Are you tired, achy, suffer from headaches, have gastro-intestinal upset or other health issues?
Last week I introduced you to the idea that these symptoms may be the result of your body calling out for something it needs. Perhaps that is water, sleep, vitamins, protein, or healthy fats.
This week, we are going to look at minimizing what is harmful for your unique body. Despite feeling like everything is harmful, it really is just a handful of things: toxins, infections, allergens, stress, and trauma. Granted, these things can come from a myriad of places but those are the things we need to reduce to start feeling well.
Toxins are, admittedly, difficult to avoid. They can come into our bodies via food, water, air, medications, etc.
The food choices that we make, may contribute to the toxin load in our bodies. Glyphosate is a chemical commonly found in the pesticide, “Round Up.” Monsanto, the makers of Round Up, claim that this chemical easily washes off the food that it is sprayed on which includes:
- Wheat
- Oats
- Canola
- Flax
- Peas
- Lentils
- Soybeans
- Dry Beans
- Sugar Cane
Glyphosate residue are substantial, measurable in human tissue, and accumulate in animal tissue which we may eat which suggests that they are not easily removed from our food. Studies have shown that glyphosate interferes with hormonal balance, effects estrogen receptors (think hormone-mediated cancers), and is believed to trigger gluten sensitivity. This is just one of the toxins that is found in our food supply. Pesticides, of which glyphosate is one, may be avoided by consuming as much organic food as you can find and afford.
The water that enters our homes has frequently been treated with chemicals which contribute to the toxicity of the water. To learn what toxins are in your water and how to remove them, I recommend the Environmental Working Group. Please, visit https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/ for help on this topic. I looked up my town and found over 15 toxic chemicals in the water that I had always thought was safe to consume!
The air we breathe is carrying toxins. The exhaust from cars, pollutants from mining that float through the air and find their way thousands of miles away, waste from manufacturing plants. These are just a few ways that we breathe toxins in. This is a little harder to avoid but we can improve our bodies’ ability to remove them by supporting our detoxification processes in our body.
Medications may be necessary and even life-saving, but they are all toxins. The liver must be able to clear the medication and, when the liver is overtaxed, these things get recirculated back into our bloodstream and must be managed all over again. Over time, these toxins build up and result in more symptoms.
Today, we only looked at toxins and where these things can enter our bodies. We can make choices to reduce the toxins that we are exposed to and support the liver to help clear these things out of our body more effectively. This may be done with the foods you consume and by adding in nutrients that your body may be missing to help it work more effectively. For more information, feel free to contact me directly at justbreatheasaltroom@gmail.com.
Missy Cohen, MPH, Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach is the owner of Just Breathe, a Salt Room and Healing Center, LLC. and my be reached at justbreatheasaltroom@gmail.com or by calling 508-366-8292. Consults may be done in person or over the phone.
