Our world is full of toxins. Our cars, mattresses, carpet, paint, lotions, perfumes, etc., etc., etc., are full of all kinds of chemicals that overburden our body. This causes a sluggish liver and toxins to be stored in the fat of our body until the liver is able to get to them. If we don’t reduce our toxic load, our body never gets the chance to remove the toxins from our blood and fat cells and process them out of our bodies.

3 Toxic Chemicals To Avoid

A few of the toxic chemicals we are exposed to all day, everyday are plastics,  PFOA’s, and aluminum. Plastics not only pollute the environment, they pollute our bodies. The chemicals breakdown in extreme hot and cold temperatures, such as placing in the freezer and using in the microwave. The most talked about chemical in plastics today is BPA, BPA is an endocrine (hormone) disruptor and its effects on fetuses, infants, and young children is well documented. However, the harm doesn’t end as we get older! (source) It is important to avoid plastic for life due to how much is disrupts our endocrine system. Reducing plastics in our lives is a huge first step for reducing your toxic load.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, also known as C8) is a chemical used in hundreds of items ranging from microwave popcorn bags, cookware, and furniture. This category of slippery, non-stick, stain-resistant chemicals stay in the body for many years. You could avoid them 100% and still have them present in your blood 4 years later! People who have high levels of PFOAs in their blood are twice as likely to have thyroid disease. Our endocrine system is being assaulted constantly!

And last but not least, aluminum. Aluminum over exposure has been linked to the development of breast cancer, alzheimer’s disease, kidney and bone disorders, and more. Aluminum is used in many products including baking powder, antacids, many cosmetics, antiperspirants, and pesticide laden foods.

As a health coach, I know how hard it is to completely change your lifestyle. It’s my job to make the process of change manageable.

4 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Toxic Load

Switch from plastic straws to paper

What I love about doing this is that not only does it reduce the amount of toxic chemicals we are ingesting, it also benefits the environment. I saw a viral video on facebook of a sea turtle that had a plastic straw jammed in it nose and sinuses that someone pulled out, and it completely broke my heart. Personally I have been using stainless steel straws and love them. However, kids are clumsy and I was paranoid mine would stumble or fall and jam it down their throat. After this video I knew there had to be something else out there we could use. I found biodegradable paper straws and we love them! I bought the Kikkerland brand and you can too by clicking here. (affiliate link)

Recycle your plastic containers and replace with glass ones

This change is truly simple and can be affordable if you shop around. Ikea, TJMaxx, and Ross all have great prices on glass storage containers making the switch much easier on the pocketbook. However, if you like everything to be matching, investing in a set would be a good idea but more upfront.

Get rid of your non-stick cookware and replace with stainless steel and cast iron

Switching out your cookware is a bit of an upfront cost but you won’t regret it. Cast iron lends a wonderful flavor to food plus it is completely affordable. Not only that, with proper care, they can last a lifetime or more! I use to be intimidated by the maintenance cast iron requires but once I learned how to take care of them I don’t know why I waited so long to cook in them! I believe in them so much I made a video showing you how I take care of mine. You can watch that here.  Stainless steel are durable, usually heat evenly, require less energy to cook, don’t react to acidic foods and can 25 years or more! While a bit more of an upfront expense, as you can see, they are worth the investment.

Switch to an aluminum free deodorant

I wrote a whole blog post (here) on my journey switching from mainstream antiperspirants to an aluminum free deodorant. Luckily there are two brands out there that truly work and are affordable at just around $8.99 a jar. Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant and Primal Pit Paste. My favorite brand is Schmidt’s and my jar is about half way gone after 6 months. To learn more about my comparisons of all the different brands, check out my post here.

Do you have other tips and tricks to share? Please share below!