Chemicals? Can We Reduce Our Exposure?

What can we do?

What are some of the ways that we can reduce the amount of chemicals we are exposed to?
Can we really do anything about it?
Yes and yes. There are solutions.

Knowledge

Being aware of which products have harmful chemicals in them is a good first step. Knowledge is power.
When we know which things are harmful and why we are in a much better position to find other products to use or other ways of doing things.
Here are a few suggestions that might help you get started in making some changes that will bring you a more chemical free and therefore healthier life.

• Chlorine is in our water and many of us have a water filter for drinking water. What about the shower? In the confined space of a shower, the chlorine levels in the air can rise to dangerous levels. As well as this we can absorb quite a lot of chlorine through our skin. There are shower filters, which attach to the shower rose, that will eliminate these and other chlorine problems.
• Paints. There are a variety of eco paints now with low or no VOC's. Some paints are entirely plant based. I recently came across recipes for home made paint. They use the unlikely ingredients of milk and lime. I believe it is important to get the ratios right or it will flake off. If you do use conventional paints make sure you are in a well ventilated area, and use a mask. Allow the painted area to ventilate well while it is off gassing.
• Household cleaners. Save some money on this one. Choose plant based cleaners or even cheaper, white vinegar, bi carbonate of soda and lemon juice do a great job. A few drops of oil of cloves in water will get rid of mold.
• Air Purifier. Using an air purifier can help to reduce the chemical load in the air. There are many things like flame retardants that can be in things from our clothes to our furniture. When everything in the house is new, including the house, it can take quite a while before everything has out gassed sufficiently.
• Add indoor plants NASA has been looking at the ability of plants to help clean up the air quality for years. It is found that they can help in reducing chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air. Which plants?

Aloe Vera: eliminates emissions from most toxic materials
English Ivy: petroleum based products
Fig trees: formaldehyde
Chrysanthemum: formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia
Spider plants: great for eliminating formaldehyde
Chinese evergreen, Bamboo palm and Lillies: many toxic materials

Gerbera daisies, philodendrons, golden pathos and snake plants are also useful.

• Personal products Just to mention this one again. Many of them are full of chemicals that we would be horrified at the thought of putting on our skins.
  

That is enough of a list to start with.
Change can be difficult. It is better to make small changes that can be sustained rather than changing everything and then dropping it all and doing nothing in the long term.
Check out the things in your house. Which ones are contributing to your health and which are taking away from your health?
It takes a bit of time to find alternatives but it is worth it.

Be healthy

Jocelyn

How Many Chemicals Did You Put On Your Skin today?

Our Skin

Our skin is a very important organ in our body. Through it we eliminate many toxins as we perspire. It acts as a protection to the body. It is also able to absorb many things that are placed on it.

When we realise the absorbency of the skin, it becomes obvious that we need to be careful what we put on it. If we use personal products that contain chemicals then those chemicals can find their way into the cells of our body.

Chemicals

It is amazing how many personal care products contain chemicals that are considered hazardous.
Because there are so many chemicals used, it is probably easier and safer to use only 100% natural products. That would save trying to know the names o,f and understand the problems associated with each chemical. In fact most personal care products are not required to list all of the ingredients on the labels, so it becomes difficult to know exactly what we are putting on our skin.

To give some idea of the scope of the problem there are more than 125 ingredients used on the skin that are possible carcinogens. 25 of them are associated with possible birth defects.
Reports show that hundreds of man made chemicals and residues have been found in breast milk and fat cells of people. No one really knows the extent of the health problems that these can cause.

Anything derived from petroleum is a dangerous substance to put on our skins. For example baby oil is mostly mineral oil which is made from petroleum. It can hinder the respiration of the skin and age it prematurely.
Even products like toothpaste, deodorants, body lotions and hair conditioners can contain chemicals like propylene glycol that can cause eye and skin irritation, headaches and nausea.

Find Natural Products

Now days there are a lot of different personal products available that are made entirely from natural products. It takes a bit of effort to search them out but it is worth it. Our health is very precious. It is a lot easier to stay healthy than to try to recover once illness has struck.

Stay healthy

Jocelyn

Are We Being Swamped in Chemicals ?

Chemicals

There is an increasing amount of chemicals in our day to day environment. It is surprising how many different ways we can be exposed to chemicals that we have no idea are there.

It could be beneficial to our health to take some steps to reduce the amount of chemicals that we are exposed to.

Here are some simple ways to do that:

• Use a water purifier or filter. This will help to eliminate some of the chemicals that may be present.
  

• Foods can have a lot of pesticides on them. If possible use organic fruits and vegetables. Alternatively wash them well in a weak vinegar solution.

• Do not use artificial sweeteners. Use honey, agave nectar or rapadua. Rapadua is dehydrated sugar cane juice. Because water is all that has been taken out it has a low GI and does not give a rush of sugar to the blood stream.
  

• Do not use aluminum pots for cooking or cook food in aluminum foil. Use glass, ceramic or stainless steel pots.
  

• Avoid chemical cleaners in the house. Many common products are loaded with chemicals. Air fresheners, for example can contain formaldehyde. Using vinegar, bi carbonate of soda and lemon juice covers many cleaning jobs.

• Floor coverings can be packed with chemicals. Vinyl or linoleum can be problematic as can carpets that are moth or stain resistant. Hard tiles and timber are some suggestions.
  

• Polyester fabrics can contain formaldehyde. Natural fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk avoid this problem.
  

• Moth balls or naphthalene are extremely dangerous and it can take years for it to break down and dissipate. Use essential oils like clove, mint or orange.
  

That will do for a start. There are many other things in our lives that can contribute to the huge amount of chemicals that we are exposed to. This small list will give a start to thinking about what there is in our environment that could be potentially harmful.

Giving some thought to how this can be reduced could help us to be healthier.

Be healthy

Jocelyn