It is one thing to eat a great diet, exercise, get a good nights sleep, have time for meditation and other nurturing, healthy habits. However, we also need to be aware of the hidden dangers in our environment, food and water supply. Our world has many sources of toxins, some obvious, such as car exhaust and smoking and some hidden, such as that pesticide coating the apple you are eating or the lining of that tomato can.
Natural or synthetic (or man-made) toxins are substances that are considered harmful to us as humans, plants or animals in the environment, the ecosystems, our planet, our atmosphere, etc. Toxins can damage our cells, often permanently. They do provoke some type of negative or undesired reaction even we if don’t notice.
The sheer number and amount of chemicals in the world is amazing! The world load of chemicals has increased drastically in the last 100 years. Between 1930 and 2000 global production of man-made chemicals increased from 1 million to 400 million tonnes each year.{WWF, 2009, Toxic Chemicals}
It is really quite staggering to realize that almost everything that we use, clothing, bedding, mattresses, food, water, the air, has man-made chemicals in them. The chemical industry has become something ubiquitous in our world. Yet how much do we really know about what we are doing to ourselves?
There are many studies that highlight the sheer number of chemicals in our bloodstream. In the incredible book, The Hundred Year Lie, many statistics are given that reinforce the danger of our increasing chemical burden in our bodies. “Five major public surveys testing blood and urine for chemical contamination have been conducted among thousands of volunteers, with the results indicating that every resident of industrialized countries now carries within his or her body an average of seven hundred synthetic chemicals absorbed from our food, water, and air. The actual number of chemicals constituting our body burden is probably much higher because some toxins are embedded deep in organs and tissues. “{Randall Fitzgerald, 2006, The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the…}
So knowing that there are so many toxins out there, what can we do? 
- Eat organic when possible, especially with the “dirty dozen”:
- Apples
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Spinach
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cucumbers
- Cherry tomatoes or regular tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Hot peppers
These are the most heavily sprayed produce out there – spend the extra for organic versions of these!
2. Look at the labels of all products you buy, avoiding additives and chemicals as much as possible.
3. Replace home pesticides and herbicides and look for natural, non-toxic remedies.
4. Use saunas regularly — especially the high infrared sauna which has the great ability to remove toxins more effectively than the traditional steam sauna.
5. Drink enough clean, filtered water. We have wonderful detoxification systems in our body and proper hydration helps these to function optimally.
6. Reduce canned food and eating out of plastic. BPA is present in the liners and often in the plastic. Other unknown chemicals could possibly leach from these into our food and water.
7. Avoid substance abuse and avoid tobacco and avoid second-hand smoke.
8. Be aware of prescription and non-prescription drug usage. I will have a post about these toxins specifically at a later date. Often these can contribute to your toxic load, so use wisely and judiciously.
9. Reduce stress. Deep breathing and yoga really help!
10. Use natural household cleaners, many companies exist that use natural, organic substances, or make your own!
There are many ways to help detoxify the body. That’s also for another post!
Stay Healthy Tribe!
Michelle
Healthy Living Tribe 