Reducing Toxins at Home Helps Our Children Thrive by Emily Gold Mears
It is critical to make your home as toxin free as possible. Did you know the U.S. permits over 85,000 chemicals to be used in our food supply, water and commercial materials? Most of these have not been tested for safety.
For years, it was believed that in pregnancy the placenta protected the cord blood and the fetus from toxic chemical exposure..we now know that this is untrue. Studies done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that newborn babies have over 200 environmental toxins in their umbilical cord blood. The studies investigated industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in umbilical cord blood. Specifically, the EWG found hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, pesticides, flame retardants, industrial lubricants, plastics, lead, mercury, PFC’s, and many other toxicants.
I am the mother of two sons and was truly dismayed to learn about the ubiquitous toxin exposure in all of our daily lives. After extensive research, I learned valuable information about how one can reduce some of these toxic exposures. Here are some ways that moms can help reduce toxic exposure in their homes.
Eat Organic Whenever Possible. Certain foods are more vulnerable to pest invasions and therefore are more heavily sprayed with pesticides. The EWG compiles lists of fruits and vegetables which contain both the highest and also the lowest levels of pesticide. Consult these lists regularly.
Filter Your Water. Depending on where you live, tap water is highly contaminated with toxins. Even bottled water is known to contain industrial chemicals, bacteria and plastic by-products. There are many choices of water filters but a reverse-osmosis filter is the only way to get rid of arsenic in the water supply.
Filter Your Indoor Air. The air both outside and inside is filled with toxins. There is not much we can do about the outside air but we can improve upon the air inside our homes and offices. Carpets release volatile organic compounds, cleaning fluids are filled with chemicals and there is often hidden mold indoors. In addition to certain plants that help clean the air, there are many options for indoor air filters. They vary according to price and the size and the number of particles that can be captured.
Use Non-Toxic Cookware. Nonstick cookware, while much easier to clean, contains harmful synthetic chemicals called PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These substances leach into the food while cooking. The chemicals exist in stain-, heat-, and water-resistant products as well as cookware. You can reduce your chemical exposure by switching to stainless steel, glass, cast iron, or ceramic cookware. It is a good practice to transfer food items which come in plastic containers to glass containers. Avoid using synthetic or plastic cutting boards by switching to wood cutting boards. Try to steer clear of styrofoam. It is made from a petroleum product known as styrene and processed through a chemical process called polymerization. When styrofoam is exposed to heat or acids, it breaks down, releasing toxic chemicals. It is really bad for your health.
Switch To Non-Toxic Cleaning Products. Conventional cleaning products are filled with toxic ingredients like bleach, silica, nonylphenol, ethoxylates, 2-butoxyethanol, 2-hexoxyethanol, formaldehyde, and APEs (alkylphenol ethoxylates). Read the ingredients of the items you purchase and stay far away from these chemicals. There are several non-toxic brands available or you can look on the internet for guidance to making your own non-toxic cleaning products.
Switch to Non-Toxic Personal Care Products. This category covers many different kinds of products. Included are makeup, perfume, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, nail polish, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hair color, body wash, shaving cream, skin cleanser and moisturizer. This group of products is known to contain many, many chemicals. A brief list of ingredients to avoid includes resorcinol, coumarin, p-aminophenol. Propane, butane, isobutane, aluminum, dioxins, lead, parabens, phthalates, sodium fluoride, PFC’s, and ethoxylated ingredients. There are many non-toxic brands to replace these chemical laden products. Some non-toxic diaper brands include: Hello Bello, Andy Pandy, Dyper, and Earth + Eden. Some toothpaste options include: David's Natural Toothpaste, Primal Life Organic Toothpowder, Schmidts Wonder Mint Toothpaste
Unfortunately, many chemicals and known toxins are allowed in the U.S. It is important for each one of us to become a detective and carefully research what we bring into our homes. I am certain that toxic overload is a factor in most diseases. We can mitigate this by doing our due diligence. I wrote my book, Optimizing Your Health, to help others learn about taking control of their health. By reducing toxins in our homes, we can help ourselves and our children thrive.
Emily Gold Mears is a well-respected citizen scientist and author of Optimizing Your Health: An Approachable Guide to Reducing Your Risk of Chronic Disease (Post Hill Press, May 17, 2022). A former attorney, Gold Mears shifted her advocacy efforts to seek information on optimizing one’s health through extensive research analysis in science and medicine. Her research focuses on the intersection of functional and allopathic medicine, and the critical requirements for individuals to become their own healthcare advocates. She is actively involved in several nonprofit organizations, most of which are focused on health-related research. For more information, visit www.emilygoldmears.com.