Cellulite and Toxins part 2

As we talked about in part one the role that toxins play in weight loss and body fat, now I want to explain where you are finding them and how to avoid when and where possible.

So how do these chemical criminals get into us? Toxic chemicals enter our bodies in three main doors.

Our skin. The main way chemicals enter our bodies is through the skin. As the largest organ of the body, the skin is not an impenetrable shield. It’s more like a screen door to our bodies. As the largest elimination organ, the skin cannot keep up with the body’s attempt to rid itself of these harmful toxins when it is constantly assaulted by them. Medical research from such notable institutions as Tufts University, The Center for Disease Control and Brunnell University (England) have found that toxic chemicals are absorbed through the skin and remain in fat tissue for an indefinite time and that preservatives called parabens—found in virtually everything we use—have been found in breast tumors.   Many medications are moving to creams, why?  Because when you put something on your skin it is 100% absorbed.  When you take something orally, you lose 80% (if you have good digestion and most people don’t so it is less) in the digestive process.  If some one were to use 200mg of progesteronecream they would get all 200 mg, but if you gave them 200 mg orally they would get 20-40 mg depending on what their digestion is like.  So you can see why anything you put on your skin can be a problem.

Our nose. We inhale toxicity with every breath. We have known for years the air we breathe is bad, but it’s worse than we ever imagined. The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air: 2005” showed that half of the population of the United States lives in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particulate pollution. Any time you see quality of air issues, people suffering from asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and cardiovascular disease are at risk. For the first time ever people with diabetes are also listed as being at risk.

The 2004 “Special Report on Toxic Chemicals and Children’s Health in North America” shows that over 80,000 metric tons of carcinogens are released in the air annually in North America.

Our mouth. We eat or drink them. According to the Environmental Protection Agency between 50 and 95 percent of food in the United States contains pesticide residue. Do you ever eat a piece of fruit or a vegetable without washing it first?  When you don’t take the time to wash your fruits and vegetables, you are putting your self at risk for developing cancer, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, miscarriage and nerve damage.

Concentrations of these chemicals are even higher in dairy and meat products from animals being raised on chemically sprayed crops. Because fat is where toxins are stored, you need to limit the amount of animal fat in your diet. The more animal fat you consume, the higher your toxic load will become. This is why I am so excited about Only Protein, unlike traditional dairy methods here in the US, some of the highest standards in the world can be found in New Zealand. Their cows are grass fed and free grazing. You will never see feedlot conditions because New Zealand does not allow rBGH or BST hormones! Their cows are also free of antibiotics and chemical residue, which makes for a pure product, so pure that it is soon to be labeled “Certified Organic.” ONLY PROTEIN begins with New Zealand hormone free, pollution free whey and is a clean product.

Our busy lifestyles cause many of us to turn to convenience foods at dinnertime. Yes, they live up to their promise: They’re quick to prepare. But they’re also highly processed and often loaded with chemical preservatives, colors, flavor enhancers and chemical sweeteners. Choosing organically grown and raised whole foods can help reduce the amount of toxins accumulating in your body.

Toxic Tip-Offs

When your body is first exposed to a toxin, virus, or emotional stress, you start to feel fatigued. If your exposure goes undetected or continues for a long period of time, undesirable chemical changes begin in the tissues. If the imbalance continues, chronic and degenerative diseases such as arthritis and cancer can eventually occur.

What are these chemical toxins I’m talking about and where are they found? The next chart reviews a few of the worst offenders of a very long list of ingredients. Their adverse or toxic effects have been documented by researchers, scientists, and physicians around the world. They are called the “The Deadly Dozen.” Go on a scavenger hunt around your home and read the ingredients on the lotions, potions, and cleaners you use on your house and your body each day. Stay away from these, and then continue on your path to even greater health!

The Deadly Dozen Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40) A drying, irritating solvent that strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier. It may cause headaches, dizziness, depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis, anesthesia, and coma. The fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less.

DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanomlamine), TEA (triethoanolamine) Skin and eye irritants, causing contact dermatitis. DEA is easily absorbed through skin and accumulates in body organs, even the brain. It is used to create foam in shampoos, shaving creams, and bubble bath. Dr. Samuel Epstein, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois, says that repeated skin irritations resulted in major increases in liver and kidney cancer.

Dioxin A name given to a class of super-toxic chemicals. You won’t see it in any ingredients list, but it is often contained in antibacterial ingredients such as triclosan, emulsifiers, PEGS, and ethoxylated cleansers such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Dioxin literally modifies the functioning and genetic mechanism of a cell, causing many effects—cancer, reduced immunity to nervous system disorders, miscarriages, birth deformity. Our bodies have no defense against dioxins.

DMDM Hydantoin and Urea (Imidazolidinyl) Just two of the many preservatives that release formaldehyde, which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may also irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate colds and coughs.

FD & C Color Pigments Synthetic colors made from coal tar, containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto skin, causing sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.

Fluoride Check out your toothpaste tube and avoid fluoride! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists fluoride as an unapproved drug and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists fluoride as a contaminant. It has been linked to fluorosis in children, acne, Alzheimer’s, kidney damage, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment, bone and tooth decay and more.

Fragrances Mostly synthetic ingredients, fragrances may be made up of over 4,000 ingredients each, many toxic or carcinogenic. Symptoms reported to the FDA include headaches, nausea, rashes, skin discoloration, coughing and vomiting, and skin irritation.

Phthalates These are xenoestrogens, or hormone disruptors. Though not often listed, they’re commonly found in many products, especially in nail polish, perfume, hair spray, and skin care lotions, as well as personal care and household products. Health effects include damage to liver and kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, early puberty onset in girls and early breast development in boys and girls.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Made by ethoxylating Propylene Glycol. Dangerous levels of dioxin have been found as a manufacturing by-product of the ethoxylation process. PEG-based ingredients are in a wide variety of personal care, baby care, and sunscreen products.

Propylene Glycol and Butylene Glycol Petroleum plastics, which act as surfactants (wetting agents and solvents). They easily penetrate the skin and can weaken the cellular structure. The EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. But there isn’t even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where it is present in higher concentration than in most industrial applications.

Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) Detergents and surfactants that pose serious health threats and are used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and 90 percent of personal care products that foam. SLS may damage the skin’s immune system. When combined with other chemicals, SLS can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens.

Triclosan A synthetic ‘antibacterial’ ingredient with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange! The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. It is classified as a chlorophenol, suspected to cause cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical. Hormone disruptors pose enormous long-term chronic health risks by interfering with the way hormones perform, such as changing genetic material, decreasing fertility and sexual function, and fostering birth defects. You can find triclosan in antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes, and household products.

Cleansing

So how do you get this stuff out of your body?  There are multiple ways.   First off you must be healthy enough to cleanse.  If you are someone that is very sick and have any kind of health challenges, I have found you have to rebuild the body before you cleanse.  This is why you need to work with a qualified health practitioner that can help strengthen your body before you cleanse it.  I do not believe in these radical cleanses that you starve your self and in my opinion do crazy things.  I do not believe this is healthy.  When cleansing you shouldn’t even know you are doing it other than maybe a little fatigue.  These radical cleanses are not good for the body and those of us that have worked hard to build muscle end up losing quite a bit.  We need food and we need to eat, you just want to eat clean.

Just by exercising we sweat and this is one way that we cleanse these things out.   This is why it is important to exercise regularly and to make sure you sweat.  In fact some toxins that enter the body can only be eliminated through sweating.  You may want to read my blog on sweating and why it is so important.  Remember, when sweating you want to make sure you put enzymes and minerals back because you lose a lot when you sweat.

There are products that you can purchase that specifically cleanse different organs.  I highly recommend you work with a practitioner that is experienced in this so if you go into a healing crisis they will know what to do.  I am constantly cleansing one organ or another.  Using things like chlorophyll, cilantro, lemon juice in your water, are simple things you can do to gently cleanse the body.  When doing any cleansing, make sure you are eating clean.  No sugar or dairy when you do this.  If you have never done any cleansing find someone that you can work with and determine where the best place to start is. If ever doing a Heavy Metal cleanse you definitely want to work with someone and more important, make sure they are using things that take these toxins through the intestines NOT THE KIDNEYS!!  Replace the products that have the deadly dozen with products that do not contain these ingredients.  Get rid of the products that are toxic and replace with toxin free products to reduceyour load and you will move towards a healthy lean body.