When there are studies demonstrating the average woman is exposed to 138 chemicals, and the man 85 before they even leave the home, the answer is; it's absolutely crucial for a healthy life.
Ok so we know we are being exposed to more chemicals than ever before but when they seem to be everywhere and in everything, it's impossible to avoind them right? This belief can be so great that sometimes it’s easier not to think about it too much and just keep doing what we’re doing.
The reality is that we’ve been living with these chemicals and artificial additives for a while now and maybe our body has learned to adapt, or maybe it’s the reason why you’ve started to notice a few niggling things in your body that never used to be there. Old age maybe? What if it’s not?
What would it be like if we could educate ourselves without diving into a pit of fear from what we discover and just take baby steps, one or a few things at a time? Awareness is the first step on any learning journey, it allows us to make conscious choices. Food can be a bit of a pandora’s box so in this post i'll just focus on our homes.
Did you know the average woman is exposed to 138 chemicals and men 85 before leaving the home….and that’s just from personal care products! The main reason for it being so much higher in women is due to make-up and most likely perfume as well...sorry ladies. While there has become a lot more awareness of this in recent years, the reality is that loose labelling laws and clever marketing can make it difficult to know if you’re buying something better for you, or just changing the particular chemicals you are applying to your skin.
Don’t freak out though, you don’t have to throw out your bathroom cabinet, there’s a few easier changes we can make first.
Personally, I believe what you are using in and around the house can be the easiest starting point. Chemicals found in household products have been proven to create toxicity in the body, causing a multitude of side effects with most of them being Endocrine disruptors. The Endocrine system is responsible for hormone production in the body and regulates metabolism, growth, tissue function, sex function, reproduction, sleep and moods….just to name a few! While every system in our body is important, those functions are pretty important to the overall feeling of health and wellbeing don’t you think?
There are laws in place that mean these chemical companies don't have to list the ingredients in the cleaning or household product. You basically have to trust them when they say there are no harmful side effects. It also makes choosing a better alternative quite tricky. If you can find a product that actually lists the ingredients you are off to a good start. My recommendation is to play around with some old school products, you know the one’s our grandparents swore by. Vinegar, bi-carb soda, hydrogen peroxide and citrus are all great cleaners. I use Young Living Essential oils and they have a great range called Thieves, it’s a proprietary blend of oils they use for a load of different products. I am in love with their multi-purpose cleaner and even have my mum sold on it….that is a miracle! Now, there are so many family based companies creating fantastic natural cleaning products. Maybe go to your local markets and see what’s on offer there, that way you get to speak to someone and ask questions. And just remember, it’s unlikely that you need seven different types of cleaning product. The reality is that what works in the bathroom on scum will likely work in the kitchen on grease, on the floors to clean and on benchtops for bacteria….just in case that helps you to feel confident that one or two items is sufficient.
What about perfume? Everyone has become obsessed with everything smelling gorgeous all of the time so we have car hanging fragrances, plug in fragrance, sticks in a jar in our bathroom with fragrance. The term fragrance means it contains over a dozen potentially harmful chemicals in it. A study done by the US Food and Drug Administration stated that over 95% are derived from petroleum. The US Environmental Protection Agency Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) listed 20 common perfume ingredients on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Given how prevalent they are in our homes, cars and working environments, you have to ask, how much of these are you breathing in? If you’re not ready to swap your brand name perfume for an essential oil, could you swap out all the other fragrance makers around your home? Try a diffuser with essential oils, a naturally scented candle or even plants that purify the air.
I don’t want to overwhelm anyone and I believe these areas are great first steps to reducing your toxic exposure so I’m not going to get into any more detail. My hope is to provoke some thought, consideration and awareness...the first steps in change. For those of you ready to look at other ways to continue this reduction, I will leave you with something to consider........
Our skin is psytophylactic, which means it acts like a sponge that draws whatever you put on your skin into your blood. In fact, the medical industry has found that a patch with medicine can be more effective than consuming it, because it doesn’t have to travel through the digestive system where it may get broken down. So if our skin absorbs what is put on it, sometimes even better than if we consume it, what does it mean when the products we use in and on our body has a warning on it stating that you should seek medical help if swallowed?
While I won't get into the chemicals in our food in this post, there are a lot that are deemed not fit for human consumption in many other countries. If the first step you take is reducing your chemical exposure through food, I can help. My meals are formulated to ensure they are as close as possible to the way Nature intended. Whole foods, high fibre, nothing artificial and made with mountains of love! If you want to see what is on offer, take a look at my meals.
If you would like further support to reduce the toxicity in your life, please contact me to arrange time to chat. A good start is
