Learning about the health dangers associated with everyday household and personal care products can be shocking! In this post, you’ll learn what NOT to do with this information overload. You will also be provided with the resources needed for making safe, nontoxic choices in home and beauty care in order to protect you and your loved ones from harmful effects.
After gaining the knowledge about how we are swimming in a sea of scary toxins in the world, many people may feel disturbed and overwhelmed as to how to deal with the knowledge. Thankfully there is plenty to do to empower oneself and loved ones. These include making “greener choices”, eating organic, and supporting our nutrition for optimizing elimination. I discussed these positive action steps and others here, here, here, and here. I also wrote about “Essential Oils for Detox” and what to look out for if one is cleansing, which you can read here.
However, sometimes coping with “danger” causes people to “mis-remedy” the problem with a “solution” that may actually compound it!
Below are three approaches that are not what I recommend as a great solution to dealing with “chemical overload overwhelm.” If you find yourself caught in one of these approaches, it may be a good idea to review some of the action steps outlined above and divert focus from the frightening effects.
The Three Ways to Not Deal with Environmental Toxicity Overwhelm
1. Over-Protection- A Prisoner in “Green” House Arrest
In order to avoid all potentially dangerous exposures, it may be tempting to bubble-wrap you and your loved ones in your oily and green home and issue “house arrest!” You may even try to avoid new experiences or not let the children partake in events if there are frankenfoods or toxins around. Although this may have a place, if one is truly in danger or has multiple chemical sensitivity, still there is hope.
For most people, however, this approach of avoiding the world is not due to a medical condition and runs the increasing risk of creating isolation. This can be just as damaging as those toxins found “out there!”
You may be surprised to learn that social connection is a strong well-being determinant. For example, it is now known that feelings of loneliness are linked to one’s chance of premature death. In fact, one study reports that lack of relationships can put one at greater health risk than obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure!! There is also the pretty evident fact that pleasurable experiences enhance a more enjoyable life (as they build brain power). So, option number one is out.
2. Freeze, Flight, or Freak Out
Feeling anxious and stressed? Well, that’s not good for health either!! We know that stress influences health. This is not in a good way either, if it’s based on feeling helpless and/or is chronic.
If you want more specifics, check out these posts: one, two, three. The good news is that by taking the empowering steps listed above, we can mitigate these effects.
Oh, and for those who are now freaking out about not having enough connection (see number 1), go to this website ASAP. It has a great infographic on how to build connection and gain advantages from its benefits.
3. The Bah-Humbug, “George Burns Smoked and Lived to 100!” Philosophy
Well, first of all, not everyone is George. That’s why he was in the headlines.
How many other people do you know that do not suffer consequences of not taking good care of themselves? I would suggest that’s the exception, not the rule.
Usually, health and longevity are the result of good self-care practices, without being too extreme (again see number 1). Have you heard of the Blue Zone people? These centenarians live a very connected life and when they enjoy “pleasurable” activities, they tend to do so in moderation and with mindfulness. They don’t tend to live in reckless abandon!
So, if you’ve made it down this far in my article, you know that there are good references to all the health implications of constant environmental bombardment.
Why add to your body burden and increase your risk of health complications when you can take steps to decrease it?
Healthy risks for the benefit of everyone is one thing. Blatant disregard is another.
The Bottom Line
We can empower ourselves and erase the consequences of isolation, scaring ourselves (to death), and indifference.
I hope I’ve given you plenty of resources.
I also wrote about “Essential Oils for Detox” and what to look out for if one is taking the route of ridding their body of past exposures and implementing a program of “detox and cleansing” here, here, and in my book. Finally, here’s another resource on how to not “re-tox” after cleansing.
One aspect that is often overlooked in today’s toxic world is the impact of negative emotions. I’m not just speaking of the social consequences, but also our bodies’ response to the feelings that ensue from repetitive negative thoughts. Feelings and emotion modulate our health. In his article, “The Importance of Emotional Detox,” Dr. Z reviewed some of the science behind this.
I’m going to break that down for you with my own spin on it and continue this conversation on my homepage here.
Here’s to a cleaner body and mind for a better, more enjoyable life!
Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin.
This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
3 Comments