Are Toxins Making You Sick and Overweight?
It's not surprising that toxins are all around us-in the
air, water and in many commercial products. You probably
know that these toxins can make you sick. Dust, mold and
chemicals can lead to asthma, allergies and other chronic
conditions.
But did you know that these toxins can also cause you to
gain extra weight and make losing it almost impossible?
Researchers at the University of Quebec have demonstrated a
link between environmental pollution and a decrease in
metabolism. In addition, toxins cause inflammation
throughout the body that can lead to leptin resistance.
Leptin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that
helps regulate body fat. When leptin stops functioning,
leptin resistance occurs, leading to weight gain and
retention of excess weight.
Detoxification is the way your body rids itself of toxins,
a natural process that occurs 24 hours a day. You can
support your body's ability to detoxify through positive
lifestyle choices such as enhanced nutrition, limiting
toxic exposures, and exercise and stress reduction.
Do you ever experience lack of concentration, irritability,
mood swings, foggy headedness, or inability to lose weight?
Exposure to toxins at home, the office, and school or in a
store can trigger these problems. Everyday items such as
paint, printers, magic markers, and copiers can produce the
problems listed above.
Simple Steps to Reduce Exposure to Common Toxins
1) Paint. For your home or office, look for low VOC paint
which is less toxic.
2) Laser Printers and Copy Machines. Use a DeskJet printer
or copier instead.
3) Household Cleaning Products: Use all natural and
non-toxic cleaning products. We use baking soda and water
for most cleaning, and vinegar diluted with water for
windows.
4) New Clothing and Laundry. Wash new clothes well before
wearing to soak out some of the formaldehyde used to
stiffen new fabric. Avoid heavily scented laundry detergent
and fabric softener; these increase your exposure to
chemicals.
5) Stale Indoor Air. Indoor air pollution is recognized as
a common problem. With airtight buildings and homes, toxins
can build up. Get outside for some fresh air during
lunchtime.
6) Tobacco Smoke. Do not smoke and make your home, car and
office a smoke-free zone.
Detoxify with More Nutrition-Not Less
When we talk about detoxification we do not mean fasting,
purging or other procedures, and do not recommend these.
Fasting can be dangerous and undermines the body's ability
to detoxify naturally by depriving the body of adequate
nutrition.
The point of detoxification is to help your body process
toxins by giving it more nutrition. The liver is the major
organ for detoxification. For the liver to function well in
its job of detoxification, it requires nutrition: adequate
protein is essential to this effort, and many vegetables
and herbs can help.
Foods to Help Detoxify
There are special foods you can eat that help the liver
function well to process toxins, such as these listed below.
Cruciferous Vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower
Sea Vegetables: hijiki, dulse, wakame (which are from
Japanese cuisine)
Dark Greens: kale, collard greens, swiss chard
This article is provided for general educational purposes
only and is not intended to constitute medical advice or
counseling, the practice of medicine or the provision of
health care diagnosis or treatment, the creation of a
physician-patient relationship, or an endorsement,
recommendation, or sponsorship of any third party product
or service by the sender or the sender's affiliates,
agents, employees, or service providers. If you have or
suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your
doctor promptly.
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Director of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine, Leo
Galland M.D. is an award-winning lecturer and author of
over 30 scientific articles and several chapters for
medical textbooks. Jonathan Galland is a health writer for
newspapers and magazines. Their book The Fat Resistance
Diet has been featured on the cover of Fitness and Glamour.
For a free one-day meal plan and recipes, visit
http://www.fatresistancediet.com .
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