Natural Ways to Lower your Toxicity Levels

Written By Leia Mulroy

By Leia Mulroy

In our fast-paced modern environment, we want quick, simple, easy, cheap and effective products. Convenient yes, good for you? Probably not. Unfortunately, the majority of products available to us today consist of cheap toxic chemical products, processed packaged foods, chemical-laden skincare, and not to mention the air pollution we breathe in every day. Whether it’s due to your career, lifestyle habits or way of living, we are bombarded with an array of chemicals daily. The more you think about it, the scarier it becomes...but don't run yet...I have some tips to help you naturally detox the onslaught of the daily toxin hit

1. Support your detoxification organs

A number of organs and bodily systems aid in detoxifying the body. The main players 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 function. 

  • Drink between 1-3 litres of filtered water daily (depending on your activity level)

  • Use a dry skin brush on the body 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 or herbal tea. This will stimulate the liver, kidneys and bowels to remove toxins.

  • Consider some natural detox support nutrients such as spirulina, barley grass, wheatgrass, dandelion root, turmeric, green tea, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and N-acetyl cysteine. (always double-check with a practitioner before starting any detoxification program or supplements).

 2. Invest in natural, chemical-free skincare

Alcohol, parabens, animal testing, preservatives...the list goes on. Not only do we want clean, natural skincare free from toxins, but we also want it to be animal and environmentally friendly. Our skincare 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. 

Some of my favourite skincare products and go to basics include:

3. Make your own homemade cleaning products

Say goodbye 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

  • 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 I love and recommend if you prefer not to make your own. Look for Our Eco Clean, EnviroClean, & KinKin. Available at most health food stores or directly online. 

4. Shop bio-dynamic, organic or purchase from local farmers markets

Explore your local area for farmers and/or distributors of locally farmed fresh fruit and vegetables. This way you are keeping the cost down and supporting our amazing farmers. Bio-dynamic and organic produce can be expensive at times, aim to pick and choose staple items to be bio-dynamic or organic and the rest, aim for local spray-free produce. If you shop for seasonal produce, then you can cut down the costs and not to mention you will be eating the freshest produce.

A few examples of some foods I recommend to purchase chemical-free include:

  • All Berries

  • Apples

  • Tomatoes

  • Cucumbers

  • Celery

  • Grapes

  • Nectarines/peaches/plums

  • Peas

  • All leafy greens (spinach, kale, silverbeet, bok Choy etc)

  • Broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage

  • Fresh herbs

For animal products, I recommend choosing quality over quantity. Look for local farms and buy eggs and meat direct if you can. Otherwise, go back to basics and opt for organic cheaper cuts of meat such as legs/wings/organ meats etc. Get out your grandmother’s recipes and get creative. There is alot 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 nutritient 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. 

5. Reassess your lifestyle habits

Some basic questions to ask yourself when looking at your current health and level of toxicity.

-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? 

Take some time and look around your environment, workplace, 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 ...

1. Cut alcohol down to one glass a week

2. Reduce take away consumption to one night a week

3. Remove all processed and packaged foods from the house

4. Replace cleaning products with natural, homemade substitutes

5. Start shopping at the local markets 

6. 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!

Leia Mulroy is a Pilates instructor and creator of Kambaba Wellness & Kambaba Herbals in Melbourne, Australia.

Qualified in Matwork Pilates with Polestar Pilates, Yin Yoga and an extensive background as a Naturopath, Leia combines contemporary mat pilates, strength & functional training, with a sprinkle of meditative movement practices to support both the physical and emotional body.

Learn more about Leia here

Leia Mulroy
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