5 Non-Toxic Swaps for Healthier Hormones
Summer is a great time to find healthy, non-toxic swaps for some of your essential household and personal products. I know it can feel overwhelming when you start reading about how everything is toxic (we’re with you on that one!), but when you take it one step at a time and focus on a single category, it makes it a lot easier, less overwhelming and totally doable to clean up your home and personal products.
Start By Detoxing Your Food
Clean up your insides and eat REAL food. Not food sprayed with toxic chemicals or processed until it no longer resembles food. Easy ways to do this are to shop the local farmer’s markets in your area and try to purchase organic as much as possible. You’ll reduce your toxic exposure while supporting sustainable farming practices. Make it a fun, enjoyable outing for the whole family or grab a couple friends and make a day of it this summer. Also, do a cheap and easy baking soda soak for your fresh produce to help reduce surface-level pesticides. Simply add 1 tsp baking soda for every 2 cups filtered water and soak for 15 mins, then rinse.
Clean Up Your Cleaning Products
Are you still using conventional cleaning products to clean your house? This would be the next area I would address, especially if you’re using them on surfaces where food might be. Once again, choose a category to detox once a week and slowly make the switch to safer products. I would suggest starting with the kitchen, then moving to the laundry room, bathroom and so on. Vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and some other natural ingredients can go a long way to making your home fresh and clean without the chemicals and they tend to be a lot more cost-effective too!
Detox Your Most Used Beauty Products
This may vary depending on the person, but some of the most used products as a woman could include: foundation, mascara, lipstick, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner and perfume. If you’re using regular versions of these items, even if they have fancy “paraben and phthalate-free” labels or say they contain things like “natural oils”, you’re likely still being exposed to a slew of hormone-disrupting, allergy-inducing and potentially cancer-causing chemicals on a DAILY basis. My suggestion would be to choose the product you use the most and swap it out for a cleaner version immediately. Then slowly, over time, continue to swap your make up and personal care products to healthier versions. Your hormones (and skin) will thank you!
Detox Your Cookware
This is an often overlooked area that comes with a high toxin load coming into direct contact with your food. While you may think that using teflon-free non-stick alternatives are safer, they can unfortunately be just as toxic. Choose natural wood cutting boards over plastic to avoid microplastics getting in your food. Swap out at least 1 staple piece of cookware for stainless steel, cast iron, or a high-quality, non-toxic ceramic. Focus on the most used items to swap out first and consider it an investment in your health in the long-run.
Please, Ditch the Air Fresheners!
These would be one of the most important things to get rid of ASAP, in my opinion. Not only are they linked to respiratory issues like allergies, asthma, sinus issues and headaches, but they contain endocrine disruptors and other harmful ingredients. Consider an essential oil diffuser instead or a natural room spray. EWG.org is a great resource for healthier alternatives.
If you choose one category to focus on cleaning up this month, you’ll be able to enjoy a healthier home as you move to being indoors more this fall! Which swap will you make first?
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
