Do you suffer from mood swings, have joint pain or inflammation, can’t sleep or just feel sluggish in the morning? If so, you might be suffering from what Dr. Tom Mercante calls “D.O.T. syndrome.”
“It stands for Depressed, Overweight and Tired,” says Dr. Mercante, Director of Clinical Services at AlignLife of Summerville. Environmental toxins are the leading cause of D.O.T. syndrome. Dr. Mercante explains, “We take in over 500 toxins a day in the form of pollution, skin care products, hair products, the way food is treated, pesticides in the air, even perfumes and colognes.” It’s not a matter of if you are toxic or not, it’s how toxic are you?
Your body detoxifies itself by eliminating harmful toxins via urination, defecation and perspiration but sometimes these systems become blocked and overloaded and do not function correctly. The toxins build up in the body and create sickness, disease and even cancer. One key to staying off disease and feeling better is by doing a body cleanse or detoxification.
Here are 5 ways that toxins can interfere with body systems and cause D.O.T., according to Dr. Mercante:
1. Persistent Weight Gain
Excess toxins can cause weight gain. “The body stores excess toxins in fat cells. More toxins mean more fat cells are created to store these toxins, which leads to weight gain,” explains Dr. Mecante.
He explains that one of the reasons people have problems losing weight is that the body is “intelligent” by nature. Your body does not want to remove fats cells because that would release those toxins back into your body, doing damage.
2. Poor Liver Function
In a healthy body, the liver prepares toxins for elimination from the body. “Most harmful toxins are not water soluble, and can’t simply leave the body unless the liver packages them for delivery out of the body,” Dr. Mercante clarifies.
An unhealthy body deprives the liver of the resources it needs (like vitamins, amino acids, etc.). “Detoxification will come to a screeching halt, says Dr. Mercante, as he describes the effects of an unhealthy liver. “A supplement might be needed to provide the compounds the liver needs to complete the toxin cleanse.” Supplements can also provide strong antioxidant and herbal support for the liver to remain healthy during a cleansing program. His recommended cleansing program includes supplements to help heal the liver, and these supplements are also available at his practice, AlignLife of Summerville.
3. Digestive Problems
Dr. Mercante promotes a natural diet. “It is important to understand that the body runs efficiently on the food created by nature – the stuff that grows from the ground,” he says. People who eat a diet rich in processed foods – which would be most Americans – tend to have dysfunctional digestive systems.
“Ingesting the many food toxins in the typical American diet will eventually damage the normal lining of the digestive system, which will reduce absorption of vital nutrients your body needs to maintain health. This quickly leads to fatigue, depression and the high risk of chronic illness,” Dr. Mercante continues to explain.
This is why many cleanse programs recommend reducing intake of processed foods to help the digestive system stabilize and heal.
4. An Unhealthy Immune System
Millions of Americans go through their entire lives dealing with chronic health concerns caused by consuming foods they are allergic to without ever knowing it. In the cleanse program Dr. Mercante recommends – The Ultimate Body Cleanse – participants stick to foods that are known to have low allergy potential.
“Chronic food allergies can cause hormone problems, weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, joint pain, depression and many other chronic symptoms,” he says. “During the cleanse, you will eliminate the most allergenic foods to humans, including corn, dairy, wheat and soy. After the cleanse, you will be able to assess your allergies by keeping a diary when you reintroduce the foods back into your diet.”
5. Parasite Infections
Many people may think that residents of a first-world country like the United States would be free from parasites, however, Dr. Mercante says that this is not the case. “The rate of parasitic-related disorders in North America is skyrocketing. If you have at least three people in your home, the odds according to research are that at least one of you has parasites living in your body,” he says.
The Ultimate Body Cleanse contains a special formula designed to eliminate these harmful parasites.
If you’re looking to get rid of any of these symptoms and rid yourself of D.O.T. Syndrome, Dr. Mercante’s free workshop will show how The Ultimate Body Cleanse can help. Workshops are held monthly so please contact the office for the next
available date.
Dr. Mercante is an avid lecturer throughout the country on chiropractic care and nutrition. He’s happy to be at AlignLife of Summerville for this annual Ultimate Body Cleanse workshop.
Seats are extremely limited, so call the office at 843-376-5858 to reserve your spot.
Take this Toxicity Test to see if you suffer from D.O.T.:
Rate each symptom based on frequency and intensity.
Point Scale:
0 - Never or Almost Never
1 - Occasionally, Not Severe
2 - Occasionally and Severe
3 - Frequently, Not Severe
4 - Frequently and Severe
_____ Acne
_____ Constipation
_____ Bloated
_____ Heartburn
_____ Mood Swings
_____ Depression
_____ Irritability
_____ Anxiety
_____ Fatigue
_____ Itchy Eyes
_____ Runny Nose
_____ Headaches
_____ Dizziness
_____ Joint Pain
_____ Muscle Pain
_____ Insomnia
_____ Poor Memory
_____ Excessive Food Cravings
_____ Excessive Weight
_____ Water Retention
_____ Swollen Glands
0-5 Congratulations! You are not suffering from advanced toxin overload. Use The Ultimate Body Cleanse to maintain optimal health.
5-25 Completing The Ultimate Body Cleanse may improve many of the symptoms noted above.
25-49 You are showing advanced signs of toxin overload and would benefit from The Ultimate Body Cleanse.
50-84 You are showing classic signs of severe toxin overload and need to avoid exposure to toxins in your environment and complete The Ultimate Body Cleanse.
