Healthy Ways To Curb The Body’s Symptoms Of Distress

Finding out what irritants are not healthy that we’re subjected to, could help minimize our exposure, thus reduce our body’s annoying responses. 

During the winter months, it’s the indoor heating system we use to heat our air-tight homes blowing dust around causing irritation to our mucous membranes. When the season of confinement ends and we do get to open our windows to let the fresh air in, many of us will be aggravated with overloads of pollen floating around. Then, when the temperature gets too hot, we’ll be closing the windows once more, and we’ll be turning on the air conditioning. 

Allergies are not only our body’s overreacting to the lack of fresh air circulating in our homes, but also to the overload of chemicals we’re constantly exposed to in daily living. 

First, we should look if any of the foods we eat could be triggering immune responses. Avoiding manufactured foods—often made with artificial ingredients—will reduce the burden on our immune system. Choosing nutritious fresh foods as often as we can helps our body’s assimilation and elimination processes. These foods also benefit our body’s ability to resist infections and ward off potential threats. 

Rinsing our fruits and vegetables thoroughly and then wiping with a paper towel to remove any residual contaminants is a good practice. We should buy organic if we can afford it, as this helps lower the chemical risks we’re already exposed to. Buying local and in season makes buying organic more affordable and is often cheaper than buying imported and out-of-season fruits and vegetables. 

According to Environmental Working Group, the foods with the lowest levels of pesticides are:

• Asparagus

• Avocado

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Cantaloupe

• Cauliflower

• Corn (sweet)

• Eggplant

• Honeydew melon

• Kiwi

• Mushrooms

• Onion

• Papaya

• Peas (sweet)

• Pineapple

The highest levels of pesticides are found in the following fruits and vegetables:

• Apples

• Celery

• Cherries

• Grapes

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Nectarines

• Peaches

• Pears

• Potatoes

• Spinach

• Strawberries

We also need to become mindful of the products we use around the home. Some of these products will not only irritate the body, they could be damaging our cells. There are many other healthy alternatives to choose from. Following is a list of some products we may be using that are irritants and harmful:

• Air purifiers, cleaning products, hairsprays, paints, and perfumes all contain VOC (volatile organic compounds). These compounds are also in pressed wood and in carpets. There are numerous natural alternatives available for all of these products.

• Antibacterial products and some toothpastes have triclosan which was first developed as a pesticide. Choose natural options, as this chemical disrupts the body’s natural bacteria and hormones. Research into the long-term use of this ingredient shows harmful effects including cancer. Thorough hand washing with regular soap takes a bit more time than squirting and rubbing a blob of something on your hands, but it is more effective and does not harm.

• Lotions contain far too many chemicals for me to list here without boring you to tears. Seriously though, lotions could be causing serious damage to our cells as they are absorbed by the skin. An example of just one chemical that is a common chelator used not only in lotions but in some manufactured foods and medication—EDTA—has the potential to be life threatening. There are numerous risks with this toxic chemical ranging from anemia, digestive issues, irregular heartbeats, and many others. The most serious side effect though is kidney damage and failure. Please choose natural alternatives to lotions such as oils, or moisturizers that are made with only natural ingredients. Read the labels.

• Pain relief creams such as Bengay and Ice Hot have methyl salicylate. There are many herbal and essential oils that help reduce pain and inflammation. Choose natural options instead. 

• Sunscreen chemical ingredients are many, and are shown to accelerate skin aging and could damage cell DNA. They include benzophenone-3, octocrylene, and octyl methoxycinnamate, disguised under many other names. A diet rich in antioxidants is beneficial at preventing sunburns. Using coconut oil on skin is a good natural alternative to sunscreen.

Other hazardous chemicals common in everyday items around the house include:

• Bisphenol A found in plastics and resins.

• Herbicides and pesticides.

• Phthalates are in scented deodorizers and air fresheners. Deodorize and refresh the air with essential oils instead.

• Per fluorinated chemicals can be found throughout the home. They are in Teflon coated cookware, microwave popcorn, and stain-guarded items such as carpet, clothing and furniture.

Stay aware. Be kind to your body, you’re in it for life. Choose consciously for your health and wellness by using natural alternatives whenever possible.