I talk a TON about Toxic Burden, but what am I even talking about?
The way I think of toxic burden is the build up of harmful toxins we put on or in our bodies day in and day out. Over time, small doses add up. We have filters in our bodies that work tirelessly to protect us from toxins. Our liver, kidneys, digestive system, lungs, and our skin. Unfortunately, in the world we live in – it can be challenging as we are faced with high amounts of harmful substances throughout our day.
Over time, this toxic burden or build up can cause myriad chronic health issues and diseases.
Did you know?
- Today 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer? (reference) Up from 1 in 20 forty years ago.
- Childhood cancers have increased 20% since 1975. (reference) Autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies (called the 4 As) are all on the rise in the U.S. (multiple references – email me and I will send)
- Difficulty conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy affected 40% more women in 2002 than in 1982. (multiple references – email me if you would like to see them)
These are just a small handful of the statistics.
So what can you do?
You may be thinking, “where do I even start to reduce the toxic burden?” OR “This is all SO overwhelming, FORGET IT! I am not doing anything.”
I get it. Let me break it down into bite size pieces. First, let’s get rid of the ‘ALL or NOTHING’ mentality, and start SMALL. Do ONE thing, then another, then another and it will add up to big gains in yours and your family’s health.
FOOD
Are you on a budget and you feel like you can’t eat the way you want to or should? Check out the EWG’s 2017 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list! It’s FREE! If you are not in a place to buy everything organic – you have options! I don’t buy everything organic – you know why? Because I know I can safely buy items from the Clean Fifteen list, knowing the EWG has tested them for safety from harmful pesticides. They test produce each year and put out a new list, like the one linked above or here. The Dirty Dozen are fruits and vegetables that are the highest, most pesticide laden. These should be bought organic whenever possible.
Shop local and shop seasonally. If I try to buy strawberries out of season (which are VERY high in pesticides… #1 in 2016 AND 2017!), they are going to be outrageously expensive. Buy them in season on sale and freeze them for the off season.
Join a CSA! This is a farm share – and it supports your local farmers who are often following organic practices, but don’t have the funds to pay for the organic seal.
Shop the perimeter of the store. I hardly go into the aisles. If it’s in a box, is it really that healthful for you? Hey, I do have kids and we are not perfect – so I get it. BUT if you can aim to buy 90% of our items around the perimeter of the store, you are doing great. Shop the sales. Stay in season and shop local, and I promise you CAN do this on a budget!!!
I will stick to produce this time, but the other foods we eat make a huge difference. One tip, if you cannot buy grass fed or pastured meat, then buy the leanest protein possible. The toxins that conventional animals are exposed to are stored in their fat. Then, source good fats from grass-fed animals, like Kerry Gold butter, or use coconut oil to replace some of that fat you are not getting. I will get into more detail on this in a later post.
When you are truly trying to support your body as it naturally detoxes – you need to omit sugar and alcohol. Your liver specifically cannot focus on the removal of toxins until it has cleared sugar and alcohol from your system. A great program to look into is the 21 Day Sugar Detox, which I coach people through monthly.
Also, be honest with yourself. Are you willing to spend $20-$25 a week on a fancy coffee drink but unwilling to spend money on nourishing food? Maybe limit that coffee splurge to 1 time per week and start getting some higher quality foods.
HOUSEHOLD CLEANING PRODUCTS
These are HUGE offenders and are full of carcinogenic and hormone disrupting chemicals. Switching these can also be SUPER overwhelming. I understand. I have been there. Again, one thing at a time. You can make your own products – vinegar, baking soda, fresh lemon and water can do AH-MAZING things! I checked out a book at the library, The Organically Clean Home, that had a ton of DIY recipes for every home cleaning product you can think of! I am now purchasing it to add to my arsenal and to share with clients.
Start small. Did the Windex run out? Time to switch. Use the http://ewg.org website to search for safer alternatives – you can go HERE to get all their consumer guides for free.
PERSONAL CARE/BEAUTY
We often overlook this part. We dial in our nutrition. We clean up our home cleaning items. We are working out more. BUT we have not yet addressed what we put on our bodies.
Your skin is your LARGEST organ. What you put on your skin goes right into your blood stream in 26 seconds.
That is why medications for the skin are becoming more popular. All I can say is it matters.
There has not been a law passed since 1938 governing this billion dollar industry. There are less than 2 pages that make up the regulation for this industry. We have to be our own advocates. The EU has banned over 1400 harmful ingredients and the US has banned 30. Go to EWG’s Skin Deep website to start looking at the safety of your current products and start to make the switch to safer. One product at a time.
Beautycounter is countering the beauty industry and the current, unsafe standards. They do this in 3 ways:
1) Through education – we educate the public, friends and family about the current state of the beauty industry and share ways to increase awareness and make safer choices.
2) We provide solutions through safer and high performing products
3) We advocate. At Beautycounter we have an entire regulatory arm dedicated to getting more health protective laws in place so one day our children can buy something off the shelf and not have to worry about its safety.
#switchtosafer – Ask me how! Or go HERE to shop safer and high performing products.
