A Brief Intro To Low Tox Living

Hello lovely!

We live in a complicated society where so much of what's on offer to us isn't as it first seems. 
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What does that mean? It means that the products we use, the water we drink and the food we eat isn't always necessarily ok for us to consume.

So, I wanted to talk a little bit about toxins and how they affect our mental, emotional and physical health. I feel this information is critical to empower you so you can make informed choices for the health of you and your family.

Whilst this isn’t the most glamorous of topics, I want to stress just how important it is for you all to be aware of the most common toxins in your environment so you can avoid them and reduce the toxic load in your liver, brain and central nervous system.

This isn’t an extensive list of toxins in our environment but just the most commons. I don’t want to overwhelm you! 
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So lets start with the most common toxins in food:

Aspartame - artificial sweetener found in sodas. Known as one of the most toxic sweetness and should be avoided at all costs. There’s a direct link between aspartame, cancer and reduced brain function.
MSG - also referred to as “natural flavours” and goes deep into the core of the liver. 
Preservatives -  anything that extends the shelf life of your food has the ability to shorten your life.

Dairy - a pathogen food source and highly mucus forming causing a weakened immune system. Also often full of hormones that were given to the cows as a preventative method.

In our homes:

Plastic - anything plastic you touch has the potential to leave traces on your skin. It also goes into our systems when our food is covered in clingfilm, when we use non BPA-free water bottles, packaged foods - especially that get microwaved. 

Aluminium - from cans to foil to takeaway boxes, kitchen tools, make up and sunscreen. 

Plug-in air fresheners - These artificial scents end up going up our noses into our brains and depositing toxins in our brains and in our livers. Better to opt for 100% pure essential oil diffusers! (doTERRA do a great range!)

Aftershave / Perfume - most perfumes etc are full of toxins, phthalates and synthetics. Not only does it go through your skin but up your nose and into your brain!
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Shampoo, washes, conditioners and hair products -  anything containing phthalates, parabens, phenoxyethanol, resourcinol, benzophinone and things that say “natural” normally aren’t good for us either. If you’ve ever felt your skin feel tight and / or red and itchy when you come out of the shower, chances are its due to what you’re washing yourself with.

Conventional Household Cleaners - These traditional cleaning solutions are like little toxic time bombs that stay in our livers and brains until they’re so overloaded that we cannot escape their effects any more. It’s very easy (and very important) to find alternative natural solutions to these cleaners and save the health of you, your pets and your children. They also pollute our water supply too. 

Laundry powder/liquid and softener - these are full of chemicals and artificial scents designed to make our clothes smell better. What you’ll find though is that after a period of time of not using these chemicals, when you smell some on someone else it can make you feel physically nauseous. 

Carpet Cleaners - These include the chemicals in new carpets and when they’re cleaned. We inhale these chemicals, they get on our skin and we walk (and babies crawl) with bare feet too. Recently I had my carpets cleaned and I managed to find a guy who uses non-toxic cleaners. They came up so clean! 

Medications:

Some medications are totally lifesaving and as such I feel they have an important part to play in our medical system. 
However we must be aware that an overuse of any time of pharmaceutical does have negative consequences on our livers. 
For many situations I would recommend looking into natural alternatives ailments (please consult your doctor too), and feed your liver the right foods so that it can help remove these toxins. 


How to Empower Yourself!

• Always use glass containers where possible.
• Stainless Steel for water containers are awesome. I use a Kleen Kanteen. 
• Laundry - Use detergents, body wash, shampoo etc that are 100% free from toxins. There are many on the market now and doTERRA do an incredible range that are all safe to use and smell incredible.
• Household cleaning products - my favourites are the ones with essential oils in them so not only do they smell good but they’re healing too. doTERRA do a wonderful household cleaner that smells amazing too! 
• Invest in a good water filter that reduces toxic heavy metals. My favourite is my Berkey water filter. An investment in my health and lasts a very long time. 
• Perfumes, moisturisers etc - I use essential oils to make myself smell nice. I always get compliments on how good I smell! And they all have physical and emotional benefits too. They are part of my self-care toolkit to thrive in this world!
• Eat organic food where possible - especially fruit and vegetables.
• Dry brush before your shower - it will help your lymphatic system and make your skin feel amazing.
• Exercise - getting the blood moving around the body truly helps flush out the toxins!

When making any changes remember that this isn’t a race. Start with what resonates with you and build over time.  

Celebrate each change that you make, each one is important! 

Any questions about how you can use and order doTERRA essential oils and products please let me know - I'd be happy to talk it through with you!

Much love

​Dawn xx