Our health is directly linked to the environment in which we live. You may not realise it, but we are exposed to chemicals and toxins in our everyday lives, from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, our skin care and cleaning products, as well as our electronic devices. We can’t completely avoid these toxins, however we can mitigate where possible which allows us to have more control over our health and contributes to greater wellness and vitality.
“Health is the natural state of the body. Illness arises not because the body forgets how to heal, but because obstacles—stress, toxins, poor nutrition, and disconnection—block its ability to do so.
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What chemicals should I be avoiding?
Areas of toxicity include food, water, personal care (including perfumes), cleaning products, furniture, new cars and even toilet paper! Overwhelming I know. Remember that knowledge is power and you need to address your environment at your own pace so that you don’t move from shock to overwhelm to apathy.
Safe cosmetics: Learn about the top ingredients and contaminants to avoid and the types of products they’re found in.
Ecowatch: Up to date information on environmental toxins
The environmental working group: a group working tirelessly to protect public health. Whether it's spotlighting harmful industry standards, speaking out against outdated government legislation or empowering consumers with breakthrough education and research.
The chemical maze: Know what food additives and cosmetic ingredients to avoid
Safe cosmetics Australia: Advocating for the health of people and the planet; raising chemical awareness, educating people, and working closely with the purveyors of clean beauty.
Yuka- Download the YUKA app on your phone which allows you to scan barcodes of food and personal care products for a health rating and details of additives. Note that the information regarding good fats is not up to date but the additive info is excellent.
Perfumes
Many conventional perfumes and fragranced personal care products contain chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, including certain phthalates and synthetic fragrance compounds. These substances can interfere with the body's hormonal communication system by mimicking, blocking, or altering the actions of hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone. Over time, regular exposure may contribute to hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues, worsening of hormone-sensitive conditions, and increased chemical sensitivity in susceptible individuals. Because fragrance ingredients are often protected as "trade secrets," manufacturers are not always required to disclose all of the chemicals used, making it difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are being exposed to. Choosing fragrance-free products or those scented with natural essential oils can help reduce the body's overall chemical burden.
Safe cosmetics have written a comprehensive article on this subject here.
Which brands are safe?
Supermarket
Ecostore: https://ecostore.com/au/
Freshwater farm: https://freshwaterfarm.com.au/
Thank you: https://thankyou.co/
Earth choice (cleaning only): https://naturesorganics.com.au/collections/earth-choice
Chemist and Health food store
Moo Goo: https://moogoousa.com/
In health food stores, you will find most personal care and cleaning products are safe. You will see a checklist on the bottle saying they are free of things like SLS, parabens, petrochemicals etc. Use the Yukka app referenced above to check as well.
Online
The Herbal Estate (Based in the Redlands) https://madeit.com.au/collections/the-herbal-estate
Wild Tribe Australia (based here in the Redlands): https://wildtribeaustralia.com.au/
Be-Genki - A range of organic beauty and personal care products
Vitaly - if you have an account with Vitaly from a prescription you have had from me, you will find many non-toxic food and personal care products available at a discount.
What about drinking water?
Unfortunately tap water is not a healthy drink. It contains a cocktail of chemicals, heavy metals and other environmental toxins. Read more here:
Fluoride action network: https://fluoridealert.org/ This website contains so much information on fluoride and is probably enough for now. If you want to find more, go into Google Scholar and look up “Fluoride toxicity”.
Endocrine disruptors in water and their effects on the reproductive system
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/6/1929
Flouride and the pineal gland: https://greenmedinfo.com/blog/reason-behind-disturbed-sleep-found-60-pineal-glands
Forever chemicals in Australian water: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/09/australia-among-hotspots-for-toxic-forever-chemicals-study-of-pfas-levels-finds
It is essential to invest in a good quality water filter. My preference is Reverse Osmosis with a re-mineraliser. This is the only system that gets rid of all flouride. The re-mineraliser is essential in order to put something back into the water after everything has been removed. Otherwise, your body will not absorb it.
Alkaline water - Personally I am not a fan of alkaline water. The stomach is supposed to be an acidic environment so that we may break our food down efficiently. Should you drink alkaline water over a long period, you run the risk of alkalising your stomach acid. Note that every time your stomach secreted stomach acid in response to a meal, the body simultaneously secretes bicarb into the tissues - which alkalises them. The best way to keep your tissues at a healthy pH is to consume a whole-food organic diet, plenty of nutrient rich food, and follow all the usual foundations of health : healthy sleep, sunshine exposure and stress management.
Food
This can be a tricky one as with any other area but there are a few simple principals you can live by which make it easier
As much as possible, eat organic. See my page in the patient portal on where to buy organic locally.
Eat only real food. If the packet has numbers and ingredients in it you don’t understand, it is most likely full of chemicals. Use the Yukka app referenced above for clarification.
When it comes to meat, eggs and dairy, be aware of practices around raising poultry, cattle, sheep, fish. Even if it means eating less meat, make sure you buy organic free range which is free of antibiotics and other harmful chemicals. See my page in the patient portal on where to buy organic animal products locally.
Reference the Clean 15/Dirty dozen list above for making your organic dollars count.
Avoid non-organic wheat as it is sprayed with roundup after harvest and is genetically modified.
If you are eating gluten-free, avoid all of the highly processed gluten free foods that are full of cornstarch, white rice flour and a preservatives.
If you have come to my clinic, you have most likely been given some direction on diet that is specific to you and your condition. Everyone is biologically different and response to their environment individually.
Every year the EWG releases this helpful guide to make your organic dollars count.
Download here
Toilet paper
Who would have thought, PFAS in toilet paper, as reported by The Guardian in 2023. My best suggestion is Who Gives a Crap toilet paper, now sold in IGA and some supermarkets. Or you can have it delivered to your door. Here is their statement on PFAS
What about electromagnetic frequencies?
Limit your exposure by:
Not holding your phone to your ear - using speaker phone as much as possible.
Not sleeping with your phone next to you at night.
Turning wi-fi off at night.
Avoiding air-pods and similar wearables. These transmit through the brain.
Listen to an interview with Neurosurgeon, Charlie Teo on the topic.
What does the science say about EMF exposure?
World Health Organization, radiofrequency radiation and health - a hard nut to crack (Review)
Adverse health effects of 5G mobile networking technology under real-life conditions
Safe cookware
Teflon is full of toxic chemicals that can make their way into our food. The best option in general is stainless steel.
Non-stick
However when you want a good non-stick, these are both Australian companies. Solid Technics is making cookware that is designed to last forever so up the higher end of price.
Solid Technics - https://www.solidteknics.com/
Greenpan: https://greenpan.com.au/