Have you ever thought about the harmful chemicals and toxins present in your everyday household use items?
Toxins and harmful chemicals are everywhere. Literally every where. All around you and in your home as well. And while we are aware of some of the basic toxins like pollution, there are a lot that we are not aware of in our daily life. Here are 10 ways in which toxins are present around you and you are consuming them.
I used to avoid thinking about it. Even though I was aware that we are somehow consuming these harmful chemicals every single day. And the reasons is, because I thought I didn’t have much control over them. I did not know how I could avoid them. So it’s better to not think about it at all, eh?
BUT,
I was researching about PCOS, because I got diagnosed with it. And I wondered why our generation has a higher percentage of women with PCOS as compared to our elders.
And sure, our lifestyles are completely different from theirs but that’s not the only culprit. It’s also the food we consume and the household products we use every single day that make this difference.
And as I researched more and more about it, I found that I am “consuming” harmful chemicals every single day. Whether it is directly as food or indirectly as the daily household products we use.
And you’d be shocked to see what I found about these harmful chemicals and toxins present in our Household use products.
Here’s what you should know about harmful chemicals in common, everyday use household products:
They are present everywhere:
There is no escaping. They are literally present all around you. These harmful chemicals are present in the processed food we buy from the supermarket. They are present in our everyday use cleaning supplies and even our skin care.
The rules governing them aren’t strict:
When it comes to food and food products, we often think that it must be FDA approved before they could sell it right? But you’d be surprised to know that the laws governing them aren’t that strict. And a lot of companies who are doing the “business” do not really care for your health.
Your body can cleanse by itself to an extent:
Just because these harmful chemicals are present everywhere doesn’t mean you need to be paranoid. Your body is designed in a way to cleanse itself of all these harmful chemicals it is exposed to. That’s the good news.
But the thing is, there is only so much your body can do. If you are constantly exposing yourself to these harmful chemicals, it’d be kind of impossible for your body to rid itself of these toxins.
And for your body to function properly at the cleanse, you need to feed yourself a healthy, balanced nutritious diet that’s full of anti oxidants. Your diet needs to support that. But if you are feeding yourself junk everyday, you can’t expect your body to get rid of toxins like it was designed to.
10 ways you are consuming toxins & Harmful Chemicals:
#1: Toxins from Packaged Food:
Okay I am just going to start with the very obvious one. You probably buy groceries at a supermarket every week. And you probably buy them in plastic food packaging.
And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the plastic packaging is not good for you. Yes, even if it’s “food-Grade”.
And the thing is, the food that’s packaged is often full of preservatives, which, again are not good for you.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Try buying your groceries at the Local Farmer’s markets. And whenever you go do that, make sure you carry your own re-usable cloth bags. Avoid plastic whenever possible.
So less toxins for you and less single waste plastics, so good for the environment as well.WIN-WIN, RIGHT?!
#2: Toxins from Fresh produce:
Apart from the packaged food, you are also consuming toxins in your fresh produce aka your fruits and veggies.
When you buy fruits and fresh produce from your regular super markets, they are often the produce that’s produced for mass consumption.
And the main focus of those farmers is to increase the yield. And they do so by ensuring that there are no pests and the crop doesn’t go bad. So they use fertilizers and pesticides.
And when you buy these foods, even if you wash them really well, you are still consuming some of those chemicals aka Toxins.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
#1: Whenever you buy fresh produce, make sure you are only buying ORGANIC produce. ORGANIC simply means that no fertilizers and pesticides were used.
And that’s why organic produce is usually a little more expensive than regular produce. Because the yield is often less than if pesticides were to be used.
#2: You could also try and grow your food, if you have the space and time. You’d be surprised to know how much food you can grow even in a small balcony garden.
There are tons of blogs and videos out there that can help you do that. So why not give it a try.
#3: Harmful chemicals in your cookware:
As much as I like using non stick pans and pots because of the convenience and how easy to clean they are, they aren’t good for your health. The coating, although approved by the food association is not the best thing to be cooking your food on.
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO : A great alternative is to cook your food in metal pans like stainless steel pots and pans etc.
We have recently started cooking all our curries in earthen pots. They are easily available on amazon and are the best utensils to be cooking your food in. There is a reason why they were the preferred cookware for ages. They sure take some time to get used to. But believe me the food tastes so different (good different) when cooked in an earthen pot.
#4: Your dish soap:
Your dish soap has more harmful chemicals than you’d like to believe. And which your dishwasher makes sure than your plates etc are totally clean and hygienic, what about those big post and pans?
The best alternative is to switch to a home made toxic free dish cleaner. Just do a quick search on pinterest and you’ll find some methods to make one that works for you.
#5: Sunscreen:
Sunscreen is that one evil that is so difficult to avoid. It’s like a necessary evil. You can’t really do without it, especially in the summers. And as much as I love soaking the sun, I hate using sunscreen. And now even more so because I know all the harmful chemicals they often tend to contain.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
#1: Wear long sleeve clothes: In summers, this is my fav thing to do. Whatever I can do to avoid using sunscreen, right? I love wearing long sleeve tops and long pants usually organic cotton and linen fabrics.
#2: Avoid harsh afternoon sun: Avoiding harsh afternoon sun is also a really great tip. Whenever sunbathing, avoid the harsh afternoon sun. Get your Vit D in the mornings or late afternoons when sun isn’t directly over your head. Of course you’d still need to wear the sunscreen, but you’d not have to smother yourself in it.
#3: Read the ingredients carefully: This is probably the best way to avoid those harmful chemicals. And it’s best if you read the labels correctly while buying sunscreen and make sure it’s parabens free and sulphate free.
#6: Milk and Milk products:
Okay, so this is probably something that all “Indian Moms” will disagree with. But the milk we get in the packets these days is more harmful for you than it’s good.
While milk has been a part of the north Indian diet for as long asI can remember. But the packaged milk you get in supermarkets these days is not really milk at all.
The cows and buffalos are given injections to increase their milk production. And when you drink that milk, you’re also drinking those hormones.
These hormones then later on cause on imbalance of hormones in our bodies. And are also highly responsible for things like PCOS.
Now, the thing is, a lot of people will say, but it’s always been a part of my diet and I have never had any problems before, so why now?
Well, because after a certain age, your body just can’t rid of those toxins on it’s own and they slowly but surely start affecting your hormones and cause cysts etc.
And as you grow up, you need to be more mindful of the things you consume and the where they come from.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Okay, for the alternatives, cut out milk and other dairy products from your diet and switch to plant based foods. You can switch cheese with vegan cheese, milk with nut milk, soy milk or oat milk. You could also switch out your regular paneer with tofu etc.
#7: Skin care products:
Ironic isn’t it? Products that are termed as skin care often contain harmful chemicals like sulphate, alcohol and parabens. These have been used in the skin care products since 1950s. Sulphates are bad for you because they often clog pores and causes breakouts. Equally as bad is alcohol content in your skin care products. It depletes your skin’s protective layer. Alcohol present in skin care causes your skin to breakout and can often result in dryness and irritation.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Whenever trying a new skin care product, make sure to read the labels carefully. And even better if you make the switch to brands that are 100% natural.
#8: Aerosols:
We all know that aerosols aren’t good for health. That’s why the warning behind your favourite body sprays and Air fresheners. While people associate using air fresheners to having a clean and healthy home, but a good smelling home doesn’t always mean healthy right?
These room fresheners have aerosols and they often are the cause of headaches for people who stay at home for long hours. They are also particularly harmful for children as prolonged exposure to them causes diarrhoea.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Instead of using aerosol based room fresheners, try burning organic candles instead. Make sure your windows are open whenever you are burning a candle. Also ensure that your candles are soy based and not paraffin wax candles.
You can also use oil based room fresheners or aroma diffusers. Just make sure you are using 100% organic oil.
#9: Bath Bombs:
I apologise for including bath bombs here. I know how much you love your long warm bath after a hectic day. But a lot of bath bombs have artificial colors that aren’t good for your skin in the long run.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Look for bath bombs that are made from 100% natural ingredients. You do not need to sacrifice your long baths. And even better, use bath salts and essential oils instead.
#10: Cleaning supplies:
Most cleaning supplies contain harmful ingredients, some of which can even be toxic. And what’s disturbing is that they do not list everything on their ingredients list because it’s not mandatory for them. And even if they did, they usually put all the chemical names and we often never check what they are.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
The best bet is to make cleaning supplies at home. The most common one being vinegar and baking soda combination. And if that seems like too much of a hassle, switch to cleaning products that are 100% clean and are free from all those harmful chemicals. They sure do cost a bit more than your regular cleaning supplies, but that’s something that won’t expose you and your kids to harmful chemicals, so it’s worth it.
There you go. I hope you found this post helpful. I do not mean to make you paranoid. I just thought these are some things that we could all avoid using in our homes so that we can make our homes a safer place for us and our children. And harmful chemicals are present in so many of the household items that we use every single day. And I think it’s important that we know the risks involved and how we could avoid them.
See you next time! 🙂
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