Category Archives: Toxins in the Body

Chlorine in the Water of Swimming Pools

Question:

Thanks again for the email newsletters-  I find them very positive and helpful.

I went to a cranio-sacral therapist yesterday here in Myrtle Beach (where we are for 2 months) and it was very relaxing and calming for me. I have gone up in Canada a few times.

I have joined a fitness club and am working out 3 times a week and on the other 2 days swimming in the pool. My question is should I be concerned with the water in the pool ? ( toxins etc) I am going to check with them what they put in to it but it does taste a little salty to me when I have some on my face.

I would be interested in your broadcasts but I use a computer at the hotel on the premises and am not sure how to get in to them.

Thanks again for your services and keep up the good work.

Ted

Response:

I am so glad you find the newsletters helpful. Praise is all I need to keep writing and researching.

On Chlorine in swimming pools …

Your question about chlorine in swimming pools is a tough  question to answer. I personally stopped swimming for the past few years in a swimming pool because of the chlorine. However, I recently decided to begin swimming again because it is such great exercise.

I have concluded that if we apply strict and uncompromising rules about toxic exposure, we rule out every imaginable activity in life. We might as well live in a bubble and allow ourselves no contact with humans or the physical world.

I see no way around being exposed to toxins every day. The pillows we put our heads on are toxic for most people because current laws required that they be dowsed with flame retardant which is very, very toxic.

Most food in grocery stores and restaurants these days is toxic. Even when we breathe (even in Florida) we ingest toxins. The list of exposure opportunities is endless.

I have concluded that a healthy way to approach the challenge of toxins is to eliminate the big ones and to make it a routine to do detoxes two or three times a year. I even change the detox program I use to cover all the bases. In other words, I just accept the fact I am being bombarded with toxins and do my best to detox myself on a regular basis. I make it routine.

Had you asked me this two years ago – I probably would have said – stop swimming in chlorine. The answer is different today, given I plan on returning to swimming in a chlorine pool myself this month.

Life is a trade off and this is one perfect example. I strongly suspect that the benefits  of the exercise outweigh the costs of the toxins.

Question about broadcasts:

I sponsor a weekly broadcast myself and sponsor other famous guests regularly. My teleseminars are Thursdays at 11:00 am pacific time. Times for other teleseminars are always announced in the free Parkinsons Recovery newsletter and on the blog.

You can always listen in on the telephone or connect through a computer. All of the teleseminars are recorded,
so you can listen to the telesemianrs after the event. Times and the events are always posted on the blog here  (www.blog.parkinsonsrecovery.com) for at least a week after the event, so you can download the broadcasts
to your computer (they are MP3 files) and listen later using an IPOD or listen through your computer.

It is great to hear all about your exercise program. It will make a different to  be sure!

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Toxins in the Body or Drug Interactions?

Question:

A good friend is suffering from atypical
Parkinson’s – no more specific diagnosis yet:
Speech almost incomprehensible, weakness,
exhaustion, cramps, falls.

No tremor. Worsening very fast. She is 55
years old. She was on lithium for more than
25 years; Was weaned slowly and off completely
one week ago. Weaned off Depacote June 07.
Took other meds with lithium over the years
for bipolar swings.

She currently is off all meds except vitamin D
and some Bs. Randy Mentzer sounds like he might
have insight into whether and how drugs could
underlie, worsen or improve her condition. To
convince her to get a consult I need more
information about whether he has background
relevant to her specifics.

Please advise re Randy Mentzer or any other resource –
diagnostic or palliative – that might be useful.

Response:

My extensive experience in researching the
factors that produce the symptoms of Parkinsons
lead me to conclude that your friend’s quite
serious complications are caused by possible drug
interactions, drug depletions and/or toxicity.

Taking lithium for 25 years could have led to
chronic (or therapeutic) toxicity. The symptoms
of lithium poisoning are similar to those
that you describe. Drugs can remain in the
tissues of our body long after we stop
taking them.

As you state, she has also taken other medications
which might have exacerbated her symptoms. Thus,
there may be drug-drug interactions at play here.

Taking a medicine for a protracted period can
also induce mineral, vitamin and hormonal depletions.
So, on top of everything else, your friend may be
experiencing the effects of drug depletions.

For clients of ours with such problems, we always
refer them to Randy Menzer who does the research
necessary to figure out what might be causing the
symptoms. Some people give consultations by
talking off the top of their heads. Randy asks
a ton of questions, takes copious notes, researches
each person’s unique situation and prepares an
extensive report which you can take to your doctor
for review and further discussion. Every person’s
situation is unique and Randy treats it as such.

If this were me, I would get a consultation from
Randy. I strongly advise that your friend get a
drug consultation from someone who has expertise
in this area if they are not called to contact Randy.
Perhaps you can find a person in your area who has the
expertise to provide such a consultation.

I personally like Randy because he suggests ways
to address the problems that are created by
drug interactions. I have known him to spend
hours and hours doing research for a single
patient. I trust Randy and that is why I refer
people to him.

You can hear him talk about these issues here:

http://www.parkinsonsrecovery.com/randy.html

I also like the work of Dr. Ivy Faber. She uses
a diagnostic approach and then addresses the
problems that present themselves with
natural treatments that do not overwhelm the
capacity of the body to heal. You can check out
her information here:

http://www.parkinsonsrecovery.com/ivytest.html

In short, the symptoms that are presenting
themselves are clearly serious. They may also
be symptomatic of a drug withdrawal. Symptoms of
Parkinsons typically evolve much more slowly
than what you describe in your letter.

I hope my correspondence encourages your friend
to get a consultation with someone as soon as
possible who is knowledgeable about drug-drug
interactions, toxicity and drug depletions.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
www.Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Sugar Cravings

So, you thought Part II of my holiday
sugar series would be posted the
next day? Afraid not my friend.

Since I decided to indulge in my
favorite sweet for the holidays –
pumpkin pie – I went into a spot of
low energy and depression.

I am back up and running, though
it always takes a few days. Sound
familiar?

How in the world do you (and I) reduce
sugar cravings that have haunted
us our entire life? We can address
nutritional deficiencies, remove
barriers to healing and strengthen
our immune systems. I will briefly
discuss each strategy.

Address Nutritional Deficiencies

First it is important to acknowledge
that sugar cravings mean that you
are not giving your body the nutrition
that is necessary for it to function
optimally. We are certified body
abusers. The abused victim in this case
just happens to be our own body.  

You can approach this challenge in
two ways. First, you can set about
to determine what nutritional deficiencies
are contributing to the imbalance. Is it
too little of Vitamin D3, or B6, or B12 or
magnesium or …?

You can ask your doctor to order an
exhaustive series of tests that evaluate
nutritional deficiencies in the body.
Specific prescriptions of vitamin and
mineral supplements will remedy the
deficiencies in time and reduce the
cravings.

This approach works well for some
people. The downside it is expensive,
time consuming and time limited. The tests
have to be repeated again and again to
maintain the balance that is needed.

Second, you can focus your intent and
energy on giving your body all the
nutrition it needs to heal. This means
eating fresh foods that are free of
pesticides and additives.

With this strategy, what does it matter
today whether you are deficient in one
vitamin or mineral or another? If you eat
nutritious, fresh food every day, you
will eventually give your body all the
nutrition it needs to come back into balance.

Assess Barriers to Healing

What are barriers to healing? Certainly,
food allergies are at the top of the
list for most people. One of my most favorite
foods is whipped cream. I love eating whipped
cream. It makes me happy.

Whipped cream makes my intestines bloat.
My entire digestive system screams out
in pain. My spleen is not a happy camper.
I pay the price for my few minutes of
pleasure for the next 48 hours. And no, I
am not out of the woods yet from eating
pumpkin pie and whipped cream several days
ago. 

My body has a strong allergic reaction to dairy.
End of story. If I eat dairy, I pay the price. 

Toxins also pose fundamental obstacles to healing.
Many people do all the right things to heal the symptoms
of Parkinsons but see little result from their efforts.
This is because their bodies are swamped with too
many heavy metals, poisons, pesticides, cleaning
chemicals or other chemicals that rip up the integrity
of their body’s organs.

The solution is to identify the toxins. Then, 
adopt a program of cleansing to get rid of them. 
The cleansing program should work at a gentle
pace that you body can tolerate. Too much
scrubbing too quickly can create other worrisome
problems.

I have invited Dr. Ivy Faber to be my guest
in a teleseminar tomorrow (Tuesday) who will discuss
approaches for identifying toxins in your body and
methods for releasing them. Click on the link
below to find out more about my interview with her.
Ask your questions at the bottom of the page.

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=1&previewbar=1&eventid=4975707

Strengthen your Immune System

Finally, it very well may be that
your immune system has crashed. You will
never be able to fight off viruses and
bacterial infections unless you can get
your immune system back on track.

There are many very effective therapies which make
use of natural herbs and medicines that can help
build your immune system back up so that your body
will have the overall strength to heal.

Your body will not begin to address neural issues
if infections or viral threats are screaming for
attention. When the body becomes overloaded with
challenges, it prioritizes what problems need to
be addressed first. Infections are at the top of
the list. Neural abnormalities are toward the bottom
of the body’s priority ranking.

In summary, pay attention to the basics and your body
will heal itself. Sugar will no longer rule your mind
or your life. The problems of fatigue, depression and
sleeplessness will become memories of the distant
past.

Write any question you have for Dr. Faber. I will be happy
to ask it tomorrow time permitting.

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=1&previewbar=1&eventid=4975707
 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Toxins in the Body

I have received a ton of questions about
toxins over the past several months, so
I have invited Dr. Ivy Faber, ND, to be a
guest on my teleseminar next Tuesday.
 
Ivy is knowledgeable about how to identify
issues with toxins and allergies. Once
the issues have been identified, she
uses natural approaches to cleanse the
body of toxins and eliminate allergic
reactions.  
 
Click on the link below and write the questions
you would like me to ask Dr. Faber Tuesday in
the space at the bottom of the teleseminar
announcement page.
 
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=4975707
 
I will ask her the questions in the order that
they are asked, so be sure and click on the link
at the bottom to write your questions now so that
you can be sure and get them answered during the
teleseminar Tuesday.  The teleseminar will be
recorded.     
 
EVENT:  Food Allergies, Toxins and Parkinson’s
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, December 9th at 6:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast!
(Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice)
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
 
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=4975707
 
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
 
© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Sugar and the Symptoms of Parkinson’s

Question:

On Saturday night my 30 year old daughter
told me she was afraid she would develop
Parkinson’s Disease at some point in her
life. This put me into a silent fear that
continues to haunt me.

For me I know I resisted anything and everything
that entered my life that I didn’t like.
Everything from a challenging mother in law
to being told I wasn’t qualified for certain
work related positions.

I used caffeine and sugar at times exclusively
over nutritious food to numb that and any other
self depreciating thought/ pain. I personally
feel this was a huge step into a diseased state.

Is there a history of people who have been diagnosed
with Parkinson’s Disease of body abuse in some way?
I would really appreciate any insight you may have.

Response:

Your question asks about the history of
people who have abused their body with poor
nutrition.

There are thousands and thousands of studies that
evaluate the effectiveness of one drug or another
on the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Sugar is not
on that list because sugar is not considered a
drug. The idea behind these studies is to identify
a drug that will provide some relief to symptoms.

Sugar is undoubtedly one of the most toxic substance
that exists in the world today. I know of no medical
researcher who believes sugar can provide long term
relief for symptoms. It is clearly toxic to the body and
deadly in its impact on the function of neural networks.
Neurons are the most sensitive cells of the body. 

If anyone really wants to begin feeling better, one of
the best things they can do for themselves is to stop
eating unrefined sugar. If you want to have verification
that sugar is toxic and harmful, do an experiment on
yourself.

The holidays are upon us, so we all have a great
excuse to eat sweets. Why not indulge yourself?
Eat all the sweet desserts you want for a day. This
is your “treatment.” Sugar stimulates the release of
dopamine, so it mainlines dopamine into blood stream.   

Then, see how you feel that evening and the
following day. I have done that experiment many times
myself and I always get the same result. I feel lousy,
depressed and angry at myself for damaging my body.

I do not think you will ever see published studies that
show sugar is harmful. To prove sugar aggravates
your symptoms, just do your own study on yourself. 

Why do we (myself included) sabotage ourselves? There
are sugar substitutes! There are great alternatives
to raw, unrefined sugar. There are ways to satisfy
our addictions that do not destroy the neural networks
in our body. So, why do we do it over and over?

It is an addiction. It numbs the bad feelings we
are always trying to avoid. Sugar is a great infusion
of warm, cozy feelings for a few minutes because
it triggers the temporary release of dopamine. When
ingested on a regular basis, sugar undermines
the body’s natural capacity to manufacture dopamine.

This is what happens with alcohol and illegal
drugs. They very quickly sabatoge the body’s
natural ability to manufacture dopamine and
the other “feel good” hormones. The body then
relies on the alcohol and drugs for a dopamine
infusion which is the physical explanation
for the addiction.

Sugar works in the same fashion. Think of it as
analogous to the effects of heroine. The only
difference is sugar is a legal drug.  

Of course the aftermath of ingesting sugar is deadly.
Think of the challenge of sugar cravings as an addiction
which can be acknowledged and treated.

In your introductory paragraph, you mention concerns
about your daughter’s potential to develop the symptoms
of Parkinson’s are putting “me into a silent fear
that continues to haunt me.” These feelings are associated
with all of the stress hormones that sustain an imbalance
in the body and feed the symptoms of Parkinson’s. When
we are suspended in a continual state of fear, our bodies
are trapped in a continual place of hormonal imbalance.
The good news is that there are a variety of therapies
that help to release the fears that we hold for our
children and loved ones. 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Toxin Exposure and the Symptoms of Parkinsons Disease

When I present the argument that toxins are
one factor that causes the symptoms of
Parkinson’s, some people immediately reply,

I have never been exposed, so toxins can not
be a factor in my case.

Clearly, they may be dead right. Toxins may
not a primary factor or even a
contributing factor. But let me give you a
reason why you may have been exposed to toxins
and did not even know it.

For 30 years government laws have
required the application of fire retardants
(polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs)
in clothes, furniture and bedding to
withstand 12 seconds of contact with an
open flame. This toxin can be detected in
the furniture and clothes in most homes
in the United States.

What is the big deal you ask? This particular
toxin causes a disruption in the production
of thyroid hormones and, to make matters worse,
interferes with functioning of the nervous system.

So you say, if the toxin is in the bedding of
furniture, surely it is no big deal. If it is not
disturbed, surely it can’t cause me any harm!

I honor your optimism, but I am afraid it is
unfounded. The chemical is released from
the furniture in tiny dust particles that
are released from normal wear and tear.

A reason this news is particularly problematic for
Parkinson’s is that functioning of the thyroid
is primary to being able to balance the over
40 hormones in the body.

I will be gathering information from a number of
experts (naturopaths, medical doctors, etc.)
in the coming months who will address
a variety of approaches for detoxifying the body
of harmful metals, chemicals and toxins. My first
teleseminar is with an expert in hydration which
is key to any detox program.

I have invited Dr. Jaroslav Boublik to discuss
various approaches for hydrating cells of the body
and the issues associated with dehydration.
I hope you can join us for the interview on Friday.

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=1&previewbar=1&eventid=4462005

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Are the Medications and Supplements You Take Doing More Harm than Good? Find Out Wednesday

You are in store for a real treat. I have the pleasure of interviewing Randy Mentzer on Wednesday, September 24th. Randy is a certified nutritional counselor, a registered pharmacist in the state of Washington and the world’s expert on medicines, diet, herbs and supplements.

Could your Parkinson’s symptoms be caused in part to the particular combination of medicines, supplements and herbs that you take and the food you eat? Randy tells me there is almost a 100% chance of problems if you are taking five or more medications.

EVENT:  Interview with Randy Mentzer, PPH, FIACP, CCN
DATE & TIME: Wednesday, September 24th at 8:00am Pacific
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice)
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=4225818

Toxins in the Body

The Ayurvedic approach for eliminating heavy metals and toxins from the body  is to support the organ that does the proper work in the first place. The following is taken from an interview I recently had with Nathan who is a strong believer in the Ayurveda approach for eliminating toxins from the body.

“When a person is ill their breath can become sort of foul. But that’s not the case when they’re healthy. Similarly, what we’re talking about here is that some organ is not producing healthy elements that are supposed to be transferred to the brain.”

“The brain is supposed to be filled with nutritious, beneficial gasses. Those gases can become polluted due to stress or injury.”

“The organ producing them will produce contaminated substances which then go on to cause a great deal of difficulty in the form of shaking because the corrosive material starts eating away at the part of the brain that produces movement and starts creating involuntary ones.”

“Most doctors would not agree that the problem is in the stomach. Ayurvedicly speaking, all diseases come from the stomach.”

I should also mention that Nathan once suffered from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s but is symptom free today. The Ayurveda approach certainly worked for him.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery