This collection is based on Daniel Amen, MD’s BRIGHT MINDS model:
T is for Toxins
M is for Mind Storms
I is for Immunity and Infections
N is for Neurohormone Issues
D is for Diabesity
S is for Sleep
Toxins are one of the major causes of brain health/mental health issues that traditional psychiatrists almost completely ignore.
10 ways toxins poison your brain
- Reduce cerebral blood flow
- Disrupt the endocrine system
- Impair the immune system
- Disrupt the gut microbiome
- Increase the likelihood of developing diabetes and obesity
- Damage DNA
- Impair enzyme systems
- Harm organs
- Alter gene expression
- Damage cell membranes
Dr. Amen provides a toxic exposure quiz, and some of the questions raised my eyebrows:
- Do you smoke anything or are you around secondhand smoke?
- Do you use conventional cleaning products and inadvertently breathe the fumes?
- Do you travel on planes more than six times a year?
- Do you pump your own gas?
- Have you lived or worked in a building that had water damage/mold?
- Do you come in contact with flame-resistant clothing or carpet, or furniture sprayed with stain-guard products?
- Do you use traditional pesticides?
- Do you have more than four glasses of alcohol per week?
- Do you regularly eat processed or fast foods?
- Do you regularly eat conventionally raised produce, meat, or dairy, or farm-raised fish?
- Do you eat large, mercury-contaminated fish?
- Do you eat inorganic fruits and vegetables?
- Do you consume foods with artificial colors or sweeteners, such as diet sodas, or use artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin?
- Do you use more than two health/beauty products per day?
- Do you live in a house that contains lead pipes or copper plumbing soldered with lead (build prior to 1978)?
- Do you wear lipstick or kiss someone with lipstick made with lead? [60% of the lipstick sold in the US has lead in it. Yikes. Go to www.safecosmetics.org to learn more.]
- Do you have mercury amalgam fillings?
- Have you had general anesthesia? How many times?
Common toxins that can be inhaled:
- air pollution
- asbestos
- automobile exhaust
- aviation fumes
- carbon monoxide
- cigarette/marijuana smoke
- cleaning chemicals
- fireplace fumes
- fire retardant fumes
- gasoline fumes
- mold
- paint and solvent fumes
- pesticide or herbicide residues near farms
- welding, soldering fumes
Common toxins that can be ingested or absorbed through the skin:
- apples sprayed with diphenylamine
- artificial food dyes, preservatives, and sweeteners
- bisphenol A (BPA) found in plastic, food and drink containers, dental sealants, and the coating of cash-register receipts
- chemotherapy
- general anesthesia in some patients
- heavy metals: mercury, lead, cadmium
- excessive alcohol
- foods manufactured with plastic equipment
- certain health and beauty products
- herbicides such as glyphosate
- many medications like benzodiazepines or narcotic pain medications
- marijuana
- monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- pesticides such as organochlorine and organophosphate (neurotoxins)
- polluted or tainted water
- silicone breast implants that leaked
Mold exposure is a big problem for many people. Here are six common symptoms of mold exposure:
1. unexplained muscle problems
2. brain fog or memory problems
3. difficulty focusing
4. numbness or “pins and needles” feeling
5. digestive issues
6. breathing problems
If you suspect mold exposure, there is a blood test called TFG Beta-1 that can be used as one marker. There is another test Real Time Labs mycotoxin test.
How can you determine whether you have a toxin issue? Since the liver and kidneys do most of the heavy lifting to detox the body, you can start with blood tests that measure liver and kidney function.
Liver
ALT (SGPT): normal range 7-56 U/L
AST (SGOT): normal range 5-40 U/L
Bilirubin: normal range 0.2-1.2 mg/dL
Zinc: normal range: 60-110 mcg/dL
Kidney
BUN: normal range 7-20 mg/dL
Creatinine: normal range 0.5-1.2 mg/dL
The skin can also show signs of toxicity by exhibiting rashes, acne, and rosacea.
If you suspect heavy metal poisoning, there are hair sample and urinary “challenge” tests that can help determine heavy metal levels.
My Action Steps
- Use apps like EWG’s Healthy Living or the Think Dirty app to scan all household and personal care products and throw out any products rated toxic. Use natural products without fragrance that are low in chemicals and free of phthalates.
- Avoid volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by using VOC-free cleaning products, no- or low-VOC bedding materials, low-VOC paints, and throw rugs instead of new carpeting.
- Avoid aluminum and Teflon cookware
- Buy and store foods in glass jars when possible. Do not use plastic containers and never reheat foods in plastic containers.
- Avoid contact with any cash register receipts. Mitch Hedberg had a great bit about this. “I bought a donut and they gave me a receipt for the donut. I don’t need a receipt for a donut. I’ll just give you the money, and you give me the donut. End of transaction. We don’t need to bring ink and paper into this. I just cannot imagine a scenario where I have to prove that I bought a donut.”
- Buy organic food when possible
- Consume at least 30 grams of fiber per day
- Supplement with Vitamin C and magnesium
- Drink lots of clean water
- Read food labels carefully and avoid common chemicals:
- Potassium bromate - carcinogen
- BHA, BHT - linked to tumors
- Sodium benzoate - may damage DNA
- Sodium nitrate - linked to cancer
- Tartrazine dye - linked to asthma
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) also called glutamic acid, hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast extract, and textured protein - linked to seizures and heart issues
- Red Dye #40
- Artificial sweeteners aspartame (blue packets), saccharin (pink packets), and sucralose (yellow packets) - linked to obesity, diabetes, and cancer
- Purify air in the house. I use a Molekule air filter.
- Avoid secondhand smoke of any kind
- Work up a sweat during exercise or visit a sauna to allow the body to naturally release toxins through the skin