If you’re looking to pursue optimal health but don’t know where to begin, start in the kitchen. Yep, start in the kitchen, not at the gym, not out at restaurants, and not at work. While these places are important, the one place that will have the biggest impact on your overall health is the kitchen. Listen, friends, removing toxins starts in the kitchen.
That’s not all that starts in the kitchen. Cooking and eating healthy food and deepening family relationships both start there too.
Think about this, in a world where convenience is the golden calf, we inadvertently wind up making it a more toxic place. New discoveries are great, but they often come with a load of chemicals we don’t want in our bodies. In today’s world, we are constantly exposed to harmful chemicals. Of the 84,000 chemicals on the market, only 1% have been tested for safety.
That’s insane!
Unfortunately, our kitchen is home to most of these untested chemicals. Besides the food you eat, all types of these toxins can be found in utensils, cleaning supplies, and even some appliances.
In this article, I’m going to share nine ways to remove toxins in the kitchen. You’ll leave feeling encouraged to start your health journey and clean up your kitchen, so keep reading to learn more!
Health Starts in the Kitchen
Removing toxins starts in the kitchen, and so does your overall health journey. You see, toxins have the ability to enter your body and accumulate over time. This accumulation of toxins that your body cannot excrete causes damage, especially to the nervous system. The key to good health starts by being aware of the potential toxin accumulation sites in your household, and the kitchen is a big one.
But, as I mentioned above, so much more starts in the kitchen than just the potential introduction of toxins in your body.
Do you cook with your kids? With your spouse?
Do you throw a ready-to-eat meal in the microwave every night?
Is the kitchen left dirty every night because it’s too stressful to clean?
Does preparing food cause you stress or joy?
The kitchen can be a place that brings you and your family joy. It can also be a place of extreme stress on busy weekdays. It can be a place where you prepare healthy, delicious meals or a place where you store the guilty pleasures that are damaging your health.
There is so much power in the kitchen. My advice to you is to start by taking back control of your kitchen one step at a time. The best and easiest way to start? Removing the toxins.
The Danger of Toxins
Here’s why you should care about the toxins in your kitchen. There are so many ways toxins can enter your body. It can be through the foods you eat, what you drink, what you apply to your skin, the medications you take, vaccines and the type of job you do, and so on. Normally, you excrete toxins through the body’s natural detoxification pathways.
However, excess toxins can cause serious health problems. Your body can no longer keep up with the rate at which toxins accumulate. Some of the health problems you may experience include chronic inflammation, disrupted hormones, digestive issues, brain fog and impaired cognition, and skin problems like eczema.
The Types of Toxins in Your Kitchen
In order to remove the invisible saboteurs affecting your overall health journey, you need to know what they are. Here is a list of the more common toxins found in your kitchen:
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Bisphenol-A (BPA)
- Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH)
- Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate
- Phthalates
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- Butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole (or BHA and BHT)
Where are these fancy toxins found? I’m glad you asked. Keep reading to learn where these guys are found and nine ways to remove toxins from the kitchen.
Canned goods are convenient, but the chemicals that line the cans get into your food which then gets into your body. The chemical we’re talking about is BPA, a known endocrine disruptor.
Nine Ways To Remove Toxins From The Kitchen
Plastics
Containers, zip bags, cups, bottles, and more may be convenient for storage, but they are also huge polluters. Not to mention, carriers of toxins. Many plastics contain BPA which is harmful to your body. BPA may cause type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, asthma, heart disease, liver damage, ADHD, cancer, or infertility by damaging the reproductive organs. Even low doses of BPA are not safe. Chose glass, ceramic, or metal containers instead!
Microwave
The microwave has been around for decades and is generally considered safe. However, you must not heat up food in plastic containers as this can leach chemicals into your food! The heat generated by the microwave can also break up small plastic fragments which end up in your body.
Cookware
While non-stick pots and pans are convenient, they come with a cost. Cookware is commonly coated with Teflon that contains toxic PFOA’s. During the cooking process, the heat causes these chemicals to leach into your food. Also, some vegetables have a tendency to bind to aluminum, which is not good for your health either. Avoid non-stick and choose stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic instead.
Cooking Spray
Yes, cooking spray is easy to use and lets you control the amount of oil you use. But, chemical propellants like butane and propane propel the oil as a spray, which means that these chemicals also enter your food chain. Instead, you should use olive oil, butter, or coconut oil from glass jars.
RELATED: FIVE FOODS THAT MAY CAUSE HORMONAL IMBALANCE
Water
Frequently drinking water has been shown to contain prescription medications, chemicals, fertilizers, insecticides, heavy metals, and rarely even traces of sewage. If you’re worried about your home water you can have it analyzed and then install a water filtration system.
Canned Food
It’s best to avoid canned foods whenever possible. Again they are convenient, but the chemicals that line the cans get into your food which then gets into your body. The chemical we’re talking about is BPA, a known endocrine disruptor. Instead, try fresh or frozen food.
Organic Food
Many fruits and vegetables routinely test for 40+ different kinds of pesticides. Purchasing certified organic food is the only way to ensure you’re not consuming the chemicals found in these pesticides.
Gas
This one may come as a surprise to you, but when you cook there is an accumulation of many gases. One such gas is carbon monoxide. Chronic exposure to carbon monoxide has a variety of adverse effects including headaches, shortness of breath, difficult concentration, fatigue, and brain fog. Food that smokes or burns produces the highest quantity of carbon monoxide in the kitchen. Make sure you use your oven vent or open a window when you cook.
Cleaning Products
Detergents, degreasers, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, and phenol are all common cleaning products found in a kitchen. They are also all potent solutions that can cause damage to your health. To lessen the load of toxic exposure to your body, make the switch to biodegradable and plant-based cleaners and detergents, and enzymatic drain cleaners.
Work With A Holistic Health Coach
Are you ready to start your journey to optimal health? Remember, removing toxins starts in the kitchen. When you have a healthy kitchen you have YOUR health, too. If you need help getting started send me a message via my contact page. I’ll help you bring joy back into the kitchen!
Send me a message, I’d love to talk with you!
Mandy Patterson
