Environmental Toxins and What To Do

By now we have read, heard, watched or been told about the variety of toxins that are seemingly surrounding us all the time. When you learn about the various items in our environment that are harmful to us, it can be a bit staggering and feel quite overwhelming. Some want to put their hands up in surrender and, “just live life.” Others may want to wear a hazmat suit full time and never leave the house. What we want to know is, is it possible to rid our surroundings of these toxins and still enjoy our day to day? Where does one start?

Let us start with macro items such as water, air, food and plastics. Unfortunately, the water we have access to from our taps is not as clean as we may expect. In my youth, there was pride in drinking from the hose and not using bottled water, but after learning about the concentrations of various contaminants in our water I have changed that way of thinking. Investing in a whole home water treatment system is a great place to start and not quite as expensive as one might think. Taking things a step further, installing a reverse osmosis and remineralizing system for your drinking water would be even better (this would be in conjunction with the whole home treatment system).

Air purification in your home would also be a great addition. Air filters for our A/C units are a must, and adding standalone units to the frequently used areas in your home is another way to improve air quality. The filters on these are smaller, finer and some have UV light added to the filtration process that will help further remove toxins.

The food we consume is another major factor. Buying organic, grass-fed, wild caught, pasture raised, fresh food is awesome. If you have access to a local farm for meat, poultry, eggs, milk, organ meat etc. that would be even better. Many people enjoy hunting, and consuming wild game meat is one of the best sources you can get and is typically very lean. Going to a farmers’ market can be great for: produce, fermented items, artisanal items (honey, candles, skin care products, sourdough etc.) Recently I decided to cut out my regularly used items that contain food coloring (ex. Red 40) after learning about the carcinogenic and toxic properties. My suggestion would be to look at the items you consume the most and filter out items that contain ingredients that are known to be harmful. The switch may not be easy or convenient but a quote that stuck with me recently was, “Either you have a filter, or you are the filter.”

Removing plastics. This one can be more of a challenge as plastic is so readily available and all around us. We have not cut out plastic completely in our home but we are certainly working to reduce it. Switching to a stainless-steel tumbler for beverages and glass containers for food storage takes care of a lot. Throwing out plastic cutting boards and only using wood is also helpful since tiny pieces of plastic may be carved off and consumed while using. Again, start with the items you most frequently use and begin your plastic elimination.

Minimizing exposure to plastic, especially for our food, is important.

There are many other items to consider like non-stick cookware, clothing, artificial scents and cleaning supplies. For now, eliminate the big things and work your way down. When traveling or on vacation, do the best you can and enjoy yourself. If you are interested in learning more or would like specific suggestions for items, please contact me. Stay healthy!