Do You Really Need to Detox?
It seems I can’t scroll through Instagram these days without seeing the latest celebrity detox diet and its health benefits being touted. We may hear a lot about detoxing but the fact is, if our bodies are generally healthy, our liver, kidneys and lymphic system do a pretty good job of detoxing. Ridding our bodies of toxins may be a smart health strategy, but an even better strategy is to avoid those toxins in the first place. Toxic substances enter our bodies by what we eat, breathe and slather on our skin.
The foods we eat is a well-known source of toxic chemicals. We all know that it is best to avoid processed foods, but even our fruits and vegetables are often covered in toxic substances like pesticides and insecticides. Buying organic can help us avoid these toxins but if it is unaffordable, make sure to thoroughly wash your produce before eating it. Washing your produce with water is not very effective in removing many residues; using a produce wash is often a much better way to remove these onerous substances.
Many peer-reviewed studies have found high concentrations of flame retardants in human blood and breast milk. One likely source of these flame retardants is our home furnishings, especially our mattresses. In order for a mattress to pass strict flame tests, many of them are doused in flame retardants. These toxins affect the air quality of our bedrooms through the process of “off-gassing.” Off-gassing occurs when volatile organic compounds break down and release their gas into the surrounding environment, which negatively affects your indoor air quality. Many hours of our lives spent in bed; our bedrooms should be clean, non-toxic places! To improve your bedroom’s air quality, you should buy the best organic mattress you can based on your budget. Look for the Greenguard Gold seal; mattresses with these certifications must pass very strict off-gassing tests. If an organic mattress is not in your budget, you can buy a mattress that doesn’t use PBDEs to pass flame tests. Some mattresses use Kevlar, the same material used in bullet proof vests, to fire-proof their mattresses. Some mattresses use a silica “sock” to enclose a mattress and keep it fire-proof.
Our personal care products are full of toxic substances that are absorbed by our skin. The average woman uses 168 chemicals in her personal care every day and up to 70% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed into our body! It’s best to find products that you can feel good about using. Read about the ingredients found in your personal care products. Can you pronounce them? Are there a few ingredients, or a million?
Avoiding toxins in the first place is a great idea but we cannot avoid all of them. The good way to detox is to exercise our lymph systems. This is a network of vessels, nodes, and organs that move lymph from our tissues and into the blood stream, which is constantly being cleaned. The lymphic system does not passively function; the lymph system is moved by exercising. Jumping is a fun, light-hearted and extremely effective method of moving our lymphic system. Many adults even jump on a trampoline for a few minutes a day to keep their lymphic system moving!
Which toxins have you actively tried to avoid? What are the health benefits you have seen? Share in the comments below!
Leslie Fischer is the founder of Sustainable Slumber, a website dedicated to helping eco-minded people get a good night’s sleep. She loves to talk sleep, wellness and is on the hunt for the most comfortable mattress in the world.