10 things to eliminate to improve your health header

10 Things to Eliminate To Improve Your Health

There are many household products that can compromise your health. Many people do not notice the toxic elements that come in the form of cleaning products for example. The truth of the matter is that eliminating some items that you use daily can preserve your health significantly. Ultimately, reducing synthetic chemicals in your home is highly beneficial. If you are ready to embrace cleaner living, this article is for you. Try to get rid of these 10 offending products and habits, and see your health impacted positively.

Antibacterial products containing triclosan

From soaps to detergents, many products that promise to kill harmful bacteria contain a variety of antibacterial compounds. One of the most common is triclosan; which can be found in soaps, face creams, toys and even toothpaste. The problem with triclosan is that it has been linked to harmful effects in the body. To begin with, this hormone disrupting compound may interfere with the development of unborn babies. This antibacterial agent is also linked to weight gain, heightened inflammation, allergies, and endocrine and thyroid dysfunction.

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has stated that there is no evidence to show that washing with antibacterial products is more effective in disease prevention than using mild soap and water.

If you are concerned about illness causing microbes there are great alternatives that are not harmful to your health. Studies have found that cleaning with dilute vinegar or hydrogen peroxide can eliminate even tough microbes like E.coli.

There are many other commercial cleaning products to avoid. Make sure to look at the list of ingredients and compounds, and ask yourself if you really need to bring these into your home.

Makeup containing heavy metals

Commercial makeup products are made using a litany of ingredients, many of which may not be listed on the packaging. A report by Environmental Defense on heavy metal hazards in personal care items revealed shocking facts. Nearly 50 makeup items were tested including lip glosses, lipsticks, eye shadow, eye liner, powders, concealers, foundations, blushes, mascaras etc. The study found many were contaminated by heavy metals.

20% of all makeup items tested contained arsenic. Half of all products were laced with cadmium. As if this is not enough, about 60% of the products contained thallium. 90% of the tested items were found to contain beryllium. Shockingly, 96% of the products tested positive for lead. With this information, where you source your makeup products becomes critical. The good news is that there are natural personal care products made by trusted brands. A good example is Utama Spice. Our products are free from chemicals and toxins and we source our ingredients to ensure quality. Alternative beauty products include coconut oil and a host of essential oil blends.

Expired spices

Spices transform your culinary experience and supply a good dose of nutrients. Adding spices to your dishes provides a boost of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants; among others. Some of the best spices that you can have in your pantry include ginger, garlic, thyme, cloves, cinnamon and rosemary. However, although spices tend to have a long shelf life, they do expire at some point. Many people will unknowingly use old and expired spices; this is wrong.

Tossing old spices and adding a new stock of fresh spices will improve your health and your cooking. The expired ones will most likely be stale. Make it a habit to closely monitor expiry dates of spices. Even better, you can choose to use fresh herbs like ginger instead of going for the bottled kinds. Fresh herbs may be more potent and they will supply high quality nutrients as well. However, if you choose dried spices that last longer, just make sure to avoid using stale products because this will be counterproductive.

Artificial sweeteners

Unnatural or artificial sweeteners are normally synthetic or man-made. Examples include sucralose and aspartame. However, many are concerned that over-consumption of these chemicals may be dangerous because they interfere with normal body function. These synthetic sweeteners are known to trick your body to promote the storage of fat. This increases your risk of developing diabetes. There are many processed foods that contain artificial sugars including diet soda. If you are finding it hard to lose weight, this could explain why you are struggling to shed fat even after cutting the sugar in your diet.

In addition to disturbing how insulin works in your body and causing weight gain, artificial sweeteners can lead to serious health conditions such as stroke and heart attack. Alzheimer’s disease has also been linked to artificial sweeteners as well. These sweeteners have the power to alter your gut function. By disrupting the gut microflora, your metabolism is compromised. Owing to this problem, people can develop glucose intolerance while others will suffer gut dysbiosis. As you can see, these sweeteners bring so many problems to your health and you are better of without them.

Commercial air fresheners

Whenever an unpleasant odor is detected, most people reach for an air freshener or a room deodorizer. Little do they know that many commercial air fresheners come packed with artificial compounds including synthetic fragrances and other chemicals that you may not in your air. Look at alternatives to avoid using so many chemical elements to get rid of odors. Opening windows and doors can be an effective way to get high quality air into a room.

If you want to add a pleasant scent to your space, choose high quality essential oils. These aromatic oils are not just pleasant, but they come with health benefits as well. Scents such a lavender can transform your mood and ease your stress. Investing in a diffuser ensures you can freshen up any room quickly and effectively. For more information on quality diffusers and aromatherapy products, check out Utama Spice.

Plastics

Many people are aware that plastic containers for food are not good for health. Many contain chemicals that can alter endocrine function and cause harm. BPA is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to plastics. BPS is however another compound that is harmful. Therefore, choosing BPA-free plastic containers will not guarantee that you are safe. Some of the proven ills caused by leaching plastics include reproductive health issues, reduced IQ in young people, hyperactivity, hypertension and even cancer of the thyroid, breast and prostate. Old plastics are especially worse when it comes to emitting harmful chemicals.

Therefore, the solution is to avoid plastic containers and bottles altogether. Make the switch to glass containers. With glass, you do not have to worry about which chemical compounds are emitted. For baby bottles and any food containers, glass is the safest option. The market is filled with many excellent glass container options and many of them are affordable and long lasting.

Food sprayed with pesticides

The source of your food is critical. Many foods are grown using a host of chemicals from fertilizers to pesticides. Harmful chemicals come into contact with your food when pesticides and herbicides are sprayed. Some genetically modified foods are also grown to produce certain pesticides themselves! Many countries have banned GMOs.

The solution to avoid crops grown using pesticides. Choose organic foods that are grown naturally. Natural manure is used to grow healthy crops without harmful chemicals. Before buying your food, do some research and choose a trusted organic market. This will be a great starting point for you and your family. If you are able, try to grow food at home in your garden.

Prolonged use of smartphones and computers

Tossing your smartphone or computer may be impractical but avoid continued use of these devices. Take breaks through the day to give your body and eyes a rest. And try to eliminate them completely at night, especially in bed because the light from the screens can disrupt sleep. Also, these devices emit radiation as long as they are on, so some people may be concerned about carrying these devices close to their body.

Sitting for too long

Do you sit on your chair for more than 50 minutes at a time? If you do, you are sitting for too long. New studies have revealed that accumulated sitting hours are a major risk factor for chronic health problems. From obesity to cardiovascular problems, people who sit for too long are more likely to suffer from disease. The sad part is that you could be very fit and working out regularly but; sitting for hours on end will still be harmful to your health.

Being aware of how long you sit is a good first step, and take action to avoid sitting for prolonged periods. As with the advice about computers and smartphones above, make it a habit to take a 10 minute break every 50 minutes. Stand up and walk about a bit to stretch your legs. Many people simply go get a glass of water (many of us don’t drink enough fresh water which has its own negative health effects, so this technique actually has three health benefits in one – less sitting, reduced eye strain, and better hydration!)

Negative vibes

When you face stress or a problem, you may have a negative emotion as well. In general, anything negative makes you feel bad and down. But it is important to avoid negativity and feed your mind with positive energy. This will make you will feel better and more empowered.

The emotional state of your mind and body can be greatly affected by the information you consume. Simply put, if your spend a lot of time watching and reading negative news reports, and interacting with negative people on social media or in real life, your may find your mood, outlook and emotional well-being takes a downturn. Studies have actually shown that people who spend too much time consuming negative information are prone to depression and anxiety. Conversely, if you surround yourself with positive and energetic people and take part in enriching activities such as sport, volunteer work or creative arts, the world will most likely appear and feel much brighter.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should sweep your problems under the carpet or avoid confrontation at all cost. But by trying to respond positively to issues in your life will likely result in a more positive outcome, and may even cause the people around your to be more positive too!

Conclusion

There is so much you can do to make your health better. Some of the highlights include getting rid of chemical elements and using more natural products in your home. Natural living will help you avoid the common toxins that are found in commercial products. Going easy when using electronic devices is critical. Sitting too long has been found detrimental to health, and even conditions like arthritis are made worse when you have a habit of sitting for hours. Finally, try to build the world around you from within. Treat the people around you with kindness, and try to surround yourself with positive vibes.

Try to make small changes every single day until you achieve your wellness goals. The power is certainly in your hands.

 

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60 Comments

  1. There are many things mentioned that everyone uses in their daily lives but are still unaware of the fact that they ruin our health. This information is really good and I’ll try to live regarding it.

  2. This is so helpful for someone with a full time desk job! You’ve really convinced me to start growing my own food as well, you never know with pesticides!

  3. Makes me think about all the negative things we’ve all been exposed to all our lives. Time to make a change!

  4. I have gotten rid of all non-organic, un-natural cleaners in my home. I have felt a lot better since. I have to work on tossing some make up that may contain heavy metals and other things I do not want in my body

  5. It would be great if employers would allow employees to take a 10 minute stroll every hour. It would raise morale (positive vibes)and help make the office a healthier place.

  6. I never thought about the spices. I have so many as I am hooked on Penzey spices but I know some are a few years old. I hate to toss them as they are costly. Now I know I have to.

  7. Totally love using nAtural oils for air freshener! Good idea on old spices, I’d rather get full benefit when I use them. Thanks

  8. Artificial sweetener does more harm than good, trying to trick the brain is never a good thing.
    Great blog post!

  9. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO STOP A LOT OF THESE THINGS SOME ARE HARD TOGIVE UP SOME ARE NOT

  10. Thank you for the very interesting and helpful information that I did not know before reading this.

  11. I didn’t know a lot of the stuff that was in this article!! This makes me more serious about checking into the ingredients that are in products before I buy them.

  12. A great informative article and it highlights just where I need to focus my detox efforts. The makeup category is so hard as you mentioned.

  13. Wow! The article was very informative. Doing everything stated is great but I worry about what is happening to our environment -from auto and industrial pollution that harms out water supply and the food we consume.

  14. Thanks for writing this blog post and letting readers of it know what 10 things are that they can eliminate from their lives that would improve their health. And I definitely plan on trying to eliminate some of them from my life in the near future so that hopefully, my health will improve.

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