The Big Picture of Chronic Illness

The Total Body Load Explained

Chronic health problems can be difficult to understand, and many times I have found it helpful to explain to patients that it is not the “what” but the “why”. So many diagnoses are given to patients, and I have heard them all. Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, lupus-like syndrome, somatic depressive disorder, the list goes on and on, and while these are all very real entities, the cause of them is much more important than giving them each a label.

Looking at this differently can bring not only some peace of mind but a strategy and solution to improve health. The relief over realizing that “I’m not crazy, there is a reason I feel so horrible,” is a first step toward getting better!

As a board-certified physician in Environmental Medicine, there were truths that were presented in the studies that hold true in most of the patients that I treated over the years and understanding these can help you understand why your body reacts the way that it does.

Remember:

1. Genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger. Every patient has a genetically determined threshold of tolerance for illnesses and environmental exposures. When this threshold is crossed, and the body is “full”, illness occurs.  
2. We refer to the threshold as the “body load”. Anything can contribute to body load, including but not limited to past infections, viruses, medications, chemicals, molds, chronic stress, surgeries, and poor diet. Almost every illness occurs when this body load threshold has been exceeded. Everything we do as far as treatment is geared toward decreasing the load.
3. You get better by reducing your body load by addressing the components that caused it. That may be from reducing the toxins, such as mold or chemicals in your environment, changing your diet, addressing underlying infections, and improving nutrition, to name a few.
4. The body has a remarkable ability to “adapt and switch”. Your symptoms may change from headache to rash, to gastrointestinal symptoms, to muscles aches and pains whenever the body load is increased for any reason. Additionally, certain foods, chemicals, and even fragrances may seem fine, then suddenly they are not. Symptoms can be triggered by a seemingly safe substance. For example, exposure to mold may cause sudden headache or breathing problems with one exposure, then completely change and manifest as numbness, tingling or dizziness the next time.

Overall, however, the three things that are absolutely required in order to start the healing process are clean air, clean water, and clean food.

Each of these necessities is a huge topic in and of itself, and the purpose of the article is to get you thinking about how you might start looking at your own body load in order to heal and live your best life.

Clean Air

Avoiding the outdoor air pollution that we have virtually everywhere is impossible, but what we can control is our indoor air quality, especially that of our home. If your home becomes your “oasis” then you tend to do better overall.  

You MUST:

Get rid of mold and any mold infected items in the house. Explore Micro Balance Health Products to control mold in your home and clothes.

Avoid the use of scented products and fragrances.

Keep dust to a minimum.

Clean Water

Chlorine, pesticide run-off, and more are in our water supply. At the very least drink charcoal-filtered water. Zero-Filter is best for the pitcher type of filters. There are also several types of whole house or point of use filtration water systems that may be used. If you live in an older home, then having the water checked for the lead from old pipes or solder is a good idea. If on well-water, have it evaluated for parasites and pesticides. Try to avoid drinking from plastic bottles. They are bad for the environment in general and the chemicals that make the plastic soft are chemicals, which you then ingest and these add to your load.

Clean Food

This can mean different things to different people, but a highly processed, high sugar, high food coloring diet is truly not good for anyone. For people with mold-related illness the elimination of sugar is necessary. There are some foods that are quite inflammatory to all individuals with chronic illness and need to be avoided. Navigating this area can be one of the hardest and most frustrating because if your body load is high, you can adapt and switch with foods that are seemingly healthy and harmless. Working with a physician or nutritionist who is familiar with these issues is extremely helpful and can decrease the anxiety over what foods are best for you.

Yes, it is complicated, and it will require diligence on the part of each patient.  The more you know, the more you are empowered to take control of your health.  

What can you do today as first steps?

1. Address the air in your home. 

• Order Mold plates from Microbalance and assess if there is a problem there.
• Have dust removed from your home through thorough cleaning and consider a HEPA air filter for your bedroom at the very least; a central air filtration system such as the AprylAire 5000 is excellent.
• Keeping indoor humidity below 44% is imperative, and may require a central dehumidification system.
• Avoid the use of fragrances and scented products.
• Don’t keep old and dusty books and magazines and especially not in the bedroom.
• Have bedding that can be washed weekly in hot water and scent-free detergent.
• Make small steps for clean water.

2. Make small steps for clean water.

• Use filtered water. For now, start with a filtered pitcher (Zero is the best) at least for all water you drink.
• Refill glass or stainless steel water bottles for travel and sports.

3. Avoid the most common inflammatory foods.

• There may be many other triggers for you but for now avoid milk, products with wheat flour (white or brown), sugar in all forms, soy protein (soy lecithin is ok), and anything that is colored with artificial colorings and flavors.
• Buy organic vegetables, meats and fruits to the extent possible.
• Consider health and nutrition consultation as the support will be very helpful to you. Tammy Jett-Parmer offers both phone and Skype consultations.

Consider consulting with a physician affiliated with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine who understands the total body load concept and can help identify the causes.

While taking these steps above will help you get better, living mindfully with the intention of keeping your body’s load as low as possible is key to optimal health and wellness.

By Susan Tanner MD