Toxins and Their Potentially Dangerous Impact

Everyone carries a toxic burden.

Chances are that we have multiple types of toxins in our body.

Where do these toxins come from? The food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breath for starters. We also absorb toxins through our skin. We come into contact with so many hundreds of chemicals daily that it's a wonder that we don't carry more body toxins.

Scientists are discovering that many environmental chemicals are making their way into our bodies, and that they may have dramatic impacts on health. Some chemicals are directly toxic to living tissues, others are carcinogenic, and some, such as plasticizers and farm chemicals, lead to disruptions in hormonal balance or disrupt the nervous system. Multiple estrogen mimics exist in our environment; these tend to increase ovarian and breast cancer. Other compunds are known to disrupt thyroid functions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes these toxins as Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic pollutants (PBTs) and attributes to them a wide range of health problems, including cancers, neurological, and hormonal problems.

While many toxins have been studied to determine their safety, we should recognize the shortfall of studies when assessing risk. Most studies are not performed on humans (for obvious reasons), but humans respond differently to a toxin than a test animal (or a culture of cells). Consider that chocolate is toxic to dogs, but not to humans. One animal's poison is another's cake topping.

Scientists are also beginning to understand that certain toxins cause harm in amounts previously thought to be too small to be harmful. The real unknown about environmental chemicals is that we have no idea what happens when these compounds join together in a living being. While "substance X" has been studied for toxicity and "substance Y" may have also been studied, no one knows what happens when you take in both at the same time. Nor do we have any idea what happens when one is exposed to substances X, Y, and Z in tandem.

Toxicity studies also don’t consider the impact these chemicals may have on children, who get a larger dose (because of their lower body weight) when exposed to the same chemicals as adults.

Reducing exposure to environmental chemicals and ridding ourselves of chemicals is no easy task, but one that can happen with clean air, clean water preferably alkaline ionized water, and a sensible diet.

Dealing with Toxins

How to lose weight and reclaim our health and vitality lost to toxins?

Detox.

You must detoxify your body in order to lose weight. Here are ten tips to help you start detoxing today without drastically changing your lifestyle:

1. Eat organic fruits and vegetables.
Conventional fruits and vegetables are full of chemicals that harm your body. Organic food is grown without the use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. The sooner you stop polluting your body, the sooner you will start to look and feel healthier.

2. Eat kosher meat.
When you eat a burger the growth hormones that were given to the cow are then passed on to you thus making you grow and gain weight! Organic meat is produced without giving the animal antibiotics or growth hormones. Only buy certified organic meat and only eat free-range chicken. Your body will thank you.

3. Do a juice fast.
The juice fast essentially means you drink juice throughout the day, every day. Your juice must be fresh and organic. This can be done for 3 days, 10 days or 30 days. It depends on your level of discipline, your size and your health goals. If you have never done a juice fast before then you will start seeing results right away!

4. Add apple cider vinegar to your diet:
You can use it as salad dressing or drink it with water. Apple Cider Vinegar helps detoxify your liver. Take 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in water before every meal to aid in weight-loss.

5. Add coconut oil when you cook:
Virgin coconut oil can be added to your everyday meals as a substitute for your cooking oil. It improves digestion, promotes weight-loss and helps keep skin and hair looking young and healthy.

6. Drink green tea:
EGCG, an antioxidant contained in green tea, helps the body burn fat. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, and the polyphenols found in green tea also help your body reduce the time that toxins stay in your system.

7. Dry-brush before you shower.
Go to your local health food store and buy a dry brush. Then brush your skin before every shower. This removes dead skin cells and toxins helping you lose weight and have glowing skin.

8. Get a shower filter.
Your tap water can contain pesticides, toxic bacteria, viruses and traces of human and animal waste. Every time you take a shower or drink out of the tap you are ingesting dangerous toxic chemicals. Filtering your water also improves your hair and skin! Chanson's Spa Filter is a great pick.

9. Add fiber to your diet.
Fiber keeps your meal moving along your gastrointestinal tract and helps flush your body of metabolic waste. Fiber also keeps your energy levels high, and slows your rate of carbohydrate digestion, which helps you maintain your blood sugar levels.

10. Consume Alkaline Ionized Water:
Alkaline Water washes away toxins from the body. Because of its high pH and electically charged nature, the water is great for not only weightloss but also for an overall healthier body and mind. Chanson Alkaline Water is a trusted name in the water ionization industry. Chanson's Water Ionizers can be easily installed in your kitchen to turn your tap water into healthy alkaline ionized water.

Get the Lead Out with Alkaline Water.

All toxins are harmful for adults and children alike. A great idea is to keep our bodies alkalized by drinking alkaline ionized water instead of distilled or bottled mineral water. It is a powerful natural anti oxidants and removes toxins from the body.



We've worried about lead in toys, and of course, in paint, but now according to the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, Calif, we have to beware of lead in our purses, too. SFGate reports that the group filed suit against 16 retailers (including popular retail chains including Target, H&M, Forever 21, and Kohl's).

At least 26 brands are accused of manufacturing products (mostly made of vinyl or faux leather) that contain a level of lead high enough to pose a health risk when touched or handled. Lead poses a particularly dangerous for pregnant women and young children.

This certainly isn't the Center for Environmental Health's first rodeo. It sought legal action against the use of lead in jewelry, herbal remedies, vinyl toys and clothing, and has lobbied to end the use of lead in the weights that balance car tires. The focus always remains on the retailers, though, as the group sees them as the key to keeping consumers safe.

Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy's says that although the company wasn't aware of any ill health effects from its purses and fully expected the suppliers to follow state, laws, "We are taking the Center for Environmental Health's claims very seriously and will work with our suppliers to address the issue."


We must take our own precautions because just like the case above, you never know when you come into contact with other such harmful substances. The best way forward is to stay alkalized through alkaline ionized water.