Thursday, September 18, 2008

Halloweeeeen!



One of my patients sent these two headbands home with me for Tillie's Halloween costume! I think she likes the bunny one better (or hates it the least). I don't know how I will give her pug tail a poofy bunny hiney yet, but even just the headband cracks me up.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Swimming In Poison

Toxins are in the food you eat, the air you breathe and the clothes you wear. Your body does an amazing job of filtering out the toxins you are exposed to, but when is enough, enough? Everyone responds to toxins in a different manner but here are the most common symptoms of toxin overload:

  • Enzyme dysfuntion
  • Altered metabolism
  • Reproductive disorders
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches/generalized aches and pains
  • Obesity
  • Mental fog – many people may feel that they have “cobwebs in their brain” or experience increased forgetfulness or an overall feeling of being out of tune with their body
  • Sugar cravings
  • Muscle and vision problems
  • Immune system depression
  • Allergies/Asthma
  • Endocrine disorders
  • Chronic viral infections
  • Less able to tolerate/handle stress
  • Skin break-outs

Even if you aren’t exhibiting symptoms, I would suggest detoxing at least twice a year in order to make sure that your body is not holding on to unhelpful waste. Especially considering that a study in the British Medical Journal estimated that perhaps 75 percent of most cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, including exposure to chemicals. Another report, this one by the Columbia University School of Public Health, estimated that 95 percent of cancer is caused by diet and environmental toxicity. Wake up and smell the smog, People; it’s time to detox!

If you have never done any type of detoxification program, then I would suggest starting out by cleaning up your diet and environment.

1. Buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic products as much as possible. This cuts back on the amount of pesticides, synthetic materials and unnatural hormones you will ingest. It also increases the amount of nutrients you take in which will help protect against what toxins you do come in contact with.
2. If you can’t avoid eating non-organic produce, wash your fruits and vegetable thoroughly. You can also remove the outer layer of leaves if possible to avoid digesting high levels of pesticides.
3. Avoid processed foods of any type. Fast foods, over-processed grains and sugars, low-fat and sugar-free products.
4. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antipersperants and cosmetics. You will rid many toxic inducing ingredients like aluminum, sodium lauryl sulfate, excess fluoride and many other harsh chemicals.
5. Only use natural cleaning products in your home. You may even make your own cleaning solution with vinegar, baking soda and water. Check out http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning for more information.
6. Use the ionizing detox footbath to rid your body of free radicals and allow your organs to function at a higher level.

If you’re ahead of the game and already do the above listed, then a more serious detox program may be better for you. Consult your chiropractor to get a specific detox regiment for your body type.

For a more in-depth discussion check out the following books and websites:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/19/common-toxins.aspx
http://www.drrapp.com/
“Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call” by Doris Rapp, M.D.
“Dr. Earl Mindell's Unsafe at Any Meal: How to Avoid Hidden Toxins in Your Food”
http://www.ehow.com/how_2066336_avoid-food-toxins.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
http://www.allergictoliving.com/index.html