Revealing Answers in Today’s Inflammatory Times
Bad news for global citizens: We’re now living in a world where it’s impossible to escape from toxic exposure—even to remote wilderness areas. It’s not a matter of if you’re toxic, but to what degree because we’re now consuming, inhaling, and absorbing toxins at a rapid rate.
Why are toxins such a hazard to our health? They’re poisons creating inflammation leading to imbalances in our bodies. They manifest a wide range of common symptoms: fatigue, headaches, gut issues, brain fog, joint pain, food sensitivities and many more. They’re linked to dementia, depression, autoimmune issues, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening conditions.
“Toxins are now the primary cause of chronic disease,” says Joseph Pizzorno, naturopathic physician and transformational leader in medicine. “They are driving much of what we see as clinicians. We need to reckon with the fact that our population is incredibly sick, and toxins are a major driver.”
We’re living in a toxic stew with earliest exposures in the womb. Throughout our lives we accumulate them from our food, air, water, personal care products, household items, medications, electronic frequencies (EMFs), and industrial practices, to name a few. Over time, all those daily doses add up, igniting inflammation often resulting in chronic health issues.
Indeed, recent health statistics demonstrate we’re experiencing more dementias, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and “alphabet maladies” like ADHD, ADD, OCD, ALS, MS, and other neurological issues significantly greater than previous generations. According to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, every 65 seconds someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and the number of cases in the US is expected to double over the next 30 years!
Unfortunately, mainstream medicine isn’t focused on the connection of toxicity to many of today’s illnesses, so most patients aren’t being evaluated for it. However, millions are suffering from undiagnosed illnesses linked to toxins. Identifying the root causes of inflammation is critical in recovering from such illnesses. With continual environmental assaults, patients should be regularly monitored for toxic levels and treated with proven therapies that target inflammatory agents.
For instance, biotoxin researchers estimate about 25% of the population is genetically susceptible to inflammatory responses caused from mold and other biotoxins. Genetically prone as poor detoxifiers, millions are unfortunately primed for an illness recognized as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). They suffer a wide range of symptoms of varying intensity and duration from autoimmune responses associated with this illness. Unfortunately, without all doctors being trained to recognize or effectively treat the toxic roots of many of today’s maladies, the inflammation rages on, perpetuating the illness and patient misery.
Let’s look at obesity. Toxins are a likely culprit for weight gain because today’s toxic burdens are straining detoxification pathways. If your body is unable to adequately process out toxins, they’re enveloped in fat cells and stored in your tissues, often as visceral fat surrounding your organs. Detoxification helps address the underlying issue to achieve weight loss goals, so it’s vital to identify the link between toxins and weight gain.
Fortunately, now there’s good news for all of us living in today’s toxic times with proven protocols and interventions that can both prevent disease as well as recover health. This is the foundation in functional and integrative practices, which treats the body as an integrated, holistic system, focused on disease prevention and addressing the root cause of diseases.
Functional practitioners offer precision evaluations, using specialized tests not currently used in many conventional practices. For instance, you’re likely to be tested for mold, heavy metals, or chemicals, and if unsafe levels are detected, prescribed appropriate therapies.
Functional medicine recommends adopting lifestyle habits related to food choices, detoxification, exercise, stress management, sleep, and other interventions that cool common inflammatory triggers. While genetics plays a role in many health conditions, by addressing the root causes of inflammation, reduces their ability to express imbalances and corresponding disorders. These interventions and transformative therapies provide a proven pathway for taming toxic triggers and other sources of inflammation.
This is indeed a wake-up call for us all. Inflammatory triggers are being fueled everywhere. Although we are all vulnerable living in such inflammatory times, the exciting news is that functional and integrative practitioners have answers, evaluating and treating patients with tools and therapies to both recover and support whole health.
Excerpted from her latest book, A Toxic Brain—Revelations from a Health Journey, featuring the author’s fervent search for answers regarding her husband’s bizarre symptoms and all the unexpected realities of navigating his debilitating illness. Sandra Strauss is passionate to inspire destinies of health, harmony, and happiness. She offers a collection of strategies in her books, presentations, and blog to support vibrant health and wellbeing, http://www.SandraStrauss.com.
