Three easy changes to reduce YOUR environmental toxins TODAY
Written by Yvonne Bishop
If we look at what’s happened over the past 20 years we are around an on slot of toxicity like never before. Our genetic buckets are filling up and our immune system is reacting to this.
Think about a bathtub filling above us. It’s filling and filling and during this time we have no problems, no symptoms right? And it may just be filling drip by drip. And one day it eventually spills over. And once it spills over the ceiling gets damaged, the furniture is ruined, and this is a major problem. This is what’s happening in people’s lives and sometimes it’s a car accident that causes it to over spill other times it’s an emotional trauma.
Every one of us has a genetically different sized bucket. The problem is that hundreds of new chemicals every month are being introduced into our environment and the worst culprit is our indoor environment! It’s a modern day epidemic leading to new millennium diseases.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency our indoor environment is 2 – 5 times more toxic than our outdoor environment, and in some cases, the air measurements indoors have been found to be 100 times more polluted; therefore eliminating these toxins will have a much greater impact on our health. We only hear about the outdoor environment, green planet and so one but not anything about our indoor environment and most of the toxins are right under our own noses.
It is much more than genetics
The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization have concluded that 80% of all cancers are attributed to environmental rather than genetic factors, including exposure to carcinogenic chemicals, many of which are found in household cleaning products. These are things that are found in the literature that are found in your home that are causing problems you may not even know.
1. Change your dishwashing detergent. Your dishwasher can be the biggest culprit you have. First of all you have city water coming into your home which contains chemicals like chlorine and fluoride which are both known to cause cancer. These chemicals mix with other chemicals from the detergents releasing petroleum chemicals, benzene and phosphates which are all cancer causers. It is pumping out 6 L / min. into the air when it is running. When you open the dishwasher is literally sends a toxic bomb into your home. Now all of your dishes contain a residue with the chemicals so you really have three exposures in one! One of the easiest things you can do is change the soap that you’re using. You can also look into whole house filtration to take out the chlorine.
2. Switch out your oven cleaner. These cleaners contain both lye and ammonia. By putting these chemicals in your oven and heating it up, it off gases all the way through your home. It also gets into the food that you’re eating.
3. Check your laundry detergent. Most detergents contain benzene, known to cause Leukemia. Since our skin is the largest organ in our body it gets absorbed very quickly from the clothes. If you want to get things into your blood stream quickly put it onto your skin.
This last recommendation is not as easy as the ones listed above; however it’s an extremely important one to consider: CARPETS AND FURNITURE. These items contain flame retardants. In Europe they are taking these toxins out of carpets. They can measure a VOC (volatile organic compound) which is a measure of how many chemicals something is putting off (for example that new car smell and new furniture smell). In the U.S. carpets are over 1000 VOC and in Europe they have to be fewer than 80. The other problem with homes today is that not only are we putting these chemicals in them but we’re sealing them up! They are tight! That’s why the chemicals remain at such high levels.
Carpets and furniture contain formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene known to cause cancer, neurological damage, and effects brain development. You can prove this point by doing a mouse test. Take two mice in a toilet paper roll and a tube one with carpet the other without. The next morning one will be alive and the other will not. If the carpets in your home are over three years old they have probably off gassed by now. If you’re going to put new carpet in, the best thing to do is replace it with hardwood and use area rugs.
RESOURCES
Clean House, Clean Planet Book
Seventh Generation Products www.seventhgeneration.com
Ecover Produts www.nowdream.org
List of safe products: www.checnet.org
Click here to visit Yvonne's website for information, ideas, and products to stay healthy and to help balance your pH.
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Yvonne is the owner of Essence of Health located in Laguna Beach. She graduated from the University of Alberta with her degree in Nutrition and Food Science. Originally from Calgary, this Canadian brings with her over 23 years in the fitness industry working in both corporate and private arenas. She is very passionate about health and loves sharing that passion with everyone around her. Yvonne's complimentary background in fitness AND nutrition enables her to bring the latest phenomenon's in the industry to her clients, making Essence of Health the most unique studio in Laguna. Exercise and nutrition is a partnership and by addressing both you get the best results; KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = RESULTS. Yvonne helps you transform your mindset, body, and life!
