of toxic cleaning products, antiperspirants with aluminium, pesticides, herbicides, petrochemicals, paints, solvents and hair spray.