"Internal Hygiene"
Detoxifying Obstacles On The Roadway To Health

What is "Internal Hygiene?" Internal Hygiene can be simply defined as hygiene and cleansing that takes place on the inside of your body. We ingest many toxic substances that pollute and clog our internal system. Some of these toxins come from cigarette smoke, alcohol consumption, saturated fats, and so on, which are factors we can control by making healthy dietary and consumer choices. Other toxins come from pesticides, exhaust fumes, our water source, household cleaners, and so on, which seem beyond our control. We know that air pollution is a big enough issue for the world leaders to design a treaty around but what bearing does it have on the individual human being? It's like the ancient serenity prayer, "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference."

Let's examine the things that we cannot change (not immediately, anyway). According to a summary from the National Conference on Air Pollution Impacts on Body Organs and Systems, Examples of air pollutants that humans and animals are likely exposed to in food and water include pesticides, PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxin and heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead and mercury. Some of the health conditions that can arise from these air pollutants are chronic sinusitis, asthma, allergies, ear infections, secondary heart disease (including hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias), kidney disease, bladder cancer, reproductive problems, as well as a compromised immune system, nervous system and endocrine system.

Before we discuss the things that we can change, let us talk about specific toxins and how they obstruct our roadway to health.

Aluminum
The obvious places we find aluminum are cookware, cooking utensils, and foil. Other consumer products that you can find aluminum in is baking powders, antacids, antiperspirants, toothpaste, grated cheese, bleached flour, table salt, and even beer. Aluminum is also in our water supply. Since aluminum is excreted through the kidneys, toxic amounts can impair kidney function. There is evidence to suggest that long-term aluminum accumulation in the brain may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Other health issues related to aluminum toxicity are colic, rickets, gastrointestinal disturbances, poor calcium metabolism leading to Osteoporosis, extreme nervousness, anemia, decreased liver and kidney function, etc.

Mercury
Mercury is found in many places: soil, water, food, fungicides, pesticides, chlorine bleaches, fish, cosmetics, dental fillings, fabric softeners, batteries, inks (used for printers and tattooing), paints, plastics, polishes, etc. Mercury is stored in the pain center of the brain and the central nervous system, and can block nutrients from entering the cells, as well as prohibit wastes from being excreted from the cells. It is thought that mercury can compromise the immune system by binding to immune cells and distorting them. Other compromised systems and organs in the body due to mercury toxicity are the kidneys, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system. Mercury toxicity can also cause arthritis, depression, fatigue, nausea, headaches, memory loss, muscle weakness, etc. In addition, the EPA links exposure to mercury vapors to menstrual disorders and miscarriages.

Cadmium
Cadmium can be found in: drinking water, fertilizer, fungicides, pesticides, soil, air pollution, refined grains, rice, coffee, tea, soft drinks, shellfish, and even in the batteries used for cell phones, laptops and toys. One other ubiquitous source that cadmium is found in is cigarette smoke, which also includes secondhand smoke. Long-term continual exposure to cadmium can lead to such health issues as high blood pressure, anemia, discoloration of the teeth, rhinitis, joint soreness, hair loss, loss of appetite, dry skin, etc. Cadmium exposure can also weaken the immune system, lead to kidney disease and cause liver damage. Extreme cadmium exposure can lead to emphysema, osteoporosis, osteomalacia (soft bones caused by Vitamin D deficiency) and cancer.

Lead
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 million children under age five have blood lead levels that exceed the acceptable norm. Lead, which is the most toxic metal contaminant known, is found in paints, ceramic, crystal, car batteries, wines, canned fruit, vegetables, bone meal, mini-blinds, insecticides, water supplies (lead piping), lead solder (used to solder copper pipes), and even porcelain-glazed sinks and bathtubs. Chronic lead toxicity can lead to health issues such as impotence, infertility, other reproductive disorders, blindness, memory loss, etc., as well as cause damage to internal systems such as cardiovascular, excretory (liver and kidney), and the nervous system. Other symptoms of lead toxicity are anxiety, arthritis, confusion, chronic fatigue, arthritis, gout, learning disabilities, vertigo, etc. Another very important note about lead toxicity is that the body cannot distinguish between calcium and lead, leaving people with calcium deficiencies more vulnerable to lead toxicity.

Now, let us examine the things that we can change (immediately) to lessen the amount of these toxins entering the body. How do we cleanse our internal systems and maintain good "internal hygiene?" Oral Chelation. It is a safe, non-surgical and effective way to cleanse and detoxify your entire cardiovascular system of toxic metals and wastes, including your gall bladder, lymphatic system, liver, and kidneys. Chelating agents bind with heavy toxic metals (grab on to them) such as cadmium, lead and mercury, then they are excreted out of the body. Chelation therapy has been used in the treatment of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, gangrene, cholesterol and fat deposits, etc. It helps to break up plaque deposits, unclogging arteries, subsequently returning blood flow back to normal, which frees up nutrients to do their work. "More than 90% of Americans are at risk of developing a serious problem because of irregularities in the circulatory system." Health News Also, a recent study showed that 50 % of American children ages 15-19 already have early lesions (plaques) in their coronary arteries. According to the Prescription for Nutritional Healing in regards to using oral chelation for disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and arthritis, "...many severely disabled, high-risk individuals have reported dramatic improvement in arterial circulation after Chelation treatment."

Here are some additional changes you can make (immediately) to be proactive in your effort to shield the body from toxins: