Toxins R Us.

Okay, we've almost mastered the recycling thing. I'm still constantly learning tips and tricks on how to reuse, what can be recycled, etc. but we've added another element to our 'Goble Greening Journey' which is analyzing exactly what we put into and onto our bodies. Several months ago, we started to eat healthier because we were interested in losing weight, having more energy, etc. You know, the usual goals when it comes to eating better. So, I started shopping more consciously when it came to calories, but nothing else really. For example, buying a lot of Fat Free, Whole Grain, High Fiber, etc. but not really paying attention to 'the rest of the story'. I always assumed that the convoluted unrecognizable list of chemicals in all products that I buy; whether groceries or household goods, existed because they were necessary to the success of the product. I never considered that chemicals were 'optional' and moreso, the harm that they have been doing to my body and the environment. A 2005 study published by the EWG, an environmental watchdog group composed of professionals from many disciplines, tested the umbilical cord blood of ten newborns for the presence of toxins and sicovered 287 different chemicals circulating in their blood supply. These ranged from pesticides to consumer product ingredients to wastes from burning coal, gas, and garbage. Of them, 180 have been proven to cause cancer, 217 poison the brain and nervous system and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animals. So, after some great reading material and exhaustive internet searches, not too much consideration because the facts are so staggering, Andis and I have committed to cleansing our home and our bodies of as many toxins as possible. Our plan:

Cleansing our Home will take some time for two reasons; 1) EVERYTHING has toxins! Our daily hygiene regimen has enough toxins alone to take a significant toll on our bodies, not to mention air fresheners, candles, cleaning products, what we eat, detergent, perfume, dyes in our clothes, etc. and 2) Such a transformation will be EXPENSIVE! You don't often realize the money it takes to support everything that goes on in a household because often you just buy one or two things at a time as needed. Imagine, getting rid of all cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, condiments, salad dressings, air fresheners, candles, toilet paper, etc. in one fell swoop and not only replacing it all, but replacing it with organic, non toxic items! So, basically, we will replace things as they come up. Some items wll be faster and more easily replaced ie. toilet paper but other things will take some time and even though it's not the most ideal situation, it makes sense for our wallet and our sanity. Plus, I feel that changes made over time are more apt to stick and I can take the extra time to research what products are best and most economical. (Don't worry; I'll share!)

Cleansing our Bodies is more of a priority and will be quite a big change for us. Even though we have spent the last few months eating more consciously, we haven't paid much attention to the chemicals present in the foods we were ingesting. So, we've spent the last month cleaning out our fridge slowly but surely and I made my first trip to Whole Foods yesterday to restock our kitchen with organic, non toxic foods. Again, there are some things that we will still use until they run out because we simply can't afford to replace every dressing, marinade, spice and staple with organic just yet, but we will get there eventually. So, May marks our first month of eating non toxic, organic foods save a few things here and there like salad dressing and instant oatmeal. That's step #1. Step #2 is a body cleanse. We've done some research and have chosen the Martha's Vineyard Detox plan. Andis will be on the 7 day plan and I'm going for the full monty; 21 days of detox beginning June 1st. I'll be keeping a journal over the next two months; this month documenting what I'm eating, how I'm feeling etc. and next month through the cleanse and I'll be sure to share some with you as we go.

So, from now on, little by little, as we purchase groceries and household items, our rule of thumb will be this: If we don't recognize the ingredient we don't buy it.