by Leia Mulroy (Clinical Nutritionist)
To book with Leia click here
It’s no secret that we now live in a world where our exposure to toxicity is reaching an all time high. Chemicals can be found absolutely everywhere from in our cosmetic & beauty products to our workplace & on our daily commute to in our household & cleaning products to on our fruits & vegetables. It seems almost impossible to avoid. Thankfully there is so much we can do to support our bodies natural detoxification & ensure we maintain lifelong health & vitality.
1. Support your Detoxification Organs
A number of organs and bodily systems aid in detoxifying the body. The major organs involved in detoxification include the lungs, liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, circulatory system, skin and bowels. Chronic exposure to pollution, cigarettes, alcohol, cosmetic and cleaning chemicals, processed food and drinks and even stress can disrupt the function and ability of these organs to detoxify.
Here are a few simple things you can do each day to promote more efficient detox:
- Drink between 1.5-3 litres of filtered water daily (depending on your activity level)
- Dry skin brush every morning before your shower. This stimulates detoxification of the lymphatic system and kick starts your circulation.
- Start the day with a cleansing elixir of warm water, fresh lemon juice and/or apple cider vinegar. This will stimulate the liver, kidneys and bowels to remove toxins.
Tip: Not a fan of apple cider? Me neither! Try Coconut vinegar instead, it has a gentler taste but still provides the same great benefits.
Consider some natural detox support nutrients.
- Spirulina, Barley grass, Wheat Grass (We love Prana Super Greens Powder)
- Milk thistle, Dandelion root, Turmeric & Globe Artichoke (use as herbal teas or consult a qualified health practitioner for support)
- B Vitamins, Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin C
2. Invest in natural, chemical free skin & body care
Alcohol, parabens, animal testing, preservatives…the list goes on. Not only do we want clean, natural skin care free from toxins, we want it to be animal and environmentally friendly.
Our skin care routine doesn’t have to be complicated, less is actually more. Besides, the health of our skin primarily comes from how we treat our insides…Less toxic build up = healthy, glowing skin.
Here are just a few of our favourite clean & toxin free skin care products:
- Dr Bronners Castile Soap – A truly brilliant multi-purpose product you c
an use for everything from face & body wash to house-hold cleaning. - Acure Pure Moroccan Argan Oil (In-store only) – The perfect face, body & hair oil loaded with natural Vitamin E, essential fatty acids & proteins.
- Eco Tan Invisible Tan – There is a reason this product has a cult following. It’s awesome & totally non-toxic!
- Kingfisher Natural Toothpaste – Not only are these toothpastes 100% non-toxic, the texture & foam is so similar to regular toothpaste, you won’t even notice the difference.
- Scout Cosmetics Mineral Bronzer – For a gorgeous natural glow without compromising your health. Yes!
3. Make your own homemade cleaning products
Say good bye to fancy and expensive cleaning products that almost make you sick upon opening and smelling the chemicals! No more!
Surround yourself with the following basics for happy, healthy cleaning..
- Essential oils (e.g. Tea tree/Eucalyptus/Peppermint/Lavender/Lemon/Grapefruit/Lime)
- White vinegar
- Baking soda (We love Bob’s Red Mills Baking Soda)
- Castile soap
Soap replacement: Castile soap + Tea tree oil + Lavender
Glass cleaner: White vinegar + Water + Citrus essential oil
Wooden floor cleaner: White vinegar + Water + Peppermint oil
Greasy Pots: Baking soda + Water
Mould Repellent: Clove bud oil + Orange oil
The following brands we love and recommend if you prefer not to make your own. Look for:
- OurEco Clean
- EnviroClean
- KinKin. Available online at Vive.
4. Shop organic or purchase from local farmers markets
Keep it local! Keep it fresh! Did you know we stock a wide variety of local fresh organic fruit, vegetables & herbs here at Vive!
Purchasing local & seasonal is a great way of keeping costs down as well as supporting our amazing farmers. Organic produce can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to all be. Pick and choose staple items to be organic and the rest, aim for local spray free produce.
To make it simple, aim to buy produce organic if you consume the skin of the fruit or vegetable as this is the first and main site for the absorption of chemicals and toxins.
A few examples of these include:
- All Berries
- Apples
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Grapes
- Nectarines/peaches/plums
- Peas
- All leafy greens (spinach, kale, silver beet, bok Choy etc)
- Broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage
- Fresh herbs
For animal products we recommend choosing quality over quantity.
Look for local farms, ethically & organic/spray free farms. We know organic meat can be expensive so go back to basics, opt for organic cheaper cuts of meat such as legs/wings/organ meats etc. Get out your grandmothers recipes and get creative. There are lots of nutrition hiding in the connective tissue, joints and ligaments of these cuts. Slow cooking will release the collagen and gelatine from the joints and give you a nutrition boost to support gut healing, muscle and connective tissue repair, as well as glowing healthy skin, hair and nails. Remember to aim for organic or local farm raised animals to make sure you are consuming humane and healthy animal products.
Tip: Embrace meat free days! No you won’t die from lack of protein I promise.
5. Reassess your lifestyle habits
Are you exercising?
Are you eating a diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, seeds, wholegrain, beans and legumes?
Are you reducing or abstaining from coffee, alcohol and drugs?
Are you working in a toxin filled environment?
What about mould? Have you seen it in your home?
Some basic questions to ask yourself when looking at your current health and level of toxicity. Take some time and look around your environment, work place, and daily habits and make a list of some realistic changes you can make to reduce your exposure. Aim to make 1-2 changes at a time, this could be …
- Cut alcohol down to one glass a week from five.
- Reduce take away consumption to one night a week not three.
- Remove all processed and packaged foods from the house.
- Replace cleaning products with natural, homemade substitutes.
- Start shopping at the local markets.
- Sweat! Even if it’s a walk around the block, get moving and stimulate the lymphatic and circulatory systems.
Little changes can make a big difference to your levels of toxic exposure and give your detoxification organs a chance to re-boot and re-charge to support you through a healthy, long, happy life!!