Are you having trouble trying to lose those extra pounds that never seem to budge no matter what you try?  Do you experience decreased and negative energy levels, suffering from constipation and having a gassy belly making your life horribly uncomfortable?

ARE TOXINS THE PROBLEM, IF SO HOW AND WHY?

Right from birth everyone enters a lifelong battle with toxins.  More like a war really, and we are not just referring to pesticides or hazardous waste.  A toxin is anything that damages the body.

Toxins can be from food, air, water, mold, clothing and even your cell phone.  It would be nearly impossible to cover every possible toxin in this article, but we can show you how to identify and remove the most common and damaging.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the brain is sensitive to the food we eat and that our diet plays a pivotal role in the health and function of our brains. Foods with a high glycemic index, meaning refined carbohydrates like white bread, rice, cornflakes and potatoes can have a negative impact on your brain. This commonly results into decreased brain functions and depression. On the other hand, the more lactose, fiber, non-juice fruit and vegetables the study participants ate the less likely they were to get depressed.

If aching knees, head throbs, stiff shoulders and other painful joints are something you regularly experience, you're not the only one. According to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 14 million people said they suffer from severe joint pain, commonly caused by inflammation in the body from food toxins. Remedies include regular exercise and supplements, but what you eat may also help.

There are numerous food toxins out there, but one of the biggest are mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are damaging compounds produced by various species of mold.  They can cause cancer, heart disease, kidney and liver failure, insomnia, stunted growth, miscarriage, and decreased brain function.

Mycotoxins aren’t just found in food.  They are found in mold from drywall, plumbing, and any other source of rot.  There are hundreds of other toxins, but this article is already long enough, so now we're going to give you the quick reference guide for identifying and removing toxins.

Identify Toxins

Look for mold/mildew in and around your house and workplace.

Mold is sometimes hard to find, or goes unnoticed.  Showers, toilets and other areas with a lot of moisture are good places to start.  Drywall and plaster can often get moldy, if too exposed to moisture.  Older houses generally have more mold, due to poor ventilation and leaky plumbing.

There are many other toxins besides mold in most buildings.  Look for new carpeting, ventilation ducts, computers and cell phone towers.

See if you’re allergic to mold.

Everyone has some type of allergy when it comes to mold, but for some people it can be life threatening.  Growing up in a house with mold, will make you especially sensitive.  People have been known to hallucinate after eating a few bites of fresh corn that was contaminated with mycotoxins.  While everyone should avoid mold as much as possible, it’s wise to see just how much of a reaction you will have.

Review your current diet.

Reviewing your current diet means different things for different people, but some basic principles apply to just about everyone. A good diet plan consists of eating mostly plant-based fresh foods (especially vegetables and some fruit) along with adequate amounts of quality protein and healthy fats. Some people might associate clean eating with being “plant-based” or even vegetarian/vegan, but this isn’t necessarily true. It’s not about eliminating animal foods and just eating plant foods.  It’s about creating balance and choosing the best quality you can.

Remove Toxins

How to eat clean.

Eating clean eliminates (or at least greatly reduces) a lot of the most common food irritants, allergies and sensitivities, while supplying all sorts of different nutrient-dense foods.  This is best way to get rid of toxins guaranteed.  Not only does it avoid toxins from food, it also helps you remove toxins stored in your body’s tissues.  With a little intermittent fasting – you can remove a lot of toxins that would stay trapped in your cells.  When you lose weight, you may also release toxins from fat cells, some people have reported feeling a little under the weather before feeling amazing when they first switch over, this may be why.  Others go straight to feeling better.

A long detox diet is the ultimate health and beauty boost, and the perfect way to kick-off a weight-loss program. For most of us, however, detoxing conjures up visions of living on nothing but water for days - and then scoffing our way though a packet of chocolate digestives to cheer ourselves up. Not any more. Here is a painless detox solution that will fill you with a sense of well being.

Grass-fed meat is one of the most important parts of the diet.  Please be careful to choose high quality chocolate and coffee as these are other possible sources of mycotoxins.

Cook your foods at lower temperatures.  Incorporate water into your cooking whenever possible, and  again use low temperatures.  Do not use a microwave or fry.  Cooking foods at high temperatures, especially by frying can cause formations of a compound called acrylamide, which may be linked to cancer.

Drink clean water and avoid plastic bottles.

Public water contains fluoride, chlorine and other nasty chemicals.  Bottled water is okay in small amounts, but the BPA could be a problem with prolonged use.  A report from the CDC found BPA in 92.6% of adults.  When you remove BPA containing items from your diet for just three days, you can reduce your BPA levels by around 66%.  Canned food and shopping receipts are also sources of BPA.  Who knew?

Well water is a safer option over bottled water.  If you can’t get a well, install a water filter (for the sink and shower).

Avoid air fresheners, new plastics, and harsh cleaning agents.

If it’s synthetic and has a strong smell – it’s probably toxic.  New cars, carpets and plastic clothing should either be washed or left to air out before you use them.

Protect yourself from EMF’s.

Electronic devices like cell phones and laptops produce electromagnetic radiation.  This kind of radiation may damage sperm quality, cause headaches, behavioral problems, disturb sleep and for some cause skin irritation.  While the research is conflicting, the World Health Organization thought it prudent to establish a project to study EMF’s for health concerns, like an increase in certain kinds of cancers. Here are eight ways to avoid EMF’s

1. Install EMF filters in your house.
2. Hold cell phones/laptops 10-20mm away from your skin at all times.
3. Turn your cell phone on “airplane mode” when it’s in your pocket.
4. Use a headset or ear buds for speaking.
5. Use an anti-EMF case like Pong for your iPhone or Android.
6. Keep your cell phone at least one inch from your skin while talking.
7. Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak.
8. Use a different side of your head to talk on the phone to disperse the radiation across both sides.

There are many ways to reduce toxin exposure, so you may the find following solutions effective and simple.

Supplements

There are some supplements that can be extremely effective at removing toxins.

Calcium-D-Glucarate

This is a naturally occurring compound that your body makes in small amounts.  In supplement form, it aids in the removal of heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, excess estrogen, and metabolic byproducts.  It also helps lower LDL cholesterol.

Spirulina & Chlorella

These are two kinds of blue-green algae that are extremely effective at binding and removing toxins from your body.  They work well for detoxing from heavy metal exposure, which is often a problem if you eat a lot of seafood.  Take a handful of chlorella tablets every time you eat tuna, or any other high mercury fish.

Upgraded Coconut Charcoal

This works well if you’ve eaten something you probably shouldn’t have.  It also helps with the removal of toxins that would otherwise keep circulating throughout your body.  If you know you’ve been exposed to a large number of toxins and want a quick fix, it is highly recommended that you take activated charcoal.

Toxins pose a real and dangerous threat.  If you’ve been doing everything right in terms of diet, sleep and stress, but you still don’t feel like you’re performing optimally – you’re likely suffering from toxin exposure.  On the other hand, you may be performing better than you ever have, but still see room for improvement.  The steps laid out here only account for 80 percent of what is needed to solve this problem, but the remaining 20 percent not mentioned in this article does the trick as well..

In what ways do you think toxins may be effecting your health?  What other toxins do you think go unnoticed?  How do you identify and remove toxins?