Toxins—here, there, everywhere. Here's how to lessen their impact on your health.
Just before Christmas I broke my computer. I watched it fall out of my hands as if in slow motion. I had an RA flare in my right wrist that day and didn't think as I lifted up my computer to go find a sunnier place to work. Two seconds in and the excruciating pain hit. Pain that makes you see red. That gives you the sweats. It felt like a searing knife was tearing apart my tendons. And so I dropped it.
I lost everything. With the exception of photos, I've been slow to save to the Cloud. Everything having anything to do with starting a new business lived on my desktop—which was so full that I could barely see the nature scene behind all the documents. Oh I was going to organize it. I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I would when I could find the time. But now it's all gone.
Oh no. OH NOOOO. Okay. Okay. Okay. Everything's going to be okay. At least that's what I told myself in the moment. And after a few deep breaths, I actually started to believe it.
BREAKING MY COMPUTER BROKE THE SPELL I WAS UNDER.
Breaking my computer was expensive. But so were all of those documents, videos and how-to's that in aggregate we're holding me back. I had noticed that I was getting lost in the weeds trying to get everything perfect instead of just starting. An analysis paralyses of sorts. If I just watch one more webinar on how to _______ (insert whatever project I was working on), then I'll be able to create it myself. I was hyper-focused on 'ready' and 'set' to the detriment of 'go!'
A FORCED CLEANSE.
I bought a new computer, one that came with an empty desktop. A desktop that's ready to be filled with my creations—not others'.
I didn't ask for this cleanse. But it gave me the gift of a fresh start. It gave me peace of mind. It gave me momentum. There's no longer any baggage (dare I say toxins?) holding me back. It's all been eliminated.
This new computer? Not just a computer. I see it as a renewal of sorts. A renewal of my passion for the potential of Root of Wellbeing and the inspiration and guidance I provide as folks transform from their "old selves" to their "new selves."
Am I clumsy? Depends on who you ask. Is Spring just around the corner? Yes. So today's topic on minimizing toxins from our homes shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Thankfully, there's much in our control. I hope you choose to clean up shop—whether it be your desktop, your home or both.
MY FOCUS NOW? CLEANSING MY HOME.
Those sunsets we like? We can thank the toxic soup of 80,000 different chemicals going into the environment. And what about food? There are 3000 licensed chemicals going into our food supply. We don't know what the aggregate impact those toxins will have, but it's safe to say that it's not good. And those numbers? Not typos. So what's a person to do? Focus on what you bring into your home and you'll start to breathe easier.
Simple tweaks that lessen the impact toxins have in your home:
1. First, buy some plants and not just because they're pretty.
My favorite plant is called a Mother-In-Law. It's low maintenance and kind of chill, just like my own MIL Mary. Plants suck up toxins. Toxins coming from your carpets, your furniture, even your cleaning supplies. So fill your house with living greens and place them strategically throughout your house—or at least anywhere you want to breathe easier.
2. Drink clean water.
If you don't have a whole house water filtration system, buy a decent water filter. While you're at it put a filter on the shower head as well. We bought a Berkey a few months ago. Not only does it get rid of fluoride, I think it's pretty and if I were a betting woman, I'd say we drink more water (which is a good thing) than we used to. All four of us—my husband Randy, the boys and me.
And please please please stay away from drinking plastic. Don't put your freshly filtered water into a Nalgene bottle that says BPA-free. Wan't to know why? It's made of BPS—a chemical that's even more toxic than BPA. The way I consume? Out of stainless steel and glass. Never ever EVER out of plastic bottles.
3. Embrace wool dryer balls
Who likes the smell of dryer sheets? With the added synthetic fragrance to hide the nasty chemicals, you just might! And I wouldn't judge you one bit. But throw them out and don't buy them again. Instead, buy yourself wool (not plastic) dryer balls that 1) aren't bad for the environment and your health and 2) last a loooooong time. I bought mine two years ago and they're still going strong.
4. Be wary of 'green' cleaning products from big organizations.
Or just make your own cleaning supplies. It's easy. All you need is vinegar, baking soda and essential oils. Things don't need to be complicated. But maybe you feel overwhelmed? Find a company you like and can trust. Before I started making my own I bought from Nature's Magic out of Ohio. A fellow cross country high-school friend of mine started this company years ago. She wanted a much better product. So she created it. There's absolutely no nastiness in her bottles—which is not the case for many of the 'green' products big business is now boasting. Good on you Danielle for staying true to your values and not selling out!
5. And want to come into my home? Please take off your shoes!
Have you heard about the dead fish study? Stormwater runoff from urban roadways is so toxic to coho salmon that it can kill adult fish in as little as 2½ hours. In the study, all the fish were dead within the day. Why should you care? Do you want these same toxins inside your house? This is especially important if you have crawlers in your family—your own offspring and the canine kind. And what if your 6 and 7 year olds challenge you to a push-up contest? Are you going to hold your breath when your inches from the floor?
A FEW FOOD HACKS
Well, okay, twist my arm why don't ya. ;)
At our home we don't eat dark leafy greens unless their organic. I feel that conventional greens should come with a poison sign due to the number of pesticides that piggy back on them. We follow the Environmental Working Group Dirty Dozin and Clean 15 guidelines. Besides conventional fruit and vegetables, where else do pesticides concentrate in? Fat. So choose lean meats that are organically-grown. Do you wash your avocados? Ever notice how waxy your apples are? Soak your produce in a additive-free soap solution so that you don't ingest waxes, surface pesticide residues, fungicides and fertilizers that are all transferred to the food when cut with a knife. I use a Thieves solution from Young Living to clean my produce. Haven't jumped on the essential oil bandwagon yet? Why the heck not? In the meantime, vinegar works well too.
So the good news in all of this?
Toxic baggage of any kind is detrimental to our health—and forced cleanses are not always bad.
The extra good news?
Randy's friend knows how to install new hard-drives into Macs that have been dropped. And he just so happened to have one handy.
