Ask a hundred random people about deadly things we encounter in modern life and they might respond with answers such as violent crime, accidents involving guns, automobile crashes and heart attacks (among many other possible answers.) Most people probably would never think about the deadly killer that is all around us in virtually every part of the United States and every other developed nation. Toxic metals are found in the food we consume, pesticides and herbicides, kitchenware and accessories, building materials and even paint. We have been filling our environment and our bodies with deadly toxins for centuries yet little attention has been paid to these dangerous substances.

The biggest threats come from a relatively small number of toxic metals. There are six, in fact. These metals are

• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Nickel
• Aluminum

As you probably know, many of these metals have been used in common items such as batteries to cooking pots and household appliances. Now for the scary part- many people all over the world are exposed to these toxic metals from seemingly innocent places like the air we breathe and the food we eat.

Here are some symptoms to look out for:

• Numbness in the mouth, tongue and throat
• Vomiting or severe nausea
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Difficulty breathing and/or irregular heart beat
• Impaired motor, language or cognitive skills
• Migraine type headaches

These symptoms indicate an acute exposure to toxic metals and should be addressed by your health care provider immediately.  Many of my patients find relief by using products such as Uber Greens, which you can find more information about here.

Chronic illness due to toxic metals is more difficult to diagnose because everyday millions of people deal with the exact same symptoms such as fatigue, foggy brain, joint pain, acid reflux, bloating, constipation insomnia, anxiety and depression. Ask your doctor to order blood, urine and/or hair analysis tests to further evaluate your body for possible exposure to toxic metals.

In my book The 7-Day Allergy Makeover, I go into detail about the dangers of toxic metals and how to avoid these poisons to prevent allergies and disease.

Here are some of the needle movers I recommend you to implement today:

• Replace aluminum and stainless steel pots and pans with glass, enamel or ceramic cookware. Stainless steel pots and pans are made with nickel, which can cause a great deal of digestive and skin issues.
• Use glass water bottles instead of steel canteens
• Use porcelain, bamboo, or wooden utensils
• Always use the recirculating air button while driving to prevent breathing in exhaust fumes and toxic metals such as mercury and lead.
• Avoid aluminum based cosmetics and antiperspirants (increase risk of Alzheimer’s.)
• Avoid flu shots and thimersol (mercury) based vaccines.
• Check for lead based paint in your home and office.
• Avoid and remove all silver dental fillings made of mercury
• Use natural pesticides and insecticides such as rosemary and mint oil, instead of conventional chemical based pesticides, which are formulated with heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury.
• Stop smoking and avoid second hand cigarette smoke- you are sucking down cadmium bombs!
• Avoid eating “wide-mouthed” fish such as tuna, swordfish, bass, mahi mahi and shark and instead eat small wild caught fish such as sardines, anchovies, sable fish, sockeye salmon.
• Organic is the best policy! Avoid conventionally grown produce, poultry and food. Chicken fed non-organic feed is contaminated with arsenic.
• Drink purified water instead of tap water and avoid natural-spring water coming from granite rich land such as the Rocky and Sierra Mountains. Arsenic levels are high in granite rock.

We all need to be concerned about the toxic substances that are building up in our environment and potentially harming our children and our health. The toxic metals described above such as arsenic and mercury disrupt our energy output and nervous system, impair our senses, affect our children’s development and can even lead to cancer. We all need to work together to eliminate the use of these toxic materials but in the meantime we must make a strong effort to reduce our exposure to arsenic, lead, mercury and other toxic metals. We owe it to our children and ourselves!