Ever made an effort to erase the toxins and chemicals in your home? Ever got confused “how can I live a more natural, non-toxic lifestyle?”
These simple changes can have really huge impact on your family’s overall health. It's not surprising to see that the number of families wanting to live a less-toxic lifestyle has drastically increased over the decade. Several environmental factors contribute to our overall physical and mental health. Factors we aren’t even aware of that show bad effects on our health, and overall wellbeing. The word detox does not only mean detoxing our body with a cleansing therapy or diet detox. But detoxing your home is equally important. The average home has 500-1,000 chemicals lurking around. We are so accustomed to these chemicals we don’t even realize what they are. Most of them we can’t see, taste or feel. Living a non-toxic lifestyle Some skeptics say we are exposed to such a low dose it can’t be harmful to us. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most studies have been done on high exposure not low exposure over a long duration. Another factor is tolerance. Everyone’s tolerance is different. This includes adults vs children. Children’s immune system is still developing exposure to chemicals and toxins is more harmful to them. A person with immunocompromised ailments, chronic diseases or co-morbidities will have a lower tolerance than a person who is healthy. We can limit our toxic exposure in small ways helping to support a healthy immune system, mood, and even help with weight loss. Reducing chemical exposure can improve gut health and immunity, reduce inflammation in the body, improve energy, reduce stress, and researchers have also found out, it can also decrease the risk of developing cancer. Sounds pretty great, right? But how do you start living a more non-toxic lifestyle?
Here are a few tips you can adopt to live a non – toxic life.
1) CHOOSE YOUR FOOD CONSCIOUSLY
Organic food may just look like a more expensive version of the “regular” food. Many naysayers think, “I didn’t eat organic growing up, and I turned out fine”. But guess what? The foods we ate growing up WERE organic, they just weren’t labeled that way, because the food industry had yet to develop NON-organic practices. Organic food is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and insecticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. It’s how our food used to be. No glyphosate, no artificial dyes, no artificial flavoring, no artificial sweeteners or man-made chemicals. Worth paying a little extra for? We think so. But even so, the price differential continues to narrow. Many grocery stores are now offering organic store-brands that are much more affordable, and big-box stores are stocking more and more organic options that can be bought in bulk for a huge discount. Are you aware of “The Dirty Dozen”?? A list of the 12 dirtiest foods that have been tested to have the highest quantity of pesticide residues, that you must try to buy organic whenever possible.
THE DIRTY DOZEN: - Strawberries, Spinach, Kale, Nectarines, Apples, Grapes, Peaches, Cherries, Pears, Tomatoes, Celery, and Potatoes, On the other hand, the “Clean Fifteen” are some of the cleanest foods, with the fewest amounts of detected pesticide residues.
THE CLEAN FIFTEEN - Avocados, Sweet corn, Pineapples, Sweet peas, Onions, Papayas, Eggplant, Asparagus, Kiwis, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cantaloupes, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Honeydew
2) SWAP YOUR COOKING OILS
Replace highly processed oils from your kitchen that contribute to inflammation, heart disease and become toxic at relatively low temperatures. Instead, use less processed options that have a higher smoke point, such as rice bran oil, groundnut oil, coconut oil or ghee.
3) KEEP PESTICIDES OUT
Maximum care should be taken to keep toxins out of the home. Usage of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, can expose us to a toxic chemical cocktail that is a likely endocrine disruptor, which can interfere with the development of children’s immune, reproductive and metabolic systems. We are all exposed to these chemicals by inhaling the residue, and then track it through our homes through our shoes. The solution? Make all fields organic, by stopping the use of harmful pesticides on playing fields and our own backyards. It starts with healthy soil built with natural inputs and natural sources of fertility.
4) CHOOSE YOUR STORAGE WISELY
Plastics contain endocrine disruptors and carcinogenic chemicals that can leach into our food and water. BPA (Bisphenol A) has been proven to mimic our hormones and can cause problems to our reproductive, developmental, and metabolic systems. Although many plastics are now “BPA Free”, there are still concerns that the BPA is just being replaced by other Bisphenol-type chemicals that may be equally as harmful. For this reason, we suggest using containers and water bottles made out of non-leaching materials like glass, stainless steel, ceramic or bamboo.
5) CHANGE YOUR CLEANING PRODUCTS
It’s really heartbreaking that almost all the products that are marketed to clean the house, are in fact making it “dirty” by spreading health-impacting chemicals, and fumes into the air we breathe. You best believe that changing cleaning products is one of the most important steps we can make to protect our families from being exposed to harmful TOXINS. Consider switching your conventional cleaning products, including all-purpose sprays, glass cleaners, furniture polish, dish soaps, floor cleaners and disinfectants. Replace them with non-toxic products or make a DIY cleaner with simple ingredients like vinegar or baking soda or soap-nut.
6) SWITCH TO NON-TOXIC COSMETICS
Almost all the products you apply on your skin – from moisturizers, sunscreens and soaps, to body wash, deodorant, serums and scrubs, not to mention make-up and hair products – we are literally bathing, spraying, rubbing and washing ourselves and our kids with hundreds of chemicals every day. Many contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals like parabens and phthalates, or known carcinogens and neurotoxins and because our skin is our largest organ, it’s critical to be aware of what is being absorbed into it.
7) USE NON-TOXIC COOKWARE
If you’re cooking healthy meals for your family with organic foods and cleaner, less processed oils, you’re toxin free, right? Well, not so fast. If you’re using a non-stick Teflon pot or pan, they are made using a chemical called PTFE which has been linked to cancer, birth defects, thyroid disease, diabetes, higher cholesterol, and many other health problems. When these pans get scratched, these chemicals are released into our food. To avoid this, we suggest opting for Stainless Steel, Glass, Porcelain, Soapstone or a Cast Iron pan. All of these natural materials do not have any coating that can release harmful toxins, and they do become non-stick with age.
8) CHANGE YOUR WATER FILTER
Consuming RO demineralized water causes debilitating symptoms such as headache, tiredness, and weakness, muscular cramps, and impaired heart rate along with a negative impact on hormone secretion, kidney functions, and bone mineral density. Instead use Earthen water filters, Steel or copper water filters or A cotton cloth to filter water
Remember, don't stress about making all of these changes overnight. With every food switch or a new product you buy, you are taking one step closer towards living a non-toxic lifestyle. Focus on each step of improvement, and they will ultimately add up to make a huge difference in your lifestyle and overall health.