Think about all the products you willingly bring into your home. How safe are they, really? If you’re like the majority, you may not realize you have toxic items hidden in plain sight. Many of these items have become such a norm, it’s like second nature when we go to purchase them.
However, it’s so important to be aware of the problematic and harmful side effects that normal everyday items can have on your health.
Let’s take a look at 5 toxic items you need to rid your life and home of TODAY.
Cleaning Products
You don’t have to stop cleaning your home – just do it in a smarter way. Many of the commercial cleaners that you buy release harmful chemicals called VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).
According to lung.org, these VOCs have been linked to chronic respiratory problems, headaches and allergic reactions.
Educate yourself – read all labels on cleaning supplies before you buy them and stay away from products that have VOCs, fragrances or flammable ingredients. Start to use more natural products like vinegar, baking soda, and water for cleaning purposes.
Plastic Food Containers
We’re all guilty of lining our kitchen cabinets with these babies. They are cheap, easy to store and make a great secondary home for our leftovers.
However, they are made up of two very dangerous chemicals called bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates. Both chemicals mimic the hormones in our body, namely estrogen.
As plastic tends to break down, these toxic chemicals can transfer over into our food, where we unknowingly ingest them.
For this reason alone, it’s a good idea to ditch these dangerous items as fast as you can and switch to glass containers instead.
It’s a much safer way to store your food and gives you peace of mind to know you’re not filling your body with toxins every time you eat.
Antiperspirants
Anything we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies.
For this reason, it’s smart to avoid any antiperspirants that contain aluminum based compounds, which goes right into our sweat glands after we apply it.
There are ongoing studies regarding negative side effects that these products could have on our health, but let’s be real – just avoid putting foreign chemicals into our bloodstream. It seems like it would be the smart thing to do.
There are plenty of aluminum free and natural deodorants out there on the market – stock up on those items and toss the rest.
Air Fresheners
It’s great to keep your home smelling nice and fresh, but not at the cost of your health.
Although it’s not well known exactly what ingredients are in air fresheners (that’s alarming in itself), but they all contain the word fragrance.
This word alone may hide dozens of chemicals that haven’t been properly tested to ensure our safety.
Allowing an air freshener inside your home is just creating your own personal version of indoor pollution.
Instead, try a safer, alternative route – open a window to let the fresh air in or buy some flowers at the market.
This will give your home a clean, fresh and much less toxic smell and your lungs will thank you for it.
Food
I’m not suggesting that you empty your pantry and clean out the fridge.
Simply become aware of what you and your family are eating.
Try to cut back on beef consumption and make a habit of creating more well-rounded meals with plenty of healthy produce.
Eliminate as many processed foods from your diet as possible, and stock up on fruits and veggies from a local farmer’s market.
Educate yourself on the “Dirty Dozen” – a list of fruits and vegetables that are known to contain the highest levels of pesticides.
Try to buy organic whenever possible and make smarter choices when it comes to the foods you eat.
Toxins are everywhere, hidden, yet fully visible.
It’s so important to educate yourself and understand what you are bringing into your home.
Eliminating these things from your home is the first step to a healthier, toxin free lifestyle.
