Pollutants are chemicals released into the environment that have a harmful effect on the body e.g. pesticides, herbicides, dry cleaning fluid, hairspray, cosmetics, deodorants, antiperspirants, toothpastes, heavy metals, x-rays, EMR, fly spray, dry cleaning and industrial chemicals. The average woman applies 126 chemicals in 12 products to her hair, face and body everyday! There are many natural alternatives. Diesel exhaust particles settle in the lungs and bladder and studies implicate an increased cancer risk. Heavy metals and pesticides take a long time to break down in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, especially in animal tissue. This is another important reason to eat organic meat, grains, fruits and vegetables not only whilst detoxing but also to stop toxins building up.
Environmental pollutants are so far reaching there is no clean ice on the planet and even the breast milk in Eskimo mothers has been found to contain dioxin which is a hazardous waste.
Plastics contain a toxic substance known as phthalates which are in toys, furniture, storage containers, communication appliances and baby’s bottles. Avoid plastic toys or at least only use hard plastics. Most teething rings have 40% of leaching phthalates. The harder the plastic the fewer phthalates, so cling film being soft and flexible is very high in phthalates and is used to cover food. Use baking paper from the health shop to wrap sandwiches and use sealed glass containers in the fridge rather than cling film. Please do not use microwaves, especially for heating food in plastic. I have seen baby’s milk heated in a microwave in a hospital! Phthalates pile up in the body and your body doesn’t get rid of it unless you detox; we’re not designed to cope with modern day toxins. Phthalates also off gas from plastics on phones, switches, wires and furniture.
If you buy plastic storage containers for food, make sure they are BPA free as this is also harmful to your body.
