Can toxins cause MS? Non-toxic options for a healthy home and body (Part 3)
Once you become aware of the problem of man-made toxins, it’s hard to unsee it. It can feel overwhelming to know that these molecules lurk silently in our environment and impact our health. I want to remind you that knowledge is power. While it’s impossible to completely avoid ALL toxic exposures, it IS possible to significantly reduce the number of toxins that enter and take residence in our bodies.
The precautionary principle states “When there is substantial, credible evidence of danger to human or environmental health, protective action should be taken despite continuing scientific uncertainty.
So even though we don’t have a mountain of evidence, our current knowledge of toxins and their ill effects on our health is more than sufficient to spur us into action to protect ourselves, our families, and our planet from these dangerous molecules.
"When there is substantial, credible evidence of danger to human or environmental health, protective action should be taken despite continuing scientific uncertainty."
Keeping this in mind, here are a few actionable items you can start with to reduce your toxic exposures right away:
- Choose organic, unprocessed foods as much as possible. Look for these labels to ensure you are choosing foods with the least amount of toxins.
- Look for safer cleaning products using a database like EWG. And never underestimate the power of vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner that is often just as effective as harsh chemical cleaners, without the toxicity.
- Support liver detoxification to restore your immune system and calm inflammation and autoimmunity. Keep in mind that the long-term approach to detoxification is based on food and lifestyle routines – not powders and extreme measures.
- Purchase a HEPA air filter to clean up the air in your home. Look for one that catches particles smaller than 0.3 microns to help remove wildfire and tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust mites, and other allergens.
- Filter your tap water for drinking and cooking using a reverse osmosis filtration system to remove contaminants like heavy meats, BPA, etc.
- Choose skin and hair care products that have been tested and deemed non-toxic. Check out our list of vetted favorites.
- Stop wearing shoes in the house to prevent tracking herbicides and pesticides into your home.
- Don’t trust a product because it’s labeled “safe,” “non-toxic,” or “organic.” Check a database like the EWG to ensure it lives up to your standards before purchasing it.
Armed with these actionable steps, you can now make high impact choices that are in line with your health goals. By being intentional about what products you allow into your home and eventually your body, you will significantly reduce the number of toxins that enter your body. And this means less toxic disruption of your most intricate, microscopic body parts, from your gut microbiome to your mitochondria, hormones, immune system, and beyond.
Creating a non-toxic environment in your home is a foundational approach to supporting your well-being and one that we can’t ignore if we are truly committed to living well with MS.
So stop and think right now…..What’s the ONE THING you can do TODAY to minimize toxins in your home? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.
If you want to journey deeper into toxins and participate in a food-based detox challenge, check out our 12 Day MS Detox Challenge. It’s a high-impact way to kickstart your health and start feeling good fast.
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