Toxins in the home, stress as a toxin, toxins science, medicine, technology

This is the third of three posts that cover Principle One: Stop putting toxins in.

Toxins in the home
Stress as a toxin
Toxins from science, medicine, and technology

Toxins in the home

The average home has over 1000 toxins lurking in cleaning supplies, furniture, and home improvement. Urine, blood, and breast milk samples show that an alarming number of these chemicals, many of them known carcinogens, make it into our bodies. A recent study concluded that damage from using commercial cleaning supplies is equivalent to a pack-a-day cigarette habit.¹

Acetaldehyde and benzene: Carcinogens. Laundry products, dryer sheets.
Aluminum: Neurotoxin, carcinogen. Cookware.
BPA: Bisphenol-A. Endocrine disruptor. In plastics, canned goods, receipts.
Chlorpyrifos: Neurotoxic pesticide. Is killing off be peopulations.
DDT: Outlawed carcinogen, avoid animal fat. Tied to breast cancer.
Dichlorobenzene: Endocrine disruptor, carcinogen. Mothballs, deodorizers.
Fragrances: Endocrine disruptor. Dryer sheets, air fresheners, cleaning.
Flame retardants: PBDEs, PFAs, carcinogen, neuro- and endocrine disruptor. Foam-filled furniture, insulation.
Methylmercury: Toxic to brain, liver, kidney, lungs, immune system.
Molds: Carcinogenic, neurotoxic, tied to autoimmune diseases.
PCBs:Carcinogen toxic to nervous, endocrine, immune, reproductive systems.
PERC: Carcinogen toxic to brain liver. Dry cleaning chemical.
PVC: Endocrine disruptor, carcinogen. Plastics, food storage.
Toluene: Toxic to brain, liver, kidney. Solvent in glue, gasoline household.

Cleaning at home and at work in relation to lung function decline and airway obstruction

Avoid:

non-stick cookware, plastic food and drink containers, commercial cleaning products, mothballs, air fresheners, vinyl shower curtains and flooring, foam furniture, stain resistant coatings, scented laundry products, pillows with non-organic filling, artificial fibers in your linen, PVC furniture coverings.

Make your own:

White vinegar, borax, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, salt, lemon juice, castile soap, essential oils are ingredients to create your own.

Air fresheners – heat water with citrus, herbs, and essential oils.
Laundry detergent – white vinegar, borax, salt
Toilet cleaner – white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice
Glass cleaner – white vinegar, water, lemon juice
Furniture polish – coconut oil
Insecticides – cinnamon oil, vinegar, garlic, cayenne, and borax are all effective.
Mosquito spray – I haven’t actually tried this one but include it because it’s so compelling… 3c Epsom salts, 1 big bottle blue mouthwash, 3 beers.
Pesticide – spray plants with garlic water.
Softscrub – baking soda, castile soap, water
Oven cleaner – Castile soap, water, citrus essential oil
Weed killer – 1 gal. vinegar, 2 c Epsom salts, ¼ c Dawn dish soap
Detoxify – Himalayan salt lamps emit negative ions, which neutralize harmful positive ions. Smudging by burning aromatic herbs sounds high in the woowoo factor but is an antiseptic, has been found to purify air of pathogens and toxins, and to improve lung, brain and skin function.

Stress as a Toxin

Stress is a response designed to heighten our alertness and energy level during emergencies by producing cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. These stress hormones then influence other hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, dopamine, serotonin, glucocorticoids, catecholamines, growth hormone, and prolactin. Heart rate increases and the immune system gets suppressed. Chronically elevated levels desensitize the immune system to cortisol, heightening the inflammatory response. Chronic stress can lead to a number of serious health effects, suppressing thyroid function and the immune system, damaging DNA, fueling cancer, and raising the risk of heart attacks.

Here are three studies linking stress to breast cancer worth considering: Self-reported stress levels predict subsequent breast cancer.¹ Women reporting stress during the five years preceding the first examination displayed a two-fold rate of breast cancer compared with women reporting no stress. Sympathetic nervous system induces a metastatic switch.² Stress-induced neuroendocrine activation had a negligible effect on growth of the primary tumor but induced a 30-fold increase in metastasis to distant tissues including the lymph nodes and lung. Stress & breast cancer: from epidemiology to molecular biology,³ An epidemiological overview of the research. While they conclude more research needs to be done, they offer references to over a 100 studies and offer a great explanation of theories of biological mechanisms. More in Principle 6.

Toxins from science, medicine, technology

Microwave ovens

Microwaves heat food using high frequencies to create molecular friction, which changes the nature of what is being heated, diminishing the nutritional structure of food. One study found a 30-40% loss in Vitamin B₁₂ in microwaved food. Plastic containers leach toxins into food when heating. A Swiss study found decreased red blood cells and increased cholesterol in people who consumed microwaved milk and vegetables. Being in the vicinity of a microwave in use can increase heart rate. Some foods are worse than others to microwave because the molecular changes can actually create dangerous toxins. Beets, spinach, and celery create carcinogenic nitrosamines, potatoes can create botulism, and the proteins in chicken change to potentially make you ill when nuked.

I don’t microwave. Everything has its own vibrational frequency and it seems plausible to me that by microwaving broccoli, for example, you would be changing its unique vibrational signature and that some of the qualities that make it a healing food are going to change. I don’t want that. If you are eating broccoli for its healing properties, why would you alter them?

Electro-magnetic fields (EMFs)

We are surrounded by EMFs in our homes, school, workplaces, and outside, from cell phone and towers, power lines and smart meters, wi-fi routers, Bluetooth devices, etc. They have been found to be potent co-carcinogens with toxic chemicals, such as plastics, pesticides, sunscreens, and fragrances. Together they cause more cell disruption than on their own. They create biochemical changes related to many disease conditions, but in regards to cancer those changes include:

low oxygen (exposed red blood cells collapse and stick together)
– high blood sugar (blood sugar increases in exposed cells)
– toxins leaking into brain and blood (blood brain barrier is compromised)
– DNA damage and abnormal gene transcription
– Increased free radicals and oxidative stress to platelets
Suppressed and unbalanced immune system (alters T-cell balance)
Neurotoxicity and carcinogenesis

A 10-year study in Brazil found cancer deaths increased as a function of proximity to a cell tower that one lived. Data on cell phone usage finds that using a cell phone for more than 10 years doubles the risk of brain tumors on the side of the head the phone is used. Radiations are cumulative and the highest risk comes after 400 hours of use. A relationship between breast cancer and women who stored their active cell phone in their bra was found in a 2013 study. EMFs cause more damage to immature cells and they are less likely to self repair, implying that children may be more at risk. In fact, children who start using a cell phone before the age of 20 have increased cancer rates.

Recommendations to protect against EMFs include:

Ground yourself by laying on the ground, walking barefoot on natural surfaces, sleeping on grounding sheets, or working on grounding mats.
Wear natural fiber clothes as synthetics attract static electricity.
Eat a diet high in anti-oxidants – Vitamins C, E, and D, beta glucans.
Reduce exposure – no smart meters, always keep cell phone as far away as possible, go back to wired Internet and phones, remove clocks, TVs, cell phones, computers, and Wi-Fi routers from your immediate sleeping area.
Use a leather case for your cell phone and tablet.

– For more information, see the Bioinitiative 2012 report

– Cell Phone Radio Frequency Radiation

My notes. I bought a cheap EMF, ELF, and RF detector from Amazon and walked around my house. Everything was predictable and I guess that means what we’ve heard is true. The radiation coming from my clock radio was intense up to 18 inches away so it is now across the room, not at my bedside. The computers I surround myself with predictably set off alarms but I was pleased to see the radiation dramatically decreased 8 inches away. However, my habit of watching my iPad or my laptop in bed is obviously not good as they set off alarms nearly as intense as my cell phone. With no cell service that is just from Wifi and power. I used a pillow mat and the radiation was greatly reduced.

Most disappointing was the alarms set off by dimmer switches for lights. I have all the lamps connected to one dimmer. It hangs by my head as I read or use my computers at night and it puts out a surprising amount of radiation. So I checked all dimmer switches and light switches and lamps with built-in dimmers emitted more radiation than those without, but only when on. A nice surprise was that I couldn’t detect alarming radiation from my wireless router.

I’m not getting rid of anything (luckily I don’t have a smart meter) but I am finding ways to increase distance from those things that have strong radiation, turn off devices when not used, and increase layers of protection when possible. I think it’s good to be aware and make changes when you can.

Medical scans

One of the aspects of modern medical technology that I find the most useful is imaging. Even if I opt out of western treatment options and try to treat something naturopathically, I still feel so much more empowered if I can see what I’m up against. Unfortunately, the radiation it exposes us to is damaging and cumulative, even carcinogenic… some techniques more so than others. And contrast agents can be very toxic. While a single dose may not be significant, so many of us are told to have many, frequent scans. Because of brain and full-body metastasis, I’ve been recommended to have brain MRIs once a month and PET scans once every 6 months. But I’m NEAD and I don’t want that much toxicity so I have a PET scan once every three years (I may not have another unless I get symptoms) and a brain MRI once a year.

Medical imaging exposing us to low doses of ionizing radiation include X-rays, mammography, CT scans, PET/CT scans. MRIs use magnetism and radio waves instead but can use toxic contrast agents. Ultrasound imaging doesn’t produce any radiation. Doses of radiation are measured in millisieverts (mSv). Doses for common procedures are (in mSvs): Dental X-ray .005, mammography .4, CT-Head (with and without contrast) 4, CT-spine 6, CT-chest 7, PET/CT is a whopping 25. They not only expose you to the most ionizing radiation, they use radioactive tracers that are bio-active, absorbed by the body, and can damage tissue and trigger cancer. Effects are cumulative, damage DNA, and are carcinogenic. Children are most sensitive to IR and women more than men. Breasts, thyroid, lungs, bone marrow are more sensitive to radiation.

MUGA vs. echocardiogram: Since I have infusions of Herceptin and Perjeta once a month I must have my heart monitored every six months. MUGAs use a radioactive isotope and I have chosen to limit my poisons, so I have switched to Echocardiograms with the blessing of my oncologists.
Mammography vs. thermography: Mammograms get a bad rap because of false positives and negatives which make them not effective enough to justify the ionizing radiation they expose us to. They have not been shown to reduce mortality. To this day, mammograms have never shown anything in me. When I first had symptoms, they detected nothing suspicious. However, the blood that squirted on the back wall when they squeezed my breast between the plates made the tech almost pass out and caused the radiologist to order a biopsy. The mammogram showed nothing, but it was obvious something was going on. Thermography is an alternative I havent used but have seen compelling presentations showing diagnosis and monitoring of treatment for early stage breast cancer. It’s not widely available, but is safe, has a 97% success rate at identifying abnormalities, and provides a range of useful diagnostic information.
MRIs and gadolinium toxicity: MRIs are superior to CTs in terms of what they will detect and they do not use ionizing radiation. However, they are more expensive and many times use toxic contrast agents, which can cause a range of side effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, e.g.) and kidney damage. Examples are iodine, barium-sulfate, and gadolinium. My experience with doctors is that they do not take the dangers of such toxins seriously and will usually opt for ‘with contrast’ as opposed to ‘without contrast.’ Unfortunately, once you have it with contrast and you need follow up scans to monitor changes, you are locked into using contrast in subsequent scans so that you are comparing apples to apples. I have petitioned unsuccessfully to no longer have gadolinium in my brain MRIs but have gotten caught in that trap. I will focus on gadolinium.

Gadolinium has a half life of 2 hours which means that in that time, half of it will have been processed by the kidneys and be gone, another half gone when anther period has passed, etc. until all gone. However, gadolinium has been found in organ tissue and even urine weeks, months, and years after exposure.

The FDA has said that it is safe but there are lots of support groups out there with people suffering from gadolinium toxicity, including cognitive impairment and serious kidney damage. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has found that it deposits in brain tissue and recommends that it only be used in liver scans. Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) are either linear or macro-cyclic and it has been found that gadolinium is more likely to be retained in bone and tissue if they are linear as opposed to macrocyclic. Talk to your radiologist to determine the type of contrast agent that is proposed to be used.¹

Bottom line… scans should not be done unless there is a clear medical benefit and cautious thought should be given as to the type and frequency of them.

Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents and Brain Safety

Full-body airport scanners

These use millimeter wave radiation. The TSA says it is safe and that we are exposed to more radiation from the cosmos when we fly in an airplane than they subject us to. That claim has been refuted. These scanners use non-ionizing radiation but its concentrated and much more harmful than random ionizing radiation. They subject us to 130,000,000 microwatts/m². Anything over 1000 microwatts/m² is considered an extreme anomaly by the Institute of Building Biology. Microwave ovens operate at almost the same frequencies so you are basically microwaving your cells with such radiation, heating your cells from the inside out and cellular communication can be disrupted. This radiation causes multiple biological effects according to studies published in the International Journal of Oncology.

In addition, the WHO (World Health Organization) reports that these waves can damage eyesight and cause cancer. A single use is probably not that dangerous, but any radiation is damaging to the body and cumulative. Since I do feel the need to subject my body to medical scans, I prefer to use my ‘toxic radiation chits’ on them instead and opt for full body manual pat-downs at the airport instead. Europe has just banned these for health and safety concerns.¹

Europe bans body scanners over health concerns

Heavy metals

Mercury and other heavy metals block metabolic processes within the cell. ‘Replacement reactions’ occur when they occupy biological spaces necessary minerals are looking to fill. Displaced essential metals turn into free electrically-active ions and attach to protein molecules and damage cells. Symptoms of mineral deficiency and displacement by a heavy metal can include: irregular heartbeat, osteoporosis, receding gums, anemia, thyroid dysfunction, impaired digestion, anorexia nervosa, loss of taste, low libido, PMS, thyroid dysfunction, headaches, fatigue, hair loss, joint pain, digestive problems, lack of muscle strength, and more. Heavy metals stimulate the progression of breast cancer, reduce sensitivity to treatment, and impact methylation.¹

Heavy metals … breast cancer progression

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy

I start this sure-to-be-controversial section by emphasizing that I had three kinds of cytotoxic chemotherapy and an intensive schedule of radiotherapy to three parts of my body when I was first diagnosed as metastatic and given weeks to live. It was brutal (see Whatever Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Strong). I probably wouldn’t have done it because they gave me no hope. But I needed to buy 2 months to say goodbye to my son so I said ‘give me everything you’ve got.’ I do believe I wouldn’t be here without it.

I also believe that I would not have survived the onslaught of toxins without my naturopathic protocol. Most of my fallen warriors died from their toxic treatments before cancer had a chance to kill them, so I must discuss the dangers. By no means, should my reporting on this be interpreted as recommending you forego any treatment your oncologist is recommending. That would be bloody hypocritical of me now, wouldn’t it? But walk in with your eyes open.

Does it work? A 2004 study found that chemotherapy was effective in less than 3% of cases and concluded that it’s contribution to survival is minor.¹ The rate for breast cancer was 1.5%. Those are pretty sobering statistics and the study has been challenged but I haven’t found any efficacy studies that refute the argument. It is commonly claimed that 75% of oncologists polled would not choose to use chemotherapy on themselves if they had cancer because it’s lack of efficacy does not justify the toxicity. The original study was very small and the results have been misinterpreted.

In a follow-up survey of 126 medical professionals, only 64.5% of oncologists, 67% of nurses, and 33% of radiation oncologists and other physicians said that they would do chemotherapy. There are a couple of other studies that deliver figures between those two. Regardless of the actual number, it is low enough to not inspire a lot of confidence. Another thing to consider is that many cancers develop a resistance to chemotherapy.

Is it necessary? The recently completed MINDACT clinical trial, studying the accuracy of the Mammaprint genomic profile test concluded that half of early breast cancer patients would not benefit from chemotherapy.²

How toxic is it? Chemotherapy was derived from mustard gas in WWI. It targets fast-dividing cells, such as cancer. Unfortunately, it also kills healthy fast-growing cells, like hair, which is why it falls out. Other fast-growing cells include the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid, heart, kidneys, lungs, bone marrow, and the nervous system. Severe side effects (nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, cachexia, neuropathy, low blood counts, bone and muscle loss, heart muscle weakening, brain fog, cognitive loss, thrush, mouth sores, weight loss, fatigue, skin changes, etc.) are an indication of its toxicity.

I’ve always had a problem with the concept of chemo…. ‘We’re going to poison you to the brink of death, hopefully you’ll survive and the cancer won’t.’ A study recently published in the Lancet³ found that up to 50% of cancer patients in some hospitals died within a month of being given chemo. Study-wide, it wasn’t as severe (8.4% of lung cancer and 2.4% of breast cancer patients), but still enough to give you pause.

Can it make things worse? Chemotherapy and radiotherapy directly damage DNA and may boost cancer growth or even cause new cancers. A recent study looking at long-term effects of chemo on breast cancer survivors finds it weakens the immune system for at least 9 months after treatment.⁴In 2012, a study explained that through acquired resistance, chemotherapy can actually boost cancer growth.⁵ A study published in 2016 shows how chemo can cause cancer to spread.⁶The WHO declared Tamoxifen a carcinogen in 1996. The American Cancer Society, in their Second Cancers in Adults report, acknowledges that both chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause secondary cancers.

Why is it pushed? The extreme anti-chemo people will say that it is money, money, money and that the cancer industry is all about ripping you off and killing you by pushing known poisons that are ineffective at curing cancer solely for profit. Based on the points I’ve made above, there is some merit to their argument. Doctors are, for the most part, prohibited from profiting from pharmaceuticals that they prescribe and/or administer. One glaring exception is chemotherapy. They buy at wholesale and sell at retail. Their practice absolutely profits from it. Hospitals are currently buying up oncology clinics so that they can make more profit from giving infusions.

That being said, I am a naive idealist that gives human beings the benefit of the doubt. While, the news is full of unethical doctors and I’ve had plenty of frustrating experiences with close-minded, myopic and/or incompetent doctors, most professionals I’ve come in contact with have been sincerely motivated by my well-being. Hospitals, for the most part, use their profits to expand their care. The fault I find is the dogmatic adherence to a system that doesn’t seem to be working and minds that are closed to different ways of looking at healing. And, like vaccines, by strict myopic adherence to dogma, effective ways of treating the toxicity of chemo and radiation are not being employed to increase safety and survival.

Vaccines

I don’t wish to invoke the whole vaccine debate. I am not anti-vaccine, I am anti-unsafe vaccine, which everyone should be. Unfortunately the argument has polarized such that the real issues have been obscured. There is no medical benefit to mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, anti-freeze, and other toxic ingredients. They are preservatives and adjuvants that should be replaced with non-toxic alternatives. But the pharmaceutical industry is unlikely to do so because Congress indemnified them against the numerous vaccine injuries that occur every year and anyone asking for a safer product gets vilified as an ‘anti-vaxxer’ putting the ‘herd’ at risk.

My son is vaccine-injured and I would not wish that on anybody. He almost died from the MMR vaccine and has suffered a lifetime of debilitating conditions. My roommate got polio from the vaccine. Vaccines can also be contaminated, such as the polio vaccine which exposed up to 98 million people from 1955 to 1963 to a monkey virus that has been found in cancerous tumors.¹ Read this for pro-vaccine-testing arguments.² My recommendation is do your research on the ingredients contained in the vaccines, spread the schedule out as much as possible, and detoxify immediately after.

Pharmaceuticals

In Toxins in the water supply, I discussed how we can be exposed to chemotherapy and other pharmaceutical toxins even if we aren’t taking them. I’m also concerned about prescriptions that can cause more harm than good. In addition to chemotherapy and vaccines, blood thinners, steroids, NSAIDs, DMARDS, TNF meds, anti-seizure and anti-anxiety medicines can be especially dangerous and potentially carcinogenic. A third potential carcinogen in popular blood pressure medications has just been announced! Not to mention the heartbreaking crisis we now face with opiates. Chemists create chemicals to improve health but disease can be caused or exacerbated by the imbalances created by the ingestion of these unnatural chemicals.

In Whatever Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Strong, I related how, at any early age, I was prescribed medications for relatively minor health issues. The side effects from those meds caused more side effects and more drugs were prescribed. After getting very sick with a multitude of ailments and symptoms, I threw all my meds in the trash after a crisis of confidence in my doctors. My symptoms magically disappeared and I got better!

I take Metformin for the diabetes caused by the

Hydrochlorothiazide I take for high blood pressure

which I got from the Ambien I take for the insomnia I get

from the Xanax I take for the anxiety I got from the Wellbutrin

I take for the chronic fatigue I got from the Lipitor I take because

I have high cholesterol because a healthy diet and exercise

with regular chiropractic care and superior nutritional

supplements are just too much trouble!

— seen on a t-shirt

Please research potential dangers and adverse effects of prescription medication and discuss with your doctor their necessity and safer alternatives. In my case, I determined the potential danger of bisphosphonates outweighed the potential benefit so I discontinued them. Here a couple of places to start…^1,2

The person who takes medicine has to recover twice. Once from the disease and once from the medicine. ‑ William Olser

This post, Avoiding Toxins, is from Book 2 of my Thrive Tribe Series, What I Did and Do and Why, a naturopathic protocol that helps me to survive and thrive, available from the bookstore, starting at $7. I am posting the entire book sequentially, in its entirety, on this blog once a week. Subscriptions are free.

Nothing contained on this website nor in my blogs or books should be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. I am a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer thriver who is currently NEAD and simply sharing my journey in the hopes it helps you to find your power and path. Please research anything I share to determine if it is a good choice for you. I believe in you! Bless you all on the path you choose.

All original content contained on this blog, What I did and do and why, is copyrighted 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Kaiulani Facciani, Snarling Wolf, Inc.

Principle One: Avoiding Toxins (part C)