6 RADICAL RULE #5: REDUCE YOUR TOXIC LOAD

All chronic and degenerative diseases are caused by two and only two major problems, toxicity and deficiency.

—Charlotte Gerson

Toxins, not just calories, could be dialing down your metabolism. No matter how clean a life you lead, it is impossible to avoid all the poisons in today’s polluted world. Especially insidious are the synthetic chemicals that masquerade as our natural hormones but negatively impact our reproduction and metabolism, and invisible marauders, such as cell phone radiation, that quietly ravage our DNA.

Incredibly, we have thirty to fifty thousand more chemicals in our body than our grandparents had. Toxins are ubiquitous in our air, water, food (especially refined sugars and grains, bad fats, and genetically modified foods), prescription drugs, and everyday products. Classic offenders include endocrine-disrupting chemicals; heavy metals, such as aluminum, lead, copper, and mercury; biotoxins, such as parasites and mold; and industrial chemicals, such as glyphosate. We can minimize our exposure, but we can’t completely eliminate it. Only by giving our body additional support will it have the means and wherewithal to purge more of these toxic agents.

Many chemicals in today’s world are known as obesogens because they produce estrogen-like effects in the body, including unwanted weight gain. A 2016 study found that it’s harder for adults today to maintain the same weight as did adults twenty to thirty years ago, even at the same levels of food consumption and exercise.¹ Why? More exposure to fattening chemicals and other everyday poisons.

In a 2005 landmark study, researchers detected an average of two hundred industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord blood of American infants—everything from heavy metals to pesticides, flame retardants, BPA, PCBs, and DDT.² Toxic chemicals are sewn into the clothing we wear and the blankets in which we swaddle our babes. They’re in just about everything we eat, drink, or touch—from drinking water to doorknobs. In 2009, Physicians for Social Responsibility released a special report called “Hazardous Chemicals in Heath Care” that reveals many of the toxic agents you may be exposed to during the course of standard medical treatment.³

These sneaky chemicals are so ubiquitous that they’ve made their way into our water supply because modern water purification methods cannot break them down. For example, even if you don’t take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, you may be drinking them because prescription drugs have been found in measurable quantities in tap water. A study conducted by the US Geological Survey in 1999–2000 found measurable levels of one or more prescription medications in 80 percent of water samples taken from streams in thirty states. The drugs included everything from synthetic hormones and painkillers to heart medications, tranquilizers, and antiseizure drugs. Sampling since then shows the problem is only worsening.⁴

And then there’s chlorine, which most consider a benign water disinfection agent. What you may not realize is that chlorine can displace iodine in your thyroid gland. Every cell in your body listens to your thyroid to manage its metabolism. Iodine is critical for thyroid function. When chlorine displaces iodine, an otherwise radical metabolism may turn toxic. Chlorine also combines with other chemicals in water to create dangerous by-products called DBPs, and these are present in most municipal water supplies.

What’s the solution? Since we don’t live in a bubble, all we can do is minimize our exposure by maximizing our awareness, and give our body extra support. Because it’s our cells that do all the work, real detox must occur at the cellular level. Your cells must be able to move nutrients in and toxins out to stay clean and healthy. Although detoxification is key to staying slim, it’s probably the most neglected and misunderstood aspect of self-care. Real detox requires more than a few days of juicing and the occasional detox sauna. These tools can give you a boost, but true detox must occur on a daily basis to prevent toxins from building up in the first place. Once they accumulate, they poison and incapacitate your cells, drive up inflammation, and make a hot mess of your hormones.

EVERYDAY TOXINS AND WHERE THEY HIDE

Heavy metals

FOOD: Aluminum, lead, nickel, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and others; copper and iron overload

Fish and seafood, rice products, juices, beer, wine, HFCS, cereals, beans, rice products, peanut butter, dried fruits, some supplements

Food additives

FOOD: Nitrates, nitrites, potassium bromate, propyl paraben, BHA, BHT, TBHQ, triacetin, propyl gallate, diacetyl, phosphates, dyes, artificial sweeteners, MSG, sulfur dioxide, GMOs, carrageenan, and more

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)

FOOD: BPA (bisphenol A), dioxin, phthalates, perchlorate (rocket fuel), fire retardants

Pesticides

FOOD: Atrazine, organophosphates, glyphosate, cryolite (in conventionally raised beef, pork, poultry, dairy, eggs; fresh produce)

Antibiotics

FOOD: Conventionally raised beef, pork, poultry, dairy, eggs

Fluoride

FOOD: Cryolite and soils; teas, bone products, collagen products

Pathogens (bacteria, parasites, molds & mycotoxins)

FOOD: Molds common in grains, dried fruits, peanuts, and peanut butter

Agricultural and other chemicals

WATER: Fluoride, nitrates, PFCs, perchlorate, chlorine, DBPs, PCBs, dioxins, DDT, HCB, dacthal (DCPA), MtBE

Radioactivity

WATER: Radon, uranium, lead, iodine, cesium, plutonium

Heavy metals

WATER: Aluminum, copper, lead, arsenic

Pathogens

WATER: Bacteria, parasites, viruses

Mold & other pathogens

AIR: Bacteria, parasites, viruses, mold spores, dust mites

Tobacco smoke, paint fumes, gasoline, car exhaust, other

AIR: VOCs, pet dander, benzene, perchloroethylene, methylene chloride, dioxin, asbestos, toluene, mercury, cadmium, chromium, lead

Cosmetics & personal care products

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Cosmetics, soap, skin care products, toothpaste

Fluoride, PEGs, heavy metals, formaldehyde, siloxanes, 1,4-D, acrylates, benzophenone, BHT, DEA, coal tar, ethanolamine, phthalates, parabens, fragrance, triclosan, tricarban, SLS, artificial sweeteners, microbeads

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Sunscreens

Oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, octinoxate

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Nail polish

Formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Diaper cream

Boric acid, BHA, talc, propylene glycol, parabens, triclosan

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Deodorants and antiperspirants

Aluminum, parabens, propylene glycol, triclosan, phthalates, fragrances

Mattresses, bedding, carpet, clothing

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Flame-retardants, formaldehyde, VOCs, quinolones, aromatic amines, benzothiozoles

Pharmaceutical & medical supplies

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Drugs, vaccines, supplements

Fluoride, mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, GMOs, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners and flavors, hydrogenated oils, magnesium stearate, titanium oxide, carrageenan, BHT, cupric sulfate, boric acid, synthetic vitamins

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Medical equipment

Plastics, phthalates such as DEHP, BPA, PVC, PBDEs, dioxins, PFCs, triclosan

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: MRI

Gadolinium (heavy metal) in contrast media

Cleaning products

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, chloroform, quaternary ammonium, benzalkonium chloride, phthalates, sodium borate, chemical fragrances, ammonia, triclosan, chlorine, dioxin

Lawn & garden products

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Pesticides and herbicides including glyphosate (Roundup), 2,4-D, PDBEs, inorganic fertilizers, GMOs, and others

Kitchen pots and pans, appliances, utensils, packaging

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS: Aluminum, nickel, copper, iron, PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals), PFOA, BPA and plastics, formaldehyde, VOCs, PTFE

DETOX STARTS WITH STRONG CELL MEMBRANES

Before we get into specific toxins, we need to revisit those all-important cells. Two factors are critical for proper detox: strong cell membranes and good cellular energy. Cell membranes perform vital roles in detoxification; therefore, what you have already learned in this book about building strong cell membranes really applies here.

Detoxing requires energy, and good energy requires mitochondrial function. The mitochondria in your cells make ATP, which powers the cell. Without good mitochondrial function, you won’t have adequate ATP, and without that, poisons build up and inflammation rages out of control. Mitochondrial dysfunction is rampant today, producing an epidemic of chronic pain, fatigue, and brain fog. In fact, many experts believe that mitochondrial dysfunction is the number one biomarker of aging, so anything you can do to improve your mitochondrial function will add to your longevity. The good news is that implementing the strategies we’ve covered thus far will go a long way toward firing up your body’s detoxification pathways—and your mighty mitochondria. What else can you do?

First and foremost, you must reduce and eliminate sources of toxic exposure, which is a primary focus in this chapter and the next. As your awareness increases, you’ll gradually reduce your day-to-day load, lowering the stress on your body and freeing up more of its resources for other activities—including healing.

Detox is shared by all your vital organs, so they must be in good working order—including your colon, kidneys, lymphatic system, and of course your liver and gallbladder. As you may recall, your liver filters toxins out of the blood, and then they are sent to the bile and flushed into your colon. Bile is a major vehicle for detox, grabbing and binding toxins for elimination in the stool. Thick, congested bile puts you at a serious detox disadvantage by slowing things down and turning your gallbladder into a toxic waste dump. Your colon is important, too. Nearly every detox program focuses on bowel regularity and for good reason—the bowel is a toxin’s last stop on the way out of the body. If your colon is backed up, these poisons remain in contact with your intestinal wall for far too long, increasing your risk of reabsorption. If you have leaky gut, then your blood is absorbing more toxins from your digestive tract in the first place, which increases the strain on all the other organs that have to clean up the mess.

METABOLIC MAYHEM FROM ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) play tricks on your body by messing with your hormones. They surround us. Also called xenoestrogens or obesogens, these compounds look just like estrogen to your body and are notorious for causing weight gain. Some EDCs increase the production of certain hormones in the body, while impairing the production of others. Some mimic our natural hormones, whereas others turn one hormone into another. Some EDCs tell cells to die prematurely; others compete with essential nutrients. For example, chlorinated pesticides can slow down thermogenesis, your internal thermostat for burning body fat.

Basically, EDCs are like a wrecking ball for your metabolism that can lead you down the road to insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. EDC exposure is thought to be a significant factor in the progressive decrease in age of puberty onset for children worldwide.⁵ When obesogens target your cells’ estrogen receptors, the following can be affected:

• Insulin sensitivity and glucose balance

• Leptin signaling

• Fat storage (increase)

• Appetite (increase)

• Cognitive function

• Fertility

• Mitochondrial energy output

Obesogens are present in tap water, food, prescription drugs, plastics, clothing, and all kinds of other products and their packaging. The biological effects of these chemicals are variable but may present as metabolic syndrome, estrogen dominance, digestive issues, fatigue, low thyroid, allergies and skin problems, low testosterone, chronic Candida infections, sexual dysfunction, precocious puberty, and several forms of cancer (endometrial, ovarian, breast, and prostate). The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tags the following chemicals as the “Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors.”⁶

1. BPA (canned foods, plastics)

2. Dioxin (processed foods, especially commercial animal products)

3. Atrazine (herbicide often found in tap water)

4. Phthalates (plastics, PVC, fragrances, personal care products)

5. Perchlorate (rocket fuel, also shows up in tap water)

6. Fire retardants (clothing, carpet, upholstery, bedding)

7. Lead

8. Arsenic

9. Mercury

10. Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) (nonstick cookware; stain- and water-resistant coatings on clothing, furniture, and carpets)

11. Organophosphate pesticides (nonorganic foods)

12. Glycol ethers (cleaning products)

The best way to reduce your exposure to EDCs is to avoid as many plastic products as possible. Read those labels! In the next chapter, we will talk more specifically about how to deplasticize your kitchen.

FLUORIDE AND YOUR THYROID

Although fluoride is not listed in EWG’s “Dirty Dozen,” in my humble opinion it should be. Fluoride can make you pack on the pounds by blocking iodine receptors in your thyroid gland, which shuts down your body’s thyroid hormone (thyroxine) production. Like lead, fluoride has no benefit for the body—contrary to what you’ve been told by water fluoridation proponents. Your thyroid gland can use fluoride to make an “imposter hormone” that triggers weight gain, fatigue, depression, and hair loss. Even more troubling, this hormonal charlatan poses as thyroxine in blood tests, which makes deficiencies almost impossible to detect.

More than fifty human studies and one hundred animal studies now show fluoride’s neurotoxicity, which has prompted lawsuits against the EPA to ban water fluoridation. Besides metabolic mayhem, fluoride toxicity is linked to a wide range of health problems, including bone and brain diseases, diabetes, cancer, digestive problems, and dental and skeletal fluorosis.⁷

Sneaky sources of fluoride include fluoridated water, dental products, processed food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, Teflon pans, and pesticides. Cryolite is a pesticide widely used on grape products—particularly white grapes—so you may get a hefty dose of fluoride by consuming grape juice, wine, or raisins. The risk is reduced by consuming organic produce.⁸

To reduce fluoride exposure, consider installing a reverse osmosis or ceramic purification filter (see the Resources), which will remove fluoride from your water (household filters, such as Brita and Pur, do not). Iodine also helps protect you from fluoride toxicity, so try to include at least one iodine-rich food daily, such as seaweed or dulse. You can also add one to five drops of Lugol’s iodine to your daily regimen. Taking at least 3 milligrams of boron daily will also help keep fluoride at bay.

Myth: All green teas are beneficial to your health and give a boost to your metabolism.

Are you drinking green tea for its health and weight-loss benefits? You may not be doing yourself a favor. Drinking too much green tea—or any variety of tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, be it green, black, white, oolong, or Pu-er (Chinese black tea)—may damage your health more than support it. This is a classic example of “too much of a good thing.”

Despite its established nutritional and metabolic benefits, tea is now widely contaminated with fluoride, heavy metals, and pesticide residues. The reason is that tea plants are “hyperaccumulators,” meaning they are very adept at extracting compounds from the soil and concentrating them in their leaves. Unfortunately, this means soaking up contaminants like a sponge. If fluoride shuts down your thyroid, then you’re not doing your metabolism any favors by getting a daily infusion in your tea! Instant tea and teas from China and India tend to be the worst, as China is the world’s top pesticide user. Japanese teas tend to be better, but since the Fukushima disaster, we must also consider radioactive contamination. Organic tea will have fewer pesticides but may (or may not) have less fluoride.⁹

If tea is “your cuppa tea,” then here’s a radical suggestion: Swap out your green tea for organic oolong. Why oolong? The metabolism-boosting benefits of oolong tea are well established. Oolong, which is partially fermented prior to firing, is richer in polyphenols and easier on the stomach than green tea, containing many of the same health-enhancing catechins and their derivatives (ECG, EGCG, and the like). Even more remarkably, oolong has twice the belly-fat-burning capacity of green tea, even preventing your body’s future storage of belly fat! In one study, oolong dialed down the tea-drinkers’ hunger by 36 percent for up to 24 hours, lowered their LDL by 29 percent, and increased their energy.¹⁰

Limit your consumption to two cups per day. Ideally, it would be Japanese-grown oolong as opposed to Chinese, but Japanese oolong is rare and difficult to find. If buying Chinese, be sure it is organic and comes from the highest-quality tea farms. (Refer to the Resources for brand suggestions.) If you know you have thyroid issues, the best choice may be to avoid all teas from the Camellia sinensis plant to eliminate any potential for fluoride exposure.

HEAVY METAL WRECKING BALLS

Three of EWG’s “Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors” are heavy metals: lead, arsenic, and mercury. Some heavy metals, such as copper, iron, and zinc, play important roles in the body, whereas others (aluminum, lead, mercury, arsenic, etc.) have no known health benefits. Today more than ever, our bodies are burdened with toxic metal overload. Our oceans are growing more polluted, with fish and seafood increasingly contaminated with heavy metals, plastics, and radioactive particles.

Evidence is growing that these toxins accumulate in our body over time, potentially causing very serious health problems. The effects of chronic heavy metal toxicity are more insidious than from acute poisoning. Although symptoms vary with the type of metal, common complaints of those with a heavy metal load include headaches, weakness, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, and constipation. A few of the most common heavy metal exposures are highlighted here—but realize there are many others, and covering all of them is beyond the scope of this book. New concerns are continuously emerging—take the recent controversy over gadolinium and MRIs, for example. It turns out that this heavy metal, known for its use in MRI contrast agents, is not instantly cleared by the body. Just like other heavy metals, gadolinium can be stored in your tissues to cause significant short- and long-term health issues.¹¹ The list of supplements at the end of this chapter will help your body eliminate gadolinium, as well as other toxic metals.

HEAVY METALS AND THEIR SOURCES

Mercury: fish, dental fillings (amalgams), eye drops and contact lens solutions, nasal sprays and other drugs, nonelectric thermometers, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, paints and art supplies

Copper: Birth control pills, dental fillings since 1976, copper intrauterine devices, fungicides, and certain foods, copper pipes and their water

Barium: Medical imaging, paint, decorative glass insecticides, peanuts

Lead: Inside any structure built before 1978, old paint, old lead pipes and their water, canned food, food packaging, batteries, cigarette smoke, some toys, and ceramics, solders, PVC, gasoline, auto exhaust

Arsenic: Treated wood, herbicides, pesticides, coal dust, tobacco smoke, semiconductors, paints and dyes, soaps, rice and rice-based foods, commercial juices, chicken

Tin: Foods, water pipes, rubber, solders, dyes, pigments, bleaching agents, rodent poisons, insecticides, fungicides

Aluminum: Aluminum cookware, baking powder, soy-based infant formula, refined flour, processed cheese, antacids and other medications, dental work, deodorants, cosmetics, pesticides, tap water

Cadmium: Black rubber, burned motor oil, secondhand smoke, ceramics, evaporated milk, fertilizers, fungicides, soft drinks

Nickel: E-cigarettes, tobacco, piercings, cookware, diesel exhaust, foods, batteries, jewelry, dental materials, prostheses, welding materials

Let’s start our heavy metal exposure with one that lurks in nearly every kitchen: aluminum.

ALUMINUM AND YOUR BRAIN

Aluminum is present in a vast array of kitchenware from aluminum foil to pie pans, pots and pans, baking sheets, teakettles, measuring cups, and other utensils—you name it. If it’s in your kitchen and made of metal, it potentially contains aluminum. The problem is, when your food encounters aluminum, small particles can make their way in and then accumulate over time in your organs, muscles, and tissues. Other common sources include personal care products (especially deodorants and antiperspirants), medications (including antacids, antidiarrheals, and over-the-counter painkillers), dental work, and soy-based infant formula.

Due to its astringent quality, aluminum can irritate the mucous membranes in your gastrointestinal tract and destroy the protein-digestive enzyme pepsin in your stomach. Aluminum also hampers your body’s utilization of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamin A, increasing your risk for osteoporosis.

The most disturbing implications for aluminum, however, relate to its effects on your brain and nervous system. Aluminum is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Its toxicity is believed associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Upon autopsy, this metal is being detected in the brain plaques of people with dementia. According to at least one study, aluminum should be considered a “primary etiological factor in Alzheimer’s disease.”¹² Symptoms of aluminum toxicity include dry skin and mucous membranes, heartburn, colic, flatulence, ulcers, spasms of the esophagus, appendicitis, constipation, muscle weakness, immune problems, mental confusion and memory loss, among others. You will learn how to aluminum-proof your kitchen in the next chapter.

COPPER OVERLOAD AND ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

Copper imbalance is one of today’s best-kept health secrets, and affects about 80 percent of all men, women, and children. Unlike the heavy metals discussed earlier, copper is actually beneficial to your body when present in the right amount. When in balance, copper is responsible for activating more than thirty enzymes. It helps with the formation of myelin nerve sheaths, neurotransmitter synthesis, fertility, and detoxification. Copper is critical for your body to build collagen, so you can’t have radiant, wrinkle-free skin without it. However, when you have an excess, it can really do a number on you! Copper overload is associated with estrogen dominance, low thyroid, insomnia, fatigue, hyperactivity, compulsive behavior, anxiety, depression, and various hair and skin abnormalities. Copper can contaminate acidic food and destroy vitamin C, and interferes with zinc and boron metabolism. When copper overwhelms zinc, it can exacerbate estrogen dominance.

Just a pinch of copper is enough to make your body happy—about 2 milligrams per day. If you have copper overload, you may want to avoid copper-rich foods, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, grains, shellfish, chocolate, tea, wheat germ bran, and brewer’s yeast. Make sure your multivitamin is copper-free. For more information, please refer to my book on this subject, Why Am I Always So Tired?

NICKEL AND LEAKY GUT

Nickel is a carcinogenic heavy metal that frequently shows up on toxicity panels, often in high levels in the blood. It is known to cause leaky gut and lactose intolerance. Nickel is also a potential mutagen—it causes chromosomal damage by binding to DNA and nuclear proteins.¹³ Nickel is also problematic because it looks like zinc to your body. So, if you are zinc deficient—which is common today—your body will simply grab nickel instead. Zinc plays a role in more than three hundred enzyme reactions, so when nickel steps in to replace it, metabolic chaos ensues. Exposure is also associated with increased risk for lung and nasal cancer.¹⁴

Besides jewelry, cookware is a major source of nickel, with stainless steel composed of 14 percent nickel. Other sources include tobacco, e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes), piercings, and vehicle exhaust. E-cigarette vapors are four times higher in nickel than is tobacco smoke.¹⁵ Nickel is also the catalyst used industrially to hydrogenate fats—yet another reason that hydrogenated fats, such as vegetable oils, are so problematic in your body. Key components of treatment for nickel toxicity are glutathione (your body’s master antioxidant) and correcting zinc deficiency.

THE MENACE CALLED MERCURY

Mercury, a potent neurotoxin, is at the root of innumerable disorders. There is no known “safe” level of mercury exposure.

We are exposed to mercury mainly through fish and seafood, dental amalgams, medications, personal care products, and agricultural chemical residues. Amalgam is a mercury-based dental filling material that’s still commonly used today. Amalgam fillings are referred to as “silver fillings,” a marketing term attempting to con us into believing they’re made of silver, which is only a minor component. In reality, amalgams are between 43 and 54 percent mercury! Studies show that people with at least eight amalgams have more than twice the mercury in their blood as do those without them.¹⁶

Amalgam accounts for between 240 and 300 tons of mercury entering the market every year. In the United States, dental offices are the second largest user of mercury, and this toxic metal ends up in the environment by one pathway or another. Once in the environment, it converts to an even more toxic form, methylmercury, which is a major source of contamination in our fish and marine ecosystem. More than fifty thousand US lakes now have warnings regarding fish consumption. According to the American Heart Association, men with higher mercury levels are nearly three times as likely to suffer a heart attack as men with lower mercury levels.¹⁷

To minimize mercury exposure, limit your consumption of fish to no more than twice weekly, avoiding larger fish that live longer as they tend to accumulate more mercury and other contaminants over their life span. Choose smaller fish, such as sardines, and choose products from companies that regularly test their products (see the Resources for brand recommendations).

If you have “silver” dental fillings, which most of us do, have them replaced with mercury-free composites by a biologic/holistic dentist experienced in safe removal. Biological dentists are specially trained in the safe removal of mercury fillings (including the use of dental dams), and some offer adjunctive therapies such as ozone, intravenous vitamin C, and biocompatibility testing. ToxicTeeth.org can help you find a mercury-free dentist in your area.

Oftentimes, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is dangerously behind on the truth. Dr. Renee Dufault, a former food investigator for the FDA, discovered mercury was contaminating the plumbing systems of many food manufacturing plants, and that same mercury was appearing in many processed foods. When she conveyed these and other disturbing findings to her superiors, she was repeatedly told to stop her investigation, so she took an early retirement from the FDA. In May 2017, she published a book about the insidious contamination of our food, Unsafe at Any Meal: What the FDA Does Not Want You to Know About the Foods You Eat.

LEAD AND LOWER IQ

Like mercury, lead is a cumulative toxin that affects multiple body systems, but it’s particularly harmful to young children. A child’s body is far less efficient at getting rid of lead than is an adult’s. According to a publication by Oregon Health Authority, about 99 percent of the amount of lead absorbed into an adult’s body will be excreted in the waste within a couple of weeks, whereas a child’s body can eliminate only 32 percent.¹⁸ In children, even low levels of lead may cause poor growth, developmental disorders, decreased IQ, behavior problems, and hearing loss. Chronic exposure to low levels of lead has also been shown to cause hypertension and cardiovascular disease.¹⁹

No level of lead exposure is considered safe. Lead is distributed to your brain, liver, and kidneys, as well as accumulating in your teeth and bones over time. Once stored in the bone, lead will remain there for twenty-five to thirty years. Bone lead is released into the blood during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure for the developing fetus. Lead also participates in synergistic toxicity with other elements, including mercury, and interferes with calcium and iron metabolism. A deficiency in calcium, iron, or zinc may increase lead uptake.

As you’ve undoubtedly heard in the news, lead in drinking water from corroded lead pipes is a huge concern today. Your child may be ingesting lead from a drinking fountain at school. Besides being a common contaminant in many imported products, recent testing identified lead as a contaminant in a host of dietary supplements, particularly those with inferior manufacturing standards. Purchasing your supplements from a reputable company with strict sourcing and production standards is money well spent.

Myth: All bone broths are good for you.

Bone broth can be very healing, but you must be careful about the source. High-quality organic bone broth is rich in collagen, minerals, glutamine, and beneficial fats. Collagen is the most abundant of your body’s proteins—it’s found in your connective tissue, muscles, bone, tendons, blood vessels, and digestive system. Collagen makes up 70 percent of the protein in your skin, so dietary collagen helps prevent wrinkles and sagging. Bone broth can help sooth achy bones and muscles, fight inflammation and infections, and increase energy, in addition to helping heal and seal a leaky gut.

All bone broths are not equal. There are valid concerns about potential contamination in bone broth because lead, fluoride, and industrial chemicals can accumulate in bone, in both humans and animals. The whole idea of bone broth is to gently simmer bones for an extended period of time to create a concentrated, mineral-rich broth. However, your resultant broth will be a concentration of whatever is in the bones. This is a good thing if it’s biologically beneficial minerals and collagen, but a bad thing if it includes lead or other toxins!

If your broth is made from the bones of factory-farmed animals, fed GMO grains grown with herbicides and pesticides and hormones to “beef them up” faster, then you’re not going to want to consume their bones! On the other hand, if your bone broth is made from organic meat or poultry raised on pasture and consuming a natural, biologically appropriate diet, then their bones are likely to be cleaner and more nutritious.

Very little testing has been done about potential contamination of bone broths, so we don’t have much to go on except for our common sense. One study in 2013 stirred the pot over toxicity concerns when it found organic chicken bone broths contaminated with lead.²⁰ Apparently, chickens can store high levels of lead in their body without showing any signs of illness.²¹ The bottom line is to be certain about your bone broth’s source. Your best bet is to make it yourself using organic bones from local farmers and filtered water. If using a commercial bone broth, select one with organic certification and a stellar reputation. My favorite is included in the Resources.

THE GLYPHOSATE OFFENSIVE

Put on the map by Monsanto as the primary chemical in its weed killer Roundup, glyphosate is now seeping into everything from our food and water to feminine hygiene products, baby formula, and human breast milk. This horrible chemical is scientifically linked to countless health threats. California and the World Health Organization now classify it as a “potential carcinogen”—which is actually quite generous.

Glyphosate’s use skyrocketed after 1987, when genetically modified seeds were created to tolerate it, so it could be sprayed throughout the entire growing season. Today, nearly all US-grown corn, soy, and cotton is genetically modified and sprayed with glyphosate.

Many countries have banned glyphosate, having concluded there is no safe level of exposure. However, its use is virtually unregulated in the United States. Ninety-three percent of Americans test positive for glyphosate in their urine, at three to four times the levels found in Europeans.

Glyphosate can damage your body via several different mechanisms. First off, it preferentially kills Lactobacillus bacteria, which are an important part of your microbiome. The proteins in your body mistakenly grab onto glyphosate in place of the amino acid glycine, so it gets carried right into your muscles and organs. Glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor and a major metal chelator—so it binds tightly to metals, such as aluminum, and carries them right into your brain.

Glyphosate also makes other chemicals more toxic by blocking certain enzyme pathways in your liver that detoxify all sorts of chemicals. These blocked pathways prevent your liver from converting vitamin D into its active form, contributing to vitamin D deficiency. These important enzymes are also used to make bile acids—so glyphosate is a direct contributor to gallbladder and bile dysfunction. Given all that, it’s no wonder glyphosate is linked to so many health issues, including hypothyroidism, depression, cancer, Parkinson’s, celiac disease and gluten intolerance, chronic fatigue, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, liver disease, miscarriage, and many others.²²

The best way to reduce your glyphosate exposure—as well as your exposure to Monsanto’s newest chemical agent dicamba—is to buy organic, non-GMO food products. The key to eliminating glyphosate from your body is found in the process of sulfation, which requires eating sulfur-rich foods (cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc.; garlic, onions, and leeks; pasture-raised meats and eggs), supplements (MSM, glutathione, ASEA), and good old sunlight. Humic acid–based minerals can also help.

ELECTROPOLLUTION AND YOUR BODY’S ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

Before you skip this section because you think it isn’t that important—think about this: Weight gain and many modern-day diseases are linked to physiological disruptions from man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs), also known as electropollution. Electropollution is colorless, odorless, and invisible—and it’s probably enveloping you right now. We humans have as little protection from this kind of pollution as we do from toxic chemicals.

Our bodies evolved under one natural electromagnetic frequency—sunlight. However, we have introduced four artificial EMFs to the world: magnetic, artificial lighting, electrical, and microwave. We are surrounded by microwaves from our cell phones, portable phones, routers, smart meters, microwave ovens, and other technology. There is a very narrow range of EMFs to which our brain cells respond favorably, roughly matching the frequencies seen in nature.

Your cell membranes have a limited ability to block these chaotic, unnatural electromagnetic fields, which disrupt hormone communication by increasing the number of receptors on cell membranes. Then it’s like an old-fashioned party line—too many people talking, so the wrong messages or garbled messages get through. These frequencies increase oxidative stress in your body, which in turn ruptures cell membranes and damages cellular DNA. This assault triggers your body’s stress response, resulting in increased production of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Elevated cortisol leads to elevated blood sugar and insulin, mood instability, cravings, loss of muscle mass, and increased abdominal fat.

The takeaway? The more EMFs surrounding you, the harder it will be to lose weight and keep it off.

Man-made EMFs also affect your ability to heal by suppressing your body’s natural antioxidant production, including three biggies—glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and melatonin. A torrent of physiological alterations is triggered that raises your risk for disease. One study found that human cancer cells grow twenty-four times faster when exposed to EMFs and show greatly increased resistance to destruction by the body’s defense system.²³

A similar phenomenon happens with mold, which we will discuss in the next section. According to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, an experiment involving mold cultures showed that mold increases biotoxin production six-hundred-fold when exposed to cell phone radiation. The mold perceives EMFs as an attack, and then retaliates by producing these highly toxic bioweapons. From clinical experience, Dr. Klinghardt believes other human pathogens behave similarly in the presence of EMFs.

It’s only getting worse. We now have the ominous specter of 5G, the next-generation. wireless technology. It’s here now, but the fog will be thickening as communications companies release more 5G-compatible phones and other gadgets, automobiles, medical devices, and the like. The “Internet of things” will have us living and eating and breathing radiation like never before. Unlike 4G, plants and even rainwater can absorb the frequencies, so the EMFs will literally rain down on us to be absorbed into our foods.

The risks of EMF exposure are nicely summarized by the late Martin Blank, PhD, EMF expert and associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University:²⁴

Cells in the body react to EMFs as potentially harmful, just like to other environmental toxins, including heavy metals and toxic chemicals. The DNA in living cells recognizes electromagnetic fields at very low levels of exposure and produces a biochemical stress response. The scientific evidence tells us that our safety standards are inadequate, and that we must protect ourselves from exposure to EMF due to power lines, cell phones and the like, or risk the known consequences. The science is very strong and we should sit up and pay attention.

Obviously, we can’t eliminate all EMF exposures, but we can reduce them. Here are a few suggestions:

• Keep your cell phone at a distance, not on your body; talk on “speaker phone” rather than holding it close to your head.

• Turn off your Wi-Fi at night, and remove electronic devices from your sleep sanctuary.

• Replace compact fluorescent lights and LEDs with traditional light bulbs.

• Replace smart meters with analog meters.

• Minimize the use of devices using SMPS converters.

• Unplug and spend more time in nature.

• Utilize protective products that help shield you from EMFs in your personal space, such as EMF protective paint and cell phone protective devices.

• Surround yourself in shungite. Shungite is the only naturally occurring mineral that has scientifically backed EMF-protective properties. For information, see the 2018 special report “Shungite: The Electropollution Solution.”²⁵

For more information, check out my book Zapped. Electromagnetichealth.org is another excellent resource and a staunch advocate for EMF science and education. Powerwatch has a page on its website devoted to peer-reviewed EMF studies.²⁶

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS: PARASITES, MOLD, AND MYCOTOXINS

Unlike chemicals, heavy metals, and electropollution, there are also some biological hazards to be concerned about. Obviously, a multitude of pathogenic microorganisms exist in the world that could potentially make you sick, but there are two biological evildoers that must be called out for their metabolism-wrecking effects: parasites and mold.

Parasites could be secretly sabotaging your health and weight-loss efforts. Unfortunately, many people dismiss them as a third-world problem, but science says otherwise. One study found that 32 percent of individuals tested positive for parasitic infections, with at least forty-eight states having fought measurable outbreaks.²⁷

It’s time this epidemic is brought into focus, as parasites are notorious for triggering weight gain, sugar cravings, anxiety, and sleeplessness.²⁸ Parasites are among the most immunosuppressive agents on the planet, consuming your precious nutritional resources, producing toxic waste, and eventually ravaging your cells and tissues. Parasites are particularly toxic to your liver and gallbladder and are known to cause gallstones. Risk factors for parasite exposure include common activities: drinking tap water, eating in restaurants, eating raw or undercooked foods (especially pork or sushi), travel, daycares, and sharing your home with your beloved animal companions.

A parasite infection will send your immune system into overdrive, producing a flood of cytokines that can trigger sugar cravings, weight gain, bloating, constipation, and food sensitivities. Other symptoms include depression, migraines, seizures, allergies, or rashes. Cytokines penetrate the blood-brain barrier and negatively affect your neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin. If you have these symptoms, it’s important you perform an intestinal parasite cleanse. If you want a definitive diagnosis, consider a GI panel. For more information, refer to my 1991 publication Guess What Came to Dinner? Parasites and Your Health.

When it comes to stalled weight-loss efforts, molds are another underrecognized culprit. Biotoxins are poisonous substances produced by living organisms,²⁹ and the most common ones come from mold: mycotoxins. Molds and mycotoxins can create problems in your body from current as well as past exposures, adding to your immune load. Remember, toxicity is cumulative. Whenever you increase your body’s toxic load, your immune system uses up valuable resources to detoxify and heal. People with weight-loss resistance often have multiple sources of toxicity—mold and heavy metals, for example—because their body simply cannot keep up with the heavy toxic burden.

Many mycotoxins attach to mitochondrial DNA to cause genetic damage, as well as damage to your brain and other organs. When your mitochondria become compromised, your energy levels drop and you lose that wonderful thermogenic brown fat. Many mycotoxins are also carcinogens.

Two sources of mold exposure are food and beverages. The most common culprits are alcoholic beverages, corn and other grains (wheat, barley, rye), peanuts, dried fruits, and hard cheeses. Corn is a breeding ground for as many as 22 different fungi due to how it’s stored. Cheeses made with yogurt-type cultures (such as Lactobacillus) rather than fungi are less problematic for the mold-sensitive. Some of these mycotoxins are endocrine disruptors—ZEA, for example. Zearalenone (ZEA), produced by the microscopic fungus Fusarium graminearum, can travel up the food chain into grain-fed meats, eggs, dairy, and even beer. ZEA was identified in the urine of a population of New Jersey nine- and ten-year-old girls who displayed abnormal growth and development. ZEA mycotoxins have even been patented as oral contraceptives because their estrogen binding is so strong—higher than other EDCs, such as BPA and DDT, and less easily broken down by the body.

You can also be exposed to hidden mold growing in your home or workplace. Mold loves to settle into buildings after water damage—and 50 percent of all buildings in the United States are water damaged, including new structures! Mold loves all the building materials we use in this country—cellulose, particleboard, dry wall, etc. It thrives in damp, dark recesses that are hidden from view—inside a wall, under a sink, or behind your washing machine. Sometimes merely eradicating mold can clear up health issues, so it’s an important fix. The number one treatment for mold is removing the exposure. I cannot emphasize this enough: If you’re in a moldy home, you need to get out. If there is mold, consulting a professional remediator is a must.

TESTING FOR TOXINS

Testing for toxicity in the body can be performed by a variety of lab tests, primarily hair analysis and urine testing. Tissue mineral analysis (TMA), which uses hair, is a very convenient way to evaluate your body’s mineral levels, including toxic metals. Hair is an especially good barometer for toxic metals because it opens a three-month window into your body’s biochemistry. Not only are the hair’s overall mineral levels significant, but also the ratios of one mineral to another can provide valuable insights into a number of health conditions. You can read more about this on my blog.³⁰ Soon there will be a new state-of-the-art heavy metals test using saliva, through Diagnos-Techs. The testing was not yet available at the time this book was published.

Testing for pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and parasites can be accomplished by collecting saliva and stool samples at home and then mailing them off to a lab.

For mold toxicity, there are several avenues. Tests that go by various acronyms (VIP, MSH, C4a, TGFBeta 1) can be ordered from major labs, such as Qwest or LabCorp, but many conventional physicians are unfamiliar with them. If you can’t find a mold literate physician near you, there is an online visual test called visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) test, which evaluates how well your eyes distinguish contrast, which has shown to be an accurate reflection of mold toxicity. Mycotoxins irritate the central nervous system, including the nerves that control how your eyes distinguish shades of gray. The VCS test is available on the website www.survivingmold.com, which was set up by mold toxicity pioneer Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. Other DIY urine tests for mold are available through Real Time Labs and BioTrek Labs.

It is essential to make sure you have no mold lurking in your home. If you suspect mold, there is a simple, readily available DIY test called the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI), which looks for the DNA of dozens of harmful mold species in ordinary house dust.

EASY WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR DAILY TOXIC EXPOSURES

A comprehensive discussion of detoxification protocols is beyond the scope of this book, but a few deserve special mention.

• Drink water. The first may seem obvious but it’s still frequently neglected: Drink plenty of fresh water to stay well hydrated. A general rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day. I strongly recommend considering a whole-house water filtration system (see discussion in Chapter 7).

• Sweat. Your skin is another detox organ, so sweating through exercise or by taking infrared saunas will support your body’s detoxification efforts. I recommend doing infrared saunas once or twice per week, minimum.

• Improve your sleep. Sleep is required by your brain’s detoxification system, the “glymphatic system,” which operates almost exclusively when you’re getting your ZZZs.

• Limit fish consumption. Unfortunately, in today’s toxic world we must start limiting the amount and type of fish we consume. An enormous amount of mercury is generated during coal production, which goes up into the atmosphere and then rains down onto our oceans. I recommend limiting your fish intake primarily to anchovies and sardines, as these small fish have less mercury and other contaminants. Never consume farmed fish. Ideally, purchase your fish and fish oil from companies who utilize third-party testing to ensure they are low in mercury.

• Invest in an air purifier. I recommend Healthway or Austin Air. New technology in these residential air filtration systems has revolutionized air purification. High-efficiency carbon and HEPA technology with superior air exchange and germicidal ultraviolet can eliminate bacteria and viruses. Optimal systems remove pollen, fumes, odors, particulates, formaldehyde, gases, and smoke in addition to bacteria, mold, and viruses. Call Clean Water Revival for further information (see the Resources).

• Let fresh air in. Open windows for ten minutes a day to create cross-ventilation—longer after installation of new carpet or paint.

• Ditch artificial “fresheners.” Lose your carpet fresheners, air fresheners, and chemical cleaners and replace them with nontoxic varieties, such as baking soda, vinegar, and pure essential oils.

• Plants are your friends. Adopt a few houseplants! Replace lawns with environmentally friendly and bee-friendly gardens, and ditch harsh chemical lawn and garden products.

• Choose clean personal care and home products. Avoid deodorants and antiperspirants, and make sure topical skin products are paraben-free. Avoid fragrances (except for pure essential oils). Use natural alternatives to conventional detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets. Skip Styrofoam, and avoid plastics (if you must use one, make sure it is labeled with codes 1, 2, or 5).

• Wash your hands. This is especially important after handling thermal paper receipts and money. Avoid “antibacterial cleansers” that contain triclosan and similar chemicals that contribute to today’s massive problem of antibiotic resistance. Plain soap is just as effective.

• Choose clean, organic, unprocessed foods. Avoid soy, nonorganic coffee and tea, canned foods and beverages, and conventionally produced meat, poultry, eggs and dairy. Opt instead for real foods with ingredients you can pronounce!

• Check out the Environmental Working Group website. For help finding nontoxic products, EWG ³¹ is a rich resource for navigating the commercial product maze, with several guides to sustainable food products, nontoxic cleaning supplies, and personal care products, such as cosmetics and sunscreens. They even provide smartphone apps to give you easy access to information while shopping.

RADICAL RX’S FOR DETOX

If your body is going to keep up with demand, it must detox on a daily basis. Even if you make every effort to eat clean foods and live a pristine life, some exposure is inevitable. The good news is that all the strategies outlined in this book are specifically designed to improve your health down to the cellular level—and one of the benefits is radical detoxification! Eating the Radical Metabolism way will tune up those critical detox pathways.

In addition to revamping your diet and lifestyle habits, you can boost detoxification even further with a few select supplements. We can all use a little extra help, right? The following are my favorites to help the body mop up toxins to keep itself squeaky clean. Refer to Appendixes 2 and 3 for suggested brands and dosages.

• ASEA: ASEA is the only recognized source of redox signaling molecules, which serve as signal messengers and carriers in all cells and tissues. Simply put, ASEA signals cells to be healthy. ASEA boosts glutathione in the cells, increasing antioxidant efficiency by up to 500 percent. ASEA recently teamed up with a leading genetic research laboratory to conduct a double-blind placebo study about ASEA’s effects on human genes. They discovered that after eight weeks, ASEA had actually flipped on desirable genes, including five genes important in regulating signaling pathways.

• Asparagus: Asparagus contains glutathione, and therefore supports your overall detoxification. It is also high in vitamin K and fiber, including inulin—a prebiotic to feed those friendly gut microbes. Asparagus is also a natural diuretic.

• Brazil nuts: Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a precursor to glutathione and an antagonist to mercury and arsenic.

• Cilantro: Binds with heavy metals so they can be carried out of the body.

• Chlorella: This single-celled freshwater alga is able to bind with heavy metals and other toxins. The chlorella cell wall must be “cracked” to effectively absorb toxins. Make sure the chlorella you use is grown in pure, unpolluted water or in a test tube.

• CoQ10: Coenzyme Q10 increases the energy-producing capacity of your mitochondria. Ubiquinol is the most bioavailable form of CoQ10.

• Dandelion root: A very gentle herb that acts on the liver to increase bile production; fabulous roasted and brewed as a tea.

• Glutathione: Glutathione is your body’s “master antioxidant,” opening your body’s detox pathways, relieving oxidative stress, and revving up your mitochondria. Liposomal glutathione is a good supplement choice.

• Iodine: Iodine is a radical multitasker, helping with thyroid function, detoxification, and combating all infections.

• Irish moss: Irish moss grows on rocks near the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Like other sea vegetables, it is rich in trace minerals including iodine. Irish moss contains algin, a phytonutrient that effectively pulls heavy metals out of your tissues. When soaked and simmered, Irish moss can be used in recipes as a thickener. Its gelatinous quality allows it to grab onto heavy metals and escort them out of the body.

• Modifilan Brown Seaweed Extract: Binds to radioactive particles, heavy metals, and other harmful compounds, speeding their elimination from the body.

• PQQ: Pyrroloquinoline quinone is an enzyme that not only protects your mitochondria from oxidative damage but has been found to actually stimulate the formation of new mitochondria (biogenesis).³²

• Silver: Colloidal silver is an excellent antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic agent. My favorite is Argentyn silver, which is an excellent way to address mold in the body.

• Takesumi Supreme: Takesumi is carbonized bamboo, effective for detox from heavy metals, chemicals, and mold. It grabs onto toxins so they can be transported out of the body through the bowel.

• Taurine: A sulfur-rich amino acid used by your liver to produce bile. As you learned in Chapter 4, bile has a massively underappreciated role in detoxification. Taurine is essential for the conjugation and removal of heavy metals, chlorine, aldehydes, petroleum solvents, alcohol, and ammonia.

• Zeolite: Zeolite is used for detox of heavy metals, chemicals, and mold. Heavy metals are magnetically attracted to the negatively charged cagelike structure of zeolite, so toxic agents are pulled from the blood and trapped so they can be eliminated by the body. My favorites are ZeoBind by BioPure and ACZ Nano by Results RNA.

* JE Stevens, “The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study—the largest, most important public health study you never heard of—began in an obesity clinic,” ACEs Too High, June 02, 2015, https://aces toohigh.com/2012/10/03/the-adverse-childhood-experiences-study-the-largest-most-important-public-health-study-you-never-heard-of-began-in-an-obesity-clinic/, accessed November 06, 2017.

** “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs),” April 01, 2016, https://www.cdc.gov/violencepre vention/acestudy/index.html, accessed November 06, 2017.

*** D Church and A Brooks, “The Effect of a Brief EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Self-Intervention on Anxiety, Depression, Pain and Cravings in Healthcare Workers,” Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, October/November 2010, 9(5):40–43, https://s3.amazonaws.com/eft-academic-articles/HealthCare.pdf, accessed July 12, 2017.

P Stapleton et al., “Depression Symptoms Improve after Successful Weight Loss with Emotional Freedom Techniques,” ISRN Psychiatry, 2013; 573532, doi:10.1155/2013/573532, accessed July 12, 2017.

P Stapleton et al., “A Randomised Clinical Trial of a Meridian-Based Intervention for Food Cravings with Six-Month Follow-Up,” Behaviour Change, May 2011, 28 (1):1–16, doi:10.1375/bech.28.1.1, accessed July 12, 2017.