Making the World a Better Place 7: Minimise your Toxic Load

I’ve been writing a series of blog posts about the easy ways we can all contribute to making the world a better place. It doesn’t have to be hard even when you have limited energy and it’s great to recognise what a valuable role we can play!

Taking care of the environment was a passion of mine many years before I first got sick. I always wanted to change the world! Then ME/CFS came along and made it a lot more personal. I soon found that minimising my toxic load helped me manage my symptoms. It almost seemed like my body was acting as a canary in the coal mine, everyday toxins seemed to harm me in ways that they don’t yet seem to harm everybody else. Or maybe we just can’t see that harm yet? This illness has shown me how important clean living is for the human body, even though I was already convinced of its importance for the world at large.

It’s kind of cool though, to realise that by doing things that your body desperately needs you’re also going to be contributing to protecting our planet as a whole.

7 ways you can help the planet by helping yourself:

1.Replace chemical household cleaning products with more environmentally respectful versions

There are many very effective environmentally friendly products nowadays that can easily replace more pollutant household cleaning products. Nearly all large supermarkets in the UK have an environmentally friendly version of washing up liquid, laundry detergent, dishwasher tablets and other day to day products. Any health food shop will stock a much larger range and you’ll find an even larger range on line. doTERRA also has an impressive range of household natural solutions. Many people find that they stick with a particular brand out of habit because it seems to be cheaper or more effective. But what is the cost to your health, the health of your loved ones, and the health of the planet of not making a change?

2. Make your own cleaning products

We don’t even need to spend more to have a low toxin, healthily clean house.  Vinegar, lemons or bicarb of soda can be employed in many ways to clean effectively (you’ll find a huge range of ideas online). Add some essential oils and you get added protection and more pleasant aromas! I use a solution of 25ml of vinegar, with 10 drops of on guard and 10 drops of lemon essential oil, topped up to 100ml with water, to clean my kitchen and my bathroom.

3. Natural toiletries

I’ve found my skin can be very sensitive to non-natural toiletries and beauty products, but that’s great for the environment! I’ve also found that although they can seem more expensive, they can often last a lot longer, which also means helping the environment with reduced packaging and the carbon footprint involved in transportation.

4. Essential oils instead of air freshener

Essential oils make wonderful air fresheners when needed and many have the added benefits of lifting your mood and/or tackling airborne pathogens

5. Aim to maximise fresh locally grown whole foods and minimise processed and packaged food

We all know that healthy eating involves minimising processed foods and eating as much fresh, organic and wholefood as possible. I was also taught that locally grown food that’s in season is also going to offer the best seasonal support to your body.  And by doing what you can to clean up your diet, you’ll not only be optimising your conditions for healing, you’ll be minimising your carbon footprint and the general toxic load on the planet.

6. Grow things yourself

Even if it’s just a bit of rocket, some lettuce leaves and a few herbs in a window box, anything that you grow yourself is going to be fresh, chemical free and will minimise the pollution involved in transportation! Every little bit counts!

7. Energy testing

I believe that by energy testing my supplements  each time I take them I’m helping my body minimise it’s toxic load by only taking what my body really needs that day. Anything that I ingest that my body doesn’t need is really a toxin the needs to be processed and eliminated. In the past, I’ve always noticed a difference when I’ve taken time off a supplement to check it’s still benefiting me. But even though I’ve been taking way fewer supplements overall as a result of the energy testing, I’ve not noticed any of the usual ill effects of taking a break. I’m sure that’s because I’m getting just what I need. The additional benefit (apart from it being cheaper) is the reduced packaging and carbon footprint.

Every Little Bit Helps

But don’t let that be a pressure!  Any thing that you can do to minimise your toxic load is going to be both beneficial for you and the planet as a whole, but don’t let any of this turn into a ‘should’. Have an intention to do what you can when you can, but be kind to yourself when any of the above would actually make your life harder and let it go. The world needs you to be as happy and healthy as possible, when you put that first you’ll be making yourself better able to take care of the planet in the long run!

A small favour: I’d be very grateful if you could rate this post using the stars below the related posts.  Thank you!