Healthy Things To Do For Your Body and the Planet

I’m learning so much as I do research and make lifestyle adjustments in an effort to heal my rogue autoimmune system. There’s a genetic component in autoimmune disease, and I already told you about the dietary changes I’m making to hopefully bring down my anti-thyroid-antibodies (ATAs). There are also a variety of environmental factors that come into play. Whether or not you suffer from autoimmune disease, it is in all of our best interests to limit exposure to environmental toxins as much as possible. Here are some simple ways to do something good for your body as well as the planet.

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Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.

Start by bringing reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. A no brainer, right? Super simple and a great way to reduce plastic waste.

Rotate then donate your running/athletic shoes. My shoes that are no longer ideal for running become my everyday knock around shoes and then my gardening shoes. Soles4Souls and DSW have drop-off points around the country for gently worn (not your worn out marathon) shoes. Through their Reuse-A-Shoe program, participating Nike retail stores will accept your old, beat up athletic shoes and recycle them into “Nike Grind” a material used for playgrounds, tracks, turf and other recreational surfaces.

Just say No to plastic water bottles. Stop using single-use plastic water bottles that never biodegrade and find their way into our oceans, putting wildlife in peril. An insulated metal water bottle that keeps drinks cold for hours on end is a much better choice. Corkcicle, Swell, and Takeya all make great ones in fun colors and sizes…

 

…and dang this Unicorn Magic Insulated Stemless wine glass sure is pretty too…just saying…

Stop putting plastic in the dishwasher. Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic when it is heated and most of us have plastic in our bodily tissues. It pollutes our groundwater. Need I go on? Sure there’s “dishwasher safe” plastic. Based on the number of people I see melting things in their dishwasher though, I think it’s better to err on the side of safety, suck it up and handwash your plastic.

Use Wool Dryer Balls Instead of Dryer Sheets. Dryer sheets are coated with all kinds of nasty chemicals and fragrances that get in the air, on your clothes and then on your skin. I’ve skipped using fabric softeners of any kind for years and just dealt with the static cling. Then I discovered wool dryer balls. They naturally soften your clothes and eliminate static cling. Just throw them in the dryer with your clean, damp laundry and let them tumble around and work their magic. Better yet, use essential oils to give them a fresh, natural, chemical-free scent.

Here’s what you do:

Get yourself half a dozen or so woolen dryer balls. Find them here on Amazon.

Choose your favorite essential oil. I LOVE Clear the Air Blend from Now Foods. It’s a blend of eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary and hyssop that smells fresh and clean without being overpowering. Put 5 drops or so of essential oil on each woolen ball. Put 5 or 6 balls in the dryer by themselves (no laundry yet) and run the dryer for 5 minutes. Then add the damp laundry, leaving the balls to tumble with it. The Caveman walked into the laundry room and said “It smells so clean in here”. Clean is what I’m going for! These are super simple and even fun to make and they’re SO much better than a toxic dryer sheet, not to mention they last for hundreds of loads. Just keep them in a sealed container to preserve the scent and recharge with essential oils every 5 loads or so.

Rethink your candles. Trust me I adore candles, especially scented ones, as much as the next person, but burning paraffin-wax candles in the house emits chemicals that can damage your health. Paraffin is a petroleum by-product that has been chemically bleached and deodorized. When you burn paraffin candles, they emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene and acetone, which are known carcinogens. Soy candles aren’t much better because remember soy is a highly genetically modified crop, and those soybeans are farmed with high-intensity herbicides, pesticides and chemicals.

What’s a healthy alternative?

Flameless LED Candles. I runfess I resisted these for a long time because I felt they were too “fake”. I’ve come to really love them. Especially the ones that flicker like real candles. Get them here.

Beeswax candles. Due to their ionic structure, they actually CLEAN the air. Crazy, right? Beeswax candles burn with no smoke and release negative ions into the air which bind to toxins to remove them. They’re especially good for people with allergies or asthma. Buy beeswax candles here.

Essential Oil Diffuser. You probably know how much I love my diffusers. I runfess I have three of them. The more the merrier.

Between using beeswax and flameless LED candles and diffusing essential oils. I can easily create the comfortable ambiance in my home that I’m looking for, without environmental toxins.

Rethink your personal care products. Shampoo, lotions, deodorants etc. contain a host of ingredients that are better left off your skin. Remember everything you are putting ON your skin is being absorbed INTO your body. Now Foods is my go-to for personal care products I can trust.

I love Nature’s Deodorant Stick from Now Foods. I swear it’s the longest lasting, most effective deodorant I’ve ever tried, and the crystal lasts for literally YEARS. Due to it’s breakable nature though, I don’t travel with it or take it to the gym.

No worries: Now makes paraben- and aluminum-free stick deodorants that are perfect for gym bags and travel and sending in college care packages…just saying.

Remember to use MARCIANOW10 to save $10 off a $40 purchase at Now Foods.

Another personal-care favorite is FRÉ Skincare. It’s all natural and specially formulated for sweaty, post-workout skin. I love the Purify Me face cleanser so much it’s like a reward for working out. It leaves my face feeling clean without drying it out. Revive Me Replenishing Serum and Brighten Me Eye Cream are fantastic as well. The entire skincare line is natural, fresh and fabulous. I’ll let you in on a little secret: All FRÉ Skincare will be 50% off (and free shipping!) with code RUNDEF on Black Friday.

Are you mindful of environmental toxins? Have you considered the impact they have on your health?  Have you tried any of these products?

I’m linking up with Fairytails & Fitness for the Friday Five.