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That’s a woman’s increased likelihood of developing cancer working in her own home, versus heading to an office every day. Fifty-four percent. Shocking.
When I read that stat, I wondered what it said about “stay-at home kids.” What kind of exposure are they getting in their own house? Nobody has pinpointed an exact cause for what puts stay-at-homes in a higher risk category, but here are some possible clues:
- The normal home has between 60 and 70 toxic chemicals.
- Kids experience up to five times the impact that adults do from chemicals (due to their small size, developing lungs and other organs, etc.)
- Best-selling toothpaste includes saccharine and phenol fluoride, both known carcinogens.
- Well-known baby shampoo contains quaternion 15, a carcinogen.
- Phthalates are found in common personal care products and fragrances (among other things). They damage developing reproductive systems, liver, lung and kidneys.
I’ll stop here, for now, and start giving you some good news. You can help reduce your kids’ in-house exposure to chemicals. Here are some easy changes to incorporate:
Cleaners
First, get rid of the most toxic cleaners. Trade them in for cleaners that are biodegradable and easier on the lungs. Vinegar cleans windows well, and non-chlorine (peroxide) bleaches do a great job. This topic deserves it’s own spotlight, so don’t worry, I’ll be sharing more details in an upcoming issue. I promise!
Tracking in Fewer Toxins
And though it might seem odd at first, I suggest you “free your soles” in the house. Kick your shoes off and leave pesticides, lead, mold, dog poop —who knows what—at the door. Some sources say that shoes are responsible for up 2/3 of the dirt in our homes (does that include homes with toddlers, I wonder?). By just switching to your comfy slippers, you’ll improve your home’s indoor air quality, and have less to sweep up at the end of the day!
Here’s another easy one: if you don’t already use a PERC-free dry cleaner (more on this later, I promise), take clothes out of the bag and let them “hang out” (outside the house) before putting them in the closet. PERC will be banned one day, but until then, it is dangerous for our children to be breathing.
Buy What You Can Pronounce
Finally, when shopping, one good suggestion is to forego buying things with ingredients you can’t pronounce. If I don’t know what something is, I probably don’t want it in my kid’s body.
Incorporate Changes At A Comfortable Pace
Sometimes when people discover “toxic news,” the first thing they want to do is change everything. Resist the urge. For one thing, it might prove too hard to get everyone in your family to go along with the sudden changes. (My mother always said, “Force creates resistance.”) Besides, even Gandhi didn’t go cold turkey on the bad stuff. For major changes in his life, he adopted only one per specific period of time (every six months, I think). If it was good enough for Gandhi…
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