TOXIC AMERICA – OMG!

Sitting here sipping my organic green tea, having just scrubbed my entire kitchen with my homemade non-toxic (and exquisite smelling), cleaning products, I can easily feel immune to the toxic chemicals that are very likely sequestered in my body fat, ratcheting up my chemical “Body Burden”. Like it or not, we are all exposed to these unfortunate chemicals on a daily basis, so I was thrilled to find out that CNN is doing a special 6/2 & 6/3, entitled “Toxic America”, where this scary issue is given the public awareness that is deserves. One of my main reasons for becoming rather obsessively green (or lets say Gorgeously Green,) ten years ago, was because I started to discover that my birthright to clean air, food, and water was being abused. Through no fault of my own, I could be and probably was unwittingly harming my unborn baby. I found to my absolute horror that my using regular everyday products, I could give myself at best, allergies, and at worst – cancer!

It’s tough to get our head around toxic chemicals, because unless you’re talking about something horribly smelly like Chlorine Bleach, we can’t typically see or smell them. It’s hard to believe that a shiny Pink Lady apple at the grocery store may have had up to 15 spraying rounds of a harmful pesticide during it’s growing season, or that your favorite body lotion is packed with preservatives that could over time, nudge your entire endocrine system off balance.

My doctor told me the other day that she’s seeing women as young as 25 coming into her office with heavy metal poisoning!  “From exactly what?” I asked. “Everything and anything,” she replied. She also maintains that this chemical overload can cause women to pack on the pounds – WHAAAAT? So now we have to contend with a chemical body burden, which basically means the levels of chemicals that can be tested through blood work and that are stored in your adipose tissue (fat), and weight gain – lovely!

Okay girls, if this isn’t a call to action to grab a copy of my new book, I don’t know what is! I wrote Do It Gorgeously – How to make Less Toxic, less expensive and more beautiful products because I wanted to share with my readers how I minimize my exposure on a daily basis. I wanted to show you how easy and inexpensive it can be. So don’t think you’ve got to run to the store and buy pricey body lotions, cleaning supplies and bug killers – you don’t. The great news is that you really can make you own, which I promise (hand on my heart), are just as effective – if not more, than what you’re used to.

Unless you live in a Teepee in the mountains of Colorado, never travel and drink water from the mountain streams, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to avoid many of the chemicals that Dr Sanjay Gupta (on the CNN special), talks about. They’re in our cars, stores, airplanes and more, however, the great G.G. news of the day is that you can take steps to totally make your own home a clean and sacred zone.

1. Try to buy as much organic food as you possibly can.

2. Buy safe plastics (that are labelled BPA-free)

3. Avoid Teflon coatings on pots and pans and outdoor gear.

4. Avoid particleboard furniture and nail polish that doesn’t specify that it’s free of formaldehyde

5. Dust your home regularly with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter (PBDE’s are found in household dust.)

6. Make your own cleaning supplies ( all to be found in DO IT GORGEOULSY)

7. Make your own skin care products (all to be found in DO IT GORGEOUSLY)

Follow the above steps and you’ll have made a fantastic start in protecting yourself and your family.