Toxic Turnaround

Guest post by Wendy Dumaresq  

Wendy shares her story of childhood chemical exposure, resulting poor health, her toxic turnaround, and life’s work as a medical herbalist and natural fertility counselor.  She also shares a link to a sad (but important) news piece about chemical exposures in Australia.  To join us for a live webinar with Wendy tomorrow night (US time), register using this form below. If you cannot join us live, you can still register below – I’ll send you a free recording of the webinar afterward.

I grew up on a lovely farm in a fairly remote area of Victoria many, many moons ago. How I loved the natural environment – the animals, birds, beautiful trees and the healing energy coming from the land. As a result of such a natural upbringing, I have always had a love passion for preserving and appreciating the gifts of nature.

What I was not aware of at the time was the potential for harm when it came to farm and family life – not just harm from accidents and injuries (and we were extremely fortunate in that respect) but harm from the growing use of potentially toxic synthetic chemicals on farms, in our homes, gardens and in industry.

At the time, in the 60s and 70s the new era of farming was well entrenched with formulations of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other products becoming increasingly available to help with crop management and other areas of farm and industry production, in gardening and home management.

We were fortunate to have careful parents and I don’t remember once being deliberately exposed to chemicals. However kids will be kids and play in places they shouldn’t at times.

I vividly remember falling in sheep dip more than once (a particularly nasty and toxic brew!) even though we were told not to go near it, and being sprayed by the aerial sprayer as well, thinking it was all a great joke, little realising the chemical cocktail which was being absorbed through my skin. At that time there were not the research findings that there are now about the longer term effects on our health and environment. Ignorance is bliss and hindsight is a wonderful thing and at least we can learn from the past.

By the time I was in my mid to late 20s I was very ill – jaundiced, enlarged and aching liver, exhausted, feeling like death not even warmed up – not just from what happened in the past but also from living in a big city, exposed to a huge amount of pollution both in the home and in the external city environment.

I could not obtain any answers from the conventional medical system but was so grateful to one GP who told me it was clear I was very ill but had I thought of seeing a Naturopath? (never had I heard that word before). That is what started my research into natural methods of healing and living, as my liver was not a ‘happy chappy’ to say the least and it looked like my days were numbered if I didn’t do something constructive very quickly.

……..and I grew up thinking that homes, gardens and farms were ‘healthy’ places. Hmmmm, nothing like a bit of life experience is there?

As a Medical Herbalist and Natural Fertility Management Counselor at the South Coast NSW (previously central highlands, Victoria and Melbourne) with years of consulting with women and men with hormonal problems, fertility challenges and in pre-conception care, one of the first priorities I have with each person it is obtain some idea of their degree of exposure to potentially toxic chemicals in the home, garden and extended environment, including the workplace. When this is ascertained, and if it is necessary safer options are suggested, even products as simple as vinegar and soda bicarbonate which tends to cover a lot of cleaning issues, are suggested for the home.

This was before Miessence certified organic products was born. When Miessence started, for some years, I had some of these available in the clinic or referred patients to Miessence and now have these available through my website. If I had my way, all homes and work places would totally ditch the potentially toxic cleaners and adopt more natural approaches.

Each couple I work with for improved fertility outcomes and pre-conception care as well as others with a variety of health concerns will undergo appropriate investigations to try and ascertain their toxic load well before they try and conceive or as a part of their treatment protocol. This may be done with blood/urine tests, hair mineral tissue analysis and a thorough case history, other methods where appropriate.

When necessary each individual will have a tailored program to help them achieve optimal health and well-being, including the use of diet, herbs and nutrients to help remove toxic elements from their system. High quality free radical scavengers which practitioners have access to and others which are easy to obtain, such as the potent and delicious antioxidant Berry Radical powder are very important to help improve the health of this generation and those to come.

What about you? Have you ever taken an audit of the potential toxic chemical exposure in your home, garden and workplace?

If you are told ‘don’t worry, these are totally safe’ and they are synthetic chemicals, be very careful. Choose certified organic or at least products which have proven the test of time as being safe. I have a little saying ‘When in doubt, chuck it out’.

If you were watching ABC TV Four Corners on Monday 22^nd July, you would have seen the moving and very disturbing story entitled ‘Chemical Time Bomb’.  Click here to view.

Many of the highly toxic chemicals used over the last several decades have been found to be potentially carinogenic, including herbicides containing dioxins such as 245T (banned since 1980s-1990s). Now, as this ABC documentary reveals, 24D is under the microscope and its safety being questioned. This is a common chemical herbicide used in garden and field management.

Take great care, go ‘au natural, certified organic’ and go with love for humanity and our earth.