| Our environment impacts us in many ways: what we | | | | consider toxic exposures, along with genomic |
| eat; what we put on ourselves; and the quality of our | | | | predisposition and the level of function of each |
| air, water and living spaces. Finally, we must remember | | | | individual's system. |
| that never before in the history of mankind has the | | | | We tend to focus a lot on issues like mercury and |
| global state of environmental affairs been so harmful | | | | heavy metal exposures, but equally important are |
| to our health, when there are better choices available. | | | | everyday products and pesticides. One such area we |
| Let's take a look at a couple factors. We all know that | | | | need to consider is off-gassing from common building |
| food is important. Over our lifetimes we eat a huge | | | | materials and a wide variety of everyday products. |
| amount of food. As we have increasingly relied on | | | | Quite simply, this is the evaporation of volatile |
| mass produced food, our reliance upon pesticides and | | | | chemicals through normal atmospheric pressure. For |
| herbicides has expanded. The ramifications of these | | | | instance, building materials often release chemicals into |
| chemical treatments on our health are only now fully | | | | the air through evaporation. This process can continue |
| coming to light. They are endocrine disturbers, nervous | | | | for years after the products are initially installed, which |
| system disturbers and potential carcinogens. | | | | means your family or coworkers continue to breathe |
| At the same time, it is becoming apparent that | | | | these chemicals as you work, sleep and relax in your |
| petrochemicals and their transformation into a dizzying | | | | home or office. This can involve everything from |
| array of products have consequences to our health | | | | common building materials (such as paint, carpet, |
| that we never would have imagined. Not only is it clear | | | | insulation, flooring, plywood, particleboard, etc.) to a |
| that these substances can act as hormones in the | | | | wide variety of everyday products, such as cleaning |
| body, they can also affect the immune system and | | | | substances, personal care products and cosmetics. All |
| can be respiratory irritants, nervous system irritants, | | | | of these can lead to an increased body burden of |
| thyroid irritants and carcinogens. They even appear to | | | | chemicals such as formaldehyde, bis-phenol A and |
| possibly contribute to diabetes and obesity, two of the | | | | phthalates. |
| largest health epidemics of our time. Most disturbing of | | | | Luckily, there are ways to identify many toxins in the |
| all, they appear to affect infants and children | | | | body and improve their clearance. But, while following a |
| particularly, showing the full brunt of their | | | | regimen of detoxification certainly can make sense, it is |
| consequences only years later. | | | | just as important to avoid exposure to toxins in the |
| One of the most important things we can do to have | | | | first place. After all, there is something wrong in a |
| better health is to integrate environmental | | | | world where we know, for instance, that eating fish is |
| considerations into the everyday practice of health | | | | healthy - but we can't eat them because they are not |
| care. To have a true understanding of health, we must | | | | safe to eat. We have to act. Now. |