You are what you breathe, think and do

CHAPTER 3
You Are
What You Breathe,
Think, and Do
Search for the cure within the cause; the body itself is the best healer.
Plato (c. 429–347 B.C.)
In this chapter you will learn
• Th e effects of what you think about all day long • How unmanaged stress creates toxins in your body • That there are thousands of toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke • The many sources of air pollution • That your household cleaners are not as safe as you may think • Chemicals in your hair-care and body-care products and cosmetics are rapidly absorbed through your body’s largest detoxifi cation organ Chapter .: You Are What You Breathe, Think, and Do ..
YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK AND FEEL Most people are already aware that almost every day a new miracle compound is found in fresh fruits and vegetables and that people who eat large amounts of produce reap the health benefits of doing so. We also know that eating junk food results in more than just biggie-sizing of your clothing. It clogs arteries and is linked to cancer and many other degenerative diseases. Have you ever noticed that the miracle compounds and nutrients discovered by research scientists are never found in packaged or fast foods, or milk, or beef, or pork? They are found in fruits and vegetables. So we know that eating more fruits and vegetables will have a positive effect on our health, but have you ever stopped to consider how your thoughts and actions affect who you are? If you are like most people, this thought has probably never crossed your mind.
A sage once claimed,“Man is what he thinks about all day long.” What do you think about during your days? Do you think about how exhausted you are? Do you find life dull and boring? Or perhaps you think life is difficult and overwhelming. Does your attention regularly revert back to the pain in your body or the emotional dissatisfaction you feel? These thoughts are not as innocent as you may imagine. On the contrary: they are the building blocks of your body, mind, and spirit. They are what you will become.
Researchers Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne at the Princeton School of Engineering found in their studies that a large number of test participants could influence microscopic physical events at a distance, including the output of computerized random number generators. The only tool at their disposal for aff ecting the “randomness” of the numbers generated was their mind. The participants in the study were able to“will” events to happen in a specifi c direction merely by focusing their conscious minds.1
The results of this study are profound. They suggest that things we previously believed were random events, or coincidence, can
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actually be affected by our thinking. What is more impressive about this study is that the people’s thoughts affected a computerized system. Most people currently believe that inanimate objects such as computers are not affected by our thinking. This study proves them wrong.
But what are the implications for us? The study suggests that a person’s thoughts and expectations can affect the outcome of a situation. Consider that with respect to your thoughts. Do you constantly tell yourself how tired you are? how you don’t have enough time or energy or money? how you ache? or how life is a burden? Th ese thoughts are creating your tomorrows. Surely it is easier to aff ect the outcome of expectations on life experience than it is to aff ect a computer. What if every day you wake up believing that life is difficult? Perhaps you are helping to fulfil your own beliefs.
Conversely, what if you begin to expect the best from life? What if you start to believe that you can make significant changes in your life that will improve your health, energy, immune system, and overall feeling that life is great? If you change your thoughts, you can change your life. If you allow yourself to feel positive emotions, you can create profound change in your life.
Biologist Glen Rein at the Institute of HeartMath, in Boulder Creek, California, conducted a study of people who entered a state of heartfelt appreciation or unconditional love, what he referred to as“heart consciousness.” He found that these people could actually alter the winding and unwinding of DNA (genetic material) in solution. It did not matter whether the participants were holding the DNA in a test tube or not. By allowing their hearts to be full of positive and loving emotions, the participants in this study were able to affect DNA in a test tube! When the same people held loving feelings in their hearts, their heart rhythms became extremely coherent. Their electrocardiograms (ECGs) were analyzed by sophisticated frequency-analysis software. Whenever they held the
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loving, appreciative thoughts, the same unique coherent rhythm pattern found in their ECGs could also be measured in the trees growing outside the HeartMath facility.2
That people’s thoughts could affect the life force of trees may seem more like science fiction than reality. But more and more studies by leading scientists, quantum physicists, and world-renowned researchers are proving that our thoughts and feelings do have signifi cant eff ects.
If you maintain an open mind and accept the validity of these findings and their immense implications for improving your health, you will likely find these studies empowering.
The research that proves the power of our thoughts and emotions continues. Crime rates in various cities in Africa were studied during the periods just prior to, during, and after large groups of advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) instructors were conducting large meditation sessions. Crime rates fell to very low levels during these times, where prior to the arrival of the TM groups, the rates had been high in all the cities studied. After the group departed, the crime rates rose again to the baseline rates.
If thoughts during meditation can affect crime rates, then surely our thoughts can affect what happens in our own lives and in our own bodies.You may wish to think twice before participating in road rage or other destructive habits. You may also wish to take time out of your day to meditate, which you will learn in Chapter 7.
One of the world’s foremost authorities on heart disease, Dr. Dean Ornish, found that his strict dietary and lifestyle approach to overcome heart disease helped some people, but there was still a “missing link” for others in whom he witnessed fewer improvements. When he began delving into the stifled emotions behind his patients’ illness, his success rate soared. In his book, Love and Survival, Dr. Ornish writes,“I am not aware of any other factor in medicine that has a greater impact on our survival than the healing power of love
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and intimacy. Not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, and not surgery.”3
Because of the importance of emotional cleansing and the power of self-love to heal our bodies and improve our lives, it is a component of The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan.We will explore ways to shift your thoughts and emotions for emotional cleansing in Chapter 7. Proust stated: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Th roughout Th e 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan, I will ask you to have new eyes, to stop seeing things in the same way as you always have. I will ask, and already have been asking, you to open your mind, expand your awareness, and approach life differently than you have in the past.
You are being asked to change any negative thoughts and expectations to positive ones to help with both emotional and physical cleansing. You are also being asked to approach the dietary and lifestyle changes you will be making over the next four weeks with a positive attitude. If you begrudgingly undertake the detox regime with a bitter and resentful attitude, the stress hormones and negative energy you will be creating will affect your results. Your body will feel more like a battle zone than a peaceful place where life improvements create profound results.
If you have never tried detoxification, you have a great opportunity to expand your horizons and discover greater potential for your body, mind, and soul. If you have tried other detoxification programs, you have the occasion to explore the possibilities of delving deeper and cleansing your body more thoroughly than ever before. Along with that exploration comes the chance to experience life diff erently.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU BREATHE AND DO Your body is intricately affected by the things you do, whether you lead an active or inactive life, the environments in which you spend
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time, the products you use to clean your home, the personal hygiene products and cosmetics you use, the quality of the air you breathe—the list is endless.
One of the things we do twenty-four hours per day is breathe. It is, for the majority of the population, a virtually unconscious act. It is a necessity, and yet we may take it for granted that every time we inhale, the air will contain the gases we need to maintain a functioning body. Air pollution is changing this reality in many parts of the world. Breathing can be dangerous to your health.
There are many sources of air pollution. Some are natural, such as smoke from naturally caused forest fires, dust from soil, ash from volcanoes, meteorological phenomena, natural gas, terpenes (a class of unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants), and ammonia from biological decomposition. Most air pollution is human-caused. Th ere are petrochemicals from transportation, such as buses, cars, planes, and transport trucks. Fuel combustion factories, refi neries and power plants, as well as industrial manufacturing facilities, spew out toxic chemicals in droves. Waste and waste disposal processes create air pollution. Aerial and land spraying of farms, electromagnetic and electrical emissions, and chemical dumps all create air pollutants.4
In 1996, more than 418 million pounds of chemicals were released into the ground and over one billion pounds of chemical emissions were pumped into the air.5 In 2000, more than four billion pounds of chemicals were released into the ground and almost two billion pounds of chemical emissions were pumped into the atmosphere. Yikes! Our planet, not to mention our bodies, simply cannot be expected to deal with such a massive amount of neglect and abuse.
According to the National Research Council, no toxicity data are available for 80 percent of the chemicals currently in commercial use,6 while 95 percent have not been tested for their long-term effects on human health. A number of reasons could account for this, including the fact that over seventy thousand chemicals are currently
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in commercial use. At the same time, experts estimate that to conduct a single long-term animal study of just one chemical substance may take two to three years and cost approximately $1.5 million.7
It is generally accepted among scientists who study the pathways of pesticides and solvents in the body that these substances travel through the bloodstream and eventually end up in the body’s fat.8 This poses a problem for ongoing or high levels of toxic exposure. Where do all the synthetic chemicals go? Fat, fat, and more fat. I believe that increasing levels of obesity and overweight are linked partly to increasing chemical exposure. You will learn more about reducing fat stores that house toxins and contribute to weight problems later in this book.
Up in Smoke
Unless you’ve been living in a cave or have been in denial for the past twenty or so years, you are probably well aware of the dangers of smoking cigarettes. But did you know that one in fi ve deaths in the United States is the result of tobacco use, according to the American Cancer Institute?9 This could be because there are over four thousand known toxins in cigarettes10 in addition to nicotine.
Ralph Klein, Alberta’s premier, a smoker and a man known for his bluntness, recently stated, “Smokers are stupid.” While I don’t agree that all smokers are stupid, I believe the act of smoking is stupid. With so much research regarding the toxic and deadly eff ects of smoking cigarettes, smoking really is a form of slow suicide. I find it ironic that insurance companies don’t pay the families of suicide victims, yet they will pay the families of people who have died from smoking. Seems odd to me. If you’re a smoker, respect yourself enough to stop. Th ere are many effective programs and therapies. Discipline is the best one. No one else can quit for you. You are the only person who holds the cigarette to your mouth so you are the only one who can decide to treat your body with more respect by not lighting up.
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If you don’t have adequate respect for yourself or the discipline to quit, at the very least do not smoke around other people or hover at the doors of buildings so everyone else is forced to breathe the pollution you create. It unnerves and angers me when I see parents smoking around their children. I believe that parents who smoke around their children have no right to be parents. I think the Children’s Aid Society should step in and protect children, who are even more vulnerable to the effects of second-hand smoke than adults, from the many deadly diseases they are inclined to suffer thanks to the neglect and abuse of their parents.
Toxic Street Drugs
Smoking marijuana is no better. Evidence links it to lung disease and cancer. The drug ecstasy has been linked to the destruction of brain cells, according to some research.11 Cocaine, amphetamines, narcotics, and hallucinogens also put extreme stress on the body and create plentiful toxins in the body.
The High Cost of Beauty
The simple choice of which personal hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, hairspray, or deodorant you select can be aff ecting your health.
Unfortunately, our quest for beauty and attractiveness is often damaging to our bodies. Many toxins are found in cosmetics, skin-care products, and hair products. We slather on plentiful supplies of synthetic chemicals every time we wash, moisturize our skin, or apply cosmetics and hair products. It is ironic because the skin is the body’s largest detoxification organ and not only are we hindering it from doing its important job, we are also adding more chemicals to our already overburdened bodies.
Most popular brands of cosmetics are loaded with artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, petroleum products, emulsifiers,
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preservatives, and solvents. Over 850 toxic chemicals are available for use in makeup. According to research by Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald, dietanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) are two particularly potent chemicals used in cosmetics. These chemicals combine with other chemicals to produce the carcinogens known as nitrosamines. The United States Food and Drug Administration found that 37 percent of the makeup tested contained nitrosamines.
The most common preservatives found in cosmetics and hygiene products are imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea. Both chemicals are considered toxic and are well-researched causes of dermatitis (skin irritation). They also release formaldehyde at temperatures of 10 degrees C or higher. Numerous studies prove that formaldehyde is a carcinogen. That’s right, it causes cancer.
Believe it or not, petroleum products are widely used in skin-care products and cosmetics as well. They can produce photosensitivity (promoting sensitivity to the sun) and interfere with the body’s own natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dry skin and chapping—the very problems these skin-care products are typically used to treat. One particular petroleum product, PVP/VA copolymer, is frequently used in hairsprays, wave sets for perms, and other cosmetics. This toxic substance may contribute to foreign particles in the lungs of a sensitive person.
Sodium lauryl sulfate, one of the synthetic substances that is used in shampoos and soaps for its foaming properties, causes eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, and allergic reactions. It is also a known mutagen, which means that it can cause changes in the information in your body’s cellular genetic material, potentially leading to disease.
Stearalkonium chloride is another toxic chemical used in many hair conditioners and moisturizers. Originally developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, this toxic ingredient found its way into skin and hair products because it is much less expensive than proteins and natural ingredients. Unfortunately, this toxin also causes many allergic reactions.
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As if that weren’t enough, many synthetic colours are known cancer-causing agents. The synthetic colours used to make a cosmetic or hair dye “pretty” should be avoided at all costs. If personal-care products are labelled, these chemicals will appear as FD&C or D&C followed by a colour name and a number. For example, FD&C Red Number 6 or D&C Green Number 6. Many synthetic colours are cancer-causing agents. FD&C Red Number 2 was found to cause a statistically significant increase in a variety of cancers in female rats at the United States Federal Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicological Research. FD&C Blue Number 2 also produced malignant tumours in rats when it was injected under the skin. If a cosmetic contains synthetic colours, avoid purchasing it.
Synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can also pose many health hazards. Consider that the single ingredient “fragrance” can have as many as four hundred ingredients, most of which are petrochemicals. Clinical observation by medical doctors has found that exposure to fragrances can damage the central nervous system and cause depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, behavioural damages, headaches, dizziness, rashes, hyper-pigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, coughing, and skin irritation.
Perfumes and colognes are the cosmetic equivalent of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.At one time, perfumes and colognes were made from the pure essential oils found in flowers, tree resin, roots or bark, fruits, or other pure substances found in nature. According to the research of Julia Kendall (available at www.ehnca.org), the most common chemicals in perfumes are ethanol, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, a-pinene, acetone, benzyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, linalook, a-terpinene, methylene chloride, a-terpineol, camphor, and limonene. Smells beautiful, doesn’t it? While some of these chemicals are harmless, most in this ingredient list cause irritability, mental vagueness, muscle pain, asthma, bloating, joint aches, sinus pain, fatigue, sore throat, eye irritation, gastrointestinal problems, laryngitis, headaches, dizziness, swollen lymph nodes, spikes in blood pressure,
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coughing, and burning or itching skin irritations. That perfume or cologne that you think makes you smell attractive is more likely damaging your health.
“A shocking 95 percent of the chemicals used in perfumes and colognes come from petroleum!”12 I explain to my clients that many ingredients found in perfumes, colognes, and other fragrances are the by-products of the petroleum industry that cannot be used in vehicles or other industrial uses and so are sold as“beauty” products.
I challenge people to stay clear of all scented products for at least several months. I have yet to find a single person who thinks these products smell attractive after their sabbatical. Most often, people tell me that the perfume they loved so much smells more like Raid or Off. Because I have not used any scented products for many years, whenever I smell perfume or cologne, it really smells like someone sprayed their body with bug spray.
Some people incorrectly presume that only a toxic synthetic chemical will be potent enough to keep pests away. An Iowa State University research group showed that the essential oil found in the herb catnip is about ten times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes in the laboratory. Also, an ingredient in neem seed oil (oil from the seeds of the neem tree are used for personal care products) has been found to be more effective than DEET by researchers at the Malaria Institute in India. Both the United States National Research Council and the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association have confirmed this finding.13
Many people use baby products, thinking they are more natural and gentler for sensitive skin. Consider that high levels of 1,4 dioxane were recently found in samples of baby shampoo and conditioners. This chemical has been deemed an animal carcinogen and may pose a threat to humans as well.
Hair dyes usually contain coal tar colours that are linked to various forms of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Th at
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doesn’t mean you have to forfeit colouring your hair, rather, choose hennas and other natural products. The National Cancer Institute found that 20 percent of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases are related to synthetic colours in hair dye.14
Even most commercial brands of toothpaste are loaded with synthetic chemicals such as saccharin, FD&C Blue 1, and polysorbate 80, all of which are believed to be carcinogens. Fluoride is also suspected to increase cancer risk.
Feminine products such as tampons and sanitary pads are bleached, leaving a residue of dioxin, a known carcinogen that has been linked to immune disorders, endometriosis, and cancer of the reproductive system.
Ten of the Most Common Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients
1. Imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea are the most commonly used preservatives after the parabens in the cosmetic industry. The American Academy of Dermatology has established that these two toxic ingredients are a primary cause of dermatitis (skin irritations).Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II and Germall 115. Neither of the Germall chemicals is a good antifungal and must be combined with other preservatives. Germall 115 releases formaldehyde at just over 100 degrees F. Both chemicals are considered toxic. 2. Methyl, propyl, putyl, and ethyl paraben are used to inhibit microbial growth and to extend the shelf life of products. They are widely used even though they are known to be toxic and have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. They are highly toxic. 3. Petrolatum is mineral oil and jelly that causes a lot of problems when used on the skin. It can produce photosensitivity (promotes sun damage) and tends to interfere with the body’s .. The .-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan
own natural moisturizing mechanisms, leading to dry skin and chapping. Products containing petrolatum create the very conditions they claim to alleviate. Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is unbelievably cheap.
4. Propylene glycol is ideally a vegetable glycerin mixed with grain alcohol, both of which are natural. However, it usually appears as a synthetic petrochemical mix used as an emulsifier; it has been shown to cause allergic and toxic reactions. 5. PVP/VA copolymer is a petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, wave sets, and other cosmetics. It is considered toxic, since particles may stay in the lungs of a sensitive person. 6. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a synthetic substance used in shampoos for its foam-building abilities. It causes eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff , and allergic reactions. It is also frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation “comes from coconut.” 7. Stearalkonium chloride is a chemical that causes allergic reactions and is used in hair conditioners and creams. Stearalkonium chloride was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener and is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair-conditioning formulas than proteins or herbal ingredients but it is toxic. 8. The synthetic colours used to supposedly make a cosmetic “pretty” should be avoided at all costs, along with hair dyes. They will be labelled as FD&C or D&C followed by a col-our and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 or D&C Green No. 6. Synthetic colours are believed to be cancer-causing agents. 9. Synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have as many as four hundred ingredients. There is no way to know what the Chapter .: You Are What You Breathe, Think, and Do ..
chemicals are because the label will simply say “fragrance.” Some of the many problems caused by these chemicals are headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, and skin irritation. Advice: Don’t buy a cosmetic that has the word fragrance on the ingredients label. If a cosmetic product doesn’t list the ingredients, it usually contains synthetic fragrances and is best avoided.
10. Triethanolamine is frequently used in cosmetics to adjust the acid-alkaline balance (pH). It is also used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base for a cleanser.TEA causes allergic reactions, including eye problems and dryness of hair and skin. It can also be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time. Source: Aubrey Hampton, Natural Ingredients Dictionary Plus Ten Synthetic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid.
HOME SWEET HOME We often think of our home as our haven—the place we go to at the end of a long workday to relax, renew our energy, and simply be. While that is the case for some people, for others, home is the place where disease and illness begin. With every foam-filled attack on oven grease and grime, the scrubbing of every bathroom, and the spraying of air fresheners, another toxic chemical is released into the air, and into the bodies of the home’s unsuspecting occupants.
Approximately fifty-four kilotons (equivalent of the weight of almost 137 fully-fuelled 747s) of all-purpose cleansers are used in Canadian homes every year. Their use affects human health and the quality of our fresh water and ground water, and increases health risks to wildlife, fish, and other aquatic life. The amount used by corporations and organizations is even higher.
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In many studies, chemicals used in everyday household products have been found to cause health problems such as asthma and other respiratory ailments, birth defects, heart disease, and cancer. Of the more than eighty thousand synthetic chemicals widely used in our homes today, only 7 percent have been subjected to complete toxicity testing to determine the full extent of their health effects on people. And these tests have never determined the effects of household chemicals on children, pregnant women, elderly, or immune-compromised individuals.
In addition, there are no studies that examine the cumulative effects of chemicals on human health. For example, researchers have not explored the health implications of combining the many chemicals found in typical bathroom cleaning products.
A study conducted over fifteen years found that women who worked at home had a 54 percent higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs outside of the home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was due to daily exposure to the hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products, including so-called cleaning products.15
It is not difficult to understand the higher death rate when you consider the toxic effects of individual chemicals. For instance, chlorine, one of the most commonly used chemicals in cleaning products, is also one of the most toxic. It causes pain and inflammation of the mouth, throat, and stomach; erosion of mucous membranes; vomiting; circulatory collapse; confusion; delirium; coma; severe respiratory tract irritation; pulmonary edema; and skin eruptions. It has also been linked to high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal cancer. It is found in bleach, most scouring powders, disinfectants, and dishwashing detergents.
Ethanol, a petroleum product used in many household cleaners, causes central nervous system depression, anaesthesia, impaired motor coordination, double vision, vertigo, flushed face, nausea and
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vomiting, drowsiness, stupor, coma, dilated pupils, shock, hypothermia, and possibly death.
Two of the most common types of household products that contain ethanol are disinfectants and air fresheners. Th at’s correct. Air fresheners contain harmful petroleum products.According to Michael Van Straten, British naturopath and osteopath and author of Organic Living,“Some air fresheners and fabric sprays reputedly work by blocking your sense of smell and attacking the tiny hairs in your nasal passages.”
The United States National Public Health Service (a department of the Environmental Protection Agency) found that the chemical 1,4-dichlorobenzene (found in air fresheners) was found in the fat of 100 percent of people tested. This synthetic ingredient is irritating to the skin and mucous membranes.
What’s more, the “fragrance” component in these products, as in cosmetics, can contain any of more than four hundred diff erent ingredients, most of which are petrochemicals. Medical doctors have attributed central nervous system damage, depression, hyperactivity, irritability, feelings of “inability to cope,” and other behavioural eff ects to “fragrances.”
Air fresheners are not the only toxins masquerading as safe home products. Don’t forget all the hidden sources of toxic chemicals: bathroom cleaners, bleach, carpet shampoo, silver polish, window cleaner, oven cleaners, mould and mildew cleaners, scouring powders, laundry detergents, spot removers, drain cleaner, fabric softeners, dishwashing liquids, dishwasher detergents, floor cleaners, and furniture polish. These items are laden with artificial fragrances, formaldehyde, chlorine, petroleum distillates, perchloroethylene (known as “perc”), artifi cial colours, aerosol propellants, ammonia, cresol, ethanol, and many other chemicals.
Detergent, a seemingly harmless cleaning agent, is responsible for more household poisonings than any other substance. Exposure to
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this toxin can cause skin problems, asthma, flu-like symptoms, and other health problems.
Air fresheners, disinfectants, and mould and mildew cleaning products (among others) contain another harmful substance: formaldehyde. You learned a bit about formaldehyde earlier, when I discussed its use in cosmetics. In addition to being a suspected carcinogen, formaldehyde has been related to birth defects and genetic mutations in some studies. Symptoms from inhalation of formaldehyde vapours include cough, swelling of the throat, watery eyes, respiratory problems, throat irritation, headaches, rashes, tiredness, excessive thirst, nausea, nosebleeds, insomnia, disorientation, and asthma.
Conventional carpet shampoos contain toxic respiratory irritants that become airborne when the residue dries. Drain cleaners, oven cleaners, petroleum-based polyurethane floor and furniture fi nishes, and paint removers are extremely toxic and pollute the air.
In Canada, there are no laws that require all the ingredients of cleaning products to be listed on the label. So most products contain a blend of toxic chemicals that consumers inadvertently purchase and use regularly in their homes, believing they are safe.
The fumes of many cleaning products are actually quite noxious. Most people believe that hazardous chemicals are required to adequately disinfect their homes from any potential invading bacteria, viruses, moulds, fungi, or other pathogens. This is far from the truth and is having severe health ramifi cations. Keep in mind that most chemical cleaning products are relatively new—the chemical industry began in the 1940s. That is a relatively short time period in which to determine that they are safe for everyday exposure.
We also make the assumption that since our various levels of government allow these chemicals to be used then they must be safe. This is anything but true. The vast majority of chemicals that are currently used have never been studied for safety. Those that have been
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studied are rarely studied for long-term effects or multi-generational effects, nor have they been studied for their effects when combined with the many thousands of other chemicals human beings would normally come into contact with.
The regulatory process to create laws that govern the safety of products takes years to develop; new laws must be put through a consultation process (with the very industry that has a vested financial interest in making sure the products are allowed); they must be analyzed by lawyers, and then be published in government journals. What’s more, there are no laws requiring manufacturers of household products to list the health effects of “normal” or long-term use of the product.
Clean and Healthy Home Quiz16
Take the following Clean and Healthy Home Quiz to see where you stand.
Give yourself the specified points for every “yes” answer. Score 0 for every “no” answer or if you use products purchased at natural food stores. However, if a product claims that it is“environmentally friendly,” it may not necessarily be safe for your health. Score full points for these products.
1. Do you ever use drain or oven cleaners? Score 3 points. 2. Have you used carpet or upholstery shampoo in your current home or on existing furniture? Score 2 points for each type of product you have used (i.e., 2 points if you use carpet shampoo and 2 points if you also use upholstery shampoo). 3. Have you ever used professional carpet or upholstery cleaning services in your current home or on your existing furniture? Score 3 points for each type of service you have used in the last two years. 4. Do you use chemical bathroom cleaning products? Score 2 points. .. The .-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan
5. Do you use bleach to clean your home or in your laundry? Score 2 points. 6. Do you use fabric softeners or dryer sheets? Score 3 points. 7. Do you ever use oven cleaners? Score 3 points. 8. Do you use dishwashing liquids or dishwasher detergents? Score 1 point for each type of product. 9. Do you use furniture polish? Score 1 point. 10. Do you use silver polish or stainless steel cleaner? Score 3 points. 11. Do you use mould and mildew cleaners? Score 2 points. 12. Do you use scouring powders or cream cleansers? Score 1 point. 13. Do you use window-cleaning products? Score 1 point. 14. Do you use floor cleaners? Score 1 point. 15. Do you use all-purpose cleaners? Score 2 points. 16. Do you use laundry detergents? Score 2 points. 17. Do you use spot removers for laundry? Score 2 points. 18. Do you dryclean your clothes? Score 3 points. Scores: 27 to 43 You are exposing yourself and possibly your family to extremely high levels of toxic chemicals that are probably having eff ects on your health and energy levels. It is critical that you switch to natural products.
Scores: 11 to 26 You are breathing many toxic chemicals that are probably aff ecting your overall health and energy levels or will at some time in the future. Discontinue using many of the commercial brands of cleaning products in favour of natural ones.
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Scores: 1 to 10 You are doing well in reducing your exposure to toxic chemicals in your home; however, there is still some room for improvement. Consider switching the several toxic chemical products to natural alternatives.
Score: 0 If you answered the questions honestly, congratulations! You are succeeding at minimizing your exposure to toxins in your home.
Some of the Toxic Chemicals Found in Common Household Cleaning Products
Cleaning Product Hazardous Substances Air freshener Naphthalene, phenol, cresol, ethanol, xylene, formaldehyde All-purpose cleaner Ammonia, detergents, artifi cial fragrances, aerosol propellants Ammonia Ammonia Basin, tub, and tile cleaner Detergents, artifi cial fragrances, aerosol propellants, chlorine Bleach Chlorine Carpet shampoo Perchloroethylene, naphthalene, ethanol, ammonia, detergents, artifi cial fragrance Dishwashing detergent Chlorine Dishwashing liquid Detergents, artificial fragrance, artifi cial colour, ammonia Disinfectant Cresol, phenol, ethanol, formaldehyde, ammonia, chlorine Drain cleaner Lye, ammonia, petroleum distillates
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Fabric softener Artifi cial fragrances Floor/furniture polish Phenol, nitrobenzene, acrylonitrile, ammonia, detergents, artifi cial fragrances, naphthalene, petroleum distillates, aerosol propellants Laundry detergents Detergents, bleaches, artifi cial fragrances Mould and mildew cleaner Phenol, kerosene, pentachlorophenol, formaldehyde Oven cleaner Lye, ammonia, aerosol propellants Scouring powder (chlorinated) Chlorine, detergents; talc may be contaminated with asbestos Silver polish Ammonia, petroleum distillates Spot remover Perchloroethylene Window cleaner Ammonia, artificial colours, aerosol propellants
Source: Debra Lynn Dadd, “Purify Your Home Without Poison,” Alternative Medicine, April 2002, pp. 88–102.
The Top 20 Toxic Ingredients in Cleaning Products
Ingredient Toxic Risks Acrylonitrile Suspected human carcinogen; can cause breathing diffi culties, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, weakness, headaches, and fatigue Alkyl phenol ethoxylate (APE) surfactants (nonionic) A large group of chemicals that are endocrine disruptors and have potential links in humans to tumours, cancers, and deformities
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Aerosol propellants Can cause heart problems, birth defects, lung cancer, headaches, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, eye and throat irritation, skin rashes, burns, lung infl ammation, and liver damage Ammonia (including ammonium chloride, quaternary compounds, benzalkonium chloride, etc.) Can cause irritation of eyes and respiratory tract, conjunctivitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, pulmonary edema, pneumonitis and skin burns Benzene A carcinogen that can also cause drunk-like behaviour, light-headedness, disorientation, fatigue, and loss of appetite Chlorine (including chlorine dioxide and sodium hypochlorite) Can cause pain and inflammation of the mouth, throat, and stomach, erosion of mucous membranes, vomiting, circulatory collapse, confusion, delirium, coma, severe respiratory tract irritation, pulmonary edema, and skin eruptions. Has been linked to high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal cancer Detergent Responsible for more household poisonings than any other substance; exposure causes skin problems, flu-like and asthmatic conditions, severe eye damage, and severe upper digestive tract damage if ingested
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Ethanol Can cause central nervous system depression, anaesthesia, feelings of exhilaration, excessive talkativeness, impaired motor coordination, double vision, vertigo, flushed face, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, stupor, coma, dilated pupils, shock, hypothermia, and possibly death Formaldehyde Suspected carcinogen; has been related to birth defects and genetic changes in bacteriological studies. Symptoms from inhalation of vapours include cough, swelling of the throat, watery eyes, respiratory problems, throat irritation, headaches, rashes, tiredness, excessive thirst, nausea, nosebleeds, insomnia, disorientation, and asthma Kerosene Can cause intoxication, ringing in the ears, burning sensation in chest, headaches, nausea, weakness, non-coordination, restlessness, confusion and disorientation, convulsions, coma, burning in the mouth, vomiting and diarrhea, drowsiness, rapid breathing, racing heart rate, fever, and death Naphthalene Suspected human carcinogen; can cause skin irritation, headaches, confusion, nausea and vomiting, excessive sweating, and urinary irritation. Exposure to suffi cient quantity can cause death Nitrobenzene Can cause bluish skin, shallow breathing, vomiting, and death
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Pentachlorophenol Carcinogen; can also cause central nervous system depression, light-headedness, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, tremor, loss of appetite, disorientation, and liver damage Perchloroethylene Inhaling fumes can cause cancer, liver damage, depression of the central nervous system, light-headedness, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, loss of appetite, and disorientation Petroleum distillates A group of chemicals of varying toxicity that are made by distilling petroleum; they are suspected to be toxic to the kidneys, nervous system, respiratory system, and skin Phenol Suspected human carcinogen; causes skin eruptions and peeling, swelling, pimples, hives, burning, gangrene, numbness, vomiting, circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, cold sweats, coma, and death Sodium hydroxide (lye) An extremely corrosive material that can eat right through skin; even a single dry crystal that falls on wet skin can cause damage. The exception is when lye is combined with fat in the making of soap. Th e chemical reaction neutralizes the sodium hydroxide, making the resulting soap safer to use
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Sodium lauryl sulfate Linked to harming children’s eyes; contributes to hair loss and combines with DEA, MEA, and TEA (often found in the same product) to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen Trichloroethylene Suspected human carcinogen; also causes genetic mutations. Symptoms of exposure include gastrointestinal upsets, central nervous depression, heart and liver malfunctions, paralysis, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and psychotic behaviour Xylene Can cause nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, cough, hoarseness, feelings of euphoria, headaches, giddiness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, confusion, coma, and death
Source: Debra Lynn Dadd, “Purify Your Home Without Poison,” Alternative Medicine, April 2002, pp. 88–102.
Other Toxins in Homes
Many homes built prior to 1970 were painted with lead-based paint. Lead can damage the heart, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract, and being exposed to it can lead to brain damage.
In many studies second-hand smoke was found to be more damaging than smoking, and the many toxic chemicals found in cigarettes can remain in carpets, even after cleaning.
Most new carpeting off-gases formaldehyde and other respiratory irritants that can trigger asthma and allergies. Formaldehyde can also cause sneezing, eye irritation, and shortness of breath.
Toxic Lawn Care
If you use lawn and garden pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or
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fungicides, you should know that many of these products approved for use on our lawns have been scientifically linked to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and birth defects. I summarized the dangers of chemical use in gardens in my article in the Ottawa Citizen:
A new study on the illeffects of pesticides pops up faster than you can say,“DDT.” The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry conducted a study of a common herbicide, paraquat, and fungicide, maneb. Mice that were subjected to these chemicals developed the same pattern of brain damage seen in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a progressive brain illness that initiates tremors and eventually paralysis. It is the illness that actor Michael J. Fox, boxer Muhammad Ali, and Pope John Paul II suff er from.
A study by the Canadian Institute of Child Health found that even small amounts of chemicals like pesticides have negative effects on children’s development.
In other studies, breast cancer has been linked to pesticide and fertilizer use. The highest incidence of breast cancer in the United States was found in the areas of Long Island, New York, that were heavily sprayed with DDT. Female workers who have been exposed to dioxin have higher rates of breast cancer than the general public.
Another study of 229 New York women found that women who developed breast cancer had higher levels of PCBs, DDEs, and other pesticides in their fat stores than women who did not develop the disease.
And, the evidence is not limited to pesticides. Fertilizer is not the harmless, lawn supportive stuff it appears to be either. A recent study by the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) indicates that “fertilizers made from industrial wastes are contaminating farms, gardens, and lawns, and eventually food and
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people, with toxic metals (twenty-two were found, including endocrine disruptors arsenic and lead) at levels higher than allowed in public landfills.
Every now and then a study is unveiled that indicates pesticides are not causing damage. Most of them do not take into consideration long-term exposure, the cumulative effect of pesticides and other chemicals our bodies are exposed to throughout our lifetimes, and the simple fact is there are people who have compromised immune systems, and of course, children whose bodies are developing. All these people are more susceptible to the effects of pesticides and other “lawn-care” chemicals than the mythical “average adult.”17
INDUSTRIAL AIRBORNE CHEMICALS Synthetic chemicals contaminate every part of the planet, even the most isolated and remote areas.
Of the more than eighty thousand synthetic chemicals widely used today, only 7 percent have been subjected to complete toxicity testing to determine the full extent of their health eff ects on people. Th ese tests have not been specific enough to determine their effects on the growing bodies of children, immune-compromised individuals, or seniors, their cumulative effects, or the effects of combining them.
Industrial chemicals find their way into the human body through the air we breathe, the water we bathe in, and soil in which our food is grown.According to Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald,“Levels of toxicity in the human body, as well as on the planet, have been higher in the past twenty years than in the entire history of the world.”18
In his book, Healing the Planet One Patient at a Time, Dr. Jozef Krop’s research indicates that breast milk in women in Western countries is so seriously contaminated that it would not pass American Food and Drug Administration standards if it were a packaged product. He adds,“In the Eastern seaboard and southwestern United
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States (the most highly industrialized parts), mothers are not recommended to breastfeed past six months, as the baby by then already has the maximum lifetime amounts of carcinogens in its cells.”
Dr. Krop also cites a recent report that indicated toxic air triggers one thousand premature deaths and five thousand hospitalizations per year in Toronto alone. Poor air quality is linked to heart attacks, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and lung cancer, and it can be a factor in many other illnesses. According to the American Cancer Society, environmental toxins might account for as many as three-quarters of all cancers.19
Dr. Fitzgerald states: “In 1992 alone, the Environmental Protection Agency received official notice from companies that 273 million pounds of toxic waste had been dumped into surface water. We can only wonder how much additional discharge into our waters went unreported. Another 338 million pounds of toxic waste were deposited on land that year, and 726 million pounds illegally injected underground.”20
She continues, “A 1999 government study on air pollution in Los Angeles found the risk of cancer in that city to be 426 times greater than health standards established by the 1990 Federal Clean Air Act.”21 According to her research,“The primary pollution source in L.A. is motor vehicles, with diesel exhaust from trucks and buses having a significant share of the detrimental impact.”22
According to Dr. Krop, some estimates suggest that the average person breathes two tablespoons of assorted particles into his or her lungs every day. In more polluted city centres or areas near industrial sites, that amount can be signifi cantly higher.
In Canada, people often rely on the Air Quality Index (AQI) reported by Environment Canada to determine the safety of the air they breathe. With thousands of chemicals being emitted into the air, you may be alarmed to find that this index provides a reading on only six common city air pollutants to determine air quality.
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Th ey are:
• carbon monoxide • nitrogen dioxide• ozone• suspended particles, • total reduced sulphur • sulphur dioxide.23 KEEP IT MOVING Exercise or, more aptly, lack of exercise also plays a tremendous role in the way toxins affect the body. Exercise helps the body’s cells absorb greater volumes of oxygen, enabling the cells to become purer; it also helps the lymphatic and circulatory systems remove damaging toxins from your tissues and blood. By sweating, you better enable your body to eliminate toxins through your skin. So if you are in the group of 20 to 25 percent of people who do not exercise, you are allowing toxins to build up in your body. If you are like the additional 33 percent of people, you probably are not moving enough to reap any health benefits of exercise.24 There are many benefits of exercising:
• increases energy • reduces stress • burns fat • speeds metabolism • builds bone mass • increases oxygen supply to the tissues and organs • builds muscle • improves posture • increases lung capacity and strength • increases fl exibility • strengthens joints • balances the spine and hips Chapter .: You Are What You Breathe, Think, and Do ..
• increases bodily awareness • balances the brain • calms the mind • leads to greater relaxation • increases self-confi dence • aids weight loss or gain (as needed). On the flip side, if you’re not exercising adequately, you may be tired, stressed, and overweight and have a slow metabolism or low bone mass.You may have inadequate oxygen for healthy tissues and organs, or worse, you may already have diseased tissues and organs. You may have poor muscle tone and posture, inadequate lung capacity and strength, rigid joints, imbalanced spine and hips, poor bodily awareness, or imbalanced left and right hemispheres of your brain. You may have diffi culty relaxing and suff er from inadequate self-confi dence.
If you’re like most people you’re probably saying, “Yeah, yeah, I know exercise is good for me, but I hate the stuff.” Like it or not, exercise is a component of The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan. You may be surprised to learn that it incorporates exercise that doesn’t have to be difficult or cumbersome. On the contrary, it will be fun and easier than you think. One of the main types of exercise that is included in the program is walking.
Walking is fabulous. It reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke; has a very low injury risk level; decreases the risk of diabetes by improving your body’s ability to use insulin; helps prevent osteoporosis by strengthening your bones; can help you lose weight, sleep better, reduce stress and depression, ease PMS and menopausal symptoms, and much more. A recent study found that walking lowers cholesterol levels.25 Another study conducted by the Appalachian State University found that women who walked for forty-five minutes per day recovered twice as fast from colds as
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women who did not exercise.26 A study at a medical centre in Salt Lake City found that walking after eating moved food through the stomach more quickly, helping to relieve minor indigestion.27 Th e Berkeley Wellness Letter has cited walking as the perfect exercise for promoting a healthy back.
Researchers at the Center for Health and Fitness at the University of Massachusetts found that people who took a brisk forty-minute walk felt a 14 percent drop in anxiety levels.28
As if all of that were not enough, walking also contributes to a healthy relationship.A study at the Exercise, Physiology and Human Performance Laboratory at the University of California at San Diego found that healthy men aged thirty-fi ve to sixty-fi ve who started a regular exercise program hugged and kissed their wives more often and had more sexual intercourse and more orgasms than those who did not exercise. Dare I add that regular exercise might have added to their endurance in the bedroom?
Walking also lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of colon cancer, boosts the immune system, and stimulates the lymphatic system.29 You may not be surprised to learn that I will be asking you to walk throughout The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan. Yes, there are other programs out there that will tell you that exercise is not really necessary for results. I don’t want to be rude, but they are lying to you, or at least appeasing you. That’s what most people want to hear. But we all know in our hearts and minds that exercise is necessary. Only you can get those limbs moving.
LIVING IN A TOXIC WORLD What happens to all these toxins once they enter the body? Th e intestines eliminate some waste products through bowel movements; the liver filters other toxins, as do the kidneys. Additional toxins are excreted through the skin. The lungs remove some toxins, while the
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lymphatic system sweeps out others. The bloodstream tackles some toxins, and the colon eliminates others. But often the body simply cannot keep up with the vast amount of toxins we are exposed to. What happens then? Well, the detoxification organs work as hard as they are able. Some will overwork as long as they can but eventually they become sluggish and ineffective at doing their jobs.
Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton, author of The Body Restoration Plan, says, “In effect, most of the chemicals that we cannot eliminate end up being stored in our adipose tissue (body fat) due to their high fat solubility. Contrary to popular belief, however, once in the fat stores they are not out of harm’s way, because once there they set to work damaging our fat metabolism.”30
That’s right: toxins can make you fat. They can also make it more difficult to lose weight. But that’s not all. They are often implicated in many other diseases and disorders.
The Toxin-Disease Connection
I believe that toxins are implicated in almost every disease or disorder that ails humankind, including autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia; hormonal imbalances such as premenstrual syndrome, menopausal symptoms, and others; psychological disturbances such as depression, bipolar syndrome, schizophrenia, mood swings, and irritability; obesity; digestive disorders; metabolic disorders; cancer; and brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
We have bought in to the notion that our parents passed down bad genes and those genes are the main culprit in disease. We believe we are victims of circumstance. Genes may be a factor, but usually they play a minimal role.
Or perhaps we blame a microscopic organism: a virus, bacteria, or fungus that we cannot even see, yet it has this immense power over our bodies. Pathogens such as viruses and bacteria may play a
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small role in illness but a normal healthy immune system should be able to keep them in check.
Or maybe we blame aging for what ails us. After all, the average elderly person is hardly the picture of health. Yet there are aged people who defy this notion entirely. I just saw photographs in a health magazine of an eighty-year-old woman and Pilates instructor who is the picture of physical fitness as she contorts her body into positions most twenty-year-olds would balk at.
Genes, pathogens, and aging are factors in our health but toxins play a much greater role. If toxins build up faster than they can be removed, disease results—not necessarily immediately but it is the result. Sometimes we feel fatigued, lethargic, weak, or headachy. Sometimes we pack on the pounds or suffer from aches and pains. These symptoms are the result of toxic overload—too many toxins building up and not enough being eliminated.
As desperate as the situation sounds, it is not... if we take measures to eliminate the vast quantity of harmful toxins we expose ourselves to. As you will see in the following chapters, you do not need to be a helpless victim or an ignorant bystander while your body struggles. You will learn how you can reduce your exposure to toxins and improve your body’s capacity to eliminate them.
In this chapter you learned
• What you think about all day long has substantial eff ects on creating a healthy or unhealthy body • Unmanaged stress creates toxins in your body • There are thousands of toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke • There are many sources of air pollution and that air quality indexes do not adequately inform us about many of these pollutants • Many household cleaning products are not as safe as you may think • Chemicals in hair- and body-care products and cosmetics are Chapter .: You Are What You Breathe, Think, and Do ..
absorbed through your skin, adding further burden to your body’s detoxifi cation organs.