5 Easy Ways To Start Living a Less Toxic Life

Lately it seems we've all been inundated with the idea of living a "non-toxic lifestyle". But what does that actually mean? When you break it down, living a non-toxic lifestyle quite literally means using products and eating foods that are not poisonous. Kind of a wild concept when you see it like that, isn't it? As a society we have normalized using chemicals, toxins and products that are so dangerous not only to our physical health, but our mental and emotional health as well. Toxic foods and products can literally stop our body from functioning properly. We'll get into the nitty gritty of that soon, but for now, here are a few tips on what you can start doing today to reduce your toxic load.

None of the following is meant to be medical advice and is simply our opinion and lived experience.

1. STOP USING FRAGRANCE

This is number one and in all caps for good reason. Artificial fragrance is considered a neurotoxin. What does this mean? It has the ability to damage, impair or totally destroy the neurons in your brain, which then alters your brain's ability to transmit and process signals. Artificial fragrance has been linked to respiratory issues such as asthma, hormone disruption, allergies, birth defects and cancers; specifically breast, prostate and ovarian cancer.

The thing about artificial fragrance is, it's in more products than we realize. We really have to be cognizant of what we're bringing into our home. Here are some of the things that are really easy to swap out:

Candles: We love the ambiance and scent of candles burning in the house, especially during this time of year, but there is a healthier way! Swap them for non-toxic beeswax/coconut oil candles with therapeutic grade essential oils. You can make your own or purchase some that are already made. We love Fontana Candle Co.!

Plug-ins and Room Spray: If you don't have the ability to swap anything else right now, PLEASE at the very least throw out those plug-ins that are in your wall! You can swap these out for a diffuser with some therapeutic grade essential oils.

Here's a fall essential oil diffuser recipe we LOVE:

3 drops of cinnamon

3 drops of ginger

3 drops of orange

1 drop of clove

Or you can swap it for a simmer pot! This is where you simply add ingredients to a pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Here's our favorite fall simmer pot recipe:

1 sliced apple

1 sliced orange

A few whole cinnamon sticks

A pinch of ground nutmeg

A pinch of ginger

Cleaning supplies and beauty products also are riddled with fragrance, and we'll talk about those more in the next few sections.

Bottom line, if you can cut artificial fragrance out, you'll be doing your mind, body and soul a big favor!

2. Swap Out Your Cleaning Supplies

As we mentioned previously, most cleaning supplies have artificial fragrance. But that's not all they have. Household cleaning products are riddled with all sorts of other toxins. Rule of thumb is, if it has a "warning" label, you don't want it. Using something like bleach once or twice isn't going to have the same negative effects as using the same household cleaners day after day. The toxins begin to build up over time and that's when things start getting a little dicey. When shopping for new cleaning supplies, it's important to be very careful with "green washing". Green washing is a marketing strategy that companies use to deceive their customer into believing they're more "natural" or "environmentally friendly" than they actually are. They'll use buzzwords like "all natural" or "pure" to hook you.

So what do you use instead? We really enjoy making our own cleaning products at home. It's actually quite simple, and WAY more cost effective! If that's not your thing, we highly recommend Rowe Casa Organics. We especially love the dish soap and the laundry detergent!

Check our Instagram @therefinecompany for our favorite all-purpose cleaner recipe!

3. Eat REAL Food

This one is quite simple but can feel extremely overwhelming at times. Unfortunately companies tend to use green washing here as well. They'll use phrases like "organic" and "natural" and "pure" when that's not necessarily the case. We recommend getting comfy with reading labels, knowing what certain ingredients to avoid, and buying real, whole foods. You can't really go wrong with one-ingredient organic foods. For example, the ingredient list for an organic strawberry is just that...organic strawberry. Shop for foods like this! Some of the top ingredients we try to avoid when reading labels are:

Hydrogenated Oils: These can be found in so many different processed foods. Anything from crackers, cookies, cakes, peanut butter...the list goes on and on. Hydrogenated oils can wreck havoc on your cardiovascular system!

Artificial Flavors and Colors: This is a big one. This can be found in all sorts of processed foods and drinks. The list feels infinite. Artificial flavors have been linked to headaches, low energy, dizziness, an increased risk of cancer and seizures. It's also highly inflammatory and inflammation is a root cause for many different diseases. Artificial colors have been banned in many European countries but for some reason is still legal in the U.S. They have been linked to hyperactivity, ADHD, migraines, skin irritation, allergies and so much more. You'll want to avoid things like Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3 and Red 3.

Enriched Wheat: This can be found in baked goods, crackers, cookies and other processed snacks. This has been said to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity, constipation and high blood pressure.

Carrageenan: Alternative milks have been all the rage the last few years, and most of them include this ingredient. It can also be found in meats, and other dairy products like yogurt. Carrageenan has been linked to digestive disorders, inflammation, neurological disorders, heart disease, and even cancer.

There are of course many more, but these are just a few to get you started!

4. Start Using Non-Toxic Beauty Products

When you're using products that go directly onto your skin, which is the largest organ on your body, it has the potential to make a really big impact. It's imperative that we are careful with what we put on our bodies. Not only do these products have artificial fragrance, but they're also loaded with tons of other endocrine disrupters, inflammatory toxins and chemicals that can lead to many issues both physically and psychologically. Here are a few of the ingredients you want to avoid:

Parabens: This is used in makeup and many different skincare products. It has been linked to hormonal disruption and cancer.

Phtalates: These are used frequently in skincare products and are likely listed as fragrance. We know what that means...links to endocrine disruptors and cancers.

Formaldehyde: This can be found in body soaps and nail care products. Formaldehyde is linked to skin irritation, asthma and is a classified human carcinogen- which means it's linked to cancer.

Sulfates: These can be found in hair and body products. They have a link to reduced lung function, asthma symptoms, and has even been linked to an increased risk of emergency room visits! Yikes.

Petroleum: This can be found in cosmetics and skin care products. This contains dangerous levels of environmental toxins due to the fact it is a byproduct of crude oil. It has been linked to endocrine disruption, cancer and respiratory issues.

Obviously we have only touched on a few, but those are some good starters. For alternative options, we love Rowe Casa Organics. You can also make your own at home! There are tons of recipes on Pinterest that we have tried!

5. Ditch the Plastic for Glass

All of that tupperware that's sitting in your cupboard right now? Yep. It's gotta go. Things like plastic storage containers, cups, plates and utensils have been known to leech things like hormone disrupting chemicals and micro-plastics into our food. Glass is just a better option and such an easy switch! If you aren't able to switch to glass right now, at the very least, try to avoid heating or cooling any food or drinks in plastic containers. When the containers are heated up or cooled down, it can cause the leeching to happen at a much quicker rate, meaning more chemicals and micro-plastics in your food.

To Wrap Up

As the Refine Company we fully believe in the importance of living a non-toxic life, while also recognizing you can still do this without the need to be perfect. There are a million little ways you can decrease your toxic load, but we feel if you start pecking away at the ones we mentioned today, you'll be well on your way!

Thank you for being here. Please feel free to subscribe, comment or share our blog post! We'll see you next week!