Hello all – Have you considered where to make small improvements to your “toxic load”? One “hot” detoxification topic is that of heavy metals.
- Heavy metals become toxic when they are not metabolised by the body and accumulate in the soft tissues.
- They may enter the human body through food, water, air or absorption through the skin when they come in contact with humans in agriculture, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, industrial or residential settings.
- Industrial exposure accounts for a common route of exposure for adults. Ingestion is the most common route of exposure in children.
- Natural and human activities are contaminating the environment and its resources, they are discharging more than what the environment can handle
- Metals to watch out for: arsenic, lead, cadmium, nickel, mercury.
These are most likely to cause issues and are linked with the increase in many chronic diseases.
Do you know where the heavy metals may be within the home environment?
Carpets & Rugs: carpet can contain alarmingly high levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and several other chemicals. Carpets are particularly good at trapping the dirt and toxins brought in on your shoes. Vacuuming doesn’t necessarily help since it brings particles from deep in the carpet and circulates it into the air in your home. Tiles and wood floors are the easiest to keep free of toxins (depending upon what you chose to wash wish.
Cookware: A lot of cookware is produced from aluminium as it is light in weight.
However there is a big downsize to cooking with aluminium: If the protective anodised coating gets any scratches on its surface, this will allow aluminium to leach into your food, especially when using acidic foods such as tomatoes.
I recommend replacing cookware with good quality ceramic, glass and cast-iron options. Chemicals in a non-stick coating can also attach to the food you eat, adding to your toxin intake.
Aluminium foil when cooking can dramatically increase the amount of aluminum in foods by up to 378 percent
Drinking water contains microplastics, pesticides to prescription drugs, and even heavy metals. TFA, an unregulated PFAS, has been detected in tap water and bottled water throughout Europe, according to analyses by the PAN Europe network.
Glazed ceramics: It has been found that the glaze surface of mugs leaches lead, cadmium, nickel, and cobalt. Is your tea cup glazed? Consider changing it if you drink from a glazed cup every day.
Furniture: furniture is made using protective finishes, dyes, fabrics, and fire retardants containing heavy metals.
This includes your sofa, mattress, computer chair, dining room table, and so on. So, every time you come into contact with your furniture,
Some of the compounds used to make your furniture break down over time, releasing toxins in the air. Where possible, seek out furniture free of flame retardants and choose an organic mattress
Eliminating BPA from your life. BPA in bottles and food packaging can seep into the food and drink, meaning you consume them, but they can also be inhaled or absorbed through your skin. Your liver metabolises BPAs, adding to your toxic burden, and these chemicals also belong to a family known as endocrine disrupting chemicals and will imbalance your hormones. It’s found in the wrapping used for food, bottling our conditioner, encasing our phone. One commonly used shatterproof plastic (PC #7) can contain bisphenol-A, commonly called BPA, and flexible vinyl (PVC #3) contains phthalates.
Hygiene & Make up products: as you know, try to use only natural products, as unfortunately most cosmetics, grooming products, toiletries, and skin care are packed with chemical substances – many of which have the potential to be allergens or toxins. Lipsticks often contain concerning levels of lead, cadmium, and aluminum and deodorant is a concern due to its aluminum content.
Some decorative jewellery is also a concern, with testing showing that many types have high levels of the heavy metal cadmium.
Laundry: Check your laundry detergent. The vast number of harsh chemicals in most cleaning products, from bleach to antibacterial spray, is staggering.
A chelating smoothie recipe – to bind heavy metals:
· 1/2 cup (8 g) parsley
· 2 handfuls (2 handfuls) mixed greens
· 1 (1) Golden Delicious apple
· 1/2 (1/2) cucumber
· 1/2 (1/2) avocado
· 1 1-inch piece (1 2.5-cm piece) ginger
· 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) lemon juice
· 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
Blend. Add the parsley, leafy greens (coriander/kale/spinach?), apple, cucumber, avocado, ginger, lemon juice, and coconut milk into a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
Serve immediately.
Store. Leftover smoothie keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, though best when fresh. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month
