While it may seem obvious, think of this as a refresher.
Food, especially genetically modified, processed or from poor quality sources are chemically laden to prevent spoilage on the store shelves. Plus it adds color and an irresistible taste that triggers your brain into wanting more. (There have been food industry studies on this topic of tricking consumers into an addiction, or “excitability” as the industry may term it.) These foods not only wreak havoc on the digestive system, but it accumulates as waste in the body and your organs don’t know what to do with it all. After years of drowning your body in these chemicals, as a result, your body will likely experience diseases such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor immunity and cognitive function. Healthy food, preferably organic, pesticide-free foods that are FRESH will not cause this reaction.
Medication, while they are created to relieve symptoms of disease and not the source of the disease (just my personal opinion), they too can accumulate in your body. Not all medicine is harmful, and many are removed from the body through urination and elimination. People with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, or other diseases where a cocktail list of prescription medications is recommended over a long period of time, even years, may impact the ability of the body to function normally. Remember, medicines are chemicals, too. Really know what you’re putting into your body, and don’t be afraid to ask your doctors questions.
Exposure to the environment is often an uncontrolled exposure. As mentioned earlier, second hand smoke, stinky perfume, fertilizer in your neighborhood, pollution, etc. Not to mention chemicals used to clean your office building and bathrooms. BUT, there are environmental exposures you can control such as the cleaning chemicals used in your home, and the exposure to petroleum-based fragrances and air fresheners.
Stress, we’ve all heard it, causes problems in our bodies. There are two types of stress, eustress and distress. Eustress is good stress, like engagement, graduation, or even winning the lottery. Distress is bad stress that causes a cluster**** of disastrous effects in the body including adrenal fatigue, heart disease, depression, inability to concentrate, organ disruption, and immune system function. Sadly, these may often all at the same time. That’s why people recommend physical activity to decrease cortisol levels (which is the stress hormone) and even yoga. Emotional well being is just as important as physical well being; but you already knew that.
Products we use on our bodies are another method for toxins to get into our body. We talked a little bit about the structure of the skin in READ THE LABEL [PART 1]. So you’ll know that the epidermis (outer layer) provides a protective barrier. Unfortunately, many of the chemically-saturated products we expose ourselves to on a daily basis break the barrier of protection and can penetrate into our blood stream. Choose your products wisely and read the label!
Stay tuned for more excerpts from my presentation “READ THE LABEL: Understanding Natural and Organic Skin Care.”
Written by Dahlia Kelada, from her presentation READ THE LABEL: Understanding Natural & Organic Skin Care © 2013 All Rights Reserved