A benchmark investigation of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in umbilical cord blood reveals that involuntary levels of hundreds of toxic chemicals are rising in newborns. Not so long ago, scientists believed that babies were protected from pollution outside of the womb by the mothers’ immune system and the placenta. Not so. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) commissioned lab tests on 10 random Red Cross cord blood samples and were astonished to report that each blood sample averaged 200 chemical contaminants including mercury, Teflon, and pesticides.
Previously, I’ve discussed how even children living hundreds of miles away from sources of pollution and raised on organic foods, with every effort made to avoid chemical residues, evidenced high levels of contamination. That was frightening by itself, but now it appears that merely being born is enough to send your toxic burden through the roof.
Most people are certainly aware that government regulations (and that’s all governments) relating to pollution and toxic waste are hugely inadequate, but not many suspected things were this bad – where infants and protected children are guaranteed high levels of contamination – for merely existing.
This is a wake up call to:
- Keep your home environment as clean as possible.
- Clean your drinking and bathing water.
- As much as possible, use organic food from trusted sources
- And detox regularly. You have no choice. No matter how pure your lifestyle, you must detox throughout the year: colon, liver, blood, kidneys, and heavy metal. Toxins are everywhere.
Jon,
This is another shocker, although after everything i’ve read on the subject I almost just want to shrug my shoulders.
Aside from yearly/twice yearly detoxes of each major filter/elimination system, I am trying to incorporate daily routines that help my body to stay as clean as possible between detoxes.
This includes –
1) Periodic Juice fasts w/ fresh squeezed, organic juices.
2) Wearing a Q-Link (which I hope is doing something).
3) I just got a water ionizer. These are supposed to aid in detoxification, keep your body alkaline, and scavenge free radicals.
Can you give me any other recommendations for day-to-day ‘detox maintanance’ and specifically could you give me your opinion on water ionizers?
Thanks!
Adam:
Actually, there’s no such thing as a water ionizer. I’m guessing you’re talking about the devices from Japan and Korea that separate water into acid and alkaline water. They don’t actually ionize the water. That’s a misnomer. They work by using electric plates with positive and negative charges. One side of the chamber collects all of the minerals with a positive charge (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc. — the alkalinizing minerals). The other side collects the negatively charged, or acid minerals. This separates the water into high and low pH water.
Drinking high pH water is invaluable for good health. The so-called water ionizers do a good job, but then so does adding coral calcium to the water — for less money. Even subjecting the water to a magnetic field can raise the pH of the water as much as a point, depending on its mineral content.
PS: The fasting protocol I recommend is
One day a week on fresh juices and green superfoods. I recommend vegetable juices over fruit juices because of the lower sugar content
Once a month do a three day juice and superfood fast.
Along with your semi annual liver detox, incorporate a 5-7 day juice fast
Hello Jon,
Could you be more specific regarding the juice fasting protocol that you recommend. How much juice and superfood are you drinking and using throughout the day? Are you taking supplements during the weekly and monthly juice fasts? How about using the progesterone cream during the juice fasts?
During the liver/gallbladder detox–are you starting the morning drink on day one of the seven day juice fast and ending it on day five and then juicing for two additional days? Is there any advantage to extending the L/GB detox for a sixth or seventh day.
Thank you very much Jon.
Hello Jon,
Could you be more specific regarding the juice fasting protocol that you recommend. How much juice and superfood are you drinking and using throughout the day? Are you taking supplements during the weekly and monthly juice fasts? How about using the progesterone cream during the juice fasts?
During the liver/gallbladder detox–are you starting the morning drink on day one of the seven day juice fast and ending it on day five and then juicing for two additional days? Is there any advantage to extending the L/GB detox for a sixth or seventh day.
Thank you very much Jon.
Any good juicing book will walk you through a simple juice fast. While fasting, you will want to minimize supplements to give your body a rest.
When it comes to fasting during the liver detox, you can find the complete protocol at http://www.jonbarron.org/newsletters/02/8-5-2002.php.
Jon, Your site is a great discovery thanks to a friend, and I would like to subscribe. ON this topic, you may want to look into the value for removing petrochemical or other lipid based toxins (including meds) with Ayurvedic cleansing methods. They are gentler for mothers aiming to concieve, for thinner or more fragile body types, and many other indications. The methods used engage organic lipids to safely neutralize and usher out these toxic chemicals, along with other therapies for the cleansing protocols.
Warm Regards;
Ysha Oakes
Postpartum AyurDoula Care, Training & Aromatherapy
Hi Jon!
Hi Jon!
I have just come across this site, and am really enjoying your health conversations.
I am a nursing mother to my third baby boy (4.5, 3, & 11 months), and am very eager to start fasting. However, when I try to do a full 24 hours fast, incorporating fresh juice, I feel very shaky and weak. Now, I’m not sure if it is psychological or if I legitimately cannot handle the fast since I still breastfeed my son quite often; he is 11 months now, but still primarily breastfed.
I feel very sick, lethargic, suffer from serious constipation, cannot loose weight, snack too often, and really struggle to exercise. I know having three children is exhausting, but I feel very scared for my health and overall well-being. I don’t want to wait 2 or 3 more years before this youngest is in school to be able to take care of myself! I want to fast, but I really don’t know how to overcome the weakness it brings. I even tried daily intermittent fasting, and could only do that for about 2 months before I quit…it was too hard with the kids needing food all the time and my husband not supporting me.
Am I giving myself too many excuses? I have no local doctor to get your kind of “alternative” insight on all of this, and there is just a serious lack of information out “there” on post-partum topics like this.
Thank you for your time and this site!
Hi Nicolette,
Hi Nicolette,
Jon is pretty adamant that you should not do any form of detox or cleanse while pregnant or breast feeding. I would follow these guidelines only for now: http://www.jonbarron.org/article/supplements-preconception