What Are Toxins and How Do They Affect You?

There has been a great deal of talk lately about health care reform. Unfortunately, they are only trying to address the financial aspect, which primarily benefits insurance companies and the medical and drug industry. For a nation that takes its healthcare so serious, there is something seriously wrong with the health of its people and that is not really being addressed. In 2007, more than 90 million Americans live with chronic illness, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ”The prolonged course of illness and disability from such chronic diseases as diabetes and arthritis results in extended pain and suffering and decreased quality of life for millions of Americans.”

While many modern conveniences have enabled us to do more in less time, they have taken a significant toll on both our bodies and our overall health. Recently a study conducted by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and designed to examine the effects of toxic exposure found an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants and toxic chemicals in the blood and urine of every person tested. Even more disturbing is the fact that the majority of those toxins can remain in the body for years, even decades. If you think you live in a non-toxic area, think again. We live in a county that is virtually covered several times a year with herbicides, fungicides and insecticide, all designed to kill something. This all ends up in your water table, in your food you grow and in the animals you feed. Then we eat and drink all of it. Generally, toxins don’t have an immediate effect on you, but over time it can manifest itself in all forms of degenerative disease.

“We’re living in a toxic soup of polluted air, water, food and electromagnetic toxins,” observes Dr. Leonard Smith of Gainesville, Florida, referring to the large number of pollutants the body encounters daily. He explains that this daily exposure to harmful chemicals inhibits the natural detoxification process carried out by the liver, lungs, kidneys, bowel, lymphatic system, skin and blood – collectively referred to as the seven channels of elimination. “All of these organs work together to eliminate toxins,” say Dr. Smith, “When they don’t do their job, toxins get stuck in the organs and cause trouble for the cells. Cells under stress tend to work less efficiently.”
Not surprising, all of this toxic exposure has resulted in the overwhelming number of Americans living with chronic diseases. Today, medical establishments worldwide have recognized that no matter how pure your lifestyle, your body will inevitably absorb toxins. According to Dr. Vasquez, “Detoxification needs must be addressed daily since toxic exposure occurs daily.”
I’ve have seen an increase in awareness among people that at some level, their poor health is caused by an imbalance between the toxins they ingest and the toxins they eliminate,” Many natural health practitioners recommend a total-body cleanse at the beginning of each new season. The most effective products typically contain an organ detoxification formulas well as a natural colon cleanse.

Herbs often used to support the liver include milk thistle, artichoke, dandelion and turmeric, while corn silk may be included to promote healthy kidney function. Chlorella, hawthorn, larch gum and ashwagandha (also known as Indian ginseng) support the blood and lymph, and mullein and red clover are often included to help expel toxins (trapped in mucus) from the lungs. Red clover and burdock root support the cleansing of the skin.

To make this easier for everyone, there are many products on the market that combine these ingredient into a simple daily cleanse that eliminates the need to know and understand what each product does for your elimination system. Many of these products are available locally at Sweet Cicely and soon they will also be available online at http://www.sweetcicely.com/. Get you started on your health plan today and start eliminating those excess toxins from your system.