The Detox System – Time to Clean House

Fifty years ago, when people walked into a small, local general store, the owner welcomed them by name and took care of them. That is how our bodies handled toxins—there were not many, and they were easy to handle.

Today, toxins are allowed into our bodies like shoppers on Black Friday. When the door opens, they pour in. It is overwhelming. Most people come into contact with a plethora of toxins every day. It is impossible to process and eliminate them because there are so many. They often accumulate in the fat and continue to poison us over time.

I believe toxins are the root of most chronic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. To stay healthy and lose weight, the Detox System must function well.

Startling Facts

• Americans today have 30,000 to 50,000 chemicals in their bodies that their grandparents did not have. Many of these chemicals are linked to the rapidly rising incidence of chronic childhood diseases.

• Atrazine is a common herbicide in 94% of drinking water tested by the USDA. Studies have linked atrazine exposure to impaired sexual development, some cancers, congenital disabilities, and infertility.

• Other endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as BPA (in plastics), have been associated with impaired brain development, lower IQs, infertility, congenital disabilities, obesity, diabetes, and endometriosis.

“If your fish is sick because of a toxic fish tank, do you give it medicine for the symptoms or clean the fish tank?”

—Jason Vale

7th System

Let’s imagine that your other six Systems have been working correctly up to this point:

• Your Structural System is supported with real food.

• Your Digestive System breaks the food down into accessible nutrients.

• Your Delivery System picks up the nutrients and delivers them to the cells.

• Your Energy System (mitochondria) turns the nutrients into energy.

• Your Communication System ensures the proper functioning of each System with hormones, nerves, and neurotransmitters.

• Your Defense System is on guard, protecting your body.

With all this work you’re doing, cleanup must occur. That is where your Detox System comes in.

In our age, we are exposed to more toxins than any previous generation. These toxins come from chemicals, metals, medications, and toxins, some that enter and others we form inside our bodies.

Think of the Detox System as a cleaning crew. It removes foreign toxins and eliminates waste and harmful material our Systems produce. There are five primary workers on this cleaning crew:

1. Liver

2. Kidneys

3. Colon

4. Lungs

5. Skin

Each crew member must work effectively, or weight will go up, and health will go down.

Most people think of a detox or cleansing program as a way to purge the System of poor nutrition—some detox to lose weight.

While it helps with weight loss, cleansing or detoxing benefits the entire body, supporting the Detox System and helping you lose weight (Structural System) and re-establish good bacteria in the gut (Digestive System). It will help deliver the nutrients eaten to your cells (Delivery System) and get the hormones (Communication System) working again. You will have more energy (Energy System) and naturally heal faster (Defense System).

I hope you are beginning to see how each System impacts the function of the other Systems and the importance of having them all function optimally.

7 Signs That Your Detox System Is Working Against You:

 1. Weight gain

2. Brain fog or ringing in the ears

3. Muscle pain

4. Tingling in the hands or feet

5. Skin problems

6. Decreased energy

7. Sensitivity to food, medications, fragrances, alcohol, MSG, cigarette smoke, smog, or caffeine

Meet Beth

Beth came into my office to ask for help with her back pain. After learning her medical history, I knew there was more going on than problems with her Structural System. She explained that over the last year, she had seen several specialists who tried to find the root of her problem but with no results.

She had constant pain all over her body, significant enough that she could not walk without assistance. She had no energy, continually felt exhausted, and was overweight. Work was extremely difficult for her, and she had to quit her job six months before.

I suspected a problem with her Detox System. I asked Beth about exposure to toxins, but she said she had none. Further questioning revealed that her job cleaning the bank for the last ten years required using many cleaning solvents, and she had not used gloves.

Physical examination revealed tenderness under the right ribs and significant abdominal fat. Lab tests showed elevated liver enzymes (fatty liver), low salivary pH, obesity, high LDL cholesterol, GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) toxicity, indicating possible liver disease or damage, and low vitamin D. I suggested she begin a program aimed at restoring normal function to her Detox System. Beth developed all 7 signs of toxicity, and it almost took her out.

Although I didn’t know it then, Beth was not pleased with my suggestion. Months later, she told me about her first impressions: “You arrogant doctor! I have been to all these specialists, and you are going to make me feel better by detoxifying me? I’ll show you. You do not know what you are talking about. I will do it, and it will not work.”

The first few days of Beth’s program were difficult, but she persisted. Within a week, her pain had dramatically decreased, and her energy increased. When she completed the detox program, she labeled her progress as “remarkable.”

She could move without pain and, before long, returned to work. She stuck with the 7 Systems Plan, and over the next few months, she lost 60 pounds, had her lab tests return to normal, and got the rest of her Systems working correctly. She is now a strong advocate for fixing the Systems to restore health.

It does seem remarkable that toxins could cause such severe symptoms, but it is true. You must support this System to lose weight.

A doctor instructing a patient to lose weight without addressing their Detox System should be considered malpractice. Most toxins in the body are stored in the fat. When these fat cells empty, they can flood the body with toxins.

Why Toxins Work Against You

You eliminate toxins through your urine, bowel movements, breathing, and sweat. Consider the following facts:

• If you do not take in enough water (half of your body weight in ounces per day), you impair toxin elimination from your kidneys.

• If you are constipated (not having at least one bowel movement per day), you reabsorb toxins from your colon.

• If you breathe polluted air incorrectly (through your mouth, too shallowly, or too deeply), you impair detox through your lungs.

• If your liver is not working well because of vitamin deficiencies or fatty liver disease, fat-soluble toxins will not convert into forms your liver can eliminate.

• If you do not sweat or exercise hard enough to perspire, you impair detox through your skin.

All toxin exposure fits into one of two categories:

 1. Toxins you take in

2. Toxins formed inside your body

Toxins in both categories have increased tremendously in the last 50 years. The United States manufactures or imports 9.5 trillion pounds of chemicals annually, translating into 30,000 pounds per American! So where do all these chemicals go? They go into food production, building materials, household products, personal care items, furniture, clothing, etc., but eventually, they go into you and me.

Chemical emissions and runoff contaminate water, soil, and air in alarming amounts. Genetically engineered seeds require farmers to use more chemicals than ever. Over one billion pounds of pesticides annually contaminate crops in America.

In the CDC’s fourth national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals, 212 toxic chemicals were tested for, and all of them were found in the blood and urine of most test subjects.

A study by the Environmental Working Group in 2005 found that even unborn babies are exposed to many of these toxic chemicals. 287 chemicals were detected in the umbilical cord blood of newborns. Almost all these chemicals can cause cancer in humans or animals. Many were harmful to the brain and nerves, and some caused congenital disabilities or abnormal development.

Toxins can make you gain weight. Recent evidence shows that various environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (obesogens) increase fat cell formation and obesity. These toxins make gaining weight easier. Chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PCB) and perfluoro-compounds can disrupt hormonal signaling and cause weight gain. Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) is also linked to obesity.

BPA and phthalates are industrial chemicals that make plastics more flexible and resilient. These “everywhere chemicals” are in disposable water bottles, shower curtains, food packaging, vinyl flooring, household cleaners, cosmetics, personal care products, and food. These endocrine disruptors are similar in structure to natural sex hormones such as estrogen and interfere with their function. Constant exposure can cause many problems:

• Feminization in men

• Lower IQs in children

• Increased incidence of PCOS

• Miscarriages

• Autism

• Asthma

• And many other health problems

Remember, most people encounter these toxins daily. To lose weight, heal chronic illness, and reverse aging, you must decrease exposure and increase your body’s ability to eliminate them.

Do not get discouraged; there is hope. In the coming newsletters, I will reveal many simple tips to keep this System working for you.

For your health,

Dr. Pat

Video of the Week

Recipe of the Week

Teresa’s 7 Systems Kitchen

Here are a few ways to slow the amount of toxins we absorb.

Read labels and avoid things we know are harmful.

From the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, here are some suggestions:

1. Drink filtered water.

2. Use glass or stainless steel rather than plastic.

3. Use organic food when possible. Wash produce before consuming.

4. Read shampoo/hair and body care product labels.

5. If you color your hair, use natural ingredients.

6. Be mindful of what you use on your skin, such as lotions and make-up.

7. Do not put perfume directly on the skin. Instead, spray it onto clothing.

8. Use deodorant, not antiperspirant.

9. Do not use anti-bacterial soaps.

10. Be very cautious when using household cleaning products, if your must use them, wear gloves. It is always best to use natural ingredients and make your own.

11. Read laundry and dishwashing product labels for harmful ingredients.

12. Wash all clothing, towels, and sheets before using.

13. Use organic cotton products when available.

14. Do not use scented candles or air fresheners.

15. Use natural products (paint, carpet, etc.) in the home as much as possible. Harmful chemicals are in abundance in nearly everything these days. If you can smell it, it is releasing chemicals into the air. Allow new products to off-gas. Open windows when possible. We use an Atmosphere air purifier in our home.

This issue is only the tip of the iceberg. Continue to read Dr. Pat’s Newsletters, follow the 7 Systems Plan, and watch his YouTube channel for more cutting-edge longevity lifestyle tips and insights.