What is Toxic Burden?

“What is toxic burden?”

 This is one of the questions (and subsequent answers) that kicked off our efforts towards a cleaner home - probably not the ‘clean’ you’re thinking of though!

Our kids are our reason. We wanted - and still want to - lower the burden of toxicity on their bodies in order for them to live a healthier, fuller and longer, life at their maximum abilities and capacities.

Our bodies do remarkable things every day to manage the load of chemical toxins to which we expose them. Some of these we produce internally, being products of our digestion and metabolism. But we also get exposed to a huge amount of toxins in our external environment, absorbing them in the food we eat and the water and beverages we consume or wash in. We inhale them in the air we breathe and we absorb them through our skin each time we shower or bath. Our bodies are very well adapted to the toxins we produce internally - because they've had so long to adapt and develop ways of getting rid of them, often in a modified, detoxified or partially detoxified state. It's the chemicals we absorb from our external environment that have changed so much in recent times - particularly the last 20 - 30 years that are now over-burdening our bodies.

Environmental Medicine is a rapidly expanding field that looks at the interplay between our bodies and genes and the complex mixtures of synthetic, as well as natural, compounds to which we're exposed daily. Most of us are exposed to a cocktail of around 20,000 new-to-nature, industrially manufactured chemicals each day. Mind-blowing right?

If we're in good health, eating and hydrating properly, many of us can handle this assault, with our on-board detoxification systems doing a great job 'bio-transforming' toxins and getting rid of their metabolites in our urine, faeces or sweat. However, some fat-soluble compounds, such as dioxins, which can be found in chlorine-bleached tampons, nappies and some municipal drinking water, aren't readily excreted. They may be 'bio-transformed' into compounds that are more toxic and much of it gets dumped in our fat. If we then burn fat, we risk releasing these fat-soluble toxins into our circulation. More of the 10 trillion or so cells that make up an adult body then get re-exposed.

We're rapidly learning that we can all benefit from reducing our toxic chemical burden.

Since most forms of cancer are environmental, this is a good idea to help reduce your long-term cancer risk. But there are often other benefits like less fatigue and fewer jangled nerves.

Protecting your health from toxic burden is paramount to protect your hormonal balance, prevent chronic disease and improve your overall health and wellbeing. Reducing your overall exposure to toxins is a crucial first step in detoxifying your body, and is something that every person should be doing.The first step to reducing your toxic chemical burden is finding out more about your sources of exposure. You can then remove these entirely or substitute for safer, less toxic products. This process will take time, but think about swapping out at least one product in your home or office every week for something safer. Studying the US website of the Environmental Working Group is a fantastic place to start. And I've also listed the following five steps you can take to protect yourself from toxic burden:

1. Reduce Pesticide Exposure by Choosing Organic Produce

Going mostly organic for one week has been shown to reduce urinary pesticide levels by nearly 90%. If you choose to not to buy organic, washing your vegetables and fruit will still significantly  reduce the amount of pesticides present, but it won’t eliminate them completely.

2. Reduce Plastic Use and BPA Exposure

Reducing your exposure to Bisphenol A found in plastics, is an essential part in optimising hormonal health. One of the largest exposures to BPA is drinking water from plastic water bottles. Unfortunately even Bisphenol A free water bottles still contain other types of Bisphenol substitutes that have the same hormonal impact as BPA .

Switch to either a stainless-steel water bottle (best option for kids!) or my preference, a glass water bottle.

3. Switch to 100% Natural Personal Care Products

Tossing out your favourite personal care products such as under arm deodorant, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, face moisturiser, and makeup can initially feel like an overwhelming task especially when you’ve been using a certain brand for years. Gradually switching your personal care products over a few months, is better than never doing it at all as it will greatly reduce your chemical exposure over time. Start with switching items that are covering the largest skin surface such as your body moisturiser and body wash. Your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it, so it makes sense to switch these items first, reducing your total exposure. I can help you with loads of recipes tips and tricks to swap these products out simply and effectively.

4. Surround Your Self with Plants to Filter Indoor Air

Incorporating potted plants into your daily environment has been shown to reduce indoor air pollution significantly within 24 hours. These include a reduction in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as formaldehyde, xylene/toluene, benzene, chloroform, ammonia and acetone.

Common plants that have been studied to reduce VOCs (volatile organic compounds) include snake plant, spider plant, peace lily and golden pothos (also known as devil’s ivy). There was no difference between effectiveness of each plant species.

5.Open your windows and put your diffusers on every day

Opening a window for at least five minutes a day should be enough to decrease the concentration of indoor air pollutants. If you're wondering where all of this indoor air pollution comes from, it's a long list of offenders that includes building materials, furnishings, air fresheners, unvented or malfunctioning stoves, furnaces, paints, cleaning products, personal care products, pesticides, and more. Top chemicals to look out for include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide, flame retardants, and phthalates. Circulating fresh air through the home and using a diffuser to rid the air of these pollutants are simple and effective ways to educe your toxin exposure, particularly when we're stuck indoors longer during winter.

I hope that these five steps will help you to reduce your toxic exposure and open your eyes to the impact of these toxins on your hormones and overall health.