Detoxification
Many women have problems related to hormone disrupting chemicals, which are ubiquitous in our environment. Please see Childbirth Preparation for a detailed explanation of environmental toxins. The accumulation of toxins over time eventually causes normal metabolic processes to become dysfunctional.
An analogy to toxic build-up is the following: Consider the rain gutters on your house. They will represent the toxin elimination pathways in your body. Normally, gutters do a fabulous job catching the rainwater or melting snow from the roof of your home.
They do their job quietly – directing the water to areas where drainage will not damage the foundation of the home and keeping the pouring water from hindering our exit from doorways (like your liver and kidneys eliminating toxins from your body).
However, when things start getting into the gutters that shouldn’t be there, the water tends to flow less smoothly. Twigs, leaves and other debris (analogous to environmental toxins) build up and eventually completely block a portion of the gutter so that water backs up and begins to overflow.
Symptoms begin to occur, such as puddles next to the foundation, which might promote the growth of molds and mildew, etc. Sometimes the symptoms are mild and go unnoticed until major damage has occurred, just like the buildup of environmental toxins in your body. To avoid this, rain gutters and your body need to be cleaned out periodically.
There are many treatment plans available, which accommodate your needs to help reduce your toxic load. Many labs offer tests that can identify which toxins may be contributing to your symptoms. Heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, xenoestrogens, BPA, phthalates, etc. have been correlated with the following:
- Breast Cancer
- Chemical sensitivity
- Chronic Fatigue
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart disease
- Infertility
- Miscarriage and premature birth
- Osteoporosis
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Thyroid disease
- Uterine fibroids
If your history indicates a possible exposure to heavy metals, testing will determine if heavy metals are contributing to your symptoms. Heavy metal toxicity, such as such as lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, beryllium, arsenic and aluminum can be analyzed with a urine test.
Chelation is used to lower the amount of toxic heavy metals in your body. The standard of care for removing lead, arsenic or mercury, is dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) or Dimercaprol. Other chelating agents, such as 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA), are also used. Finally, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA is used to treat acute and chronic lead poisoning by pulling toxins (including heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury) from the bloodstream.
There are effective methods for helping to mobilize and eliminate other toxins that are stored in your body. These involve liver support, calorie reduction, saunas, hydrotherapy, colonics, castor oil packs, certain foods, and nutrient and herbal supplements.
At the Health and Healing Center, a careful intake is done to determine your risk for environmental toxicity. Your toxic load will be analyzed and an appropriate treatment plan that fits your schedule and needs can be implemented so that your body can return to its normal state of health.