Toxins are one of the three T’s to subluxation, and they can be ingested as well as absorbed through the skin. When absorbed through the skin they bypass a lot of our body’s natural defenses against pathogens. The less toxins the body and nervous system have to deal with, the more it can focus on healing and living an optimal life. While we are not in control of every environmental toxin we will get exposed to in our everyday life, we can control a large amount of them by becoming aware of the ones that exist in our own home.
Don’t think your home contains toxins? Think about all of the products in your bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and cleaning bucket. Harmful ingredients are allowed in all those products and the average person today has 91 toxic chemicals found in their blood and urine (Kresser, 2017). Check out these three tips to start reducing your exposure today:
#1 - Buy the unscented version of products.
Artificial fragrances have been likened to smoking and linked to a variety of health concerns. They can contain formaldehyde, benzene, VOCs and fragrances which have been linked to cancer and reproductive organ toxicity (Price, 2016). Artificial scents are found in all softs of personal care products, laundry detergents, perfumes, and even trash bags! Instead try using an essential oil diffuser, beeswax candle, or let the air be fresh and clear!
#2 - Eliminate, Replace, or Reduce Everyday Use Products
All of the products that you put on your body or use in your home can contain parabens, PEG, triclosan and many other things linked to cancer, skin irritation, organ toxicity, and hormone disruption (Ruggeri, 2021) Unfortunately, not all “health oriented” brands are actually toxin-free and in general you can improve products by choosing ones with less ingredients. However, you are better off using apps like https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ and https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com to check how toxic the products you use really are.
Always consider Eliminating a product completely first (do you actually need it?), then try Replacing it with a cleaner alternative, and if neither of those work try Reducing the amount and frequency you use it. Apply the E-R-R principle to all the products in your home.
#3 - Be Smart about Food Cookware and Storage
For cookware you should avoid Teflon (see Dark Waters movie), aluminum, and copper which have been linked to cancer and heavy metal toxins. Replace with use of enamel, cast iron and stainless steel (Kresser, 2019). For food storage, swap out place for glass since plastic contains BPA which is a well known endocrine disruptor (Kresser, 2019).
Sources:
Kresser, C. (2019 May 28). Environmental toxins: Steps for decreasing exposure and increasing detoxification. Chris Kresser. https://chriskresser.com/environmental-toxins-steps-for-decreasing-exposure-and-increasing-detoxification
Kresser, C. (2017 Mar 7). Environmental toxins: The elephant in the room. Chris Kresser. https://chriskresser.com/environmental-toxins-the-elephant-in-the-room/
Price, A. (2016 Nov 17). Dangers of synthetic scents include cancer, asthma and kidney damage. Dr. Axe. https://draxe.com/health/dangers-synthetic-scents/
Ruggeri, C. (2021 Oct 12). Phthalates, fat-promoting chemicals, are hiding out here. Dr. Axe. https://draxe.com/health/phthalates/