Most who visit this site, want better health and less stress. Living less toxic is the best change you can do for yourself and your family. However, it can be quite daunting. Where do you begin? Most visitors here may not have a science or medical background and can get overwhelmed by all the data. But, don’t worry, if you’re new to natural living or need some inspiration for your journey, take a look at some our favorite tips for a natural less-toxic lifestyle, to start down your own road to optimal living. The simple way.
What is Natural Living?
You will find many different opinions on the definition of natural living, depending on who you ask or which corner of the Internet you search in.
Most will agree that living a natural lifestyle is focused on reducing your toxic load, seeking natural alternatives to conventional medicine and using items made from glass, steel and wood rather than plastic, wearing clothes made from cotton, silk and wool rather than polyester.
Finally, no discussion of natural living would be complete without mentioning eating organic, gluten free and GMO free. So, lets begin upgrading your life and start living a non toxic life.
1. REMOVE TOXIC BLUE LIGHT
Credit: Ng Wei Keong | Shutterstock.com
I believe the most important thing you can do first, is removing blue light from your home environment. What is blue light?
Blue light is everywhere in our world. It used to be that the only source of blue light was from the sun. Today, we have man-made blue lights AKA: digital screens on our TVs, smartphones, computers, laptops, gaming systems, even refrigerators have smart screens, and don’t forget, LED lights and compact fluorescent lights (CFL) you use in your home.
The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural biological clock which signals the body to sleep, wake, and eat. It is often influenced by environmental factors such as the sun, the moon, and now man-made blue light. These man-made blue light mimics the sun. Therefore, exposure to blue light especially at night tricks our bodies into thinking it’s daytime. At night, our bodies naturally produce melatonin, a hormone that prepares us for sleep. However, constant exposure to artificial blue light is offsetting our circadian rhythm, causing havoc in our brain and body. Research shows that blue light may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity and depression.
“the light man has created for modern man to live under is toxic for mitochondria and leads to the diseases that modern healthcare blames the sun for” – Dr. Jack Kruse: REALITY #3: WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER 2016 ENDS
I know it’s seem impossible to remove all of your blue light source. Start out small. Here’s some suggestions.
Remove the television and computer out of your bedroom, especially your kids room.
Wear blue blockers after the sunsets and when you use your computer especially at night.
Change all of your LED bulbs in your home to incandescent bulbs.
Be sure your bedroom is dark when you go to sleep. The darker the better. Use black out curtains, so no outside light is visible in your room.
Put your cell phone on airplane mode especially if you keep your phone besides your bed.
No digital clock. My son has an analog low EMF battery operated alarm clock.
Get Outside. The simplest way to reset your circadian rhythm is to get outside during the day. Look up towards the blue sky, with no sunglasses or glasses, DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN. Exposing your eyes and yourself to sunlight will send a signal to your body and help regulate your circadian systems. A few minutes is all you need.
Read more about how to hack blue light here.
2. AVOID TOXIC INGREDIENTS IN YOUR COSMETICS
Helloooo!! Some not-so-breaking news: Natural beauty is here to stay!!!
According to EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Data Base “the average woman uses 12 products containing 168 different ingredients daily. Many cosmetic chemicals are designed to penetrate into the skin’s inner layers, and they do”. Most consumers don’t realize that the FDA does not require safety testing of ingredients in personal care products.
Heres a list of Ingredients to avoid and why: Toxic ingredients in your cosmetics?
Use natural makeup as much as possible, without the toxic ingredients. Use natural sunscreen, read more here. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and what you put on your skin goes into your bloodstream.
And Parents, don’t be fooled! There is no such thing as non toxic makeup or nail polish for kids.
For most parents, letting their toddler wear makeup and painting their fingernails and toenails seems like harmless fun. Some salons even offer manicures and pedicures for children. Of course the idea will just delight your young children, as they can express themselves. But, before you paint your child’s nails, or allow them to wear makeup, I assure you it’s worth learning a bit more about makeup toxicity. Many brands contain chemicals that may… affect your decision. Read the Ugly truth about makeup marketed to kids and Non-toxic’ nail polish is likely still hurting your health, researchers say Study reveals substitutes for toxic chemicals aren’t safe also read Even ‘Non-Toxic’ Nail Polish May Contain Harmful Chemicals.
3. DITCH YOUR ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCE
This includes room air refreshers, dryer sheets, plug-ins, scented candles, perfume, cologne and body mist. A single fragrance in a product can contain a mixture of hundreds of chemicals, some of which react with ozone in ambient air to form dangerous secondary pollutants, including formaldehyde (you can read about it here). The researchers detected 133 different VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Even products advertised as “green,” “natural,” or “organic” emitted as many hazardous chemicals as standard ones.
4.CHOOSE HORMONE FREE, GRASS-FED MEAT
Grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten different ways, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date. The 2009 study was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:
- Lower in total fat
- Higher in beta-carotene
- Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
- Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
- Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
- Higher in total omega-3s
- A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
- Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
- Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
- Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease
S.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”
5.EMBRACE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS
Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soaps are good for just about any cleaning task. Face, body, hair & dishes, laundry, mopping, pets—clean your house and body with no synthetic preservatives, detergents or foaming agents—none! Dilute! Dilute! OK!! Need recipes? Read Lisa Bronner’s Liquid Soaps Dilutions Cheat Sheet.
This was a big one for me. I realized I don’t need a separate cleaning product for every surface in my home. So, I tossed them all and made one all-purpose cleaner for everything. I mixed lemon or orange essential oil with water. It’s simple and still disinfects. Household cleaners may contain carcinogens, poison, and severe lung irritants. I now use only my DIY all-purpose cleaner and castile soap
6. PHASE OUT PLASTIC
Plastic never goes away!
Plastic is a material made to last forever, many plastics we use are just used once, then thrown away! Water bottles and straws are big waste and are causing havoc to animals in the sea and land! Plastic cannot biodegrade; it just breaks down into smaller pieces.
Disposed plastic materials can remain in the environment for up to 2,000 years and longer. Source: DiGregorio, Barry E. “Biobased Performance Bioplastic: Mirel,” Chemistry & Biology 2009
Plastic affects human health.
Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are found in the blood and tissue in all of us, including new borns. Exposure to them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other ailments.
Two broad classes of plastic-related chemicals are of critical concern for human health—bisphenol-A or BPA, and additives used in the synthesis of plastics, which are known as phthalates. Source: “Perils of Plastics: Risks to Human Health and the Environment,” Arizona State University Biodesign Institute 18 March 2010
Instead use glass or wood products for storing food or liquids. Use metal straws or better yet, don’t use straws at all! they give you that nasty cigarette wrinkle lips anyways.
7. CHOOSE ORGANIC, GMO FREE FOODS
If something is produced organically, that means it was produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge or genetic engineering. The use of the term “organic” is regulated by the USDA. When you see the USDA seal on a product, that means at least 70% of the ingredients have to be certified organic.
You can read a compelling article from Dr. Mercola here.
8. REMOVE YOUR WIFI/ EMF OUT OF YOUR BEDROOM
Last but, not least. Place your Wi-Fi far from the bedrooms. Be sure to check what’s on the other side of the wall your bed is against. Be sure your bed is not against a wall where a television set is hanging, or a wireless printer is sitting, or even the refrigerator. You may have to use a EMF meter if you live in an apartment. The EMF meter will show if there is high activity electromagnetic frequency in your living space. You can read more about EMF danger spots here.
Welcome to Living More Natural and Upgrading Yourself to a Better You!
I know there’s a lot of info here, and trying to live natural can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do everything all at once. Choose one small facet of your lifestyle and commit to finding a more natural replacement. Each small change you make toward a more natural life has to become second nature. So, don’t overdo it; move at your own pace and ignore pressure from others who may be mocking your efforts. Bookmark this page and come back to it often, make a commitment to learn something new every week and implement one small thing at a time. After a few months, you’ll be amazed at how great you feel, living less toxic.
Resources:
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means
https://www.ams.usda.gov/reports/organic-certification-made-simple
https://jackkruse.com/reality-3-wake-september-2016-ends/
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep05223
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6071739/– Evaluating the Association between Artificial Light-at-Night Exposure and Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Spain
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/04/19/light-pollution.aspx
https://www.swanwicksleep.com/blogs/news/blue-light-nightmare
https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/productsafetyinformation/ucm055436.htm
Interesting reads:
https://draxe.com/lemon-essential-oil-uses-benefits/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242029/pdf/ehp0112-a00461.pdf
http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm
i really enjoyed this article. there was a lot of useful information. iʻm going to try some of her ideas!
This very good article, I would recommend this article for those who intend to improve their quality of life and do not know where to start. In the case of women, is there a variety of makeup and cruelty free products that you can get in the market?
There is a difference between “clean” makeup, and cruelty free makeup. Wikipedia.org says “In the animal rights movement, cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products tested on animals are not considered cruelty-free, since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering and death of millions of animals every year”
Clean Beauty is typically defined by products that are mindfully created and produced without any proven or suspected toxic ingredients.
You can also read more about toxic makeup here Toxic ingredients in your cosmetics?
EWG’s guide to Top tips for safer products Top tip for safer products