Tax of Toxicity
This article is not to convince you about the “need” for handling toxicity, it is for showing you the ways to do it. If you are not convinced about toxicity in your environment, you would be wasting your time reading this blog. If you are indeed convinced, read along…
What are toxins?
Anything that our bodies feel compelled to eliminate from our physiological systems
Why should I worry about toxins?
If you get scared with the idea of getting cancer, diabetes, asthma and a dozen other popular diseases of the 21st century; realise that their origin lies in toxicity. When your body’s immune system is overloaded with toxins, it fails to do what it is supposed to do and opens up the gates for these debilitating diseases to enter. Toxins are an unwanted tax on our hard-earned health.
Where do toxins come from?
In the past, only a few sources. Today, from everywhere.
How do I know if there is toxicity in my living environment?
Unless you live in the jungle, you have it. It’s a fact of modern life. However, it will only become visible when you face an acute/chronic illness or a member in your family (most likely a sick person, a child or an older parent) develops a strong susceptibility to some toxins.
What is the best way to eliminate toxins?
Don’t bring them into your living environment. This is one place where there is only prevention, hardly any cure.
What should i specifically do to make my environment free of toxicity?
These are the 4 essential paradigms that need to be built in your mind before you can do anything about toxicity in your environment.
The most important thing that we need to do in our living environments is to ensure that we “do no harm” - not to our health and more importantly, not to the health of our young children or older parents. All exposure to harmful chemicals/toxins ultimately leads to an impairment of our immune systems. You want to “do no harm” to your most important immune system.
These are the things you want to do a thorough audit on -
Food that we eat
Eat organic, use organic is a good mantra to live by. It is NOT a fad. It’s how our grandparents lived their entire life. The bane of chemicals in our food is a serious one to worry about. If your food goes bad, it’s good for you. If what you eat does not go bad, it’s not good for you. So eat organic and minimize eating anything that comes out of a packet or packaging.
Cleaning products
The only products that should be used for cleaning should be natural. A great test is that if you put your cleaning product in your potted plant, will it live? If the answer is no, your product should not be in your home. Eliminate all bleach based products and replace with products based on natural soap.
Air & Water filtration and quality
The air we breathe and the water that we drink is supposed to nourish our body. If it is loaded with toxins, that nourishment cannot take place and instead your body eliminatory systems are all stressed trying to get rid of the unwanted guests. PM2.5 and PM10 are toxins for your respiratory system and in certain cases, they can wreak havoc by entering the blood stream. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are another villain in the mix, because literally every man-made object today uses chemicals (paints, varnishes, fragrances) that emit VOCs. The only way is to incorporate a really high quality air filter in your household - you won’t be able to get rid of all the toxins of air pollution but it will go a long way in offloading the stress on the body’s elimination systems.
The toxicity in the water we drink is more complicated. With the commercialization of RO systems for water purification, we have convinced ourselves about “clean water”. But we have done a bigger damage in the process. Most people have no clue what is the TDS level (total dissolved solids) in their RO water and most RO companies keep this extremely low (as low as <30) because the lower this number, the more “tastier” the water becomes - that “mineral-water” taste that people associate with clean water. The real truth is that if your water’s TDS level is anything less than 100, you are drinking dead water. There are no minerals left in the water - you have filtered out all the good stuff along with all the bad stuff. You threw the baby out with the bath-water. The ideal number to follow is 150-250. Even better still, don’t use an RO system at all. Instead use the old-style filter based water purifier (preferably a carbon filter).
Indoor mold
Despite all the “vastu” focus in India, most people live in homes with rooms that receive almost no direct sunlight. The old homes of 30 years ago where the open spaces used to bombard your rooms with healthy sunlight are now replaced with ill-designed apartments that maximise “club facilities” at the expense of an airy, sun-lit house. Indoor mold is a common toxin that is a result of that. All damp and cold areas in your house breed these toxins that can create havoc to your immune system. A lot of people are suffering acute joint pains, asthmatic challenges, skin diseases because of this. Be smart, and get more sun exposure - not only to your physical selves, but also to your living spaces.
Dust & dust mites
Dust is an allergen - our body is not neutral to it. The more exposure you have to it, the more the toxic load on you. But contrary to most peoples’ experience, the source of dust (and dust mites) is their bedding and linen. Change your pillows every six months and get some sunlight to your age-long bed mattress at least every 3 months. Wash those curtains and tapestry regularly and if you don’t use a vacuum, regularly think again.
It doesn’t take a lot to handle toxicity - some simple decisions to live by. But they are not convenient - we all need to make a conscious choice.