How do I get started?

It’s important to see your primary care provider for a thorough assessment to ensure that your symptoms are not caused by a medical condition that requires treatment. Even serious diseases, such as cancer, can present with seemingly minor symptoms such as fatigue and back pain. Or, they may only be detected by laboratory tests.

There’s no golden rule about what diet to follow or for how long, but the general theory is to temporarily no more than one month alter your diet in order to strengthen the organs and release stored toxins. This will involve cutting out alcohol and caffeine, two of the biggest culprits, as well as preparing your meals from natural foods free of additives, preservatives, saturated fats and sugar.

Overweight?

If you’re overweight, you have more toxins in your body than a thin person because the body stores excess toxins in fat cells. But don’t despair one of the great additional benefits of detoxing is losing weight!

Sauna Benefits

Heating of the tissues also enhances metabolic processes. Greater cellular energy production facilitates healing. Viruses, tumors and toxin-laden cells are weaker than normal cells. They tolerate heat poorly. Raising the body temperature causes infections to heal more quickly. Hyperthermia, or fever therapy, helps combat infections and even cancer. Our bodies develop fever when ill to enhance metabolism and help kill germs.

The people who support detox diets say that because of emotional stress or dehydration, toxins don’t leave our bodies properly during the elimination of waste. Instead, they believe toxins hang around in our digestive, lymph, and gastrointestinal systems as well as in our skin and hair. According to proponents of detox diets, these toxins can cause all kinds of problems, like tiredness, headaches, nausea, and acne.

We urge you to find out more about Herbal Detox and how it can benefit you today!

Many people incorrectly believe that TSS only affects women, when in fact it can affect anyone – men, women and children. TSS has occurred in all races, although most cases have been reported from North America and Europe.

What Is Toxic Shock Syndrome?
There are actually two different types of this condition. Toxic shock syndrome, which is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, has been associated with the use of tampons. TSS was initially linked to a particular brand of tampons, which have since been taken off the market. Although the exact connection is still not clear, researchers suspect that certain types of high-absorbency tampons provided a moist, warm home where the bacteria could thrive.

Although TSS usually occurs in menstruating women, it can affect anyone who has any type of staph infection, including pneumonia, abscess, skin or wound infection, a blood infection called septicemia, or a bone infection called Osteomyelitis.

A related infection, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, or STSS, is caused by streptococcus bacteria. Most often STSS appears after streptococcus bacteria have invaded areas of injured skin, such as cuts and scrapes, surgical wounds, and even chickenpox blisters. It almost never follows a simple streptococcus throat infection

Symptoms

Toxic shock syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome from staphylococcus starts suddenly with vomiting, high fever temperature at least 102 degrees Fahrenheit 38.8 degrees Celsius, a rapid drop in blood pressure with lightheadedness or fainting, watery diarrhea, headache, sore throat, and muscle aches. Within 24 hours, a sunburn-like rash appears. There also may be bloodshot eyes and an unusual redness under the eyelids or inside the mouth and vagina in females. After that, broken blood vessels may appear on the skin. Other symptoms may include confusion or other mental changes; decreased urination; fatigue and weakness; thirst; weak and rapid pulse; pale, cool, moist skin; and rapid breathing.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome STSS
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome can happen following a streptococcus infection in the body, most often a skin infection or an infected wound. Within 48 hours of infection, the person’s blood pressure drops dangerously low, and he or she may have fever, dizziness, confusion, difficulty breathing, and a weak and rapid pulse. The skin may be pale, cool, and moist, and there may be a blotchy rash that sometimes peels. The area around an infected wound can become swollen, red, and have areas of severely damaged or dying flesh. The liver and kidneys may begin to fail, and bleeding problems may develop.

If you develop toxic shock syndrome, you’ll likely be hospitalized and need antibiotics. Doctors will try to determine the source of the infection. Along with antibiotics, you’ll receive supportive care to treat the signs and symptoms of toxic shock syndrome. If your blood pressure begins to drop hypotension, you’ll need medication to stabilize it and fluids to prevent dehydration. The toxins produced by the staph bacteria may result in kidney failure. If your kidneys fail, you may need dialysis.

I must preface this article with my belief that everyone is chemically sensitive, just some of us have a more severe reaction than others. I believe that has to do with the health of an individual’s immune system. Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional, but I healed myself from my allergies and chemical sensitivities completely, using food as my medicine. All the information that I will share with you is from my experience. My story is located on my website.

First, I must say that severe multiple chemical sensitivity is a temporary condition. I always thought it was permanent and that my life was going to be this living hell until I realized that I could get better. I thought allergies in general were irreversible, but I am here to tell you they are temporary.

In the meantime, there are ways to cope.

Get a really good air purifier for your home…one with coconut shell carbon. Standard carbon is petroleum based and tends to aggravate chemical sensitivities. You can even get one for your car. Try not to drive in rush hour and stay back from other cars’ tailpipes.

Eliminate toxins from your home. There are those that you can control easily, like household cleaners and laundry detergents. It can be as simple as vinegar, soap or hydrogen peroxide. Don’t forget furniture polish too. Try not to use aerosol sprays that vaporize the solution.

Be mindful of new things that you bring into your house. I had an interesting experience with my new washing machine. I began to get dizzy every time I used it and I could smell engine oil. I realized that the heat of the motor caused an out-gassing of the oils and plastics used in the internal parts. I had to put my air purifier right next to it to soak up the fumes or I would have vertigo by the evening.

Use natural products on your body. Makeup, shampoos, deodorant, lotions, sanitary napkins, soap etc. Get unbleached toilet paper, tissues, paper towels. Conventional santiary napkins and tampons may be loaded with chemicals and pesticide residue. There are substitutes for everything.

Clean out your garage. If your garage is attached to your house, the fumes from all the toxic products stored there, including the fuels, plastics and glues in you car, will infiltrate your house!

If you can, do some remodeling. Carpets and padding must be natural. Conventional carpets and padding out-gas forever. No synthetic rugs with stain treatment…wool and cotton are better. Get an air purifier, if you can’t remodel & even if you do.

Put plants in your house. They help filter out indoor air pollution. English Ivy, Peacelilly, Cornplant, Chinese Evergreen etc.

Be careful about buying new furniture with the chemically coated fabrics and formaldehyde in the particle board, not to mention the toxic varnishes and stains. Go for used or pieces that you can finish yourself. Buy non-toxic paints and even then, stay out of the house until it is dry. There are environmental building centers where you can find all the alternative paintvarnishglue products for your home.

When you insulate your roof or walls, make sure the insulation is formaldehyde-free.

Put filters on your shower to get the chemicals out. You don’t want to breathe in those vaporized in your shower or absorb them through your skin. Filter your drinking water too.

Is your heating system gas or electric? Natural gas can cause allergic reactions.

Stay away from pesticides indoors or outdoors and no more lawn chemicals. I read somewhere about there being higher numbers of women with breast cancer living in homes that use yard chemicals. Why take that chance? There are safer alternatives.

Gas lawn mowers, leaf blowers etc., are more polluting than cars. Use a push mower, and electric weed whackers and your hands. It’s good exercise.

Try to stay out of shopping malls with all the chemical-laden clothes and toxic building materials and cleaners and perfume counters. Perfume is such a huge offender. Don’t wear it and ask all family and friends to leave it off when they are coming to your home. Try not to be in a closed in space it. Wash all new clothes and rinse with vinegar in the water.

Avoid brand new buildings or newly remodeled ones using conventional paints, carpets and glues. They still out-gas in older buildings, just not as much.

Did you know wrinkle free sheets and shirts are treated with chemicals to keep them looking that way? Some of those chemicals actually make it harder to fall asleep. Be aware that cotton is one of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crops, try to buy organic.

Now you know that there are a lot of ways you can control chemicals in your environment. It may seem overwhelming, so just change one thing at a time. Before you know it, you will have created a safer home.

Remember, these sensitivities and allergies are just temporary if you rebuild your immune system with nutrition.

Why do we need to detox?

Our bodies are able to detoxify chemicals without help. However, many experts believe that the enormous number of chemicals we ingest daily through food, water, and the environment can accumulate.

The buildup, called the toxic burden or body burden, can overwhelm the body’s capacity to detoxify and may lead to hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiency, and inefficient metabolism

What are the possible side effects of a detox diet?

Some people may experience headache, acne, weight loss, or fatigue during a detox. These symptoms usually diminish after a few days. For this reason, many people take time off work to begin a detox or start the diet on a Friday night.

Remember that your organs will benefit from any kind of rest, so you can always go for an in-between option where you replace your biggest vices with healthier alternatives.

Detox Side Effects

1. Many people experience headaches at the beginning of a detox as their body is coming to terms with the dramatic reduction of its daily poisons. That is why it’s worth cutting down your main vices slowly before you start;

2. Your energy may dip before it rises, so it’s worth starting the programme on a weekend to let your body adjust.

Drink caffeinated beverages?

Most Americans do. And with the stress of our society, it’s hard not to. Even if you’re not ready to quit for good, a spring and fall detox can give your liver a chance to rest from detoxifying all that caffeine every day, and that can have tremendous physical benefits in terms of more energy, better sleep and reduced stress which in turn can also make it possible to cut down significantly on caffeine after your detox.

Fresh Fruit

Enjoy all fresh fruit. Go easy on grapefruit. A compound in grapefruit called naringin can significantly inhibit liver detox enzymes and should be avoided during detox diets.