Preventative medicine involves three steps:  recognizing the causes of disease, taking steps to reduce exposure and supporting health. This last step includes appropriate nutrition, supplements that aid in the elimination of toxins, and the use of therapies (such as homeopathy) that strengthen the life force.

Step One:  Recognizing Causes of Disease

There are many causes of disease.  It is important to understand that each of us is susceptible/vulnerable to different things.  The same toxins can affect individual household members in different ways.  Equally important is the accumulative effect of the toxins and stressors on health.  The threshold of toxicity varies from individual to individual.  Some of the most significant disease-causing agents in animals include:

• Vaccines: damage the immune system, contributing to allergies, auto-immune diseases & cancer.
• Electromagnetic field energy: produced by electrical wiring, power lines, telecommunication satellites, cell phones, indoor plumbing, fluorescent lights, smoke detectors, electric blankets, internet modem routers and all electrical devices.  EMF energy (60 Hertz) produces a deleterious bioelectric effect on our cells (which pulse at 8 Hertz), especially cells in the nervous system, the immune system and the endocrine system (hormones).  Exposure to EMF energy has been linked to cancer.  If you have heavy metal toxicity, you are even more susceptible to harmful energy. 
• Toxic chemicals: released into the air by household products, chemical toxins are possibly the most serious health challenge we face today. These chemicals are silent, deadly and pervasive. Since the middle of the twentieth century, synthetic chemicals (over 100,000 of them) have increasingly replaced natural substances. They are present in our air, our water, our soil and our bodies. We have reached the point where the chemical burden is so high that no human or animal is unaffected. In 2006, the World Health Organization released a report estimating that environmental pollution contributes to 85% of the human disease.  Another statistic reveals an alarming increase in cancer: 100 years ago the incidence of cancer was 1 in 8,000 people. Today 1 in 3 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Cancer is now the 2nd leading cause of death in dogs.  Environmental Working Group (ewg.org), recently released results of a study on dogs and cats. All of them tested positive for chemicals including high levels of stain-proofing chemicals (linked to cancer), phthalates (from plastics) and PBDE’s (flame retardants, linked to hyperthyroidism).  Cats also had very high levels of mercury (a neurotoxin).  In some cases there is a direct link between a particular chemical and a specific disease, but most chemicals are toxic to multiple organ systems and/or they combine with other chemicals to create toxicity.

Step Two: Reducing Exposure

Increasingly, there are alternatives to the use of toxic products.  The following are some examples:

• Reduce the use of vaccines.  You probably don’t need most of them.  We can run antibody titers to verify immunity.
• Reduce or eliminate the use of insecticides (for flea and tick control): there are nontoxic alternatives.
• Use safe alternatives to toxic household & pet products (beds, furniture, paint, pet toys).
• Install water filters for drinking water and for the shower (chlorine is very carcinogenic).
• Avoid canned cat foods that contain BPA (see us for a list of clean foods). Avoid kibble, especially in cats.  Do feed organic produce and grass-fed meats when possible. 
• Use EMF protections such as dowsing and EarthCalm.  
• Avoid electric blankets and heating pads. 

Step Three: Supporting Health with Clinical Nutrition

Our bodies are amazing in their capacity to repair damage caused by toxins.  But because of the increasing burden, these defense mechanisms are overwhelmed.  Our bodies can no longer keep up and are depleted in the process.  We support the body in coping with the stress of environmental toxins by:

• Feeding a natural diet (if possible) or one that supports healing.
• Using whole-food nutritional supplements that help repair the damage caused by toxins and that assist the body in the elimination of toxins.  Using Nutrition Response Testing, we can identify the specific nutrients needed for repair and detoxification.  
• In addition to nutritional support, we can use homeopathy to strengthen and balance the life force.

References:
A set of Dr. Chalmers handouts (previously only available to clients) on vaccines, nutrition, flea control, obstacles to cure and a home toxicity survey are available for purchase for $10, includes resources and references; call the office if interested (707)538-4643.

“Polluted Pets” (April 2008): www.ewg.org/reports/pets

“Heal Your Home: The Case for Precaution” www.coopamerica.org/go/healyourhome

Toxic Bedrooms: Your Guide to a Safe Night’s Sleep, by Walter Bader (Freedom Press, 2006).  Available from www.lifekind.com

Help change the law for Rabies Vaccine Requirements; go to the Rabies Challenge Fund- www.rabieschallengefund.com