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TAKE THE DETOX TEST - FIND OUT JUST HOW TOXIC YOU ARE!

How toxic is your life right now?

This questionnaire is designed to gauge how toxic your system might be and to help you pinpoint which areas of your life are causing this toxicity.

Answer the questions honestly - only you need see your answers!

(If you would prefer to print the test out, use the 'Print Frame' command on your browser)

FOOD AND DRINK

Y

N

1 Do you drink coffee or tea regularly?

2 Do you drink more than two glasses of wine, pints of beer or spirit measures a day?

3
Do you eat ready or convenience meals more than once a week?

4
Do you eat a lot of processed (tinned, frozen, dried, prepared) foods?

5 Do you eat much smoked produce; i.e. bacon, cheese, cooked meats?

6
Do you add salt to your cooking or to your plate?

7 Do you eat a lot of sugar, sweets, chocolates?

8
Do you eat "diet" foods or use artificial sweeteners?

9 Do you usually buy non-organic fruit, vegetables and meat?

10
Do you eat a lot of processed meat products - burgers, sausages, pies etc.?

11
Do you eat more than one fried meal a week?

12
Do you drink a lot of sodas or fizzy drinks (i.e. more than one a week?)

13
Do you have takeaways or fast food meals more than once a week?

14
Do you barbecue a lot of food (i.e. more than once a month?)

15
Do you eat red meat more than once a week?

TOTAL

In an ideal world you would score very low on this section - but we don't live in an ideal world! Your body will probably be able to deal with a score under five - but don't expect to feel wonderful. Between five and ten you are pushing your body and you can expect to have some chronic signs of toxicity (allergies, tiredness etc.). Upwards of ten you are putting your body under severe strain and should seriously reassess your nutrition.

YOUR WORK

Y

N

1 Do you suffer from the symptoms of ill-health (a persistent runny nose, for example), which go away when you leave the workplace and return when you return?

2 Do the symptoms get worse when the heat or air conditioning is turned on?

3
Did you start feeling bad when you moved into a new office or when your workplace was redecorated or remodelled? Or when lagging, cavity foam etc. was installed in the workplace?

4
Do the symptoms become more severe when the workplace is tightly sealed in cold weather?

5 Do you have to use toxic chemicals or their by-products as part of your work?

6
Do you use a lot of commercial detergents, cleaners, paint or other decorating materials?

7 Do you work on a computer for more than an hour a day?

8
Are there many electrical or electronic machines operating near you - i.e. photocopiers, computers, processors?

9 Do people smoke in your workplace?

10
Do you work under fluorescent lights? Do you have no natural lighting in your workplace?

11
Do you have to drive long distances in your work - ie more than 100 kilometres a day?

12
Do you have to take a lot of flights, and particularly long distance flights? Ie more than two a year?

13
Do you have to travel through a city centre on your way to work?

14
Is your work very stressful? Do you often find yourself feeling anxious or panicked?

15
Do you dread going to work in the morning?

TOTAL

If you have scored highly in questions 1 - 4, it is quite likely your workplace is a "sick" building or that you are particularly sensitive to the environment. Questions 6 - 10 concern the additional problems we encounter in the workplace - unfortunately they are hard to avoid - but you can take measures to protect yourself. Questions 11 - 13 consider the impact of commuting and travelling - if you have scored highly here you will have an additional toxic burden. The last two questions concern mental toxicity - a factor often forgotten in the workplace. If work is unduly stressful you will need to focus on techniques for coping with tension and anxiety.

DRUGS AND COSMETICS

Y

N

1 Do you smoke?

2 Do you take long-term prescription medication?

3
Do you frequently take over-the-counter medications, ie more than once every three months?

4
Do you take any recreational drugs?

5 Do you have more than four amalgam fillings?

6
Do you take sleeping tablets or tranquillisers regularly?

7 Do you dye your hair, using synthetic dyes?

8
Do you use a lot of perfume and perfumed cosmetics, toiletries etc (not including aromatherapy products)?

9 Do you find beauty products irritate your skin or cause allergic reactions such as sore throats, itching or watering eyes etc?

10
Do you die your eyelashes and eyebrows?

TOTAL

Drugs and cosmetics are packed with synthetic chemicals, many of which are considered toxic to varying degrees. Large numbers of people suffer side effects and allergic reactions to their everyday medication and beauty products. If you have anything over a score of 1 in this section, you will probably experience some toxicity problems. Detoxing will help. You might also want to talk to your physician about your medication. If you are self-dosing with OTC medications, you should consult a naturopath or holistic practitioner to seek a long-term solution to your problems. Try to find natural alternatives to synthetic dyes and cosmetics - there are a large range of options now.

LEISURE AND LIFESTYLE

Y

N

1 Do you live in a city centre or near large roads?

2 Do you exercise (jogging, walking, cycling, running etc) on city or large roads more than twice a week?

3
Do you swim in highly chlorinated water more than once a week?

4
Do you do DIY as a hobby?

5 Are you a keen gardener who uses pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and other synthetic garden products?

6
Are motoring and/or car maintenance a sport or hobby?

7 Do you spend more than an hour a day watching television?

8
Do you spend more than an hour a day on your home computer?

9 Do you wear a lot of synthetic fabrics?

10
Do you have a hobby which uses solvents, paints, sprays or chemicals?

TOTAL

Relaxing, playing sports and enjoying hobbies are all superb for our emotional well-being. However it's worth recognising the problems which are associated with some forms of lifestyle. Generally speaking, moderation is the key. You can also take precautions - wearing a mask if jogging, working on your car or using solvents. TVs and computers expel radiation in the form of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) so always sit as far as possible from the screen and have an anti- radiation screen on your home computer.

WHAT YOUR SCORES MEAN

Don't be discouraged if you have scored highly in this questionnaire. It is quite likely you will have high scores in at least one, if not several, sections. This is your starting point - a chance to evaluate your lifestyle and see where the major problems lie. Throughout this book we will be looking at ways to reduce the toxic overload. But at this stage focus on where your highest scores lie. Think whether there are ways to reduce any obvious problems. It doesn't mean changing job or giving up your hobby but perhaps you could start to shift your diet; start gardening organically; wear a mask as you cycle to work; turn off the television and read one night a week….. Little shifts can make a huge difference.

	FOOD AND DRINK	Y	N
1	Do you drink coffee or tea regularly?
2	Do you drink more than two glasses of wine, pints of beer or spirit measures a day?
3	Do you eat ready or convenience meals more than once a week?
4	Do you eat a lot of processed (tinned, frozen, dried, prepared) foods?
5	Do you eat much smoked produce; i.e. bacon, cheese, cooked meats?
6	Do you add salt to your cooking or to your plate?
7	Do you eat a lot of sugar, sweets, chocolates?
8	Do you eat "diet" foods or use artificial sweeteners?
9	Do you usually buy non-organic fruit, vegetables and meat?
10	Do you eat a lot of processed meat products - burgers, sausages, pies etc.?
11	Do you eat more than one fried meal a week?
12	Do you drink a lot of sodas or fizzy drinks (i.e. more than one a week?)
13	Do you have takeaways or fast food meals more than once a week?
14	Do you barbecue a lot of food (i.e. more than once a month?)
15	Do you eat red meat more than once a week?
	TOTAL

	YOUR WORK	Y	N
1	Do you suffer from the symptoms of ill-health (a persistent runny nose, for example), which go away when you leave the workplace and return when you return?
2	Do the symptoms get worse when the heat or air conditioning is turned on?
3	Did you start feeling bad when you moved into a new office or when your workplace was redecorated or remodelled? Or when lagging, cavity foam etc. was installed in the workplace?
4	Do the symptoms become more severe when the workplace is tightly sealed in cold weather?
5	Do you have to use toxic chemicals or their by-products as part of your work?
6	Do you use a lot of commercial detergents, cleaners, paint or other decorating materials?
7	Do you work on a computer for more than an hour a day?
8	Are there many electrical or electronic machines operating near you - i.e. photocopiers, computers, processors?
9	Do people smoke in your workplace?
10	Do you work under fluorescent lights? Do you have no natural lighting in your workplace?
11	Do you have to drive long distances in your work - ie more than 100 kilometres a day?
12	Do you have to take a lot of flights, and particularly long distance flights? Ie more than two a year?
13	Do you have to travel through a city centre on your way to work?
14	Is your work very stressful? Do you often find yourself feeling anxious or panicked?
15	Do you dread going to work in the morning?
	TOTAL

	DRUGS AND COSMETICS	Y	N
1	Do you smoke?
2	Do you take long-term prescription medication?
3	Do you frequently take over-the-counter medications, ie more than once every three months?
4	Do you take any recreational drugs?
5	Do you have more than four amalgam fillings?
6	Do you take sleeping tablets or tranquillisers regularly?
7	Do you dye your hair, using synthetic dyes?
8	Do you use a lot of perfume and perfumed cosmetics, toiletries etc (not including aromatherapy products)?
9	Do you find beauty products irritate your skin or cause allergic reactions such as sore throats, itching or watering eyes etc?
10	Do you die your eyelashes and eyebrows?
	TOTAL

	LEISURE AND LIFESTYLE	Y	N
1	Do you live in a city centre or near large roads?
2	Do you exercise (jogging, walking, cycling, running etc) on city or large roads more than twice a week?
3	Do you swim in highly chlorinated water more than once a week?
4	Do you do DIY as a hobby?
5	Are you a keen gardener who uses pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and other synthetic garden products?
6	Are motoring and/or car maintenance a sport or hobby?
7	Do you spend more than an hour a day watching television?
8	Do you spend more than an hour a day on your home computer?
9	Do you wear a lot of synthetic fabrics?
10	Do you have a hobby which uses solvents, paints, sprays or chemicals?
	TOTAL