Spring is here and it’s time to start cleaning out our homes… and our bodies! Performing a gentle detoxification of your body is good practice at least once a year. So why not use the nicer weather as motivation to get your health in balance!
Although people often conjure up images of extreme diets and supplements when they hear the term “detox”, the best place to start is by removing unwanted exposure… before adding detoxifiers.
Here are some quick tips on how to best decrease your toxin exposure:
- Reduce makeup, hair sprays, hair dyes and nail polishes – many beauty products contain parabens and other hormone disrupters that are well documented to mess with your health (which can be worse for your skin and, therefore, your beauty!)
- Purchase fresh, organic produce, meats and milk – diet is estimated to constitute about 90% of our toxic exposure! A significant proportion is in the form of pesticides so it’s best to avoid them if you can (check out ewg.org for the “Dirty Dozen”, a list of the most heavily pesticide-laden foods)
- Use fewer prepackaged and processed foods – lots of chemical additives and just plain poor nutritional quality.
- Avoid canned foods as much as possible – almost all cans are lined with the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) and generally are processed in the first place.
- Don’t stay in places that smell of chemicals! – few people understand the connection that a strong scent in the air means a large amount of chemicals in the air! Get out of there as fast as you can!
- Avoid using strong chemicals, glues, paints and chemical cleaners – with home renovation projects, this may not be possible. Just ensure that you are taking full precautions to avoid exposure (gloves, face-masks, etc.) or for home cleaning, check out Enjo products (NO chemicals while still getting a squeaky-clean home!)
- Ditch the Plastics – use glass and stainless-steel containers and cookware. Never microwave with plastic. Plastics contain phthalates that have been linked to a number of adverse health conditions (including diabetes).
If you made it this far, keep in mind that you don’t have to make all of these changes today. Start with one or two and build from there. Or simply make the changes that are within your control. Even if you can only do some of these, some of the time, it’s still better than none!
You may also be sick of reading the words “don’t” and “avoid”. So, let’s end with some positives:
Do take control of your own health, eat real foods and increase the quality of your life! A few of these may be unavoidable to some degree but always remember; even small steps in the right direction are worth taking.
– Dr. Colin
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