The Invisible Crazy Makers

How Our Toxic Environment Affects Mental Health

In my previous article, The War on Drugs has a New Battleground: Your Doctors Office, I pointed out the destructive influence that psychiatric drugs have on your body, brain /mind as well as on the environment and community we live in being responsible for a significant percentage of violent crimes such as murder, aggravated assault, home invasions and nearly all school shootings; suicide, car accidents, domestic violence calls and the decline of productive citizens due to the disabilities they cause.

It certainly wouldnt be fair to expose this enormous problem that is tearing away at the very fabric of humanity and that we are all affected by without providing solutions to minimize and hopefully one day extinguish it permanently. These solutions would have to of course relieve the cause of the symptoms that send people to psychiatrists and doctors who will prescribe psychiatric drugs as opposed to utilizing the brilliant capacities of western medicines diagnostic tools to help them identify the root cause of their symptoms and heal the condition.

While there is no truly scientific empirical evidence to prove that BiPolar exists or any of the other labels given as a result of subjective diagnosis used only to justify prescribing drugs, there is certainly an epidemic of adverse mental health symptoms today and there is one very prominent reason why: the toxic food and water we ingest and environment we live in. So this article will focus on what I call, the invisible crazy makers; the neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting chemicals in our food, water, air, and soil that are robbing millions of people of their mental health and landing them in psychiatrists offices in droves. It is my hope that once people know how harmful they are they will begin to practice environmental hygiene and protect their bodies and minds from these substances so that they can reclaim good mental and physical health. At Shangri-La, we call this Green Mental Health Care. To give an example, if a patient were to go to a doctor complaining of profound mood swings and frequent agitation, they would most likely be labeled Bipolar and given a toxic cocktail of drugs to mask the symptoms. However, a more productive and ethical medical practice and one that produces far better patient outcomes at a fraction of the cost would be to run metabolic and functional lab tests in addition to many possibilities two specific areas of concern given todays world would be toxic bioaccumulation of neurotoxic excitatory and endocrine disrupting chemicals in our food and water, and blood sugar and adrenal function. Adrenal fatigue alone can cause extreme mood swings and when you combine that with aspartame, or caffeine and a processed food diet promoting blood sugar dysregulation you have a good case for mood swings and many other adverse mental health symptoms. There are very well established and successful ways of responding to these adrenal fatigue, blood sugar management and malnutrition psychosis (caused by nutritionally inadequate, processed food diet) which would relieve the mental symptoms via healing the physical underlying cause. And yes, many people today with full bellies are suffering from malnutrition psychosis! Given the toxic load of many processed foods and chemically contaminated water, people are ingesting products that can actually take more nutrition to detox and metabolize than they provide the body!

The next installment in this series will focus on how to detoxify thoroughly from each category of toxic assault below and then after that I will discuss how to get off of psychiatric drugs safely and with minimal transitional discomfort if you are already on them. However, contained herein is the information you need to get started right away on the path to living life in the capacity you were born capable of living it thriving!

Most everyone knows that the majority of the chemicals in this article are linked to every cancer imaginable as well as other life threatening diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, obesity, fibromyalgia, lupus, liver and heart disease but few are aware of their impact on mental health and that is what this article is to shed light on. Please keep in mind as you educate yourself about these highly toxic chemical bullets that I am only exposing their adverse effects on mental health, however, they should be avoided for many other life and quality of life threatening reasons. I urge women of child bearing age, pregnant women and new parents to truly become Invisible Crazy Maker Police to provide the best developmental environment for your children and protect them from the mental and physical suffering these chemicals cause.

I would like to note here that exposure to neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors can create addictive biochemistry as well and be the root cause of addiction to any legal / illegal drug or alcohol. When a person is chronically symptomatic psychologically, physically or emotionally they will reach out for relief. It is human nature. One must find the root cause of the symptoms, which is most of the time toxicity diet and environment related and remove the cause of the symptoms to correct the metabolism and heal addiction. Remember, a drug is a drug under the skin the body does not care if man has legalized it, it is still toxic and it will be destructive to the biochemical processes that sustain life- your life. All drugs carry a very high risk potential for disease, and they ALL take away from quality of life.

The Invisible Crazy Makers Identified!

Primary Routes of Human Toxic Exposure:
GI / intestines (food, water, drugs (including medications)
Lungs
Skin

Types of toxic chemicals with significant impact on mental health:

A neurotoxin is an organic or synthetic substance that destroys neurons cells of the brain and nervous system

An endocrine disruptor is an organic or synthetic substance that disrupts or harms the endocrine glands (heart, adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, parathyroid, sex glands, pancreas) that produce the hormones your body requires for instructions on how to function both mentally and physically.

Most Common Neurotoxic and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in our Environment & their sources:

Pesticides All conventional foods and many water sources
Hormones, drugs, antibiotics ~ Conventionally raised meats
MSG, Aspartame, Sugar, and 2023+ other Food Chemicals Processed foods
GMOs ~ Conventionally grown produce, meat and processed foods
Artificial Sweeteners (aspartame)~ Processed foods, candy, gum, baked goods ~ They are everywhere!
Fluoride, Chlorine, Psychiatric Drugs, Chromium-6 ~ Tap water
Bisphenol-A, Parabens & Phthalates ~ Food & water containers are the major source, however, these endocrine disruptors can be found in childrens toys, common household wares, most anything plastic.
Mercury /Heavy Metals ~ vaccines, amalgam tooth fillings, high fructose corn syrup, fish, nose sprays, eye drops, cosmetics ~ mercury is showing up in more and more places makes one wonder how is it getting there?
Mold and Fungus ~ Airborne

Where are the Invisible Crazy Makers & What do They Do?

When pesticides were first tested for safety and toxicity the focus was on their cancer causing potential (most of them are very carcinogenic). Evaluation of the extent of their neurotoxicity or potential to cause nervous system and brain tissue damage and safety for use under that umbrella of consideration was really not given much attention. Today we have epidemic anxiety, panic attacks, ADD, and depression as well as hyperactivity and deterioration of mental functions as a result of their accumulative effects. Pesticides are only now beginning to get the real scrutiny they deserve for their neurotoxic properties and contribution to epidemic mental health symptoms that were rarely heard of, especially in children just 50 years ago.
It was clearly the monied power of the chemical companies that got approval for neurotoxic chemicals that were used in bio-warfare tactics to subdue the enemy to be repackaged as pesticides and added to the foods you eat today.
The descriptions of the four most common classes of pesticides are cited from the Environmental Protection Agencys website this is not pissed-off hippie stuff, this is straight out of official government documents although I am one very pissed off hippie!

Neurotoxicity of Pesticides Used on YOUR Food that Cause Adverse Brain Function Abnormalities, & Adverse Mood, Focus, Intellectual and Behavioral Changes

Organophosphate Pesticides Organophosphate and carbamate pesticides act primarily at the synapses, altering the regulation of the transmission of the signal from one cell to the next. These pesticides affect the nervous system by disrupting the enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Most organophosphates are insecticides. They were developed during the early 19th century, but their effects on insects, which are nearly identical to their effects on humans, were discovered in 1932. Some are very poisonous (they were used in World War II as nerve agents).
Organophosphates kill insects by interfering with cholinesterase, an enzyme required for the proper functioning of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine regulates nerve cell communications. Organophosphates inhibit cholinesterase to cause toxic levels of acetylcholine which creates the continual cell firing which results in death of the neuron. Inhibiting enough cholinesterase can cause paralysis and numbing. Organophosphates deregulate acetylcholine neurotransmitters and damage dopamine receptors which is a big contributor in the learning disabilities children are given drugs for today. Also, since acetylcholine facilitates nerve communications in the brain and is responsible for helping to build neuro-nets of memory during study, it is likely that their incineration by over-toxicity is going to cause loss of neurochemical communications involved in learning and retaining information. When you learn, you create neuro-nets made of neurons that retain that information. If you cant retain that information because you are constantly killing the cells as well as inhibiting new cells from developing, it is going to be very difficult to learn and be able to recall the information. Also, it takes a certain amount of calm to be able to focus, and who can focus with all this firing going on in their heads?
Damaging dopamine receptors can cause elevated dopamine which will create symptoms from OCD to learning disabilities and clumsiness to mental lethargy. Many children experiencing hyperactivity, hyper emotionalism and hyper sensitivity have high dopamine levels which are likely due to the damaged receptors and possibly even the enzyme required to regulate it.
For a study on damaging effects of organophosphates on the dopamine system, visit: Pesticides On the Brain: The Environmental Factors Behind Parkinsons Disease at http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/winter-2009/pesticides-on-the-brain-the-environmental-factors-behind-parkinsons-disease . Another very well researched study is published here regarding how organophosphates dysregulate dopamine signaling, glutamatergic neurotransmission, and induce neuronal injury markers in the striatum area of the brain http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21848865#
Organophosphates are neurodegenerative neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors, both of which have significant impact on mood, learning, and behavioral neurochemical mechanisms.
The toxic effects of organophosphate poisoning will vary not only with the route and extent of exposure, but also the chemical structure of the agent and other general health, diet, lifestyle, environmental exposure, genetic and more so, epigenetic influences.
The EPA named organophosphates and carbamates the most threatening of all insecticides, yet they account for approximately half of the insecticides used today. Animal tests of organophosphates show that a small single dose on a critical day of fetal or newborn development can cause permanent damage in neurotransmitter receptor levels in the brain and hyperactivity. Mothers-to-be and moms with the little ones at your ankles, step away from conventional produce it is damaging your childrens brains and yours and the childs peace of mind!

Chlorpyrifos is the most widely used pesticide in the United States and is an organophosphate banned for most home and garden uses because of its threat to childrens health, but which is still used in agriculture. Chlorpyrifos have been shown to decrease DNA synthesis in the developing brain (reducing protein synthesis and cellular development), reducing total brain cells. Epidemiological data shows that 82% of adults and 92% of children have measurable concentrations of the primary metabolite of Dursban (Chlorpyrifos) (3,5,6-TCP) in their urine.
Please visit the Pesticide Action Network at http://www.panna.org/legacy/gpc/gpc_200308.13.2.09.dv.html for an introduction to the link between chemicals and learning disabilities. By the way, Chlorpyrifos cause cell loss in the prefrontal cortex (and many other areas of the brain) this alone can account for learning disabilities and what youre able to do with information if you get a chance to learn it!

Warning for women of child bearing age please read this article: Long-Term Effects on Hypothalamic Neuropeptides after Developmental Exposure to Chlorpyrifos in Mice. This is an extremely enlightening article regarding the neurotoxic effects on fetuses and young children and offers scientific data linking lack of focus (ADD), hyperactivity etc directly to pesticides. http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11696/11696.pdf

Organochlorine Insecticides were commonly used in the past, but many have been removed from the market due to their health and environmental effects and their persistence (e.g. DDT and chlordane). These insecticides are still being found in human tissues, umbilical chords, milk and other body fluids therefore they still pose a great threat to our mental health and should be tested for along with the other more common ones used today. They are also still approved for other than agrcultural uses.

Organochlorine pesticides act primarily by altering the movement of ions across the nerve cell membranes, thus changing the ability of the nerve to transmit (and receive) an impulse. I call this altering of nerve communication a chemical lobotomy. In a standard lobotomy a knife is used to cut communication between nerve centers of the brain, in the case of toxic poisoning, chemicals are used to produce the same effect.

Pyrethroid Pesticides were developed as a synthetic version of the naturally occurring pesticide pyrethrin, which is found in chrysanthemums. They have been modified to increase their stability in the environment. Some synthetic pyrethroids are toxic to the nervous system.

To find the most commonly used pesticides in your area go to www.pesticideinfo.org (Australias list of registered pesticides is found at this link: http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Country.jsp?Country=Australia) or google pesticide use report (your state or country).

Hormones, Drugs & Antibiotics

Below is a list of hormones, drugs and antibiotics that are used in the livestock of animal farms-for-food and their potential effect on mental health.

rGBH is a hormone used to increase milk production in dairy farm cows. It is an endocrine disruptor as well as a potent carcinogen.

In addition to rGBH, the six natural and artificial hormones used in beef production today are the naturally occurringOestradiol, Progesterone and Testosteroneand three synthetic which areZeranol, Trenbolone, and Melengestrol. These hormones are transferred to the consumer and are not only directly linked to cancer but are endocrine disruptors which negatively affect the hormone balance in the consumer thus brain chemistry resulting in adverse mental and emotional stability. A healthy body will produce the hormones it requires for healthy functioning in its environment, when synthetic or natural exogenous hormones are introduced it creates an imbalance in the organism (human) and symptoms will result.

Antibiotics used on cattle and other farm animals intended for consumption are transferred into the body of the consumer. Not only is this known to cause antibiotic resistance, but many other health issues such as Candida Albicans which causes a plethora of mental health symptoms including depression and anxiety.

Most human exposure to dioxins comes from animal fats. Dioxins are neurotoxins which impose oxidative stress on the nervous system and brain, causing death to neurons; ergo, potential mental health issues depending on level of exposure.

Aspartame, MSG, Artificial Sweeteners, Sugar, Coffee, 2023+ Food Chemicals

Aspartame (Nutrisweet, Equal, Spoonful) converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which causes metabolic acidosis. The methanol toxicity produces identical symptoms to multiple sclerosis. Because of this, many people are being misdiagnosed as having MS. A few years back I had a patient that was diagnosed with MS. She did the Body Burden Detox eliminating aspartame entirely from her diet while taking nerve and brain tissue nourishing targeted nutritional therapies, modified her diet to support healing, engaged in mild exercise and she was well inside of two months.

Aspartame has been found to be the progenitor of other conditions such as Lupus and even Epilepsy because it causes seizures.

Aspartame is a potent neuro excitotoxic, endocrine disruptor and is one of the most prevalent deleterious toxic chemicals on the market today. It is added to thousands of processed foods, drinks, gums, candy even childrens vitamins! It is the most problematic substance ingested by my patients and with its discontinuance comes relief from mental health issues ranging from acute anxiety and chronic depression- to mood swings and schizophrenic symptoms such as hallucinations and voices. Aspartame degenerates neurons (killing brain tissue) and damages the liver and kidneys and because of this and its plethora of adverse effects on the brain and nervous system, it is by far the most dangerous food additive on the market.

Heres a short list of the conditions it is linked to: fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, cancer, (seriously, ANY neurological disorder or degenerative disease) diabetes, tinnitus, lack of focus, anxiety attacks, blurred vision, paranoia, depression, memory loss, slurred speech, headaches, shooting pains If you have ANY condition, you would be well served and increase your chances for recovery tremendously by discontinuing all neurotoxins in your diet, personal hygiene, home and work environments with Aspartame at the top of the list!

Many books have been written regarding the neuro and excito toxic health risks linked to Sweet & Low and Splenda. Sucralose belongs to the same family as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and DDT. It is linked to a plethora of very serious symptoms and conditions such as brain lesions, enlarged kidneys and liver, skin reactions, joint paint the list goes on! If you dont have enough information to be removing these very dangerous and mental health robbing artificial sweeteners completely from your diet I suggest you pick up Sweet Misery its a good start.

NutraSweet, a former asset of Monsanto, has developed a newer, more toxic version of Aspartame; Neotame. What is possibly worse is that the food labeling requirements required for aspartame do not exist for Neotame. Neotame does not have to be listed on the ingredients for processed foods; not even USDA Certified Organic foods nor Certified Kosher products with the letter k inside the circle.

Neotame is manufactured by combining aspartame with 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde, which was added to block enzymes that break the peptide bond between aspartic acid and phenylalanine, thereby reducing the availability of phenylalanine.

This is direct from the Material Safety Data Sheet for butyraldehyde of 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde: The substance is toxic to blood, liver, mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, skin, central nervous system (CNS), eye, lens or cornea. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. It is absolutely criminally irresponsible that the MSDS report for this substance states the it may be harmful if absorbed through the skin, yet the FDA has determined that it and aspartame (under the Neotame label), which has proven to be linked to adverse mental health issues, neurological disorders, brain tumors and disease does not have to be listed on the labels of foods that you may eat.

Since this product is new to the market, and its health risks will not be easily traced because it is not on labels I cannot report any direct links to mental health issues. However, it is considered to be more toxic than aspartame, so common sense without the data should be sufficient for you to completely avoid this chemical.

MSG and Asparate are neurotoxic excitotoxins that are found in thousands of processed foods and drinks and in many restaurant dishes. These chemicals cause brain damage at even low dosages, as well as endocrine disorders (hormonal imbalances, obesity and reproductive disorders), behavior disorders and neurodegenerative disease. Symptoms include anxiety, panic attacks, inability to focus, learning disabilities, headaches, flushing, dizziness, A.D.D., A.D.H.D., insomnia, restless leg syndrome, rage, hostility, mental dullness, and heart palpitations which cause anxiety and fear (this is a short list).

Microscopic photograph at left shows normal brain area called the arcuate nucleus which is a collection of neurons in the hypothalamus. Photograph at right shows same area after exposure to MSG at 1 g/kg. White areas are dead brain cells resulting from the MSG exposure. Brain tissue death results in brain function decline and adverse mental health symptoms.

Sugar is neuro excitotoxic and disrupts the endocrine system and is in my opinion, the true gateway drug. Diets high in sugar, especially at an early age, leads to many neuroendocrine disorders including adrenal fatigue and hypoglycemia. The symptoms of which send tens of thousands of people to psychiatrists, where instead of receiving an ethical medical work up and diagnostics to determine the root cause the anxiety, depression, mood swings, rage, hyper-emotionalism, etc diets high in sugar are known to produce, they will receive usually a cocktail of drugs that will push them into the revolving door of toxic drugging called medicine by the pharmaceutical and psychiatric communities. However, most of the time these symptoms will develop at middle and high school and your young sufferer will find their relief in street drugs.

The addiction to sugar is actually interchangeable with alcohol because they both unleash a cocktail of GABA, serotonin and beta endorphins in the brain which at first may be very appealing but the exaggerated release of these natural feel-goods come at a very high price. The high is short lived and the come-down can be agonizing. Not only have you emptied your tank of the raw materials required to maintain a sufficient steady flow of these God-given goodies. Sugar travels identical biochemical pathways in the brain as alcohol which explains the high sugar and coffee (releases glycogen from the liver) intake members of Alcohol Anonymous are known for. Which is also the underlying causation of alcoholism being a progressive disease in that community when it doesnt have to be.

Excess caffeine causes irritability, mental fatigue, anxiety and insomnia. If you must have it and you are not symptomatic, keep it to one cup a day of organic and have it after lunch when your blood sugar is nice and stable for the day. I never understood why people want to jump out of bed and cancel out that nice, calm, rested feeling for a coffee buzz!

Food colorings are mostly made of petroleum products. They are linked to brain tumors, hyperactivity, anxiety and inability to focus.

There are over 2023+ Food Chemicals being put in processed foods many of which the food companies dont have to put on the label! Of course I could never do justice to this topic in an article it would require a tome at least a mile wide to document historic and current damage chemicals used in your food do to rob the health of your mind and as well as the animals and the struggling earth that is subjected to their harmful toxicity. Leave it to say that all of them from preservatives to food colorings have an enormous negative impact on your mental and physical health. They are all toxins that were never meant to be in your body so dont put them there!

In part two of The Invisible Crazy Makers I will expose the neurological health risks promoting adverse mental health symptoms linked to GMOs, tap water, BPA / phthalates, mold and fungus and then introduce how you can effectively detox your body and mind of all environmental and dietary chemicals that have accumulated in your body. Body Burden detox is the holistic medical treatment that will be required in the near future even more so than today to maintain good physical and mental health!

Call to Evolution A Green Body & Mind

1. Discontinue conventional produce and processed foods and eat only organic
2. Do not use artificial sweeteners of any kind including xylitol
3. Reduce sugar intake to a minimum ~ sugar is the gateway drug!
4. Get tested for pesticide body burden if you are symptomatic or live in a high risk area then read our next installment for how to effectively detox them from your system and repair the damage they cause
5. Get active about changing laws regarding what can be put in and on your food ~ two excellent places to start and to continue to educate yourself regarding the health risks associated with the chemicals being put in your food, air and water are The Environmental Workers Group at www.ewg.org and the Institute of Responsible Technology at www.IRT.org

Shine, brothers and sisters, shine!

Genita M. Mason

Invisible Crazy Makers Part II

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

Monsanto and all the other chemical companies that have participated in the development of GMOs have literally opened Pandoras Box. There is no telling how bad it is going to get but one thing is for certain, it is very bad now and this bio-technology has the ability to literally destroy the earth to the point of not being recognizable nor recoverable. It has many ethical scientists more than concerned alarmed. New micro-organisms are being created that have the ability to produce new viruses and bacteria of which your immune system has no defense for. GMOs have already been linked to liver and kidney damage, birth defects, sterility, miscarriages, organ damage, GI damage (far more severe than, however, including digestive problems) and of course in the spirit of this article, they are linked to neurological disorders and impairment in fetal nervous system and brain development as well as in developing brains of children. They are also linked to neurological damage in adults. This damage potentially translates to mental health symptoms.

The percent of global land area planted in biotechnology in the US is 63%. GMOs now constitute a majority portion of US soybean, maize (corn), and cotton. Other GMO crops gaining acreage yearly is rapeseed, wheat, potato tomato, sugar beet, sugar cane, and rice. GMO crop produce is used as part of the toxic mixture of processed foods, drugs, antibiotics and hormones animals raised for food are provided in their abusive diet. You can find out what they are in so you can avoid them at the GMO Project website published by the European Union at http://www.gmo-compass.org.

If you are eating GMOs you could be producing pesticides one day inside your gut!

Because GMOs are everywhere, and their potential for disease and literally mutating humans has been clearly established, I strongly encourage you to visit the most active, educational and productive (in the way of getting rid of them everywhere) site on this subject, Scientist & GMO expert Jeffery Smiths www.responsibletechnology.org.

And dont be fooled; if a product is labeled natural it could have GMO products in it.

Tap Water

Fluoride: Albert Schatz, Ph.D Fluoridation it is the greatest fraud that has ever been perpetrated and it has been perpetrated on more people than any other fraud has.Professor Albert Schatz, Ph.D. (Microbiology), Discoverer of streptomycin and Nobel Prize Winner.

Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd I am appalled at the prospect of using water as a vehicle for drugs. Fluoride is a corrosive poison that will produce serious effects on a long range basis. Any attempt to use water this way is deplorable. Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd is the former president of the American Medical Association

Fluoride is linked to calcification of the pineal gland, hormonal imbalances, brain damage, genetic DNA damage, thyroid disruption, diminished IQ, inability to focus, Alzheimers disease, sleep disorders, infertility, cell membrane blockage, serious oxidative stress on neuron tissues, and is documented as having been used to make prison populations docile making them mentally lethargic without any sense of purpose or passion.

Chlorine: Doctor Patrick Flanagan, named at age 17 as one of the Top 10 Scientists in America by Life Magazine, recently advised in his book ELIXIR OF THE AGELESS that: Drinking tap water is a slow form of suicide, todays tap water is yesterdays toilet water, too thin to plow and too thick to drink. Chemicals (chlorine and fluorides) used to treat water are positive charged cationic electrolytes that are potentially destructive to the colloidal balance when ingested into the human system. As one result, people die inch by inch, not really knowing what is wrong!

Dr. William Campbell Douglass, M.D., head of Georgias oldest (five generation) practicing medical doctor family, began warning his patients against drinking chlorinated tap water during the early 1970s:.Chlorine is a very strong oxidizing agent, like bleach, and its effect of the blood vessels is one of destructionit kills our cells

There are many other volatile organic chemicals and cleaning, antibacterial agents as well as psychiatric drugs now showing up in tap water just the three Ive commented on above should be enough to stay away from it.

It is also unwise to inhale the chlorine gasses produced by the hot water in a shower. The best way to avoid this route of toxic exposure is to get a shower filter that removes the chlorine and other volatile organic compounds.

Bisphenol-A, Phthalates & Parabens

Bisphenol-A Food & water containers are the major source of exposure; however, these endocrine disruptors can be found in childrens toys, common household wares, makeups and personal hygiene products.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) mimics the female hormone, estrogen in the body and is linked to feminizing men. While actual physical changes begin to occur such as male breast enlargement, emotional changes do as well.

BPA has been linked to brain damage in developing brain tissue. While mimicking the actions of estrogen in developing neurons, at very low doses it completely inhibited the activity of estrogen. Estrogen in the neuron regulates viability and development harming the growth and reducing the presence of neurons.

The bottom line, is BPA changes brain chemistry and structure. This chemical is also linked to insulin resistance, which leads to blood sugar deregulation causing a myriad of mental health issues.

Phthalates are found in blood bags, childrens toys, detergents, solvents, cosmetics, hair sprays, nail polish and perfumes. The Department of Public Health in Japan concluded after laboratory studies on rats that phthalates were highly toxic, particularly neurotoxic and caused neurological disorders. They inhibit the outgrowth of nervous tissue (neuro-net density) which inhibits brain development in both the fetus and young child, but also inhibits the brains ability to develop, repair and protect itself from oxidative stress. Phthalates have a degenerative effect on nerve fibers, causing them to fragment and then die. Remember, anything that is neurotoxic adversely affects the nervous system and brain which can cause adverse mental health symptoms.

Parabens are used as preservatives and are found in cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, fragrances, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solutions, and toothpaste, and are used as food additives.

While being directly linked to cancer, new research indicates that parabens may lead to hormonal disruptions. This is not surprising as it is yet another estrogen mimicker.

In low doses parabens have shown development and reproductive toxicity ranging from birth defects to development delays in children to infertility and organ cancers. Also at low doses parabens have caused endocrine system disruption meaning the bodys natural hormones (chemicals that carry messages across the body to manage growth, tissue repair, and reproduction) are effected which also indicates a potential for mental health decline as any endocrine disrupter directly effects brain and nervous system function. Other health concerns are neurotoxicity ranging from development delays to chronic nerve degeneration diseases.

Important example of dishonest marketing companies that use cheap toxic chemicals in their products are employing to deceive organic consumers:

a concentrated paraben based preservative (used in personal hygiene products) is Lonicera Caprifolium , otherwise listed as Japanese Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Honeysuckle Extract, etc. Unwitting consumers are fooled into assessing a label as miraculously innocent and pay premium prices to purchase what appears to be a wonderfully green product. More often than not, products that contain Honeysuckle Flower Extract (and truly, could any ingredient sound more gentle?) also make the false claim NO PARABENS all over the label and marketing materials.

Since I began making noise, a few have shifted marketing language to state, No synthetic parabens. Tricky. (Eliza Moriarty www.organicconsumers.org)

Mercury /Heavy Metals

Mercury and lead are the leading toxic heavy metals people are typically exposed to today. Mercury is in vaccines, amalgam tooth fillings, high fructose corn syrup, fish, nose sprays, eye drops, even Hersheys chocolate ~ mercury is showing up in more and more places makes one wonder how it is getting there.

Mercury is known to degenerate neurons damaging the brain and central nervous system- it is the second most non-radioactive toxic element known to man. It is linked to autism, anxiety, irritability, aggressiveness, mood swings, anti-social behavior, excitability, paranoia, hallucinations (schizophrenic symptoms), depression, heightened perception of stress, hyperactivity, hyper-reactivity, and loss of focus and concentration. It is also known to decrease memory, cause loss of function in various brain regions, and emotional instability. Children are particularly at risk to develop symptoms due to mercury exposure as well as to all other chemicals because of their size, that fact that their blood/brain barrier is not fully developed, their bodies are relatively clean (direct access) and their livers are not fully developed therefor are not very efficient at removing the toxic burden causing bioaccumulation and advancement of symptoms. To see a video from the University of Calgary depicting exactly how mercury destroys brain tissue at extremely low dosages visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtFsy0rQsak.

Common foods found to contain mercury:

(adapted from www.vigilantcitizen.com Dumbing Down Society)

Lead: The most common routes of exposure to lead are chips and dust of old paint; drinking water, dust, air, mini-blinds, imported foods, old or imported toys, air, soil near heavily trafficked roads and various substances used in some hobbies.

Lead toxicity is linked to brain damage, memory loss, confusion, inability to concentrate, mood disorders, depression, mental fatigue, inability to retain information, inability to focus, anger and learning disabilities.

Mold and Fungus

Mold and fungus infections are typically contracted via living, playing or working in a mold infested area. People in wet and warm climates are a higher risk. Symptoms include, confusion, brain fog, shortened attention span, difficulty concentrating and paying attention, slowed reflexes, disorientation, dizziness, vertigo, memory loss, impaired learning ability, hallucinations, shock, anxiety, and depression.

Candidas Albicans produces 79 distinct toxins, that cab cause a broad range of symptoms, which tend to become chronic because the toxins, in addition to the plethora of neurological symptoms they cause, also adversely affect the immune system. Because Candida can be directly linked to sugar and processed food diets, antibiotic use, mercury toxicity and many psychiatric drugs due to how they decrease gut motility creating an ideal environment for proliferation of the fungus, Candida overgrowth is becoming a fairly common diagnosis today it is the degree of overgrowth and the areas it is affecting that is the practitioners job to address while also helping the patient reduce it to healthy levels. Candida has been linked to severe, chronic depression; anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, multiple sclerosis symptoms, insomnia, mood swings, lack of concentration, headaches, drowsiness, and mental / physical fatigue. I have witnessed Candida infections to be debilitating conditions in my patients proving to be not only the root cause of the above symptoms but also addictive biochemistry related to alcohol addiction and the addictions fostered to self-medicate the symptoms it produces.

Yeast and mold infections undiagnosed and treated can advance into many more serious diseases due to the toxins they produce such as cancer, degenerative diseases, heart disease and serious neurological diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis.

Now where do you think the root cause of your symptoms is hiding?

This is an exhaustive list of symptoms which many people will go directly to a psychiatrist for drugs to alleviate, never knowing that one or a combination of these toxins in their food, air, water, home and lawn care, personal hygiene or lifestyle products used is the cause of their suffering. Nor will they ever get the opportunity to address toxic exposure as the root cause thus allowing progression of the condition while simply masking the symptoms at a very high price. This is a very sad scenario because not only will the drugs stress or even damage the liver and brain almost immediately, the root cause being untreated in combination with the potent toxicity of the drugs they are being treated with often set the person on a dark course of gradual loss of health and quality of life that ends in suffering and tragedy.

Each and every one of the invisible crazy makers I have discussed in this article have a potential to cause adverse mental health symptoms, however, the story is not fully explored until you consider the cross contamination and added potential for disease and mental health decline caused by these reactive chemicals in the same environment your body. These chemicals were not tested in living organism with their own chemical structures in addition to typically three hundred plus exogenous toxic chemicals coming into contact with each other. This reality expresses a whole new level of concern.

If you are symptomatic, your quest for health in todays toxic world would be better served if you started your healing journey by considering what you should be taking out of your mouth as opposed to what you should adding to it. The common practice today when one becomes symptomatic is to search for something to take to alleviate their symptoms over the counter or holistic, it doesnt matter; you should be first considering what to stop taking into your body.

Also, keep in mind that if you go to a doctor, it is likely that none of what I have just exposed will be addressed you will be treated by the standards of care which Big Pharma now owns and will be given yet another toxic drug that will only add to what is likely the root cause of your condition: your bodys very healthy reaction to toxic overload the symptoms are telling you they dont belong there! So please take them out! You will be initiating a healing event for yourself and the planet!

At the end of the day, it is up to you to do your homework and submit to the reality that you must take out all toxic exposures in your life and eat right, get sun, exercise, sleep 7 to 8 hours a night, and drink clean mineral rich water to initiate and support a healing event.

And then to advance your health to total protection from the symptoms and diseases bioaccumulation (body burden) causes, be sure to read the upcoming article, Staying Sane in a Toxic World: Detoxification of Dietary & Environmental Toxins ~ Never Suffer from Bioaccumulation Again! in this series for explicit instruction on how to detoxify yourself of these and all other toxins discussed in this article.

Call to Evolution A Green Body & Mind

1. Discontinue all GMO foods and any food that could be suspect of containing them
2. Check to make sure all the plastics you use are BPA / phthalate free and reduce use of all plastics to a bare minimum reduce reuse recycle!
3. Dont put anything on your skin you wouldnt eat! Use only truly non-toxic, organic personal hygiene products.
4. Drink filtered re-mineralized alkaline (pH 8.0+) water
5. If you suspect mold, get an air test in your home or work place and remove the area infected. Ozonators properly used can be very beneficial. You should also get a heavy metal test done on yourself and take appropriate action (read the upcoming article regarding Body Burden detox in Veritas) when you get the results. An alarming 90% of the population is suspected to be mercury toxic today.