Due to a lack of government oversight, toxic chemicals have become much more prevalent in our daily lives. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks to EMU professor and Ann Arbor nutritionist Cindy Klement about ways to manage these toxins before any serious damage can be done.
Overview
- Recent studies show that from the womb to the grave, we are exposed to a daily onslaught of toxic chemicals in the course of everyday living. Unless a substance is ingested or rubbed on the skin, manufacturers are rarely required to disclose the chemical content of their products.
- In the United States, our constant exposure to legald chemicals, many with dangerous health effects, is the result of public policies that require minimal testing and permit the grandfathering of chemicals known to cause harm under the Toxic Substance Control Act.
- Cindy Klement, an adjunct professor at Eastern Michigan University and a nutritionist in Ann Arbor, spent years digesting research articles to try to understand how chemicals in everyday products, including fabrics, cosmetics, cleaning products, food packaging, plastics, water, etc..., affect the body. Her research began as personal crusade to find relief from chronic kidney, respiratory, and digestive ailments. (Cindy has taught a graduate-level course on integrative medicine at EMU.)
- Cindy Klement’s new book, “Your Body’s Environmental CHEMICAL Burden” distills the most important salient research and offers a plan for managing and limiting chemical exposures in everyday life. Cindy says, “While writing this book, I began to lecture on the topic across the U.S. and Canada. The point I make during my lectures is this: chemicals are here to stay; and, we have to learn to co-exist with them. We can’t avoid every one of them, but we can use the tools and resources at our disposal to reduce our exposure. We can also detoxify the body as best we can with what we know now.”
- Cindy will also be giving a free lecture at Washtenaw Community College on Earth Day: Monday, April 22 from 7-9 p.m. It’s free!
- In addition to her book, Cindy co-authored a study that tested the “Environmental I.Q.” of millenials with regard to exposure. The study found “most Millennials (approximately 9 in 10) acknowledged concern for their environmental chemical exposure, yet a significant number cannot identify toxin sources, nor are they trying to reduce their risks.”
- Referencing over 1500 published scientific studies, Klemen’s 2266-page guide traces 25 of the most common chemicals affecting populations worldwide today to answer the following questions:
- Where and how are we exposed to harmful chemicals?
- What is the purpose of these chemicals?
- Where are these chemicals stored in our bodies?
- How do these chemicals ultimately affect our health?
- How can we limit and even avoid future exposure?
Resources:
Cindy Klement Official Web Site
https://vimeo.com/288755581">Author, "Your Body's Environmental Chemical Burden" Video
"Your Body's Environmental Chemical Burden"
Free Community Lecture
Earth Day - Monday, April 22, 2019, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Morris Lawrence Building on the campus of Washtenaw Community College
4800 E Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor
Free Parking!
No Registration Required.
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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU. You can contact David at 734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu