My Top 3 Non-Toxic switches
Non-toxic is a major wellness trend at the moment. Here is another trend that I am totally here for! I have personally been learning about how so many products I use are filled with toxic chemicals, hormone disruptors, and other harmful substances. Learning about how practically everything I own is coated & filled with pesticides, carcinogens, heavy metals, and forever chemicals has been extremely overwhelming for me — so much to the point where I had no idea where to begin. That is why I created this post: My Top 3 Non-Toxic Switches. I have to be honest, it was very difficult for me to choose my top 3 but I based it on a few things:
How often I use the product
How harmful the chemicals involved are
How my body comes in contact with the chemicals
These are pretty self-explanatory but it is still important to touch on these points. First off, if I am using a product every day or several times a day, these are going to be the things I want to switch out first. Something that you use all the time is going to expose you to those chemicals a lot more often than something you only use once in a blue moon (obviously). Secondly, I wanted to consider how toxic the chemical really is. If the chemical is harmful but not as harmful as a different one, the more harmful chemical is going to take the cake (once again, obviously!). It also depends how much of the chemical is in the product. If it has traces of a heavy metal in it vs it being absolutely drenched in a carcinogen, I am going to recommend avoiding the product that is drenched in something that can cause cancer over something that has minimal amounts of a heavy metal in it. Finally, I considered specifically how my body comes in contact with it. This is important because you need to consider whether you are merely touching it, breathing it in, or full-on consuming it. I prioritized switching out items that I am actually putting inside my body like foods and cooking supplies because my body has the least amount of protection from them. Items that I might breath in are still harmful, but my nose & mouth can filter things out better than something like my intestinal lining can.
Switch #1: Pots & pans
This was the first thing I switched in my non-toxic journey. Let me just say, this is probably the most expensive out of all of the switches but, it is well worth the price tag if you ask me. Many pots & pans are non-stick which makes cooking a breeze but fills your body with forever chemicals. Yeah, I said forever chemicals. I am not trying to be dramatic or fear-monger, but the truth is, it is extremely hard to get these chemicals out of your body. Basically the only way to rid your body of these substances is to donate blood so your body creates new blood in place of the toxic blood (and then you’re just giving these chemicals to someone else:/). Unfortunately, even this only dilutes the amount of chemicals in your body so you can’t fully get rid of them (at least not that I know of). This is why I have pots & pans as my number one switch. You simply can’t argue with the fact that a product that will give you toxins forever isn’t worth prioritizing. At least some other products we can hope get filtered out of our body eventually, but something like this, won’t.
So my recommendation is to switch to a more non-toxic & sustainable cookware brand ASAP. Some popular ones include Caraway, Green Pan, and Our Place. I have personally not heard the best reviews about Our Place (you didn’t hear it from me) but I personally have the Green Pan cookware set. I recently switched to these pans about a month ago, so I can’t speak to the durability of them personally. That being said, my sister has owned her Green Pan pans for a little over a year now and she has had no issues with them and she says the non-stick properties still work great. I can attest that these pans are actually non-stick! I have been using the smallest pan just about every day to sauté some spinach for my breakfast & have had no issues with sticking or cleaning them so far!
Switch #2: Cleaners
The reason why cleaners are a non-negotiable for me is because cleaners are used throughout your entire house. Cleaners include disinfectant sprays, bathroom cleaners, glass cleaners, counter cleaners, dishwasher pods, & laundry detergent. They infiltrate all aspects of your home & their purpose is to make your living environment safer, not even more harmful. If you clean your counter with toxins, this gets into your food which goes into your body. If you use it in your bathroom, it comes in direct contact with your hands, face, mouth, skin, and you-know-where. When you wash your clothes with toxins, you are now wearing toxins — 24/7! This is why cleaners are one of my top 3 switches; you use them just about every day & you come in contact with them constantly.
I recently purchased the Branch Basics Starter Kit which includes fully non-toxic multi-purpose concentrate, dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent, and bottles to hold your cleaners in. I love this brand because they are fully committed to making non-toxic living easier, they have full transparency on their website, and they are affordable. Yes, you have to lay out a bit up front, but this kit will last you a full year (at least the concentrate will)!
Switch #3: Water Filter
My final switch is to get a water filter! This is one I have not yet done myself yet but plan to do very soon. You drink water every single day (I hope!). Water is an essential nutrient that our body needs. How do you think our body would feel when it learns that the very thing it requires is betraying us by hiding heavy metals & toxic ingredients. I’d be pretty pissed! Since water is so prevalent in our lives, I feel that this has to be a top switch for everyone.
For my shower, I am going to be using the brand Jolie. They make shower-head filters that you can easily install into your shower to make sure that the water you are cleaning your body, face, & hair with is crisp & clean! I have heard great reviews online and from people I know personally so I feel that I can trust this brand & it is worth the money. My siblings & I also gifted this to my mom for Mother’s Day (I was pretty jealous, actually)!
As for sink filters, I am open to recommendations. I know that Brita & PUR iare pretty popular, but I haven’t looked into these brands’ efficacy. As for right now, I’ll likely buy one of these, just to get a filter on my sink & then look into other options later on down the line.
What are your top non-toxic switches? Let me know on TikTok, Insta, or Pinterest @trainwithtorik or email me at trainwithtorik@gmail.com. Thanks for reading & I will see you next time:)