Reducing Your Toxic Load

What can be done about the toxins inside of us?

Our bodies capacity to process, break down and eliminate toxins is remarkable. The liver is primarily responsible for this task but the gastrointestinal tract plays an equally important role in the binding and eliminating of the toxic chemicals and hormones we take in from our environment. By simply eating enough fiber and ensuring regular bowel movements, you can reduce your daily toxic load. Ensuring your children have at least 1 bowel movement per day will help their little bodies detoxify. As they grow into adults teaching them the value of fiber and detoxification will reduce their overall risk of disease. Detoxifying 1-2X/year will reduce their overall risk of the diseases like cancer significantly.

What can you do to reduce your child’s exposure to toxic compounds?

1. For Canada, log onto PollutionWatch. For the U.S., go to Scorecard and learn what chemicals are prevalent in your area.
2. Wash new clothes before wearing them to get rid of some of the harmful residues of their manufacture.
3. Minimize your use of plastic, especially plastic that has been softened by plasticizers such as phthalates.
4. Buy toys made of natural materials such as wood or fabric.
5. Use natural / fragrance-free soap, shampoo, lotions and sunscreens on your children. Read labels carefully as some skin care products marketed as natural or organic have synthetic preservatives such as parabens. In addition, some products list only "active" ingredients. You'll have to do some research to find out what inactive ingredients they contain.
6. Don't use baby powders that contain talc.
7. Buy organic food whenever possible and buy or make your own organic baby food. If you don't have a good source for organic produce, choose fruit and vegetables that are locally produced and that are in season. Produce that requires long storage times or have been shipped long distances are more likely to have been treated with chemicals.
8. Avoid buying processed foods. When you make things from scratch, your meals won't have any additional artificial colors, fillers or flavors.
9. Use eco-friendly cleaners, dishwasher soap, & laundry soap. Avoid anything with bleach or chemicals that are caustic to the skin/lungs.
10. Store your baby food/formula in glass bottles and containers.
11. Renovate with care! Use eco-friendly paint. Also use building materials, flooring, blinds etc. made from wood, metal or natural fabric like wool or cotton.
12. Buy furnishings made of natural materials. For example, choose a mattress made of organic cotton, wool or natural rubber. Choose hardwood (as opposed to plywood or particle board) furniture.
13. Clothe your family in organic cotton, wool, hemp, silk or bamboo clothing. Avoid clothes that are permanent press, wrinkle-free, stain-resistant and so on.
14. Do not use pesticides, herbicides/ synthetic fertilizers on your grass/garden. Encourage your neighbors to avoid using these products.
15. Do not use insecticides around your children. Lessen your exposure to pests by eliminating sources of standing water, using untreated mosquito nets, avoiding the use of fragrances, using natural insect repellents etc.
16. Learn to decipher labels. It can be daunting, but here's an excellent resource for finding what chemicals are found in your household products: Household Products Database
17. Consult a Naturopathic Physician & detoxify your family. Detoxify 1-2X/year.

Kimberley Dare, Bsc, ND