In our quest for ever increasing health, beauty, and anti-aging we should always be striving to raise the standard when it comes to not only what we allow into our bodies, but what we are attempting to remove. Detoxifying your body via a raw foods lifestyle is necessary and simply must happen in order for you to climb the next rung of the health ladder. Some toxins and substances will be quickly and easily flushed from our bodies forever when transitioning to a raw food diet, but some of these poisons will take longer and will require additional efforts such as fasting, colonics or saunas.
When our bodies are provided with the means, they willingly throw off all manner of poisons, among which you will find heavy metals. Heavy metals are simply natural substances that are part of the Earth's crust, and some of them (but not all) are necessary in trace amounts. They can be very dangerous due to the fact that the body cannot break them down, and they will accumulate in the body (through a process known as bioaccumulation) if no effort is made to remove them or stop their entry.
Mercury is one of the most common heavy metals that enter our bodies in several ways: from industrial pollutants in the environment, amalgam dental fillings, and most commonly via the food chain. Consumption of fish has become an item of grave concern over the last few years, as concentrated mercury finds its way into our bodies in this fashion. One more reason to adopt the raw food diet! It is common knowledge that pregnant women are discouraged from eating fish because the high levels of mercury can cause brain damage in the developing fetus. Mercury is highly toxic to the nervous system and also has detrimental effects on the kidneys and immune system.
Many people are wising up to this dangerous neurotoxin and are having their dental fillings removed along with looking for other ways to eliminate this hazard from their lives. Every effort should be applauded! Some people believe that consuming adequate amounts of fresh cilantro or wheatgrass juice is helpful due to certain properties in these foods that are known to help escort heavy metals out of the body. Sweating is extremely beneficial in eliminating toxins, which is one reason why hot yoga is so cleansing.
Recently, a reader brought forward a valid concern regarding the dangers of inhaling mercury vapors during hot yoga classes when it is excreted via other students' sweat. How encouraging when we see people digging deeper and truly taking their health into their own hands!
Inhalation of mercury vapors does pose a hazard in places where mercury is physically present such as in the manufacturing of thermometers, lamps or car batteries and of course, dentistry. Incidentally, mercury exists in the atmosphere in small amounts due to the inevitable consequences of practices such as mining, industry and even in miniscule amounts in some areas from cremation facilities.
Consider the fact that our bodies are assailed on a daily basis by mercury combined with all the other environmental pollutants, and you can see why a cleansing raw food diet and otherwise healthy lifestyle is absolutely vital for preventing toxic accumulation of any kind.
One hot yoga instructor's opinion was: "Mercury is a heavy metal. If it is excreted in the sweat, it doesn't turn into a vaporous gas and float around to be absorbed by breathing. In a room full of people sweating, I would be more concerned with not reabsorbing the heavy metals from my own sweat, not that of others."
The benefits of hot yoga and thorough sweating seem to outweigh any possible but unsubstantiated risks. If I thought for a moment I was compromising my health, cellular cleanliness or longevity I would certainly not be doing it! It will, of course, ultimately be up to you. The moment I find evidence of mercury toxicity in my body in any way, shape or form, I will move on to greener pastures for sure. But, as I near my 5 year anniversary of daily Bikram yoga practice, I can truthfully say 'so far, so good!'
If you are interested in learning more about the raw food diet and hot yoga, there are many internet resources available to you. There are three that I found helpful in my own health journey that I suggest you consider: http://rawfoodists.blogspot.com/, http://www.simplyrawbliss.com/ and http://www.kaboodle.com/rawfood.
Author Resource:-
James Beller is a blogger, online publisher and natural and raw food enthusiast. He writes articles for various websites and blogs which promote the raw food diet and natural health such as http://www.beautifulonraw.com.
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