How to Start Your Toxin FREE Living Journey
Have you considered that your shampoo might be make your hair fall out? Or your perfume could give you headaches and nausea?
The understanding and elimination of toxins from your life can sometimes get overwhelming and depressing. This blog will give you some amazing practical tips that you can start applying today to reduce your toxic load.
Why should we be concerned about Toxins?
A study by the Environmental Working Group examined the umbilical cord of newborns and found that they are born with 287 of the 413 toxic chemicals that were used in this study. And an average of 200 toxins were found per baby and 180 of these chemicals found were found to be carcinogens that cause cancer. We are born with a disadvantage right when it comes to toxins. That is why it’s so important to read on.
In my podcast episode #23 I interview Mirna Bailey who started her detoxification journey with her family 6 years ago. We talk about what toxins are, where they are found and share some amazing tips and alternative swaps that will help us mitigate toxins altogether.
According to Mirna the first step is to start label reading. She give these amazing tips:
- If you cannot pronounce the ingredients then it is most likely a chemical.
- If the label contents have a number, then it is not a natural product.
- If a small and simple product has a vast list of ingredients then the majority of them are going to be artificial.
As an holistic nutritionist, I know that the highest priority in the detoxification journey is food. I love Mirna’s suggestion to start your journey so it’s not too overwhelming. She recommends to choose 3 toxic ingredients. If any product that you regularly buy and consume has any of these three ingredients, put it back on the shelf. And automatically by eliminating these 3 ingredients, you will be able to eliminate tons of other ingredients because chances are, they’re incorporated with other equally damaging ingredients. Also, remember that the ingredients are listed in order of weight, beginning with the ingredient that weighs the most and ending with the ingredient that weighs the least. This means that a food contains more of the ingredients found at the beginning of the list, and fewer of the ingredients at the end of the list. So, if the first ingredient is a toxin like sugar, then the food you have is mostly made up of that toxin.
The top 3 chemicals that Mirna Bailey picked were High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), Bleached Flour and TBHQ (Tertiary butylhydroquinone).
- HFCS is commonly found in many things. It also has 10 to 15 other labels that it can be used under the same name. It can lead to obesity, behavior issues and cavities because it is a derivative of corn undergone a chemical reaction for it to be turned into syrup or the sugar sweetener and flavoring that is in our foods.
2. Bleached Flour: Bleach is essentially making food and clothes impure harming our organs and insides.
3. TBHQ is a preservative. It is linked to the causes for behavioral issues and it suppresses the immune system.
I would recommend looking at foods that you eat often, check their ingredients, select the most toxic ingredients and start by eliminating those products from your diet. And then gradually follow the same system for your cosmetics, personal care products and home cleaning products. But to take it one step at time because if you do it altogether it can be overwhelming.
To bring balance to our lifestyle Mirna recommends the 80:20 rule especially with children. 80{1e16acf445973e61fdbd53de1c132af7e84fd195cf15d57956db2b0426c8fa60} of the time she recommends following a clean, safe, toxic free and organic diet and the other 20{1e16acf445973e61fdbd53de1c132af7e84fd195cf15d57956db2b0426c8fa60} you can allow for some cheat days. Because as I like to say, it’s not what you do sometimes that matters, it’s what you do most of the time.
What are some commonly found toxins and their alternative swaps?
A neurotoxin is anything that attacks our nervous system that is tied to our mood and body function and emotions which are tied to our behavior. Neurotoxins can harm us in numerous different ways. Harmful neurotoxins include red dye that causes hyperactivity in children and mood disorders. Another commonly used detrimental neurotoxin is fluoride. Toothpaste with fluoride is extremely damaging and poisonous when swallowed, check the label it even stipulates this on the label. Neurotoxins affect behavior, make depression more evident and make people more anxious.
Formaldehyde is an example of a carcinogen, which means cancer causing. It is present in lotions, shampoos and makeup. Formaldehyde can also be labelled in many different ways. Another broad term used in labelling is the word ‘fragrance’. Fragrance is like an umbrella with 3000 different chemicals and ingredients hidden under that one word.
An alternative healthier swap to perfume can be essential oils. They have many other uses besides just smelling great. They have no phthalates and sulphates. Mirna recommends two companies that are completely transparent about their fragrances – Rosie Jain and Henry Rose.
When it comes to using healthier swaps for cosmetics Mirna recommends Mineral Fusion and Beautycounter. Products from these brands undergo rigorous testing for heavy metals and contaminants. Each ingredient has to pass 23 safety checkpoints including reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, inhalation toxicity, dermal toxicity and bio accumulation.
How should we detox?
Mirna’s best detoxing strategy is exercise. Exercising helps the lymphatic system distrain because the lymphatic system is like the circulation in our body. If the body is not moving it will hold on to toxins. We must try to sweat by drinking lots of water. Whenever we are drinking more water, the toxin levels drop because it’s helping to flush out whatever is in there. Dry brushing is another amazing tip. To move your lymphatic system brush to the direction of the exit areas, which are armpits and groin. Doing a sauna regularly and a colon cleanse once or twice a year are also good ways for detox. When it comes to food she recommends making detox smoothies, with berries, pumpkin seeds, hemp seed, cilantro, garlic and parsley, which are different things that you can put in smoothies that help the system detox heavy metals and other contaminants.
Mirna also recommends adding zeolite to your supplements. Zeolite basically binds to heavy metals and toxins and traps toxins into a cage and it does not disperse them into the body. Zeolite supplements can be taken daily because we’re constantly surrounded by toxins. Another awesome detox strategy that I absolutely love is cold therapy and ice baths, which have scientifically proven benefits. To know more about the amazing benefits of breathwork and transformational results of ice bath listen to my podcast episode #14 with Giovanni Bartolomeo.
Mirna also advises using the EWG database/app and Think Dirty app which are wonderful resources for healthy shopping. These apps scan products in the system and generate a score between 1 to 10. The higher number indicates more dangerous, more side effects and more health issues tied to the ingredients used. Anything with a score of four or more must be avoided. For more research on toxic ingredients, PubMed is an amazing database with peer reviewed articles and relevant information.
Connect with Mirna @toxinfreeforlife | @toxinfreeandliving | FB: Mirna Bailey
Take Home Message
Toxins are really prevalent. They are everywhere and we are actually born with some of them too. Statistics prove that it takes four generations to get rid of toxins especially heavy metals. If we remove the toxic interference, we can allow our bodies to self-heal and live the highest vibrating version of our lives. Every single day, you have the opportunity to either be supporting your body and restoration of your cells or sabotaging it. Remember that we are always in control. We have this responsibility for ourselves and our families. Start learning new ways to get toxins out of your body, cosmetics, home and personal care products.