the top ten toxins to remove from your life

 

Do you wake up tired, puffy, and foggy-brained?

Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?

Do you have asthma, allergies, sore joints, skin issues, or other autoimmune conditions?

Are you moody, anxious, or depressed?

Do you deal with PMS or other hormonal conditions on a regular basis?

Do you have chronic gut issues?

If you’ve been following my posts, you know that I would recommend a sugar free/grain free diet to reduce the inflammation that leads to these conditions.  I believe in a holistic approach, however, and another big factor that may contribute to these conditions is the environmental toxins we surround ourselves with every day.

Toxic chemicals are found in our food, furniture, carpets, cooking utensils, mattresses, cleaning products, body care products, and cosmetics. And that’s just a start…

Entire books have been written about all the things to watch out for, but I’m going to try and narrow it down for you so you at least have a starting point.  I've included lots of links so you can research further, if you want.  It would be impossible to avoid all toxins, but the more you can reduce the overall load on your body, the happier and healthier your liver, brain, and hormones will be.

1. Pesticides.  Buy organic as much as you can, especially if it’s coffee, tomatoes, apples, peanuts, zucchini, soy, or strawberries.  If you want to prioritize which vegetables and fruit you buy organic, you can look up the dirty dozen list put out by the Environmental Working Group. As a general rule of thumb, anything that has a thick skin that you don’t eat is usually not sprayed as heavily with pesticides.  Make sure you wash any produce well before eating it.  I like to soak mine in a sink with white vinegar and water.

2. Plastics/Phthalates/BPA. Use glass as much as possible for food storage, and certainly don't put plastic in the microwave or dishwasher.  If you notice your plastic containers are etched, they are probably leaching chemicals into your food.  Plastics with the numbers 1,2,and 5 are better than others, but the jury's still out on just how safe they are.  Better to avoid them as much as possible, in my opinion.  BPA is also found in the liners of metal cans and on the surface of thermal cash register receipts.  Look for cans that specifically say BPA free.

3. BHA. BHA is used primarily as a preservative and is found in food, cosmetics, and the liners of food boxes.  It is possibly carcinogenic and is outlawed in most European countries.

4. PFOAs.  These are found in teflon non-stick pans, and in the liners of microwave popcorn bags, and are another possible carcinogen.  If your pans are scratched, it's time to get new pans, as they are probably leaking chemicals into your food.

5. Propylene Glycol. Propylene glycol is commonly found in cosmetics. food, pharmaceuticals, deodorant, and antifreeze.

6. Parabens. Watch out for anything that ends with “paraben,” like ethyl paraben, methylparaben, and propyl paraben.  They are found in all types of beauty products and are known to disrupt hormone function.  Add enough of them to your daily routine and you might start to notice the ill effects--especially in our growing children.

7. Sunscreens.  Sunscreen use is a delicate balance.  We need our Vitamin D from sun exposure, but we also want to avoid skin damage.  Unfortunately, many of the things that we have traditionally put on our skin to protect it may actually be harming us. Choose sunscreens made of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and/or cover up with sun protective clothing.

8. Aluminum.  It’s commonly found in antiperspirants, antacids, buffered aspirin as well as cooking utensils and beverage cans.  Some people are sensitive to it and find that it contributes to allergic reactions. There is also some evidence that it may contribute to breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease in large quantities.

9. Food dyes.  Artificial food dyes are highly controversial and banned in most European countries.  Of course they are commonly found in processed food marketed to children, whose developing brains can be most easily affected by them.

10. Fragrances.  "Fragrance" is an unregulated word that you will find on almost any soap, lotion, shampoo, or other cosmetic, that usually means "chemically created and potentially harmful."  Look for fragrance-free products or products made with pure essential oils.  

One of my favorite things to do is to peruse Pinterest and Facebook groups looking for recipes for homemade lotions, deodorants, and skin and hair treatments that contain essential oils.  It's a lot of fun, and in most cases they work just as well as the commercial products with all the chemicals.  I can't remember the last time I used deodorant from the grocery store!

*Bonus:  I know I said 10, but I really can't fail to mention cleaning products!  So many of the chemicals used in those products are harmful to our health--particularly our respiratory systems.  Ditch the bleach and ammonia in favor of good old baking soda, vinegar, and Doc Bronner's soap.  Again, check out Pinterest for lots of ideas on natural cleaning solutions. 

I sincerely hope I didn't overwhelm you here!  Start with one thing this week and go from there.  Take a look at the labels of things in your house.  The EWG has a great app called Think Dirty that can help you sleuth out the chemicals in your products.  Have fun with it and start living healthier today!

If you'd like to talk to me more about creating a wellness and nutrition plan that works for you, I've got you!  I'm a certified Nutrition Coach who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life.  We also talk about all the pitfalls that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.

I'd love to talk to you about the program, so please book a free consultation with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to talking to you!

Click here to sign up for my weekly newsletter

Join my Clarity Wellness Low-Carb Ladies Facebook Group