Avoid toxins, correctly!
To kick things off where we left off with “Detox, No Gimmicks” If you flooded your laundry, you would turn the tap off before trying to fix the damage and remove the water right?
However, when it comes to our own bodies like I very briefly touched on before, in Western society we tend to look past the potential causes to our problems and are quick to start treating symptoms. This band-aid for a bullet wound attitude seems to correlate with our desire for quick fixes and easy pathways for weight loss, muscle growth, business, relationships and most health issues.
As I have made clear, detoxification is a constant process and should be treated accordingly. Detox is a basic equation of toxins in vs. toxins out of the body. Toxicity surrounds us all and it is impossible to completely rid yourself from, however, we do have the ability to reflect on our lifestyles as individuals and pick our winnable battles from there.
I personally encourage people to pay more attention to detoxification and its dangers if you do not. It is still a fairly new topic within society and the understanding of it is still poor, hence why fad marketing detox products are currently being successful as a business instead of effectiveness.
Pesticides and chemicals can cause endocrine disruption that interfere and affect human hormones. These effects can range from minor to serious depending on the specific endocrine receptor and amount of exposure. The pancreas, thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, and reproductive glands are all included within the human endocrine system.
Therefore it would be expected as a result to potentially encounter problems with digestion, weight management, sleep, serotonin levels, energy levels, and procreation.
The following suggestions are some minor adjustments the average person could make throughout their average day to improve the balance of toxic load within their body.
Coffee
Problem: Coffee is one of the highest sprayed crops in the world. It often has a higher pesticide load than any other food that we eat followed closely by tea.
Solution: Search for an organic coffee brand and do your research on the surrounding café’s in search of one that uses an organic selection.
The same could be said for your grocery shopping and buying of meat. Try and find a local farmers market that have chemical free produce and a butcher that sells grass fed meats.
Unfortunately for Australians organic holds nowhere near the level of credibility that it does in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Companies are still being allowed to use chemicals on their produce that were made illegal in these other countries a long time ago.
Toothpaste
Problem: The harmful effects of fluoride on the body. Fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that can negatively affect your bones, brain, thyroid, pineal gland, and blood sugar levels and can even promote cancers.
Solution: Buy toothpaste without fluoride.
Water
Problem: Same as toothpaste, our tap water contains fluoride but also has an acceptable amount of recycled water and sediment that is allowed.
Solution: Consider installing water filtration in your plumbing at home or at least buy a portable water filter that removes fluoride, chlorine, sediment and then re-mineralizes. Also be sure to rinse and cook foods with filtered water as often the effects can be magnified with high temperatures.
Food
Problem: How do you store your food? Plastic take away containers or something of the similar? Storing and reheating food in plastics is extremely common. When it’s heated, chemicals leak into the food. Plastics are one of the main offenders associated with endocrine disruption. They bind to estrogen receptor sites and cause estrogen dominant type issues and some cancers are estrogen driven.
Solution:
- Wait for food to cool before storing it in plastic
- Eat cold
- Use tupperware containers that are BPA Free and food grade
- Re heat on a stove top
- If using a microwave place food on a ceramic plate first.
Seeing as plastic is the main discussion point, this includes water bottles we buy or re use. How often have you left a water bottle from the 7/11 in your car for several hours, then taken a drink from it after the sun has been beaming on it that day or previously? Or re-used a poor quality plastic disposable bottle for weeks on end? This water is toxic.
Solution: do not use disposable water bottles, use drink bottles made of high quality plastic. Make sure they are BPA Free and food grade. It also helps if they are easy to clean to reduce the possibilities of any other toxic bacteria to grow and in turn be consumed by you.
Skin Care/Beauty Products
Problem: Have a look at the ingredients on your shampoo bottles etc. and do some research into what those ingredients actually are. Once again many of the chemicals in our shampoos, deodorants, perfumes, make up, moisturizers and so are potential endocrine disruptors.
Solution: Visit http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ and search for the products you use daily and get an understanding of how safe the ingredients are within it.
Article by Jack Boon – Founding Director of GRIPT
With years of experience in the fitness industry, Jack has a passion for the people he works with. Aiming to provide them with the best possible pathways to improve their body composition and happiness within their own skin. With a knowledge beyond training, a holistic approach is delivered with special consideration into detoxification, gut health, and scientifically targeted nutrition for each individual.
Gript location 52 Wilson Street, South Yarra.
W - gript.com.au
I - @gript
