It’s Spring and we all feel the need to renew and refresh. I wanted to capitalize on this season and discuss a few easy ways to clean up your life and lighten your toxin load!
Did you know there are over 87,000 chemicals currently in our environment? Most have never even been tested for human safety! And let me tell you, the results are not pretty for those that have been tested. Many of these compounds are lipophilic and have a very long half-life; they accumulate and store in our fat tissue. If you are overweight, by definition you are toxic….
Nearly every chronic disease on the planet has links to toxicity including dementia, heart disease, autoimmune disease, food allergies and digestive issues.
These toxins primarily enter our system through the lung, skin and GI tract. Here are 5 simple strategies to reduce your exposure to some common toxins and to enhance your body’s ability to handle them.
- Clean out your kitchen: Throw out the plastic containers and replace them with glass. When we heat and store in plastic, the plasticizers are breaking down and leaching into our food and then into us! These compounds are endocrine disruptors and obesogens.
- Clean up your air: There are plants that actually do this for us! Consider adding a peace lily to each room in the house. Indoor air quality can be quite poor with off gassing of formaldehyde from pressboard, PVC and flame-retardants that are added to furnishings and carpets.
- Clean up your thoughts: Those negative, pessimistic thoughts send signals to every cell in your body turning on all the wrong pathways! Consider adding in some meditation to your day and learning to shine positive light on those negative thoughts.
- Clean up your diet: Add in some detoxifying foods and supplements. Cruciferous vegetables (eg broccoli) help the liver detoxify. Vitamin C and N –acetylcysteine are among the nutrients that play a vital role in the detox process. Consider taking milk thistle if you are exposed to volatile chemicals on a daily basis (think hair dresser or nail technician).
- Clean up your body: Exercise regularly. This helps the blood and lymphatic system do its job. Work up a sweat. That is what I love about a heated power yoga class (C2 at Core Power Yoga!!). For a one hour investment, you get mindfulness, stretching, exercise and sweat out a bunch of toxins. Remember to drink 8-10 glasses of water every day to help flush our your system. Add an extra glass if you work up a good sweat!
Wishing you a Happy Spring full of love and light!
Tracy
