Clean Living: How to Reduce your Toxic Load

Endocrine Disruptors are chemicals that alter hormones and their functions. Research has shown they produce adverse immune, neurological, reproductive and developmental effects in our body and also to the environment. A previous blog post describe in detail about how Endocrine Disruptors affect our health here: How Toxic is Your Home?

How can we avoid our exposure to these toxins and decrease the health risks associated?

Follow the 4 Rs: Recognize, Remove, Reduce and Replace

Recognize: The first step is awareness of your toxic exposure. Many people have no idea how many chemicals that are in their everyday life. Start a list and write different categories/rooms of where you might have hidden toxins. Examples might be: beauty products, self-care and hair products, cleaning supplies, kitchen items, your office etc. From here, you can take one category at a time and work to reduce your toxic load.

Remove: This is the ideal solution; no one should be exposed to these dangerous chemicals! While this might be the obvious answer, it is not always easy or even realistic for some. There are some things that are out of our control (like environmental pollution) or things that we can’t avoid completely. However, we CAN reduce the amount of exposure and swap out the toxic products for cleaner and safer alternatives.

Reduce & Replace: Below we have provided tips and ways to make more informed and safer decisions regarding your health. All the small lifestyle habits and choices you make add up, in a positive or negative way. Choose to take advantage of the options you do have to improve your health and reduce your exposure to chemicals.

Top resources include the EWG & ThinkDirty. Here you can find specific guides to overhauling any aspect of your health, such as water filters, natural beauty products, safe cell phone use etc. Think Dirty is a phone app where you can scan products & it provides a rating based on its ingredients.

Environmental Working Group https://www.ewg.org/consumer-guides#.W7ziqWhKjIU

Think Dirty: https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/brands/index.php

Kitchen:

• Use bamboo/wood cutting boards in place of plastic.
• Cook with wood or metal utensils, not plastic.
• Buy re-useable mesh drawstring bags to store produce instead of plastic ziplocs.
• Store food in glass or ceramic containers/dishes versus plastics.
• Use stainless steel or ceramic pots and pans instead of Teflon/non-stick cookware.
• Avoid drinking from plastics. Switch a stainless steel or glass bottle.
• Invest in a quality water filter. There are many options; the top is a reverse osmosis system.

Nutrition:

• Choose organic produce whenever possible. Refer to the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Lists to know the top offenders.
• Avoid all GMO products; top foods include grains, wheat, corn, dairy, packaged foods like chips, bakery goods etc.
• Read labels. If choosing a boxed/packaged item, choose ones that are certified Non-GMO and Organic.
• Only buy top quality animal products. Don’t be fooled by the label “Natural”, as it is not regulated by the FDA. Choose meat and animal products that have been: grass fed, antibiotic and hormone free, organic and locally raised if possible.

Bathroom:

• Opt for a flouride-free toothpaste (we like Schmidts or Tom’s) 
• Use toxin-free hair products (shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo etc.)
• Invest in quality skin care (cleansers, moisturizers, etc)
• Opt for a mineral based sunscreen (such as zinc oxide)
• Switch to natural makeup & beauty products

Some of my favorite brands include: Pacifica, Schmidts, Tom’s of Maine, Hask, Shea Moisture, Burt’s Bees, Aveda, and there are many more! Many of these products are found at Target or Amazon for reasonable prices.

Check out my Favorite Skin Care Products article.

Living Room & Bedroom:

• Turn off your Wi-Fi at night to reduce your EMF (Electromagnetic fields) exposure.
• Use certified pure quality essential oils (such as Doterra or Young Living) as an air freshener or room spray. They can also be used for cleaning!
• Use 100% soy or beeswax candles that do not contain any artificial fragrances or carcinogenic paraffin.
• Use cleaning products that are free of fragances & chemicals. Our favorite brands are: Seventh Generation & Dr. Bronner’s.
• Consider making your own cleaning products or even self care products. Many are easy to make, using essential oils, white vinegar, etc.

 As you can see, there are many ways that you can avoid chemicals & alternatives to improve your health. The first step is awareness & starting with one area at a time!