Environmental Toxins

The price humanity is paying for all modern conveniences is in the form of toxicity that pervades every aspect of life. From food, air, soil, water down to each cell of the human body. The dawn of the industrial age and scientific advances laid the foundation for cheaper food production, mass manufacturing of goods like plastic, replacement of traditional farming practises with the ‘modern agriculture’ involving generous use of insecticides and fertilisers and burning of fossil fuels to enable all these processes. Abuse of modern medicine compounded the toxicity in the form of antibiotic use to increase profits from dairy and poultry farming, overprescription of all medications, and dumping of supposedly expired medication into the sea or soil.  The result has been a dramatic rise in all chronic diseases over the years. 

Homeopathic view on environmental toxin exposure is that while all toxins are harmful for human health, each person is different and unique in their sensitivity to particular toxins. For example, someone sensitive to mercury would experience a noticeable health imbalance on being exposed to mercury generally considered ‘within safe limits’.

Most common toxins humans and animals (that humans consume) are exposed to:
 
Mercury:

Sources of toxicity:

Dental fillings:

Many dentists still use fillings containing mercury amalgam (also called silver fillings) that are known to cause serious health imbalances in individuals who are sensitive to mercury. The American Dental Association has been fiercely defending the safety of these fillings for decades, without taking into consideration who might be sensitive. Very reluctantly the FDA issued a warning that ‘some’ individuals might be adversely affected by these fillings without any guidelines regarding how to identify those at risk.
(See: FDA warns popular dental filling could cause health problems for some patients)

There are many detox treatments available for a variety of heavy metals using chelation etc. But not all toxic metals remain in the body for long. The body is able to flush out almost all heavy metals over time but what it is unable to do is to reverse the changes these toxins cause in the body. In most cases it is the footprint of the toxin and not the toxin itself that needs treatment. 

Homeopathic analysis not only enables identification of these high risk individuals but also treatment of this toxicity. If the individual is identified as high risk, the first step is to get these fillings replaced by composite fillings. The fillings are so toxic that their removal requires specialized equipment and procedure called SMART (Smart Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique)

Seafood:
Due to water pollution mercury accumulates in seafood consumed widely.

Vaccinations:
The debate about the safety of a mercury based preservative thimerosal  in vaccines should address one key point that was never addressed:

Which child is sensitive to mercury (injected directly into the bloodstream)? And to what degree?

FDA started phasing out thimerosal from all vaccines from 1997 and numerous advocacy groups claim that thousands of children were damaged by its use but no conclusive evidence proves that thimerosal is damaging to millions of children being injected with it. Because it is not damaging to all children. Each child has a different immune system and reaction to any toxin. Take for example peanuts. Most individuals can eat huge quantities of them without any problems, but the one allergic to it might get an anaphylactic shock just by touching them!
(See: Thimerosal and Vaccines — A Cautionary Tale)

Some common signs and effects of mercury toxicity:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Excessive salivation
• Excessive sweating, that is usually smelly
• Looseness of sound teeth
• Metallic taste in the mouth
• Poor immune function
• Receding or easily bleeding gums
• Recurrent mouth ulcers
• Sweat leaves stains on clothing
• Teeth grinding in sleep
• Unexplained weakness or tiredness

Arsenic:
Common sources of arsenic poisoning:

• Contaminated groundwater
• Products like lipstick, teeth-whitening toothpaste, eyeliner and nail colour
• Rice
• Seafood (including finfish, shellfish, and seaweed)
• Tobacco

The following are some common effects of arsenic toxicity.

• Disturbed or restless sleep
• Feeling of anxiety and restlessness
• Feeling excessively cold
• Pigmentation of skin, usually dark brownish or blackish patches all over the body. 
• Poor digestion, with diarrhea and weakness
• Unexplained weakness
• Unexplained weight loss

Lead:
The most common sources of lead poisoning are:

• Contaminated Soil
• Lead-Based Paint
• Children’s Toys and Jewellery
• Lead Pipes in Old Buildings contaminating drinking water
• Workplace and Hobby Hazards
• Cosmetics
• Lead Glazed Ceramic Ware, Pottery and Leaded Crystal

Medications:

Ever wonder where all the expired drugs end up? We are talking about thousands of tonnes of medications designed to remain stable for years, ending up in the soil and water, ultimately seeping into humans causing insidious damage over time. Most countries do not have a system of proper disposal of pharmaceuticals that are either not needed or are labelled as expired. That leads us to another important question.

Do medications actually expire?

The surprising fact is that they don’t! Less than a percent of all disposed medications actually expire and remain effective for decades.

So, if they don’t expire, why are they labelled as such? In short, corporate greed. If you are the type who likes activism, this is a very good question to ask the politicians, pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists.

Glyphosate: It is a herbicide used to kill weeds that is also highly toxic to humans. It is still widely used while some countries have banned it. Despite ample evidence of its damaging effects on human health, debates are centered around the profitability of agriculture rather than cost to human health.
See here: Glyphosate and paraquat ban would cost farmers ‘hundreds of thousands in profit’, UWA research finds

PFAs: (Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These are highly prevalent industrial chemicals used in products ranging from clothing to nonstick cooking surfaces due to their ability to resist heat and stains. Multiple studies clearly suggest PFAs play a negative role affecting human growth and reproduction, liver, thyroid, and immune system function.

Microplastics: are small sized plastic particles that contaminate the environment due to indiscriminate use of plastics and lack of their proper disposal.

Bisphenol A or BPA: is a chemical used in the production of plastics, gets into food from the coatings of food cans, plastic tableware, food storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles. BPA mainly affects hormone function.

Asbestos: Linked to a variety of lung diseases, asbestos is used for insulation and in many other building materials.

Phthalates: are chemical compounds found in many household products from shampoos and soaps to water bottles and cosmetics. They are inhaled as vapor or absorbed through the skin on contact. Phthalates act as endocrine disruptors and significantly affect children’s development.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): are emitted as gases from many household products like paints, solvents, aerosol sprays, cleaning products, disinfectants and building materials. Repeated exposure causes eye and lung irritation, cough, allergic reactions, and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Many VOCs are known to cause cancer.

Noxious gases: Resulting from pollution, excess amounts of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide contribute to ozone formation and acid rain.

Suspended Particulate Matter: Solids such as carbon particles and mineral dust mix are suspended in the air as particulate matter. Particulate matter is emitted from many sources, primarily from power plants, manufacturing facilities, and motor vehicles. Particle pollution has been linked to respiratory symptoms, allergies, heart conditions, asthma, decreased lung function, and premature death in people with lung or heart disease.

Treatment of toxicity with the STEPS Program©:

Although it is important to stop exposure to toxins to really recover from the toxicity syndrome, it is possible to reduce the hypersensitivity to those toxins, which are similar to an allergic reaction. (See Homeopathic Allergy Relief and Desensitization Protocol HARD)

The other aspect of treatment focuses on removing the ‘footprint’ of the toxin, which are the leftover symptoms long after the toxin has been eliminated from the body physically. This involves boosting the healing ability of the body using suitable homeopathic remedies.

Treatment of Food Intolerances with the STEPS Program©:

The STEPS Program© approach to treating environmental toxicity syndrome can be summarized in 3 words:

Know —-> Heal—-> Evolve

Step 1: KNOW (Diagnosis)

Using the Health-O-Meter© Analysis, the first step is to know what needs to be treated or changed. This analysis reveals the following about the person:

1. The person’s unique body type, sensitivities and associated factors involved in causing this disorder.
2. The current health status based on an analysis of genetic history, birth history, medical history, laboratory tests and evaluation by various holistic experts.
3. Lifestyle factors like diet, sleep, exercise, toxins that contribute to the condition.
4. All therapies, interventions and changes needed to heal and restore normal functioning naturally.

Step 2: HEAL (Treatment)

1. One or more of the appropriate natural therapies are employed from the STEPS Program© and PhiloLife therapies, to treat the problem and its core causes.
2. Periodic assessments are done to ensure progress and permanency of healing.                                                                                                       

Step 3: EVOLVE (Prevention and Health Improvement)

Resources for forming healthy habits and lifestyle choices are offered in collaboration with Philolife therapies.

For more information on the STEPS Program© please click here.