An ever-increasing level of plastic pollution in the natural environment throughout the world is familiar to all of us as an ugly fact of expanding human population and activity. However, until somewhat recently much less attention was given to microparticles of plastics and other synthetic materials contaminating the food we eat and the water we drink. Not surprisingly, numerous studies of these particulates show toxicity to humans if ingested. The body of research is steadily growing, helping us better understand to what degree human health is being compromised through (often unknowing) consumption of these microplastics.
Plastics can leach synthetic additives such as phthalates, alkylphenols, and bisphenol A, which can be cytotoxic to human cells. Many compounds contained in plastics are known hormone disruptors, and microplastics in particular have been shown to attract microbial pathogens.

According to 2013 research by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University, "Everybody is being exposed to some degree [of plastic ingestion] at any given time, from gestation through death. Detectable levels of [the plastic] bisphenol A have been found in the urine of 95% of the adult population of the United States."

The sobering reality is that scientists have struggled to accurately research the impact of plastic on the human body, because they cannot find a control group of humans who have not been exposed. All humans are exposed to plastic pollution in some manner -- through oceans, lakes, rivers, rain and snow, the air, the land, our diets, and/or the products we buy and use. We are all unavoidably contaminated by the synthetics we produce.

Plastic, essentially indestructible unless burned, makes up about half of all human-related waste. The last 45 years have seen the total global output in plastic production climb from 30 million tons in 1970 to 322 million tons in 2015 -- a more than ten-fold increase. One study laments, "Hopes of closing the loop on the plastic waste stream depend on overall recycling rates, which vary widely across the globe, even among developed nations with well-established recycling infrastructure. Europe, for example, recycled 26% of disposable plastics in 2012, while the United States reported rates as low as 8.8% in the same year."

The referenced study analyzed tap water, beer, and sea salt samples for contaminants. Among all sea salt samples analyzed, a total of 461 anthropogenic (human-made) particles were identified. The vast majority (99.3%) of these were classified as fibers, while the remaining particles were identified as fragments. The average length of each fiber was 1.09 mm with a range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm. Of the 12 salt samples, 8 had one or more particles in the second filtration step for a total of 23 particles. The average length of the particles found in the second filtration was 1.05 mm, about 0.04 mm smaller than the particles found in the samples as a whole. The most common particulate color was blue, followed by red/pink, and then clear.

Sherri Mason, a professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Fredonia, believes sea salt could be more vulnerable to plastic contamination because of how it is made, through a process of dehydration of sea water.

UPDATE: We are very pleased to report that Selina Naturally, maker of the Celtic Sea Salt brand long carried and recommended by Optimal Health Network for enema series protocols, has conducted rigorous testing of its products for microplastics and other pollutants. All testing has indicated no contamination, and supporting certificates have been provided to us by Selina Naturally. Thus we will once again be offering this quality product in selected enema kits beginning in April 2019.

Learn more: Anthropogenic contamination of tap water, beer, and sea salt

Learn more: We are living on a plastic planet. What does it mean for our health?

Labels: bisphenol A, environmental toxins, Himalayan Pink Salt, microplastics, pollution, sea salt

Linus Pauling, the founding father of molecular biology and author of Vitamin C and the Common Cold, scientifically demonstrated that the origin of disease is based on specific changes in genetic materials due to environmental influences. Bishop and Waldolz, in Genome, point out that "aberrant genes do not, in and of themselves, cause disease. By and large their impact on an individual's health is minimal until the person is plunged into a harmful environment..." (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1990). In February 2006, The National Institutes of Health launched the Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (GEI) to support research that will lead to the understanding of genetic contributions and gene-environment interactions in common disease. Each person's gene pool has the flexibility to express itself with health and longevity, or with illness and degenerative disease, depending on environmental conditions.

Given that the environment and health are so entwined and given that many environmental influences — stress, inadequate nutrition, toxins — modify genetic expression towards disease, wouldn't it be fantastic to have a tool to accurately monitor your health on an ongoing basis? Your conventional medical doctor uses blood tests. Unfortunately, blood tests often look good until something is "really" wrong.

Recently, I was talking to a client whose medical doctor had told him, "There is nothing wrong with you, but there is really nothing right."

On the other hand, your hair can provide unique metabolic and intracellular information more readily than your blood. First of all, human blood is highly regulated to stay within narrow ranges. For instance, a buffer of carbonic acid and bicarbonate is present in blood plasma to maintain a pH between 7.35 and 7.45. These buffer solutions are necessary because many enzymes work only under very precise conditions. Because of this, the blood is often not an effective diagnostic tool for metabolic imbalance. Second of all, toxins such as lead are instantly removed from the blood as a protective measure. For 30 to 40 days following an acute lead exposure, elevated serum levels of lead are undetectable in the blood. Smartly, our bodies deposit the metal into tissues such as the liver, bones, teeth, and hair.

The hair is analyzed through a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA).

HTMA areas of analysis are:

• Mineral/electrolyte levels in the body's tissues including calcium, chromium, magnesium, selenium, sodium, potassium, nickel, iron, copper, lithium, and zinc. All these minerals are key to good health. If you don’t know your mineral levels, how do you know if you need a multi-vitamin or how much of that multi-vitamin you need to take each day? Also, did you know that calcium loss from the body can become so advanced that severe osteoporosis can develop without any appreciable changes noted in the calcium levels in a blood test? And, did you know that magnesium is required for normal muscular function, especially the heart, and that magnesium deficiency has been associated with an increased incidence of heart attacks, anxiety, and nervousness?
• Toxic metal levels including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum. Hair is used as one of the tissues of choice by the Environmental Protection Agency in determining toxic metal exposure. A 1980 report from the EPA stated that human hair can be effectively used for biological monitoring of toxic metals. The average person is continually exposed to toxic metal sources such as cigarette smoke (cadmium), hair dyes (lead), hydrogenated oils (nickel), anti-perspirants (aluminum), dental amalgams (mercury and cadmium), copper and aluminum cookware, and lead-based cosmetics. Your body is designed to cleanse; without this mechanism, you would die. If your individual biochemical needs are being meet, you can fight off pollution and the ill effects of stress and your biochemistry. However, most of us aren't. An HTMA allows you to track the heavy metals and biochemical stress within your own body, assisting you to create and more easily follow a personalized health plan.
• Significant mineral ratios that help determine carbohydrate metabolism, thyroid function, level of inflammation, adrenal reserves, copper toxicity, and tissue breakdown.

Take an HTMA seasonally to develop a nutritional program that is tailored to your body's particular requirements to assist it to express health and longevity.

Labels: adrenal glands, adrenal stress index, electrolyte levels, environmental toxins, genetics, hair tissue mineral analysis, HTMA, mineral ratios, thyroid

The body creates mucoid plaque to protect itself from acids and toxic compounds such as drugs (especially aspirin and alcohol), table salt, heavy metals, chemicals, antigen antibody complexes, and the toxins produced by incomplete digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.

Mucoid plaque is associated with carcinomas of the lung, breast, ovary, and gastrointestinal tract. If you have mucoid plaque in your bowels, your body cannot function properly; coffee enemas won't be effective; optimal healing cannot occur.

The Optimal Health Network has developed 3 methods to effectively remove mucoid plaque from the colon. Each of these methods can work alone, but to gain the most benefit, work through the entire 35-day program laid out in Kristina Amelong's Ten Days to Optimal Health and take the essential oils specific to your individual needs. (If money or time are issues, start with one or two essential oils.)

Learn more about mucoid plaque and how to remove it from the body

Labels: cancer, detoxification, environmental toxins, mucoid plaque, pollution

How do people know or recognize the signs that they have dangerous toxins stored in their bodies?

If you are living in this century, on Earth, it is very likely that you need to detoxify your body. Most people are not aware of their toxicity levels because we are polluted over time and we slowly forget what it feels like to be healthy and energetic. A certain signal that we need to cleanse is when we are diagnosed with a chronic disorder, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fibroids, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue. For many of us, frequent bouts of gas, bloating, or feeling run down are certain signals from our body that we need to detoxify. Even with no symptoms, aging itself reduces our body’s ability to detoxify. And, unfortunately, our world is getting more toxic everyday. If you wish to determine which toxins are stored in your individual body, use a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis.

What happens when you detoxify?

Daily living tends to drive toxins and diseases further into your body, while cleansing and healing lets these wastes and diseases surface and leave your body. Toxins and illness leave your body via your skin, your lymphatic system, your lungs, your colon, and your urinary tract. A classic cleansing response is seen when people quit smoking and they end up having a few "colds." Often, the symptoms are not of a cold virus at all, but rather the body’s way of throwing off the toxins accumulated in the body. Within all the phlegm leaving the body are many of the toxic, carcinogenic residues of cigarette smoking. This cleansing response happens for many, but not all. For all people, however, a DETOXIFYING PROGRAM BRINGS BETTER HEALTH. I have worked with thousands of clients since I became a colon hydrotherapist and I can most definitively say this is absolutely true: a DETOXIFYING PROGRAM BRINGS BETTER HEALTH.

However, as my last blog post speaks to, how you choose to detox is critical to the useful of any individual detox program.

To learn more about how to detox, check out these links:

Spring Cleanse: What Is The Best Way To Detox?

How to Colon Cleanse: The Enema Series

Coffee Enema Kits and Coffee for Enemas

Coffee Enemas Saved My Life!

Fast, Easy, and Healthful Weight Loss

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

Labels: carcinogens, chronic illness, coffee enema, detox diet, detoxification, environmental toxins, fibroids, hair tissue mineral analysis, high blood pressure, pollution

Spring is the perfect time to embark on a bodily cleanse or to detox your body. You detox your body for many reasons:

• Detox to quit smoking
• Detox to quit drinking
• Detox to lose weight
• Detox to improve your mood
• Detox to increase your energy
• Detox to improve your health

But, what is the best way to cleanse, or detox, your body?

As Dr. Oz points out, "the body has its own extraordinary internal detoxification system. Here’s a brief look at three critical organs involved:

The liver: Your first line of defense against toxins is your liver, which acts like a filter in preventing toxic substances contained in foods from passing into your blood stream.

The colon: This organ has bacteria that produce both healthy and unhealthy chemicals. You want to keep your colon flowing regularly since its main role is to flush out toxic chemicals before they can do you any harm.

The kidneys: Like clockwork, the kidneys are constantly filtering your blood and getting rid of toxins in the form of urine.

For a detox diet to truly work, you need to maintain these three key organs."

I absolutely agree with Dr. Oz! But, I have a few helpful tools to add to his detox diet recommendations to support these three critical organs.

First, take the enema series. Take one a day for a week, then every other day for a week, then once a week for a month. The enema series, using therapeutic enema solutions like essential oils, Celtic Sea Salt and coffee, is an effective way to keep your colon flowing regularly and assists the colon to optimize for healthy bacteria. The enema series is also an effective way to help your liver with its incredibly important job.

BUY ENEMA EQUIPMENT

Second, drink 1 ounce of therapeutic water per pound of body weight throughout the day. You don’t need to buy expensive drinking water. Simply use filtered tap water, add a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to each quart and a few drops of essential oils such as Tangerine, Orange, Citrus Fresh, or Peppermint. Drinking therapeutic water is essential for supporting all three organs.

Third, take the binding agent chlorophyll during the detox process. The work of clearing stored toxins from the body can easily overload the liver, colon, and kidneys. Toxins take time to build up in the body. Again, as he states, "the body has its own extraordinary internal detoxification system!" The body is designed to be able to detoxify on a moment-to-moment basis. It is the build-up of toxins that we address when we embark on a detox program. Toxins took a long time to build up in your body; the most important factor with a detox is to take plenty of time and support your detoxification organs so you make certain you don’t just stir up toxins, which can cause toxins to drive deeper into the body leading to cancer, heart disease, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, and more.

Watch my How to Detox: Spring Cleanse video to learn more.

Labels: chlorophyll, colon health, detox diet, detoxification, environmental toxins, filtered water, kidneys, liver, safe colon cleanse, spring cleanse

Labels: environmental toxins, kitchenware, teflon

by Stephanie Carnes
OHN Contributor

Scientists have concluded that cancer "is purely man-made" after finding almost no trace of disease in Egyptian mummies.

Author Fiona Macrae discusses some of the scientific findings: "Tumours were rare until recent times when pollution and poor diet became issues, the review of mummies, fossils and classical literature found. A greater understanding of its origins could lead to treatments for the disease, which claims more than 150,000 lives a year in the UK."

Michael Zimmerman, a visiting professor at Manchester University, said: "In an ancient society lacking surgical intervention, evidence of cancer should remain in all cases. The virtual absence of malignancies in mummies must be interpreted as indicating their rarity in antiquity, indicating that cancer-causing factors are limited to societies affected by modern industrialisation."

"In industrialised societies, cancer is second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of death. But in ancient times, it was extremely rare," said Professor David, who presented the findings to Professor Mike Richards, the UK's cancer tsar and other oncologists at a conference earlier this year.

"There is nothing in the natural environment that can cause cancer. So it has to be a man-made disease, down to pollution and changes to our diet and lifestyle."

SOURCE: Mail Online-Science & Tech - 15 October 2010

The Origin of Disease

In 1949, Linus Pauling, the founding father of molecular biology, and author of Vitamin C and the Common Cold, Cancer and Vitamin C and How to Live Longer and Feel Better, made public his theory that the origin of disease is based on specific changes in genetic materials due to environmental influences, which in turn modify physiological function.

In addition to an increase in environmental toxins and chemicals found in our polluted air and water, each year the FDA approves more and more chemicals for use in foods. These chemicals increase shelf life, kill bacteria, improve taste, replace fats, replace carbohydrates, and replace protein. The main goal of food is to supply our bodies with a natural healing capacity through nutrient rich sources. However, many of us now eat chemicals for our nourishment instead of vital macronutrients. To our food suppliers, profit is the key factor in food production.

Unfortunately, for the consumer of these fancy foods, food additives are often neurotoxic and/or carcinogenic. Thousands of the processed foods on the market are loaded with synthetic chemicals, which inside your body overload your organs of elimination. These chemicals are then stored in your cells, where they cause damage. Where the chemicals are stored is different in every individual. This is why one person might end up with cancer and another with irritable bowel.
Here are a few items on the market today that are widespread contributors to ill health:

Processed meats – Full of synthetic chemicals that weaken our bodies creating toxicity and a demand for extra nutrients just to cope. Lead, aluminum, and mercury are used in conventional processing.

Pasteurized dairy - There is also evidence that pasteurized dairy consumption causes immune-system reactions that trigger arthritis, atherosclerosis, type I diabetes, and increased risk for cancer.

Sugar and unnatural sugar alternatives – Too much causes the digestive tract to slow down and creates an overly acid body that can lead to chronic heart burn and the wearing down of all body systems. The more sugar you eat, the more nutrients are required to keep your body in balance!

Refined or denatured foods – Protein powders, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and white flour.

MSG or monosodium glutamate – This increases your chance of obesity and can permanently shift neural mechanisms in your brain that will alter mood.

Table salt – Strains your body due to being highly refined by drying at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. This changes its chemical structure and strips all nutrients.

It is important to realize that all diseases have their root in toxicity and cellular malnutrition! The above food facts are not meant to scare. Rather, they touch on the simple reality that eating healthy, non-toxic foods will assist our bodies to be able to fight disease naturally instead of creating an environment that leads to disease.

Dietary changes and detoxification are two main focuses of the Optimal Health Network. Colon cleansing, along with diet and lifestyle changes, will assist your body in eliminating stored toxins and can be a valuable tool in optimizing health and well-being.

SOURCE: Ten Days to Optimal Health (Amelong 2006)

Labels: cancer, diet and lifestyle, environmental toxins, MSG, processed food

by Stephanie Carnes
OHN Contributor


Fasting in Today's World

Labels: environmental toxins, fasting support, health consultations, healthy fats, Ten Days to Optimal Health