F.I.G.H.T program – T for Toxins

Written by GORDON, M.D., Garry F

We’re reaching a level of pollution that’s unprecedented in the earth’s history. Every man, woman and child on the planet are constantly bombarded with toxins, impurities and pathogens via every facet of our lives. Whether that’s through our air, water, food or even from the buildings that we may live and work in; ingesting these harmful elements is unavoidable.

The conditions and ill-health these toxins can cause is why fighting them forms a valuable part of the F.I.G.H.T program – my complete wellbeing system that looks at our health as a unified whole.

Fortunately, by being aware of potential dangers and taking measures to counter them, we’re in a good position to take the fight to the toxins.

Environmental threats

It’s a fact of life that to keep up with global food demands and to grow food in challenging conditions, certain pesticides and genetic modification will inevitable be used. There are, however, specific chemicals in many pesticides that we ingest through crops, fruits, vegetables and grains. We may also ingest them by eating meat from cattle fed on pesticide-laden feed. Some of these include PCBs, dioxin, and other pesticides, which may be implicated in developing Type 2 Diabetes. There’s also the problem of some chemicals in pesticides altering the expression of specific genes.

Although measures are being taken to eradicate and modify the detrimental ingredients in the pesticides on the whole, it’s a fact that children born recently have pesticides detected in their bodies that were banned over 30 years prior. This is a sure example of the need to get rid of noxious pollutants in our bodies as soon as we can.

Environmental threats include anything that we ingest through the air and our water supply. A New York Times article published in 2009 stated that as many as 19 million Americans may become ill every year through impurities in drinking water. Usual air pollutants like carbon monoxide is commonly known to be detrimental to our health, but heavy metals like lead and mercury that are emitted during manufacture of many products is an increasing source of concern. This is chiefly because once ingested; they can take years to leave the system naturally, and are at the root of many neurological conditions.

Even cosmetics can contain dangerous toxins. The Environmental Working Group produces a Cosmetic Safety Database which shows which cosmetic products are tested rigorously for harmful chemicals. According to their findings, out of 1,000 brands tested, less than 1% has been made from ingredients that have been evaluated for safety.

There are though, ways of dealing with these impurities and purging the body of harmful chemicals, which we’ll look at shortly.

Common toxins that cause serious diseases

A chemical we’re routinely exposed to is Bisphenol A – BPA. This compound is involved in the manufacture of water bottles, food containers, food wrap, and numerous plastics – it’s simply unavoidable.

BPA has been found to act as an endocrine disruptor – mirroring the body’s own hormones, with very damaging consequences. BPA is known to cause heart disease, insulin resistance and obesity. In fact it’s causing so much concern globally; it’s been declared by Canada as toxic and banned.

In the other ‘H’ of the F.I.G.H.T program, we looked at the common heavy metals that are found in our systems and damaging us daily. Prominently, mercury and lead are two metals that contribute to all sorts of health problems – they’re extremely difficult for the body to rid.

In the case of mercury or methylmercury, it’s found in fish, dental amalgams, vaccines and seed grain to name but four. The difficulty in ridding this metal is exemplified by the fact that a baby born today is likely to have twice the level of mercury as the mother. As mercury is used in so many manufacturing processes, we’re exposed to a toxin that can cause many neurological and physiological conditions like kidney damage, tremors, balance problems, and even depression.

Lead is another common metal that’s used in everything from buildings to toothpaste and is found in many water supplies worldwide. It’s highly detrimental to the nervous system and every organ in the body – especially the heart as it promotes heart disease.

Dr. Joe Mercola, DO, identified a recent CDC study that measured 8,000 subjects and looked for 212 chemicals. What he highlights is that almost all the participants had harmful foreign substances in their bodies. Noxious chemicals that were found included: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs) – better known as flame retardants, Bisphenol A (BPA) – found in most plastics, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – used in common products like Teflon, Stainmaster® and Scotchgard®, Acrylamide – formed during frying, baking or microwaving of starchy foods like breads and potatoes, Mercury and Methylmercury, Tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) – a fuel additive used to raise the octane level. It’s also found to be a major groundwater contaminate.

From the environment to the womb

The importance for purging toxins has never been greater – many impurities which enter our bodies are proven to be passed to our children. It’s a sad fact that every child born today will have synthetic chemicals residing in their system.

A film released in 2008 by the Environmental Working Group in which ten children were tested for toxins, showed that they had accumulated a staggering number of toxins – even before they emerged from the womb.

Across ten anonymous umbilical cord samples taken, they were tested for around 400 environmental toxins. They averaged around 200 chemicals in each, and of the chemicals found; 134 are known carcinogens – an agent directly involved in causing cancer; 151 cause birth defects; 186 are associated with infertility; 154 are hormone disruptors; 130 are toxic to the immune system; 158 are known neurotoxins, which have profound effects upon developing children. A shocking revelation was that, of all the chemicals and pesticides detected; 212 of them were banned over 30 years ago – this shows the extent of how many toxins are residually harmful to our children.

Environment Threats to Healthy Aging was a report that looked at environmental factors that contributed to the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It finds that oxidative stress and neuro-inflammation caused by pollutants can change the way our genes respond. If we have a genetic propensity to a specific illness, then these can be a factor in triggering the condition.

The conclusion drawn in the report was that toxins ingested in the womb affect physiological wellbeing in the future. And that’s something that needs to be addressed as soon as we are able.

What we can do to fight toxins

With all the toxic attacks on our body, there are supplements specially designed to remove impurities and detoxify as much as possible:

Beyond Chelation Improved®, ZeoGold®, Beyond Fiber, and Beyond Clean® are powerful chelators – ridding the body of heavy metals. They also provide a more general detoxification of environmental toxins, pesticides, chemicals, and other body-damaging substances.

Bio En’R-Gy C® can neutralize a wide array of toxins. By supporting the body’s methylation process, detoxification is easier for the body to achieve. Beyond B12® adds additional support for the methylation process.

A Power Drink I’ve developed which consists of Beyond Fiber®, Longevity Maca®, Best of Organic Greens®, Bio En’R-Gy C®, and ZeoGold® is specially formulated as an easy way to address most facets of the F.I.G.H.T program.

Finally, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and Alpha Lipoic Acid support healthy levels of glutathione, which is the body’s master detoxifying substance – working inside the cell to cleanse impurities.

There are external treatments that go a long way to detoxification like Far Infrared Sauna and sweat therapy, or PEMF – Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field – therapy. PEMF is a technology that can be employed to initiate a speedy detox and speed up healing. It’s relatively simple in the way it works – by producing a controlled electrical pulse. This sends electrical waves through the skin are able to influence blood circulation, improve oxygen supply and even ‘charge’ the energy of cells within our body. This means that we feel more energized and the rate at which toxins naturally leave the body is increased.

Things we can do in conjunction with supplements specifically designed for detoxification purposes include eating more organic food, drinking plenty of filtered water and exercising regularly.

By following the F.I.G.H.T program, it’s easy to detoxify, bolster the immune system, and stave off long-term illnesses for good. We are subject to daily toxic attacks on our body, but armed with the knowledge of what to avoid and how to detoxify; we’re able to fight back for total health – for all our tomorrows.