1) Household Cleaners
Chemicals Linked to Illness
Cleaning products can release a high amount of chemicals into the air. Many ingredients may not seem so harmful because we've become so used to using these things in our normal lives, but there are quite a few we should stay away from, including fragrances.
Ditch Household Chemicals
Stop using cleaning products that include harsh and highly toxic ammonia or chlorine bleach.
Get rid of toilet cleaners, oven cleaners that have eye, skin, and lung irritant ingredients.
Toss the endocrine-disrupting air fresheners in the garbage.
Avoid products made with triclosan, an antimicrobial linked to allergies and disruption of thyroid function.
Toxins Lurking in Your Kitchen
We're not talking about food just yet. You probably already have an idea about the toxins in our food, water and air, but there are some others lurking around in places you may never have imagined.
Clean Out Kitchen Toxins
Chloramine - Municipal water suppliers add chlorine or chloramine, chlorine plus ammonia, to disinfect water. Chloramine irritates the respiratory system and is known to cause asthma in its vapor form.
Dioxin – Bleached paper towels can contain dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known.
Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) - Nonstick pots and pans contain PFCs, are endocrine disruptors that have been linked to reproductive problems, as well as negative effects on the liver and kidneys.
2-butoxyethanol - The vapors released from 2-butoxyethanol-contaiing oven cleaners are irritating to the throat and lungs and can contribute to severe liver and kidney damage.
2) Bathroom Cleaners
Your Bathroom May Not be as Clean as You Think
As soon as you walk into your bathroom in the morning, you're loading yourself up with toxins. You may want to clean yourself with only water by the time you're done reading what’s really inside the products in your bathroom!
Ditch Bathroom Chemicals
Toothpaste - Aside from fluoride, there is a long list of toxic chemicals in your toothpaste that you want to look out for (like artificial colors, carrageenan, DEA, preservatives, & parabens)
Soaps, Shampoo & Conditioner, Lotions and Sunscreen - There are more than 12 toxic ingredients added to our shampoos and conditioners being used daily. Many of them are cancer-causing ingredients, causing liver damage, skin rashes, triggering autoimmune diseases, depression, diarrhea and eye damage.
Deodorant - Most deodorants contain aluminum, linked with the development of Alzheimer's disease and interference of estrogen. Parabens in deodorants disrupt hormonal balances.
Makeup - Keep the trashcan ready as you go through your makeup, as it is full of toxins, too. EWG has a list called the Toxic 20 Chemicals & Contaminants in Cosmetics that you can use to learn what chemicals are in your makeup and what health issues they cause.
3) Food Toxins
Are We Really Eating Toxins?
Our foods are now loaded with so many chemicals, that we need to step up and take some action to control what we are putting in our bodies. GMO's, pesticides, additives, and contaminants have taken over our food supply.
Toxins to Stop Eating
Pesticides - Used to raise produce and other products, They leave behind residue and have been linked to everything from cancer to birth defects.
GMOs - Genetically modified organisms are found in ~70% of processed foods, including corn, soy, cottonseed, canola, and beet sugar. They may cause organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility.
Nitrates/Nitrites - Nitrates are chemicals added to processed foods like cured sandwich meats, bacon, hot dogs, salami and sausages to give color and prolong shelf life. They can form nitrosamines in the body, which increase your risk of developing cancer.
Additives - More than 10,000 additives are allowed in our food. Some are added and some get into food while processing, storing, and packaging. Many have been linked to serious health problems, including endocrine disruption and even cancer. Just a few are artificial colors, diacetyl, natural flavoring, BHA and BHT, potassium bromate, and parabens.
4) Problematic Plastic
What is Plastic Doing to You?
Not only is it contaminating our planet and harming the animals, but plastic is affecting each and every one of us. Plastic contains a few elements we don't want to get into our systems, so let's try to go plastic-free!
Reasons to Go Plastic-Free
BPA, BPS, and BPF: Bisphenols are found in plastic food containers, bottles. They are endocrine disrupting chemicals that have been associated with thyroid and reproductive problems, obesity, heart disease and higher cancer risks.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET): PET is used to make plastic bottles and other food and beverage containers that have the recycling symbol No. 1. It is also an endocrine disrupting chemical and has been linked to thyroid and reproductive problems.
Let's say NO to plastic!
5) The Liver Support Solution
Reduced Toxic Overload by Supporting the Liver
Supporting your liver results in numerous health benefits, including more energy, increased mental clarity and productivity, improved digestion, and, you guessed it...INCREASED IMMUNITY.
Why is Liver Support Important?
When you support your liver naturally, you promote the gentle removal of toxins. By doing this, you increase the function of the liver.
When the liver is functioning properly and getting the support it needs, then the body can naturally detox on a daily basis and eliminate toxic build up, which has been linked to decreased immunity.
Foods for Liver Support
Garlic. Carrots. Beets. Grapefruit. Green tea. Leafy green veggies. Avocados. Apples. Extra virgin olive oil. Lemons. Limes. Turmeric. Kimchi. Sauerkraut.
5 Methods for Liver Support
PREP CLEAN - Use stainless steel or glass drinking and food containers. Reduce or eliminate plastic utensils, plates, & storage containers.
CLEAN TRULY CLEANLY – Switch out personal/household products to those that contain only natural ingredients. Check those labels!
DRINK LOTS OF WATER – It hydrates and lubricates the body, moves vital nutrients through the body, and removes waste and eliminates those pesky toxins.
UTILIZE DAILY DETOX TOOLS – Dry brushing, tongue scraping, Epsom baths, and contrast showering all promote gently daily detox.
EAT CLEAN – Choose organic wherever possible. Reduce caffeine. Eliminate sugar. Drink lemon water. Help your body detox by showing it some mega love through what you eat and drink! Follow EWG.org’s DIRTY DOZEN / CLEAN 15 lists for the worst produce to buy conventional, and the best ones to buy organic to minimize pesticide exposure.
Your Next Steps
Join Me!
So, we’ve talked about the reasons why it’s important to detox your liver and some simple strategies to do that.
Want to go even deeper with your detoxification? Then join me for my 30 Day Detox Program.