Do you have a low or high set point for happiness?

Yes, it is true that some people are born with higher set points for happiness than others. Not fair!  Ever been around someone who wakes up in the morning singing or whistling and making jokes?  Well, I was certainly not born with that high of a set point, but we can all raise our set point over time!

And there is a lot we can do to raise our set points for happiness from being present and mindful to inviting playfulness and laughter into our daily lives.  And even something new and interesting each day!

There are so many ways to increase our happiness set point, but for now let’s focus on certain foods and nutrients!

What are our molecules of happiness?

Serotonin receptors exist in our gut and throughout the brain. Serotonin is responsible for positive mood, feelings of peacefulness, optimism, and self-confidence.  Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression and anxiety.

Dopamine is our neurotransmitter that is vital for motivation, pleasure and reward.  Low levels are linked to depression, lack of motivation, and decreased pleasure.

Oxytocin is our love hormone that is associated with social emotions such as trust, generosity, and empathy. It also is responsible for deep social bonds such as between mother and child or the bond experienced in romantic relationships.  Interesting to note that dopamine stimulates the hypothalamus to produce oxytocin.

What can we do to support the production of serotonin and dopamine (and ultimately oxytocin?)

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is converted to 5-HTP and then to serotonin.  High tryptophan foods include seeds, nuts, wild game, beef, turkey, tempeh, tofu, kelp, pineapple, and bananas. So you would think that people would reach for these foods when they need a boost or happy pill. Unfortunately, high-tryptophan foods won’t boost serotonin on their own.  The tryptophan you find in food has to compete with other amino acids to be absorbed into the brain, so it’s unlikely to have much of an effect on your serotonin levels.  However, eating these foods with starchy carbohydrates might help, as carbs cause the body to release more insulin, which then promotes amino acid absorption.  But even this does not ensure an increase in serotonin levels right away, as tryptophan is a larger protein molecule and is at a disadvantage with the smaller amino acids when competing for entry. So what do people reach for?

Sugar and processed carbohydrates! Foods rich in sugar and processed carbs will raise serotonin levels quickly, but only temporarily. And then you just keep wanting more sugar and processed carbs for another boost, leading to weight gain and blood sugar issues and gut problems!  And more mood issues!  Over time, the cookies and pasta and bagels used to increase serotonin levels actually inhibit production of serotonin!

How does tryptophan get converted to serotonin?   Key vitamins and minerals needed to convert tryptophan down the metabolic pathway to serotonin include magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and iron!  So many Americans are deficient in magnesium zinc, and B6 due to lack of these nutrients in their diets AND medications/OTC drugs that deplete these critical nutrients.

Tyrosine is an amino acid that is also found in many foods and is converted to L-Dopa and then dopamine.  This metabolic pathway depends on magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and iron.  See a pattern here?

Are you getting these important nutrient co-factors through diet and supplements? Foods rich in magnesium include nuts (esp. almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, and filberts), seeds, whole grains like buckwheat and millet, tofu, leafy greens like collard leaves and dandelion greens, and dried fruits like dried figs and apricots.

Foods rich in vitamin B6 include seeds (especially sunflower seeds), lentils and other legumes, bananas, avocados, greens such as spinach and kale, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower.

Foods rich in zinc include oysters (the highest source of zinc!), other shellfish, red meats, and plants foods such as nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Eat a variety of unprocessed plant foods in the lists above to support the conversion of tryptophan and tyrosine to your happy molecules like serotonin and dopamine.  Remember that dopamine also stimulates the production of oxytocin!  And you can increase your oxytocin levels just by giving or receiving a BIG hug!

All these plant foods are loaded with plant chemicals that decrease oxidative stress and inflammation…which ultimately leads to all biochemical pathways working more efficiently!

TAKEAWAY:  Ensure that you are getting enough amino acids through protein rich foods and a variety of fresh veggies, fruits, nuts/seeds, and legumes (if tolerated) to support the conversion of amino acids to your happy molecules!

If you are unsure if you are low in magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6 or iron, you can have your nutrient status assessed via blood or urine.   Red blood cell magnesium is a good test to assess magnesium levels.  An Organic Acids test is a good way to assess B vitamin levels. You may need to supplement short term to bring your vitamin and mineral levels back to balance.  Your happiness depends on it!

 

What does gas, bloating, and constipation have to do with your brain health?

You might have heard how important a healthy gut microbiome is to your body and brain.  Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and yeasts in the gut have been linked to inflammation, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and yes, brain fog!  Clean up the gut and often these symptoms go away.

An article in Scientific Reports in 2015 reported that different brain regions are infected with fungi in Alzheimer’s Disease. This article suggested the possibility that untreated fungal infections slowly spread to the Central Nervous System and when the fungal burden gets high enough, neuronal loss takes place and communication between neurons becomes impaired.

Take away: An untreated yeast infection in the gut can make its way to the brain!

How do you know if you have overgrowth of unfavorable bacteria or fungi in the gut?  Most people will experience unpleasant GI symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, and even abdominal pain.  However, some people do not have any GI symptoms and instead may experience non-GI symptoms such as allergies, joint pain, weight gain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog, and the list goes on!

Unsure if you have an unhealthy gut microbiome or fungal overgrowth in the gut? I recommend doing a functional stool test which looks at your healthy bacteria population and overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria and also detects parasites, worms, candida, and fungi.  It even detects inflammation in the gut.  Schedule a complementary strategy session here to learn more about this comprehensive stool test.

Once you know what is causing your GI symptoms (or your non-GI symptoms), you can take action to restore a healthy gut and brain!

Insulin Resistance in your brain: Why you don’t want this and how to test for it

When you hear insulin resistance, you probably think of diabetes or blood sugar issues.  When you have insulin resistance, your cells are not responding very well to insulin’s message to take up the circulating glucose or sugar in your bloodstream for energy and suddenly you are on the path to Type 2 Diabetes. Your blood sugar remains high and your cells do not get the energy they need to perform optimally.  And you feel crappy.

Did you know that insulin resistance also happens in the brain? Your neurons end up not getting the energy they need from glucose to produce energy and communicate with each other and your brain health suffers.  A slow down in energy metabolism caused by insulin resistance leads to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction which then ultimately leads to inflammation.  A not so pretty cascade of events.

Dr. Dale Bredesen, author of  The End of Alzheimer’s  lists insulin resistance as one of the major underlying causes of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease.  This has also been called Diabetes of the Brain.

Maintaining optimal blood sugar levels is imperative to your brain health and the health of your whole body.  In fact, keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range is crucial to aging gracefully!  And the good news is that simple changes in diet and lifestyle can make your cells more receptive to insulin and bring down your glucose levels. You can be proactive about protecting your brain from insulin resistance!

Step 1: Get tested! Especially if you have not been to your primary care physician in awhile!  When you check in with your primary care physician each year, make sure that he or she is testing for fasting glucose. This means that you need to make your appointment in the morning!  Optimal fasting glucose levels are between 75 and 85 mg/dL.  Please note that optimal does not correspond with typical lab reference ranges.  If you start to see your blood glucose levels inch up every year, you most likely have the beginning stages of insulin resistance. Warning bells should be ringing when you start to see fasting glucose numbers in the mid 90’s and alarm bells should be going off when you see numbers in the high 90’s and 100’s.

Ask your doctor to test for Hemoglobin A1c as well.  This lab value gives you a better picture of how you are managing your blood sugar levels long term – approximately a three month time period.  This is also a great test to do when you are assessing how your diet and lifestyle changes are impacting your blood glucose levels! Optimally, Hemoglobin A1c should be below 5.6%.

Knowing your numbers helps you determine how assertive you need to be with dietary and lifestyle changes and if supplements are needed to support lowering of blood glucose levels and to combat insulin resistance. It is never too early or too late to start testing and make changes!

If you need help figuring out what to do when you get your test results back, please set up a complementary strategy session with me here.

Three Heavy Metals That You Need to Know About to Protect Your Brain

Unfortunately, our water, food, and environment are filled with toxins like heavy metals and chemicals that can severely affect our brain/body health.


The GOOD news is that we can identify these toxins that are harming our brain, reduce exposure to them, and support the elimination of them from our bodies. Your brain will thank you!

Let’s just look at three heavy metals that pose the most significant potential threat to human health and our brains and how we can take the most important step: REDUCE EXPOSURE.

 

Lead: You have probably heard as a result of the Flint, Michigan lead water crisis that children are very vulnerable to lead and even low levels of lead can increase neuro-developmental risk, including IQ loss and learning disabilities. But lead toxicity does not just apply to children. Adults with exposure to lead can also experience cognitive decline and a host of other health issues as well.

Women need to be especially aware as lead is stored in bones. If lead is present in the bones, then bone loss during menopause will leach any lead into the blood.  Tip:  If you are menopausal and your blood pressure shoots up, make sure to test for whole blood lead as excess lead in the blood leads to hypertension!

Where is lead found?  The biggest sources are drinking water contamination, leaded cans, home remodeling (lead paint dust), older lead pigment paints, many herbal products from India, China, Southeast Asia, toys and other products from China, glazes on ceramic dishware from China and Mexico, wine, and lipstick and makeup.

Avoid lead by choosing a water purification system that filters out lead (see my recent blog on water), wear lead-free makeup, buy lead-free dishware, and be cognizant of how much wine you drink!

Mercury is another heavy metal player that at low levels can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory loss, fatigue, mood swings, sleep disturbance, tremors, and brain fog. And this is just a partial list.

Sources of mercury include fish, high fructose corn syrup, amalgam fillings (vapor outgassing from amalgam fillings), broken fluorescent light bulbs, broken thermometers, cement plants, and coal-powered electric generating plants.

To lower your exposure to mercury avoid eating larger ocean fish which accumulate more mercury (esp. tuna, swordfish, halibut, sea bass), avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup, and consider amalgam filling removal. However, amalgam filling removal must be done safely by certified biologic dentists!

Arsenic is a known carcinogen and chronic exposure can also lead to Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and decreased cognition! Arsenic slows down your body’s ability to produce ATP, your energy currency. Data from almost 50,000 utilities showed that arsenic contaminates more than 7,230 water supplies serving 70 million people and that mercury contaminates more than 280 water supplies serving 2.5 million people. EWG Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Where is arsenic found? In drinking water, seaweed and shellfish, chicken, rice, and soil.

To avoid or lower your exposure to arsenic, invest in a good water system that filters out arsenic, eat only organic chicken, and reduce consumption of rice and shellfish.

In summary, one of the best ways to avoid these top heavy metal players is to invest in a water system that filters them out!!  Again, please refer to my recent blog on water!  If you just do this one thing, it will make a significant impact on your health and brain!

Testing for metals in your body is a bit more complicated as different heavy metals are stored in different areas of the body. Testing the blood usually only indicates acute or recent exposure to heavy metals.  If you would like to assess whether or not heavy metal toxicity is contributing to your fatigue, mood swings, high blood pressure, blood sugar issues, or decreased cognition, please set up a complementary strategy session with me.

Estrogen and your brain and why you should test your hormone levels!

If you are a woman in your peri-menopausal or menopausal years, I am sure that questions around hormone replacement therapy have come up for you. Is this something I need to do?  Will it improve the quality of my life?  Is it safe for me to do?  What are the pros and cons?  What exactly does bio-identical hormone replacement therapy mean?

And what if you have noticed a decline in your focus, mental sharpness, recall, and memory?  Or your Mom, Dad, or another relative had or has Alzheimer’s Disease?  Does this change the risk-benefit ratio for you when it comes to doing bio-identical hormone replacement therapy? Perhaps. You see, hormones are important to a sharp brain!  Maintaining good hormone levels are important in preventing cognitive decline. In women, maintaining healthy estradiol levels is very important to preserving good brain health.

Research demonstrates that estrogen (specifically estradiol) protects multiple brain structures.  Estradiol receptors are found in areas of the brain associated with memory and cognitive function including the hippocampus and hypothalamus, just to name a couple.  And estradiol has been found to decrease beta amyloid levels.  Beta-amyloid is chemically “sticky” and gradually builds up into plaques.  Over time, plaques may block signaling of neurons leading to mild cognitive impairment or AD.

Estrogen also carries glucose to the brain.  Your brain requires glucose to function.  In fact, your brain is pretty greedy when it comes to glucose consumption!  You have probably noticed that when you don’t eat for a long time you hit a wall and can’t think anymore.  That means low blood sugar.  When your estrogen levels are low, you eat but there is not enough estrogen to get glucose to the brain, so your brain does not work right.  You may be unable to focus, be forgetful, and/or irritable.

Does this mean that you need to start bio-identical hormone replacement therapy right away?  No, absolutely not.  BHRT may not be right for you, depending on multiple factors including genetics.  However, if you are experiencing brain decline or have high risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, then it is a GOOD idea to get your hormone levels tested!  And not just estradiol, as other hormones are also super important to good brain health.

Once you know your hormone levels, make diet and lifestyle changes first to support optimal hormone levels.  You may also want to work with a practitioner to determine the best supplements to support your hormones. In fact, you may just need to clean up your gut or support your detoxification pathways to balance out your hormone levels and feel sharp again!  The health of your gut and liver play a critical role in the metabolism of your hormones.  If you have overgrowth of yeast and other not so friendly bacteria, parasites, and lack of good bacteria, your hormones will be affected and this will impact your brain.  Likewise, if your liver detoxification pathways are not optimally supported, your metabolism of hormones will be off and this can certainly cause an imbalance in your hormones.  If your hormone levels do not respond to diet, changes in lifestyle, and supplements, then work with a practitioner to determine if bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is right for you.

TIP: If you are currently drinking a glass or two of wine or other type of alcohol in the evenings, take note!  Did you know that your estradiol levels increase when you drink alcohol but then decline sharply after the alcohol is metabolized?  Often leading to hot flashes and night sweats.  This is because your liver increases certain enzymes to metabolize alcohol, and then these same enzymes metabolize estrogens resulting in a rapid drop of estradiol.

Happy Holidays! Are you traveling this year to visit family?

Travel this time of year can be challenging, especially when you sit next to someone on the airplane who is coughing and sneezing the entire flight!  Your heart goes out to that person but at the same time you wonder why you got stuck next to the sick person and pray that you don’t pick up their bug!

This is when being prepared comes in handy! Always have a bottle of Silvercillin Spray with you, no matter what time of the year. The spray bottle is 4 oz., unfortunately not TSA friendly, so just buy a smaller spray bottle and transfer the Silvercillin Liquid to your TSA compliant bottle. You can pack the bigger bottle in your suitcase that is being checked. When you get on the airplane, do a quick spray down of your seat area to eliminate any potential pathogens.  Also a good idea to use the spray on your hands after you use the ever so fun airplane toilet. Prevention strategy!

If someone sick is sitting close to you, I would also spray some in your throat…pathogens like to lodge there first!  And if you unfortunately get to your destination and feel a sore throat coming on in the next day or two, six sprays to the back of the throat three times daily.  It will either stop the virus in its tracks or at the very least reduce the severity and duration of the cold and sore throat.

As you might have guessed, Silvercillin  is one of my all time favorites! It has saved me and my loved ones over and over again!  What exactly is it?  A highly effective antimicrobial composed of pure silver complexed with purified water. It works so well at preventing colds/flus because it inhibits viral replication! It can be safely used both orally and topically with no known side effects. In fact, it is completely eliminated from the body within 48 hours.  More details here!

Before you leave on your trip, it’s a good idea to take some extra immune support several days before your travel starts and while traveling as well.  These are my favorites this time of year:

  • Vitamin D Complex – 2 capsules daily. Not only does it have immune supporting Vitamin D, but also your other fat soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, which also supports your immune system and works collaboratively with Vitamin D! Pastured eggs are also a good source of both Vitamins A and D!  And just a little side note, Vitamin D is also helpful for seasonal depression.
  • Zinc Supreme – 1 to 2 capsules daily to support your immune system. Zinc has antiviral activity, including activity against several viruses that cause the common cold.
  • Stellar C – 1 to 2 capsules Stellar C daily. Vitamin C supports a healthy immune system, adrenal function, and formation of healthy skin!
  • Probiotic Supreme DF – 2 capsules daily. Since the majority of your immune system resides in your gut, better take care of that gut flora!

And lastly, when traveling,  make a bigger effort to stay hydrated with water, veggie juices, and herbal teas.  Good rule of thumb is to drink one liter water before flying, one liter while flying (more if a longer flight!) and one to two liters after flying. Some flights still offer Vitamin C rich lime and lemon wedges…a good addition to your water!

Please use this code BETHG15 for a 15% discount on all your immune support support products, valid until 12/31/17 midnight!

Stay healthy during your travels and enjoy the holidays!!

Beth

Minimize gut discomfort from rich foods during the holidays! And supplement tips to bounce back after a holiday party!

And just like that, the holidays are upon us again!  🙂  How you get through the holidays is really all about your mindset and the choices you make.  Will you choose a calm, more relaxed holiday season and say no more often?  Or do you prefer to go all out during the holiday season and participate in as much shopping and festivities as possible?  Whatever your choices, here are a few tips to make the holidays more enjoyable!

If you are eating out a lot and attending holiday parties where you are not the one in charge of the kitchen, having enzymes on hand is of utmost importance!  Enzymes will help you digest rich and fatty foods and also lessen your immune system reaction to foods that are potentially allergenic for you. Lessen the bloat, gas, inflammation, and feeling awfully full with Digestzymes. Digestzymes support optimal digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and the breakdown of casein and gluten. Digestzymes also include the enzyme lactase, which helps break down the dairy sugar lactose!

And to keep your gut happy, be sure to take probiotics. Probiotics will also help you fight off colds and flus that are going around!  Please email me for a probiotic formula suggestion.

If your holiday events include a couple of glasses of bubbly, wine, or cocktails, then I suggest the following protocol to avoid feeling sluggish the next day, especially if you have to work:

One N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) capsule before you go out. And one NAC capsule when you come home, before bed.  NAC is an amino acid that is a precursor to glutathione, the body’s most powerful antioxidant!  NAC helps promote optimal detoxification.

The next morning:

One VegeCleanse Plus smoothie for breakfast.  In a blender, mix 1 scoop VegeCleanse Plus powder with 1/2 cup raw coconut water (electrolytes), 1/2 to 2/3 cup frozen berries (antioxidants), a couple big handfuls of a pre-washed greens blend with kale, chard, and other greens (to further support detoxification), and 1 tsp L-Glutamine powder to soothe the gut.  You can also add 1/3  ripe avocado or 1 TB almond or cashew butter to add some good fats!  Add more liquid if you like a thinner consistency smoothie.

VegeCleanse Plus Powder is your multi vitamin/mineral/antioxidant/detox/protein/fiber formula to help you bounce back and start the day off right!  This is my absolute favorite protein/detox powder!

I sincerely hope that these tips help you to minimize discomfort and maximize your enjoyment of the holidays!!  And to maximize your enjoyment even more, please use this code BETHG15 for a 15% discount while purchasing any supplements in my E-store.  Code valid until midnight PST 12/31/17.

 

Beth

Wildfires: Protect your lungs and immune system from smoke and help your body detoxify during times of poor air quality

The Northern California wildfires continue to rage and devastate entire communities. It breaks my heart that so many people have experienced such great loss.  If you live in Northern California, you know how bad the air quality has been over the last few days. As I write this, a very light ash is falling in San Francisco and my eyes and lungs burned as I ran a quick errand outside this morning. I cannot even imagine how bad it is for all the people that live further north in the wine country region.

It occurred to me yesterday as I was meeting with a few doctors in smoky San Mateo that I really need to put together a supplement protocol for respiratory and immune system health during these times of very poor air quality.  And do it soon!  Based on research and clinical effectiveness, here is my best protocol for supporting your health until the air quality gets better.

N-Acetyl-Cysteine:  1 capsule twice daily during exposure to smoke

Quercetin + Nettles – 1 cap three times daily to bring down histamine and inflammation

Detox-Antiox – 2 capsules daily to help combat free radicals and support detoxification

On another note, now is a good time to invest in an air purifier. It is a good idea to run an air purifier all year round, especially if you are an urban dweller. My favorite brand and the one I own: Austin AIR

I hope this information is helpful to you and please let me know how I can be of further assistance.

Beth

Is the water you are drinking healthy for you or harming your health? Part II

I drink a lot of water.  I learned when I was in my 20’s that drinking eight ounces of water per day was important to good health.  In my early 30’s, while pursuing my 2nd career in nutrition, I learned that drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day was critical to a good metabolism and optimal detoxification. Over the years, I have encouraged all my clients to drink plenty of water.  After all, we cannot survive very long without water!

 

But what if our water is polluted and the heavy metals and chemicals in our water are making us sick?  The high amounts of lead found in the water supply of Flint, Michigan is an extreme and tragic example.  Your water supply may have levels of heavy metals and chemicals that have not yet raised alarm bells but are not safe or healthy for you. These heavy metals and chemicals can then hang out in your body over a long period of time and make you sick slowly but surely, robbing you of your health and vitality and causing chronic illness.

 

I recently attended an environmental medicine conference in Portland, Oregon where an entire hour was dedicated to harmful chemicals and heavy metals found in water and how to pick a good water filtration system to make sure you are not drinking in these toxins.  There was a lot to absorb!  To remove the overwhelm and keep it simple, I included some key take aways and resources from this lecture to get you started on making sure you are drinking clean water!

Is your water safe?

The EPA has established primary drinking water regulations for about 100 of the many thousands of known contaminants that appear in tap water. The EPA has not adopted a single new standard for regulating chemicals in drinking water since 1996.

A 2015 review showed that there were 80,834 reported violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act at 18,094 community water systems across the nation. Nearly 9 out of 10 violations were subject to no formal action by the state or the EPA.

How do I find out what is in my tap water?

Environmental Working Group tap water analysis:

https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/#.WcGynEyZOYU

Key heavy metals and chemicals to look out for and/or test in your water supply:

  • Heavy metals: Arsenic, lead, mercury and hexavalent chromium
  • Flouride
  • Disinfectants like chlorine, chloramine, and disinfection by products like trihalomethanes
  • Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA): used in a variety of consumer products. Extremely high persistence in the environment and the human body.
  • MTBE – a gasoline additive used as an oxygenate and to raise the octane number.
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene toluene, and hexane
  • Pesticides

Why does it matter if these contaminants are in my water?

Over time, these heavy metals and chemicals build up in our bodies and cause toxicity to our brain, nerves, immune system, reproductive system, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and affect our hormones and energy production.  For example, volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, xylene, and hexane found in drinking water in much of the USA can affect your nervous system and cause learning, memory, and mood problems, as well as fatigue, headaches, and insomnia.

Water filtration systems:

Reverse osmosis: This process pushes tap water through a semipermeable membrane that blocks particles larger than water molecules.

Pros: Effective at removing many contaminants including arsenic, fluoride, hexavalent chromium, nitrates and perchlorate.

Cons: Does not remove chlorine, chloramine, radioactive gases, THM or other VOCs.

**Many RO systems also include an activated carbon component than can remove additional

contaminants from your water like the ones listed above.

Wastes a lot of water – three to twenty times more water than they produce.

Carbon Filtration:

Coconut shell based micro pores are cleaner & best for wide variety of chemicals
.5 micron catalytic coconut-based carbon block is optimal
*Chloramine removal requires catalytic-grade carbon

Please refer to this awesome hand out provided by Dr. Tina Beaudoin and Dr. Anne Marie Fine for good vetting questions to ask water filtration system manufacturers for point of use filtration devices and filtration devices for whole house filters.  This hand out also includes great resources to test your water!   >>Handout<<

Two water filtration systems that I recommend:

Pure Effect Filters:  https://www.pureeffectfilters.com

Berkey Water:   http://berkeywater.com *Must add on a fluoride and arsenic reduction element.

Wherever you start, some filtration is better than none!  Find out from the resources provided here what contaminants are most prominent in your water and then choose a water filter system within your budget that best removes the contaminants found in your water.  A little time and investment on your part, but definitely well worth it!  After all, you have to drink water to live and clean water really does support optimal health and vitality!  Protect yourself now; don’t rely on the federal government or your state to do it for you!

 

 

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Time to upgrade your water filtration system? You might be surprised what’s lurking in your water!

You most likely drink water everyday.  Maybe six to eight glasses per day?  Or more!  We need water to survive!  And water is one of the most essential components of a detoxification program.  As they say, the solution to pollution is dilution!  But what happens when our water is contaminated?

All over the news: toxic amounts of lead in the water in Flint, Michigan; high amounts of a chemical called perchlorate in the water in San Diego; and massive amounts of pharmaceuticals in the water in Los Angeles.  Yuck!  Suddenly our water supply is not so pure.

I was living in this fantasy that my water in San Francisco was clean.  After all, it comes from the Hetch Hetchy Dam in Yosemite.  I had it tested for lead a year ago and received a clean report!

Fast forward: I recently got the results of my Toxic Chemical Profile test.  This test measures by- products of major chemicals in the urine.

One of the chemicals that tested on the high side was perchlorate.  So not just a Southern California thing!  This chemical is used in the production of rocket fuel, missiles, fireworks, flares, explosives, fertilizers, and bleach.  Studies show that perchlorate is often found in water supplies.  Many food sources are also contaminated with perchlorate.  Perchlorate can disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones. The EPA has also labeled perchlorate a likely human carcinogen.

My test results also showed an elevated marker for a metabolite of organophosphates, one of the most toxic groups of substances in the world, primarily found in pesticide formulations.  Children exposed to organophosphates have more than twice the risk of developing pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), an autism spectrum disorder.  Maternal organophosphate exposure has been associated with various adverse outcomes including having shorter pregnancies and children with impaired reflexes.

I was surprised to have high levels of organophosphates, as I make a special effort to eat organic foods!  However, these organophosphates can end up in our – you guessed it – water supply!  I live in San Francisco and found out that Napa Valley is a hotbed for this class of chemicals and winds can carry these chemicals about 50 miles.

What is the good news?  There are really great water filter systems that can clean this garbage out of your water!  I will be attending an environmental medicine conference in Portland on Sept. 9th and one hour will be dedicated to the best water filter systems.  I will be sure to share my notes from this lecture.  In the meantime, if you feel you cannot wait until September to upgrade your water filter system, please comment on this post or email info@nutritionwithbeth.com for some top of the line water filtration systems.

There is also so much we can do to support the detoxification of these chemicals.  First get rid of the exposure, then support your detox systems!  I learned that pomegranate juice and resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, stimulate an enzyme that helps to detoxify organophosphates.  Omega 3 essential fatty acids are helpful too!

If you read my blogs and newsletters, you know that I am a big fan of regular cleanse programs.  And yes, I will be doing my annual pre-holiday cleanse again this November!  🙂