The Three Stages of Toxicity Treatment - 1. Avoiding Further Exposures

In the past, treatment has focused on symptom control.  ie. If you have...
    Headaches...  given an analgesic.
    Serious intestinal or airway inflammation...  treated with bronchodilator.
    Joint problems...  assorted anti-inflammatory therapies
    (Genuis, 2010).

But in each case, the treatments "only temporarily conceal symptoms and fail to deal with the [origin] of the problem or to achieve long-term resolution of the illness.(Genuis, 2010)"

Using this approach one can only hope for a lifetime of treatment without true healing.  It doesn't address the cause.  Environmental Medicine has a different approach, though most family doctors aren't aware of this (relatively) new branch of medicine.

The Approach of Environmental Medical Specialists

Environmental Medicine views the above treatments as temporary solutions while investigation is done and a treatment plan is put together to address the CAUSE of the symptoms.  And in most cases, when the cause is eliminated, the symptoms will begin to diminish and will often go away completely in time (Genuis, 2010)".  

The Three Stages of Treatment for SRI (Illness Caused By Toxicities)

Treatment takes place in three stages (though when you go through them may overlap to some degree).  You can read about the following three stages in the very thought provoking and well-written Medical Journal Article: Sensitivity-related illness: the escalating pandemic of allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity (Genuis, 2010) - I have a copy if you'd like to read it!  

What follows is a summary and my experience as I have walked through these stages.  Much of what is below is what I have learned from him during class or during appointments, but please know that I am speaking from my own experience, and do not speak for him in any way. 

 We'll begin with a look at the first stage:

STAGE ONE:  Avoid further exposures:
This involves...
 Fixing your environment so you don't have further exposures (otherwise its pointless to go through the difficult and pricey detoxification process if its just going to happen again).
Avoiding things that trigger your symptoms (things that trigger symptoms caused by toxic exposures/allergies/sensitivities)
Fixing deficiencies of things the body needs.
Early interventions for any nutrient toxicities that make it harder for your body to work properly.

Fixing Your Environment

The first thing to do is remove any chemicals (cleaning products/personal care products), molds, food-related toxins, and any other toxic exposures in the home.  I began this process 4 years ago by removing all chemicals from my home (see My Health Story).  It is an expensive process, and takes some research to discover which "natural" products are actually completely natural, and which natural things are safe and which aren't (natural things can be toxic, too!).  After doing my research I settled on Norwex for cleaning because they were the most pure (some other products were great, too, and I'll hopefully post a list of great products soon).  Anyway, making this switch does get expensive, so I became a consultant with them to afford a complete switchover.  Please don't feel compelled to buy from me, though.  It can be a conflict of interest, so I'd much rather see people making these changes than supporting me as a consultant. 

 We also had mold in our home (found through mold plate testing), and confirmed by the high level of Ochratoxin (a toxin released by mold) that showed up in my lab test.  So the first step, fixing the enviornment, involved some renovations - the bathroom and the carpets.  Deciding what to replace them with was a difficult process because a lot of flooring off-gasses toxic things.  I'll post on what some good choices are in the future.

Avoiding Triggers

They can be difficult to identify, but symptoms are brought on in response to a trigger (or more likely a number of triggers).  Triggers are exposures or behaviors that cause your symptoms to get worse.  Each trigger may have different symptoms, and will often involve multiple organ systems.

Triggers often cause inflammation in the gut that keep you from absorbing certain (or even many) nutrients, leading to nutrient deficiencies even if you are eating a perfect diet.  

It stands to reason that if you have good days and bad days, you at the very least have the health potential to live every day at the level of a good day.  Triggers can be foods, chemicals, inhalants (including those below the Odor Detection Threshold), biological agents, and electrical stimuli.  If these are avoided, "patients generally improve and achieve a relatively normal baseline after a period of a few days to weeks if they avoid exposure to inciting triggers, providing that permanent damage has not already occurred (Ziem, 1992; Spergel et al., 2005)."

When all triggers are eliminated, the symptoms will significantly improve.  Often they completely go away in as little as 6 weeks!!  This kind of healing has been seen in such chronic illnesses such as autism (Genuis and Bouchard, 2010) and schizophrenia (De Santis et al., 1997), just to name a few.

The Government of Canada released a document on environmental sensitivities that lists the most common triggers of SRI.  Some common food triggers for SRI include:  Gluten, Casein, Corn/Corn Products, Soy, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Sweeteners, Food Dyes, Caffeine, Nuts, Nightshades, Yeast, and Eggs (Genuis, 2010).  Fructose is also recognized to trigger symptoms, as well as a cause a host of health problems including gut inflammation, metabolic disorders, and various cancers (Zhou et al, 2011; Huang, et al, 2011;  Liu and Heaney, 2011).

Lets look at a few of these common triggers:

Fructose.  The first time I learned I have triggered-responses was when my doctor tested my insulin level (Jan 2011) and found my insulin was through the roof (hyperinsulinemia).  Exposure to fructose is a trigger for me.  This meant I had to stop eating anything with fructose in it (including fruits and most vegetables for awhile)!  Sugar and natural sweeteners, and even artificial sweeteners were a problem.  There is only one natural sweetener to date that does not cause blood sugar to spike (Stevia), and so that's the only thing I used for 7 1/2 months.  It doesn't taste great in every context, but its delicious with fruit and yogurt.  My doctor also recommended GR-Plex (a natural supplement that contains the nutrients involved in blood glucose regulation) because of my insulin problem.

*As I made this change my neurological symptoms subsided!  For the first time in over a year!  My hormones also seemed to be in much better balance, and my blood sugar and insulin levels were improving!

Problematic Sweeteners are hidden using a number of label names including:

• High-Fructose Corn Syrup
• Corn Syrup
• Fructose
• Sucrose
• Sorbitol
• Natural Sweetener
• Agave
• Sugar
• Cane sugar
• Fruit/Berry Sweetener
• Asperthame
• Sucralose
• Saccharin
• Splenda

For the rest of these triggers, I learnt of them in August 2011 and began avoiding them at that time.
Casein.  This is a component of dairy, and a common sensitivity reaction trigger.
Gluten.  In wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and kamut.  (Brown Rice, Qinoa, and Tapioca are good options)
Soy.  A common allergen, but also, the soy you can buy at the store is almost entirely GMO.  Some is labelled non-GMO, but often it does still contain GMOs because that label is not regulated.
*After a few weeks without these things (and with the replenishment of my intestinal flora) I was AMAZED to discover that my Gastro-Intestinal Tract Symptoms had essentially disappeared, and my brain fog and memory had improved SIGNIFICANTLY!!

Glutamates.  The most recognized one is MSG (monosodium glutamate), but there are many of them, and they go by many names.  Labels that always indicate MSG inlude:  Glutamate, Glutamic Acid, Gelatin, Monosodium Glutamate, Calcium Caseinate, Textured Protein, Monopotassium Glutamate, Sodium Caseinate, Yeast Nutrient, Yeast Extract, Yeast Food, Autolyzed Yeast, Hydrolyzed Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten, Natrium Glutamate. There are also a number of labels that OFTEN contain MSG, or create MSG during processing.  Find that info here!
*When I have these they give me brain fog and disorientation, and I start to feel depressed.

Corn.  Nearly all corn has been genetically modified to produce its own pesticide (Gewin, 2003).  Lots of plants produce pesticides (Ie.  Marigolds), but they aren't typically eaten (Guimaraes, 2006).  Corn is in nearly everything now, so this is a significant one.  Some corn is marked non-GMO, but it can still contain these pesticides because the label "non-GMO" is not regulated.  Because the pesticide is part of the plant (not sprayed on, for instance), you can't wash it off, and the body is forced to try to deal with it.

Alcohol.  Most people recognize this isn't beneficial.

Caffein.  Interferes with sleep, for instance.  Also dehydrates, and causes all sorts of sensitivity problems.  It is implicated in sleep disorders, anxiety, headaches, and eating disorders.  Decaf coffee is often processed with chemicals that will make symptoms worse.  I imagine that water-processed decaf would be okay.  Kicking Horse makes an INCREDIBLE swiss water processed decaf.

Sulphites.  The Health Canada website goes into detail on this one.

Acrylamide.  This is a cancer causing agent that isn't a food additive (so wont show up on any labels), but is produced during cooking of certain foods.  For instance, Potatoes+Oil+High Heat (French Fries), produces this (Becalski et al., 2004). Health Canada explains more.

So I'm sure your wondering... so what can she eat?
1.  Organic Foods (pesticides only put more burden on the body)
2.  A couple of servings of fruit/day (once my insulin is better)
3.  LOTS of veggies (the more raw the better)
4.  Nuts, Seeds, Legumes (ie. beans, peas, lentils, chick peas)
5.  Meat (I've been a vegetarian since grade 2, but if I could stomach it and find organic meat from an ethical source, who knows...)

I'll post some favorite recipes at some point!

This process has been difficult, to say the least, but I have to say that how good I feel has counterbalanced the difficulty and made this so much more than worth it!  My body is getting stronger and stronger, and these things that have plagued me for so long - that I was told I'd just have to accept as normal FOREVER have gone away - Its given me freedom from suffering and hope for more in the future!!

I hope that you will find relief from the things that have plagued your health, and find total healing! 

Happy Health!


Coming soon:  Fixing Deficiencies and Toxicities