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Spring into April: Cleansing your

Hello My Spring Friends!    

 

 This month I am so thrilled to share some of my most passionate information with all of you. April marks spring in full swing and to me, one of the most important seasons to DETOX! If you have been following the blog, we have been cleansing from the inside, out. This month, I want to pay special attention to cleansing from the outside, IN. What I mean by this, is illuminating the areas of your life where you may be carrying toxicity without you even realizing it! April is also Autism Awareness month and as many of you know, I have two beautiful brothers who they call Autistic. I will be intertwining Autism awareness with awareness of toxicity that may be surrounding you. As always, I will offer workable solutions to reduce your toxin load in your home and surroundings. Please leave a comment on the blog or email me at missnutrish@gmail.com if you have any questions. Please read to the very end to learn more about events going on this month. 

 

Always truly....

 

Yours in optimal health,

Danae

Conscious Cleaning of Chemicals in our Homes & Autism Awareness Month

There are toxins swirling around us at rampant proportions. I apologize for the intense introduction, but this my friends, is the truth. Many of our receipts contain toxins that result in pseudo hormones to bind to our hormone receptors, telling our body to either over-produce or quit making that specific hormone. This results in throwing us completely out of balance. As we know, having balanced hormones is the key to a balanced life, since they are responsible for so many physiological effects in the body. This is just one of many examples of how toxins can negatively impact our health. Let's not forget the toxins in the air we breathe, from our deodorants, toothpastes, hair & skincare products, candles, detergents, pots & pans and the list goes on! Below, I have listed 7 Common Chemicals found in household & beauty products. Become a conscious cleanser and start reading the ingredient list of your favorite products. 

7 Toxic Compounds found in Beauty Products

  • Benzoyl Peroxide:  used in acne products, the MSDS states: possible tumor promoter. May act as a mutagen; produces DNA damage in humans.  Also, toxic by inhalation. Eye, skin & respiratory irritant.
  • Propylene Glycol (PG) & Butylene GlycolPetroleum plastics. EPA considers PG so toxic it requires gloves, clothing, goggles & disposal by burying. EPA warns against skin contact to avoid brain, kidney & liver abnormalities.
  • DEA (Diethamolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine): This foam booster is a skin/eye irritant and causes contact dermatitis. Easily absorbed in skin to accumulate in body organs & brain.
  • FD&C Color & Pigment: Synthetic color from coal tar, contains heavy metal salts that deposit toxins in skin, causing skin sensitivity irritation.  Absorption can cause depletion of oxygen.
  • Parabens (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl):  Used as preservatives. Not always labeled. Used in deodorants & other skincare products, have been found in breast cancer tumors. May contribute to sterility in males, hormone imbalances in females and early puberty.
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers & 90% of personal care products that foam. Linked to eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, skin irritation & death.
  • Sunscreen Chemicals: PABA's are commonly used ingredients that are known free radical generators and are believed to damage DNA or lead to cancers. 

I appreciate you reading through this list, I know that some of it may be very shocking. To realize that these toxic ingredients reside in our favorite products and are sold with commercials promising a better lifestyle is frustrating for sure! I aim to enlighten you on this topic, not to bring you more fear or anger, but to offer you a new way of becoming mindful about your decisions by giving you back your personal power. The truth is, we cannot control everything that happens around us, but the more aware that we become, the more our desires become a reality.  For instance, if you felt as though you have tried EVERYTHING and you are STILL suffering from allergic reactions, it is detrimental to your health to have the awareness to begin to evaluate the choices you have made of the products, places and people you have placed around you. Could your old mattress be causing your allergies? An imbalance of good bacteria in the body? Or maybe you are using a fabric softener chocked full of harsh chemicals.  Remove the variable causing your allergy or 'imbalance' and voila! The body is given the chance to heal! THAT is what this is all about; the acknowledgement, enlightenment and empowerment is all to help guide you to a more balanced place so that healing may occur. 

I'd like to fast forward to Autism Awareness and how toxicity may relate to this 'dis-ease'. First I want to remind you, my dear friends, of the staggering rates of Autism. Below are several statistics from the CDC regarding the prevalence of Autism.

Prevalence according to the Center for Disease Control
  • About 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
  • ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
  • About 1 in 6 children in the U.S. had a developmental disability in 2006-2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism.

That's a 78% increase compared to a decade ago, let's not even talk about what percentage increase the rates are from two decades ago. With such dramatic increases, what variables are contributing to this epidemic? Before we try to address that question, I want to provide a new understanding of Autism from my favorite doctor, Dr. Mark Hyman of Functional Medicine. Below is an excerpt from an article he has written about Autism (one of many) where he offers a new way of viewing Autism. If you enjoy this piece, find the entire article below.

A New Understanding of Autism - By Dr. Mark Hyman 

"Autism is a genetic brain disorder." That is what most people -- and most of the medical community -- believe today.

I'm here to tell you that neither one of these statements is true.

Think about it. Rates of autism have skyrocketed over the years. Sure, wider criteria for diagnosis and better detection might explain some of it -- but not an increase of this magnitude.

The real reason we are seeing increasing rates of autism is simply this: Autism is a systemic body disorder that affects the brain. A toxic environment triggers certain genes in people susceptible to this condition. And research supports this position.

Dramatic scientific discoveries have taken place during the last 10 to 20 years that reveal the true causes of autism - and turn conventional thinking on its head. For example, Martha Herbert, MD, a pediatric neurologist from Harvard Medical School has painted a picture of autism that shows how core abnormalities in body systems like immunity, gut function, and detoxification play a central role in causing the behavioral and mood symptoms of autism.

She's also given us a new way of looking at mental disease (and disease in general) that is based on systems biology. Coming from the halls of the most conservative medical institution in the world, this is a call so loud and clear that it shatters our normal way of looking at things.

Everything is connected, Dr. Herbert says. The fact that these kids have smelly bowel movements, bloated bellies, frequent colds and ear infections, and dry skin is not just a coincidence that has nothing to do with their brain function. It is central to why they are sick in the first place! Yet conventional medicine often ignores this.

My friend and mentor, Sidney Baker, MD - a pioneer in the treatment of autism as a body disorder that affects the brain - often says, "Do you see what you believe or do you believe what you see?"

The problem in medicine is we are so stuck in seeing what we believe that we often ignore what is right in front of us because it doesn't fit our belief system. Nowhere is this true more than in the treatment of autism.

This is in the front of my mind, because I see so many behavioral symptoms in kids from learning disabilities to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and even autism.

And I see the rates of medication use skyrocketing for these kids -- from stimulants to anti-psychotics (one of the fastest growing drug categories) to anti-seizure medicine, and more. There is another way ..."

What a mind-blowing, game-changing, revolutionary way to approach Autism.  By looking at the root causes and imbalances, we allow the body the space to heal.  Let's again review the question I posed earlier:

With such dramatic increases what variables are contributing to this epidemic? 

Living with two brothers with Autism, witnessing how dumbfounded and baffled the medical community has been by my brother. Seeing them harm his body over and over and over with harsh drugs. All without ever taking into account the delicate balance our bodies need to function, like proper functioning of our organs that medications often like to attack. Additionally, dealing with my own extremely hyperactive brain, finding ways and remedies to be able to focus, not lose things and gather my thoughts has really led me down a path of understanding on the matter of mental illness and stability. My experiences are what led me to a path of natural wellness, a career change and a total new outlook on healing.Through practicing viewing the body as a whole, an ecosystem in it's own right, we are able to look at the big picture.Taking into account such variables as; food sensitivities, heavy metal toxicities, digestive disturbances, lack or excess of vital nutrients; we are able to gain perspective as to HOW that child's body specifically needs to be supported. 

YES these children may be displaying signs of aggression or withdrawal, but how is that physiologically happening in the body?  Does this child have brain chemical imbalances that are leading to this behavior?  If so, we must check the gut where MANY of our brain chemicals are made. Or, does this child have a severe food allergy to a food he is eating which is leading to an allergic reaction that is causing pain or discomfort they may not be able to effectively communicate? 

I hope that I am illustrating the point that the causes and reactions (or symptoms) of Autism may differ drastically, because the imbalances and chemical loads are not the same in every child. However, viewing their 'dis-ease' from this light offers a much more conducive space to healing, rather than harsh medications with very well documented short & long-term side-effects. 

So maybe these children are really our little angels, here to remind us of the importance of living clean & balanced. To remind us that when we place harmful ingredients in our bodies, living spaces, and environment, we begin to create imbalances that can manifest into 'dis-ease'. 

This month, and every month, let's breathe in change. The type of change that supports our health and excels our growth.Then, let's exhale support for those around us who are trying to do the same. Let's extend that support by cleaning up our own health, living space, and environment. The change starts with YOU! How can you perpetuate change in your life today, this month, continuously? 

Let's begin by being mindful of how we are contributing to our own toxicity. Read labels and remove products that have been scientifically proven to harm our bodies. There are so many great natural solutions out there. Please know that I am always here to support those changes that you are wishing to make in your life. 

Join me at Natural Therapeutics Open House April 20th to learn more about natural ways to support your home & skincare needs. Also, later this month we will enjoy some recipes for natural skincare and cleaning products, oh boy!!

If you enjoyed this blog leave a comment on Facebook, I love hearing from you! 

- See more at: http://missnutrish.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/blog/2014/04/spring-into-april#sthash.88avyVy4.dpuf

Tuesday, 01 April 2014