Toxins In Our Lives - Part 2

Toxins In Our Lives
& How To Avoid Them!

Part 2

This is part 2 of how to avoid toxins in everyday life. I am just a concerned mom wanting to share the knowledge I have acquired through reading and learning over the years. Living a toxic free life is very important to me and I am always eager to share with other moms, especially new moms since this is all so much new info that they probably haven't even thought of yet. If you are a new mom and want any advice or want to learn more, I'd love to chat with you! Feel free to email me or message me on instagram! 

A lot of the information for this post was what I learned from reading Dr. Paul Thomas's book The Vaccine-Friendly Plan which you can get on Amazon here. (Not a paid link, I just love this book!) I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in living toxin free or have any questions about vaccines and a healthy life for your new baby. 

In my part one of Toxins In Our Lives, I talked about flame retardants, aluminum, third hand smoke, fluoride, and accumulated toxin exposure. Below I am sharing information about acetaminophen, plastics, and cleaning products. 

Pain Relievers(Acetaminophen)

Some facts you may not know:

1. Children given acetaminophen between 12 - 18 months of age were 8 to 20 times more likely to have autism than those given ibuprofen or no pain killer. 
2. Acetaminophen can cause depletion of glutathione which is what your body uses to bind to toxins and remove them from your system. So it is lowering your body's ability to rid itself of toxins. 
3. Autism is much more prevalent in circumcised males than in those who are not, with the culprit thought to be the pain reliever acetaminophen that is given after a circumcision is performed. 
4. Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy is associated with significantly higher levels of ADHD in the baby later in childhood. 
5. Acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver failure in the US and can cause liver abnormalities even at proper doses. 

If your doctor or pediatrician is still recommending acetaminophen for you or your baby, or they say it is safe, they could be wrong! Guess what? Just because they have a degree does not mean they are up to date on the latest studies, case information, toxicology articles, etc. There is new information emerging everyday and it is impossible for doctors to know everything which is why you should always consider your doctor part of your health team that includes many sources for answers. 

A super quick way to get headache relief is to take a teaspoon of turmeric in a glass of water and chug it down. You can even give it to babies, just 1/8-1/4 teaspoon in a sippy cup of water. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and has been used for thousands of years. You can get it in powder form in the spice aisle for cooking or adding to water or buy in the pill form in the supplement aisle at your local health foods store. If you're interested, you can read more about turmeric here. 

Another reminder for babies who are in discomfort or mild pain is that breastfeeding can be just what they need. If you little one is not feeling 100%, just got circumcised, or for whatever reason is needing some pain relief, breastfeeding can be the answer. Sometimes we just have to put down our to-do list and give that little one all the love, cuddles, and nursing time they need on rough days. It can make the world of a difference and shows them you are they for them when they need you. 

Plastic

So much of our lives are filled with plastic and much of it is impossible to avoid but there are ways to reduce your exposure to the destructive endocrine disruptors. 

Here is a quote from Dr. Paul Thomas's book The Vaccine-Friendly Plan, "Our endocrine system is the powerful system of hormones that directs the development of a baby's reproductive organs in the womb, the development of the brain, the healthy functioning of the thyroid and other glands, temperature regulation, our body's ability to regulate blood sugar, normal growth, and much more." 

So you can see how many systems in the body are affected by these nasty endocrine disruptors. Plastic is one of the biggest ways we are exposed but also an easy fix in most cases. Here are a few ways to limit your plastic exposure.

10 Ways to Limit Plastic Exposure

1. Skip the plastic bags for produce at the grocery store and use your own shopping bags too! 
2. Store leftovers in glass containers. 
3. Avoid foods sold in plastic wrap/bags/packaging. 
4. Chew natural gum - the fake stuff is loaded with plastic.
5. Never put plastic dishes in the microwave, heating it releases the nasty chemicals into your food.
6. Drink out of a glass or stainless steel water bottle.
7. Avoid baby's exposure by not using or at least limiting time spent in plastic high chairs, bouncy chairs, car seats. 
8. Use glass bottle for babies milk.
9. No plastic teethers for baby! Use smooth wood rings or make breast milk popsicles. 
10. Use natural toxic free diapers. Traditional diapers are full of plastics, dyes, perfumes, and chemicals that you do not want in contact with baby's sensitive skin, or soaking into baby's bloodstream. 

Cleaning Products

As I mentioned in part one, there are literally thousands of substances that are listed as toxins that have never been tested for their safety or long term effects. We are basically the test subjects for these chemicals and in the next few generations we will see just how bad effects are. It's not just the cleaning chemical that is dangerous but also the chemical that gives it an odor, like the smell of ammonia or bleach, as well as the chemical that gives it a color like the blue in windex. It's just ALL bad!

Say no to store bought cleaners. And say hello to vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide with essential oils. 

I have been amazed at the awesome cleaning power of the mixture of white vinegar, water, essential oils, and a little olive oil. I have an old Windex bottle(upcycle when possible) and use it for nearly everything from the kitchen counters, tile floor, windows, dusting to the bathroom and then I add some baking soda when I do the toilet and shower. So simple, cheap and toxin-free.

Straight hydrogen peroxide has been my "bleach" for the last 2 years and my whites are just as white as ever before (I even removed set in dirt stains on my husband's white dress shirts too!).

Join me in the toxin free movement! 

Start with something small and make a commitment to make a change in your life and household each month this new year! Comment below or on instagram with your plans for removing toxins from your life so we can all share ideas.


You can follow me on Instagram here: kindmamalevine

Disclaimer:
I am not a physician nor am I giving medical advice. Please consult your physician before following any of my advice listed above or in any other page of my website. None of the links above are affiliate links and I make no money from them. Most of the information above is quoted or taken from Dr. Paul Thomas's book The Vaccine-Friendly Plan.