Your Toxic Load – How Does It Affect Your Health?
From cleaning products, to pollution in the air, to the water we drink, to contamination in our food supply from industrial and processed foods, to the clothes we wear, to the houses in which we reside, to the sheets and pillows we sleep on, we are all exposed to tremendous amounts of toxins each and every day of our lives. Estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that approximately 500,000 chemicals are currently in use, and with each passing year more than 5,000 new chemicals are added. It may seem overwhelming to consider just how much our bodies contend with on a regular basis and attempt to eliminate in order to keep us healthy. With so much exposure, it seems a wonder that any of us could live past the age of one, much less be born. But our bodies are amazing vessels, and they are designed to handle a lot of input, bacteria, toxins, and viruses.
Sometimes, however, we find that our bodies are unable to handle this load. When the body finally gives up and problems start to occur, this phenomena is known as toxic overload. Toxic overload can occur at any time and can have a variety of symptoms including headaches, asthma, allergies, coughing, wheezing, digestive disorders, sore throat, hoarseness, lethargy, mood disorders, itching, eczema, psoriasis, heart problems, osteoporosis, arthritis, chronic fatigue-like symptoms, MS, lupus, diabetes, and many other conditions – especially auto-immune disorders.
According to “The 100 Year-Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the Chemicals that are Destroying Your Health“:
- The average American carries a “body burden” of 700 synthetic chemcials
- Chemicals in tap water can cause reproductive abnormalities and hermaphroditic birth
- A 2005 study of lactating women in 18 U.S. States found perchlorate (a toxic component of rocket fuel) in practically every mother’s breast milk
Randall Fitzgerald reveals how we are deceived by the marketing, advertising, household, food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Labels cleverly try to convince consumers that products are safe by rewording or omitting information about hazardous chemicals in toxins contained in foods we eat, beverages we drink, household products we use, and many other items we rely on to accomplish daily tasks. He also discusses how pretty much everywhere we go – whether it be to the store, a gas station, school, out to eat, the office, a recreational facility, wherever – there are toxic chemicals in those environments continually off-gassing, and exposing us yet to more harmful substances.
Here is an excerpt from the book:
The only “truth” in labeling today is the fact that there is widespread secrecy. Of forty common consumer products tested by the National Environmental Trust in Washington, D.C., during 2004, more than half contained toxic chemicals not listed on the product labels. Two MORE at link...
May 18th is Plant Conservation Day! We hope you will join us in this global celebration, dedicated to preserving, protecting, and conserving plants for people and the planet. 
Wed, May 19, 2010