Our exciting, fast paced, modern lifestyle means we can lose track of the day-to-day environmental hazards we are exposed to. They are in the food we eat, what we put on our bodies, in the office we work in, the house we live in, our phones and the air we breathe. In as much as chronic diseases can be avoided, at least 60% of all deaths are started by our day-to-day choices.

What are some of these?

• Poor dietary choices
• Physical inactivity
• Environmental toxins
• Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, salt, tobacco, fats

How could you be exposed to toxins?

Unless you are fortunate to be living in a pristine rural area, grow your own organic food and live in an “organic” house, than chances are you are exposed to a cocktail of toxins on a daily basis.

But everything I use is Organic, so how can I be exposed to toxins?

• EMF’s (Electric Magnetic Fields) include powerlines, cordless phones, mobile phones, lights, wireless devices
• Heavy Metals such are arsenic, antimony, lead, mercury are in some of our food supplies, dentistry work and our water supply
• POPS (Persistent Organic Pollutants) include pesticides like DDT, PCBs in such daily items as paint, carbonless paper and electric transformers and other industrial chemicals and by-products.
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals that are found in pesticides in our food supply, electronics, cosmetics and personal care products. Let’s not forget the BPA’s (Bisphenol A), in plastic bottles, plastic storage containers, plastic wraps, food and cosmetics that come packed in plastic, the plastic pen you write with, the plastic lining in cans, etc.

How many toxins in one day?

So if you were to write down a list of everything you were exposed to in one day, how extensive would it be? On an individual basis most of these will meet safety standards but together they are a potent cocktail of toxins.

What can you do about it?

There is no way you can remove all of these toxins from your day-to-day lives. But you can identify what they are and reduce your exposure by:

• Choosing organic food
• If you can’t get organic at least make sure your fresh food is washed thoroughly
• Replacing cleaning products with all organic products.
• Replacing make-up with organic make-up
• Having dental mercury fillings removed
• Washing hands to remove environmental contaminants
• Throwing out plastic containers in the house and replace with BPA free containers
• Letting fresh air into your house
• Decorate with an indoor plant or two to help absorb airborne household toxins

Those are just a few easy steps you can take to lower your toxic load. An occasional detox can also help to remove some of these toxins from your body and free up your body to support genetic health and maintain a healthier you.

Naturopath Clinic Janne Ramsay

Janne regularly presents workshops on Digestion and Detox and is passionate about Iridology and maintaining core health through optimising gene health.  For many of her clients she provides recommendations for removing as many toxins as possible from their daily live. Article by Naturopath Janne Ramsay