Highly Recommended: One thing we recommend for anyone who is experiencing autoimmune symptoms is to have a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) to test for heavy metal toxicity. Studies have shown that metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead have been associated with the development of the autoimmune diseases scleroderma, lupus, autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, pernicious anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and type 1 diabetes.

Mercury, in particular, directly damages our tissues, making them look foreign to the immune system. This is why it is crucial to assess your potential toxin exposure and take as many steps as possible to remove the toxins from your body and your environment.

A hair analysis can also measure the levels of essential minerals your body is needing and provide valuable insight into your metaoblism and what dietary changes would be most helpful for you in your recovery.

For more information on the hair tissue mineral analysis, scoll down the page to Step 3 or click here. Also visit our page on Is it Autoimmune Disease or Is It Heavy Metal Toxicity!

• Addison's Disease
• Alopecia
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Antiphospolipid Syndrome (APS)
• Autoimmune Hepatitis
• Behcet's Disease
• Bullous Pemhigoid
• Castleman's Disease
• Celiac Disease
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Neuropathy (CIDP)
• Churg Strauss Syndrome
• Crohn's Disease
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Glomerulonephritis (Autoimmune Kidney Disease)
• Graves' Disease
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
• IgA Nephropathy
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Kawasaki Disease
• Lichen Planus
• Lupus
• Meniere's Disease
• Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Narcolepsy
• Pemphigus
• Pernicious Anemia
• Polyarteritis Nodosa
• Polymositis
• Primary Billary Cirrhosis
• Psoriasis
• Raynaud's Phenomenon Disease
• Reiter's Syndrome
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sarcoidosis
• Scleroderma or CREST Syndrome
• Silicone Immune Toxicity Syndrome
• Sjogren's Syndrome
• Stiff-Man Syndrome
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Vascular Dementia
• Vasculitis
• Vitiligo
• Wegener's Granulomatosis

For most of these autoimmune disease condtions, the best that modern medicine can do is to keep some of the symptoms at bay - the root cause of the condition is rarely, if ever, addressed.

What is important to know is that having an imbalanced immune system is like having two separate conditions:  the actual condition, like chronic fatigue syndrome, and its specific symptoms, and an underlying condition with more generalized symptoms, that can be described as the “autoimmune process”. 

The autoimmune process is an underlying, general autoimmune dysfunction which deserves special attention.  What this means is that it is important to address not only the symptoms of your actual autoimmune disease condition, but also the underlying symptoms and causes that are common to the process of autoimmunity.

Autoimmune - The Cause and The Cure identifies the cause and the cure for a wide range of autoimmune disorders including: Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, Sjogren's, rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's, rosacea, myasthenia gravis, Hashimoto's, type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and more.

Written by Anness Brockley and Kristin Urdiales, this book is a must read which has brought together scientific research from around the world, which uncovers the cause of autoimmune disease. This collective evidence offers valid proof, not only of the cause of autoimmune disease, but also the only possible way to cure it. Every symptom of autoimmune disease can now be clearly and traced back to its origin.

The following are some of the most common symptoms of an immune system gone awry:

• muscle and joint pain
  
• general muscle weakness
  
• greater susceptibility to, and more frequent infections
  
• intolerance to cold, or sensitivity to heat
  
• rashes and skin conditions
  
• fatigue
  
• insomnia
  
• low-grade fever
  
• swollen nymph nodes/glands
  
• night sweats
  
• numbness and tingling in hands and feet
  
• low blood pressure
• tremors and seizures
  
• dry eyes
  
• weight loss
  
• hair loss
  
• dry mouth
  
• shortness of breath
  
• heart palpitations
  
• abdominal pain, cramping and tenderness
  
• dizziness and vertigo
  
• depression
  
• concentration and memory problems
  
• swollen legs, ankles, eyes and face

• Living Well with Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know by Mary J. Shomon
• The Autoimmune Connection: Essential Information for Women on Diagnosis, Treatment, and Getting On With Your Life by Rita Baron-Faust
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Autoimmune Disorders: The Revolutionary Drug-free Treatments for Thyroid Disease, Lupus, MS, IBD, Chronic Fatigue, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Other Diseasesby Stephen Edelson
• The Bible Cure Autoimmune Disease by Don Colbert

1. Use Targeted Supplements to Balance Your Immune System
   
   
2. Identify Your Sources of Toxins
   
   
3. Test Yourself for Toxic Metals and Essential Mineral Imbalances
   
   
4. Remove Toxins from Your Body
   
   
5. Rebuild Your Immune System with Proper Rest, Diet and Exercise

Scientists in South Africa and in the USA have determined that plant sterols and sterolins are effective at promoting a healthy immune system. Sterols and sterolins have been evaluated in many safety studies involving 25,000 people and have been found to have no side effects, no drug interactions and no toxicities.

Sterols and sterolins encourage the increase of DHEA levels naturally. This reduces the stress hormone cortisol and the pro-inflammatory immune factor interleuken-6 (IL-6). Promoting a healthy inflammation response is the key to a healthy immune system.

Several double-blind placebo-controlled studies and the testimony of thousands of people from around the world have attested to the effectiveness of sterols and sterolins.

Sterols and sterolins are vital for supporting immune health and as part of any immune building program.

Proline-rich-polypeptides (PRP's) have the unique ability to modulate the immune system, increasing its activity level in the case of a challenge, such as an infection or a wound, and decreasing its activity level when the challenge is controlled. When an infection is detected by scout immune cells, chemical signals go out to mobilize other cells to come to the defense and fight off the infection. PRPs are one of the primary signals to go out at this time. And later, when the infection has been contained, PRPs are again one of the primary signals to call down the inflammatory response to the infection.

PRPs function as signaling peptides produced by activated macrophages and activated T-cells that control the production of all cytokines.

The inflammatory response consists of a complex series of events in which the body mobilizes its defenses to the site of the infection. PRPs are involved in that mobilization effort as well as controlling the production of immune proteins by immune cells. PRPs stimulate the production of leukocytes (white blood cells) which are a principal component of the inflammatory response.

PRPs increase the permeability of the blood vessels in the skin allowing immune cells and antibodies to enter the tissue space to fight off the infection. PRPs also stimulate natural killer (NK) cells, which are a specialized type of hunter-killer lymphocytes. They are the first responders in case of an infection and will attack and destroy anything they encounter that is not identified as "self."

When looking for an immune balancing product, it is important to find one that has a high level of proline-rich polypeptides (PRPs) and contain a liquid fraction of whole colostrum (the first milking substance in mother's milk of cows). It should be sourced from rBST-free, growth hormone free, antibiotic, herbicide and pesticide free cows.

Recently, there has been a sudden explosion of interest in a glucoside extract which comes from the white peony root.

This extract has been shown effective in treating autoimmune disease symptoms by bringing a dysfunctional, over-excited immune system back into balance.

Peony glucosides are extracted from the root of the peony flower. Unlike the dangerous drugs used to treat autoimmune disorders, peony glucosides work to simultaneously suppress excessive harmful immune functions while also boosting calming immune components.

The multiple mechanisms of action include immuno-modulatory properties and the reduction of inflammation-promoting molecules that are typically eleveated in autoimmune diseases.

Glutathione is the most important antioxidant to overall immune health. It controls interleuken-6, 4 and 10, which reduces allergic reactions and inflammation. Glutathione assists in the detoxification of heavy metals, which is extremely important for autoimmune health..

Most oral forms or precursors of glutathione do not work because the digestive tract destroys the nutrient before it can be absorbed. 

Supplements such as NAC can help your body make more glutathione, but the effect is mild. This is why intravenous therapy was once considered to be the only therapy that really works.

According to Dr. Marcus Laux, it is important to find an oral glutathione supplement that your body can truly absorb.  It survives the trip through your intestines because the glutathione is contained in microscopic little pouches called liposomes. Thus, the glutathione enters your bloodstream intact.  Also, according to Dr. Laux, liposomes were recently tested in rigorous scientific studies, and were found to have an amazing 90% absorption rate.  That’s comparable to intravenous glutathione therapy, for a fraction of the cost. 

A cell culture study was conducted on glutathione at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School by Gail Zeevalk, PhD. The study showed the neuro-protective nature of the glutathione from damage due to the known neuro-toxicants maneb (fungicide) and paraquat (herbicide).

In 1941, a unique form of calcium, Calcium 2-amino ethyl phosphoric acid (Ca-AEP or Ca-2AEP) was discovered by the biochemist Erwin Chargaff. Chargaff found that Ca-AEP was a vital component in the structure of cell membranes.

Calcium EAP (Ethanol Phosphate) / Calcium AEP (Amino Ethanol Phosphate) are nutritional therapies which contain both a mineral (calcium) and a chemical, Ethanol Phosphate (a chemical found in the protective covering around nerve cells). The idea of combining Ethanol Phosphate with calcium originated with Hans Nieper, MD of Germany in 1964, who began experimenting with mineral compounds to help heart patients.

Dr. Nieper believed that nutrients are only useful when they are readily available at the cellular level. His theory was that positive mineral ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium may have more difficulty becoming "bioavailable" (available for the body's use) because they have such difficulty passing through cell membranes.

Calcium AEP 10% calcium bound to 90% amino ethanol phosphate. It is an essential factor for cell membrane integrity and cell sensitivity. It binds fatty acids and electrolytes to the cell membrane structure that generates the cell’s electrical charge.

Calcium AEP is also a neurotransmitter which plays an important therapeutic role in assisting people with autoimmune responses by screening against antibodies, toxins, viruses and peroxide radicals.

Studies over the past 30 years have shown that calcium AEP is essential for nerve impulse generation and muscular contractions. Calcium AEP is one of a number of colamine phosphates - vitamin-like metabolites. It is a unique form of calcium.

Colostrum is the first milking substance in mother's milk. It is rich in natural immune agents such as immunoglobulins IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM (as well as antibodies from diseases that mom was exposed to), interferon, lactoferrin (which reduces bacteria, viruses and inflammation) vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and growth-enhancing factors.

It triggers over 50 immune and growth processes in newborns. Colostrum supplements help to regulate the immune system and inhibit the growth of a wide variety of harmful pathogens. Choose a product that is low heat processed, and from pasture-fed cows that are free of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.

Colostrum is nature’s original prescription for health. Biologically active colostrum helps stimulate a compromised immune system or modulate an overactive immune response. As nature intended, colostrum is designed to have contact with the oral mucosal surface before swallowing. As a consequence, this is the smoothest, best-tasting colostrum you will ever encounter.

It is important to use a colostrum that is from pasture-fed cows who are free of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and other pathogens. It is processed fresh, and never exposed
to high heat.

Another way to increase glutathione levels in the body is to take a non-denatured whey protein powder, which is a glutathione precursor. Glutathione is important for all autoimmune condtions. When you combine whey protein powder with colostrum, it will have a powerful impact on balancing the immune system.

If you are experiencing autoimmune symptoms, then check out the common toxins that you may be exposed to, both at home and at work, and take steps to reduce your exposure or eliminate them as much as possible.

• Mercury amalgam fillings
• Pharmaceutical medications
• Recreational drugs
• Cigarettes
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Pesticides
• Insecticides
• Food additives
• Processed foods
• Artificial sweeteners
• Sodas
• Perfumes and synthetic fragrances
• Household cleansers
• Tap water
• Laundry detergent
• Air fresheners

The heavy metals that most commonly cause poisoning are iron, lead, cadmium (found in cigarettes), arsenic and mercury.

Others include aluminum, antimony, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, selenium, tin, thallium and uranium.

Other sources of poisoning include pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, chemical warfare, radiation and common chemicals such as benzene, carbon dioxide, chloroform, dichlorobenzene, DDT, formaldehyde, hexane, toluene, trichloroethylene (TCE) and xylene.

Tests that help to diagnose metal and chemical toxicity include blood tests, urine tests, and the analysis of hair, nails or other tissues. The most accurate of these are a chelation challenge test or a hair analysis.

Regular blood tests and urine tests are not accurate in diagnosing heavy metal toxicity, as they only tend to show what is happening in the body at that brief moment in time, and do not give the long-term picture.

This makes sense since the body works hard to keep the levels of nutrients in the bloodstream within fairly tight limits. If large fluctuations in mineral levels occurred, serious illness or even death would result.

A chelation challenge test needs to be performed by a doctor who specializes in chelation therapy. The patient is given a chelating drug, commonly DMPS or DMSA, and the patient's urine is collected and analyzed over a 24 hour period. This test is a highly accurate way of knowing just what heavy metals are present in the body.

The drawbacks to this method are that it requires a visit to a health care professional's office, it is expensive, and there is a possibility of side effects to the chelating drugs.

A hair analysis is a good alternative way of determining what toxic metals are present in the body. In addition, it also measures the levels of essential minerals in the body, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. This test can provide you with much-needed information about your body.

A tissue mineral analysis or hair analysis provides a unique reading of heavy metal and mineral levels in the cells over a two to three month period. It takes into consideration that toxins are stored in the tissues of the body, not in the blood.

For instance, you can have normal copper levels in the blood, but high copper levels in the tissues. The reason hair is used for testing mineral status and metabolic activity is because of its very nature.

Our hair is formed from clusters of specialized cells that make up the hair follicle. During the growth phase, the hair is exposed to the internal environment such as blood, lymph and extra-cellular fluids. As the hair continues to grow and reaches the surface of the skin, its outer layers harden, locking in the metabolic products accumulated during the period of formation. This biological processs provides a blueprint and lasting record of metal content and nutritional metabolic activity that has occured during this time.

The precise analytical method of determining the levels of minerals in the hair is a highly sophisticated technique: when performed to exacting standards and interpreted correctly, it may be used as a screening aid for determining mineral deficiencies, excesses, and/or imbalances. HTMA provides you and your healthcare professional with an economical and sensitive indicator of the long-term effects of diet, stress, toxic metal exposure and their effects on your mineral balance that is difficult to obtain through other clinical tests.

It is important for the attending healthcare professional to determine your mineral status as minerals are absolutely critical for life and abundant health. They are involved in and are necessary for cellular metabolism, structural support, nerve conduction, muscular activity, immune functions, anti-oxidant and endocrine activity, enzyme functions, water and acid/alkaline balance and even DNA function.

Many factors can affect mineral nutrition, such as: food preparation, dietary habits, genetic and metabolic disorders, disease, medications, stress, environmental factors, as well as exposure to heavy metals. Rarely does a single nutrient deficiency exist in a person today. Multiple nutritional imbalances however are quite common, contributing to an increased incidence of adverse health conditions. In fact, it is estimated that mild and sub-clinical nutritional imbalances are up to ten times more common than nutritional deficiency alone.

To get an idea of how helpful a hair tissue analysis can be, think about this: Researchers using tissue mineral analysis determined, more than 100 years after Napoloen Bonaparte's death, that he had been poisoned by arsenic. Even though his hair sample was tested more than a century after his death, it still revealed pathological amounts of arsenic that had gradually proved fatal.

A hair analysis usually needs to be obtained through a health care professional (which can be expensive - $200 and up). However, we offer a service that allows you to get a comprehensive hair tissue mineral analysis from a federally licensed laboratory called Trace Elements, Inc. The cost is only $125.

Each hair analysis contains a detailed 10-15 page report from the laboratory itself, which shows bar graph readings indicating high, low and reference range levels for toxic metals, essential minerals and significant mineral ratios.

Unlike some labs that test hair tissue analysis, Trace Elements, Inc. does not wash the hair at the lab. Washing the hair removes some of the loosely bound minerals and can reduce some mineral readings by 50 percent or more. The hair sample is prepared in their licensed clinical laboratory by using a series of chemical and high temperature digestive procedures. Testing is then performed using highly sophisticated detection equipment and methods to achieve the most accurate and precise results.

The Comprehensive Hair Tissue Analysis report details graph results for 8 toxic heavy metals/elements, 15 nutritional minerals/elements, 15 additional elements, 7 significant mineral ratios, and 9 toxic metal ratios. Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample.

To view a sample of the bar graph measurements for each mineral element and significant ratios, click here or the bar graph images above.

Nutritional Elements: Extensively studied, the nutrient elements have been well defined and are considered essential for many biological functions in the human body. They play key roles in such metabolic processes such as muscular activity, endocrine function, reproduction, skeletal integrity, and overall development.

Toxic Elements: The toxic elements or "heavy metals" are well-known for their interference upon normal biochemical function. They are commonly found in the environment and therefore are present to some degree, in all biological systems. However, these metals clearly pose a concern for toxicity when accumulation occurs to excess.

Additional Elements: These elements are considered as possibly essential by the human body. Additional studies are being conducted to better define their requirements.

Significant Ratios: If the synergistic relationship (or ratio) between certain minerals in the body is disturbed, studies show that normal biological functions and metabolic activity can be adversely affected. Even at extremely low concentrations, the synergistic and/or antagonistic relationships between minerals still exist, which can indirectly affect metabolism.

Toxic Ratios: It is important to note that individuals with elevated toxic levels may not always exhibit clinical symptoms associated with those particular toxic minerals. However, research has shown that toxic minerals/metals can also produce an antagonistic effeect on various essential minerals, eventually leading to distrubances in their metabolic utilization.

To view a sample of the detailed explanation of results patient report, please click here. For a complete overview of the various sections covered in the Comprehensive Hair Analysis Report, please click here.

To view complete details of the elements measured and to order the Comprehensive Hair Mineral Analysis, please click here.

For a list of FAQ’s about hair analysis, please click here.

Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample. You then send the hair sample to the Trace Elements lab, and the lab sends us the detailed report/results, which we then mail to you (there is an option for emailing the results as well to save time).

If there is one thing I [Andrea Nichols, author of this website] believe is true, it is that people with autoimmunity have a toxic body. I came to this conclusion based both on the research I have done and on my own personal experience.

Dr. Stephen B. Edelson states in his book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders", that he has never treated an autoimmune patient who has not been toxic, and that most of his patients have been either completely or significantly relieved of their symptoms once toxins were removed from their body. Dr. Edelson has written a whole chapter on the role of environmental toxins in the autoimmune process, and how removing these toxins provides people with the relief for which they've been searching.

We are all toxic for different reasons and to different degrees, but Dr. Edelson believes that autoimmune patients have the epitome of a toxic body.

The more discomfort you are in, the more pain you are feeling, the sicker and more toxic you are. Inflammation and irritation are classic signs of a toxic body. Although environmental toxins are not the only cause of the autoimmune process, it may be what is the root cause of the other factors such as candida, viral or bacterial infections.

We live in a toxic world. We are presently being exposed to hundreds of thousands of toxic compounds in the form of inorganic chemicals and toxic metals. These substances are everywhere, from the air we breathe, the foods we eat, the water we drink, the water we bathe in, the pharmaceuticals we take, the vaccinations we give our children, the smoke we inhale, the cleaning products we use, the pesticides and insecticides we come in contact with – the list goes on.

Our bodies have become virtual dumping grounds for hundreds of these toxic metals and chemicals. Studies indicate that we have between 400 and 800 toxic metal and chemical residues stored in our fat cells, and our tissues and organs.

The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that we cannot metabolize most of these chemicals and metals. So what happens to them once we have been exposed? They accumulate in our fat cells, in our organs such as the liver, kidneys and brain, in our glands such as the thyroid and adrenals, and in the central nervous system.

Together, these chemicals and metals result in a chronic toxic overload condition in our bodies. As these toxins build up, they create free radicals and disturb cell membranes and enzyme activities. They bind to cell membranes and block the receptor sites for essential minerals, so that minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium cannot be utilized and absorbed. This causes enzyme dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, neurological disorders, damages brain chemistry, which then leads to auto-immune disorders, cancer, and other debilitating chronic conditions.

Depending on your genetic predisposition for eliminating toxins from the body, you may tolerate more or less exposure to toxic metals and chemicals before showing negative effects such as an autoimmune disorder. Genetics also determine which part of the body that the toxins will attack.

When you mix bentonite clay with water, it creates a large negatively charged surface area. When the body is in a tub of warm water, the warm water opens up the pores of the skin, and the positively charged toxic particles are drawn through the pores of the skin, to be absorbed by the clay.

Most chemical and metal toxins have a postive charge, whereas the clay has a negative charge. Thus, the toxins cannot resist being drawn towards the clay. Bentonite clay has a great capacity for absorbing many times its own weight in toxins. In other words, clay baths have been shown to literally pull pollutants out through the skin, getting rid of many months and years of toxic accumulations.

It is important that you find a clay that has been purified, so it contains no mold, yeast, bacteria or fungus. Also, it helps to use a clay that mixes well and disperses easily with warm water to get maximum effectiveness. Some clays do not mix well in the tub, leaving you with a cumbersome and messy clean-up.

Glutathione is a short string of amino acids called a peptide. It is composed of three amino acids: glycine, glutamine and cysteine.

Glutathione is a major player in detoxifying the body of many toxic pollutants, including toxic metals and chemicals. Glutathione deficiency impairs the body's ability to get rid of toxins whether they are environmental or the by-products of cellular metabolism.

If we have low glutathione levels we slowly become toxic, storing away poisons in our tissues, organs, muscles and brain. We simply cannot detoxify effectively if our glutathione levels are too low, no matter what form of detoxification we undertake.

Glutathione is made by all the cells in the body, and is the body’s master antioxidant and detoxifying agent. In one review, almost 80% of people with chronic ailments were found to be deficient in glutathione. In fact, low levels of glutathione are involved in all disease states.

Why? – because the heavier the cumulative toxic burden on the body, the greater this depletes supplies of glutathione. For example: One molecule of mercury uses up one molecule of glutathione. Since all chronic, degenerative disorders are triggered, in part, by the toxic load, it is small wonder to see why glutathione levels are such an important marker.

Glutathione is a supplement that is extremely difficult to absorb.  Most oral supplements are worthless, because the digestive tract destroys the nutrient before it can be absorbed. 

Supplements such as NAC can help your body make more glutathione, but the effect is mild. This is why intravenous therapy was once considered to be the only therapy that really works.

According to Dr. Marcus Laux, it is important to find an oral glutathione supplement that your body can truly absorb.  It survives the trip through your intestines because the glutathione is contained in microscopic little pouches called liposomes. Thus, the glutathione enters your bloodstream intact.  According to Dr. Laux, liposomes were recently tested in rigorous scientific studies, and were found to have an amazing 90% absorption rate.  That’s comparable to intravenous glutathione therapy, for a fraction of the cost. 

A cell culture study was conducted on glutathione at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School by Gail Zeevalk, PhD. The study showed the neuro-protective nature of the glutathione from damage due to the known neuro-toxicants maneb (fungicide) and paraquat (herbicide).

The Infrared Sauna has an excellent reputation for detoxifying both metal and chemical contaminants from the body. It is an excellent therapy on its own or as an adjunct to other natural methods of detoxification.

Proper FAR infrared sauna therapy can be supportive for:

• Detoxification
• Enhanced Immune System Health
• Improved Cardiovascular Health
• Stress Releif
• Weight and Cellulite Management
• Pain Relief
• Skin Beautification

FAR infrared saunas help to accomplish detoxification in the following manner: A layer of fat and oil exists just below the surface of the skin. The FAR infrared light resonates with the water molecules within these lipid or fat cells.

This vigorous activation of the water molecule stimulates the fat cells to excrete toxins. These toxins will be released through the skin's sweat channels as a result of the high temperature from the sauna. As sweat and oil are secreted, the toxins dissolved in them are secreted as well. By excreting these toxins and then washing them off your body, the toxic load on the body is lowered and cellular health improves.

Oil glands help remove oil-soluble toxins that the body would otherwise have a difficult time eliminating. We have created a world filled with oil-soluble toxins such as gasoline, solvents, pesticides, ingredients in toothpaste, personal care products, etc., which the body is not able to dispose of efficiently. The longer the skin is heated, the more oil-soluble toxins are eliminated.

No other sauna company that we know of knows as much about detoxification as High Tech Health, Inc. Their specialty is providing saunas that detoxify safely and effectively. Their Thermal Life® Sauna is designed to allow anyone to detoxify at a rate that is appropriate for them.

Bio-Resonance™ Heaters

The Thermal Life® Sauna utilizes specially designed Bio-Resonance™ ceramic heaters that provide the optimal level of far infrared exposure no matter where you are in your detoxification process. A special feature of the Bio-Resonance heater is the nature of the far infrared rays that is emits. FAR infrared is a band of electromagnetic energy, just as visible light and ultraviolet light are.

The difference between visible light and far infrared is that we cannot see far infrared. FAR infrared affects the body differently than ultraviolet or near infrared light. Heat lamps emit near infrared which is only absorbed by the surface of the skin. FAR, on the other hand, is absorbed into the body up to a depth of 1 and half inches. It is experienced as a softer heat sensation which is quite enjoyable.

FAR infrared rays also stimulate the production of endorphins, the "happy hormones", and have been prescribed for pain for a long time. Bio-Resonance heating technology ensures an enjoyable, detoxifying experience.

Comparing Ceramic to Carbon Heaters in FIRS

Hight Tech Health (HTH) researched "carbon heater" technology and found it to be significantly inferior to their trademarked BioResonance® emitters because carbon heaters are inefficient and poor emitters of far infrared waves. If the emitters don't produce good far infrared, then the detoxification effect is diminished. HTH emitters are alloy tubes filled with solid ceramic . The ceramic material is warmed to the temperature range where it emits the highest quality and quantity of FIR waves. (between 6-20 microns).

The surgical grade stainless steel reflectors behind the emitters reflect back into the cabin any FIR emitted from the rear of the emitters. This way, the cabin is completely filled with 100% FIR waves and none are lost into the walls of the sauna. Carbon emitters because of their poor design and emission, lose close to 50% of what little far infrared they do emit through the back walls, because there is nothing to reflect the waves back into the center of the sauna cabin.

Carbon emitters are large thin plastic or fiberglass panels with a thin layer of carbon material sandwiched in between, or lined with fabric with carbon fibers woven into the fabric, then laminated onto the panels with a wire grid behind them to heat them up. They are made large to compensate for the extreme inefficiency of far infrared light production. They take 40-45 minutes to warm up to the point where you can even get into the sauna vs. our saunas which are warm and ready to use in 10-15 minutes.

High Tech Health will not put plastic or fiberglass into their saunas because of concerns regarding possible out-gassing of chemical compounds from these panels. These types of saunas are primarily marketed for recreational use. Another downside to carbon heaters is because of their large panel size, they produce fairly strong electromagnetic fields. HTH heaters emit extremely low levels of EMF's, about 2-4 milligauss, which is equivalent to sitting next to a reading lamp.

Carbon heaters are inexpensive to construct. They don't tend to have a long life, and can burn out in 5-6 years. HTH has never had to replace a single heater in the 14 years of selling the Thermal Life saunas. It is by far, the most durable, energy efficient and long lasting technology in the industry.

The most important four points in buying a far infrared sauna in regards to the heater technology used are:

1. Strength of Infrared – is the heater effective in promoting detoxification?
2. Energy Efficiency
3. Durability / Long lasting
4. Warm-up time

Besides linking to their site in the below-mentioned link, you can call them directly (recommended) at 800-794-5355 or 303-413-8500 and speak to one of their knowledgeable product specialists.

By mentioning our website Evenbetterhealth.com, you will receive the discount when you place the order from them. As well, High Tech Health offers a 30 day money-back satisfaction guarantee, so you can try it risk free. They also offer a lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship of the cabin, the heaters, and the electrical components.

For more information and to purchase the Thermal Life® Far Infrared Sauna from High Tech Health, Inc., please click here.

Being both water and fat soluble, R-lipoic acid passes the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to chelate metals like mercury that can attach to fatty cellls and brain neurons. It has also been shown to help decrease metals from the liver as well.

R-lipoic acid also extends the life of other antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and CoQ10 in the body. This is important because a heavy metal load creates more free radical activity. The longer an antioxidant can scavenge these free radicals, the less the "detox cleansing" reaction may last.

There are two forms of alpha-lipoic acid, an S-form and an R-form. Researchers believe that R-Form may be "up to 12 times more effective" than regular alpha lipoic acid which contains a synthetic by-product.

Rest, Rest, Rest - Consistent proper rest is much more crucial to health than most people realize. It is important not to let yourself become consistently exhausted or overtired. And once you have recovered from a major illness, you must be extremely vigilant in getting abundant rest and relaxation.

Following natural healing principles can give you such renewed vigor and energy that it's easy to become overconfident and overdo, which is not a problem for healthy people. But if you are recovering from a major illness, it is vital that you protect your new-found health and your natural immune defenses through proper rest and minimized stress.

Proper Diet - The most important thing to remember is this - eat whole, unprocessed, unadulterated foods as much as possible. This means no additives, preservatives, flavors, monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial sweeteners, caffeine, refined flours and sugars, or anything pickled or smoked. Think of how people ate one hundred years ago, and try to eat like that as much as possible. Stick with fresh vegetables and fruits and organic foods, even organic meats.

Eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible. It is a proven fact that people who incorporate more raw fruits and veggies into their diet have much quicker healing results.

Here is another important note: Many people with autoimmune diseases have experienced vast improvements by adopting a gluten-free diet. Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, namely wheat, rye and barley.

A sensitivity to gluten is ten to thirty times more common in people with autoimmune disorders compared to the general population. Many people with conditions from Crohn's disease to Multiple Sclerosis and autoimmune thyroiditis find great relief from their symptoms after adopting a gluten-free diet.

If you choose to try this diet, be sure to stick with it for at least 3 months. A good support group can help you learn how to eat gluten-free among today's food choices, and certain grocery stores and restaurants such as Trader Joe's actually put out pamphlets on what foods in their store free of gluten and hence safe.

Proper Exercise - Go very slow with your exercise. If you overdo it, it can take days and days before you recover from the exertion. This is true for almost all autoimmune disease patients.

One of the best forms of exercise is using a mini trampoline, or rebounder. This gentle, low impact exercise flushes the lymphatic system, which cleanses the lymph system of toxins. Walking, swimming, yoga and tai chi are also very helpful for your healing.

For those of you who need some encouragement, take heart - you can do this! It may not be easy, but then nothing truly valuable in life is easy. If you make the commitment, you too can begin to heal. Put yourself first, and do whatever feels right for you. It may take some hard work, but it is worth it. I know, because I've been there - and I worked hard to get to where I am today. I thank God every day for the healing, for the miracles, and for my new life. And I hold for you the highest vision of what is possible.

With great respect and admiration,

Andrea Nichols

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Causes of Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune diseases do not have one specific cause; rather, there seems to be a combination of factors involved.
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Author's Autoimmune Disease Experience
Author shares her own personal experiences with autoimmune diseases and how she found her way back to health.
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Resources and Consultants
This page lists some autoimmune resources and consultants that may be helpful to you.
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