How to Avoid the Health Dangers of Environmental Toxins

Do you think it might be possible that your home, office, or products you use every day could be making you sick? 

More than 85,000 chemicals are known to be circulating in everyday products in the US alone—in cosmetics, clothing, furniture, electronics, cleaning products, construction materials, and more. 

These chemicals have potential health effects that range from irritating the lungs to interacting with the immune system or disrupting hormones. Exposures to environmental chemicals can be drivers of many chronic health concerns:

• Headaches

• Breathing Struggles

• Bone Thinning

• Mood Changes

• Cognitive Difficulties

• Attention Problems

• Hormonal Imbalance

• Immune Dysregulation

• Blood Pressure Changes

• Difficulty Getting Pregnant

This is not to say that environmental exposures are ALWAYS to blame for these issues. Chronic illness is complex. 

When we work with patients, our approach is to consider all possibilities. Through your story and testing, we unravel the root cause. 

If we discover that environmental exposures are driving your health concerns, the first step is to eliminate the exposure (or minimize it as much as possible). Then we use targeted therapies to support your body in detoxification so that you can heal. 

Let’s start with how to minimize your exposure to hidden toxins and support your body in everyday detoxification—because if you are currently healthy, the time to be proactive about staying that way is now. 

Where Environmental Toxins Hide

Environmental toxins lurk all around us and in products we use every day. If avoiding environmental toxins is not yet part of your wellness routine, I suggest you start now. 

Here are some common places where environmental toxins hide:

• Carpet, upholstery, and manufactured wood can off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs like formaldehyde), which can be irritants or cause headaches.

• Furniture, carpets, and bedding that contain flame retardants can release hormone-disrupting polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDPEs) into the air and house dust. 

• Cleaning products commonly contain ammonia, synthetic fragrances, and other chemicals that can act either as irritants or health disruptors. 

• Personal care products (rubbed directly into your skin!!) commonly contain hormone-disrupting parabens and phthalates.

• Plastics and food containers often contain hormone-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA).

So, what can we do? 

• Dust & vacuum regularly 

• Minimize plastics as much as possible 

• Choose non-toxic personal care products and cleaning supplies

• Place air purifiers in key areas of the house, especially in bedrooms

Minimizing our exposure is key, but we can also support our body in detoxifying these chemicals every day. 

Foods for Everyday Detoxification

We all know that 100% avoidance of toxins is never possible. That’s why the other big part of prevention is supporting our body’s inherent ability to metabolize, detoxify, and eliminate toxins EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 

One of my favorite way to do that? 

With foods. Here are 5 delicious foods to support everyday detoxification. 

Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens are rich in minerals and antioxidants. Some of the best to support detoxification include kale, watercress, arugula, and cilantro.

Cruciferous Veggies

Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are rich in a compound called sulforaphane that has powerful antioxidant actions.  

Onions and Garlic

Onions, garlic, and leeks are good sources of sulfur, helping to support liver detoxification pathways. 

Lemons

Lemons are rich in vitamin C and can be easily added to warm or cool water for detox support. 

​​Berries

The deep blue and purple colors of berries are a result of powerful antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins.

There are also some everyday detox habits that will work synergistically with these detox foods!

Everyday Detox Habits

Everybody can support their body’s ability to deal with the onslaught of toxins we face! Let’s look at 3 simple habits to support everyday detoxification:

Sweat

Even though sweat is 99% water, small amounts of heavy metals and bisphenol A (BPA) have been detected in sweat. You can promote sweating either by exercising vigorously or sitting in a sauna. Both will support detoxification. 

Cold Showers

Bursts of cold water stimulate circulation and a cascade of chemical messengers in the body to support immune function and detoxification. Make it a goal to end your shower with 30 seconds of cold and then work up to adding 30-second bursts 3 times during your shower.  

Fiber 

Fiber and water work synergistically to support gut function and healthy bowel movements—which are absolutely essential for daily detoxification! Fiber-rich foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. 

Your body was designed to detoxify. That means that even if you can’t entirely avoid the synthetic chemicals in our air, water, and foods, you CAN support your body in staying healthy despite all odds. 

Environmentally-driven illnesses are increasingly common and can change your life forever. We hope it has given you some ideas and inspiration to live more clean and green so that you can reduce your risk of chronic illness. 

If you have any concerns about your personal environmental exposures, we are here to help! Check out our offerings in the menu bar above.