TOXINS AND YOU

It is easy to see that we live in a toxic environment, from the arsenic found in the pressure treated lumber that makes up our playgrounds to the “new car smell” that comes from the formaldehyde used to treat the carpets. We all know that a carcinogen is a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue, but did you know the following:

BIOACCUMULATION -
The increase in the concentration of a substance in the tissues of a living organism.

FOOD WEB MAGNIFICATION -
The tendency for certain chemicals to accumulate in the highest concentrations in top predators, due to the ingestion of food sources contaminated with chemicals that are passed along and stored in fats.

BODY BURDEN -
The amount of a chemical or a number of chemicals stored in the body at any given point in time.

What are toxins?
Toxins are substances that can cause death, disease, or birth defects in organisms that ingest or absorb them. Over the last 100 years, we have introduced at least 75,000 new chemicals into our environment, and there is no way of avoiding our exposure to them.

We come in contact with these toxins on a daily basis through the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.

Where can toxins be found?
It is impossible to avoid exposure to toxins, they are everywhere we go. They can come from pesticides, air pollution, plastics, radiation, man-made drugs and even many consumer products. Most recently Phthalates have been all over the news because they have been found in many of our children's toys, our daily medications and synthetic fragrances which are found in virtually all of our products. These are a group of man made chemicals found in plastics such as the water bottles we drink from and the plastic containers we store food in at home.

What happens when toxins build-up in our bodies?
Toxic build-up can affect our bodies both physically and mentally. It has been linked to fatigue, asthma, damage to the brain and nervous system, birth defects and even cancer. (See table below for extended list of symptoms of toxic exposure.) Many of these toxins are so persistent that studies have shown that up to 200 chemical compounds are being transferred from a woman’s breast milk directly to her infant.

What can be done to rid our bodies of these toxins?
There have been numerous studies that show that a deep tissue detoxification program can help to eliminate the chemical burden on our bodies. It has been found that a combination of exercise, nutrition, dry heat sauna, vitamins and minerals can help the body to expel the toxins. Following a stringently monitored detoxification program has been proven to renew and improve mental and physical vigor.