How to Reduce Toxins in Your Life
Learn how to reduce toxins in your life to improve your health.
Eliminating toxins and supporting your body’s detoxification processes are crucial for good health. If you’re struggling with your health, you may need to detox. Taking steps to minimize toxins and support your body’s natural detox processes can greatly impact your well-being. Let’s explore the nature of toxins, their effects, and strategies to minimize their presence in your home and daily life.
What Are Toxins?
Toxins are harmful substances that can be present in various places, such as water, air, food, clothing, and other things in your environment. Our world is filled with toxins that pose a threat to our health. Shockingly, the average person carries more than 700 environmental chemicals in their body, while newborn babies have over 287 chemicals at birth!
The good news is, you can minimize toxins and support your body’s detoxification processes. The first step is to understand their sources. Here are common sources of toxins:
- BPA — beverage and food storage items
- Cleaning products — bleach, all-purpose cleaners, and more
- Fragrances — perfumes, colognes, room sprays, household products
- Heavy metals — mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, nickel, cadmium, etc.
- Pesticides & herbicides — lawn products like Roundup
- Pollution — vehicles, planes, power plants, industrial facilities, etc.
- Others: formaldehyde, VOCs, dioxins, phthalates, triclosan, asbestos, and mold
Toxins Harm Your Health
Toxins contribute to countless health problems. You absorb them via…
- Air — such as pollution and fragrances
- Water — such as drinking water, showering, or swimming in a pool
- Skin — anything in contact with your skin, such as water, beauty/personal products
- Ingestion — anything ingested, such as food, beverages, supplements, medications
Reduce Toxins to Reduce Body Fat
Got body fat that won’t budge? It’s likely due to toxins. Most toxins accumulate gradually in fatty tissues throughout your body, including your butt, belly, and brain. Additionally, toxins can accumulate in muscles, bones, tendons, joints, ligaments, and organs. It’s important to note that toxins might not manifest noticeable symptoms or you may attribute symptoms to other conditions.
Are YOU Toxic?
Toxicity symptoms can include stubborn body fat, water retention, fatigue, congested liver, difficulty detoxing, cravings, digestive problems, aches and pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, skin issues, allergies, asthma, and sleep problems. Toxins can contribute to gut problems, weakened immunity, hormone imbalances, blood sugar issues, reproductive issues, brain fog, autism, anxiety, depression, dementia, headaches, and migraines. Ready to reduce toxins in your daily life?
13 Tips to Reduce Toxins
Now that you know the many toxins you may be exposed to daily and the associated symptoms, it’s time to take action eliminating chemicals from your life. You’ve probably detoxed your body, but have you ever detoxed your environment? Although detoxing your body is good, it’s challenging to progress if you don’t reduce toxins at the source. Unfortunately, most living and work spaces today are FULL of toxins.
Reduce the sources of toxins to reduce your toxic load and help your body cleanse itself.
The goal is to reduce toxins and support your body’s natural detoxification capacity. Remember that you don’t have to eliminate everything all at once. As the need arises to replace items, opt for healthier alternatives. By gradually upgrading your environment, you can improve your health and the well-being of your family and even your pets.
1. Eat Clean
One of the easiest ways to reduce toxins is to eliminate most processed foods from your diet. Enjoy a High Vibration diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating healthier can reduce your sodium intake to reduce the excess fluid that can cause bloating. Including less processed food can benefit your liver and allow it to detox more efficiently.
2. Read Labels
Make it a habit to read labels for every item you purchase: food, supplements, cleaning agents, or personal hygiene products. Opt for products with minimal ingredients, avoiding those that resemble a complex chemistry experiment. To find healthier alternatives, visit EWG.org. Download EWG’s free app, which allows you to scan products and make informed choices for healthier purchases. Focus on the five products you use regularly: toothpaste, deodorant, soap, shampoo, and chapstick. Then, evaluate the five products frequently used in your household: dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning supplies.
3. Choose Organic
A simple and effective approach to minimizing toxins is to adopt a daily diet of organic and GMO-free foods. Avoid high-risk foods such as corn, soy, canola, alfalfa, cotton, sugar beets, papaya, yellow summer squash, and zucchini. Additionally, eliminate the consumption of the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables that are conventionally grown, including apples, blueberries, bell peppers, collard greens, celery, grapes, kale, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, and strawberries.
4. Go Gluten-Free
Going gluten-free diet can be an effective strategy for reducing toxins. While the primary focus is often on gluten itself, it’s worth noting that gluten-containing foods also tend to have elevated levels of glyphosate. Glyphosate is a herbicide found in products like Roundup, and it has been associated with various health concerns, including digestive issues and weight gain. By eliminating gluten from your diet, opting for glyphosate-free alternatives, or even considering heritage grains like einkorn wheat, you can minimize exposure to this potentially harmful chemical.
5. Hydrate Properly
Healthy hydration is crucial for your body to function and detox. Make water your beverage of choice to support hydration. Enjoy freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice into your water for added flavor and cellular hydration benefits. It’s crucial to be mindful of your alcohol consumption and limit it significantly. Alcohol heavily strains your liver, which is responsible for detoxification. By eliminating alcohol, you can alleviate this burden on your liver, enhance your body’s cleansing abilities, and experience comprehensive health benefits.
6. Pass on Plastic
It’s advisable to avoid plastics altogether, even those labeled as BPA-free. Plastics often contain harmful substances like BPA (Bisphenol A) and phthalates, which can mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt hormonal balance. Plastics are omnipresent and found in various items such as water containers, canned food linings, processed beverages, food storage containers, wrappers, cookware, cups, straws, and utensils. They can even be present in unexpected places like clothing (polyester), pet toys, and shower curtains. To minimize exposure to these toxins, opt for alternatives to plastic when possible.
7. Clean Without Chemicals
One of the most effective methods for reducing toxins in your home is to clean without relying on chemical-based products. Many conventional cleaning products contain carcinogenic chemicals, respiratory irritants, and allergens. Instead, opt for healthier alternatives when cleaning. Utilize reusable microfiber cloths and mops and a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter to trap dust and allergens effectively. Explore non-toxic cleaning products. Natural products such as vinegar, baking soda, Bon Ami, hydrogen peroxide, and lemons can be excellent cleaning agents.
8. Upgrade Laundry Products
A significant step in reducing toxins is to upgrade your laundry products. Say goodbye to chemical-laden and heavily fragranced laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and chlorine bleach. Use EWG’s free app to evaluate the safety of laundry items and make informed choices when purchasing. Natural alternatives like soap nuts and wool dryer balls are healthier options and help save money in the long run. By making these changes to your laundry routine, you can significantly decrease the exposure to harmful toxins in your clothing and linens.
9. Filter Your Water
Boycott bottled water. Bottled water often originates from unfiltered municipal sources, leading to poor water quality. Moreover, the use of plastic bottles poses significant risks to our well-being and the planet. Instead, opt for a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle, which allows you to add filtered water and stay hydrated on the go. Filtering water is a crucial step in minimizing toxin exposure. Consider a Reverse Osmosis or Berkey filtration system to ensure clean, safe water at home.
10. Purify Your Air
Indoor air quality is crucial, given that the EPA states it can contain 2 to 100 times more contaminants than outdoor air! With the average American spending approximately 90% of their time indoors, the impact on health becomes significant. To address this, continuous utilization of air purifiers and HVAC filters is essential. These devices effectively enhance indoor air quality by minimizing the presence of toxic chemicals, odors, and allergens, ensuring a healthier environment for both homes and offices.
11. Ditch Non-Stick
When maintaining a toxin-free kitchen, it’s crucial to choose your cookware and kitchen items carefully. Steer clear of conventional nonstick cookware like Teflon and T-Fal, as they often contain fluoride compounds that can leach into your food. While Le Creuset is an excellent option for nonstick ceramic cookware, it may be cost-prohibitive for many individuals. Check out the Caraway brand.
12. Kick Off Your Shoes
Enforcing a “no shoe” rule in your home is an easy way to reduce toxins. Leave your shoes at the door to minimize chemicals inside. You might not realize it, but shoes are filthy! Your shoes track in lawn pesticides, coal tar, and even feces. Yuck! Let your footsies frolic freely, and your health will benefit.
13. Reprogram Toxic Thoughts & Perceptions
Ok, this tip doesn’t physically reduce toxins but it can change how you perceive them and reduce toxic thoughts. You operate from your subconscious mind up to 99% of your day, so your subconscious programs must support the life you want to create. It’s estimated that over 70% of subconscious beliefs are negative and limiting. Rather than creating the life YOU want, you create your life based on old toxic programming. Using energy psychology modalities like PSYCH-K, you can reprogram your subconscious with positive beliefs to support your health and well-being.
Hopefully, now you’re more aware of how to eliminate toxins from your home and daily life. Being more mindful of these issues allows you to make better choices. Reducing toxins sounds simple, but it can be one POWERFUL way to improve your health.