Living through a pandemic isn’t easy and it’s hard to know exactly how to best take care of ourselves but at sundays, we want to provide our community with some ideas that might be helpful to live the healthiest version of you. Since COVID-19, we have more reason to be careful now more than ever to take care of our immune system. Whether that means being physically active, taking our vitamins, or eating healthy. Regardless there are still a lot of harmful chemicals and ingredients in most things we consume and it’s not only in our food. But fortunately, there are little steps you can take when it comes to your daily life to eliminate these harmful ingredients and to live a non-toxic lifestyle.
What does it mean to be non-toxic? It means to live a healthy, natural lifestyle that excludes harmful chemicals in most aspects of life: food, beauty, and home. But it also involves the mind and practicing positive thinking to minimize toxic thoughts and feelings. Switching to non-toxic doesn’t happen overnight and can be sometimes costly but there are little steps you can take to live a cleaner, healthier life.
1. Use non-toxic nail care and beauty products
We suggest you start off small, taking a look at the products you use every day: your nail polish and skincare. Some nail polish toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are unfortunately not regulated in the market. These ingredients are carcinogenic and can seriously impact your health. Your body absorbs them and can lead to damage to your reproductive system and cause neurological and liver damage, just to name a few. Consider switching to nail polishes that are entirely non-toxic and more gentle to your nails. It’s perhaps a bigger investment than your typical nail polish but definitely worth it when it comes to your wellbeing. Our nail polishes are made with your health as a number one priority and contain all-natural ingredients, are also vegan, cruelty-free, 10-free, and pregnancy safe!
When it comes to beauty, make sure your products don’t have any parabens! These are known as artificial preservatives that are meant to lengthen the shelf life of your beauty products. Parabens can cause skin irritation, cancer, and reproductive harm. There are great paraben-free products out there. We recommend checking out Honest Company for clean beauty, skincare, and cleaning products.
2. Switch to clean eating
Ok, we get it, changing your diet is tough. And we’re not saying you have to go completely vegetarian or vegan, but limiting the amount of meat and dairy consumed is a good step towards living a cleaner life. Bring in more organic veggies and fruits into your diet. Unfortunately, pesticides are a big problem when it comes to food so make sure you always check those labels. When it comes to meat make sure it’s grass-fed and hormone-free. We recommend you check out Sakara Life for some clean eating tips and recipes.
3. Replace toxic home items
The one big item that’s typically toxic and that we all love and use frequently is our candle. This is a big one because around 70% of household candles are made from paraffin wax which is a sludge waste product from the petroleum industry. It releases carcinogenic chemicals when burned. Candles are meant to create an oasis in your space as well as a calm, relaxing atmosphere, then why use candles that are harmful to your health? Our candles are made out of soybean wax instead of the typical(toxic) paraffin wax and are entirely non-toxic. While gentle on your health, our candles have a soothing scent that burns well and fills your space with a relaxing aroma. Of course, there are other items you can replace like your dish soap, wall paint, even your pots, and pans. Choose a dish soap that’s gentle to your hands and is safe for you and your family. Most Trader Joe’s cleaning supplies are non-toxic, so we recommend checking those out. Unfortunately, a lot of pots and pans also release chemicals that get absorbed by your food. Non-stick cookware typically releases carcinogenic chemicals when heated, so we recommend you go with ceramic cookware instead.
4. Get rid of toxic thoughts
Being non-toxic takes having a look inward as well. All of these aspects of a non-toxic lifestyle are external and easy to implement, but getting rid of toxic thoughts takes a little more work. You can start with little actions like journaling and repeating affirmations. This helps you release those negative thoughts, without letting them build up inside. If you’re looking for some affirmation inspo, you can take a look at our list of daily affirmations that help with anxiety. Another great technique is meditation. When you meditate, you’re focusing on being in touch with yourself and being kind to yourself without all the lingering negative thoughts to distract you. Although meditation might not eliminate all of these thoughts it is a great step forward. If you’re wondering how to get started with meditation or are new to it, we recommend you read our blog that features meditation tips from our founder, Amy Lin!
Although a non-toxic lifestyle might not happen overnight for you, these little steps are super important for your wellbeing and for the wellbeing of those around you. It takes time but even something as little as switching your shampoo for a paraben-free one is a big step towards a non-toxic lifestyle.
