Spring Cleaning for your Body: Examining the Environmental Roots of Good Health

Remember the house you bought a few years ago? When you first moved in, you had empty rooms and a huge empty basement, right? Unlimited storage space. But what does that storage space look like now? Are you already thinking of having a garage sale to get rid of all that junk?

Over our lifetimes, our bodies accumulate junk in much the same way. But instead of merely cluttering our basements, the junk in our bodies can actually be toxic. The air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink all contain toxins.

In an industrialized society such as ours, we like to build, buy, and manufacture as much junk as we possibly can. Indeed we have learned to base our survival on how much stuff we can manufacture and sell. Our creative minds have succeeded in manufacturing incredible technologies, from cars to cell phones to rocket ships. But it has been at a great environmental cost. Everywhere we are, from our mother’s womb to the mountains of Peru, we are exposed to and start accumulating toxic junk.

How do we live healthy lives in such a toxic world? First, we adapt. Our bodies are designed to adapt to imperfect environments. Second, we give our body what it needs to adapt. This includes a diet rich in organic vegetables, free-range hormone- and pesticide-free meats, pure water, and physical activity. Our bodies will adapt best when given the right tools. Third, we can detox.

Maybe you think that detoxification is only for hippies and people in California. But in fact, detox can help anyone experiencing illness: fatigue, hormonal problems, depression, endocrine gland abnormalities, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, heart problems, liver problems, or kidney problems. Detox is even for people who want to avoid having these illnesses in the first place.

So you consult with someone who knows about detoxification. Great! Do you know what the first step is in a cleanse? Avoid the things that got you there in the first place.

Stop using herbicides and pesticides. Stop eating foods which have herbicides and pesticides in and on them. Stop eating processed foods with chemical additives, even the ones in the health food section. Use only household products that are biodegradable and non-toxic. Quit smoking. Drink a lot of pure water. Avoid paints, glues, and solvents when possible. Talk to your doctor about reducing the number of pharmaceutical drugs you take. Go outside and appreciate nature with people you love.

Need help generating a will to get healthier? Think of how changes in your life will affect those around you. What makes you healthy makes your children healthy. Makes your friends healthy. Makes your world healthy.

Change occurs slowly, one foot in front of the other. We may not be able to change all our habits (we are only human, after all) but every habit changed sends ripples of health through our society and into the world.

For more information or to schedule an
appointment, please call St Johns Health Center:
503.286.4400