There’s this phenomenon that I see when someone is being exposed to chemical or environmental pollutants over and over again, and that is: every time they encounter it their symptoms tend to worsen but they tend to be consistent. Think about drinking milk when you may be lactose sensitive, or walking through the perfume aisle in the mall. Generally, as we increase our burden of exposure, our reactions become more and more intense.
In a world where our environment is increasingly creeping into our cells, the incidence of these types of symptoms in our offices is increasing on an almost daily basis. Whether it is thyroid, skin, or other chronic health issues, the environment to which you expose yourself is frequently to blame. This doesn’t only apply to those who are chronically unwell; many of you are walking around all the time with environmental symptoms that can be cleaned up for you easily.
My guest today, Dr. Aviad Elgez, is a naturopathic doctor and environmental investigator. He owns a clinic in Toronto called EnviroMed Clinic and he is an expert at assessing and treating environmental exposures. Today Dr. Elgez and I get into this topic in great detail and discuss the specifics of what these pollutants are, where they come from, how they affect our body, and ways we can counteract or avoid them.
Key Takeaways:
[1:52] About my guest today, Dr. Aviad Elgez.
[3:37] Welcoming Dr. Elgez to the podcast.
[3:57] What is environmental medicine and why should we care?
[5:48] How Dr. Elgez got into environmental medicine.
[9:00] Classic re-exposure patterns Dr. Aviad recognizes in patients.
[12:29] Why are some people more susceptible to environmental toxins than others?
[15:57] How Dr. Elgez assesses total body burden from environmental toxins (from a testing perspective).
[19:49] What are the most common things people are exposed to on a daily basis?
[24:22] Ways to decrease the presence of solvents in the air in your home.
[26:32] What you should clean your house with.
[28:37] How everyday exposures add up and negatively affect us.
[34:14] Ways to decrease the burden on our bodies from these toxins.
[38:47] How to clear persistent pollutants from your body using an infrared sauna.
[42:20] Alternative options to the infrared sauna.
[43:25] Should we be detoxing seasonally?
[47:07] Dr. Elgez’s key-performance indicators.
[55:48] Where to learn more about Dr. Elgez.
Mentioned in This Episode:
“To rid body of harmful pollutants, drink your broccoli, study suggests”
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More About Aviad Elgez
Dr. Aviad Elgez, ND, is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who graduated with recognition and awards for academic excellence from the accredited Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2008. Dr. Elgez also holds a psychology degree from York University. In 2013 he completed advanced training in Environmental Medicine (with Dr. Walter Crinnion) and Intravenous Therapy.
Dr. Elgez is very involved with the environmental medicine community, where he presented at conferences such as The Environmental Health Symposium – where he received an award in 2017 for his work on Solvent exposure.
Dr. Elgez’s passion is in Environmental Medicine, working in collaboration with other NDs and MDs as an investigator for very complex patient cases, trying to solve the mystery behind their symptoms. He also has particular interests in treating neurological/mental health and autoimmune conditions; these include conditions such as anxiety, depression, Lyme disease (MSIDS), Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis (MS), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), and chronic fatigue syndrome.
“My greatest joy comes from seeing significant and long-lasting improvements to my patients’ health. Finding and correcting the underlying cause of symptoms requires taking the time to listen to my patients, do a proper assessment, and provide them with an accurate diagnosis. This is the reason why I’m passionate about staying up-to-date on the newest research and treatment options.” Dr. Aviad Elgez
Connect with my Guest:
Website: EnviroMed Clinic
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Tweetables:
“Environmental medicine is a field of medicine that focuses on everyday exposure — chemicals, toxins … that people are exposed to on a regular basis that … has an effect on their health and physiology.” — Aviad Elgez
“It’s almost everywhere. It’s sort of the missing link for medicine.” — Aviad Elgez
“It’s rarely the big thing you were exposed to once or twice … that’s the problem. It’s the things you’re exposed to in small amounts every single day.” — Meghan Walker
“Really start to cut out these everyday exposures that are adding up … to your total body burden.” — Aviad Elgez
“Parkinson’s is the classic poster child of environmental toxicity, where it’s a long, gradual destruction.” — Aviad Elgez
“You want to try to do … [a detox] once, twice, or three times a year. … A few times a year is very, very beneficial to do a focused cleanse with your naturopath or doctor.”
— Aviad Elgez
” You don’t have to do a dedicated 2 weeks to a month of a cleansing protocol, and then you are set for the year. You kind of have to do this on an on-going basis.”