What “I Love Lucy” Taught Me About Health

I remember my after-school routine as a kid.  My parents both worked and my siblings were much older than me I had the house to myself for a couple of hours every day. I loved it!  (As I look back I wonder how I didn’t get into more trouble than I did).  My routine was pretty awesome. I’d drop off my backpack, kick off my shoes and then go on a hunt to find where my mom hid the Ding Dongs.  (She had to move her hiding place often because I would find them and they wouldn’t last the whole week).  I’d make myself mini pizzas with English muffins, Prego pizza sauce and cheese.  Then I’d plop myself in front of the TV and watch reruns of Gilligan’s Island, I Dream of Genie and I Love Lucy.  Oh, great memories…

One of my favorite episode of I Love Lucy involved Lucy working at a chocolate factory.

Check it out here.  Still one of the funniest moments in television history.

Years later, when I was learning how our bodies try to deal with the burden of chemical toxins we are exposed to I flashed back to this episode.  It has become one of the best visual aids for teaching my patients about this topic.

Think of our toxin exposure like an assembly line. We breathe in polluted air; we get some toxins. We eat food with pesticides on it; we get more toxins. Just imagine them coming along on an assembly line.

We also have a robust detoxification system. Our liver, lungs, kidneys, skin, sweat glands and digestive system are constantly working to “wrap up” the toxins that come along the line.

When the burden is low, we can keep up.  When the burden is high, we can’t.  With literally tons and tons of toxins being poured into our environment every year our bodies are simply overwhelmed.

Just like Lucy and Ethel stuffing chocolates in their mouths, blouses and hats, when the toxins can’t be cleared from the body they have to be stored somewhere. These toxins bind to our cells. They block chemical signals. They decrease our energy and our overall health.

How do we solve this problem?

First we need to learn to slow down the conveyor belt.

Second, we need to help our systems catch up.

Slowing down the conveyor belt involves:

• Cleaning up our diet.
• Eating more organic produce.
• Eating grass-fed beef.
• Eliminating junk foods and fast foods.
• Using less toxic chemical cleaners in our homes.
• Learning how to avoid toxins in our personal care products.

Helping our overworked systems catch up involves:

• Taking target supplements specifically for detoxification
• Using supplements to help the digestive system function better
• Learning ways to release toxins through the skin
• Drinking more water

Take a look at that list. Is there anything that you could do today to make a small change in your health?

We encourage you to focus on detoxification. Your body will thank you for it.

How are you helping your system to detox?