health-effecting toxins come in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, in the food we consume, in the products we put on our skin and hair, and in the way we live our stress-filled lives.
Pollution
According to a 2016 report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), outdoor air pollution has risen by 8% globally in just the last five years.Pesticides
In a 2012 paper for the National Institutes of Health, Dr. David Bellinger hypothesized that 16.9 million IQ points had been lost in children because of everyday pesticide exposure.
Drugs and Alcohol Use
Both regular drug use (illegal substances and prescribed pharmaceuticals) and regular drinking take their toll on our detoxification pathways, especially on the liver and the digestive system. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 21.5 million American adults battled substance abuse in 2014
Chemicals in the water and food supply
“Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases – ranging from diarrhea to cancers,” says the WHO. In addition, today’s municipal water supplies may contain anything from fluoride, chlorine, and lead, to parasites such as Giardia, to endocrine disruptors found in oral contraceptives.
Household and personal care products
Our skin is our largest organ for elimination. All those commercial “lotions and potions” we love to use are absorbed directly into the skin, as are the untested chemicals used to create them. Some toxins found in sundry products include phenoxyethanol, parabens, and formaldehyde.
Negative thoughts and emotions
Yes, even negative thoughts and emotions can translate into stress in the body. Chronic stress elevates cortisol levels, causing inflammation and a host of disease conditions. According to CBS News, the number of Americans admitting to being in “extreme stress” rose by 18% between 2014 and 2015
Sign
1. You have extra weight that doesn’t shift
If you have tried to lose weight by exercise and calorie counting and it hasn’t shifted, your toxic load could be the reason it hasn’t worked. Many toxins are lipophilic, which means they are stored in body fat. These lipophilic toxins include dioxins, PCBs, and many pesticides. So it makes sense when you have an overload of these toxins it would seem impossible to lose the extra weight.
2. Unexplained exhaustion
If you are getting your eight hours of sleep and you wake up exhausted, your toxic load could be the reason. A high toxic load is an extra stress on your body, which can be challenging for your adrenal glands. Long-term chronic stress from a high toxic load can lead to adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue leaves you feeling run-down and exhausted. Some toxins can directly disrupt adrenal function too. For example, caffeine is known to have a negative impact on your adrenals.
3. Insomnia
If your body is stressed out due to a high toxic load, your cortisol levels can get out of whack. Cortisol is a hormone you release to help you deal with stress. Normal and healthy cortisol levels are highest in the morning and lowest in the evening. However, if the hormone is out of balance, in the evening its levels can be too high. This leaves you feeling really energetic and simply unable to sleep. Having insomnia can wreak havoc on your health, so it’s important to get to bed on time, and to sleep at least eight hours a day.
4. Fuzzy thinking
Many toxins directly affect the brain, including aspartame and MSG (monosodium glutamate). The impact of these toxins include feeling a bit spaced out a lot of the time. It is important to cut out aspartame and MSG as they are excitotoxins, which means they literally excite our brain cells to death. Aspartame is found in many sugar-free drinks, diet foods, and toothpastes. MSG is found in many processed foods.
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5. Unexplained headaches
If you suffer from regular, unexplained headaches, it could be a sign that your toxic load is too high. Common toxins that cause headaches include MSG and aspartame, as discussed above. However, many other toxins also lead to headaches, including heavy metals, artificial colorings, and artificial preservatives
6. Mood swings
If you have mood swings it can indicate that your hormones are out of balance. Some toxins, such as xenoestrogens, cause hormonal imbalances in women and men. Xenoestrogens are synthetic compounds that act like estrogen in your body. Sources include industrial compounds like PCBs, BPA, and phthalates. Avoiding plastics should have an impact on reducing your xenoestrogen load.
7. Bad body odor
If you suffer from bad breath or foul-smelling gas and stools, it can indicate your toxic load is too high and your liver and colon are having some difficulty eliminating toxins. You can help your liver by supplementing with milk thistle, doing a coffee enema, or doing a liver flush (using olive oil and lemon juice). Liver flushes are very aggressive and take a lot of planning. By comparison, coffee enemas are much easier. Both are very effective ways of detoxing the liver.
8. Constipation
It is really important to eliminate waste from your body every day. If you are not having a bowel movement daily the toxins are absorbed back into your bloodstream leaving you very toxic. Drinking more water and increasing your fiber intake can help resolve constipation.
9. Muscle aches and pains
If you suffer from unexplained muscle aches and pains you could have a high toxic load. Some toxins stimulate pain receptors in the muscle leading to muscle spasms, knots, and general muscular aches and pains. The toxins could have an immediate effect on your muscles or it might be delayed. Keep a log of your daily activities to try and highlight the responsible toxin or toxins.
10. Sensitivity to scents
If you are highly sensitive to different scents you could be highly toxic. If your liver is not detoxing effectively you can become more sensitive to different scents. This sensitivity can lead to headaches and nausea.
If you think your toxic load is too high, it is important to reduce your exposure to toxins. Eating clean, organic food where possible, keeping well hydrated, and getting a sensible amount of exercise really help. You could also do a safe cleanse or detox to get rid of the excess toxins
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