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www.yourhealthandmine.net |
Even if you carefully monitor what you eat, and pay close
attention to the household products and items you purchase, your chance of
being exposed to hazardous toxins is still quite high. Lead, arsenic, mercury,
PCBs, flame retardants, and an array of other chemicals linked to cancer, birth
defects and neurological diseases are well represented in most people’s
bloodstream.
These dangerous chemicals and toxins are in the air you
breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, your home and workplace, and
the products you use. Over the last 50 years, from 70,000 to 100,000 different
chemicals have been introduced into the world‘s markets with about 1,500 new
ones added each year.
Numerous clinical studies reveal that common and dangerous
toxins are stored in the bodies of a large percentage of the population –-
within organs, fluids, tissues, and circulation. In many of the cases studied,
toxic body burden exceeded safe exposure limits as set by the Environmental
Protection Agency, as these toxins are closely linked to a number of chronic
illnesses, developmental conditions, and behavioral problems. Toxins wreak
havoc by causing chronic inflammation, DNA mutations, oxidative stress, the
disruption of cell signaling, and other critical damage.
You can take action to
prevent and reduce your exposure to these harmful toxins right now! That would
include switching to non-toxic and
natural alternatives for items that you use on your body, in your home and around your yard, to start.
Estimates show most Canadians have somewhere
between 400
and 800 chemicals stored in their bodies, typically in fat cells. Because effects from
exposure to toxins are difficult to identify, it can be years before problems
from exposure manifest themselves as a disease or chronic ailment.
Toxins
in Your Home and Workplace
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naturalremediesthatwork.com |
Many
potential toxins are lurking within your home. Toxins can be found in
furnishings, flooring, paint, air fresheners, cleaning products, the water you drink, and the air you breathe. Commercial
interests often override health concerns associated with many products, in part
because related health problems may take years to develop and be difficult to
assign cause.
The workplace can
also be a dangerous environment. It
is a place in which we can encounter many chemicals and products that are also
found in the home, that have the potential to cause human harm. There
have been countless articles written on both “Sick Building Syndrome” and
“Occupational Asthma.” Under these two modern diagnoses, people have complained
of a variety of symptoms including watery eyes, runny nose, headaches,
dizziness, nausea and tightening sensation in the chest. The curious thing
about most of these symptoms is that they have a distinct pattern of getting
worse while in the work environment and significantly better over vacations or
weekends.
Indoor air can have higher
concentrations of toxins than outdoor air. Ironically, these chemical toxins
come from the products we use to make our lives better.
Toxins
in Personal Care Products
The skin is your largest organ, what you put on it
is absorbed into your bloodstream!
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The average woman uses over 15 personal care
products daily, the average man about 6.
Each product containing a dozen or more chemicals! Many of these chemicals are
carcinogens, neurotoxins and contain reproductive toxins! See that long list of ingredients on the back of the bottle? Some probably
aren't as safe as you'd hope.
The majority of people wash their hair daily
with some of these toxic ingredients namely: Sodium lauryl sulfate, Parabens,
and propylene glycol. Sodium Lauryl sulfate is a surfactant (industrial strength), Parabens
(preservatives that mimic estrogen, and propylene glycol, moisture retainer
(cosmetic form of antifreeze). Why consciously put those in your hair, skin and
mouth daily?
Perhaps you’ve reasoned that a little poison
is okay and continue using commercialized products. Seeking out responsible
skin care products is like making food choices. Just like food, there are
alternatives to toxic products. By reading labels, avoiding harmful ingredients
this might help you feel a little healthier, contributing to wellness, while
reducing unintended consequences of compounded toxins in your body and
environment. A win-win!
For more information about toxins in personal care products go to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database: www.ewg.org/skindeep.
Environmental Toxins – A Naturopathic Perspective
Toxins commonly come in the form of heavy metals, chemicals and from breakdown products produced by metabolism. The body is constantly working to neutralize and eliminate them.
A toxic overload happens when the body can’t remove these toxins and they start building up in the cells. Symptoms of toxicity can range from fatigue, muscle aches, joint discomfort and pain, eczema, headaches, or indigestion to more severe diseases including cancer and Parkinson’s Disease.
From a naturopathic perspective, the main goal is to eliminate exposure to harmful materials while supporting the body to detoxify and eliminate these harmful materials.
Consuming organic food allows us to avoid many of the pesticides, herbicides, synthetic hormones and antibiotics present in our food system. Switching to safer cleaners and personal care products prevents us from being exposed to chemicals that can contribute to cancer and hormone dysfunction.
The concepts of “detoxification” and “cleansing” have also been gaining popularity in modern times with the increasing number of toxins surfacing in our environment and a corresponding decrease in health of our population.
Although we can’t avoid everything, there is much we can do to increase our awareness and support our bodies to eliminate toxins. Get informed, take action, and if you need extra help your naturopath is here to steer you in the right direction!
Strategies to Eliminate Toxins in Your Home
· Only use natural cleaning
products in your home. You can make your own or purchase from health food
stores.
· Establish a “no shoe”
policy in your home. This will reduce toxins and pesticides brought into your
home from outside.
· Avoid using chemical pest
control products. Look for safe, non-toxic alternatives.
· Use toxin reducing house
plants. Certain house plants are useful in cleaning the air inside your home.
· Change or clean your
furnace or A/C filters at least every 1-3 months depending on use.
· Switch over to natural
brands of toiletries including toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics.
· Avoid using artificial air
fresheners, dryer sheets and fabric softeners as these will pollute the air in
your home.
· Avoid using lawn care
chemicals to prevent residue from being tracked into your home.
· Have your tap water tested
and if contaminates are found, install water filters.
· Use low-VOC paints, caulks,
sealants, finishes and carpeting
· Ventilate all year round to
bring fresh air into your home.