As a functional medicine specialist, I like to think about spring cleaning as less about a deep clean that gets your kitchen gleaming or bathroom sparkling, and more in terms of getting rid of household toxins that have a detrimental affect on our health. Toxins are a primary cause of chronic disease and we are exposed to an enormous amount of chemicals daily—and unfortunately, they are lurking everywhere in our homes. They enter our body through what we eat, drink, breath, and absorb through our skin. Although we can’t control many of the toxins we are exposed to in our environment, there are steps we can take to help decrease our toxic load at home, and it’s easier than you think.
• Remove shoes when entering your home. Why drag in all the dirt, allergens, pesticides, and herbicides from the outside world? An investment in a nice pair of slippers is an investment in your health.
• Break up with plastic by swiping out plastic food storage containers for glass ones. While you’re at it, get rid of the plastic water bottles. Chemicals from plastic, like BPA, leach into our food and drink. BPA disrupts our hormones and many studies show that it has carcinogenic capability. BPA free plastics are not turning out to be much safer, so better to err on the side of caution and opt for glass
• Ditch the non stick pans—its’ that simple. If they are pre-2015 they likely contain PFOA (perfluorooctanic acid), like Teflon, which acts as an endocrine disruptor and has been associated with many other adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease, and is a possible carcinogen in humans according to the IARC (International Agency for Cancer Research). DuPont and other companies phased out Teflon in 2015, but it is not known if they continue to use other perfluorinated chemicals in their products. The safest option is to avoid non-stick cookware. Throw it out, don’t even try to SWAP it. Stainless steel, ceramic, and cast iron are less toxic choices.
• Scour the labels on your personal care products carefully. I’m talking shampoos, conditioners, lotions, deodorants, sunscreens, baby wipes, and make-up to start. In fact, what you put on your skin can be more toxic than what you eat and the personal care industry isn’t regulated in the U.S. Some of the chemicals we slather on ourselves include the endocrine disrupting phthalates, the carcinogenic formaldehydes, and the estrogen mimickers, parabens and BPA. Not sure what to look for? The Environmental Working Group app, Healthy Living, or the Think Dirty app are two good places to help you start detoxing your personal care products.
• Forget the fragrances. This includes air fresheners, scented candles, perfumes, and anything that has fragrance (or parfum) as an ingredient. These fragrances are composed of hundreds of petrochemical solvents, including known carcinogens and hormone disrupting chemicals. Pure essential oils can be lovely for perfume or to vaporize into the air.
• Filter your water. Flint, Newark, South Orange—these are only a few examples of municipal water gone bad. One third of all communities in the U.S. have drinking water violations and New Jersey is one of the top 5 states with the highest Safe Water Drinking Act violations by population. As they say, “get a filter or be a filter.” Air filters are important as well.
• Give the wi-fi a break. Turn off the the blue tooth on your cell phone. Use a plug in headset when talking on the cell phone. Don’t sleep with the cell phone next to your bed. We are exposed to so much radiofrequency electromagnetic fields both in and outside the house, so try to decrease some exposure. The IARC classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Making small changes over time will make a big impact on decreasing our toxic load. One slippered step at a time.
