I write a lot about how we can reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals found in consumer products in our home environment. And we should. Exposure to toxic chemicals can impair our health.
But there is a flip side and that is to make our bodies more able to tolerate our surrounding environment.
From my experience it’s a balance.
Many people who read this blog have Multiple Chemical Sensitivies, which makes them not be able to tolerate many things in the enviornment. Some of these things are toxic chemicals, but others are not.
Many years ago I realized that there are three types of materials.
One type is those materials that do harm, such as toxic formaldehyde.
Another type is those materials that do good, such as an organic apple.
And others neither harm nor benefit, but simply are neutral.
When someone says to me “I can’t tolerate….” and they give me a list of neutral and good materials, that tells me that they need to do more than simply eliminate toxic products, they need to also do things that boost their body’s ability to tolerate the part of the world that is not doing harm.
It’s a matter of making the environment less and less dangerous, and making one’s body more and more able to tolerate the environment.
There are many things one can do to improve body tolerance. It has a lot to do with detox, getting enough good nutrition, getting enough sleep so your body can rebuild, getting exercise, and doing whatever health-oriented treatments like massage, homeopathy and other practices that support health rather than fighting disease.
Many years ago I realized that the way to cure any illness is the same: it’s living in a way that creates health. I must be doing something right because this year for the first time I went through the entire winter with no flu at all, not even a sniffle. I wasn’t down for one day. That’s a strong immune system!
I’m not saying I’m perfect. I’m still learning how I need to live to create my body being strong and healthy. But every time I run into a health problem, I recognize it as my body giving me a message to change something about my everyday life. And when I find that and change it, I eliminate that problem.
I eliminated MCS for myself thirty years ago by changing the home environment that was causing it. But more than that I did things that supported my health in a positive way. I remember getting acupuncture and all kinds of alternative treatments at the time.
And today, while I live in a home that is as nontoxic as I can possibly make it, I also freely roam out in the world with no ill effects.
Removing chemicals lessens the negative assault on our bodies, but we also need beneficial actions that help our bodies heal and be strong.
