Toxins are naturally occurring. They are produced by living organisms like fungi, bacteria, parasites, mold, plants, and insects. These have always and will always exist in nature. They are a part of everyone’s existence beginning before birth. We are born with organs, systems, and processes designed to help filter and eliminate toxins that enter our bodies.
Toxicants are manufactured and extracted substances. These can include pesticides, chemicals, cleaning agents, by-products, emissions, and more. These are presently also a part of everyone’s existence. More now than ever before. Modern newborn umbilical cord blood has been reported to contain upwards of 200 chemicals.
Our capacity to store toxins and toxicants as our bodies work to excrete them can vary one person to the next. Factors that contribute to our toxic load capacity include age, gender, genetics, and ethnicity. Our ability to process and excrete these invaders is partly determined by those factors and also by external influences including stress, trauma, illness, and cumulative exposure.
When we take on more than we can effectively eliminate, the load becomes a burden. The body will attempt to balance by becoming inflamed as a defensive and protective measure. Unchecked this will lead to other issues. They will present uniquely in every person.
What we use on, in, and around our bodies and homes adds up. Reducing exposures and lowering our cumulative load also adds up. How many products do you apply to your skin in one day? What ingredients are contributing to the toxic load instead of to the healing? How many items in your home or office have fragrance? Parabens? Phthalates? BPA? PFOAs? Flame retardants? Food-like products?
Stress is not the goal here. That only adds to the load. One item. One meal. One day at a time. Replacing something as it runs out with something #alittlelesstoxic
The small changes add up too. And make big impact. We aim to slow the flow not because we’re fearful or restrictive. We make informed choices and slow the flow because we deserve to live with less pain and discomfort and with more freedom.