Everyday Toxins:
🚨 Toxins are harmful substances—chemicals, pollutants, or even naturally occurring compounds—that can cause dysfunction when found in excess in the body. They’re found in everyday environments: the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, and even the products you use. Over time, exposure to toxins can contribute to major health issues, including:
Autoimmune disorders: Conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are becoming more common, especially in younger people.
Chronic illnesses: Toxins can weaken your immune system, disrupt hormones, and cause inflammation, leading to fatigue, brain fog, hormone dystfunction and gut issues.
Even if you can’t see or smell toxins, their cumulative effects can build up in your body, increasing your risk of disease.
“Great. Another thing to worry about!”
But hear me out. There are steps you can take to mitigate your exposure and the effects.
🚨 Let’s first talk about oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress happens when there’s an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Think of it like a tug-of-war where the bad guys (free radicals) outnumber the good guys (antioxidants), causing damage to your cells.
So, if we can lessen the load of free radicals (from toxins) that our body is dealing with, this has a huge impact on improving health.
Let’s cover some common sources of toxin and chemical exposure.
🌿 Common Sources of Toxin Exposure:
Water Contamination: did you know tap water can contain pharmaceuticals, remnants of personal care products (PPCPs), PFAS ("forever chemicals"), heavy metals like lead, and industrial pollutants from runoff or aging pipes?
Air Pollution: Indoor air often harbors volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paints, furniture, and gas stove emissions; outdoor pollution includes particulate matter from traffic and factories that can enter your home as well. Dust and mold can also reduce air quality.
Personal Care Products: Cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and laundry soap may include formaldehyde (a carcinogen), phthalates (endocrine disruptors), parabens, oxybenzone, and triclosan, which are all absorbed through the skin.
Cleaning Products: Household cleaners release VOCs, ammonia, bleach, and other chemicals like quaternary ammonium compounds, which can linger in indoor air and on surfaces.
🌿 Health Impacts of These Toxins:
Hormonal and Reproductive Disruptions: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (e.g., phthalates in personal care products or PFAS in water) mimic or block hormones like estrogen and thyroid hormones, contributing to issues like infertility, thyroid disorders, mood swings or weight gain.
Overwhelming Detox Pathways: High toxin exposure floods your liver's Phase I and II detox pathways, leading to "toxin overload." This happens when the body can't keep up, causing toxins to accumulate and recirculate, which amps up oxidative stress and inflammation.
Damaging Enzymes and Cells: Toxins directly harm detox enzymes, inhibiting their function. For example, toxins can block nutrient absorption needed for proper detox (like B vitamins or antioxidants), leading to fatigue or poor metabolism.
Disrupting Gut and Microbiome Balance: Toxins irritate the gut lining, causing dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria) that can hinder elimination. This impairs the gut's role in detox, allowing toxins to reabsorb into the bloodstream.
Increasing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: Toxins generate free radicals, which exhaust antioxidants like glutathione, a key detox player. Over time, this chronic stress weakens all detox organs, contributing to symptoms like brain fog, joint pain, or hormonal imbalances.
🌿 Practical Strategies to Reduce Toxin Exposure:
Taking steps to reduce toxin exposure can protect your health and improve your quality of life. Here are practical actions you can take:
Choose Clean Food and Water 🥗💧:
Opt for organic produce when possible to avoid pesticides, and use produce wash when you can.
Use a good-quality water filter to remove contaminants like heavy metals, chlorine, forever chemicals and more.
Be Mindful of Household Products 🧼:
Swap out chemical-laden cleaning products, cosmetics, and personal care items for natural, non-toxic alternatives. Swapping out laundry detergent is a great place to start!
Check labels for harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde. Consult the EWG’s SkinDeep database for more information.
Improve Indoor Air Quality 🌬️:
Use air purifiers with HEPA filters to reduce indoor pollutants.
Avoid synthetic air fresheners (that’s a hard NO on Glade products or scented candles) and opt for essential oils in a diffuser instead.
Natural ventilation: opening windows regularly is actually proven to improve air quality, since indoor air is often worse than outdoor air (😱).
Limit Plastic Use ♻️:
Reduce exposure to BPA and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals by using glass or stainless steel containers.
Support Your Body’s Detox Systems 🥦:
Hydrate with adrenal cocktails, eat nutrient-dense foods like broccoli and dark leafy greens, try a sauna or Epsom salt bath, and exercise regularly to support your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system.
You may want to consider consulting a healthcare professional for personalized detox strategies since there can be personal nuance to what your body needs.
🌿 Additional Resources:
If you have not yet gotten my FREE HORMONE GUIDE, this is another great resource to help you take those first steps towards better health.
Feeling overwhelmed with where to start? Reach out for a free consultation -> this is a no-pressure chance to talk through your concerns.
I’m here to help!