Take the Toxic Test

If you are a typical consumer, following a typical doctor's advice, living a typical American lifestyle, you have literally dozens--if not hundreds--of sources of toxins in your life that are making you sick.

If you used any one of these products by itself, it wouldn't do much harm. After all, the body is really good at detoxing and staying healthy. When you add up lots of little exposures, though, it quickly overwhelms your body's ability to detox.

Get out a pen and paper. Reading the list below, mark 1 point for each of the following items that you use occasionally, 2 points for items you use frequently, 5 points for items you are exposed to daily, and 10 points for items you consume more than once daily. If you are aware of toxins that affect you that are not listed here, add the appropriate number of points to your tally.

There are non-toxic versions of many of these available. If you use the natural, non-toxic version, good job! You are ahead of the game. Don't give it any points.

Are you ready?

Self Care Products

• deodorant

• antiperspirant

• bug spray (especially with deet)

• sun screen

• factory produced soap/body wash

• tooth paste

• mouth wash

• shampoo / conditioner

• lip balm

Air Pollution

• smog

• second hand smoke

Cleaning Products

• laundry detergent

• dryer sheets

• bathroom cleaners

• quats (lysol, other disinfectants)

• bleach

Air Fresheners

• plug-ins

• scented trash bags

• car scent hangers

• scented candles and wax melts

Meds

• prescription

• over the counter

Heavy Metals

• old silver (amalgam) fillings

• sea food

• old paint

• aluminum cook ware

Recreational Drugs

• alcohol

• tobacco

• all the others

Water

• city water

• flavored water

• plastic bottled water

Make Up / Beauty

• artificial fragrance perfumes

• make up that contains parabans, phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, and PFAS (hint: if your make up doesn't specify that it is free of these, then you can be sure that it has them)

• hair spray

• nail polish

• hair dye

Occupational Exposure

• chemicals that you are exposed to at work

Pet Products

• tick and flea collars

Food and Drink

• chemical additives in food such as dyes, flavors, preservatives, and emulsifiers

• any refined sugar

• any artificial sweetener

• synthetic vitamins

• hydrogenated oils

• meat that was raised in a factory or feed lot (if it is labeled "free range" or "cage free", it was factory raised; it needs to be "pasture raised")

• non-organically raised food

• energy drinks

• soda pop

How did you do?

If you scored under 15, I take my hat off to you. It takes serious effort to come in that low!

If you scored between 16 - 40, you are doing pretty well! Keep reading to find my suggestions for further reducing your toxic exposure.

If you scored above 41, I used to be right there with you. I was sick all the time, and doctors didn't know how to help me. My body was falling apart. It has been about 15 years now since I started making a concerted effort to rid my life of the poisons that were making me sick, and my health has bounced back. Yours can too. Keep reading for suggestions.

Here are the same categories, with suggestions for eliminating them or replacing them with non toxic versions.

Healthier Alternatives

Self Care Products

Use home made soap. It needs to be made from scratch with lye, not melt-and-pour base.

Some soap makers also make shampoo bars, and you can use vinegar hair rinse in lieu of conditioner after washing with shampoo bars. Please read the ingredients of the shampoo bar because as they become more popular, adulterated versions are making their way into the market.

Ingredients of any soap or shampoo bar should be:

• some type of fat or oil that are saponified with lye,

• and other ingredients such as herbs, clay, charcoal, essential oils, and milk.

  
  

Avoid soap or shampoo bars with:

• melt-and-pour base (that means it's not made from scratch)

• fragrance oils (that tells you it's artificial),

• artificial colorants (mica powders may be artficial colors),

• or any strange sounding chemicals.

There are plenty of natural tooth pastes and mouth washes on the market. You can make your own tooth powder or simply use bentonite clay for brushing your teeth. Colloidal silver also makes a great mouth wash.

Seek out bug repellants made from essential oils.

Lip balm made with whole oils and beeswax do a great job without the toxic load.

There are natural deodorants available in many forms that are quite effective. Please stay away from any antiperspirant, though, as your body needs to sweat! There is no healthy way to stop sweating.

Air Pollution

Manage your environment to the best of your ability.

Cleaning Products

Seek out unscented products.

If you must use chemicals, be sure that you are wearing gloves to reduce exposure. Also avoid inhaling chemicals and have good ventilation when using them.

Use wool felt dryer balls instead of dryer sheets.

Air Fresheners

Artificial fragrances are so bad for you! They literally poison the air. If you are not used to them, when you do smell them they are gagging.

If you crave pretty smells, don't despair... essential oils will be your best friend! There are diffusers to diffuse essential oils in your home and car. Not only are they not toxic (in suggested amounts... it is possible to over use them), but they actually have therapeutic effects. Certain essential oils help you get over colds and flus.

Meds

This is a sticky subject that I approach with delicacy. I encourage you to seek alternative health care and to not use any prescription or over the counter meds at all, ever.

However, there are times where the best option might be to use certain meds and it is not my place to tell you not to use them or to make you feel guilty if you do.

Please consider alternative holistic health care products and practices such as:

• regular fasting,

• colloidal silver,

• acupuncture,

• eating clean,

• chiropractic,

• and naturopathic care, as you make the best choices for your health care needs.

The problem with pharmaceuticals is that they mask symptoms while adding to your toxic load, all without getting at the root of what is causing the problem in the first place. A body that is well nourished and not overloaded with toxins can and will be naturally healthy. Even if you were once unhealthy, in most cases your body will bounce back when given the right help.

Heavy Metals

Get old silver fillings replaced!! They are so bad for you. I wonder how many of my problems were caused in part by having a mouth full of them...

Many types of seafood are high in mercury. Educate yourself about recommended amounts to consume.

Antiperspirant contains aluminum--another reason to not use it.

Replace aluminum cook ware with nonreactive pieces.

Recreational Drugs

What more can I say than has aleady been said? Don't do drugs. Find healthy ways to have fun.

Water

I had a conversation once with someone who had worked in a municipal water treatment plant, and all I can say is, WOW. You don't want to drink city water. It has so many chemicals.

You don't want to drink water that comes bottled in plastic either, because chemicals from plastic leach into the water.

If you don't have a good clean source of water like your own well, invest in a really good water purifier for your home. It may be one of the best investments you can make for your health.

Make Up / Beauty

If you use conventional make up and hair styling products, you are poisoning yourself.

Authentic beauty comes from vibrant health. Truly the best advice on natural beauty care is to fast regularly. When your body is healthy at the cellular level, your skin glows with radiance and you don't need to cover up your true self.

There are many organic make up options available. You are worth the extra cost.

Pet Products 

Garlic keeps fleas off of animals.

I know that there is bad information out there claiming that garlic is poisonous to dogs. I personally have used garlic to rid my dogs of mange, and it did not poison them. I have known many people who use garlic on their dogs for wormer and for fleas with no ill effect.

You know what IS poison? Flea and tick repellants. If you spend a lot of time with your pets, the poison is rubbing off on you too.

Ryder, my Lapponian herder. The collar he is wearing is a gps collar to keep him on the farm.

Food and Drink

Garbage in, garbage out.

The majority of the food on American shelves is toxic. SO MANY of our health problems are a direct result of the food we eat.

Having a healthy gut is the number one most important step towards holistic health. You cannot have a healthy gut if you eat poison daily.

Get in the habit of reading the ingredients of everything you put in your mouth. Shun all chemical additives. Cook from scratch with whole ingredients. Cut sugar out of your diet.

Fill your meals with organic, pasture raised, whole foods. You will learn what good food tastes like. Your body will finally have the building blocks it needs to be healthy. You will feel more alive than ever.

Here are blogs that go into more detail about these subjects:

Fasting

Eating Clean

Essential Oils

Colloidal Silver

What is your worst source of toxins?

***************************************

Buy my toxin free pasture raised pork and raw grass fed milk!