5 Easy Ways to Start Removing Toxins from your Home
Bath and Body works, scented candles, make-up from the discount bin and stops at duty free for the latest perfume - yep that was me. I was someone leading a super healthy life (or so I thought) when it came to food and exercise, but never thought twice about the products I was using. Does that sound familiar?
O.k, so maybe you aren’t quite that 90’s living gal I mention above, but let me ask you this, if you were to rate yourself on a scale of 1-5, how toxic free is your home? Do you pay attention to the products you bring into your home, lather onto your skin, and expose yourself to daily? This is an important topic and huge part of our health and wellbeing - everything from our emotional health, mental health, and physical health.
So let chat about how we can clean and green up our home in 5 easy steps.
And before you say “this does not apply to me, I use ‘fairly green products’” - don’t be fooled by some of the genius marketing out there. You’d be surprised - and if you can’t pronounce what’s on the label, you might want to question this.
We think of our homes as a safe place but without even realizing it, they are being polluted by toxic chemicals from all our products and this is having a huge impact on our health and our families health.
Did you know that the air in your home is up to 5x more toxic than the air we breathe outdoors?
This shocked me when I first learned this. And here’s the thing - a big part of what creates the toxins in our home are the products we bring into it. So yes, there is something we can do about it - and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive (that’s the good news). And if you stick around and give this blog a read to the end, I have a special gift for you!
So why should you even care about this?
If you haven’t heard this term already - TOXIC LOAD - it’s an important one and we need to pay attention. And ladies, I am talking to you for a moment, this has a huge impact on our hormones and how we feel!
So what is toxic load? - Toxic load refers to the accumulation of toxins and chemicals in our bodies that we ingest from a variety of sources, including the environment, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the personal care and household products we use.
Our bodies are pretty amazing and we do have the ability to filter out a lot of toxins (go liver go!) but unfortunately studies have shown that many of our bodies are being overworked and can’t process the toxins quick enough. This is when they begin to accumulate (toxic load) and that is not good.
Toxins in the body have been linked to cancer, autism, neurocognitive disorders, mental health issues and autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s, Colitis, Arthritis and Lupus (to name a few).
In 2009, Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a pioneering study testing the umbilical cord blood of babies for toxic chemicals. In all the tests they found more than 230 toxins (babies are exposed to this even before they enter the world).
So what are some of the major culprits:
Personal care products: they are made with over 10,000 chemical ingredients, some of which are linked to cancer, damage the reproductive system or disrupt the endocrine system and it’s extremely unregulated and vastly outdated.
Cleaning products: the days of Mr. Clean are gone for most but even the cleaning products with “clean”, “healthy” looking labels are often not what they seem. There is a term called Greenwashing which is when a company or organization spends more time and money on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than on minimizing their environmental impact. It is a deceitful advertising gimmick intended to mislead consumers who prefer to buy goods and services from environmentally conscious brands.
Fragrance: This has been considered the new “second hand smoke”. There are actually 1000’s of chemicals hidden in just that one word alone. Fragrance can be found in just about any product - just flip that bottle over and check out the ingredient list and if you see that word, the product is hiding 1000’s of nasty chemicals and they don’t even have to tell you about it. Sneaky right!
Ok, enough doom and gloom, I think you get the picture. We need to care about the products we use and bring into our home and here is the good news - it can be pretty easy.
I know for many of us not knowing where to start keeps us from starting but trust me when I say this was one of the simplest health habits I have ever introduced into my life - not to mention super cost effective.
Here are 5 Easy Ways to Start Removing Toxins from you Home:
1) Do an inventory with the EWG data base - you don’t know what you don’t know, so the first step is to take an inventory of what you need to change or where you can do better. I suggest going one room at a time and just start to pay attention to the ingredients in your products (no need to throw everything out, or feel like you need to inventory everything at once, just start to pay closer attention). One of the best resources I came across when I first began this journey was the Environmental Working Group - EWG data base. This will allow you to check some of the products you have and their toxicity rating. And if you can’t find the product, you can search the ingredients. Check out this link - https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
2) Essential oils + DIY - Yes, of course I am going to mention essential oils, as this was actually the catalyst for me to begin exploring the idea of living a cleaner life. The great thing about bringing essential oils into your home is you can begin swapping out a lot of toxic products in a very simple, cost effective way. I never imagined myself making my own hand soap, laundry detergent and cleaning solutions (I am not a DIY, Pinterest kind of mama, so if I can whip up a few recipes in less then 10 minutes, so can you). Or if that feels overwhelming, just grab a diffuser and an oil and start diffusing in your home (just this one health habit can make a huge difference).
If you want to keep learning about this, join my private FB community (it’s a free, high vibe community, where we have lots of fun educating). Hope to see you there! https://www.facebook.com/groups/296178700731796
*Safety -Please note, I use Doterra Essential oils as they are the purest, most tested and ethically sourced oils in the world. Please do not go out and buy just any oil without doing your research as they can do more harm than good.
3) Swap plastic for glass - This has probably been the slowest switch over for me and I share that, as it’s not about being perfect. Every little bit helps remove that toxic burden. Everything from water bottles, to our coffee makers, to containers we keep our food in, we might be exposing ourselves to plastic more than we think. Also new research adds onto growing evidence that BPA-free alternatives may not be as safe as consumers think. So start swapping out some of that plastic.
4) Drink lots of filtered water (bonus points if you put lemon oil in there) -One of the simplest, most impactful things you can do for your heath is drink more water. And yet many of us don’t get enough water each day (we require about half of our weight in ounces). This is an amazing way to not only stay hydrated, having glowing skin, better digestion and more energy but also to flush out any toxins hanging around in your system. Also, adding citrus essential oils (again I’m talking Doterra), can make drinking your water a lot more fun and this will help you cleanse at a deeper level. Try wild orange, lime or lemon!
5) Load up on plants -Did you know your plants have the ability to filter VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in your home? Yes, common indoor house plants provide a natural way of removing pollutants. Pretty cool, right? So, even if you don’t have a green thumb, stock up on a few house plants and thank them for all that they do! Yes, I talk to my plants.
So there you have it, it doesn’t have to be complicated, stressful or even costly to start making a major impact on your health and wellbeing.
So what are you waiting for?
Which one resonated the most with you? Pick one and start there. And the cool thing is, once you start, it’s hard to look back.
And if you’ve stuck around and read this whole blog (you rock!) I have a special gift for you. If you want to try a few FREE DoTERRA Samples (this is only for those that are currently not using Doterra), click on the button below and I will send you out a little package. No obligations, just an opportunity to clean up your home and experience these amazing oils!
