Whether you are in the process of building a new home or have lived in yours for decades, having a home that is free of toxins is crucial for your health and the health of your loved ones.
We tend to focus on our diet and exercise when we think about healthy living, but the health of your home environment is crucial as well.
This month, I will be sharing my top commonsense tips to help you with decreasing the toxic load in your home and body.
Steps To Create A Healthy Home Sanctuary
1. Get an air purifier
The air you breathe is crucial to your health. Having a quality air filter in the house will help filter out fine, particulate air matter that has been linked to lung and heart disease.
2. Get a whole house water filter
I have a filter on my sink and refrigerator but have recently become concerned with the water I shower under and bathe in daily. Why do I filter my sink water but not the water that pours down on my skin while showering/bathing?
Your local water company filters tap water, but it still contains contaminants such as lead, chlorine, E. coli and pesticides, according to WebMD.
3. Open the windows
Cross ventilation is necessary to increase oxygen and ions in the home. Open the windows daily to allow the air to flow and circulate. I open my windows every morning while I am getting ready for work and leave them open if possible.
4. Make your bedroom a sanctuary
(Below is an excerpt from Building Biology Institute):
If you are sleeping with power cords under or around your bed, your cell phone charging by your bed, your alarm clock plugged in or the TV and computer in your bedroom, you are creating electro smog and disrupting your sleep, and potentially harming your health.
Steps to help you create a sleeping sanctuary:
a. Set the wireless routers to go off at night by using an inexpensive timer you can get at Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowes.
b. Signals from portable phones, cell phones, and wireless devices have been shown to interfere with the body’s immune system.
Also read: 6 Tips For A Better Night’s Sleep
5. Remove the carpet and install hard wood floors
Getting the dust under control in your home is imperative for your health. One way to do that is to make sure you dust and vacuum at least twice weekly, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum if you have carpet.
If possible, remove the carpet (a haven for dust and allergens), and replace it with wood, tile, cork, or non-vinyl linoleum. But if that’s not economically feasible, some old-fashioned elbow grease is a great way to get rid of dust.
6. Pay attention where your smart meters/wireless routers are located
The latest influx of smart meters being installed in neighborhoods has been all over the local news over the past few months. If you are sensitive to EMFs, you may notice a sensitivity to the meter.
Research is not conclusive on the effect of smart meters, but many people have reported increased anxiety, insomnia, tingling sensation, and more symptoms after having a meter installed.
You have the option most of the time to call the electric company and opt-out of installation.
7. Clean up your cleaning supplies
Your cleaning supplies are some of the most toxic chemicals you have in your home. Many are sold with warnings on the bottle. Using vinegar, water, lemon juice and baking soda with essential oils will clean anything you want.
A little elbow grease and vinegar, water, and lemon go a long way in cleaning your home and are not toxic to your health. I use Young Living Thieves for almost everything in my home.
8. Establish a NO-SHOES policy in your home
Establishing a no-shoes policy greatly reduces the trail of dirt from outdoors into our homes. Your home is your safe place, it should not be making you sick.
One step at a time begins to decrease the toxic burden in your home, your health will thank you.
Sources:
buildingbiologyinstitute.org | ehtrust.org | daniwilliamson.com
About The Author – Dani Williamson, FNP, MSN
Dani Williamson is a Family Nurse Practitioner with a thriving functional medicine practice in Franklin, TN called Integrative Family Medicine. She is living, walking, breathing proof that there is a vibrant life after a “lifelong” diagnosis handed down to you. For decades, Dani suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lupus, and periodic depression. It wasn’t until after graduating from Vanderbilt and working in a naturally-minded medical practice that another medical professional asked Dani a life-changing question: “What are you eating? Don’t you know that your diet controls your disease?” Dani had never heard this; even during nurse practitioner school. From that moment on, she has been on a tireless mission to transform her patients’ lives through her six rules: eat well, sleep well, move well, poop well, de-stress well, and commune well. Today, she sees hundreds of patients monthly in her clinic and reaches thousands of others through her Instagram, weekly Facebook Live health show, workshops, and a private Facebook community with over 10,000 members.
This article is published by our independent team of health and wellness pundits that publish original and informative content to empower readers to take charge of their health and embark on a physically, mentally, and emotionally balanced lifestyle.
Leave a Reply