How to Reduce your toxic load

We are surrounded by toxins in our everyday life so how can we reduce the toxic load on our bodies. What are some simple changes you can make to reduce your toxic load.

The biggest concern are forever chemicals like microplastics. Followed by heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and toxic ingredients. This article is intended to inform not scare you so you can choose to make changes where you feel appropriate.

Cooking and food storage

Foods or drinks that touch plastic — even when not heated — can leach plastic Microparticles.

• Avoid storing food in plastic containers; replace with glass or ceramic.

• Never heat your food in plastic use ceramic or glass that oven proof

• Do not microwave you can now purchase mini ovens that reheat food without toxins. (like One place)

• Avoid buying food wrapped in plastic

• Use paper bags, no bags or bring your own cotton bag for fruit and veggies.

• Limit take out - eat in or cook your own food.

  
  

Non stick cookware, plastic utensils, silicone utensils.

• With plastic utensil and silicone you are once again putting microplastic in your food which never leave your body. - instead use wood or stainless steel.

• Toxins from non stick cookware leaks into your food and when scratched this triples. - replace with titanium, ceramic or stainless steal.

  
  
  
  

Beauty and skincare

• Avoid products containing parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, sodium laureth sulfate, and synthetic fragrances.

• Look at perfumes or fragrances: if it doesn’t state that it’s from essential oils or natural sources, it is likely an endocrine disruptor, which can cause fertility issues, hormone-related cancers, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and menstrual cycle problems.

• A handy app is Yuka or Think Dirty. You can scan the barcode and it will give you a list of ingredients plus a rating. This can easily rule out bad products full of chemicals. (Note: Yuka does not flag fragrances as negative, so always check the label before purchasing.)

Water and Hot drinks

• Take away cups unless eco friendly contain a plastic coating that after 15 mins your coffee or tea is now full of microplastic.

Alternative - bring your own stainless steal cup, have a coffee in the cafe or find cafe that uses eco friendly cups.

• Some teabags are coated in plastic so once again microplastic in your water. Look for company like Puka, Tea tonic, Love tea, stash tea who don't use plastic on tea bags, buy loose leaf and brew your own, power tea like matcha.

• Water - Filter your water with a good quality filter - Australia tap water contains hormones, heavy metals, microplastic, fluoride, Chlorine, medications and more. Most filters dont filter out fluoride so you have to go searching or add an additional filter to your systems. ( The water people is a great place to start)

  Some of these chemical can be boiled away but not all.

  
  

• Drink from stainless bottle or glass not plastic - never drink from a bottle of plastic then been sitting in a car. Remember some strainless bottle have a plastic straw avoid those.

Menstrual Products

Non organic cotton is sprayed heavily and your placing these toxins in the most aborbant area of the body. Research has shown link to uterine fibroids, Endometriosis and irregular periods.

• Use organic tampon and pads

• Period undies in an alternative option or menstrual cups.

Food

• If you can purchase as much organic/spray free options as possible - look for markets, local farms or local shop that sell local produce which makes organic/ spray free buying cheaper

• Grow your own herbs, veggies and use companion growing, worms in the earth, compositing, homeopathic, plants to get repeal bugs like marigold. When your soil is healthy your plants are healthy and bugs don't get come.

• If you have no access to organic or grow your own then wash your veggies under filtered water using some zeolite powder to remove as many pesticide and herbicides.

• Use hormone free, grass feed, free ranged meats

  
  

Clothes

Even our clothes if made from unnatural fibres can leak microplastic into our skin when sweating. Active wear being one of the worst.

• opt in for natural fibre active wear lots of brand now doing toxin free active wear

• Don't wear polyester

• Go for linen, cotton, hemp fabric

What Can Help Detox Our Bodies?

• Glutathione — naturally produced by the body and increased with exercise and eating whole, unprocessed foods.

  • Supplements are also available (NAC or glutathione itself).

• Greens such as barley grass and spirulina.

• Zeolite — only use high-quality forms. Important: consult a practitioner first, as it can interact with medications and health conditions.

• Herbs and homeopathy — certain herbs support liver detox; some homeopathic remedies may help clear pesticide/herbicide exposure.

Tips

• Reduce as much as you can and this can be done over time and slowly to reduce cost.

• Being informed means you can start to make small changes.

• Check out op shop for clothes always lots of goodies for lower prices.

• See a health pracitioner before detoxing to get on the right program for you.