Review: Tox-Sick

In this modern era, we are literally surrounded by poisons.

That's one of the primary messages that well-known author Suzanne Somers wants readers to take away from her new book, Tox-Sick: From Toxic to Not Sick. Not only are we surrounded by poisons, but our bodies are, quite simply, becoming overwhelmed by them. Decades of exposure to pesticides, genetically-modified food, chemicals in carpets and furniture and cars, fluoride in water, unnecessary medications, and more have taken a toll on the bodies of many once they reach the tipping point. People are feeling tired, bloated, foggy-headed, achy, and sick.

If you're ready for a change, like Somers was, read on.

Tox-Sick delves into many of the biggest health issues we face today, issues that many people aren't even aware of (unless they've been directly affected). Somers gets into some of the deeper causes of cancer, and discusses how detoxification is necessary to avoid (or beat) it. She talks about toxic mold, why it's become such a problem in recent years, and what to do if you encounter it. She talks about nutrition, and how the "low-fat" craze has not done us any favors. She talks about antibiotics, and how they wipe out the good alongside the bad. She talks about what supplements you should be taking to support your immune system, your liver, your thyroid, and the rest of your body.

Most readers will find themselves learning a lot, and there's a good chance that a number of book titles will be added to the "to read" list. The majority of the information in Tox-Sick is delivered via interviews between Somers and various health professionals, experts who have ventured off the beaten path and have found themselves specializing in true health care. Many of these doctors have written their own books, which will no doubt be sought out by readers who recognize themselves and their problems in these pages.

To be honest, though, the fact that so much is told through interviews is one of my biggest problems with the book. While the information in Tox-Sick is fascinating, the Q&A format makes for rather tedious reading at times. I understand that Somers wanted a lot of this information to be coming directly from the experts, but I still can't help but feel that there must have been a better way to accomplish this than through verbatim interviews. As a copyeditor, I'm also a little bothered by the lack of proper citations. There is a "Further Reading" section at the end, as well as a bibliography, but it would be nice to know which specific sources were used for each chapter.

Overall, this book doesn't quite live up to my expectations. Somers missed a lot of opportunities to educate readers on some big issues. Tox-Sick is written to be provocative, yes, but it also toes the line on a number of topics that readers would benefit from knowing more about. One example is fluoride. Somers makes a point of telling readers to avoid fluoridated water, but doesn't go into any detail why; the mainstream audience that this book is intended for likely doesn't know much of anything about fluoride except what their dentist has been telling them for years. Another example is vaccines. Several times, either Somers or her interviewees allude to the toxins within vaccines, at one point even talking about how "over-vaccinating" has made us sicker. That's as far as this book dares to go, but there is still a lot left unsaid here, a lot that readers might be curious to know.

"Within hours of emerging from the womb, a newborn is given a dollop of antibiotics in the eyes, injected with the hepatitis B vaccine, with known neurotoxic properties, and jabbed with a vitamin K shot, which contains 9 mg of benzyl alcohol. In 1992, Golding published concerns that vitamin K injections could be associated with a doubled risk of malignant disease in children, particularly leukemia. While there have been considerable doubts about whether the association is coincidental or casual, the controversy has never been completely resolved."

All three of those "standard" newborn procedures are quite controversial. In some circles, anyway. This is just another missed opportunity to dig deeper.

In the end, though, Tox-Sick is a good read, packed with great information that will hopefully get people thinking and inspire them to take charge of their own health. The personal stories that Somers presents from her own family are heartbreaking, and the case studies from some of the doctors will give readers hope for their future. This is a great introduction to a number of issues that many don't even realize they're affected by. Here's hoping that Somers can help turn the tide.

"It's time for us to grow up and realize that nobody's going to save us; we've got to save ourselves. It's up to each of us to control the amount of our individual toxic exposures. To live and thrive, we need to truly think about every product we use and every bite of food we take."

*****
 
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed within are completely my own.