A Few Quick Ways to Avoid Toxins in Your Life

I have been working on getting toxins out of my house well, ever since I had a house or apartment of my own. The longer I work at getting toxins out of my home the more I learn about WHY we should get  out of our houses.  I have gone into some of the why before but today I am going into some of the how.

1. Eat unprocessed food, shop the outside of the grocery store.  Most processed foods are loaded with preservatives such as nitrates and MSG
2. Keep chemical cleaners out of your house, No need to kiddy proof your cleaning cupboard if your cleaners are not toxic, Instead make your Own Natural Cleaners.
3. Eat Organic when you can, if money is an issue, stick to the Dirty Dozen List.
4. Check your sunscreen
5. Check all health and beauty aids and cosmetics against the EWG Database
6. Stop using commercial perfumes, for the most part they are chemically made and contain phthalates, phthalates are hormone disrupters. Instead make your own eau de toilet, using essential oils. Crunchy Betty has a great post on making your own perfumes. 
7. Quit using hand sanitizer, many of them use triclosan which is actually a pesticide.
8. Stop using air fresheners, both the plug in type and the sprays, Instead put a few drops of a favorite essential oil in a spray bottle and dilute with water. Shake it up and spray it around the room. Another option is to get a ring diffuser and place it above your light bulbs, the heat will warm up the oil and disperse the scent throughout the room
9. If you must use plastic containers, do not heat them in the microwave. Heating plastics in the microwave may release more of the phthalates into your food.
10. Open your windows regularly. Inside air can be more polluted than outside air.
11. Buy "Low-VOC" paints and finishes. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are in paints as well as other household items, like carpeting and furniture. Choosing low-VOC improves your indoor air quality.
12. Stop using dryer sheets while doing laundry.
13. Get the Bleach out of the house, while you are at it take out the ammonia too. There are safer more effective deodorizers.
14. Avoid canned food to avoid exposure to BPA
15. Use a water filtration system on your home. If you can’t afford a whole house one, at least put one on the shower and on your main drinking water source.
16. Don’t use pesticides on in your yard or garden. Consider other alternatives to the front yard.

What do you do to avoid toxins in your life and home?

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