Toxin Free: An Essential Lifestyle change beyond diet and exercise
- Joanne Knight
- Jan 15
- 3 min read
Reduce Fatigue.
Increase Vitality
Preserve Long Term Health
Living toxin free is not just for hippies anymore. Avoiding chemical overload has become a new normal. These products have integrated themselves like an introduced species, surrounded by their invasive, synthetic laden cousins.
But technically, they were there first. Just many generations ago.
Looking on the shelves at Coles these days, avoiding beauty products with certain ingredients is much easier. Toothpaste without fluoride, shampoo without SLS and organic food are there for the taking.
However, the mention of using natural products is still met with hesitation and sometimes blatant skepticism. But that is expected. Making these changes is a process. An essential process.
Why bother reducing toxins in your world?
The short answer is that substances/ingredients referred to as Xenobiotics cause oxidative stress. These include anything that requires significant detoxification by the liver, thus are plentiful. Examples include medications, food additives, pesticides, pollution. Substances in hair and skincare, fragrances, cigarette smoke, drinking water, food packaging can also be culprits. Xenobiotics require significant metabolic actions to excrete and are readily available to humans.
What is Oxidative Stress?
Oxidative stress comes from the introduction of free radicals (often referred to as ROS) which reduces the amount of oxygen in a cell, lessening antioxidant capacity.
A reduction in antioxidants can cause fatigue, brain fog, headaches, allergies and is linked in studies to osteoporosis, tendinopathy, vitiligo, cardiovascular disease, post-viral syndromes, infertility in men and a shortened life span. The strong link ROS has to inflammation, inevitably connects oxidative stress to the activity of any diseased state – causing extra havoc.
Continuous exposure to oxidants is associated with early ageing, chronic illness and inflammation. Antioxidants and detoxification processes have to work hard to excrete unwanted substances.
Let me introduce you to the “Inevitability-Choices Scale”.
Inevitable exposure to chemicals is in the air; inhaled, touched and absorbed into the bloodstream. Smoke, spraying, welding, gardening, farming – just breathing equals subjection.
On the other end are “choices”. These are what we choose to use, get exposed to, what we eat, drink, put on our skin, how much we exercise and how much sun we get.
Then there are some things in between that are modulated by social pressure, addiction and habits. Think alcohol consumption, smoking, or dietary restrictions due to finances.
What can you do to reduce oxidative stress?
By using the I-C Scale - start with what you CAN control. Under the "Choices" banner.
Switch:
Organic food where available
Filtered Water
Natural Cleaning products
Natural Skin and haircare
Natural Make-up and lip products
Reduce:
The use of synthetic fragrances such as perfumes, aerosols and sprays
Foods with artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.
Protect:
Always use gloves when gardening or using any chemical ingredients
Use a mask when disturbing soil
Wash clothes asap that have been exposed to chemicals, soil or smoke.
Test:
Hair Testing and Mineral Analysis (HTMA) which reveals your mineral composition.
This test often reveals sources of xenobiotics that you didn’t know about.
Jo Knight
Naturopath, Herbalist, Nutritionist, Researcher & Educational writer.
Get in touch for a free 15-minute discovery call today!
Extra information:
Do Natural Cleaning Products Work?
HTMA testing
References used:
Gharabaghi, A., Yavari Bazl, M. S., Baranizadeh, K., Heshmati, A., & Shafiee, G. (2023). The Relationship of Cadmium, Nickel, and Manganese Trace Elements with Oxidative Stress in the Semen of Infertile Men. Journal of Advances in Medical & Biomedical Research, 31(147), 372–380. https://doi.org/10.30699/jambs.31.147.372
İnce, Z., Kutlu, B., Bozali, K., Yılmaz, N., Cengiz, F. P., & Güler, E. M. (2023). Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Levels as Biomarkers in Vitiligo Patients. Turkish Journal of Dermatology / Turk Dermatoloji Dergisis, 17(4), 132–135. https://doi.org/10.4103/tjd.tjd_95_23
Slezák, J., Ravingerová, T., & Kura, B. (2024). New Possibilities of the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Pathologies. The Potential of Molecular Hydrogen in the Reduction of Oxidative Stress and its Consequences. Physiological Research, 73, 671–684. https://doi.org/10.33549/physiolres.935491
Xia, X., Fang, Z., Qian, Y., Zhou, Y., Huang, H., Xu, F., Luo, Z., & Wang, Q. (2024). Role of oxidative stress in the concurrent development of osteoporosis and tendinopathy: Emerging challenges and prospects for treatment modalities. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 28(13), e18508. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.18508
Zhou, H., Liu, Y., Wang, Z., Yang, Y., Li, M., Yuan, D., Zhang, X., & Li, Y. (2020). CD147 Promoted Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Airway Epithelial Cells Induced by Cigarette Smoke via Oxidative Stress Signaling Pathway. COPD, 17(3), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/15412555.2020.1758051
Comments