Poison finds its way into our bodies in many different ways. Photo / Getty Images
Poison finds its way into our bodies in many different ways. Photo / Getty Images
Our exposure to harmful chemicals has never been greater than it is at this point in history. Worldwide, more than 80,000 harmful chemicals are being sprayed and circulated.
Poison is literally in the air we breathe, which is bad enough, but to compound the problem a great deal of thesetoxic chemicals end up on or in our bodies via the food chain and the animals we consume.
Whether absorbed through the air we breathe, applied on the skin directly or ingested into the body, that's when the damage really begins. These unwelcome toxins can cause cancer because, just like garbage, this "total toxic burden" piles up in our bodies, and if left unchecked weakens our immune system and seriously compromises our health.
Toxins are endocrine disruptors that damage our health and play around with our metabolism. These uninvited guests end up lodging in our bodies where they can hide out for years, initiating nutritional deficiencies, trigger hormonal imbalances, and lower our immunity and our threshold of resistance to illness and disease.
Endocrine disruptors can include a vast array of substances, both manmade and natural that interfere with the body's endocrine system, causing unhealthy and damaging reproductive, developmental, neurological and immune effects.
Therefore, we'd be wise to pay attention to all aspects of our lives and develop a healthy concern for our daily habits, the air we breathe, the food we eat and the environment we find ourselves in.
Environmental toxins can negatively affect all parts of the body including the brain, resulting in poor memory and concentration. They trigger mood swings, create erratic behaviour, cause vertigo, headaches and can even be the "culprit" behind our food cravings.
Tainted water (contaminants like lead and arsenic), heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium, BPA – found in plastic food and drink containers (never reheat food in plastic of any kind, stick with glass containers), illegal drugs and alcohol, prescription drugs and pain medications, herbicides and pesticides, PCBs in plastics, rubber and paint products are all dangerous toxic substances that can be ingested, or applied directly to the skin.
Drums and containers with hazardous waste were being sampled and disposed of in Ruakākā earlier this year. Photo / Michael Cunningham
To recover from toxin overload the key is focusing on and consuming healthy foods that are free of chemical additives and consistently engaging in proper, challenging, exercise. Photo / NZME
Industrial or lifestyle air pollutants, hot gases that enter the lungs such as cigarette, tobacco and marijuana smoke, as well as "vaping" of these toxic inhalants, the fumes from paints and solvents, cleaning chemicals, automotive exhaust, soldering fumes, asbestos and even too much campfire smoke are all toxins that gain access to the tissues when inhaled.
Abusing alcohol can seriously impair decision-making. It is linked to no less than seven cancers and declining mental acuity, with an increasing risk of dementia as well as heart disease and cancer.
Women need to take special care when purchasing beauty products that are absorbed into the skin and transported around the body. Reach for natural, fragrance-free products and be cautious about what container they are stored in. You should not only be reading food labels, but labels for anything that goes on, in or near your body. It's one of the few things/ways you can take control.
Although our bodies are very efficient at removing toxins and chemicals from our bodies they do have a limit, at which time they respond by sealing these excess dangerous toxins in our body's fat storage sites, located as far away as possible from other major organs.
The waist line is a particularly favoured storage spot for excessive toxic chemicals (beyond what the body can rid itself of) that need storing in the body's fat cells. As they accumulate, we become heavier and more overweight, with an ever-expanding waistline.
Unfortunately, the cells stored at the waist are particularly stubborn and the body does not release them easily without demanding a high price. It is one of the primary reasons why people struggle with weight loss. Outwardly, expanding waistlines are red flags. They are obvious, visual signs that toxic build-up is occurring inside.
Even our hunger signals are distorted by chemical additives and genetically modified anti-nutrients. These signals are important because they tell our body how much energy it needs and how much fat to create and store. Once this system is out of whack we lose touch with our natural bodily indictors and we are hungry all the time, making our cravings and true hunger signals hard to distinguish between.
The great news is iwe can rebalance our hormones and restore appetite control to a healthy state. So even if we currently experience a low level of health, expanding waistlines or carry around excessive weight, all these things can be reversed with focused dedication and proper action.
The key is focusing on and consuming healthy foods that are free of chemical additives and consistently engaging in proper, challenging exercise. Pairing these two powerhouses together is what empowers us to detoxify, repair and strengthen our mental acuity, boost our immune systems and heal our bodies.
