Toxic Slippers and the "Less Toxic Guide"

Once I heard that if you pay attention to the things that stir you up or upset you then you will find your passion.  I must say that I am passionate about spreading the word about environmental toxins.  Maybe you do not notice them as I do, but realize that the toxins in our environment are seriously dangerous to our lives.  There are 48 million people who have connected the dots with toxins and their health complaints and consider themselves to have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities or MCS.

I stand on my "soap box" today and tell you there is a high price to pay when we take the easy road when chemicals are involved.  Toxic chemicals bio-accumulate in our bodies and produce disease.  Our bodies were designed to detoxify, but with the pervasive abundance of unsafe chemicals we are exposed on a daily basis, it is evident we all must be vigilant to reduce our toxic burden in order to have the most abundant health.

It takes time and energy to seek out natural sources that are safe if you have chemical sensitivities or are trying to avoid them.

I understand the need, at times, for something to be done fast, but all too often it is not the case, but just taking the "easy" way out.  How many times have we taken the "easy" way and exposed ourselves to toxins?

Just last week we had the exterior of our house power washed and the chemicals overloaded me, so I have been working to detoxify my body with specialized nutrients, sweating in the far infrared sauna, reducing my total body load in my safe "haven" with my Austin air purifier, plus rehabilitating my nervous system with Quantum Neurology, the most awesome technique I have ever experienced.

On Sunday, however, a few minutes in my safe " haven" did not turn out as I expected.   It was baffling to me, so I left the room and thought straightening up the house would make it go away. Usually, moving my body helps me to feel better, but not this time.  I took my best detox nutrients and returned to my "haven" only to continue with the worst foggy brain.  As I sat on the bed struggling to focus and read I spied shoes....bedroom slippers to be exact, that I had gifted my husband last year at Christmas.

Those shoes had been very difficult for me to tolerate last year and they have spent 11 months in "exile "in our garage airing out. Only they never did! My sweet, unsuspecting husband had no idea when he left them near his closet that I would be made ill by them.  I immediately removed the shoes and my brain fog began to clear, although it took a while for me to recover.


I ask you...What toxic chemicals belong on house slippers?  Isn't my brain and cognitive function more important to protect than slippers?

Yes!
 
While it is not possible to escape all toxins in our world we can make the effort to seek out safer  products, but I am most excited to share the do-it-yourself recipes listed in the Less Toxic Guide that I am sharing with you today.


I step off my "soap-box" now and leave you with this comprehensive  Less Toxic Guide to help you to live less toxic in our toxic world. 

CHEJ's PVC-Free School Supplies Guide

If you are wondering where to find the healthiest art supplies, backpacks, clothing, electronics, food wrap, lunchboxes, binders or even a new cell phone or computer monitor then you will want to read this article. It is not just for back-to-school shoppers, but for anyone wanting to be informed.

This rather impressive resource, Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies, has been created by The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ). This guide is an excellent resource to inform you of the health hazards of PVC ( polyvinyl chloride) and other toxic chemicals that are dangerous to your health. Often we are given examples of things to avoid, but this article goes further in suggesting safer PVC alternatives and lists websites and local retailers where you may purchase them. They even made it easier for you by creating a handy wallet guide to tuck in your pocket.

On a personal note, a few years ago, I taught a lesson to my boys about the dangers of PVC and they learned about the meanings of the plastic number symbols. This turned into a PVC scavenger hunt through our house. It was interesting to see what they found. I was surprised to find that the highly recommended Learning Resources Company used #3 PVC containers to hold our magnetic alphabet letters. Many times PVC was found in the actual label for a food product that was in a safer plastic bottle. Our favorite froggy raincoat was PVC, too. The lesson was probably the most memorable for my boys and they are still our resource for what plastic to avoid. They have never forgotten.