Posts Tagged ‘pollution’

I’ve seen a drastic increase in hormone related illnesses in the last ten years. Unfortunately, no matter how clean our diet is, we can’t completely avoid all pollutants. Just in the last 3 months, I’ve seen 15 new female patients in their 20s. All of them got their first period between the ages of 8 and 10. All of them. This is just one symptom of how all the toxins and pollutants we’re exposed to are damaging all of us.

Some simple steps to minimize your risk

* Minimize or eliminate your consumption of:
-animal products (especially non-organic)
-sugar (real & fake)
-trans-fats

* Avoid all plastic, especially in food packaging. See my blog post for more info.

* Do a liver cleanse at least once a year.

* Make sure you get plenty of healthy fats in daily. See my blog post for more info.

* Organic produce as much as possible. See my blog post for more info.

* Put a water filter on your taps and showers.

* Exercise that helps get your blood pumping & de-stressed 3-5 times per week.

* Have your hormones tested. If anything is off, you can naturally treat almost any imbalance.

* Get active. Whatever your political beliefs, we all what safe food, water, and air for ourselves and our children. Contact your state and federal representatives and let them know you vote and you want to see changes.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

I can’t tell you how upset I was to find out my dentist had been putting a known toxin in to my mouth. What?!?! Since I was 4 years old, my poor little body had been intentionally exposed to neuro-toxin. How could he? And all those vaccines I got. How could my pediatrician have done such a thing? What happened to the Hippocratic oath of “Do no harm?”

I first learned about the dangers of mercury and how we can be exposed to it my first year of college. I was grateful that I had already given up eating seafood, so that wasn’t a concern.

Finding all of this out, I got to thinking, “How much mercury HAVE I been exposed to?” I thought I was living a pretty healthy life- organic vegetarian, using green beauty products. (And cheap beer can be vegetarian. Right?) But maybe I was wrong.

I didn’t have any symptoms of mercury poisoning, but I still had my blood tested in grad school for mercury. The levels were high. I immediately had all my silver fillings taken out and still refuse any vaccines. I did a series of liver cleanses to flush out the mercury and any other heavy metals in my system. I now have a clean bill of health. I do a liver cleanse at least once a year to keep healthy.

Luckily, our bodies have the ability to remove this heavy metal through nutritional and herbal support. I already had a diet high in antioxidants, which improves the liver’s function to rid the body of all toxins, including heavy metals. I added a few more healing modalities that support the detoxification process: acupuncture, massage, saunas, a juice fast, and fiber supplements.

Side Effects Of Mercury Poisoning

The presence of mercury is considered toxic at any level, but children are most vulnerable due to their fast growth rates and low body mass.

High concentrations of mercury can result in:

*Depression, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, irritability, lack of concentration, memory lapses, and nervousness
*Mental retardation, Cerebral palsy, autism, deafness, & blindness
*Trembling hands, numbness in the hands and feet, & loss of muscle coordination

Sources

Unfortunately, there are very high rates of mercury poisoning in several industries, especially among munitions workers, laboratory technicians, farm workers, and coal burning plant workers.
Apart from exposure to industrial waste and pollution, you might be at risk for mercury poisoning through your amalgam (silver) fillings, eating seafood, and getting vaccines.

Silver Fillings
Dentists all over the world now refuse to use amalgam fillings, because of the direct link to their use and mercury poisoning. Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Norway have all banned mercury fillings. The World Health Organization has found that the average individual could absorb as much as 120 micrograms of mercury per day from their amalgam fillings, which is considered a toxic dose. Mother’s pass on the mercury in their fillings to the children through their breast milk.

Fish
Almost all fish are contaminated as the result of our oceans and streams being polluted by industrial waste. Fish with the highest levels of contamination include: tuna, swordfish, sea bass, oysters, marlin, halibut, pike, walleye, white croaker, largemouth bass, and shark. Pregnant women have been advised for years to avoid canned tuna due to the mercury content and the potential effects on the fetus. Now it’s best to avoid all seafood.

Vaccines
Mercury is also found in any vaccines containing thimerosal, which is a preservative found in many vaccines. It is possible to request vaccines that don’t contain this extremely toxic preservative.

What Next?

Hopefully, this has you thinking about changing some of your habits. Get your blood tested. Take out those silver fillings. Don’t eat fish. Do a liver cleanse or two.

Once you’ve done a cleanse and flushed out mercury and other heavy metals from your system, it is important to limit exposure from your diet and environment. Try to avoid the following items that can contain mercury: pesticides and fungicides, certain cosmetics, medications, and hair dyes, fluorescent lights, and some solvents.

Live Natural. Live Well.

Heather

Do I Need to Detox?

I get asked this question a lot. Our bodies aren’t made to handle the amount of toxins we’re constantly exposed to. Toxin overload can lead to a whole host of illnesses and side effects. Take the quiz below to see if you need to do a cleanse.

• Do you eat processed foods, fast food and/or eat out regularly?
• Do you eat non-organic animal products and produce?
• Do you consume genetically altered foods?
• Do you eat foods containing hydrogenated oil?
• Do you or have you used artificial sweeteners (Nutrasweet/Aspartame, Splenda, Sweet n Low)?
• Do you eat foods containing preservatives, additives, dyes, or sweeteners?
• Do you charbroil or grill foods?
• Do you drink coffee, soda or alcohol regularly?
• Do you drink unfiltered tap water?
• Do you use a microwave?
• Do you microwave/cook/store food in plastic containers?

If the majority of your answers are yes, then your diet contributes significantly to your toxic load. Most likely, you’re also exposed to other irritants such as pollution, cigarette smoke, dry cleaning fluids, cosmetics and beauty products, exhaust fumes, cleaners, and medications.

You might want to consider detoxing, if you’re experiencing any of the following:

Weight gain

Fatigue

Food cravings

Insomnia

Reduced mental clarity

Poor digestion

Low libido

Autoimmune disorders

Cancer

Hormonal Imbalances

Thyroid Disorders

Adrenal Exhaustion

Infertility

Arthritis

Not all cleanses are created equal. Many of my patients try one, that ‘everyone’ is doing with no results.  Sometimes, they even feel worse. It’s important to have a qualified physician help you find one that is right for you. When done correctly, the results can be life changing. And remember, if you go back to your old habits once you’ve completed a cleanse, the benefits won’t last. I see a lot of people go through the effort, but don’t change their lifestyle. I highly recommend avoiding unhealthy foods and products to guarantee long lasting results.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

Infertility is unfortunately on the rise.  Some of it has to do with people waiting until later in life to have children.  Some of it is due to the high stress levels most of us experience.  Environmental causes- pollution, plastic, pesticides, steroids in non-organic animal products- are a leading cause of infertility as well.  All of these can wreak havoc on your hormone levels, in both men and women.

What else may be hindering your fertility

Obesity, diabetes, testosterone or steroids,  too much exercise, smoking, too much or too little selenium, saw palmetto, weakened adrenal glands, caffeine and alcohol, hypothyroidism

All of the above can be treated.  Look for an acupuncturist in your area who specializes in fertility.  I also offer phone consultations for herbs and nutrition, so you can contact my office to make an appointment.  I also offer medical testing to check hormone levels, your adrenal gland function, and thyroid disorders.

Some suggestions for supplementation to increase your chance of conception.  Please consult your physician.

For women

Magnesium – take as directed
Multi pre natal vitamin
Minimum 1,000 mg vitamin C daily
Zinc 50mg daily
B50 as directed
Folic acid 5 mg/day
PABA 100 mg 3 times a day
Vitamin E 22 IU daily
Lycopene- 2 g day
CoQ10    100 mg twice daily
Before bed- Zinc, B50, and Magnesium taken together

For Men

Vitamin C-  1,000 mg a day may prevent sperm agglutination.
L-Arginine- 1,500- 2000 mg 2 times per day between meals increase sperm count
Vitamin B12- 1,000 mcg increase sperm count
L-carnation 1 g    3 times a day improve sperm count and function

For those of you struggling with this issue, there is hope.  Even if you’ve tried IVF and other Western procedures, Chinese medicine is highly effective for treating infertility in men and women.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

I decided on this week’s blog topic after going to an art show put on by my 3-year-old neighbor’s pre-school.  Her school created a show with artwork, photography, and poetry (yes poetry!) about saving our planet.  It was so special to see what these kids had created, and how inspired they were to save the environment. This cause is also near and dear to my heart.

All the parents and guests seemed very moved by the messages like, “Please stop hurting and polluting Earth.”  By the end of the day I had a sinking suspicion that not many of the adults there were actually going to take the action necessary to fulfill the wishes of their children.  Here were these wonderful kids creating meaningful statements, and no one was even recycling their water bottles!  Many parents had throw-away coffee cups from the nearby coffee shop, and the parking lot was filled with gas guzzlers.

My frustration by this lack of true environmental action has inspired me to do more.  I’m not writing this to say I’m any better than those at the exhibit.  What if we all had the same courage that these young artists showed in sharing their messages with the world?  There are some moments in our lives when we must speak up, and this is one of those moments.  Why am I writing about protecting this precious planet on a health care site?

For two reasons:

1. We’re running out of time.  If you don’t know what’s happening to our planet in regards to global warming, air and water pollution, and running out of natural resources, please investigate.  I recommend a few of many sites out there: www.nrdc.org, Global Green USA.

2.  It seems obvious, but how many of us really understand that the state of our environment directly affects our health?  The fact is, cancer rates and autoimmune diseases are increasing yearly because the planet is so toxic.  This is real.  In just ten years of practice, I can see a drastic difference in my patients’ toxicity.   And as we get sicker and sicker, what we put in our bodies and homes is hurting the environment more and more.

It’s still important to take some simple steps.  See some easy, money saving tips on my “Going Green” page- http://getnaturalgetwell.com/going-green.  But it’s not just about reusing a bag or changing a light bulb anymore.  Take action.  I am dedicated to finding and supporting new solutions to save our planet, but awareness is key.  Contact your local representatives to do more.  Encourage your neighbors and friends to join you in this effort.  Eat organic, local foods.  And please, do consider getting rid of your SUV.
As always,

Live natural.  Live well,
Heather