Did you know that every man, woman, and child comes into contact with up to 200 chemicals and potential toxins a day? What most people don’t know is that many of these exposures happen in our own homes!
This is scary stuff, but knowledge is power. It’s impossible to completely eradicate exposure to toxins – even if you moved to Saskatchewan, you’d be exposed to air- and water-borne chemicals – but you can minimize exposure.
If you have children or pets, are trying to get pregnant, want to lose weight, or are simply concerned about your family’s health, addressing toxin exposure is crucial.
3 Simple Ways to Reduce Exposure to Toxins at Home
Filter your water
We all know that hydration is critical to health. The average adult needs up to a gallon of water every day. Unfortunately, one of the top sources of toxin exposure comes from drinking water. Public water supplies contain chemicals and toxins ranging from pesticides and herbicides, to heavy metals like lead, to antibiotics and hormones.
Your best bet to avoid the toxins in our water supply: invest in a good water filter. Of the three tips I cover in this post, this one is probably the most expensive, but well worth the money! Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Water Filter Guide to help you choose a filter that fits your budget.
Soak your produce
My daughter – Lord help her nutrition-obsessed mother – will eat almost nothing that resembles a plant. The few things she will eat – apples, strawberries, cherries, and grapes – consistently test high in pesticide and herbicide residues. I try to buy these items organic, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes my budget doesn’t allow for the extra expense. Sometimes – as in the case of cherries and grapes – I simply can’t find them organic.
If I can’t find or afford organic, I do the next best thing: soak produce in a simple solution of water and baking soda for 15 minutes. I use approximately 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups of water. This soak solution is shown to remove a significant amount of pesticides from the skins of fruits and vegetables.
Establish a “No Shoes” policy in your home
Have you ever thought about all of the places you walk and what might be on the bottom of your shoes? Studies show that shoes are dirtier than a public toilet seat and may harbor E. coli, C. diff, viruses, and lawn chemicals. Ewww. Add a toddler who spends lots of time on the floor and puts her fingers in her mouth on average 80 times per day…double ewwwww!
Even if you’ve never stepped in a pile of dog doo and don’t spray your lawn with herbicides or bug killers, chances are good that a friend or family member entering your home has. The best way to keep toxins and bacteria from walking into your home: leave your shoes at the door (and insist that your housemates and guests do the same).
I hope you found this information helpful. I’d love to hear from you! What ways do you reduce exposure to toxins?
