Biogenic Living Therapies

Toxin Exposure and Self-help Measures

Obviously there would be no need for toxin removal if we could avoid them in the first instance. Here are just a few suggestions on how to achieve this from the excellent book ‘Stop the 21st Century Killing’ You by Paula Baillie-Hamilton, Vermilion, ISBN : 0091894670)

1. Avoid contact with any sort of pesticide. This includes any substance using artificial chemicals to kill any form of animal life (such as fly sprays, flea preparations, head- lice shampoo) or plant life (such as weed-killer). Look up alternative chemical-free ways to deal with your problem. For instance use fine-tooth combs to rid hair of head lice.

2. Maximise the proportion of organically produced foods in your diet – especially fish, soft fruit and vegetables and lean meat. Go to your local fishmonger and ask for wild, not farmed, fish.

3. Always filter or distil water (Debra’s note: as distillation removes essential minerals from the water, you will need to take a good quality electrolyte or trace mineral supplement such as Ancient Purity’s Fulvic Acid Minerals). If you use bottled water, buy it in a glass bottle rather than a plastic one. If you can, install a household water filter to reduce the chemicals absorbed from bath or shower water.

4. Wash and peel non-organic fresh fruit and vegetables before eating.

5. Reduce your intake of animal fats

6. Avoid farmed salmon (more and more supermarkets now sell organic salmon) and limit your intake of tuna (due to potential contamination of mercury and organochlorine pollutants). If you do eat these foods, combine them with foods high in soluble fibre, such as beans or pulses, or take soluble fibre supplements. These measures will greatly reduce the amount of toxins absorbed from a meal.

7. If you plan to eat out, take soluble fibre supplements in advance to absorb any chemicals in the meal.

8. Use environmentally friendly household cleaning products.

9. Choose organic cosmetics, hair products and toiletries whenever possible and if you can’t find an alternative product, just try to use less of it.

10. Avoid storing fatty foods in plastic containers, or acidic foods in aluminium containers, or drinking colas in aluminium cans. These storage materials can all contaminate foods and drinks.

11. Don’t microwave or heat up foods in plastic containers, particularly if they have a high fat content, as the heat will make the chemicals in the plastic rapidly migrate into the food.

12. Take regular exercise to help to strengthen your detoxification system. For example, aim to walk where you would normally ride.

13. If getting vaccinated, insist on vaccines that do not contain mercury or aluminium.

14. Try to increase the proportion of whole raw nuts, fruits and vegetables in your diet as

they provide beneficial nutrients, many of which you can’t get from supplements.

15. Eat foods which contain large natural amounts of soluble fibre, such as beans, pulses like lentils, oats, apples and oranges. These will help you to detox naturally.

16. If you have highlights or other chemical treatments at the hairdressers, take some extra antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and soluble fibre supplements just before your visit. This will help protect your body from chemical damage.

17. Take antioxidant vitamins and soluble fibre supplements before going swimming, as this will help your body deal with the chlorine absorbed from the water.

18. Avoid mercury in dental fillings. Opt for porcelain fillings, or if this is not possible, select white fillings (although these contain plastics they are considered by most dental experts to be far less toxic than amalgam. To get the safest plastics go to a mercury-free dentist as they will be more aware of the whole issue regarding safety of dental

19. Seek out fluoride-free toothpaste. Fluoride is a known and registered brain poison that lowers children’s IQ. Also avoid any fluoridisation treatment offered by your dentist.

20. Avoid using deodorants that contain aluminium. Other types are available that are both natural and highly effective. Regular washing with soap and water removes the bacteria that feed on the perspiration to cause the unwanted odour. It’s also a good idea to cut your intake of caffeine in drinks, as this will reduce the amount you perspire.

21. Ventilate your home by regularly keeping the window open to clear the air of chemicals given off by household cleaners, plastics, dry-cleaned clothes, and objects treated with fire retardants.

22. Get rid of as much plastic as practical, especially the softer kinds such as cling film, wrapping and carrier bags. The more strongly a particular item smells of plastic, the more polluting it will be.

23. Keep house plants, such as spider plants, which can absorb a lot of airborne pollutants.

24. When renovating your house, try to source more natural, environmentally friendly products.

Toxic Ingredients in Sunscreens

Here’s what you can expect to find in high street brands:

• Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) is one of the most frequently used chemical UV filters worldwide. OMC easily penetrates the upper layer of the skin and, when exposed to UV radiation, generates free radicals in skin cells.

• Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3), octyl-dimethyl-PABA and octinoxate – all hormone-disrupting and oxybenzone is also shown to be damaging to algae and coral formation, leading it to be banned in Hawaii.

• 4-Methyl benzylidene camphor (4-MBC) Laboratory tests on rats exposed to 4-MBC revealed that male rats born to mothers exposed to this compound had lower testes weight, experienced delayed puberty and decreased adult prostate weight. Human trials found that both OMC and 4-MBC were readily absorbed through the skin and were detectable in urine. There is also a study that shows pituitary change showing up as hypothyroidism.

• Padimate O (2-Ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate ) shown to bioaccumulate in the liver and kidneys of fish.

• Fragrance chemicals – As many as 150 chemicals can be used in the catch-ingredient ‘fragrance/parfum’ on an ingredient list. One family of chemicals often found there are called phthalates which are the ‘sticky, plasticiser’ chemicals that make a fragrance long-lasting. What phthalates have also been shown to do, however, is be harmful to our reproductive systems as potent endocrine disruptors.

DIY Options

Here’s details of ingredients that you can use in your own sunscreen (from Wellness Mama. www.wellnessmama.com/beauty/homemade-sunscreen)

Ingredients like almond oil (or olive oil), coconut oil, Shea butter, beeswax yellow beads (for the moisturising base), Carrot seed oil, Raspberry seed oil, vitamin E oil (for extra anti-oxidant sun protection) Non-nano zinc oxide powder (as the actual sunscreen agent, available from www.thesoapery.co.uk/products/zinc-oxide-powder). Essential oils (optional if you want fragrance or vanilla extract. Don’t use citrus based oils though as these cause your skin to be photosensitive).

You can simplify things right down by using your own body lotion (non-toxic version) and adding zinc oxide powder.

The zinc oxide ingredient needs to be above 18% of total volume to be protective against UVA/B rays. Ideally 22-25%. You can’t get too much zinc from zinc oxide in natural sunscreens. The particles are too big to penetrate – it’s the NANO Zinc in those super-thin sunscreens that spray or glide on that you risk zinc overload from.

You will need to reapply more often and after swimming as they are not waterproof.

Key also is to not overprotect to the point where you cause a deficiency in Vitamin D. Allow yourself a little splash of sun on bare skin for at least your legs and arms, for 15 minutes, 10 minutes if really fair and make sure this isn’t smack bang in the middle of the day and speak to your health professional to decide what’s best for you.

Sun exposure itself isn’t the only factor linked to skin cancer. Many nutritional factors, such as optimal vitamin D levels or even reducing harmful omega-6 vegetable oils, can have a big impact on skin health. Getting enough antioxidants in our diet from colourful fruits and veg also plays a big role.

We need vitamin D for so many of our body’s functions and adequate levels show added protection against cancer risks, particularly breast cancer, as well as bone and immune system health to name a couple. Our ‘overprotecting’ and indoor lifestyles can be contributing to the re-emergence of Rickets and other low-vitamin-D related immune and hormonal issues, which is crazy, BUT we do have to be careful nonetheless – especially in the strong sun when we are on holiday and out in it for much of the day. So how do we strike a balance? 10-20 minutes unprotected gentle sun per day in the earlier part of the morning or late afternoon. There’s a great sun-safe app called UV Index Now – UVI Mate that gives you a traffic light system approach to enjoying safe sun time when you can, from wherever you are in the world.