A guest blog by Madalyn | The Clean Bee
You’ve probably heard about the need to reduce toxins and chemicals in your home. From news articles to social media gurus, it seems everyone is talking about how to live more naturally (which in my opinion, is fantastic).
But you might be asking yourself: “Why does this even matter?" Or maybe you’re asking yourself: “How can I get started?!”
If you’re nodding your head to either of these questions, then keep reading for information that will help empower you in your lifestyle choices.
First, let’s talk about the why.
Maybe you’ve read Simon Sinek’s book “Start With Why” (it’s a great read if you haven’t) - if you have read it, you’ll know what I mean here. The WHY behind something is truly so important. It’s that internal motivator - the drive - on WHY we want to do something.
This internal fire (as I like to call it) is what was sparked in me nearly 10 years ago when I had my own health scare. I realized that despite my best intentions, what I was putting on my body and in my home were in fact quite toxic. The epiphany came to me when I realized that my favorite scented candles and household cleaners were likely causing me more harm than good.
The dirty truth is that the cleaning industry isn’t really so “clean.” Common, conventional household cleaners, home fragrance and other personal care products are loaded with endocrine disrupting chemicals that harm our health, our families health and our ecosystem. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (like Phthalates and artificial fragrances) disrupt the body's hormonal system and have incredible negative downstream consequences. On the surface, minor hormone disruption might not seem like a big deal, but it’s the daily “piling up” that overwhelms our bodies capacity to remove these chemicals from our body, often leading to symptoms like fatigue, migraines and skin disorders.
Taking stock of what we use in our home (especially the kitchen) is vitally important to help reduce our exposure, thus positively impacting our (and our families) health.
If this has you feeling motivated to take charge - then congratulate yourself on finding your WHY.
So, how can you get started?
Removing the toxic burden in your home is a hefty task, but it doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. I like to break things down in simple terms by tackling the “low hanging fruit.” It’s also important to start with where you are and with what you have. Don’t go and throw everything away and stress yourself out in the process. Take your time and do what feels feasible for you in the NOW. These baby steps, over time, are what lead to big changes in the end.
If you’re not sure where to start, I’d suggest beginning in the kitchen (this is what I recommend to my clients).
Here are my top tips to help reduce the toxins in your kitchen:
- Filter your water! Pretty much every municipal water supply in America is contaminated with harmful chemicals and compounds like lead, chlorine, VOCs and more. Finding a filter that fits your budget is so important. You can Google your city’s zip code and download the water report for your area. This is a helpful place to start as it will tell you exactly what’s in your water so that you can choose the best filter to target those needs.
- Ditch the scented plug-ins. I know many people love them, but artificial fragrance is one of the worst offenders. Companies are not required to disclose what makes up their fragrance, so you’re left breathing in who-knows-what. A tidy kitchen (or a kitchen with yummy food stewing) is a good smelling kitchen!
- Swap your cleaners for low/nontoxic options like hyve! Conventional cleaners are absolutely awful for your health. They are loaded with chemicals that are meant to be handled very gently (and usually with gloves!), not to mention antibacterial ingredients and artificial scent. These cleaners decimate the natural bacteria that is good for you and your home, as well as bombard your body with chemicals that are harmful to your health. Switching to a product like Hyve will not only reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals, but their beautiful natural fragrance (like in their Overtime blend - my favorite!) will keep your kitchen looking and smelling its best.
Now I know this can feel overwhelming, and sometimes scary, but this isn’t meant to discourage you. I believe that knowledge is power, and once we have the knowledge, we get to choose what we do with it. My hope here is to empower you with this information and these easy steps so that you can feel confident in your choices and help protect your and your families health!
Let me know what you think and if you give any of these tips a try!
Madalyn | The Clean Bee
Holistic Health Coach + Podcast Host
theecleanbee.com
@theecleanbee
